Home of the Medicci: Florence!

Today's journey to Florence only took one train ride. Quite less adventurous as a bus and a walk! In order to see different sights than our previous 3 times, we took a walking tour with one of the best art historians I have ever met. This girl knew what the story behind every stone on a building. We learned all about the Medicci family; how they lived, their influence in Florence, and the remnants of their history. When the average person goes to Florence or Rome, he or she doesn't really appreciate each building. I would have never guessed that the restaurant I quickly ate at today dated back to the 15th century. When you learn the story behind the buildings and the feuds between the weathy and powerful families, you really get a profound appreciation for the archetecture that is standing before you. And that was what our tour guide gave us, well at least me.

After the tour, my mom wanted to go see the Medicci Chapel and Saint Lorenzo Church. Well, so much for that...we went shopping instead! Majority rules. My grandma bought a white belt and a new black purse she's been looking for. I bought a purse, a few scarves, and some souvineer gifts for Tommy and Jonathan. Eventually, yes, we did make it to St. Lorenzo and it was definitely worth seeing. After understanding the prominence of the Medicci, we played a bit of art history and figured out some things for ourselves with the foundation our guide gave us earlier today.

Currently, we're on our way to Rome, church capital!!!

First Port of Call: Monte Carlo!

Today, the Ruby Princess docked at Monte Carlo!! Since my mom and I had already been here twice, my mom thought it would be nice to do something no one has done! One wrong direction, one bus ride, and about a mile walking later, we arrived at the Villa Rothschild. Located between Monaco and Villa Franche, it has 7 gardens (4 of which we walked through) and the manor over looking two harbors. In the first garden located outside the manor doors, there was a fountain water show every 20 minutes accompanied by orchestra and opera music. The atmosphere was relaxing, just what we all needed. Honestly, it was gorgeous! Built for a princess. The couple that built the villa died without any children, so it is open for visitors. We ventured through the exotic garden. Well, I guess their idea of exotic was plants native to California, cacti. The garden just below was inspired by Beatrice's visits to Asia. Although my grandma didn't want to walk through, I took the camera and snapped around 20 pictures worthy of a post card. Honestly, you couldn't go wrong! For lunch, we ate in the cafe inside the manor. Interestingly enough, it is located just outside the dining room where Beatrice and Rothschild guests dined on a nightly basis. The view was stunning, and we were sad to leave it.

After walking the same mile and taking the same bus back, I thought it would be a great idea to go to the casino since my grandma hadn't seen it. Even though we managed to get to a villa neither of us had been before, getting to Monte Carlo Casino, where my mom and I had been twice, was a completely different story. My mom thought taking the public bus would be easier than walking. Knowing that we were going to the casino, the bus driver didn't inform us that the only bus stop would be the stop for the elevator, so we missed it. Then, we had to walk all the way back through the tunnel and figure out how to get into the correct elevator. What there aren't signs for is you have to go down one elevator, cross the street underground, and then go up from there. At least if you ever go it will be easier for you.

And there it was, Monte Carlo Casino in all its glory. Parked outside are the Ferraris and Masseratis of the wealthy gamblers inside. This is popular for tourists because its not everyday you see a car worth more than your lifetime earnings! The view of the Med is exceptional from there as well. Although we've been there multiple times, we've never gone into the casino because it costs 10 euros just to get in. Imagine how much you'll lose gambling! Even though it was difficult getting there, returning to the ship was as easy as can be when you take a water boat!

Our next stop is Florence! Can't wait!

BARCA!

Yesterday afternoon, my mom, grandma and I arrived in Barcelona. Upon our arrival, we labourously pulled our luggage through the subway to the hotel. Our hotel is located on Las Ramblas, a very touristy part of town. And we have a balcony overlooking one of the most popular parts of the street. However, my mom had her first almost failure...she booked the hotel for June instead of May. But it was no problem! One major difference between Spain and England are the pick pocketers. Even though it is not very fashionable, I would recommend carrying your back pack on the front rather than the back, if you don't want to lose some valuables.

