11:08 PM Sunday in Padova – Hey all! Well it’s been a while since I have updated the site but nothing too exciting has been happening, I have had school (Boo) and lots to do around Padova. Six hours of lessons on Monday were spent thinking about the Tigers and than I quenched my Tiger’s thirst when I watched the last game of the ALCS. Tuesday… I think I went to the opera. Yeah, the study center bought us tickets for the dress rehersal because they were meno-costoso. I saw La Boheme which I knew going in that RENT was based off of this opera, but it was surprisingly similar. There were some of the exact same scenes. I must say though, I liked RENT better. That was my first opera and I don’t see the appeal of them. Normally I can appreciate most forms of art, but I just thought it was too much. Don’t get me wrong they had great voices and everything but it took way too long to say the same thing that RENT did in half the time. Maybe I just enjoyed the people I was with better when I saw RENT.
Poi… Thursday was my roommate Checca’s birthday so we had a nice little party for her and the roommates got her a blow up punch doll and we drew our faces for her to put on it when she wanted to punch us. It was pretty cool. Friday we watched the Simpsons in Italian to compare the voices and then I went and met Emma Perry (a friend from high school) in Venice. She is studying in Greece and was in Venice just for a night so I went to go eat dinner with her and her friends. I was pretty stoked to be able to go to Venice for about 5 euro roundtrip, until I got off at the wrong station and had to take a taxi to the other one. Not sweet. Dinner was really nice though I’m glad I went and now I know how to get to Venice.
Saturday I bummed hard and then threw and American party here. My friend Dean from Port Huron has been studying in Ferraram which is about an hour away by train, and he came for the party. It was pretty fun we made hamburgers and played American style games. I heard the Wolverines pulled through but the Tigs couldn’t get it goin. I’m not too worried seeing as they lost their first against the Yanks and they’ve had a week off. But I hope they can figure it out for tonight.
Well that’s all that’s happening here in Padova, let me know what’s happening in your neck of the woods!
Steve
Monday, October 23, 2006
Monday, October 16, 2006
Accepting donations
Steve needs to fly home for the World Series. Any contributions can be sent to my house in Grosse Pointe. I can pick it up next week. Thanks.
PS - I already downloaded the last ALCS game for the plane-ride.
PS - I already downloaded the last ALCS game for the plane-ride.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Roma e scuola!
9:27 PM, Padua – Finalmente! I’m sorry I haven’t been writing much lately I just have been really busy and haven’t had much time to play around. School has started and is in full swing right now – which is cool at times but I realized I have a lot to do. Boo!
Alright so I guess I can bring you up to speed from last week. After my crazy Oktoberfest trip we started school the next day, however I had no classes because I didn’t know what I was taking just yet. After working out a couple schedules I figured out that I will be taking the two classes offered by the Californian Study Center (grammar and art history) and two classes at the university (Political System of the European Union and then a political parties class). The two at the University are going to be pretty tough I think, but they have a program here called Erasmus (which I believe was set up by the EU) and those kids take a separate test which should work out to my advantage. But I have also found out that the study center makes it so that we have to write a paper for each class, too. Boo!
Well as the story goes, I was only able to go to one class anyway last week. Only one of my classes ACTUALLY began last week and it only meets 3 times a week, I missed the first and than the third I couldn’t go to because I had to go to the Questura and let them know that I am there or something. I don’t know Italians are weird.
