I had my very first IKEA experience today. I will say some of the stuff there is a bit too modern for my taste; however, there were a lot of really cute things in there! In fact, we were able to get a few things. We got some rugs, which was a horrible experience for poor Thomas. I have never been able to find a rug anywhere. It's like I have something in my head that does not exist. After several several several minutes I finally settled on two rugs. Thomas survived, but barely. We were able to find a tv stand and some other odds and ends.
IKEA is this huge store. It's an extremely bizarre shopping experience. There's this whole routine. You walk in and grab a shopping bag, not a cart. Plus tape measures, pencil, and ordering sheets. You walk around and admire all that is IKEA. It's really probably a shopping girl's dream. There is so much stuff! I know I missed some things. But anyway, you take your little piece of paper and pencil and when you see an item you like you write down the corresponding numbers. Then you keep on browsing. The shopping bag is for the many little do-dads you may find while your writing your numbers down. After finally getting out of the second floor we make our way down to the first floor. There you are greeted with many shopping carts and a basket to put your bags in if you are through with them. This area you no longer need to write down numbers you just grab what you want, place it in your cart, and go! Once getting through all items on the first floor we make our way into a warhouse looking room filled with tons of boxes. This is where the numbers come into play. You must look at the numbers and find them in their corresponding spot. Then you will see your item, all tightly wrapped in a cardboard box. It's just sitting in there waiting for your husband to build. :) About three hours later we survived the store that is IKEA. We made several successful purchases and Thomas came out with all his sanity.
Now on to the construction stage... I sit on our couch as we speak watching my husband try to put together this piece of furniture. Every other piece he has bought from there he has put together quickly with no problems. Well, not with this piece. Maybe I am bad luck. But, he has had to take it apart and put it together several times. He says he isn't looking at the instructions anymore because they are wrong. They tell him there is a hole in a certain location when no such hole exist. Right now, I will say it looks like it is finally coming together. Maybe we will get to eat sometime before 9:00 tonight. ;) Oh no I just heard a naughty word come out of his mouth! That can't be a good sign. It may be a long night. ;) I'll be glad to have this place in order. It's nice to make this place our home. Arrivederci!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Toilette...continued.
Forgot to mention. The toilets here have two flushers. One for #1 and another for #2. The one for #2 adds a bit more water for appropriate flushing I suspect. ;) Ciao.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
A True Italian Gathering
The other day Thomas and I were invited to Walter's house for coffee. He said he was having people over. Well, this was just after he told Thomas about a friend of his who is also American. Thomas naturally assumed that the other couple coming over would be this American family. Well, we ended up walking over to Walter's house (he lives right down the road...probably about a 45 sec-1 minute walk). Thomas couldn't get him on the phone so we just walked by his house. After his little girl went running inside yelling, "Tomas Tomas is here!!" Walter invited us in. We were then introduced to a few other couples...who were Italian and spoke no English. So, there we sat, two Americans and 6 Italians. Everyone was incredibly nice. We had Italian coffee, gelato, and cake. I'm not sure which was more of the highlight of my evening...the fact that Walter and his friends were watching a music video on the computer of Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas or the fact that we sat and watch Italian TV (including Forest Gump... in Italian) with them. During the music video Walter put his hood on his head and asked Gabby to bring him something. She brought out some kind of long chain necklace and he preceded to pretend to be like the Black Eyed Peas. Most hilarious thing ever. This family has been so welcoming. I am really having so many new and interesting experiences already.
Toilette
When I first arrived here there was one thing I noticed about the toilets in our apartment. The toilet seat is quite skinny. To me it resembled a toilet with it's seat already lifted up for a man to use. Thomas told me if this were the case then I would fall in. He is correct, but still the seat feels quite different than the ones back home. Now, I can officially prove this point. I sat on the toilet today and after using it I realized that I had sat down with the toilet seat UP!! Thomas had left the seat up and I didn't even notice it till after I got up. Normally, a woman would fall in at this point. I, however, did not fall in.So, this tells me that the toilets here are most definitely different. Okay, you may begin laughing at me...now.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Ciao Italy.
