One month down, two to go.

Hello there!

It has been quite a while since I last regaled you with stories of Venezia, la serenissima. I'm not going to lie to you: I looked up how to spell "regaled" just now. The intricacies of the English language have left me for the most part, as I speak mostly Italian during the day. I catch myself thinking and reasoning in Italian also, which scares and excited me a bit.

Without further ado, here's an update on my charmed life:

I have been settling into a routine here in Venice for the last couple of weeks. It is true that Venice is more like a village than a city; I see the same people, do the same things, and feel at ease here. As I walk to work, I see the gondoliers polishing the gulls of their boats, the shop-owners Windex-ing their windows, the man with the three bulldogs conversing with a friend as they cross the Accademia bridge.

At the PGC, we have become a make-shift family for each other. Like any other family, we are a little too big and a little too loud, but the deep love and respect we have for each other is evident nonetheless. Of the 33 interns I started the month with, 17 are leaving. Last night was our farewell bash: la festa di fine mese, or the end-of-the-month party. I never thought I could be as moved and changed by a group of people as I was by CUAB, but the PGCers managed to draw a few tears out my eyes. (Just a few, though.) Tomorrow the newbies arrive, and I get to meet 10 new people who have totally different backgrounds than me but are some how eerily similar. I could not be more excited.

Because so much time has elapsed since my last post, I will not attempt to summarize the events that have transpired. Some of the highlights were Mom's visit last week (see image of Venice from the San Giorgio Maggiore bell tower, wow!) , various dinner parties, and late-night tea drinking, scary story telling, Sex and the City watching, bruschetta eating marathons. I wish you all could have been here to take part.

With that being said, I will now introduce to you a new wave of blog posts. I am going to try my hand at listing, profiling and extended photo captions. Here is one try at each new genre:

LIST: Types of delivery boats
These are different boats I have seen. If I was anywhere but Venice, these would be trucks instead. Just imagine my delight at seeing these cruising the canals:

1. Ice Cream boat
2. Coca Cola boat
3. UPS boat
4. Fruit and veggie
5. Animal control boat

PROFILE: Allison
Allison is a delightful little sprite of a human being who hails from New York and currently attends Bard College. She always has a small notebook and a fountain pen with her and is constantly writing notes or sketching. She wears a giant orange barrette in her hair. Before she left the US for Venice, she was walking by an American Apparel store, and they asked her to come in for a moment. Wondering why, Allison obliged. They offered her $1000 in merchandise to take a few Polaroids; they were so stricken by her manner and style. She accepted, and has since offered to buy anyone anything they want from the store. She could never use it all herself, she says. That's just a little bit about my friend Allison.

PHOTO: Burano
Burano is a quaint fisherman's island in the northern lagoon. Venice just one of many islands in the larger lagoon connected to the Adriatic sea.

I visited Burano with my mom when she came to visit this week. We had a lovely time exploring the tiny streets and had a wonderful picnic lunch along the water. Twas a great visit.

A note about the houses: All of the row houses are painted different colors. It is said to be so as an aid to the fishermen that leave there. They are out at sea for so long that they forget where they live, so the wifes simply remind them of the color of their home before they return. Cute story, eh? I thought so.

Well, folks, that's all I have for you today. I am off to my friend Rebecca's for lunch. Until next time, I hope you all are well and enjoying your summers. Ciao for now!

Love,

L