I was busy the rest of the week with silly things at the Study Center though and they close early so it wasn’t easy to get on the Internet. And then came Rome…
I left at on the midnight train to Rome (literally 12:45) but Italians like to be late and we didn’t leave until a little after 1 am. Worst. Ride. Ever. I had a stomach ache the entire ride and there was no chance of any sleep in such cramped spaces, however I arrived in Rome by about 7:00 just in time to see the sun rise over Piazza del Popolo which was way cool. I took a quick nap and walked around for a little and then made my way over to the Vatican where I bought a book (Harry Potter e il calice di fuoco) and read it in St. Peter’s Square for about two hours. I was really surprised at the lack of security in St. Peter’s – almost scared even because I was able to walk right up with my huge backpack of stuff and sit there all day reading. I didn’t get stopped or asked once what was inside of it - heck I didn’t even see any Swiss guards that first day. It was really kinda weird. Though I’m not complaining because I didn’t get stopped. Anyways the rest of the day I bummed and waited until I met up with the SJA crew around 4:00 at the hotel which was really close to the Vatican. We were all pretty exhausted from our travels but Mrs. Spath, Mrs. Hage, the Cornillies and the Ziolkowski’s treated me to a drink before dinner and then we went to a great dinner at one of Msgr. Mike’s favorite restaurants. After a lot of wine, good food, and someone getting locked in the bathroom we made it back to the hotel and I took off with the tour guide from Napoli for his place where I met some cool kids and had a place to crash. I had my own bed and everything it was great.
Then came Saturday and I found out early in the morning that the TIGERS WON and were up on the Yankees 2-1 in the series. Naturally I was pumped and then we had an early mass in St. Peter’s Basilica with Cardinal Shocka (sp?) and some dead popes. It was really cool. Then we got to spend some time in St. Peter’s and I just kinda walked around for a while by myself. I had lunch with the tour guide from Detroit (Bill) and he was really nice – a UofM alum and apparently he has a daughter there now and a son at ND. He has a pretty wicked job, too. I’m jealous.
At three we boarded a tour bus for the Coliseum and proceeded on a tour of ancient Rome. It was all really cool. At the Coliseum I saw a girl with a “St Mary’s College” shirt, so I asked where she was from and it turns out she was from Kalamazoo, went to Hackett and played soccer with Kristy! She also knew Catherine Solomon and some other girls from home. What a piccolo mondo.
Saturday night dinner was on our own but we went out and again Mrs. Spath and Mrs. Hage treated me to dinner, they really took care of me. Msgr. Mike was there and some others and then when I got back to hotel me, Jason Aubrey (the elder) and this girl from GPN (I’m sorry I forget her name, horrible) went out to the Campo dei Fiori and Piazza Navonna for some fun with the other youth of the city. It was awesome… I ended up crashing with some Americans studying at John Cabott University who lived pretty far from the center of town. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it back in time in the morning for the trip to the university where Msgr. Mike stayed for a while and I missed mass, but it’s ok I think because I was at mass in the Vatican the day before. I’m sure the Big Guy will forgive me. Sunday was spent waiting for my train. I got to the station in time for a 2:00 train only to find that all trains were booked until 6ish. Naturally that train was late but I made it out and was back in Padova a little after 10:15. The end of a great weekend.
Monday morning classes started hardcore. I had 6 hours of lessons on Monday and it was tough to understand pretty much all of it. I realized this week that I am going to have my work cut out for me. Now I know school is what I came here for, but I was thinking of it more as an excuse to go to Europe and try and learn a language – now it looks as if I am going to have to learn a language quick and take two exams in it in November! Papers are to be written, too, even if they aren’t assigned say the lovely people at the study center. Grr. If the Italians don’t do it why should I have to??
As it goes life in Padova is absolutely wonderful. My roommates have been taking care of me and making me some food and introducing me to their friends – though it is still hard for me to participate in conversations – by the time I register what they are talking about and formulate how to say what I want they are already on the next topic. Oh well it’s fun listening to them. This culture is really social and I dig that. Every night the students go out into the city and get a “spritz” before dinner and then they eat and then they all congregate in the piazzas afterwards. It’s really neat to see everyone outside and socializing – even if I still don’t know how.
