Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Juergues

Mon, March 28 - This is the start of me slacking off with the blog... :P Now I have a whole 5 days to catch up on! Let's start with Thursday:

When Spaniards go partying it's called going "de juerga". Thursday, "Jueves", becomes "Juergues". Very similar deal as with college ppl in the USA. Partying really starts before the weekend, Fridays are very unproductive and mostly short days.

So, of course, we had to go out. We decided to make a girls night out, and since we had so much fun at the goth place on sat, we looked into more places for a Thursday night. Whomever advised us either didn't factor in the crappy weather and end-of-the-month low economy, or they didn't know that the place they recommended sucks on a Thu night. It's called Phobia, right in the gay district of Chuecas. We left the house early, which was our first mistake, as nothing is really happening before midnight, even on Thu. We found the place the first time around 11pm. *no one* was inside! We made a hasty retreat and started walking around. The night was basically spent trying places out and seeing cool ppl. One of the places we ended up spending most of the time had a thing where when you walked in you could ask for a sticker with a number on, and on the bar there were pens and message pads. Ppl could then write others msgs, addressing them to a number. The bartender would call for each number as it was deposited at the bar. The only prob was that I felt sooo out of place, all gothed out, with black eye make-up, among a bunch of gay, happy ppl... lol. Angela took a liking to the place, so we didn't leave until they closed, at 2am. We tried out Phobia again, but all I got out of it was play some foozball with the bartender! (yeah, not much of a clientele again...). The last of the night was spent dancing at another place, delirium, which some ppl showed us. Very happening, almost too much! When we got tired of being squished we made our way back home, by cab.

Friday was another late start day, of course. At least for me ;) Angela bravely got up and went to work as usual. After she got out we did a food shopping run. We actually found a "real" supermarket :) Later that night I went out north and Cris showed me a "real" shopping center. It was almost like a Long Island mall! There was a huge computer store, electronics, home depot, supermarket... unfortunately we got there a bit late so we didn't see much. we did, however, have a chance to pick up a second playstation controller... :D i tried to kick his ass at tekken 4, but he ended up taking it seriously and winning :P

Saturday we did a (late) day trip. Further north to the mountains, the Sierra de Guadarrama. There is still snow there! There were kids with sleds and even snowboards hanging out and playing. A bit further north we reached Segovia, a very quaint touristy town, with an old roman aqueduct, the palace (castle?) of Alcazar, and old narrow roads. The only problem was that I forgot my camera...!!! It was an impromptu deal, we just started driving and didn't think we were gonna go that far... story of my life ;)

We got back on time to go out again... of course :) We got all dressed up (group shot and goth girls) and by 1am we were on the metro to Gran Via. We had been looking forward to checking out the Dark Hole, the main goth club around. This was actually closer to what I knew back in NY. Like the old Batcave, you had random ppl all decked out with leather and corsets and full goth getups. After the fiasco on Thu, I hadn't felt like putting much of an effort myself, so it was a simple make up job and no horns. The music wasn't all that great, and the DJs here also need to learn to switch songs. The place itself was cool, but the whole night was... odd.

Sunday. The whole company, 4 of us, went walking. There are movie theaters that show movies in english, so we went to look for that, much to Ariel's dislike. we tried to convince him that it would help his english... but when we reached the place there was nothing a kid could watch anyways. Here's a fun shot along the way. the one movie Cris and I wanted to catch, Syriana, wasn't for another hour and a half, so we all walked to Plaza Mayor. A street performer was there, and we killed time watching his lousy show. he was either very good at pretending to be bad, or he was just plain lousy. but it was entertainment. By the end of the show it was 15 minutes to the movie, we parted ways so angela and ariel could go find something more suitable, while we went to buy tickets for Syriana. we asked for the 7:15 show. the girl said the next show was at 10:30, not 7:15. we insisted that we wanted tickets for the early show. the girl finally explained that that day they changed the time, it was daylight savings time! So we totally missed out on the movies. we went off walking again. We found a comic book store (closed, unfortunately) and some random food places. Churros are big around here. They have them with different fillings, dipped in chocolate, plain... we gave those a try. While sitting outside of a restaurant, next to plaza mayor, I had one of those moments of realization: I am in Europe, I am hanging out at an outdoors cafe, it's Sunday, and I am free. It felt good. :)

