Preview: Summer 2012

I thought I’d take the opportunity to go into a little detail about the summer trip. I’ve been finalizing some of the stuff we decided to book in advance.  About 32 days until Clint arrives in Europe! (I'm not counting or anything) I cannot wait for him to get off that plane in Granada! I can’t wait to see a familiar face! And I also can’t wait to get this summer trip started that we’ve been waiting a very long time for! J I don’t recall how deep I’ve went into our travel plans and I hope this isn’t repetitive, but I thought I’d just share a bit about our plans. In all honesty, we’re doing our best not to make plans. We kind of want to just go with the flow and let the trip happen to us. We’ve done a little research and know general places we want to visit while we are in each country, but we’re mainly just doing our best to have an open mind to the whole adventure. Neither one of us want to have a “be here at this time, be there at that time” kind of summer schedule. We want to be relaxed and go with the flow. Our schedule of countries is set, however, as we had to book flights from place to place. We considered getting a EuroRail ticket as our way of traveling and take trains everywhere, but the price for all of our flights combined was less than what the EuroRail ticket would have been. Not to mention, the amount of time we’ll save by flying from place to place rather than taking a much lengthier journey via train. It freed up so many days for us to do other things, so the benefits were quite numerous. Anyway, we will begin our journey with a brief stay in Malaga on the southern coast of Spain. We decided to go to Ronda while in the area so we can focus on other regions of Spain when we return in July. We depart from Malaga and head to Ireland. We fly into Cork in southern Ireland. We have a week in Ireland and must make our way up to Dublin as our flight to Greece departs from there. Greece is the next country on our list and we’ve allowed a little less than two weeks to spend in Greece. From Athens to the islands to Mt. Olympus in the north, we’ve got plenty of time to take in Greece. From there, we head to The Netherlands. Amsterdam, to be exact. We’ll be spending a little under a week in Amsterdam. Here, we have tickets to see Pearl Jam, one of the few things we have booked solidly on our trip. After Amsterdam, we fly to Italy. We’ll specifically be staying in the Rome area for a little under a week. Clint’s birthday will be spent in Rome as well as the 4^th of July. J If Rome is anything like Venice in beauty, I cannot wait to see it! After Rome, we head back to Spain for the final two weeks of our journey. We’ll begin in the northern region with San Fermin. Translation: The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. That is also one of the few things we have booked solidly on our trip. We are actually camping near the beach in San Sebastian and catching a bus to Pamplona early, early in the morning. J Clint is planning to participate in the running while I plan on manning a video camera and a cerveza. We’ll have a little less than two weeks to then make our journey around Spain before ending up in Granada to catch our flight back to the states. Like I said, we don’t have anything really planned out outside of the flight plans. That’s not really normal for me, haha, as I tend to like all things planned out, but this laid back Spanish lifestyle is rubbing off on me and I am quite alright with that. J

Rest assured, you’ll hear plenty about our travels. Many places will come equipped with Wi-fi, so I will do my best to keep you up to date. We’ve got a really great opportunity in front of us and we plan on taking FULL advantage of it. J

If any of you have suggestions on places to visit or ideas of things to do, we are always open to new ideas!  Please feel free to comment here or send me an e-mail!  I would love to hear personal experiences or suggestions, for sure. 

Besos! 

My life. Your entertainment.

I’ve been trying to think of some material to include in my blog and I thought I’d write a little bit about the funnier side of things and maybe a few interesting anecdotes. J I don’t think I’ve included the stories and, at the moment, I just don’t have the patience to look through all of my past entries to verify, so I apologize if there’s any repetition. J  
Interesting #1: You know how I like to take pictures? Well, the photo catchphrase in the states is, what? “CHEESE!” Right? I have learned that is not the case here in Spain. The catchphrase here is, “PATATAS!” (translation: potatoes)

Interesting #2: Up is down and down is up. Light switches, that is. J They are backwards here. (Well, backwards by my terms, haha)

Interesting #3: There are no handles on toilets. They are ‘buttons’ on the top of the back of the toilet that you push to flush. Or, in some cases, there’s a knob that you pull. And in other cases, there are chains that you pull that are on the wall above the toilet. Interesting? I thought so, haha.

