Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid. Goethe said that. (Almost Famous)

Monday 1:40 AM – SESTO FIORENTINO

Hi everybody!
I am excited to write this post tonight because I have a lot I want to get out in it. I have decided that I am going to take a little bit of a different route with my postings from here on out - enough with the recap of the week’s (or month’s) events. Now I am going to try and focus on defining and (perhaps more importantly) redefining myself through the recollection of my experiences or even those of others.
I am going to start off right away by saying that the past year and a half has been pretty crazy in terms of where I have been and who I have been around. I have constantly been around friends, family, and people who have kept me busy with various activities or just wanting to hang out. I am beginning to realize now that I haven’t allowed myself time for me. Stevetime. Lately here in Sesto while the majority of students have been away on weekend trips, I have been able to find some time to relax and re-evaluate who I am and where I am looking to go.
I decided that I get a lot of my thinking done while I’m at a computer and that I needed a project or a hobby for myself so I bought a website and will publish it as soon as I am happy with it. That may not be for a while since I am only going to have access to my computer for a couple of more days, but I will work on it as much as I can. I have really found it grueling, yet fun trying to re-learn HTML and though it is really frustrating trying to figure out how to make it work, it gives me a chance to be creative in how I go about it. More on that to come.
I end work here at the villa Friday and begin my 3-week long Italian tour Saturday. I am both excited and antsy to get it underway; excited because I will be going to parts of Italy that I have never seen and relaxing with some friends, antsy because I am anxious to get home and find a job to make back all the money I am about to invest in this trip.
Another objective of my new blogpost format will be to simply describe some of the observations I make all the time but never seem to remember or jot down. I think they are interesting and I’m sure some of them might interest you as well. I would really enjoy it if other people added to or even contradicted my observations with some of their own but who knows what kind of readership this new format will get. Either way I am anticipating some sort of response and will be delighted to hear from others. If nothing else at least maybe Danny will post and call me a dork or something.
To try and describe the millions of observations I have made in the past year would be an impossible task but at least now I think I will try more often to post and think out through my ideas when I have alone time. I think uncertainty has played a greater factor in my current lacking of a self-definition. I have gone hastily through some of my thought processes and have not been pleased with the outcomes. It took a meeting last week with a Chief officer at the embassy in Rome to realize that I know who I am and what I am capable of, I just have to stick with it and trust that it is going to work out. I will find a job when I get home, I’m not going to fret too long over here and not enjoy my time.

 have been fortunate, since I have been here in Florence, to have the opportunity to explore a lot of artistic ideas though I haven’t put many into practice. I just got a call from the hospital. Time to work. Catch up later.

Update from Italy

2:24 PM - SESTO FIORENTINO

Hey everybody back home! Here is a quick update of my life for the month of June and the beginning of July...
I am back in Sesto Fiorentino this week and trying to catch up a little bit more on my summer sports knowledge. I saw Kobayashi lost in the July 4th hot dog eating contest. I followed Tiger Woods' crazy US Open. I see the Tigs are 50-50 and that they started tearing down Tiger Stadium. On this side of the pond I watched the epic Nedal - Federer battle and saw Spain take care of Italy and Germany for the European Cup.
In between all of this a new group of students have arrived, I have been to:
Rome. Where I saw Tom Hanks and Ron Howard filming Angels and Demons.
Padova. Where I saw my old roommates Sara, Johannes and Mede. I also saw my Michigan Men Marco, Marco, and Giuseppe. Hakim, Toolong... the list goes on. I also went to the study center where it was really nice to see the ladies that took care of us last year. I was only there less than 24 hours when I took off with Hakim for...
Bardolino. I got to see Giulia and her family and all of her friends again. It was a lot of fun but the same there I was only able to stay less than a day because I took off to...
Desenzano. Where I met up with Marco. He took me sailing with his dad and I participated in my first Regatta (We came in 7th. Of 8 I think.)
I made it home late to find myself locked out of the villa and had to sleep outside on a park bench where I got eaten alive by mosquitos. Good times.
That weekend the new students arrived as well. 58 students: 50 girls, 8 guys. 4 professors and 3 spouses, 3 children and 1 librarian. The villa is full now.
Since they have arrived we have made day trips to Siena, Le Cinque Terre, Lucca (Where we tandem biked around the city walls), and Pisa (see above).
Today I am going to head into Florence to buy tickets to go see Paul Simon up north in a couple weekends. I am really excited. This weekend I am off to Perugia and Assisi. In Perugia this weekend the Umbriajazz Festival will be going on so I am looking forward to that.
In other not-so-exciting news my job search has begun as I have some free time during the week. I have many different ideas of how I want to go about it but haven't really started hammering nails in just yet.
Well I should get my show on the road. Hope all is well, let me know what you are up to! I miss you all,

Steve

Sesto

Hey there,

I am writing from my room right now as I sit here sweating in the 90 weather here in Sesto Fiorentino. We just finished lunch – the food here is unreal – and now the kids have classes and voice lessons and I have some free time. Ok I haven’t written anything recently so I will try and catch you up.

