What was I Thinking

Hello everybody, I am still alive and on this great adventure. There have been a couple of times when I thought, ( What the @$^^$%$^$$# am I doing here.) Then they pass and I think, this is good. Now that I have cleaned and redecorated I will present my room. It looks real good now. I am happy here.

Location, location, location, and this is a great location. If you click on my pictures 2 times they get bigger and you can see them without your glasses.

Before Steve left we checked out the chelsea market. These are some great cupcakes. We were told they taste as good as they look. We also tried a lobster roll. Steve helped me eat it. Even though you only see me.

Steve wanted to find someplace I could eat and feel ok by myself. We found a nice bar/ restaurant called Centro Vinoteca. www.centrovinoteca.com It is only about 4 blocks away. They serve wine by the bottle or the quartino. When wine came in liters it was a quarter of a bottle. Now it is a third of a bottle but it is still called a quartino. All $12.00 and under qrt. are 1/2 price from 5pm till 7pm, and they give you a small plate. This is a great deal. A glass and 1/2 and a small plate for $6:00. I went saturday by myself and ate dinner at five so it would not be busy. I had scallop and shrimp ravioli with English peas, it was great. The Bartender and waitress went out of their way to make me comfortable. The waitress is from NC and went to ECU. I really enjoyed my one good dinner this week. I eat at school for lunch and snack at night. The lunches are good but it is lunch. I study, study, study, and have not caught up. My Italian teacher says to stop trying so hard. That I am doing fine. I really don't know how not to try hard.

Time to stop playing. School is now in session.

Tools of my new trade. That is ONE BIG SERIOUS KNIFE.
I usually use a much smaller chef knife. I also don't hold it correctly. I am going to have to relearn my cutting skills. Chef says ( he tries to be gentle, but us older ones know he is refering to us), alot of people think they have a better way to cut, but this is how we do it here. I am not very exact this way. So off to the grocery store for five pounds of potatoes. How many pounds before I get it right? I am not sure but butchering five pounds did not help. I guess I will get another five pounds tomarrow. Not much exciting this week. It was very hot and exhausting. We were standing in the kitchen dressed in full uniform and sweating. The ovens and burners were not even turned on. The first day in kitchen we learned: general rules of hygiene, regulation dress uniform, talked about first aid, and Knife skills. The second day we learned: how to sharpen our knives, piano di lavoro or "work area", different types cutting, the washing process, and how to make a brushetta al pomodoro. We even got to eat ours. I have to learn all the terms in Italian. It is all just memory, so it is not hard just takes time.

The only time the streets here have been empty was today at 7:30. It is truly a city that does not sleep. Late last night I looked out my window and the streets were full of people, about 12:30. I love watching the street and wondering why they never feel a need to be home. I love my home.

Today is Sunday. I walked this morning for an hour then got a great pastry. Everywhere you go there are the most incredible bakeries. The bread in the windows looks terrific. I Then cleaned and did laundry, that did not take to long. I butchered some more potatoes. In between all that, I memorize as best I can.

Steve and I talk on skype every day. We talk about an hour and sometimes more than once. I think we will use it at home when this is over. It must be the skype, we never talked this much when were together. I like talking to him. My mom has learned to use Skype and calls me. I really enjoy our talks.

Talk to ya'll next week

Yvonne