After freshing up at the hotel, we went to my favorite church in the world La Sagrada Familia. Every time I have been to Barcelona, I've checked on the progress of the church. Contractors have been building the church for over 75 years and it's thought it won't be done for another 50. I absolutely love the architecture of the church. Every detail has a specific meaning from the spiral staircases to the gargoyles. Unfortunately, the line was too long and we were too tired to go up the lift and climb around the top of the church. On our first trip, we did this and it is definitely something to be experienced at least once in a lifetime.

We arrived on the day of the big soccer game: Barcelona vs. Manchester Utd. The city was thriving with blue and maroon fans flocking the streets. At the hotel, I met some students from a small liberal arts college in North Carolina who invited me to watch the game with them. Although we had no idea what was going on, we tried our best to cheer and boo appropriately. Among the students was a fellow ADPi sister!! Who would have guessed!?! It was great to meet someone who has the same appreciation as I do for diamonds and lions. We then went into the streets for a bit to experience the excitement of the Barca fans! We didn't stay for long because it got more rowdy than celebrations in the states. This makes Laker fans look terrible! If we win the NBA championship, I expect a celebration like this!

While the massive celebration was taking place, this was not the night to have a balcony on Las Ramblas. Cheers and fireworks didn't cease until around 2 in the morning when the police cleared everyone out of the streets. And this morning, it looked like nothing happened! There was no sign of the massive party that took over the city. Quite amazing if you ask me.

Earlier today, we finally boarded our cruise ship and currently we are headed to our first stop: Monte Carlo!

London: Days 2, 3 and 4

Getting internet has been a bit more difficult than I previously thought...Anyways, our second day in London we ventured to Hampton Court, most famously associated with Henry VIII. In honor of his 500th anniversary, Hampton Court had an entire special exhibition of him, including a reinactment of the day he married his last wife, Katherine Parr, and an exhibition of his six wives. Rarely viewed artifacts and portraits were displayed for our viewing pleasure in his apartments. We also watched a fencing and falconry demonstration where young children were invited to participate. It's too bad I or another member of our group wasn't younger because it would have made this a day to remember. One of the most interesting things we explored was the kitchens where servants prepared two meals for 800 people daily!! Not to mention a courtier of his court ate 4,500-5,000 calories a day!! I guess he may not have been the only one to turn out fat....

After our adventure at Hampton Court, by my special request we went to the world famous Harrods. Unfortunately, we only had 30 minutes to look at pretty things we couldn't afford, but we did buy a cute bracelet. Small, but at least we can say we bought something from Harrods! And accross the street, was my second favorite store in the universe, Zara! I first discovered Zara in Portugal a few years ago and have been enchanted since. Even though it originates in Mexico, there are few in California and the one that I have been to wasn't my favorite. But the ones in Europe are to die for! Walking out, I found a shirt with a, wait for it...diamond!!! Now, this may not be a big deal to you, but its a big deal to me since the ADPi symbol is a diamond and shirts are hard to come by. Oh, and yes, I bought it.

Yesterday, we went to Cambridge with London Walks on their explore day. London Walks is a fabulous way to get to know any part of London with detailed tours lasting around two hours. But once a week, they have an explore day and it's a great deal! Our first stop in Cambridge was the American Cemetery. Since it was Memorial Day in the U.S., the cemetery had a ceremony playing the national anthem upon our arrival. Ironically, I've never celebrated Memorial Day more appropriately, and who to think in England! Our next stop was the walk itself where we learned all about the university and the individual colleges. Quick fact: 80 Nobel Prize winners are associated with Cambridge and around 40 went to Trinity College. Trinity College was founded by our man of the hour, Henry VIII. I guess he wanted to leave a better name for himself. The highlight of the day was going punting down the Cam. It was a beautifully relaxing trip, even amusing when a punter was close to falling in the water occasionally!! We ended the night exhausted in our new hotel, Jury's Inn in Chelsea. A bigger hotel than we normally stay, but quite nice indeed.