Interesting #4: The student’s translation of what we are trained to say as, “May I go to the restroom” is “Can I go to the toilet, please?” It may only be me that finds this difference interesting, but I find it funny that they term it so bluntly, I guess. “Can I go to the toilet?” Just me? HaHa! Sorry! When they ask us, in Spanish, to go to the bathroom, they say, “Puedo hacer peepee” which translates into, “Can I make (or do) pee pee?” Instead of just generally asking to go to the bathroom, they ask if they can do… whatever it is they have to do, haha. Pee or, in many of the younger kids cases, they ask, “Puedo hacer caca?” I think the translation is pretty easy there. J

Funny #1: Kids will be kids, right? Well, my 4 year old class provides me with plenty of entertainment. We regularly use a second room with a computer, projector, and interactive screen to help teach materials in a fun way. Anyway, the other teacher took the class down to that room and I stayed back with the stragglers to make sure everyone got there. I was out in the hall and went into the classroom to double check that it was empty and there was one student left in there. This one little boy had his pants (skivvies) around his ankle and was using a wetwipe to wipe his bottom. I think I stood there frozen for a moment. When he was done wiping himself, he put the used wetwipe on the table and went to pulling up his pants. I refused to touch the wipe (obviously, haha) and just kind of suggested he throw it away and for us to get on our way to join the rest of the class. HaHa… awkward. Only for me, I’m sure. I doubt he thought anything of it. J

Funny #2: Same class of 4 year olds. We split the class up and I took a group down to the second room with the interactive screen. It’s stressful enough to try to maintain 15 four year old kids by myself. It’s impossible to keep eyes on all of them at the same time. I have two or three of them running around the entire room, rolling on the floor wrestling, or trying to crawl under the chairs, tables, and benches. Then, I caught a mini love triangle. One little boy (future player in the making) was sitting between two little girls and holding both of their hands. No big deal, kids are cute. I had to then tend to a couple other kids who were playing with the markers they use to write on the board and you know, just generally playing with everything they could get their hands on. I turned around to the love triangle and see one of the little girls cupping this boys face and she’s kissing him. I mean, it looks like a full on movie makeout scene. They pull away from each other and this little boy takes the back of his arm and wipes his mouth/face off, clearly cleaning up the sloppy kiss, haha. Then, the girl on the OTHER side of him grabbed his face and kissed him. A quick one, though. I tried to stop them and get them split up, but by that point, a few other kids required my attention who were messing with some of the computers in the room. Seriously, an hour of running around trying to maintain these children really wears you down. I’m typically ready for a beer directly after. But, I can’t cause I’ve got another class to go to. A much less dramatic class, though! J

Funny #3: Translation is a funny thing. When trying to translate, a problem I have is making a literal translation. It doesn’t always work. It works both ways, though. When people try to speak English or when I try to speak Spanish. I’ll just highlight a few of my top stories. J First, when I recently got my hair chopped off, I went to school the following day. The teacher I am with, Encarna, made the comment, “You don’t look strange.” HaHa! I started laughing and was like, “Thanks? I think?” To which she started laughing and said that short hair looks good on me and that I looked pretty, haha. J Second, we were at Pub Guli one evening a couple months ago to which I was telling a few friends that I thought the bartender was hot. I said it in Spanish, but I said it literally using ‘caliente’ as ‘hot.’ They all started laughing and I didn’t know why. They quickly explained that ‘caliente’ in that way meant something beyond ‘good looking’ and bordered onto a bit, well, racy. Get the picture? HaHa! I quickly corrected myself and said that that was not the case, but that I thought he was good looking. Thirdly, and most funny, happened while I was in Madrid. Annie & I were walking with Albert & Luna through Plaza Mayor and Luna, unfortunately, stepped in some doggy do-do. We made it to the yogurt shop where we were going to get a snack and she braced herself against the building to see if she’d gotten it all cleaned off and said to us, “Look at my poop!” Annie and I burst into laughter immediately. Once we were able to stop long enough, we explained to her that it was not HER poop, haha. It was a good laugh, that’s for sure. It might be one of those, “You had to be there moments,” but I’m trying to make you feel as if you are here, haha… so that’s the best I can do. J

Checkin' In... rAnDoM nOtEs

Greetings!!

I hope this finds you & your family well! I gotta say, this week, for no particular reason, I missed my family a little bit more than normal. I can’t wait to see everyone this summer and give out hugs and play a little bit with Lynnon. J Not too much longer until I see everyone again!

