Room to Think

So...this post is about awesome friends. Mostly because I got the content from this post from an awesome, awesome friend of mine, who also happens to enjoy daydreaming about Italy. Except that he wants to go back to live there...I think I only want an extended stay. He sent me this link the other day. 100 Things to Know if You're Going to Italy click on it. It's gigantic for a reason. You know you want to. I haven't gotten through the whole list yet, but #84 has pretty much established that I'm not going to be marrying an Italian man. I'm also probably not going to get married in Italy. "#84: Purple being the color of Lent, it is considered a color that brings bad luck. Avoid the darker purple hues for evenings at the theatre, and it's definitely a forbidden color at weddings!" Evidently, I need to brush up on my Catholic "What Not To Wear". A few of my awesome friends over here would be stunned  if I didn't have purple ...

Fun Fact: The ancient Greeks used to have spoken word poetry a sport in their Olympic games. As an English major, I never took the chance to really study spoken word poetry...sometimes known as slam poetry, or performance poetry. But even that's not quite right. Spoken word poetry really means that you're breathing life into the words on a page. I always appreciated spoken word--I loved watching poetry slams. But since I never considered myself "good at poetry", I tended to steer away from the classes I had a hunch I wouldn't do well in. That means I missed out on some pretty badass classes. Those poets know how to express themselves. They know how to connect.  They know how to make their listeners feel. "If I should have a daughter, instead of "Mom", she's gonna call me "Point B." Because that way, she knows that no matter what happens, at least she can always find her way to me. And I'm going to paint the solar system on...

I've been busy updating resumes for the last week, trying to find a job that I feel qualified for, here in the states...hopefully this is the job that'll pay for Italy. Hopefully. So far, my efforts have been focused more on the tech businesses (ehem...Microsoft). I still dream of working at Google Seattle...but I combed  through their jobs pages and could not find anything I could even remotely hope of getting an interview for (they need a lot of engineers, and a lot of business people). I think it's just a matter of timing my entry right. Also, I'm not hoping for my dream job now. Just one that I find intellectually challenging (and thus, fun). So as I'm completing my resumes, I begin to wonder 1) What the heck I'm going to write for today's Florence Friday, and 2) what on earth would I put on a resume in Italy? So a quick google search leads me to this page , which I copied and pasted to my Italy tumblr so I could find it again.  Nevermind that ...

It's midnight. Here's the video. It's about the benefits of listening first.   About why the locals might just have a better idea of their situation than you do.  About how respect one way usually comes back.  And about why following passion is the fastest path to growth. Also, this man says "Forget about it!" in exactly the same way that my favorite volleyball coach used to. (That's you, Aio.) I had a lot of mind-wander connections to share with you tonight--about the million other things this talk could apply to-- but I'm wondering if I should just shut up first and ask you what you think? =) Happy TEDtalk Tuesday!

For those of you who are following, I got caught up watching talk after talk tonight and never got around to writing anything. Now it's after midnight, I'm at risk of being sick for the third time in a month and a half, and I'm exhausted. So, I leave you with these fine gems until I can get back to them. Their lessons? Listen to beautiful music, allow yourself to be awe-inspired, and don't be afraid to let your mind wander. You'll be happier** for it.  Enjoy.  =) **update below. 10pm UPDATE: Okay, I really hope you enjoyed the music by the Earth Harp lady (it's so soulful and wonderful, how could you not enjoy it?), because clearly I didn't watch that mind wandering TEDtalk before I posted it. In it, the guy pretty much suggests that letting your mind wander may, in fact, actually be responsible for your unhappiness...and therefore probably does not make you happier. You caught me. I am a slacker. But I will remedy that now. "That guy...

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...