First of all I'd like to say Happy Birthday to my brother Rob. Happy Birthday, Rob!
We've decided to get internet in Bill's apartment along with his roommates. The leeching is unreliable and I think all of us are sick of not being able to talk to our friends and family from home when we want to. Plus we won't have to stay at school all the time -- we can just go home at a reasonable hour, cook dinner, eat earlier, and then use the internet to write out our stories at the end of the day. It really is a little ridiculous that they didn't provide any help trying to get decent services around here. Not only do half of the computers in the computer lab not work, but the only personal service they suggested was this outrageous scam that would cost a fortune. The internet we're looking into for ourselves now is about three times cheaper and for more than one computer at a time, and was suggested by a friend, not the school. So at least for a month, we can Skype or email whenever we want.I understand that the school wants us to emerge ourselves in Italian culture and not spend all day online -- but when everything closes up at 8 pm and they also don't want you to go out drinking (the only other thing to do after 8 pm), or have friends in your apartment, or provide phonelines to call home, or internet, or DVD players or any other sort of community activity.... I mean, what are we supposed to do? Personally I don't think there is anything wrong with expecting at least a a little help obtaining decent deals ourselves if they aren't going to do it for us. Besides, even if someone did want to stay inside all day online instead of being out experiencing Italy -- that's sort of their perogative, not the school's, isn't it?
Well, glad I got that off my chest :] The whole room had been talking about it all night and the tension against the school was killing me. Don't get me wrong -- I love Florence, I love Italy and Europe in general, and I love being here. I just think some things could have been done much better in the administration. Some of the excuses for not providing phonelines to call home and the rather contradictary rules of the school are rather lame.
Well, aside from that I worked my butt off and made huge leaps and bounds in the improvement of my painting (at least I think so) to the point that my teacher seemed mildly impressed. Still, she didn't say too much about it. But I like it now so that's the important part. It's very colorful, but I fixed the shape of the face and I think she - I - looks much warmer and more lifelike. Mostly I spent a lot of time on the hair and the scarf, which I'd just barely painted in on my last update. See below! Following that is a collage in order of each photo I took after I finished working every day, so you can see the progression of the painting. I think the last two photos look the most drastically different.
Otherwise things have been going pretty well. I signed up for classes today and I have to email a few professors for permission to get into the classes, but for the most part I'm all set. I looked up each instructor on myprofessorsucks.com to make sure that they were okay, and it seems I'm in for a few really interesting classes on criminology, religion, gender issues, and cognitive psychology.
Enough for now, I'm borrowing someone else's computer to write this so I'll leave you for now. Ciao!
6 comments:
Hi guys, Sorry I haven't written all week. Uncle Andy has been in the hospital since Easter Sunday with pneumonia(again). He's actually doing better and might be discharged tomorrow.Sorry about your plans for last weekend going sour. Sure hope you are still planning Venice and Fiesole, but Easter's fireworks will have to be for another time. Congrats to you, Bill for finally taking Jess birthday shopping! Better late than, you know. Sounds like it was fun and the outfit sounds very intriguing to say the least. Getting lots of mail about graduation.It's here after four years!. Hard to wrap my head around it-it feels like just yesterday that we arrived on that HOT August day to move you in. But it's very exciting and I can't think of a better way to finish your four years with what you're doing in Europe. What a great ride you've been on, Bill! We are bursting with every emotion you can imagine knowing that our third child is graduating from college! Miss you more every day. Can't wait for May 3rd and then May 10th! Much Love, Mom and Dad
Hi, Babygirl! I love how nice your portrait came out. Really captures you well, esp. around the eyes. Great job!
I'm glad you got your classes mostly settled for next year. Sounds like you will have a very interesting Senior year.
Have you finalized any more travel plans yet? With only a month or so left before you return to the States (can't wait!!) you'll want to give some thought to that before your final exams sneak up on you.
Hope your dinner with the cooking class was a happy one. Miss you, miss you, miss you!
Have a great day.
Dad
Why, it IS my birthday. Or rather, it was. Man, I'm so awesome.
Your painting is pretty awesome. You should keep doing stuff when you get home, take some more classes to continue your motivations and stuff.
I'm your brother.
Love,
Your Brother
Hi Jess,
How nice that you remembered your brother's birthday!!
Your picture is wonderful...I say that a lot about you and your art, don't I? The difference in the beginning to end in a week and a half's time is AMAZING!
I miss you so much that if I wasn't going with Dad and Ellie to Yosemite in a few weeks, I would come back to Florence just to sit in the cafes and have my cafe latte decafinatos and talk and walk with you!
I think getting the internet together is a good idea. Dad and I will pick up part of that cost for you since you use it as well. Let us know the cost ok?
Glad you got some good classes for next fall. I didn't see any art classes though. Not at UCONN? Have you gotten housing for next year yet?
I took Rob out to his favorite Japanese restaurant on his birthday. We had a good time. He helped put part of the house back in order with me and spent a lot of time on the stupid wiring for the TV/VCR/phone/wireless internet/WII system and about 52,000 wires that needed to go through a little hole in the back of the bookshelf and then into the wall of other components. I couldn't have done it without him.
Ellie had her first play last night and she said it went well and was a good start to the three days. Rob, Dad, Ant Denise, Uncle Ron and I are all going on Sat night.
The new dining arrives on Sat as well. The rug comes in another week or so. I'm kind of excited about having everything back in place and having a nice house as well.
Miss you and let us know your travel plans. I love you and have a great time with your remaining time in Italy/Europe.
Love,
Mom
Hey, my favorite Jessbill,
things sound amazing! i was thinking of you during Easter actually, because i was home with my parents. miss you! we had a nice family dinner, just the three of us. Dad (being an Iowan, just like yours) HAS to have ham for dinner. but i don't eat it, so he made spaghetti as a side dish which i ate instead. and we watched all our Easter movies, Life of Brian, the Robe, and JC Superstar, which is fantastic as always.
i'm glad you guys did so well on midterms! you're only taking four classes? wow, lucky. i've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that this semester is going to hurt my gpa. especially since i got bagged yesterday (my Dad is really proud of me, he says that all the great Civil War generals who graduated West Point had mucho demerits, except for Robert E. Lee and we all know what HE did...)
soooo i love you both madly!!!! don't come back to the States, it's cold and nasty here and the people dress in...well, Northface. just stay there and wait another year and a month and i'll get myself kicked out of the CG (honorably, i'll just develop diabetes or something) and come live with you! won't that be fun???11
oh and p.s. what does "wip" mean? when in paris? what if pomegranate? which ignorant peony? whip inflation now?...oh wait i think i spelled that one wrong.
p.p.s. wait til you hear my spring break story...
Gosh, jess. The painting looks awesome. I am glad that your teacher knows how good you are. There is such a big difference in the last two photos of the picture. The scarf just jumps off of the page.
Congrats on finally getting internet. I suppose that will make everything alot easier on you. I am impressed that you have been able to make it even this far without your own internet.
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