Speaking of my family, I sent some Italian care packages home this week. I sent two packages. One for my family in Barber County & one for Clint Massey. I think that I am, single handedly, helping the post office here figure out how to ship internationally. I wanted two packages of medium size to ship home. They have a display case in the post office with faded boxes that shows the sizes and option you can get. Apparently, those are the only boxes they have available. ONE… of each size. Clearly no one ships much from the village. I now know why. I had no option but to buy one medium and one large box. I got Clint’s package packed up nicely in the medium box. Then, I went to pack up the box for my family. This massive box for 5 or 6 small items. I had to stuff it full of newspaper just to get it filled. When they receive it, there’s going to be more newspaper than souvenirs, haha! I got up extra early on Wednesday to go to the post office to get it all packaged and mailed before work. I stood in there for 45 minutes while they tried to figure out how to plug it into the computer properly with the customs form and all that. After 45 minutes, I had 5 minutes to make it to work, so I asked him if I could come back after work and pay. When I returned a few hours later, he had already sent them off and only had my receipt and bill waiting for me. 64.50 euros!!!!!! I was prepared for it to be at least 40, but was FlOoReD to see 65! I had to pay for the volume of the boxes in addition to the weight and for the actual box. And since they are poorly stocked and I had to buy the bigger box for the other package, that increased my expense. And it’s full of newspaper!! I paid it, obviously. The boxes were already gone, so I didn’t have much of an option. It’s not like I send stuff home often, but knowing how pricey it is will definitely make it less often for me in my second year. Whew! Expensive!! It better all get there in good time and good shape!

It’s been a rainy and cold couple of weeks. Last weekend, it even snowed for awhile! I couldn’t see the mountains outside my window, it was so thick. So, the crappy weather doesn’t make my place any better… it’s still freezing! I can still, on occasion, see my breath. Man, it’s cold. It’s actually nicer/warmer outside than in my place, haha. It’s making me one tough Cookie. J The rain is nice, but it doesn’t smell like the rain on the ranch. You know, that smell of rain the wind blows in before the storm arrives? Man, it’s one of my favorite smells! With the rain here, there is no thunder or lightning. I miss a good thunderstorm. I miss the sound and smell of a nice thunderstorm (I can always do without the lightning, although a good lightning show is pretty when it‘s not damaging things or starting fires). I’m told that the summer brings some thunderstorms, but unfortunately, I won’t be in the village to witness it. Hopefully, I get to catch one somewhere along the way this summer.

I chopped my hair off last week. I mean, it’s short. SO short! I’m still trying to get used to it. I wish it was a little longer, but it’ll grow back. Eventually. HaHa… I love getting new colors, but I always have a phase of fear that I go through after I get a drastic cut to my hair. I’ll grow out of it and I’m sure by next week, I will be used to it and loving it. J Hope so anyway! J

My friend Stef is getting married next month and her 'hen-do' (what we call a bachelorette party) was last weekend.  Apparently, it is an all day, all weekend celebration.  That was more the male side of things, I suppose, as the party was combined with the bride and groom to be.  I joined Saturday afternoon for awhile.  I ended up getting sick (not from too much booze, I would like to add) and went home quite early.  Can't party like I used to!  (And I am JUST FINE with that!)

Stef (far left), Sabrina (Stef's sister), and I

I have begun my search for a new place to live next year and I believe that I have found it!  It has central heating!  YEAH!  :)  It is a much smaller place and very cozy.  The people that own it are the parents of Gregorio (a friend I met here in the beginning) and seem to be very kind.  I will keep you up to speed on that as time progresses.  :)

For now, I am going to close.  I hope this finds you all well!  Love to all!



Big Decisions

Buena!

I hope that you have had a chance to get caught up on my entries from Italy. As I continue to say, I realize they are a bit lengthy, but I don’t want to leave anything out. The blog is as much a journal for me to keep for the rest of my life as it is for you to keep up to speed on the happenings of Ashley Jo. J

Well, I officially got the offer for a second year to teach in Spain. They gave me seven days to make my decision (2 more days than last year!). I have decided to accept it. There is always a way to change my mind if something comes up that doesn’t allow me to do it, but for now, it is accepted. I will be returning to Spain in September to begin another year.

I look at my decision in a few different ways. One, I don’t feel like I have gotten out of the immersion what I wanted and expected to get out of it yet. I do not have the kind of grasp on the language that I had hoped to have at this point. I am better at it, don’t get me wrong, but I am also far from being fluent and far from being comfortable. I can understand so much more than I am able to speak. I just need to gain confidence when it comes to speaking and not be scared to make mistakes. It terrifies and embarrasses me to make mistakes! That’s always been a downfall of mine. I just need to get over it and be willing to make errors on this quest of mine. I don’t feel like my environment, at times, allows me to have the freedom to make mistakes without judgment, but I need to just get over that and make my environment cater to me and not the other way around. While I should begin that now, a second year will help me create this new environment I envision.