Now to the important stuff – Tuesday night I watched the entire final Tigers - Yankees game. How exciting! They really took care of them and looked a lot stronger. Bonderman pitched one heck of a game (almost a full one) and they just looked like they wanted it a lot more. I was really excited to see the party after but they cut it short :-( I really just wanted to see the local news after. I missed Channel 4 and Channel 7 coverage of the craziness downtown. You think the Detroit News delivers internationally??! I have heard since that the Tigers are now up two games on the Athletics. My friend Angela here in Padova is a big Oakland A’s fan so it’s cool to have another baseball fan. We were going to try and watch a game live but I don’t think it’s going to happen. Hopefully we can finish it off before we get a chance. But the World Series?? Seriously, of all the years that I have been alive, Tigs, why this one?? I’ll figure something out to watch the games if we get that far. So exciting.
Well I guess that’s enough for now, thanks for stopping by.
Alright so I guess I can bring you up to speed from last week. After my crazy Oktoberfest trip we started school the next day, however I had no classes because I didn’t know what I was taking just yet. After working out a couple schedules I figured out that I will be taking the two classes offered by the Californian Study Center (grammar and art history) and two classes at the university (Political System of the European Union and then a political parties class). The two at the University are going to be pretty tough I think, but they have a program here called Erasmus (which I believe was set up by the EU) and those kids take a separate test which should work out to my advantage. But I have also found out that the study center makes it so that we have to write a paper for each class, too. Boo!
Well as the story goes, I was only able to go to one class anyway last week. Only one of my classes ACTUALLY began last week and it only meets 3 times a week, I missed the first and than the third I couldn’t go to because I had to go to the Questura and let them know that I am there or something. I don’t know Italians are weird.
I was busy the rest of the week with silly things at the Study Center though and they close early so it wasn’t easy to get on the Internet. And then came Rome…
I left at on the midnight train to Rome (literally 12:45) but Italians like to be late and we didn’t leave until a little after 1 am. Worst. Ride. Ever. I had a stomach ache the entire ride and there was no chance of any sleep in such cramped spaces, however I arrived in Rome by about 7:00 just in time to see the sun rise over Piazza del Popolo which was way cool. I took a quick nap and walked around for a little and then made my way over to the Vatican where I bought a book (Harry Potter e il calice di fuoco) and read it in St. Peter’s Square for about two hours. I was really surprised at the lack of security in St. Peter’s – almost scared even because I was able to walk right up with my huge backpack of stuff and sit there all day reading. I didn’t get stopped or asked once what was inside of it - heck I didn’t even see any Swiss guards that first day. It was really kinda weird. Though I’m not complaining because I didn’t get stopped. Anyways the rest of the day I bummed and waited until I met up with the SJA crew around 4:00 at the hotel which was really close to the Vatican. We were all pretty exhausted from our travels but Mrs. Spath, Mrs. Hage, the Cornillies and the Ziolkowski’s treated me to a drink before dinner and then we went to a great dinner at one of Msgr. Mike’s favorite restaurants. After a lot of wine, good food, and someone getting locked in the bathroom we made it back to the hotel and I took off with the tour guide from Napoli for his place where I met some cool kids and had a place to crash. I had my own bed and everything it was great.
Then came Saturday and I found out early in the morning that the TIGERS WON and were up on the Yankees 2-1 in the series. Naturally I was pumped and then we had an early mass in St. Peter’s Basilica with Cardinal Shocka (sp?) and some dead popes. It was really cool. Then we got to spend some time in St. Peter’s and I just kinda walked around for a while by myself. I had lunch with the tour guide from Detroit (Bill) and he was really nice – a UofM alum and apparently he has a daughter there now and a son at ND. He has a pretty wicked job, too. I’m jealous.
At three we boarded a tour bus for the Coliseum and proceeded on a tour of ancient Rome. It was all really cool. At the Coliseum I saw a girl with a “St Mary’s College” shirt, so I asked where she was from and it turns out she was from Kalamazoo, went to Hackett and played soccer with Kristy! She also knew Catherine Solomon and some other girls from home. What a piccolo mondo.
