it appears that my graphics card got burnt out on my laptop...
i guess pictureless posts will have to suffice until i can get to a place where i can upload...BAH!!!
rip powerbook...it's been a good 3 years...
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
London & Brighton - 4 days in England - 4 days of paying double for everything...
This is a bit out of order as I only had two days after getting back from southern Italy before I was off to London.
The best thing about London is that the museums are all free. On the other hand, everything else is ridiculously expensive (for Americans at least). Here are some of the weird price differences...(I hope my mom doesn't read this...she would probably kill me for some of the things I spent money on)
Bowl of Won Ton Noodle Soup w/ Roast Duck - £5.50 ($11)
Day pass for the Underground (zones 1 & 2) - £5.50 ($11)
Delicious "Kiwi Burger" (Egg, Cheese, Pineapple, Lettuce, Tomato, 1/2 lb. patty) w/ fries and a drink - £12.50 ($25!!!)
Standing room (I stood right next to the stage) ticket for Love's Labour's Lost @ Shakespeare's Globe Theatre - £5 ($10)
Train ticket to Brighton (approx. 1 hr. away) - £25 ($50) AHHHH!
So you see...while museums are free and a ticket to the best play i've ever seen, complete with rennaissnace minstrels, is only about $10...normal foods (I certainly could not afford fine dining in London) can be found for about half the price in america. And while, most of the price discrepancies are due to the currency exchange rate...the average wage in England is still only around £23,000. How do people survive??? Maybe that is why people say food is so bland in England...they go home and eat mashed potatoes and overcooked meat with onion gravy all the time because that is the only way to save enough money to take an occasional vacation. Sheesh!
That being said...London was amazing, and Brighton was like a glorified Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Pretty nice all in all. Oh...and don't let the efficiency and ubiquity of the underground in London fool you...you still have to do a considerable amount of walking.
Jolly good then. Cheers!
Ted
The best thing about London is that the museums are all free. On the other hand, everything else is ridiculously expensive (for Americans at least). Here are some of the weird price differences...(I hope my mom doesn't read this...she would probably kill me for some of the things I spent money on)
Bowl of Won Ton Noodle Soup w/ Roast Duck - £5.50 ($11)
Day pass for the Underground (zones 1 & 2) - £5.50 ($11)
Delicious "Kiwi Burger" (Egg, Cheese, Pineapple, Lettuce, Tomato, 1/2 lb. patty) w/ fries and a drink - £12.50 ($25!!!)
Standing room (I stood right next to the stage) ticket for Love's Labour's Lost @ Shakespeare's Globe Theatre - £5 ($10)
Train ticket to Brighton (approx. 1 hr. away) - £25 ($50) AHHHH!
So you see...while museums are free and a ticket to the best play i've ever seen, complete with rennaissnace minstrels, is only about $10...normal foods (I certainly could not afford fine dining in London) can be found for about half the price in america. And while, most of the price discrepancies are due to the currency exchange rate...the average wage in England is still only around £23,000. How do people survive??? Maybe that is why people say food is so bland in England...they go home and eat mashed potatoes and overcooked meat with onion gravy all the time because that is the only way to save enough money to take an occasional vacation. Sheesh!
That being said...London was amazing, and Brighton was like a glorified Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Pretty nice all in all. Oh...and don't let the efficiency and ubiquity of the underground in London fool you...you still have to do a considerable amount of walking.
Jolly good then. Cheers!
Ted
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Bonus Post!
Lauretta, the soprano in Giacomo Puccini's opera, Gianni Schicchi, sings this aria about her love, Rinuccio:
O mio babbino caro
mi piace è bello, è bello!
Vo' andare in Porta Rossa
a comperar l'anello
Sì, sì, ci voglio andare
e se l'amassi indarno
andrei sul Ponte Vecchio
ma per buttarmi in Arno
Mi struggo e mi tormento!
O Dio, vorrei morir
Babbo, pietà, pietà.
Which means:
Oh my dear daddy
I love him, he's handsome, he's so handsome!
I want to go to Porta Rossa
to buy the ring
Yes, yes, I want to go
And if my love is in vain
I would go to Ponte Vecchio
and throw myself into the Arno
I struggle, and I am tormented!
Oh God, I would rather die
Dad, have mercy, have mercy.
