9/18/10

I couldn’t get to sleep at all last night. I think my body kept thinking that it was around 5 pm like back in the states rather than almost midnight. I finally got to sleep around 3am, then woke up around 10am.

Like I’ve mentioned before, I’ve had to cut down on the eating and snacking. So breakfast was just a simple smoothie with only banana, greek yoghurt, soy milk, and some fruit juice.

I really didn’t feel like it, but Lucas and I headed down to the fresh market earlier today. I became confused and angry because both my debit card and my credit card were denied to get any money out of an ATM. With my debit card it was saying I was over my daily limit, which was really confusing considering I hadn’t used the card at all today and I already set it up where they know I’m out of the country. The credit card was more understandable because I have it set up that I’m out of the country on the 20^th. So a couple more days before I can used that one.

But back to the fresh market; it’s great. It’s hectic, but great. Obviously some of the food stands are better than the others, you just have to look around. It is a little cheaper than the COOP (pronounced 'co-op') which is a lot like a Jewel or Dominicks. Except smaller. Everything is smaller here. Or probably it’s normal sized and everything in America is just oversized. There’s also and inside area with some food stands and mainly meats and fish and the like. I really want to try these HUGE mushrooms (larger than my hand). I might get one of them once I can get money out. Which I should be able to because I can look and my bank account and figure out what’s up now that we have the internet here.

Money is an issue. I checked it out and I’ve spent more these past couple of days than I usually do in a week or more back home. Stupid exchange rate.

Lucas had problems setting up the internet thing, so he went to the store we got it from and got it fixed. So now we have internet in the apartment! It’s really slow and sucks, but it’s still internet.

Lucas was also talking about going to Rome or some city close to Florence some time this week. I’m not quite sure I want to. Ok, more like I’m not sure I can afford to. Already this trip is costing more than I would ever want it to and I am more grateful than words or actions can express to my mom and step dad for funding this for me. I still am supposed to have two checks from my job coming in, but that honestly isn’t much money when it comes down to what I’ve been spending.

I’m going to try to make a budget idea for Erik and my mom considering both were thinking of coming and visiting me. More so for Erik than my mom because if it isn’t too expensive than he will definitely be coming with me. I don’t think it will be as expensive as he thought it would be. I think the money worries I’m having is just that obviously one is going to spend more money within the first week of moving into a new place rather than later on. And I’m already starting to learn where to buy stuff cheaper and better.

It’s also getting easier to know where I’m going. I don’t much pay attention to street names, more just the stores or other landmarks. I’m sure by the end of the week I will be pretty damned familiar with everything.

I’m still slowly getting basic Italian down. I know that I won’t be able to carry a conversation with anyone (MAYBE by the end of the trip) anytime soon, but I will hopefully be able to generally communicate with people here.

I’m pretty sure it’s just the season, but it rains daily here. It looks like a downpour is coming in the next hour, but its usually just drizzle here and there.

We also have very loud neighbors. The walls are so thin that when I’m in my room across the apartment with my door closed it sounds like our neighbors are inside the living room. I haven’t seen them yet, but I think it’s 2-3 girls that live there because all I hear is them laughing and screaming and talking very loudly and then the cabinets and drawers slamming.

I’m trying to have it so that my legs don’t cramp up and get too bulky by stretching a lot too. I’m extremely inflexible as it is and I think becoming more flexible with the muscle I’ll be gaining and the weight I’ll be losing doing all this walking and going up and down stairs will help.

I turned on the TV today as well. There was Italian dubbed Monk, Italian MTV, some Italian soap operas, and a lot of Italian sales channels. I saw a commercial for Ibuprofen, which was weird but quite interesting. I also flipped through the yellow pages, not able to understand pretty much everything.

I am bored.

I really should not be saying that, but I’ve already gone through 4 movies, half of a 400-page book, done 3 different drawings, etc etc. I dunno.

I have beans soaking so I can make some rice and beans or something. I really want to make a type of chili but that will have to wait until we get spices and some more vegetables. Maybe I’ll save half the beans and go out tomorrow to get the spices and such. I’m not sure what we will be having for dinner. I’m going to try this COOP store brand beer that we got just for the hell of it. Lucas tried his already and said it tastes like Bud Light.

UPDATE:

The beer tastes like skunky piss. Haha. But I guess that’s what we get for cheap store brand beer.

The internet isn’t working again. We’re hoping it’s just the thunderstorm that’s been going on for the past couple of hours. I also hope that long storms like this are every once in a while if at all if that’s what’s causing the internet not to work.