I arrived on a Tuesday in the middle of the afternoon. The eight music students were already here and I just kinda wafted around all day with nothing to do. I started to get to know the layout of the villa and meeting the music kids. I spent the next couple of days preparing for the Honors students to get here and checking out Sesto Fiorentino as well as Florence which is about a 10 minute train ride from here. Here in Sesto we are stuck between some really big hills (I would call them mountains, they call them hills here) so I went and climbed for a little bit. It really is nice to be back in Italy.

Up until yesterday really it has been pretty overcast and rainy since I got here. Yesterday and today have just been really hot but sunny. It’s crazy to think I have been here two weeks already. So some of the highlights:
- Cinque Terre – We went hiking through these five towns right on the water, it was beautiful weather that sprinkled just when we needed it to.
- Kiko and his girlfriend Erin came and visited last week. We watched the Champions League final around the corner from the villa and then we went into town to a disco. It was fun being with them but the disco was kind of stupid. Just what I expected really, Italian men praying on American girls.
- Some of the music kids and I went to a real disco outside of the city, closer to Sesto, the other day and it was a lot of fun. They had an Elisa cover band and the singer who was supposed to be Elisa was really good.
- We were playing soccer with one of the professors kids and I got scraped up. He was good.
- Haven’t stayed up to watch the games yet but I will probably these next couple of days
- All the kids are from Michigan and Wisconsin so Euchre is frequently played which I dig.

Some thoughts so far:
- Tigers need to pick it up.
- Comparing Sesto to Padova is useless. PD has a unique charm for kids of my age.
- The flowers here are beautiful and bountiful.
- If it’s this hot now, I don’t want to know what July is going to be like.
- The music students are really good and it’s really pleasant listening to the piano while staring up at the frescoed walls of the villa.
- Frisbee is a great time killer.
- The Tigers really need to pick it up.
- Florence has a lot to offer but is REALLY really touristy and doesn’t give you the feel of true Italian culture unless you seek it out.
- I feel like my Italian is getting worse in the villa because all we talk is English. Kind of a bummer but I am trying to get out more even if it’s just by myself.
- I really should go to Church.
- Country music makes me think of summer
- I really wanted a hot dog for Memorial Day
- I think I want to write a book for how to behave in Europe for the American population
- First Entry would be – SHUT UP. The world already thinks we are LOUD, arrogant and ignorant, why prove them right by opening our mouths?
- Hockey should be more popular.
- Seriously Tigers, what’s goin on?

That’s all for now. Tonight at 8:30 the music students are putting on a performance. I’m excited for that. I’ll try to keep this up, cheers ya’ll.

High thoughts

Monday, May 12, 2008 – 5:04 PM Eastern Standard Time –

Hi all,
I’ve decided to restart my blogging as I should have some more time to do it these next couple months. I have every intention of keeping with it though I’m not sure what to expect. For those of you who have come back – thanks for thinking about me :-)

I am currently a little over an hour into our flight and we are due north of New York flying wayyyy into Canada (I’m assuming the jet stream is up here somewhere). It is still very bright outside and that made me realize that I still have to pass an entire night in this airplane - we are due in around 5:45 AM in Frankfurt.
I spent my time in the airport checking out the McNamera terminal and buying little things that I needed or wanted: Chapstick, comb, handkerchief (just kidding pops), and I picked up converters and a book (Michael Crichton’s latest called NEXT). I also got a Hani deluxe to go and scarfed that down just in time to be (I think) the last person on the plane. I found a spot in the front row in the middle (I didn’t take my seat next to the little old lady who would’ve had to move) but I have a ton of leg room now so life is good.
During takeoff I started Barack Obama’s book The Audacity of Hope which, after only 30-some odd pages, has sufficiently convinced me of his aptitude and justified his candidacy. If you have listened to one of his speech’s I’m sure this will come as no surprise to you but the ideas and level-headedness the man possess sincerely makes me believe that his goals will be pursued and conceivably followed. Luckily for you, I’ll have to stop my rant, dinner just showed up. See you in a bit.

6:19: Chicken dinner. Wasn’t bad.
Wasn’t necessarily good either.