Monday was finally a day of rest. I slept all day while everyone was working, and all we did at night was watch the movie "Delicatessen". But I planned some more sight-seeing, I want to go through the park of el buen retiro, see the Rembrandt show at the National Library, see the Royal Palace... I'm hoping to get motivated tomorrow and Wed for all of this. I also have to get tickets to get to Paris... Cris told me his bday is next week, so i might as well stick around 'til then, for one last party :)

And tomorrow is another day in Madrid.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

vini vidi vici: Prado mission accomplished!

Thu, March 23 - an afternoon of rest in between things. I've been here a week and a day. it feels like a month. Time dilates so curiously.

Tuesday night was a nice dinner time with the whole company. The coolest part was when Angela asked me to pick up Ariel and bring him to her work, so we could go from there to her old place to pick up mail. I think it's the first time I play babysitter and am responsible for a small child, in the open streets. I have been traumatized in the USA that adults have to stay away from children... play parks are off-limits if you don't have your own child, threats of demands and child molestation loom over anyone... I was so afraid to lose him or for something to happen... but all went well, of course :)

Wednesday was when I woke up before noon, was out and about by 1pm, and had lunch with Angie. Met her by her job and we went through one of the typical european fast-food buffet deals. If you've been to Ikea's cafeteria you'll know what i'm talking about. It was past 3:30pm by the time i made it to the Prado, and I had plans at 5:30pm, but I figured it was now or never.

I must say I expected something a little bigger and splendorous than what I saw. And it could easily be renamed the Goya Museum. At least a third of the holdings are by that artist! It's mostly art from the XVII century, a fairly homogeneous collection. The 3 rooms of classical sculptures have only ancient copies of famous original pieces. Pretty sad collection. I see now why the Guernica was moved to the Reina Sofia, and I'm glad for it, personally. But the last things I saw were the highlights of the visit: the Dolphin's Treasure this piece is made entirely of precious stones... not colored pigments!, Bosch (Dali's medieval precursor) & Brueghel, and a temporary exhibit of the legacy of the collector Ramon de Errazu, which had works by Fortuny, Madrazo, and Rico. Very cool stuff. The rest was eh. I realized that after seeing NY's Metropolitan Museum, it's going to be hard to be impressed.

A curious thing was that in every other room there were individuals painting copies of some pieces. Apparently it is very common to ask for permission to come in to work from the original. Random easels with works in progress were everywhere. Some very *really* close to the originals!

By 6:30 everyone was out of work, but Angela and Ariel opted out of the outing to the IMAX Madrid. Cris and I hiked to the place, in the south-east of Madrid, a more desolate and more under-construction part of the city. We got there pretty early, and the only thing around was a Corte Ingles (I finally made it to one, gotroot!), with a cafeteria, so we hung out there for a couple of hours. I discovered Grimbergen beer (a bit dark but with a sweet aftertaste) and that I can't pronounce a lot of particular sounds of different languages, like the spanish "R" or the dutch "G" (makes it quite hard to pronounce the name of the beer to Cris' satisfaction!). The food was pretty terrible... but they had his favorite food...

The show itself was cool, Cris had never been at an IMAX before, and the best part was that each showing consisted of 2 movies, one regular (Ocean Oasis, a Southern California overview of marine life) and one 3D (the enchanted castle, a gothic cgi about a rock star tempted by the devil...) So for the price of one ticket (€10) we got an hour and a half IMAX experience overview!