Flight:
I will say my first overseas flight was not half bad. I slept about 5-6 hours and the food they served I actually found edible. Now, the French airport annoyed me. It was so crowded!! I waited in a line that seemed 10 miles long just to get my passport checked. Plus I had to go through security which consisted of a line about 20 miles long. I left security with only 5 minutes till my plane was supposed to leave. I ran and ran till I finally got there. The kiosk sign said, "Boarding closed." But, they let me and two others on. I was literally the last person on the plane. I finally arrived at Italy with all of my sanity and all of my luggage.
Day 1:
Flying into Venezia was unreal. It looked like roadways made out of water. Of course, Thomas just reminded me as I write this that that's exactly what they are. I just told him, "oh, whatever." ;) My first meal was authentic Italian pizza. Yummy!!! It was delicious and very light tasting compared to American pizza. It even had fresh tomatoes on it. We ate our lunch out on our porch. While on the porch enjoying our food we have the pleasure of hearing church bells ringing in the background. The apartments around us have flower boxes which I will have on my porch next week. ;) We walked down the street to have a gelato. It was so yummy and refreshing. Later that night we went to Walter's to eat (remember, the guy who owns the restaurant and absolutely loves 'Tomas.'). We had bread with olive oil, vinegar, and some red stuff that we have no idea what is in it but it is soooo good. We also had gnocchi with four cheeses, chicken with some kind of tomato sauce, and bruchetta. Of course, there was also wine with the meal. I actually tried some of Thomas's red wine and I will say it really wasn't bad. I actually liked it! Walter's wife Gabby gave us the bruchetta for FREE and even gave us some kind of drink for FREE which she called a "pre-wine drink." They are both so incredibly sweet. Walter's mother tries to talk to Thomas, but she only speaks Italian so Thomas only understands half of what she says. At the end of the night, Thomas and I met new friends Gretchen and her husband Johnny for some more..yes..gelato. Hahaha! This time Thomas abandoned me and I was forced to order it. I said, "I need one limone in a cone and one limone in a cup." The guy looks at me like I am crazy. The only word he understood was limone. Then Gretchen saved the day by throwing out some Italian. I can't imagine ever being able to do that, but then again she has been here for more than two days, haha! :)
Day 2:
After buying bus tickets to get to the train station we went by Walter's to just say hey. He and his wife gave us a cappuciano for FREE! And actually I loved it. He's also told us he wants to take us to some different lakes to go swimming. He said now that its getting warm he will start taking his daughter Rebecca on bike rides through town and that we should join them. They have invited us to come over any evening we would like to have coffee. He actually told us to come tomorrow night and he even offered to close down early, but we told him we'd have to do it another night because tomorrow we are going out to eat with Gretchen and Johnny. He just said, "oh well I just wanted you to know that any time you come to our house." They live right down the street. You can practically see their house from ours. That family is so unbelievably nice. It makes me feel good to know that some foreigners actually like Americans. And then we to the train station where the ticket we bought was messed up and after getting an Italian who spoke English to fix it we had to talk to an Italian who didn't speak english to exhange our ticket. It was pretty frustrating. He couldn't understand us and we couldn't understand him. But, eventually, we got the right ticket in the end. Finally we made it to Venezia. It was so pretty with all the water everywhere. I will eventually take a gondola ride. Im not in a big hurry though because it's like 80 Euro. I bought a necklace made of morona glass and I bought something in Venezia for someone else but I won't say who yet. ;) I want to buy other people presents and then maybe send them in one big package. Okay, hint #1...it's a family member. Hahaha! Im just trying to pick up little things as I see them. The views were amazing. Some of the squares were so open and the buildings so big. I know it's touristy, but I really did enjoy it.
