[ London ]
I saw "Lost in Translation" this past weekend in London. I felt a strange connection with the movie because, in Italy, I too have not been able to sleep well. Atleast one night a week, I'll find myself with just 2 or 3 hours of sleep. It's not good when you have to work the next morning.
We also went to watch "Giselle", the ballet currently showing at the National Opera House in London. We got the cheapest seats, 7 pounds, and were literally at the top. It was a lovely production, even though our seats only allowed 70% visibility of the stage. Our view in the Royal Opera House
I've noticed one thing that is wonderfully different from the States. In London, ice cream is sold during intermission at shows (musicals, ballets, operas) and at the movie theatre... and it's the most popular item next to alcohol. For 2 or 3 pounds you can find yourself enjoying a tiny tub of ice cream.
It snowed in London for a day (2 inches!) during the week of January 26th. Unfortnately, I was Rome, so I only heard about it.
[ Italy ]
I fell my Italian slowly getting better. Dinner every night typically consists of one to two hours of pure Italian. Mostly, I just listen to my Milanese coworkers. I'm glad they are very patient with me. I've had a few slip-ups... pronouncing a word incorrectly, and it turning out to be a bad word!
Dinner is usually around 9. Most of the time, we drive into downtown Rome (about 30 minutes) to a restaurant someone likes and eat until 11-ish, sometimes later. Initially, we ate the typical Italian dinner, which consists of atleast 2 dishes, wine, dessert, cafe, and grappa. Now, I only order a main dish (either a pasta or fish) and maybe a vegetable, then skip the rest. We split the bill at the end, and it's typically about 22 euros.
It's 5:31 AM in Rome. I hope to get a little nap in before breakfast.
Ciao tutti!