Two, I don’t feel like I have made a solid contribution to the school. I have done all that has been asked of me and, on occasion, gone above what has been asked. However, I don’t feel like I have really had the type of influence I would have liked. Now that I have almost a full year under my belt, I will be able to make some preparations for a better and more successful second year. I know what is expected and I can pick up a few key things in the states while I am home over the summer to help me. I am actually excited about that. I want to find more effective ways to teach these kids. So, I want to take a second year to make a better contribution.

And three, I feel like I am where I am supposed to be and that I am not quite done yet. I really like the turn my life has taken. It has been a surprise, but I have realized I am much more capable and strong than I ever imagined. I have settled into this life fairly comfortably and I am just happy. I don’t want to change that right now. Sure, it’s tough to be away from my family and friends, but with the help of Skype and such, it hasn’t been as tough as I imagined it would be. Time has really flown by and I think a second year would fly by, too. Then I could look at ‘growing up’ and finding a permanent job somewhere in the good ‘ol US of A.

What do you know? A short entry! Can you believe it? Me either, haha, but it’s for real! J I just wanted to let you know my status on a second year. You’re going to have to read my books via the world wide web for just a little bit longer. I hope that’s okay. J I look forward to continuing my European adventure and taking you all along with me. J I hope this finds you all doing well!!

Besos!

Venetian Dreams

Are you ready for the next chapter of my book? J I hope so! It’s a good chapter! J Remember, I am writing in present tense, but you’ll be reading it a week later. J

I took the train from Bologna to Venice. It was only about an hour & a half. I was a little angry that an attendant never came and looked at my ticket. Not once. So, technically, I could have taken that trip for free. Not that I would ever try something like that, but still… I buy a ticket, I expect it to be checked… anyway… enough of that, haha…

My first view of Venice

As soon as I walked out the front of the train station in Venice, I was in love. It was already everything I was hoping for. I could just see and feel the history. It was very easy to find the water (not bus) stop. In telling people that I was coming to Venice, they all told me that it stunk and to be prepared for the smell. I didn’t smell anything at all. It was wonderful! The boat took us to the Rialto Stop. It was literally 20 feet away from the front door to my hotel. Fantastic! In booking my hotel, I had no idea what location I was getting into, but apparently, I chose correctly. It is right next to the historic and famous Rialto Bridge (Hence the name of my hotel… Hotel Rialto). They had a butler help me to my room in this 550 year old building. My room is tiny. It’s cute. It’s right beside the construction that is currently going on in the hotel. That is quite frustrating. It begins at 7:30 in the morning. Unpleasant. But, the location is unbelievable! It’s perfect. It’s a 10 minute walk to St. Mark’s Square. There are tons and tons of little shops all along the path and up and down the streets. It’s so lively and active! I seriously fell immediately in love with this city. Immediately.

Hotel Rialto from the Rialto Bridge

The Basilica in St. Mark's Square

The Rialto Bridge right outside my hotel

The gondoliers are everywhere. They wear the striped shirt and the hat. It’s very typical of what your imagination thinks they should look like. I have heard a couple of them sing as they wander through the Grand Canal outside my hotel. The canals are everywhere throughout the city. The canals and the walkways throughout the city are what they call ‘streets’ in Venice. I didn’t see a single car while I was there. It was nice. J Instead of delivery trucks, it’s delivery boats. Instead of actual buses, it’s water buses. There are so many small canals that lead into the Grand Canal and the sea, etc. It is impossible not to get lost at some point. But around every corner, there is something new. It’s beautiful.

Some gondoliers

Delivery boats on the canal

I wasn’t aware that Venetian glass is among the best in the world. I didn’t realize they were known for it. Nearly every shop was a glass shop or had glass figurines for sale. This stuff was unbelievable to see. It was absolutely gorgeous. The attention to detail was amazing. My personal Venetian souvenir is something I am quite proud of. It was a bit expensive, but the authenticity and value it will have over the years is something I can’t put a price on. I bought a decanter with matching 6 glasses. It’s a beautiful shade of purple that looks blue in some lighting. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo before I had it shipped home to the states. I figured it’d be safer in their hands and with their packaging than risking taking it on too many flights with me. So, I paid a bit extra to have it shipped safely home. I am so excited about my purchase! Anyway, the things they do with glass is beyond words. It’s made on the Venetian island of Murano.  Here's the Wikipedia description of the Murano glass if you want more information.