This opera is Puccini's only comedic story. As you can probably tell, Lauretta's father doesn't approve of the marriage (because Rinuccio's family did not recieve him well), but she loves him so much! Absolutely tragic isn't it? Well, he ends up assenting in the end, so it's not so bad afterall.
A few notes:
The Arno is the river that flows through Florence.
It passes under Ponte Vecchio ("ponte" means brige)
Goldsmiths line Ponte Vecchio which was built/rebuilt to connect the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pizi
The Palazzo Vecchio was the original site of Michelangelo's David
Babbo is the Tuscan way of saying Dad - Papa is the standard way
And now for more pictures!
Ponte Vecchio.
Replicca of David where he originally stood at the Palazzo Vecchio.
Angry goat.
Look at how big the wine barrel is!
Me and Toscana's landscape - a view from San Gimignani
And that's that.
Ciao, ciao.
-Teo
O mio babbino caro
mi piace è bello, è bello!
Vo' andare in Porta Rossa
a comperar l'anello
Sì, sì, ci voglio andare
e se l'amassi indarno
andrei sul Ponte Vecchio
ma per buttarmi in Arno
Mi struggo e mi tormento!
O Dio, vorrei morir
Babbo, pietà, pietà.
Which means:
Oh my dear daddy
I love him, he's handsome, he's so handsome!
I want to go to Porta Rossa
to buy the ring
Yes, yes, I want to go
And if my love is in vain
I would go to Ponte Vecchio
and throw myself into the Arno
I struggle, and I am tormented!
Oh God, I would rather die
Dad, have mercy, have mercy.
This opera is Puccini's only comedic story. As you can probably tell, Lauretta's father doesn't approve of the marriage (because Rinuccio's family did not recieve him well), but she loves him so much! Absolutely tragic isn't it? Well, he ends up assenting in the end, so it's not so bad afterall.
A few notes:
The Arno is the river that flows through Florence.
It passes under Ponte Vecchio ("ponte" means brige)
Goldsmiths line Ponte Vecchio which was built/rebuilt to connect the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pizi
The Palazzo Vecchio was the original site of Michelangelo's David
Babbo is the Tuscan way of saying Dad - Papa is the standard way
And now for more pictures!
Replicca of David where he originally stood at the Palazzo Vecchio.
Angry goat.
Look at how big the wine barrel is!
Me and Toscana's landscape - a view from San Gimignani
And that's that.
Ciao, ciao.
-Teo
Monday, August 6, 2007
La Dolce Vita
WAAH WAAH WAAH!
That's what my cell phone sounds like as the auto-snooze goes off for the third time. Great. Late, as usual. As my body drags itself out of bed before my brain has fully regained consciousness, the perfunctory motions of the "wake-up routine" never get easier, even though I practice them everyday. I stumble out of my room (which is the biggest i've ever lived in - even in America - ironic isn't it. See my first post for a picture) and find breakfast laid out on the table, as it always is.
"But I don't have time!" My mind screams to me.
I try to articulate my thoughts, and I try to tell Stella that they'll take a whopping 5% off my grade if i'm late to class more than 10 minutes twice in a term, but she just wont listen! Or is it that she just doesn't understand?
"I'm sure that it is OK." Stella says with a slight Italian accent, as she tries to reassure me that taking a little extra time to enjoy breakfast before school, rather than gulping some coffee down and taking a piece of toast to go, would be perfectly condoned by the school's administration.
I think to myself - yes, many of the schools faculty and staff are Italian. Yes, they understand and fully participate in the "dolce vita" way of life, but NO, they won't make exceptions! And somehow, Stella, as knowledgeable and cultured as she is, can't seem to comprehend that while Italy loves la dolce vita, we Americans can't live without deadlines, ultimatums, and efficiency.
I guess I should just stay home more, drink less, and get more sleep at night. NOT! HAHA - La Dolce Vita (eap style) includes late nights out and fraternizing with locals at contrada parties in addition to the long lunches and afternoon naps.
This weekend we went to the Opera, Florence, and San Gimignano. Sorry no pics of the opera, but we saw Madame Butterfly at the same lake where Giacomo Puccini was inspired and wrote the opera.
Me and my too-short haircut at the Rialto Bridge in Venice
Cool bridge across from the Ponte Vecchia (Old Bridge) in Florence
Shar Pei in Florence - who woulda thought!