Although, this is so far a wonderful experience, I will say part of me is overwhelmed. I feel like a martian. I have told Thomas this several times. I laugh about it at least. I can't imagine really fitting in here. I mean I can't even order gelato by myself. I hear how Thomas can speak to the Italians and I can barely remember to say gratia instead of thank you. It is a culture shock. I know that with time it will get easier and I will pick up on the language and everything. It's also hard to imagine that this is my home. Right now, I feel I'm on vacation. Our stuff still isn't here yet so we don't have much and I am having to live out of suitcases. I want to start getting this place together badly. OH and I keep walking into the bathroom thinking it's the KITCHEN!! BAHAHAAHA! When Thomas showed me the house on skype I thought the kitchen had two doorways...one leading into the living room and one towards the door. Well, the bathroom is near the living room..and yeah, like I said, I keep walking into the bathroom looking for food and drink.
Well, I hope I remembered everything. It has been an exciting and eventful two first days. Tomorrow we will go to Verona for the day and have dinner with friends that evening. On Sunday we will probably go get me some flowers and window boxes. :)
Until next time, Ciao!
I will say my first overseas flight was not half bad. I slept about 5-6 hours and the food they served I actually found edible. Now, the French airport annoyed me. It was so crowded!! I waited in a line that seemed 10 miles long just to get my passport checked. Plus I had to go through security which consisted of a line about 20 miles long. I left security with only 5 minutes till my plane was supposed to leave. I ran and ran till I finally got there. The kiosk sign said, "Boarding closed." But, they let me and two others on. I was literally the last person on the plane. I finally arrived at Italy with all of my sanity and all of my luggage.
Day 1:
Flying into Venezia was unreal. It looked like roadways made out of water. Of course, Thomas just reminded me as I write this that that's exactly what they are. I just told him, "oh, whatever." ;) My first meal was authentic Italian pizza. Yummy!!! It was delicious and very light tasting compared to American pizza. It even had fresh tomatoes on it. We ate our lunch out on our porch. While on the porch enjoying our food we have the pleasure of hearing church bells ringing in the background. The apartments around us have flower boxes which I will have on my porch next week. ;) We walked down the street to have a gelato. It was so yummy and refreshing. Later that night we went to Walter's to eat (remember, the guy who owns the restaurant and absolutely loves 'Tomas.'). We had bread with olive oil, vinegar, and some red stuff that we have no idea what is in it but it is soooo good. We also had gnocchi with four cheeses, chicken with some kind of tomato sauce, and bruchetta. Of course, there was also wine with the meal. I actually tried some of Thomas's red wine and I will say it really wasn't bad. I actually liked it! Walter's wife Gabby gave us the bruchetta for FREE and even gave us some kind of drink for FREE which she called a "pre-wine drink." They are both so incredibly sweet. Walter's mother tries to talk to Thomas, but she only speaks Italian so Thomas only understands half of what she says. At the end of the night, Thomas and I met new friends Gretchen and her husband Johnny for some more..yes..gelato. Hahaha! This time Thomas abandoned me and I was forced to order it. I said, "I need one limone in a cone and one limone in a cup." The guy looks at me like I am crazy. The only word he understood was limone. Then Gretchen saved the day by throwing out some Italian. I can't imagine ever being able to do that, but then again she has been here for more than two days, haha! :)
Day 2:
After buying bus tickets to get to the train station we went by Walter's to just say hey. He and his wife gave us a cappuciano for FREE! And actually I loved it. He's also told us he wants to take us to some different lakes to go swimming. He said now that its getting warm he will start taking his daughter Rebecca on bike rides through town and that we should join them. They have invited us to come over any evening we would like to have coffee. He actually told us to come tomorrow night and he even offered to close down early, but we told him we'd have to do it another night because tomorrow we are going out to eat with Gretchen and Johnny. He just said, "oh well I just wanted you to know that any time you come to our house." They live right down the street. You can practically see their house from ours. That family is so unbelievably nice. It makes me feel good to know that some foreigners actually like Americans. And then we to the train station where the ticket we bought was messed up and after getting an Italian who spoke English to fix it we had to talk to an Italian who didn't speak english to exhange our ticket. It was pretty frustrating. He couldn't understand us and we couldn't understand him. But, eventually, we got the right ticket in the end. Finally we made it to Venezia. It was so pretty with all the water everywhere. I will eventually take a gondola ride. Im not in a big hurry though because it's like 80 Euro. I bought a necklace made of morona glass and I bought something in Venezia for someone else but I won't say who yet. ;) I want to buy other people presents and then maybe send them in one big package. Okay, hint #1...it's a family member. Hahaha! Im just trying to pick up little things as I see them. The views were amazing. Some of the squares were so open and the buildings so big. I know it's touristy, but I really did enjoy it.