I did the touristy thing one day. I took a guided walking tour through the city. I wanted to know more about what made this city tick. It was short and sweet, but it was nice. We toured the neighborhood that Marco Polo grew up in. We visited the Basilica in the middle of St. Mark’s Square. This church was unbelievable! The gold plated mosaic ceiling was immaculate. I wasn’t supposed to take pictures, but I snuck a couple. I went to the top of the bell tower and got a great view of the city. It was quite rainy/cloudy for most of my stay, so some of the photos are a bit hazy, but none-the-less amazing. St. Mark’s Square is a pretty amazing site on its own. The two pillars on the waterfront that was once considered the entry to the city, the palace, the cathedral, etc. It was gorgeous. I could have just sat there and stared at it in awe for a very long time, haha. On the same day as my walking tour, I took a gondola ride that afternoon. They say it’s a big tourist trap and that it can get up to 90 euros for an hour ride. I wasn’t willing to spend that much, so I honestly didn’t anticipate getting to ride a gondola. However, there was a little pamphlet at my hotel with tour options. One was a 30-45 minute gondola ride for 29 euros. That, I could swing. It was so peaceful! The canals were so quiet and the water was just so soothing. It was impossible to catch everything that passed by, but I did my best to soak up every detail of the buildings we passed, the water line on the bottom of the homes, the bars on the windows, and all the detailing in the architecture. It was seriously indescribable. I will share pictures, but it’s impossible to get it across to you how amazing I thought this place was. So, I can now check ‘Ride a gondola through the canals of Venice’ off my bucket list.

Look closely... :)  It's a picture of me riding a gondola!  :)

Traveling alone? It has its ups and downs. I like having and making my own schedule. I like eating where I want, when I want. And if I don’t want to do something, I don’t have to. But, it definitely would have been nice to share something like Venice with someone. A big test for me, personally, was eating out by myself. I wasn’t going to let my fear stand in the way of eating some authentic Italian cuisine. It was also inconvenient to be alone when I wanted to take pictures with me in it. I was able to have people take a few shots, but I would have liked to be in more. A few people asked if I was alone and when I replied that I was, it was always, “How do you do it?” J Truthfully, I’m not sure. I knew I was a strong person, but this helped me see how strong of a person I really am. It was a huge test that I feel like I passed with an above average score.

A funny little side story for you: I was walking through the square one afternoon. There are little vendors across the square selling all sorts of touristy things. There are also those people trying to hock the fake handbags and trying to give you ‘the special price.’ As I was walking through the square, one of these people was trying to reel in a lady in her late 50s. At the point that I walked by the scene, the woman was trying to give the bag back to the guy. She didn’t want it. But, he was trying to make the sale and was saying, “25! Special price for you!” You could tell she clearly didn’t have any practice with these types of vendors. She was saying, “No, no, I don’t want it.” He kept pressing her, so she literally, threw the bag onto the ground and said, “No!! Gracias!” And took off running (literally) in the other direction. I just stood there and laughed for a bit watching the scene pan out. HaHa, it still makes me laugh a little bit. Might be one of those “you had to be there” moments, but I thought it was funny. J

The food was unbelievable! I am not typically a fan of tiramisu, but I had to try it since I was in Italy and all. It was delicious. I had plenty of gelato (ice cream) in all types of flavors. The pasta dishes were fantastic! You definitely haven’t had great Italian food until you’ve had it in Italy. Melt in your mouth delicious! To save money, I just scored some meals through vendors and stores along my walks. Many shops sold pizza by the slice through a street window. I also had a pizza wrap that was yummy! And once, I had a pizza dog. I didn’t encounter a single thing that I did not like. J SO GOOD!! It’s probably a good thing that I don’t have all this food at my disposal on a regular basis. I don’t need any help in that department! J

So anyway, I caught a water bus to the airport on Friday afternoon. It was an hour long boat ride that was quite nice. The breeze and the scenery was amazing. It’s so weird to catch a boat to the airport rather than a bus, taxi or train. I love it!

