Milano

Milano is a place where you can't get by on your good looks alone....Everyone is gorgeous.  People take great effort to look fashionable.  I started learning the differences between Prada, Gucci, Armani and the other name brands while shopping with people who could afford to buy their products.  I have to sense for fashion, but I love a good bargain, and Milano gave me several opportunities to practice negotiating.  Among my few expenditures were european style military shirts (i got a great price for them at a street market) and haircut, and a 40 Euro classical guitar that provided several moments of entertainment throughout the stay.  3 weeks without playing music was miserable, and I saw the instrument in the train station and made an impulse purchase.  The only buyers remorse is that I have to now use the guitar case as my suitcase/backpack while I travel Scotland, because I flew RyanAir and they have the strictest policy for luggage.

No updates on the research project...our time in Milano was unfortunately during a holiday, so many people were out of town.  We will be conducting the make up interviews through skype however when we get back in the states.  Italy has always been one of my favorite places to visit.  I love how the people are so passionate about everything they do, and hold nothing back in confrontations.  We arrived to the hotel and immediately there was a mustached italian in a truck yelling at us from the window for blocking traffic, making all sorts of hand gestures.  We had our share of rude waiters, but I didn't really take offense because although the waiter showed no sympathy to our inability to read his menu, he was incredibly genuine with his interactions with us, giving us tough love and encouraging us to put effort into pronouncing the menu items properly before he would serve us.  Another restaurant waiter simply gave up on us, and said ''your food a will be a surprise, ok?''  20 minutes later he brought out several amazing dishes which still remain a mystery to me.  My style of restaurant, like the house of nanking in SF. 

I didn't find a wife in Italy this time around, but I found a few more dance moves.  It's weird traveling alone now after spending 3 weeks with such a big group.  Next up on the agenda is Scotland and England.  World Cup fever is in the air in the latter, while the Scottish are apparently only interested in seeing England lose in the matches.  I'll post more from the queen's country soon.

J