Is it nice to be off work for 2, maybe more, months?
Well, definitely. I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity. When I do have to return to work, I will be very sad. Unfortunately, that day is approaching.
Who do you hang out with and where?
I don’t have a lot of free time, but when I do, I mostly hang out with a couple of friends that I have made here. We try different places but my favorite so far is the Tea Room behind Piazza Del Campo. I have been told of a great enoteca, Enoteca Italiana, at the fortress. I’m looking forward to trying it.
Is it expensive in Siena?
Luckily, Siena is not an extremely expensive city like Rome or Milan. Still, as the price of oil goes up, everything in Italy follows suit usually by the next day. The problem is compounded by the strength or rather weakness of the dollar. Imagine if the American economy were not so tied to oil, all other things being equal, imagine the strength of our currency then. Everyday in Italy, the price of bread, water, the essentials, rise with the rise of oil prices.
What’s your daily routine like?
Breakfast at 8. The walk to school is 10 minutes at a reasonable pace (even at my pace). School from 9 to 10:30. We pause for coffee for about 20-30 minutes. We resume class at 11 and end at 12:15/12:30. Some days I take private lessons or have a cultural lesson in the afternoon. If not, I go to Piazza Del Campo or home (depends on the weather) and do homework. We eat dinner at 7:30 PM (early for Italy) and if I have more work to do, I do it after dinner or I go for gelato, wine, or tea.
Where else have you been so far?
I have been to Pisa and Viterbo. Possibly this coming weekend (Easter), I will spend it in Florence. If I had not gotten sick, I would have stayed in Rome for one weekend.
Do you miss the USA?
Not that much. I miss everybody and Stella (of course). Siena is wonderful and even after visiting other cities on the weekends, I am always happy to come back to Siena. I could definitely see myself living in Siena (at least for now that is how I feel).
Studying hard?
I think it’s the most that I have ever studied. OK, maybe not, but I know this is the most dedicated that I have been to studying a foreign language. There are tenses and constructions that don’t exist in English. Compared to other languages and especially Italian, English is quite easy to learn.
Is the food good?
This is Italy and if you have any love for Italian food, you would fall in love. I eat pasta fatta a mano (made by hand). It’s incredible. Everything is extremely fresh and therefore delicious. I have eaten a lot of unpasteurized cheese and it’s wonderful. Pizza is very different from the way we have it in the USA. If you love American pizza, I would recommend that you try Pizza in Rome (or Lazio) first. Another different thing is olive oil. It is in everything and it is a completely different kind than we have in the USA.
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