I think it’s pretty obvious that I loved Venice. I absolutely loved it. A small piece of my heart will remain in that city forever and I don’t think that will be the last time I visit. The amount of history that lies in cities such as these is beyond my ability to really grasp. The tour guide said that, back in the day when a prisoner was going to be punished by being decapitated in the middle of the square, they’d walk them in between the two pillars and have them look at the clock clear across the way. It is said that this was because the prisoner was going to know the time that he died. As a little anecdote, she added that some of the elders of Venice will threaten to “show you what time it is” to their kids or grandkids if they misbehave. J I never really had a big interest in history prior to making some of these trips. My dad has always been a big history buff and some of these places would impress him. So, if you see my dad, tell him that he needs to come over and see me so that I can show him some of these places! J Sorry, Dad… can’t blame me for trying. J

So, that’s my story on Venice. It was above and beyond my expectations! I highly recommend visiting if you get the chance. As I write the end of this entry, I am back in Spain. I’m back at work for the next two months. I cannot believe how quickly time has passed that I am only 2 months away from being done. Two months from the arrival of Clint Massey!! I will write more soon, I’m sure. J I hope that this finds you all well. If you have any questions about Venice that I may not have covered in my entry, please feel free to ask! I’ll do my best to answer! J

I also have a ton of other photos, but you'll have to check them out on Facebook.  :)  Too many to upload right now.  :)  Hope you are all well!!

Bologna Details

I don’t have wireless access to update my blog here in Venice, so I am going to write an entry that I can post when I return to Spain. Something to do before I go to bed. J So, I am writing it in present tense, but it won’t be posted until it’s a week old or so. Make sense? Eh, it does to me. J

The statue in the center of Bologna--Neptuno

Ok, so I didn’t like Bologna. The best thing about the city was the game and that was 3 hours out of my 3-4 day trip. To be honest, and I think I’ve said this before; I had no expectations for that city. I was only going for the game and had no prior desire to visit it. My biggest complaint would be how expensive it was to get everywhere because of how spread out it was. For that reason, I didn’t get to experience the city how it was probably meant to be experienced. I could have, I’m sure, but I chose to save my money for Venice & be a little less active in Bologna. So, please, don’t take my entry too literally because it was more my personal decision to be less active while there. Bologna could be the perfect place for you! It just was not for me. My hotel choice was probably an error, as well. The hotel was very nice and the people were very pleasant, the location just sucked. When I chose the hotel that I did, I knew nothing about Bologna (still don’t, really), so I just looked for something close to Futurshow Station (where the game was). It was still a 14 Euro taxi ride to get there and it was really close! I don’t know… maybe they read that I was a foreigner and took advantage of me big time. Who knows? Anyway, the area was safe and quiet, but there wasn’t much for tourists to do in the general area (within walking distance). So, Bologna was a bust in my opinion, minus the basketball game, of course.

