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. >.>

Good evening everyone! It has been constantly pouring here in the southern Seattle area for almost 24 hours now...actually, that's probably not true. There was a nice little break in the middle of the day where it was only misting, but the sort of mist that soaks you anyway. To be honest, I love this weather. In fact, I wish it was windy and stormy on top of that. At least then it'd seem more like home (yep, I'm homesick for Bellingham, but the rain is still nice.) The sound of the pounding rain often causes me to  look out the window at the streetlamp outside to see how much water is falling...and to see if it has turned to hail yet. That said, I don't like the traffic that the rain brings, and thus, I've spent the day inside (mostly), working on this blog post and other computer-y things while I listen to the rain drown the world outside. To my credit, I have not touched my xbox all day, though I still haven't felt particularly productive. Coincidenta...

I've been getting home so late from volleyball games that I've been too exhausted to write. In fact, last week was my last set of games (except for subdistricts!), and I came down with a cold (again). I've had fevers and body aches and a cough so bad I haven't been able to sit down at my computer for long periods of time at all. It's been really awful, but I think I'm developing abs from all my coughing. They're certainly sore enough to tell me that there's muscle there now. Either way, had my computer been a laptop instead of a desktop, I might be telling a different story...instead, my job-hunting productivity has gone on the backburner in favor of getting healthier and not spreading my sickness around. That said, it doesn't mean I haven't accomplished things! Here's a list of all the TV shows I'm suddenly caught up on: Presidential (and Vice Presidential) Debates Bones The Walking Dead Covert Affairs Once Upon a Time Grimm ...

Manarola, third of the Five Lands Another Friday is here, and I'm ready! Today's Florence Friday is a follow-up on the Amalfi Coast.  We're going to learn a little more about it's cousin to the north, Cinque Terre. Also, I have an embarrassing admission to make. The first picture in my Amalfi Coast Blog , is actually a picture of Manarola. >.< See how confusing this is??? Cinque Terre is probably the coastline I laid eyes on first in my google searches, as it is much closer to Florence than the Amalfi Coast is. This map is particularly helpful to me...what with my need to learn basic Italian geography before I head over there. >.< **also, Milan isn't on there, but from my hotdog pizza post, I know it's more north than Venice is! =) Like the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Cinque Terre National Park), and it literally means "The Five Lands".  These five lands are the five villages along the co...

Boy, I think I need to come up with a new schedule. I got a new job last week! I'm coaching my old high school volleyball team.  =D  Yeah, I play volleyball...apparently well enough to coach too, since my girls haven't lost yet with me as a coach (Shhh, that's only two games, but hey, it's something!) The reason I think I need to come up with a new blogging schedule is because we have games on Tuesdays and Thursdays--so I don't get home until 9:30 or 10 some nights. Those nights make for rambly, rushed, half-assed blogs, or me not wanting to roll out of bed the next morning because I didn't get to do yoga or get enough sleep. Like tonight. Here is tonight's TEDtalk.  It's given by a woman named Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist. Since I'm currently looking for another job to supplement my meager school district income, I thought her talk was particularly relevant to the interviews I'm bound to have in the future. She claims that she can ma...