I was able to read a bit more of Obama’s book… I won’t be able to do his words justice and by giving a brief synopsis I will inevitably omit important topics he covered so I will give a quick analysis of my thoughts:
He is thorough and intelligent enough to remain remarkably independent despite his democratic affiliation. His stubbornness and determination not to bow to political pressures and to remain committed to his liberal ideals is a breath of fresh and hopeful air in the polluted politics of today. Any oppositional assertions of his political ineptitude or overreaching goals (really the only two grievances I have heard) have been easily and sufficiently dispelled in the opening chapter.
I hate to go on, but my political convictions could not let me put that aside and I truly encourage anyone reading this to go to the library and borrow or just sit in a bookstore and read through the first chapter just to get an idea of who this candidate is and what he promotes. It will help to make an informed decision this coming election period no matter what your personal convictions may be.
Alright, I’m off the pulpit.
But I’m still on the plane.
5:08 more hours. No big deal. I am really thinking a nap is in order though. The sun is still shinning quite bright out which is really weird – I feel like this night will come and go in a matter of minutes.
I am beginning to get more and more excited for the trip - this morning I woke up feeling quite sick and now I am ready to roll. I just realized though, I didn’t bring a connector cord for my camera. How silly of me. I should be able to get my pictures on a disc though, but that’s a pain. Oh well. Anyway, I am going to put some jams on and try to take a nap - I may or may not write s’more. We’ll see how lucky you are.
10:29 EST – So I haven’t really slept at all. I just got done watching the movie “Jumper” because it was set in Ann Arbor. It was ok, Hayden Christiansen was in front of Michigan Book and Supply for about a fraction of a second. That’s just about all of Ann Arbor you see. It was either that or the Bucket List which I wanted to watch but I figured I’d watch that another time. I’m amped right now, it’s primetime back home. I hope Billy’s alright…. More food? What it’s breakfast time already??

Significance of Graduation

To the U of M Community:

It is important to realize the significance of moving the graduation ceremony from the Ann Arbor campus. For myself and many of my classmates the Big House represents a sacred place to congregate for Michigan fans regardless of age, sex, color, and financial background. It is a place that represents our devotion to universal equality. It represents our tradition as one of the oldest Universities in the United States and allows us to sit alongside our alumni who contribute generously to our education. We are a notoriously proud community and it is this pride in our university that prompted Fielding Yost in 1922 to say: "...let me reiterate the spirit of Michigan. It is based upon the deathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways; an enthusiasm that makes it second nature for Michigan men to spread the gospel of their university to the world’s different outposts; a conviction that nowhere is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours.”
Not to graduate in our Ann Arbor would mean an incomplete adieu to several of the most influential years of our lives.

Stephen Schrage
Graduating Senior

Morocco (cont.)

9:54 PADOVA - Woke up pretty early to grab a quick orange juice in the market and then we took off to see the beautiful mosque in the center of the city. It was closed for some reason and we couldn't go in but it was cool to see that and the gardens around it. After that we did a little more shopping in the market and eventually (after some difficulties explaining where we needed to go) made it to the station to go to Casablanca. In Casablanca we took another "taxi" to our hotel from which we could see the port and water. We were given a room originally in which we weren't allowed to sleep in for "safety reasons". Whatever that meant. The hotel had internet and I was able to call home and talk to the family who were either up north or at the ballgame.
That night we took a walk around Casablanca towards the mosque where we really felt like we were in a different world. Of the hundreds of people there we were obviously the foreigners and I don't think there were many (if any) other tourists around. That was a really cool feeling. We eventually made it to Rick's for dinner. The atmosphere at Rick's was really chill and they had a live jazz band playing while we ate - a lovely end to a lovely trip.
It was a little sad to leave this strange and foreign place but it was nice to be going back to somewhere more familiar at the same time.
Real quick thoughts:
Having just finished a course on the sociology of Islam it is really interesting comparing the cultures (our Christian world with their Muslim world). I, personally, think it stems from differences in how we view time and money. There, it seemed, that everyone lived in the same poverty-stricken boat, where every helps everyone else get through life by buying from each other, trading, helping the elderly. It was cool for me to contribute to their way of life by buying stuff there. It seemed to me that even though I didn't speak their language(s), they still tried to communicate with me and were very personable. Yes, they wanted my money but they were happy just to "talk" and help me out by providing services, and products that I might need. It was a stark contrast to when we returned and on the bus ride home we overheard these older Italian men talking condescendingly about the Japanese and Americans that are here in Italy. In more ways that I can express the trip to Morocco was definately an eye-opener.