Saturday night dinner was on our own but we went out and again Mrs. Spath and Mrs. Hage treated me to dinner, they really took care of me. Msgr. Mike was there and some others and then when I got back to hotel me, Jason Aubrey (the elder) and this girl from GPN (I’m sorry I forget her name, horrible) went out to the Campo dei Fiori and Piazza Navonna for some fun with the other youth of the city. It was awesome… I ended up crashing with some Americans studying at John Cabott University who lived pretty far from the center of town. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it back in time in the morning for the trip to the university where Msgr. Mike stayed for a while and I missed mass, but it’s ok I think because I was at mass in the Vatican the day before. I’m sure the Big Guy will forgive me. Sunday was spent waiting for my train. I got to the station in time for a 2:00 train only to find that all trains were booked until 6ish. Naturally that train was late but I made it out and was back in Padova a little after 10:15. The end of a great weekend.
Monday morning classes started hardcore. I had 6 hours of lessons on Monday and it was tough to understand pretty much all of it. I realized this week that I am going to have my work cut out for me. Now I know school is what I came here for, but I was thinking of it more as an excuse to go to Europe and try and learn a language – now it looks as if I am going to have to learn a language quick and take two exams in it in November! Papers are to be written, too, even if they aren’t assigned say the lovely people at the study center. Grr. If the Italians don’t do it why should I have to??
As it goes life in Padova is absolutely wonderful. My roommates have been taking care of me and making me some food and introducing me to their friends – though it is still hard for me to participate in conversations – by the time I register what they are talking about and formulate how to say what I want they are already on the next topic. Oh well it’s fun listening to them. This culture is really social and I dig that. Every night the students go out into the city and get a “spritz” before dinner and then they eat and then they all congregate in the piazzas afterwards. It’s really neat to see everyone outside and socializing – even if I still don’t know how.
Now to the important stuff – Tuesday night I watched the entire final Tigers - Yankees game. How exciting! They really took care of them and looked a lot stronger. Bonderman pitched one heck of a game (almost a full one) and they just looked like they wanted it a lot more. I was really excited to see the party after but they cut it short :-( I really just wanted to see the local news after. I missed Channel 4 and Channel 7 coverage of the craziness downtown. You think the Detroit News delivers internationally??! I have heard since that the Tigers are now up two games on the Athletics. My friend Angela here in Padova is a big Oakland A’s fan so it’s cool to have another baseball fan. We were going to try and watch a game live but I don’t think it’s going to happen. Hopefully we can finish it off before we get a chance. But the World Series?? Seriously, of all the years that I have been alive, Tigs, why this one?? I’ll figure something out to watch the games if we get that far. So exciting.
Well I guess that’s enough for now, thanks for stopping by.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Welcome to my apartment!
Hey all! I don't have much time but these are the crazy kid's that I am living with right now! They are awesome and have been taking care of me like the awkward foreign exchange student that I am. I have much to say when I finally get a chance! Love you all, Stevo. PS - Click "welcome to my apartment" for pictures from Rome!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
I DOWNLOADED THE YANKEES GAME!
4:42 PM Padua - MLB.COM has a free fan appreciation download of the game vs the Yankees!!!! I just downloaded it I can't wait to watch it. I don't have time to write a full one right now but I have had class for a week now and I DON'T UNDERSTAND A DARN THING! But today one of my profs decided to point me out to everyone and asked me where I was from, after a quick "Detroit, Michigan" he couldn't understand me and the whole lecture hall erupted into laughter. I don't know what he said afterwards but he decided to single me out again and call me Thomas. Whatever dude, he's still sweet. Anyway, I have to get going pretty soon but I wanted to say hi and let you know that I plan on posting some pictures tomorrow from ROMA! with the SJA group. Rome was beautiful. More on that later... LET'S GO TIGERS!
