Ciao!
So I woke up this morning, thinking to myself, today might potentially be yet another stressful day in Milano. I needed to register for classes (which has been a frustrating and disorganized mess with the Cattolica, my University) and I needed to pick up my ATM card (for Milanese public transit) which could involve hours and hours of waiting in lines and language issues. Also, since I don't officially start classes until next week (most people are taking a pre-intensive Italian class and I am not, so my classes haven't started yet) it's been a little awkward having so much idle time. So I've been filling my time with exploring the city of Milan and traveling (I leave for Munich on Wednesday) and my roommates are already in Germany so I've had the appartment all to myself for a couple of days. With all this said, I wasn't expecting today to be as good as it was--but it was a great day in Milano.
First off, it was a clear and crisp autumn day which is a precious thing in Milan since most of the time it's overcast and hazy. I took the 57 bus as usual to Cadorna station in order to retrieve the precious ATM pass. This pass allows me to use all metro lines, buses, and trains in the city by swiping one single card, instead of constantly having to go into Tabacchi stores to buy one for one euro. It's a student pass which I had to fill out tons of paperwork in Italian for two weeks ago. It costs 17 euro to renew every month but it's totally worth it. The whole process has been a little agonizing. Today I went to pick it up and had to wait for about an hour and a half in a crampt and chaotic room down where the underground metro is and patiently wait for my number to be called. I showed thme the reciept and my card was given to me and I felt a great sense of acheivement. Seriously, I walked out of that station with such pride--I feel like I'm actually starting to conquer the ways of this chaotic city.
So there was an extra spring in my step as I strolled down Via Carducci, my victory lap as I approached the University where my next potentially stressful endevour awaited me. Registration for classes and looking at class scheduling and time tables as well as the communication wiht the university has been absolute hell. So I was extremely relieved when I entered Lea's office (the coordinator for ISEP/IES students) and she went over my classes with me and registered me for all the ones that I needed to get in to. Wonderful!
So after that success of the day, I thought I'd go to park. And just to make my day even better, Devin, an American friend in my program that I've made here joined me. We strolled through Sempione park which is a beautiful oasis in the middle of Milanese craziness. Autumn is in full swing all of a sudden here and all the leaves are turning color. We sat under some trees, talked about life in Italy thus far and all the weird cultural subtlties we're discovering that make us similar and different to Italians. This park in particular is sort of Milan's version of Central Park. There's always events going on in various places, concerts or currently, an international film festival that sets up huge movie screens every evening. Elderly people, families with young children, and couples, business people, students, are always meandering the park pathways. There's benches for people watching everywhere and gelato/pannini stands too. Little kids may be kicking around a soccer ball, people are reading in the grass, people are jogging, or there's couples expressing way too much PDA in the grass. At the end of Parco Sempione nearest the Duomo there is an old castle called Castello Sforzesco that's really cool with a big courtyard that's always open to the public and there's a big fountain in front of it for more people watching.
After an afternoon at the Park, Devin and her roommate, Rita, joined my at my appartment and we went to a restaurant around the corner from my place for cocktails. I have been to this restaurant a couple of times and the owner is the coolest ever! He is so nice and gives us lots of free things and discounts every time I'm there and he's so incredibly hospitable. He knows that my roommates and I are new to the neighborhood and don't know our way around so he gave us his number and says that if we ever need anything at all that we can ask him. The restaurant seems to be popular with the locals and it's such a hole-in-the wall little place, you would never assume the food was so good and the service so friendly. So I think this restaurant is officially "our place". It's quirky, the owner is always giving out free bruchetta and free little candies or big bowls of popcorn. And there's alwasys funny American R&B or Hip-Hop music playing. Anyways, my 21st birthday is next week (ugh, I'm so old!) and the owner said he'd buy me a drink.
Overall, it was a very pleasant day in Milan, probably one of my best yet despite how ordinary it may have seemed to most people. In my experience so far, I've learned to find great pleasure in the little things, taking it one day at a time, and noticing all the little details that make this a true cultural immersion. I find joy in little victories like getting a transportation pass that I've stressed over or having a conversation at a cafe with an old Italian man about politics in America. It's all in these little everyday things that I'm learning so much. I know I will return to the States a changed person, and that navigating any city in the States will be a piece of cake compared to Italy! No language barrier, no problem!
Very early Wednesday morning I leave for Oktoberfest in Munich and I am so pumped! I change planes in Zurich, Switzerland, then I will meet my roommates in Munich, Germany and join the beer festivities in all its glory!
Until next time...ciao ciao!
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