Sitting on a park bench thats older than my country.

So I had my sketchbook class yesterday. It seems super awesome. We will go to various monuments and museums and build up a sketchbook of Florence. Then we will come back to the studio and work from our sketches on bigger paper. Im really excited because I have never worked like that before. These sketches are going to have to be good.  This week we have to draw 5 different simple objects using pencils with different levels of hardness. A very "beginning of the semester" assignment but I'm trying to make it interesting.

Well, actually the Florentine's make it interesting. Last night I was at the Piazza Santa Spirito drawing a fountain (not exactly simple but whatever).  My experience so far with Italian boys has been that if you are alone, they will approach you. So I wasnt too surprised when this guy came up to me and started trying to talk to me in Italian. He got super frustrated that I couldnt understand him, but he proceeded to teach me Italian words. With his few word of English, my very limited italian, and much miming, we ended up talking and joking around for quite a while.  Then two of his friends came over. One of them spoke english a little and proceeded to tell me all about the metabolic process he was studying for his exam in the morning. I nodded and pretended to understand, but honestly I wouldn't have had a clue what he was talking about even if he was speaking fluent english. My roommate says I attract interesting people. I'm ok with it.

One weird thing I noticed is that whenever I go out and sketch, people seem so amazed with my drawings. As if we weren't in a city bursting with greater art than I could ever dream of creating. Seriously people. 

Today I had Italian which i was really looking forward to. Im tired of being the stupid American who can't read or communicate. But instead of teaching us Italian, my teach took us on yet another walking tour of the city center.  It was hot and long and there were too many slow tourists. But, in our syllabus it talked about a conversation exchange with students from the local university who are learning english. So im stoked for that. But I'm starting to think that 3 studio classes plus a 6 credit Italian class may be too much in combination with moving to a foreign country. I dont think I'll really have any time to travel.

I went to the market again today and brought my camera with me:

  They have EVERYTHING at this market. Fruits, vegetables, cheese, pasta, herbs, olive oil, wine, meat (i got lost in the meat section today and kinda freaked out) dried fruit, and even a few places selling sandwiches and pizzas.

I just got fruits and veggies today.

And I'm trying to make a point of getting something I've never tried before everything I go to the market. Today I found this crazy green tomato and super long squash.

These tomatos have to be the reason some people consider tomatos fruits. SO FRIKIN GOOD.