Grapes, grapes and more grapes!
Cool winery we visited and toured outside of San Gimignano
More pics to come!
Ci vediamo a dopo. Baci.
-Teo
That's what my cell phone sounds like as the auto-snooze goes off for the third time. Great. Late, as usual. As my body drags itself out of bed before my brain has fully regained consciousness, the perfunctory motions of the "wake-up routine" never get easier, even though I practice them everyday. I stumble out of my room (which is the biggest i've ever lived in - even in America - ironic isn't it. See my first post for a picture) and find breakfast laid out on the table, as it always is.
"But I don't have time!" My mind screams to me.
I try to articulate my thoughts, and I try to tell Stella that they'll take a whopping 5% off my grade if i'm late to class more than 10 minutes twice in a term, but she just wont listen! Or is it that she just doesn't understand?
"I'm sure that it is OK." Stella says with a slight Italian accent, as she tries to reassure me that taking a little extra time to enjoy breakfast before school, rather than gulping some coffee down and taking a piece of toast to go, would be perfectly condoned by the school's administration.
I think to myself - yes, many of the schools faculty and staff are Italian. Yes, they understand and fully participate in the "dolce vita" way of life, but NO, they won't make exceptions! And somehow, Stella, as knowledgeable and cultured as she is, can't seem to comprehend that while Italy loves la dolce vita, we Americans can't live without deadlines, ultimatums, and efficiency.
I guess I should just stay home more, drink less, and get more sleep at night. NOT! HAHA - La Dolce Vita (eap style) includes late nights out and fraternizing with locals at contrada parties in addition to the long lunches and afternoon naps.
This weekend we went to the Opera, Florence, and San Gimignano. Sorry no pics of the opera, but we saw Madame Butterfly at the same lake where Giacomo Puccini was inspired and wrote the opera.
Cool bridge across from the Ponte Vecchia (Old Bridge) in Florence
Shar Pei in Florence - who woulda thought!
Grapes, grapes and more grapes!
Cool winery we visited and toured outside of San Gimignano
More pics to come!
Ci vediamo a dopo. Baci.
-Teo
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Come stai? Tutto bene?
41 days have past since I first set foot in Italy. Boy, it sure doesn't feel like it. While I do have pangs of homesicknesses and cravings for all flavors Asian, Siena has become home. I realize this every time I go on an excursion to another city, and especially when i'm kicking the soccer ball around with a few buddies in the dirt "field" we've converted into our grand stadium.
My proficiency in Italian has improved exponentially, the idiosyncracies of Italian culture are almost like second nature now, and my appetite for good pasta has not waned yet.
I think though, that there is much more that makes Siena home to me than recognizing a few locals by face and warmly being greeted with a "buona sera," or being able to weave myself through the local and tourist traffic on Via Montanini without knocking someone's gelato over or stepping on any toes.
It is probably deeper than how Siena, no matter how hot it is, is probably a few degrees cooler than any other city, or how the streets are immaculate compared to other places. Probably...but I can't put a finger on what it exactly is...
Sono Cinese Americano - di San Francisco e di Siena.
Nice ring to it.
Here's some pics of Venezia. Frank said that this place was the "most romantic place in the world. You will cream yourself there." When I asked him if he did, he answered "Yes. And I was single." Enjoy!
The train to Venezia was so fast and comfortable!
St. Mark's Square at night
Kids feeding the famous pigeons of Piazza di San Marco (the food has birth control in it)
"Bomba Mix" fruit at the Mercato di Rialto
The next generation gondolier.
Ciao tutti - Baci, baci!
-Teo
My proficiency in Italian has improved exponentially, the idiosyncracies of Italian culture are almost like second nature now, and my appetite for good pasta has not waned yet.
I think though, that there is much more that makes Siena home to me than recognizing a few locals by face and warmly being greeted with a "buona sera," or being able to weave myself through the local and tourist traffic on Via Montanini without knocking someone's gelato over or stepping on any toes.
It is probably deeper than how Siena, no matter how hot it is, is probably a few degrees cooler than any other city, or how the streets are immaculate compared to other places. Probably...but I can't put a finger on what it exactly is...
Sono Cinese Americano - di San Francisco e di Siena.