Although, this is so far a wonderful experience, I will say part of me is overwhelmed. I feel like a martian. I have told Thomas this several times. I laugh about it at least. I can't imagine really fitting in here. I mean I can't even order gelato by myself. I hear how Thomas can speak to the Italians and I can barely remember to say gratia instead of thank you. It is a culture shock. I know that with time it will get easier and I will pick up on the language and everything. It's also hard to imagine that this is my home. Right now, I feel I'm on vacation. Our stuff still isn't here yet so we don't have much and I am having to live out of suitcases. I want to start getting this place together badly. OH and I keep walking into the bathroom thinking it's the KITCHEN!! BAHAHAAHA! When Thomas showed me the house on skype I thought the kitchen had two doorways...one leading into the living room and one towards the door. Well, the bathroom is near the living room..and yeah, like I said, I keep walking into the bathroom looking for food and drink.
Well, I hope I remembered everything. It has been an exciting and eventful two first days. Tomorrow we will go to Verona for the day and have dinner with friends that evening. On Sunday we will probably go get me some flowers and window boxes. :)
Until next time, Ciao!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
May 11. Watch out Italy! Ready or not here comes Rachel!! ;)
On this day I will be heading over to the country of pasta, pizza, gondolas, and much more. Super excited for this new adventure. It will be a bittersweet moment in my life. I will be leaving the only home I have ever known (besides the apartments in Greenville...lol). I know it will be a challenging experience for me, but at the same time Im sure it will be very rewarding. I never would have dreamed that I would ever even visit Europe, let alone, live there! I know that God has blessed me with this amazing opportunity. Not many people get this kind of opportunity. It's up to ME to make the most of it and enjoy all moments, even the bad ones. Now, when I sit outside on my porch I imagine sitting from one of the balconies of our apartment. I picture myself reading a good book while drinking a good glass of wine and taking tons and tons of pictures of everything that is around me. I think I will learn a lot from this experience. Only one month to go...it is so hard to believe that is happening to me. Of all people in this world, I never would have imagined that I would be getting prepared for this experience. This kind of thing happens to other people, not to me. Until now! :)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Riding Horses in Tuscany? YES PLEASE!
http://www.florencetours.net/?event=offer.detail&offerId=13153
I've been reading Frommer's guide to Northern Italy. It got me even more excited about living in Italy. It was funny when me and Thomas skyped earlier. I'm pretty sure he got a kick out of me today. I started babbling on and on about these different things we could do. He of course made fun of me. :) My friend sent me information about something she did while in Italy. Riding horses in Tuscany! It sounded like a lot of fun. I saw other tours on the website like riding vespas on an ice cream and wine tour. Thomas really made fun of me about that one! Haha! I could see the secret smile on his face. I think it probably makes him happy when he sees me excited about Italy. But anyway, I am very excited!! I want to have picnics, go to the local markets, go on a bike tour, ride horses in Tuscany, etc. etc. etc. etc.!!!!! :) Now that the praxis is out of the way I can keep my nose in books on Italy! :)
I've been reading Frommer's guide to Northern Italy. It got me even more excited about living in Italy. It was funny when me and Thomas skyped earlier. I'm pretty sure he got a kick out of me today. I started babbling on and on about these different things we could do. He of course made fun of me. :) My friend sent me information about something she did while in Italy. Riding horses in Tuscany! It sounded like a lot of fun. I saw other tours on the website like riding vespas on an ice cream and wine tour. Thomas really made fun of me about that one! Haha! I could see the secret smile on his face. I think it probably makes him happy when he sees me excited about Italy. But anyway, I am very excited!! I want to have picnics, go to the local markets, go on a bike tour, ride horses in Tuscany, etc. etc. etc. etc.!!!!! :) Now that the praxis is out of the way I can keep my nose in books on Italy! :)
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