Today I looked into traveling to Paris, there was a deal on a website for €60 by plane, and it's about €120 by overnight train. I'm debating if it's worth spending the extra money, for the experience... then again, it'd be traveling mostly by night, so I wouldn't see much. *debating*

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

missed the Prado again

Tue, March 21 - We got as far as walking to it, but between getting up late, traveling about, eating, and checking things along the way it was already 5pm by the time we got there. I had to meet up with Angela after work, at 6:30, which left me with only enough time to walk the Paseo del Prado, but not go inside the building itself! I think this is the 3rd time I plan on going, and end up canceling. Tomorrow I have all day to myself, and I am really pushing to wake up early and go!

I organized some pics taken over the weekend. Unfortunately it isn't a great representation of all the things that happened. Maybe I should get a cell asap just so i have a small, portable camera.

Monday was a quiet day, walked all the way from home to Huertas, the gay neighborhood, passing through the infamous Calle de la Montera. Things were quiet on a Monday night, but I observed enough of the russian prostitutes lining the streets to get a feel of the aggressive desperation of the place. Huertas itself is a much more relaxed, fun atmosphere. I have yet to observe the actual nightlife there, but I'm hoping to make it before leaving.

More things to keep in mind when traveling to Spain:

If you drive, be ready for a whole new education on the concept. Street lights are often to be found at the entrance of a block, not just at the end of it. They're kind of optional anyways. If you are a pedestrian, absolutely stick to the red walk light, and do not think that just because the walk light has turned green you can go across. Many cars will still drive through at full speed for several seconds! I thought I was a pro at jaywalking in NYC, and taxi drivers were the worse there. The average driver here is definitely worse than a cab in NYC. Parking is also completely redefined here.

In the USA, pocket change is to be avoided, and is usually stored in a piggy bank at the end of each day. In Spain, we were stuck at the train station on the outskirts of Madrid with a ticket machine that only accepted coins. And not just coins. Exact change. No bills option. No change machine. No ticket window option. A vending machine nearby was no help. Thankfully, we found enough euros scattered amid pounds and other denominations that littered the floor of the car to add up to two tickets!

Things I didn't need to bring with me: so many clothes. I haven't used nearly enough shirts to justify all the bunch I have. 4 pairs of pants are handy, though. I do have easy access to do laundry... Maybe that makes a difference.

Things I am thankful I brought: the clubbing gear. A set of clothes, make-up, and accessories to feel like a local experiencing the nightlife, and not a tourist with sandals and only comfy walk-around gear on.

Things I wish I had brought: a more versatile bag for daily side-trips; a cell phone or at least a watch. Individual city guides rather than this huge Western Europe book (although it does have all the essentials, it has come in very handy! i wish it came in modules, so i could take with me only those pages i needed...)

Things I wish were different: easier shopping. I have no good idea of where to go find a real-sized supermarket, clothes, or other essentials. There are so many tiny places one next to the other, it's too cluttered to make good sense of things. Many stores will be tiny, low-visibility doors down narrow alleys. I have no clue how people find some of these places! The only way this has helped me is by preventing me from buying things, keeping my budget in check!

Random situations: I speak "Spanish" and "English". This allows me to communicate both with my hosts and the locals. Unfortunately, we're talking British English vs. American English, and Spain Spanish vs American Spanish. And the cultural differences also make for new concepts and words I need to learn from scratch. For example, the wide variety of bread makes it so that you can't just ask for a sandwich in a restaurant. You have to figure out if it'll be a "bocadillo", "baguette", "sandwich", "mondato", or "montadillo"... and I'm sure I'm missing some terms (the main diff is size, I think. But also type of bread.) I feel like my knowledge of these languages has suddenly halved. At least Italian there is only one. Well, if you exclude the 20+ different dialects from every region. But they're technically separate languages.

