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| Wow |
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| Centrale Station |
First, I want to talk about is friends. As we know we all worry about this aspect.
Well I thought I was doing well and then the friends I made started to not
include me into trips or dinner or whatever.
Then I met some friends in my language classes and we hung out after
class and on the weekend, but now that classes have started its like no one has
time for me. I was at this low point
after I asked 4 people to go to dinner last night and no one wanted to go with
me. I went by myself. Though today as I was running my errands and going to the
market. I ran into a girl that is here doing a master’s program and lives in my
building (we met once before very quickly). We talked and walked back from the
market together.
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| Centrale Station |
She was asking me about my friends and hall mates. I told her
about them ignoring me and she said that it happens to everyone and she just
really started making friends herself.
So it helps and all I can say is if you don’t come with someone which a
lot of people do come like 2 people from a school. Making friends can be hard and take time.
Don’t be afraid to go out on adventures by yourself. Have fun and people will see you having fun
and want to join you.
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| Flare Aftermath |
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| Flare Aftermath |
Next point is that if people tell you that a sport is a big
deal in the country you are visiting please listen to them. I knew Italy was big on Soccer (futbol,
calcio), but I didn’t imagine how big.
Apparently there was a fairly large match today in Italy or on TV one,
but the fans of the winning team were out in hoards to celebrate even though I
heard they lost later that night. After
my class I walked to the metro station and got on then I transferred
underground lines to get home at Cadorna F.N. station. Walking to where I had
to hop on the metro home I didn’t notice much until I reached the stairs and
chanting could be heard. As I neared the
bottom I noticed fans of some team with green in the colors (later found out it
was a Celtic team) chanting and rocking the metro at the station at the time.
Not wanting to ruin the party I decided to skip that metro for the next
one. Well that was one of my mistakes
for the day. I got on the next metro
which was not rocking or loud chants coming out from it at the time. As it started moving chants started and fans
cheering and drinking. Only to set a
green flare off in the metro (train) luckily enough we were pulling into a
station at that time. As the smoke grew
and spread throughout the metro people were running, jumping, cussing (in
Italian of course), and Cheering (if you’re a drunk fan). I was not going to
ride in the smoke infested metro so I walked home from that station which is
about a ten minute walk (at least it was nice out). So soccer is a big deal,
don’t dis soccer (Got it). That was my interesting event this week.
Oh, also Milan Fashion Week has started here and it is
something to see the crazies it draws out into the daily life of a
Milanese. I hope to make it to one of
the public events since I’m not important enough to actually get a ticket or
invite to it. Maybe I will make it.
Classes have started and the differences are crazy. All of my professors dress like the students
and they are very informal with names.
One of my professors even said to call him by his given name. Then one
picks on the Irish and German students in class (his wife is half Irish and
half German). Also group work is the
only way these courses go. I’ve had to
assignments within groups and even on class with a group term paper. Then there is the books, get this I only had
to buy one book thus far. It is
wonderful! Also field trips are a given part of some classes. In my Strategic
Management & Entrepreneurship class we are visiting a winery and a brewing
company to see how they manage their businesses (plus free drinks). So far so good on my classes I have one that
is sort of a review of 4 classes I have had in the past, but its fun to see the
professor baffled.
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| My Schedule minus one class |
Adventures await. They don’t wait for anyone but you. Also traveling is way cheaper over here I was
mapping out a spring break trip and I could visit Rome, Florence, and Venice
for less than a flight to New York would be from Knoxville. Plus I was looking into weekend trips since I
don’t Friday classes or Monday or Wednesday classes as of now. But I will not
have Friday classes all semester. Can
anyone say travel? It’s a wonderful
thing travel is. It makes you a better
and more knowledgeable person. It’s
amazing.
As my friends and family are suffering with cold
and snowy weather I feel I should report that it’s been sunny and beautiful
here with a few days of rain to refresh everything.  |
| Sunglasses doing everything = Italian way |
Ciao amici!