Quick update - Morocco

Friday, June 22 12:55PM PADOVA - It's hard to believe that my last week is finally here. There are some many things I have been doing that I haven't updated on here but I am going to do my best to catch you up. The last place I left off was between my Amsterdam and Morocco trips WAY back in April. Joe and I got back from Amsterdam spent a couple of days at lessons and then took off again to Morocco with Kylie and Tisha. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.
Arriving in Casablanca on a Friday morning we immediately experienced our first bit of the native culture where everything was in Arabic or French (which none of us spoke) and we had a tough time finding an ATM to get the local currency (the Dirham) and buy our first breakfast brioche.
Finding the train to Marrakech wasn't too bad and we had the help of a local police man to buy us tickets and tell us where and when to get off. We had to change trains in Casablanca (because the airport was a little out of the city) and after a several hour train ride through the deserted Morroccan country-side with the occasional "town" going by we knew that we were about as far as we could be from Kansas.
Arriving in Marrakech mid-afternoon we exited the station to a mob of people all offering various things: Hotels, car rides, jewelry, knives, etc. We took a random stab in the dark and asked some guy to give us a ride. After hopping into his car we showed him where we needed to go and we drove through the crazy traffic and city that is Marrakech until we arrived at this small little ally where we got out, paid the guy and then he handed us to some other randomn on the street. Somehow we made it to the exact place we needed to be and our newfound friend Hasan made us tea while our rooms were prepared.
After sending us with someone else to another location we arrived at our Riad (like a hotel) which was about a 4-5 minute walk to the famous market Djemaa el Fna where we were completely blown away by the sensations the market presented us with.
The smell of all types of meat and vegetables roasting at almost every stand, the sounds of vibrant life: snake charmers, beating drums, people yelling, asking you -no pleading for you - to come and eat at their place "Number 42!". The visuals of a setting sun over this grandiose marketplace with smoke rising, various animals, people from all walks of life. It was truly an imagery I will never forget.
After eating a scrumptous lamb/mystery meat dinner with cous-cous in the square, we walked around the periphery where all the little shops were selling anything you could ever ask for.
We decided we didn't want to stay out too late that night because we had arranged for a trip to the Atlas mountains the following morning so we went back to the Riad where I taught the Californians how to play Euchre and we watched an Eddie Murphy movie with Arabic subtitles.
The following morning we met Hamid where we were dropped off and we hopped into a white van with windows and waited for an hour for the Spaniards who were supposed to come with us to show up. Eventually they came and we took off for the mountains. We stopped at several places to admire the scenery (even though it was cloudy in the morning) and have stuff offered to us. We stopped at a tradtional home and had tea, we went camel riding, and we climbed up a waterfall crossing Indiana Jones-like bridges (some with more difficulties than others), and ate another delicious meal. After that long day we got back in time to go out and have another nice dinner above the famous square. By that point it was time for another round of Euchre and sleep because the following day came the mosque and Casablanca!
More on that to come...

So... Lately I haven't had school

5:04 PADOVA - Don't ask why, but any reason is reason enough not to have school in this country. Yesterday was the festival of liberation - the freeing the country of communism I believe. My roommates said it was thanks to the yankees so they said thanks to me while the local communist party had a big demonstration in the piazza. It was lovely.
After my mom and my brother's left from Venice last week, I took a relatively chill weekend and week in Padova before I left again with Joe for Amsterdam. We spent our first night in Treviso with Checca and her family who made an amazing dinner and then went out and found Johannes. Amsterdam came early the next morning...
When we finally got there Joe had to do a trans-atlantic interview for an internship and then we hit the town. After a couple bars, some great food, and the Van Gogh museum we met some Danish people in our 24 person hostel room and found out what Amsterdam has to offer for the nightlife.
I'll just say this: Amsterdam is a crazy city as it is, but when the sun goes down it's even crazier. The people you can find there are really diverse. Good times.
Saturday we walked all around Amsterdam with our Danish friends and went to the Heineken museum for most of the day. That was a blast, then we had a Shoarma (kebab type thing) and chilled and drank with Jesper and Mads while the 40 year old Las Vegas dude sleeping next to us toked up and slept the entire time.
Sunday Joe and I went to the tourist office and took a trip outside of Amsterdam to the nearest tourist city with Windmills and Tulips. We were the only people under 50 I think. Complete change from the night before.
We stayed up all Sunday night to catch our plane home on Monday and its been rather regular Padovian life until tomorrow when Joe, Tisha, Kylie and I take off for Casablanca in French Morocco. More on that soon!

Ciao!