Overall, I am mad lucky to have a fabulous, energetic, vibrating hostess that gives me access to her place at all hours with no complaints, and knows all the right people that know all the nightlife, and a cool, versatile, computer super-user, daring, fellow world-traveler, willing to squeeze his broke bank account and go through sleep deprivation to make time and money to share some randomness with me. And Ariel is the coolest Spanish, cracks, and clap music teacher around. He's an amazing 6-yrs-old! Hurray for a wonderful first week! :D Now I just have to get some more touristy kinda things in, to experience the classic side of this culture. Prado, here I come!

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Parranda!

Friday night through Sunday afternoon have been one blur of night life. I forgot that friday was St. Patty's day (btw, happy bday lila!). We started seeing tons of ppl with green joker hats, and hunted for one. Unfortunately it got lost some time in the last club we were at...

Friday started off at a Korean restaurant. Funny, isn't it? one of my last dinners in NY was at one of those. The first day I walked the neighborhood I ran into it, it's only a block away. So we organized our first outing there. Tons of food and good company. We met up with Cris, Figment's friend from Holland, and the partying started. From there to the irish bars to dance clubs, with random bars along the way.

Downtown Madrid is littered with tons of tiny bars. As you walk the streets there are ppl with flyers that try to get you into their place, luring you with a free first shot. Clubs are free to get in before 2am or so. This weekend was also a big holiday, it's father's day, and Spaniards get Monday off, and in Valencia there is a big festival called "Las Fallas", so Madrid was relatively empty. We toyed with the idea of going there, it'd be like a Mardi Gras kinda deal... but ended up staying local instead.

So, Fri night drinks and dancing. We returned at some point when the sun was coming up. Slept all day, woke up and drove to the outskirts of Madrid, to a wireless broadband internet connection :D and clean clothes for Cris. It has been raining most of the weekend (3 yrs ago when I was around it did the same thing... and Madrid is a dry place!). By midnight we were ready to go out again and find a goth club. We didn't get to the one we were thinking of, but happened to see a goth girl walk by and followed her to another hole in the wall. Kinda empty, but we enjoyed ourselves. It was a very eclectic music selection, and ppl dance different here. Although the DJ kinda sucked, the mixing was very choppy. And it was odd to hear A-ha and then Rammstein...

Now it's Sunday. I'm outside of Madrid again, hanging out, and feeling just like home... with Cris playing video games and me hooked on the computer. And since he doesn't speak Spanish, I've been talking in English all this while! Not quite conducive to absorbing local culture... lol. But I guess less of a culture shock adjustment. Since tomorrow it's still a holiday, I'm going to leave visiting the Prado for Tuesday.

I haven't looked into a way out of Madrid towards Paris yet. On one side, it's hard to visit for such a short period of time. On the other, I saw on the news about more violent protests in Paris... need to find out details and see what I have to avoid and know.

There is a lot more to this weekend, of course, but I'm leaving that for the book ;)

and yey for european bread!

Friday, March 17, 2006

Museo Nacional Reina Sofia - Guernica and other modern art

Thu, March 16 - I think I'm going to stick to the jet lag for a little while. If I am to survive Madrid's night life, I better be able to stay up late! I peeled myself out of bed at 1pm, I think I fell asleep around 4:30am yesterday...

I was out and about by 2:30pm. Looking for a place to make copies of Angela's apt keys, so I don't have to keep taking hers. And I ran into the one thing I really dislike of European's life style: the lack of "jornada continua"... the continuous work day. *Every* store unrelated to food closes between 2 and 5pm! And on Sundays everything is closed. *sigh* On the other hand, Sundays most museums are open to the public for free. But I imagine it'll be a mob house.

I gave up being productive for the start of my day, and headed to my first museum. I am leaving the Prado for Sunday, to go with Angela. I went to the Reina Sofia instead, which currently hosts Picasso's Guernica. I read that it was moved from the Prado against the artist's wishes. My father used to have a small reproduction on ceramic tile in his bedroom. It was one of the paintings he liked the most. I remember he told me he had seen it in the Prado. It's a bit of a personal journey, to follow his steps like this.