Today, we started our day a bit later than normal waking up a quarter til 9. Who would guess sleeping in would be considered past 6 a.m., considering at home I don't get up until 10 at the earliest! As soon as we could we were at Leister Square buying tickets to Hairspray! On past trips, we went to multiple plays, but on this trip, Hairspray would be our first and last. Between buying the tickets and the show, my mom thought it would be a great idea to go to Winston Churchill's War Rooms during WWII. This was perhaps one of the most interesting museums I've been to because for me, it was history coming to life. We walked through the halls that Churchill himself commanded fighting the Germans. With about an hour to get to our play, we left the museum and Churchill. Neither myself nor my mother or grandma had seen the play. My initial thought was whether the actors would have British accents or try to master Baltimore accents...and they tried! I thoroughly enjoyed Hairspray, although I did have some problems with a few of the actors. I felt Tracy was played too old and Amber played too unsophisticated. On the other hand, Wilbur and Edna were absolutely hysterical!! Clearly the highlight of the performance!!

After the show, we met up with one of my sorority sisters, Marissa, who is finishing her study abroad program here. During dinner, my mom played a thousand questions because I will be participating in the same studying abroad program that she is completing. It was a nice break to see someone else! Well that was my trip to London and boy did it go by fast!! Next stop: Barcelona!!

Greetings from London!!

Friday at 3:20 p.m. my mom, grandma, and I anxiously boarded our British Airways flight direct from Los Angeles to Heathrow London. Our day had already started out rough, forgetting and misplacing important items and documents, how were we ever going to make it three weeks!! My mom and grandma had made a great choice in flights since we didn't have a lay-over in Chicago or Atlanta like we normally do. These lay-overs can extend travel times by days (well, it certainly feels like that). Not having a lay-over was definitely one of the better decisions to begin a trip and certainly easier to keep track of everything...and everyone!

I've always thought international plane companies to be sooo much nicer than American ones, and this certainly stands for British Airways. Their service, food, and aircraft were all up to par. Although I was envious of the first class passengers, I had enough room to sleep for an hour or two. On long flights, I would wholeheartedly recommend some sort of sweat or pajama pant, just to make curling up on a chair a little easier. I'd never tried that before and it did the trick.

Upon arriving in Heathrow around 9 a.m. this morning, we went through the airport with little trouble and little waiting. The public transportation in Europe is millions of lightyears ahead of our public transportation system (or lack of) in Los Angeles. There are two ways to get from Heathrow to London: the London Express and the London Connect. Can you guess which one is more expensive? The London Connect is about half the price as the London Express, although it is a bit longer. And that's in pounds...in dollars its probably 3 times more expensive. So you can guess which one my money-pinching mom choose, which ended up timing our arrival at our hotel perfectly.

Our hotel is not too far from Paddington Station, which makes pulling the luggage around a lot easier since we don't have to endure the busy Tube with three suitcases and three back packs. After getting settled, the beautiful day was impossible to resist. We dined at the Victoria, the pub down the street. To Americans, a pub might be a peculiar place to grab lunch or dinner, but to the British and the Irish, its an every day custom. Grandma and I ate fish and chips, while my mom, hoping to not upset her already queezy tummy, ate a delicious roast beef sandwich. We then walked off our pub grub at Kensington Park. Another custom foreign to Americans is the use of parks. Now, we have small playgrounds and grassy knolls where we may have an occasional picnic or football game with not too many people around. But Europeans, especially the British and the French from my experience, go to the park daily, if the weather allows. And on a beautiful day like this, naturally families, friends, and football teams (American and soccer) gathered for a nice day outside. Our mission impossible was finding the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. The receptionist at the hotel gave us the impression that it was on one side of the park, but of course it was no where close. After giving up four times, we found it! Now, this wasn't your typical fountain with a statue and spouting water; this was a circle, kind of like a river, where families and children could come splash and put their feet in it. In hindsight, this fountain embodied what the Princess of the People would have wanted to be remembered as.

Mom and Grandma were getting to the point of near exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to return to the hotel and sleep for an hour or two. I knew that if I got even the smallest taste of sleep, I wouldn't wake up. And that was exactly what I did when they failed to drag me out of bed. While they went to a London walk, I stayed in the hotel and slept. I woke up ten minutes prior to their arrival. Aparently, for the first time my mom failed to find a London Walk and they took a bus through the city instead. London Walks are great for an afternoon or night activity and you can find one to fit any interest. My personal favorite is their famous Jack the Ripper Walk departing from the Tower Hill tube station every night. While studying for his role as Jack the Ripper, Johnny Depp took the walk with the famous tour guide. If that doesn't tell you how good this walk is, then I don't know what does.