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Oktoberfest
11:00 PM in Padova Monday, October 2, 2006 – Hey world! As you have already found out I made it home to Padova safely after one heck of a time at Oktoberfest. Truly a great experience. I definitely recommend a trip to Munich for anyone who has a passing interest in the great taste of beer because those Germans certainly know how to do it right. We arrived in Munich about 1:00 on Saturday after leaving at 5:00 in the morning. It really shouldn’t have taken so long but we made a few stops and wound up in some traffic from an accident, but by the time we got there it was middle of the day and every tent was filled to capacity and they weren’t letting people in. It took us only an hour and a half in line to realize that they weren’t letting people in anymore so we took off to a sports bar down the street where a bunch of guys were watching German soccer. Naturally I needed my football fix so I sat at the bar and ordered some darn good beer and watched soccer with them. I think there was like 5 games going on, but it was fun cause you could tell some of the guys were from out of town and were cheering their team on while other guys were from Munich and were cheering their team on. It was just what I needed for a football Saturday, beer and men yelling. Except this beer was nothing like the beer I drink on a normal football Saturday. Thank God.
The girls that we went with to the bar were the only three girls in the entire bar save for one woman in the back but she looked like more of a man than Chuck Norris.
After the game we managed to find a great bar for dinner where I had the best food that I have eaten since I’ve been to Europe. No lie - Some hamburger meat, mashed potatoes, and green beans and a big ol’ liter of bier. They really don’t mess around. I’ll tell you what else they don’t mess around with – those dresses. Those skirts and shirts that the women wear are some of the best things to happen to mankind. I would’ve bought some of those leather trousers too with suspenders (I think they are called Lederhosen or something like that) if I didn’t spend all my money on beer. Some things are just more important. So we met some Germans at dinner that knew about the Lions (The Lions of all teams) the Red Wings and the Pistons, naturally. They knew some English words but after a few beers (or just one of those huge things with beer that is 10% alcoholic) it doesn’t matter what language you are speaking, the beer is doing the talking for you.
After dinner we were finally able to get into a tent (me and Laura snuck in with some Italian VIPs) and from there it was like beer heaven as you can see from the pictures.
EVERYONE HAS BEER and is standing on the table and singing these wonderful drinking songs and the best part about it is that everyone is having a good time! I didn’t see one person unhappy the entire weekend besides the people that couldn’t get in at first but even they had beer and were just happy to be there. I made a ton of new German friends even if I didn’t speak a lick of German. I knew how to say Prost! (or is it Brost?) I don’t know or care really but I really want to learn those songs.
I met someone who had spent a year in Detroit and declared himself the biggest Tigers’ fan in Europe (he was from Switzerland) and wanted to know if the Tigers’ had won that night. I was ashamed I couldn’t tell him, but how was I to know?? That night ended very well, we all made it back to the bus and to a very nice hotel about 35 km outside of the city.
Woke up Sunday pretty early had some great breakfast while some sort of a marching band/parade went by outside… kinda weird… and then we were at it again by noon. (Tents didn’t serve until noon) At that point we only had 3 and a half hours to get our fill in before the bus left to come home. And we managed. I think I better just leave it at that. Midnight last night I arrived back in Padova with a new t-shirt and a beer mug that I was able to yoink along with a handful of dirty clothes. Che festa!
I am about to go watch a movie with my roommates I think so I will get at you tomorrow after I go to my first day of classes. I am so nervous because I already missed a day, but that was because I didn’t know which classes I was taking. I know I’m gonna be the lost foreign exchange student without a clue. Oh well, that’s what I am. K bye.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Bier.
I just put some pictures up from Oktoberfest. They don't do it justice. I'll put some videos up and I'll write about it later but suffice it to say that I had enough beer for me, grandpa, and a small classroom of kids. I needed Danny as my chaperone.
Copy and paste this:
http://umichigan.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2118536&id=2207325&l=ccb31 for pictures or click on the title of the post (Bier.)
Copy and paste this:
http://umichigan.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2118536&id=2207325&l=ccb31 for pictures or click on the title of the post (Bier.)
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