The museum is an old building with a modern annex attached to it. Unremarkable if it wasn't for 2 huge transparent elevator shafts up front. Gives a nice view of the plaza. The Guernica is on the second floor, in a room dedicated to Picasso's work. I arrived at the same time as a group of students from France and another from Italy.. of course the viewing area for that one piece was mobbed. So I didn't feel like elbowing people to stare at it. I walked by, peeked through, and moved on. A bit anti-climactic.

I discovered a couple of other modern artists with interesting styles: Pablo Gargallo, Jacques Lipchitz, and Lucio Fontana. And I got to bask in the glow of Dalì's art. I love his style. It has the extreme realism skills I utterly admire, with the fantastic twist of imagination. Definitely one of my favorites.

As I walked through the recent acquisitions, all I could think of was "My art should be in here. I should be a full-fledged artist, produce a consistent body of work, expose it, make it my life. Modern art doesn't require skill. It just requires a personality, a concept behind it. Why am I holding back? Why can't I do this?" In part I hope to answer this question through this trip. Find a focus and an expression. Figure out what I want to say. And find a way to say it.

Here are my first "artsy" pics. The museum said no pics inside... but since I didn't take pics of the art, I figured it'd be ok ;)

And a random pic of the day: a tiny public restroom at the edge of a busy plaza.

PS) These first pictures are dedicated to Pedro, who paid for dinner in exchange for pics of interesting things I found along the way :)

Conclusions of a first day in Madrid

Wed, March 15 - Since I don't have a permanent internet connection, I am doing most of my blogging offline, hoping to connect at some point and upload everything in one shot. I'll add at the beginning the actual time I wrote for any off-line entry.

I spent most of the afternoon recovering from jet lag (i.e. I slept). In the evening I met with Angelitush and her son, and we went to dinner. Funny thing is, this is the same place she took me to eat when I visited 3 years ago! And her plans for this weekend were also very similar to what I remember from my last outing in this city... lol.

Angela's apartment is within walking distance of the Prado Museum and many cool spots. I guess it's the equivalent of living in the Village in NYC. Tiny little place, but very picturesque. I can soon start to visit all the museums and local flavor. Although traveling alone definitely gives things less flavor, I find myself to be less willing to try new things. Ah well.

I finally started to take some pictures.

First impressions: it's a big city, Spain's capital. There is a feeling from the locals that they are not quite part of Europe; they are a southern country, sister in culture to Italy, and with all the quirks that come with it: long days (work hours are easily 9am through 6pm or past that) with late nights (nightlife doesn't *start* until 12am, some clubs won't even open before 2am! Dinner is often around 9pm.) and a general messiness with politics and bureaucracy. Although this seems to be particular to the southern side. A friend of Angela's is from northern Spain, and was exasperated by the driving conditions and the lack of culture in this city. And yet, everything is pretty clean. Narrow streets, lots of traffic, but also lots of gorgeous monuments and buildings. Every corner is fascinating.

I still need to hunt for a wi-fi spot. Paying €1.20 for 40 mins of internet connection in a basement nearby is silly. jiwire.com and wi-fihotspotlist.com had some listings, but actually finding the place is a whole other thing!

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

so far so good...

Hellllooo Madrid!

Smooth flight, they announced risk of bad turbulence twice, but nothing much happened. I managed to sleep at least 4 of the 7 hours, even ate the two meals they served (although my stomach hurts now... travel tip #2: avoid airline food... or bring some pepto along. I wish I had some.)

