Central Europe and turning 21 in Milan

The past couple of weeks have felt like a whirlwind. I haven't had much "downtime", but somehow my higher level of activity has not consisted of an extreme amount of studying for midterms like many of my peers on campus in Philly. Instead my "learning" has come from exploring European cities and frequent discourse with my Italian hall-mates about the Italian lifestyle and learning new recipes.

The first weekend of October, I stayed in Milan for the first weekend of the semester. I went to one of the most famous markets in Milan, hosted every Saturday. Although most European markets consist of regional food, drink , and spice specialties, Milan's consists of clothes, shoes, and accessories! (There were a few produce and meat booths set up off to the side that I enjoyed, too.) This focus reminds its visitors and residents that Milan really is one of the fashion capitals of the world. Men and women of all ages, shapes, and financial standing arrive for the cheaper knockoffs and discounted labels, although I don't know how they sell Lacoste sweaters for about 45 euro. Shoes run from 5-65 euro. Cheap perfumes are available too. As a side note for those of you planning to visit Western Europe, I encourage you to stop at your local Abercrombie & Fitch to pick up a few items to wear here if you really want to fit in with the fashionable. A&F is hard to find in Italy and is a way of bragging that you have been to the United States; it took a while to get used to seeing 30-year-old men in tight-fitting A&F shirts.

I spent the evening with my Italian friends, one of whom made his favorite Spaghetti alla Carbonnara and then we walked to a local gelateria that fills your cone with liquid white, milk, or dark chocolate 1/2 way before loading it with gelato- genius!

The following weekend I went to Prague and stayed with fellow Penn students who are studying there. The city is stunning. It's culture is contagious and the presence of old buildings, cathedrals, a castle, and Jewish Quarter has afforded this city to stay true to its roots, more-so than Milan. I was surprised by how safe the city was at night, even on some more dimly lit streets (although I do not encourage you to walk in a small group at 3am in a foreign city!) There were many tourists, but the locals often were not perturbed by this. Like many countries, a simple "hello" in the native language is always welcomed. Then you can switch to English. There also is a strong youth nightlife, which contrasted the historical sites I visited by day. Prague was the first time I wore my winter coat this semester and I can't imagine being there in December. The residents prepare themselves for this through their delicious cuisine, which focuses on roasted ham/pork, kielbasa, potatoes, cheeses, and heavy stews. They also have strong influences of foreign cuisine such as Italian, Indian, Middle-Eastern, and some Chinese. I was surprised how popular these restaurants were, and how good they smelled.

When I returned to Milan, I celebrated my 21st birthday in the middle of the week with my Italian hall-mates. This experience was quite enjoyable and probably the biggest difference of being in the US and being in Italy this semester. I know my celebration at Penn would have been much different, but here, the Italian students don't get as carried away as American students. They find our college party-style rambunctious and nonsensical. I settled for a night of homemade pesto sauce with gnocchi and caprese salad. They did "toast" me after dinner with some champagne and a chorus of "Tanti Aguri" (the Happy Birthday song in Italian). We celebrated like a big family, very appropriate for my semester abroad in Italy.

I left the next night for Budapest, Hungary by bus. I was joined by 50 other exchange students from Bocconi University. The trip was organized by 3 Hungarian students who attended Bocconi's exchange program last fall. They have now graduated and 1 works in Milan while the other two have found jobs in Budapest. The group was given a more "local's" perspective while still seeing the major tourist spots. The highlights included a river boat dinner tour at sunset down the Danube River, a 3-course Hungarian buffet dinner with Hungarian Folk Dancers and lessons, and spending an afternoon in the famous Budapest thermal baths. The more famous buildings: the Castle, Parliament Building, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Hero's Square, and St. Matthias Church reminded visitors that the city has experienced quite an impressive and perhaps glamorous history at times. My impression though was that the city and country is still recovering from a harsh and long period of communist rule. They did not seem to benefit from many of the luxuries that so many western countries take for granted. However, I am hopeful that they are determined to improve their quality of life and the next 10 years will bring about as much change as the last 10 have (as long as they keep their entertaining Folk Dancing!).

There are no classes the next 2 weeks at Bocconi due to the midterm exam period. However, none of my classes offer me the opportunity to take a midterm. I am pleased to have this time off but my grades are essentially 100% based on the final exam, which is going to make for a stressful December. I hope to learn more about the Italian culture here in Milan and visit other "local" cities in the coming weeks! I'll do my best to keep you informed with my unique experiences. Thanks for reading. Ciao, bella!