Room to Think

So remember how I left you off with the delicious amount of birthday desserts I have to choose from in Italy? Here's one more: the Zeppole Courtesy of seriouseats.com This fried feast is filled with ricotta cheese, and I guess is often confused with France's delicious beignets. I think it can also be filled with fruit. Bottom line, I think I would like to try this thing. I think Italians know how to throw a party because they get so much practice as they grow up. They know they have to front the bill, and they know that their party will be as big as they want it. When I was growing up here, I learned that Filipinos kind of do things the same way. If you're going to throw a party, don't ask your guests to help you cook. They're there to enjoy the party you are throwing. (of course, if they're properly raised, your guests will offer to help, and, as a proper host, you decline and say cooking is no big deal...They can insist, and you can decide from

Tanti auguri (aka "happy birthday"...I think)    Okay, so I know that last post of mine was super long, so here's a nice short one to make up for it. The topic of this post came up today because this week I turned 23! I was casting about for post ideas when I realized that my birthday celebration might be different in a few years.  From my understanding, birthdays here and there pretty much center around the same things: food, friends, and family. The biggest difference between birthdays here in the states, and abroad in Florence, is who pays for the celebrations. Here, people take me out, pay for me, and shower me with gifts and well wishes. In Italy, I'd still go out (or stay in), people might bring gifts, kisses and well-wishes, but in the end I, the festeggiato, pay for all of it. Now, I'm not saying what I think of that just yet...I think in the interest of my new sleep schedule, I ought to be in bed now, so I'll save the rest of the p

First off, if you're reading this and you haven't voted yet: CLOSE THE INTERNET AND GO VOTE.  (actually, the internet was a fairly useful tool to me for my voting research this year. I learned what I couldn't learn from the widely distributed voter's pamphlets.) But I don't know how many people you need to tell you to go vote. They're important choices, and we  all  help make them. You can see the rest of the post by clicking the "Read more" below, AFTER you've turned in your ballot. >.>