24-Jan-06

Wahoo!! There was no class for this kid today and it was wonderful. I made it to the market to get groceries. This was quite the feat because the market opens around 7am and closes around 1:30pm everyday. This makes it nearly impossible to make it to the market when I’ve got classes all morning. The market is very amazing, and very crazy. I wish we had open markets in the US. The produce is super fresh and super cheap. I have had a few “bad apples” (more like oranges and pears) so far, but the low price helps to justify the occasional dissatisfying produce.

For the rest of the day, Casey and I flew all over Torino taking in the sites and the stores. At the mall, we discovered they are building a HUGE indoor sandcastle… or so it appears. I guess that’s just another reason to go back. Last week we know that there was nothing in this place, and now the floor is covered in plastic and “sand artists” are hard at work with the biggest sand toys I’ve ever seen. Casey said it’s their way of making ice sculptures. Of course I forgot my camera today, so no pictures! Sorry!

This morning I did try to go open a bank account. The hardest part, I thought, was going to be learning how to go through the doors… There are two sets of doors on every bank. One will open and the second will not open until the one behind you has closed. This arrangement has made a fool out of me up until today when I witnessed others that knew the system. Well, I didn’t open an account because the lady told me I needed something or another, so I’m going to try the bank where a fellow student went and had little trouble. I have to locate one of these specific banks in order for this to happen though. Cry-key!

I heard that tomorrow the tickets for the Olympics are going to be going down. I am going to try and get some for Al and I since he will be here for the Olympics. He and I agreed that we wouldn’t go to too many events but instead spend the two weeks I have off traveling. He has an open ticket so he doesn’t have to go back until he runs out of money. Kind of a cool thing I think. Well, this day has been exhausting, so I must depart to bed. I have to recite a memorized composition for my Italian class tomorrow. Funny, I can’t carry on a conversation but I sure am getting good at reciting stupid compositions. Grrr…