Well, that's it for the night. Even though I slept for most of the afternoon, I'm still exhausted and wouldn't mind more sleep. I'm sorry to say that I won't be watching the Laker game that is on in a few hours...

Freshman Year: Check!

            At 2:00 pm on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, I walked into my last final of freshman year.  All I wanted was to get this stupid final over with because it was at the very last time slot on the very last day.  Not to mention the class wasn’t my favorite.  I knew I would return to a practically empty suite still having to pack the remainder of my stuff.  And I knew it would be almost as sad as graduating from high school.  The thing about high school summers is everyone lives close, with the exception of the annual family vacation.  But in this case, I had friends returning to all parts of the country.  And then there’s housing.  I won’t be living with any of the people on my hall because I’ll be living in my sorority house.  Since high school graduation, it’s just been a whirlwind of changes, and each one has its fun, new experiences.

            For the last month and a half of freshman year, I declared two minors, attended many sorority events, wrote a lot of papers, and completed my first internship.  After years of addiction to Law and Order, I declared a forensics and criminality minor.  And who wouldn’t minor in Spanish, one of the world’s leading languages?  I think these are the minors I will stick with, after debating over marketing, health communication, and communication in the entertainment industry. 

            Completing my first internship was probably one of my proudest moments of the year.  I had a busier schedule and harder classes than last semester.  I was even involved in all of the same extracurriculars, Trojan Vision and ATVN.  And then, adding an internship on top of that…I never thought I’d make it out of freshman year alive (or at least with a good GPA)!  I accomplished all that I wanted to in the end, and all of the craziness and extra work was definitely worth it.

            Our last ADPi invite was Diamond Ball. It may not have been the best due to personal problems, but it was certainly the nicest venue, the best food, and the most dazzling to see.  Everyone looked absolutely stunning, and the class of 2009 will definitely be missed.  Before the invite, we ate at Zip Fusion, a Japanese restaurant near downtown.  I devoured some of the best sushi and teriyaki beef I’ve ever had.  All in all, it ended up being a great night.

            Currently, I’m unpacking my stuff from my dorm and packing my suite case for my upcoming European adventure. You can follow my everyday excursions on this blog. I’ll hopefully have updates, however long, everyday depending on internet availability.  GO LAKERSSSSSSS!!!

            

Hopes and Tragedies

            Three weeks ago, the USC community experienced the worst tragedy of the school year.  Two FRESHMEN were walking back to campus from Greek Row. Neither has returned to school, but one will never. For most students I talked to, this was their first time experiencing the death of a friend. Unfortunately, this is my second since graduation. I did not personally know her, but I had multiple connections to her, including that we both worked at the bookstore on the ground floor. I have multiple emails from her asking me to cover her shifts. However, I do know Marcus, the boy that was hit and is still currently in the hospital.

            When death occurs, communities are formed and relationships are strengthened. The Greek community carried the weight of this tragedy together. On Monday, March 30, a candle light vigil was held in honor of Adri and in hopes that Marcus would make a speedy recovery. Every house was represented in great numbers. We cried together and lent a shoulder to lean on. Without knowing the support of the Greek community, none of us would have been able to overcome this tragedy. It’s almost sad that the strength of a community has to be tested with such a horrific event.

            I equated this incident with Alice Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones.  My favorite quote from the book is Susie’s statement “These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence; the connections – sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost but often magnificent – that happened after I was gone”.  As she watched her family from heaven overcome her disappearance, Susie realizes something beautiful forms around it. All we can ever hope for in death is a positive outcome, some purpose that gives it meaning.

            Personally, the hardest concept for me to get over was anyone could have been hit. Me, my best friends, anyone of my sisters. It’s almost odd that death is mostly associated with older people, when in reality, it can happen at any moment, whenever God decides that it is time to go. This experience has left me not taking anything for granted and cherishing every day and every smile.

            Unfortunately, people don’t value life. And even worse, those who do have to carry that burden. Keep your heads up, USC. God bless.