I did love the beautiful trees, plants, and colors that were all over Bologna

The first time I got to see Jacob Pullen play basketball in person was in Italy. That sentence right there is very cool to me. Him actually helping me out personally is not how I expected for it to happen, but it makes the adventure that much better. I have to say, the week prior to departure was a bit nerve-racking. I am the type of person that wants events like that to be planned out in advance and I like to have confirmation numbers and receipts to ensure that things will go off without a hitch (as far as the things I can control, of course). When Pullen said he would hook me up with the tickets, I was obviously quite excited, but my mind started running with questions of how to get the ticket, when to get the ticket, would I be able to meet him, am I screwed not speaking any Italian? A million questions! I asked him a few of the questions and researched online for a few of the other questions. Sometimes, he replied. Sometimes, he didn’t. I didn’t hear from him most of the week prior to the game. It was actually the day before the game that I finally heard something. All I could think about was, “What if he doesn’t come through? What if I don’t know how to get the ticket? What if I flew to Italy and it doesn’t work out? If it does work out, I wonder where my seat will be?” I mean, let’s be honest, he doesn’t know me. What if I was some psycho girl? He had no real obligation to help me and I was just going on his word that he would help me out. I was hoping he would come through. And he did. The unfortunate Twitter drama that happened Saturday didn’t allow me to meet him prior to the game. Obviously, and quite rightfully so, he had other things on his mind that were much more important. Although I was bummed, I have to understand that type of situation. I couldn’t imagine being in the national spotlight like that, haha. Wouldn’t want that headache! Anyway, I arrived at the arena. The taxi dropped me off outside a gate where there were a bunch of people standing. I couldn’t see a ticket office, but I stood in line for 20 minutes or so. They hadn’t opened the gate yet and I noticed that when people were walking up to the arena, no one else was getting in line behind me. They all kept walking. So, I walked around a little bit and found a security person that spoke a little English and he directed me to the ticket office on the other side of the arena. Good thing I asked! I headed off in that direction and found the office. It hadn’t opened yet, so I just stood there & waited with others. Once it opened, I walked up to the window and immediately asked if they spoke English. The guy pulled over a different girl. I asked if I was in the right spot for picking up a ticket. Indeed, I was. I gave them my ID and waited, hoping that they’d come back with a ticket and not come back and tell me that they had no idea what I was talking about. After a short wait, they appeared with an envelope that had my name on it and my ticket in it. I could breathe! HaHa! I made my way inside and had to ask a couple times where to go for my section. The girl, who spoke very broken English, directed me to what she thought was my seat. However, she counted from the top down to my row. I didn’t even question it (I thought it was weird that they wouldn’t start from the bottom) and sat down. But, I started to look around and noticed that all other sections began at the bottom (as it should be, haha!). I went and asked her, just to be certain, and she apologized, said I was correct, and I made my way down. I was in the front row!! Way better! J I was hoping that, seeing as it was a player that hooked it up, that the seats would be decent. And it worked out! Score! I had sat there for awhile before they came out to stretch and warm up. First reaction to seeing him in person was a little laugh at his infamous beard. HaHa! J The game itself wasn’t very impressive. I didn’t know what to expect, though, either. Pullen didn’t have a very good game. I think he only had 7 points. That part was kind of disappointing. I was hoping he’d have a standout game and I could see him draining those beautiful threes all night long. No such luck. The game was very sloppy. It seemed, for both teams, that every person played for themselves. They forced so many shots and there were a lot of selfish players. I suppose that’s how it works sometimes, though. It didn’t seem like the ‘team’ concept was really existent. I also paid attention to some of the interactions. I noticed Pullen went to every player (of the opposing team) and shook their hand prior to tip-off. He also was one of the few that handed the ball to the ref rather than just throwing it in the general direction and running off. And at the end of the game, he went and acknowledged the other team’s coach. Classy things like that make me appreciate an athlete more. Angelico Biella (Pullen’s team) lost by 9, I think. It was pretty one-sided for the majority of the game, but they made a big run in the 3^rd. They tied it, I believe, but then Canadian Solar (the opposing team), made the 4^th quarter all about them. The crowd was interesting. There was constantly noise. Behind one goal, there was a massive section dedicated to the home team (similar to a student section--they were quite loud). They all had whistles that they blew constantly when Biella had the ball. The first few times they blew them, I seriously thought it was a ref and that the players were ignoring it, haha! It was quite annoying. J And apparently, there is a traveling group that follows Biella, too, because there was a section that had signs and a bunch of people cheering for Biella. It was like that section was in competition with the home team section throughout the whole game. BUT, when Biella would score, I was thoroughly disappointed in how they didn’t really cheer. Even the people in the Biella section that I was sitting in didn’t really clap. I would clap and I even stood up a couple times, especially when it got close and tied. I just didn’t feel any excitement from the rest of the crowd. Oh well. Maybe it’s a different feeling here, haha. J After the game, I kinda stood up hoping maybe Jake would acknowledge me or something, but he just joined the team in heading to the locker. I didn’t rush out. Some part of me felt like I should stay around and wait to see if he came out. I waited inside for about 25 minutes or so and it was obviously really thinning out in there. I kind of walked around and made it look like I was doing something so no one would kick me out. No one even questioned it, though, when I walked down to the floor. I was getting ready to give up and go get a taxi. I walked through these doors and off to the left I saw a big bus and a bunch of people standing outside it (coaching staff). There was a fence and a gate (that was open) between me & that bus. I also saw two girls standing outside the fence. I just walked up to them and asked them what was going on over there. The one that could speak English said it was the team’s exit. I was like, “Jackpot!” The girls were like, “We can try to go in and maybe they will let us stay. They could tell us to leave, but we could try?” It was like they were wanting me to be the one that went in first, as if I knew what the hell was going on. I literally said, “I feel like I’m standing here trying to be a groupie!” I was saying it as a joke, of course, but the girl replied with, “Well, that’s okay. I am a fun girl. I like to have fun.” Ummmm… I then realized I was standing with groupie hopefuls. I was like, “I just want a picture, that’s all.” Eventually, we mustered up the courage to just walk in the gates. No one even cared. I walked up to one of the staff of the Biella team and asked him if I could take a photo with Pullen before they left. They told me he was still in the locker room and to just wait, but the funny thing is, they didn’t even flinch. I honestly figured me (or us) being that deep into player territory would be highly frowned upon, but no one batted an eyelash. Eventually, Pullen came out the door and I just called his name. I was curious how an introduction would go, too, haha. In the states, it would probably be a handshake. In Spain, it is kisses on each cheek. He walked up and gave me a big hug. We chatted very briefly and grabbed the picture and he had to go. He was the last one in the bus, so they were waiting on him. It was over as quick as it began, but I was satisfied. J He really came through for me and I am super grateful. I am considering coming back to Italy in May to watch another game in Angelico Biella’s hometown. Maybe. He said he’d get me a ticket again if I needed. We’ll see what happens! J So, that’s my BOOK on my day of the Italian professional BB league. J That’s way more than I anticipated writing, I swear! But, I just couldn’t stop & I kept remembering details I wanted to share.