Arrived safely around 7am local time. Tried calling Angelitush, my friend, turns out I had her old phone numbers! Luckily I had recent directions on how to get to her job, and the bus/metro system of Madrid is all modern. And cheap. €1 per trip, with the option of a 10 trip deal for only €6! So I surprised her by walking into her office. She hadn´t even received my email reminding her I was arriving today. Since she still has a full day ahead of her, I asked for her keys and took aother bus to her apartment. I´m just like a local already ;)

It is now 11am. 4 hours since I landed. No such thing as wi-fi in the airport, now I have to find the local hot spots... there´s gotta be *some*! My trusty little "Western Europe on a Budget" guide suggested a couple of websites to check. Angela sent me to this internet spot (and I saw at least 3 others along the way...!) but I need my ´puter!! And I will start taking pics as soon as I settle a bit.

Well, to all of those looking to hear from me, I´m here safe and sound. Let the adventures begin! \^o^/

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

good byes and heart warmings...

i don't know how i manage to be so lucky as to have so many amazing people think well of me, and go out of their way to be nice to me. Today I inherited a heirloom, I was dedicated a poem, i was driven around in a fruitless shopping spree... and not to forget all of the other wonderful things i've been bestowed upon or experienced. friendship, warm, fuzzy feelings, good wishes...

...I should leave more often ;)

big hug to all of you special people. and all those that have opened and will open their homes to me, just so I can carry through this crazy travel plan of mine... your stability and dedication is making it all happen for me. thank you!!

From JFK's airport

Check in took a whole of 10 minutes, now I have 1.5 hours to kill! Thank goodness there is a nice line of broadband jacks lining the wall near my gate! Even though it says courtesy of British Airlines, and I'm flying Iberia, no one seems to be checking tickets... ;)

And lucky I decided to pack a network cable in my carry-on. I don't see any wi-fi signal around here.

Someone suggested I post travel advice on my blog. (By the way, I am not going to mention anyone's name, especially real names, here unless they put it into a comment themselves first. I was raised into technology adulthood by paranoid geeks... lol) I have been flying at least once a year for the past decade, more often twice a year, so I think I can add a little something of my experience when the occasion rises.

On plane ticket prices: shop around. Try the airlines based in the city you're going to, first. And check their website for promotions. It really doesn't matter which airline. They all have to comply to world standards, they all fly up and come down. The only diff can be service. But when you're locked up in a metal box up in the air, my suggestion is to just sleep it off. So I don't really care for service. I managed to find a deal with Iberia for a round trip at only $419. One-way tickets are always more expensive. Someone said not coming back after buying a round-trip puts a flag on your file... somewhere... Will let you know if that's true next time I have to enter the USA ;) And of course, traveling weekends is always the pricier.

Oh, and since I forgot my headphones and can't listen to my music or watch House' first season without being obnoxious (you guys rock for that last minute present!!), another tip is to always bring a pair with ya. Some airlines will charge for a set, some will hand them out for free, some will have them ready for use at the seat... but I find that having my own is always easiest.

one hour to take-off. I have my Dramamine ready (a must for anyone who ever gets motion sickness), and I am quite sleep-deprived. I'm hoping it'll add up to sleeping it all away!

up, up, and away!!

...and hopefuly down, down, gently and safely :P

Sono all'aeroporto, per fortuna hanno connessione all'internet. Do un paio di consigli su come viaggiare, spendere meno soldi su biglietti, e portarsi dietro le proprie cuffie per evitare altre spese. Io spero di dormire per tutto il viaggio, ho dormito pochissimo in questi ultimi giorni, preparandomi... Spero di decollare ed atterrare gentilmente... parto in solo un'ora!!

The adventure starts tomorrow!!

keep an eye out for the Iberia flight leaving JFK at 5:50pm tomorrow Tuesday. If all goes well, I should be in Madrid by 7am Wed (their time). Around 1am NY time. And I hope I find my friend in madrid. At least I have all day to do it...

*jitters*

...and now to pack!

Parto domani sera per Madrid, se tutto va bene arrivo mercoledi` mattina!

the "why?" (or, work sucks)

Disclaimer: if you are a current employee of the place I just left, take this entry with a grain of salt ;) This is my personal life now, and I have no intention of returning, so, all considered, I'm being very nice. :P

Why did I give up a job that had signed off on the paperwork for a green card? Why did I decide to let the work visa expire and take off, leaving all I've built in the past decade behind?