Nice ring to it.
Here's some pics of Venezia. Frank said that this place was the "most romantic place in the world. You will cream yourself there." When I asked him if he did, he answered "Yes. And I was single." Enjoy!
The train to Venezia was so fast and comfortable!
St. Mark's Square at night
Kids feeding the famous pigeons of Piazza di San Marco (the food has birth control in it)
"Bomba Mix" fruit at the Mercato di Rialto
The next generation gondolier.
Ciao tutti - Baci, baci!
-Teo
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
After an 18K Hike a couple bottles of Cinque Terre sounds good...
Stephen King says that if you want to be a writer, you must never use the prhase: "It was indescribable" - or something to the effect where one doesn't have the adequate vocabulary to accurately describe something. Good thing I am not planning on writing novels for a living becuase I am definately lacking the words to the beauty that is attributable to Le Cinque Terre.
Cinque Terre (Five Lands) is a succession of five coastal villages that are connected by an 18km hiking trail in addition to the train that runs through each town. From the naked eye, each village looks like a carbon copy of the other; which is a main boulevard running uphill that is lined with pastel colored buildings that encase not only residences for locals, but hostels, restaurants, markets, and souveneir shops alike. But from up-close, each village has its own flair.
The first stop off of the train from La Spezia is Riomaggiore. This village sits quietly in an understated ravine that winds up into the hills of Liguria. Mostly quiet during the day, the village is not much more than a quaint place to stay and enjoy the beautiful blue skies and sea breeze. At night, however, live music brings the sole Piazza in town to life with locals and tourists blending together dancing and enjoying the entertainment.
The next village, Manarola, is connected to Riomaggiore by an open air tunnel called Via dell' Amore (The Street of Love), aptly named after the paintings and drawings on the walls of the tunnel. Many other pledges of love and signs of promises of the heart can be seen as you walk through this tunnel. Manarola is also located in a ravine, however, part of the village is visable from afar as it is partially elevated onto a cliff.
Hiking to Corniglia is a bit more arduous. In the last leg of the trail, you are welcomed into town with a series of 368 steps. Corniglia is known for their wine and is the only village not located directly on the water. Instead, the village rests on a promontory that affords some of the best views of the Adriatic Sea.
The trail gets steeper as you progress onto Vernazza. However, the toil is made worthy when you enter a town, which, in my humble opinion has the best proportion of amenities for tourists to originality and quaintness. The village has a small protected harbor which has a tiny beach that many Italian and foreign tourists swim at. If you are a competant swimmer, there is a quay that wraps around a precipice where you can jump off and swim accross to another cliff. There you can jump or dive about 8 meters into an area of deep water. Just make sure there are no jellyfish first!
After one more trail, you reach Monterosso, by far the most resort-like of all the villages. The hike to Monterosso winds its way through vinyards and orchards and is very steep and very narrow at times. Since views that are just as good can be seen from the trail between Vernazza and Corniglia, I would only recommend this hike to be able to say you hiked through all five towns. Monterosso is bordered by an umbrella covered beach that costs a few Euro for an entry fee.
I thought this pic was pretty cool.
The steps leading up to Corniglia
View of the train tracks from the top of the steps.
Liguria is home to Pesto alla Genovese, the original and best pesto, great wines, and delicious foccacia. If you ever have the chance to visit the area, stop by Cinque Terre. You won't regret it.
Ciao!
-Teo
Cinque Terre (Five Lands) is a succession of five coastal villages that are connected by an 18km hiking trail in addition to the train that runs through each town. From the naked eye, each village looks like a carbon copy of the other; which is a main boulevard running uphill that is lined with pastel colored buildings that encase not only residences for locals, but hostels, restaurants, markets, and souveneir shops alike. But from up-close, each village has its own flair.
The first stop off of the train from La Spezia is Riomaggiore. This village sits quietly in an understated ravine that winds up into the hills of Liguria. Mostly quiet during the day, the village is not much more than a quaint place to stay and enjoy the beautiful blue skies and sea breeze. At night, however, live music brings the sole Piazza in town to life with locals and tourists blending together dancing and enjoying the entertainment.