Able to breathe!!!

After the meeting with Pullen, the ‘groupie girls’ and I walked out and I was hoping that there would be a taxi somewhere near… Nope. None. I asked them to call one for me since I didn’t have phone access, so they tried, but never got through. I could see a shopping center across the highway, so I crossed the overpass hoping to find a taxi there or someone who could help me. I wasn’t real positive, though, because I noticed the parking lot was quite empty. I was just keeping my fingers crossed that the center was open and I could ask someone to help me. I was able to get into the mall, but all the stores were closed. I could hear voices, though, so I kept walking until I found them and asked for them to call me a cab. She took my card (the taxi driver had given it to me) and went to make the call. But, during her call, a security guard approached. He wasn’t happy that I was still in the mall. I couldn’t understand a single word that was coming out of his mouth, but I could tell by the tone that he wasn’t happy with my presence. So, he’s trying to ask me questions and get me escorted out while the girl was making the call. It all happened so fast and no one actually told me if she had gotten a cab or not, but he began to escort me out. The girl working at the store told him which entry to take me to and I just followed unsure of what was going on. He led me out the door and then began to gave me directions to where a payphone was. Then, I got even more confused. I thought a taxi was coming for me, not that I would have to call one. I don’t speak Italian. He didn’t speak any English, he just kept saying “telephone” and pointing in a general direction. I am not kidding you that I started freaking out and tears were starting to well up in my eyes. I looked at the payphone, but couldn’t understand a single word on it. I didn’t know how much , what to do… I seriously started freaking out. There were a few people in the parking lot and I just decided to start walking toward them to ask them if they could use their phone to call a taxi for me. The first person didn’t speak English. Then, I ran into a guy that I could tell was a staff member of Canadian Solar (the basketball team) and as I began to speak to him about needing help, I could see a taxi pulling into the lot. I was crossing my fingers, toes, and eyes that the taxi was there for me. It was. So, the girl in the shop did get through to someone. The security guard just didn’t get that memo. I thanked the guy because he was being very nice to me and hopped very quickly into the cab, heart pounding quite hard. That was the worst part of my trip! Worst! I’m just glad that it worked itself out and I made it back to the hotel safely. I never felt like I was in danger, I want to be sure to mention that. Never. I was just very scared that I didn’t know where I was and how to get back to my hotel. It all worked out, though. Phew!

So, Bologna wasn’t my favorite and I probably wouldn’t go back. There isn’t anything else to report about the city. (I am sure you are thinking, “WHEW! She already writes too much!) I apologize for being a bit windy at times, but I don’t want to leave anything out. I suppose you don’t have to read it, haha. As I’ve said before, this is as much as a journal and form of therapy for myself as it is a way for you all to stay up to speed on my life across the Atlantic. Anyway… I’m in Venice now, but I will spread out my entries and you’ll hear about it in the next chapter of my book. J Love to all!!

Pullen

Well, friends and family, here are a few pictures of the game.  I have some more that I'll post to Facebook eventually, but for now, this is what you get.  :)  I'll write more about the general sentiments of the day in another entry.  For now, I just want to focus on showing you a couple of pictures.  

Tip off

This is my favorite action shot that I got

I don't think it's a good photo of myself, but it's the only one I have, so I'll cope. :)

I gotta finish by saying a few words about Pullen.  I think it's a very cool deal that he helped a stranger (and K-State fan) out how he did.  He definitely didn't have to do that & I am very grateful.  I had no prior knowledge of how he was/is as person & I have to say that, in my books, he's a very stand up guy.  I know I met him for only a milli-second, but my impression is that he's a very genuine person and he's very grateful for his fans.  I enjoyed the experience (despite them losing) so much that I am considering coming back in the beginning of May to catch another game in his hometown.  He said he'd help me out with tickets again, so I may just have to come back since we have a few days off at the beginning of May as well.  We'll see how that works out.  Anyway, I am planning on sending him a message to tell him about the pictures if he wants to check out the blog.  Jake, if you are reading this... I know I told you a thousand times, but thank you so much... again. (And if you are reading this, you should comment on the entry so all of my family and friends can be jealous, lol) Ciao!