Well, I've been at the same job for 6.5 years, after 3.5 years of study in the same university. I started off as a newbie at web development, with just a Fine Arts degree, but I was given a chance to develop my skills. I got pretty far for a couple of years, had room to grow, things were looking bright, I learned a lot and felt happy. Then I learned that management makes a big difference (hey, it was my first job, I didn't have a clue yet). Things got an overhaul, I ended up being the only remnant in the department of the original people, and I was on the wrong side of office politics.

I could be very bitter about the past couple of years. All I keep hearing from people is not to burn bridges. But I think all the respect people have for me is from being my honest little self, and I left in part 'cause that was being suppressed. I still can't decide how open to be about the whole thing. I had a lovely, very personal send-off, multiple parties, lotsa well-wishes (and I kept being told not to take things personally at work... pfft) ...so that softened me up a lot. For now I'll leave it at a general discontent with the way things were run. And I know it wasn't just me. The place is run on lack of communication, but every time I opened up to anyone one-on-one, unhappy feelings always came up. Funny thing is, everyone in my chain of command praised *my* management skills with those students under my supervision. I know they are all still going to school to learn to be managers... but why did *I* get to remain at the bottom rung?

Anyhoo, I'm gonna leave it at that. And note I didn't mention where I worked. It's not hard to figure out, but at least I'm *trying* to be a bit subtle.

Keep tuned for random "work sucks" tidbits in between entries. And this is a good spot to introduce my new theme song (thanks Lila!)

Spiego perche` me ne sono andata dal mio lavoro dopo tanti anni, ed avendo l'opportunita` di farmi residenza qua negli stati uniti... basicamente, mi sono stufata delle persone per cui dovevo lavorare. Davvero non valeva la pena rimanere in questa situazione. Poi spiego di piu` quando arrivo ;)

Monday, March 13, 2006

Prologue

For those of you tuning in only now, I have decided to quit my job (separate rant on that one coming up!), leave the USA behind, and travel Europe in search of the next adventure! I will be armed with my (hopefully) trusty powerbook, a good dslr camera, and just enough clothes to pad the equipment. The plan is to visit anyone I know around Europe, keep a blog/diary, take pics, make some money along the way, and maybe come out of the whole experience with a book. Let's see how long my savings last ;)

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Welcome to my blog


I've promised a blog, and here it finally is! I am still tweaking the details, but I wanted to start distributing its address, so I could troubleshoot things before leaving.


You'll see a couple of different subscription options to the right of the screen. For general users, simply add your email to a mailing list and be notified every time I update things. For more advanced users, an RSS feed.


My suggestion is for you to subscribe next week, after I've finished testing and setting up the intros, so you don't get tired of me before I start my adventure! ;)


Thanks to all of those who have supported me through this decision. I don't think I have had any negative input from anyone, just a lot of curiosity as to what and how I'm doing things, and, most importantly, lots of help, on all levels. I'm so lucky to have you all as friends! *group hug*


Nota per gli Italiani: ho deciso di scrivere questo blog in inglese, dato che e` l'ultima lingua con cui ho vissuto, e la maggioranza delle persone che conosco parlano inglese. Cerchero` di fare note in italiano delle cose piu` importanti. Scrivete se proprio no riuscite a capire :) Basicamente, questa e` solo una introduzione. Oltre ai tanti ringrazi per vari aiuti, l'unica cosa che dovete sapere e` che avete l'opzione di abbonarvi via email, per far si` che vi arrivi un messaggio ogni volta che aggiungo qualcosa. A presto!


Nota para los que hablan español: ...ay, si todos ustedes saben mejor ingles que yo! ;)



And now, on to the actual show. Thanks for tuning in!