Hiking to Corniglia is a bit more arduous. In the last leg of the trail, you are welcomed into town with a series of 368 steps. Corniglia is known for their wine and is the only village not located directly on the water. Instead, the village rests on a promontory that affords some of the best views of the Adriatic Sea. 
The trail gets steeper as you progress onto Vernazza. However, the toil is made worthy when you enter a town, which, in my humble opinion has the best proportion of amenities for tourists to originality and quaintness. The village has a small protected harbor which has a tiny beach that many Italian and foreign tourists swim at. If you are a competant swimmer, there is a quay that wraps around a precipice where you can jump off and swim accross to another cliff. There you can jump or dive about 8 meters into an area of deep water. Just make sure there are no jellyfish first!
After one more trail, you reach Monterosso, by far the most resort-like of all the villages. The hike to Monterosso winds its way through vinyards and orchards and is very steep and very narrow at times. Since views that are just as good can be seen from the trail between Vernazza and Corniglia, I would only recommend this hike to be able to say you hiked through all five towns. Monterosso is bordered by an umbrella covered beach that costs a few Euro for an entry fee. 
The steps leading up to Corniglia
View of the train tracks from the top of the steps.
Liguria is home to Pesto alla Genovese, the original and best pesto, great wines, and delicious foccacia. If you ever have the chance to visit the area, stop by Cinque Terre. You won't regret it.
Ciao!
-Teo
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Europe Does Not Care About Personal Space
Sorry! Excuse me! Pardon me!
You hear those phrases quite often in America when you walk down a busy street. However, in Italy, and the brief stop I had at the airport in Amsterdam, it seems as though everyone here in Europe has a serious lack of regard for personal space. "Scusa" and "Scuzi" exist in the Italian language for a reason, but apparently they've fallen into disuse! Be sure to keep your shoulders set and walk with a forward lean if you don't want to get decked during rush hour pedestrian traffic. You might bump into a few people, but I've learned that it pays to walk with purpose here, rather than aimlessly, as most tourists do.
On another note regarding personal space, is it just me or does it seem like nobody (at least the guys) minds spooning upright while standing in public transportation? I can recall a few times on the Metro in Rome (which completely sucks by the way) and on the buses that I was the big and little spoon at the same time, while I was clutching onto my bags like they were bedposts er...pillows.
Anyways the twins travelled a very long time to see me in Siena, so I took them around Siena and to a Jazz concert hosted by Contrada della Tartuca.
This was Pantera's secret little meeting hall for the Contrada. Pretty crazy that we got to tour it. The leopard in the back has such crazy details. It's about 20 feet wide and 6 feet tal.
She was playing yazz flute!!!
Ariane wanted to take artsy photos, but we look like ants!
San Domenico Church from the south side. The sun wasn't quite setting yet, so it just looks like a bright ball of light behind the church. Weak.
So, yes. No such thing as personal space. It is annoying. Plus, people have mad B.O. here. However, I'll save their lack of hygiene for another post.
Arrivederci mi amici.
-Teo
You hear those phrases quite often in America when you walk down a busy street. However, in Italy, and the brief stop I had at the airport in Amsterdam, it seems as though everyone here in Europe has a serious lack of regard for personal space. "Scusa" and "Scuzi" exist in the Italian language for a reason, but apparently they've fallen into disuse! Be sure to keep your shoulders set and walk with a forward lean if you don't want to get decked during rush hour pedestrian traffic. You might bump into a few people, but I've learned that it pays to walk with purpose here, rather than aimlessly, as most tourists do.
On another note regarding personal space, is it just me or does it seem like nobody (at least the guys) minds spooning upright while standing in public transportation? I can recall a few times on the Metro in Rome (which completely sucks by the way) and on the buses that I was the big and little spoon at the same time, while I was clutching onto my bags like they were bedposts er...pillows.
This was Pantera's secret little meeting hall for the Contrada. Pretty crazy that we got to tour it. The leopard in the back has such crazy details. It's about 20 feet wide and 6 feet tal.
She was playing yazz flute!!!
Ariane wanted to take artsy photos, but we look like ants!
San Domenico Church from the south side. The sun wasn't quite setting yet, so it just looks like a bright ball of light behind the church. Weak.
So, yes. No such thing as personal space. It is annoying. Plus, people have mad B.O. here. However, I'll save their lack of hygiene for another post.
Arrivederci mi amici.
-Teo
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