hello all. i am sick once again in venice, but i would rather be sick here than anywhere else, hee hee.

i have officially been here for a month and feel settled, almost. i know certain neighborhoods like the back of my hand (NOT all, but some). i know to no longer feel complimented when someone says 'ciao bella!' because everyone says that to everyone. i know not to pay more than one euro for one gelato scoop. i know not to buy one of those dancing minnie mouses because it's a scam! these are the basics, really.

i wish boyfriend could get on a plane and come here and then i wouldn't go back home, i swear. speaking of which, our one year anniversary is next week. didn't that go fast??? and we get to spend it apart, how romantic.

i'm back. you know i couldn't stay away from you for long.

it's true, i don't really have time or energy to be back, but i really miss this blog. the other one is just about my sightseeing, and i constantly have to censor myself because relatives and professors of mine are reading it. plus, i specify where i work in the other one, so there can't be any work complaints. it sucks man.

so i guess i will have to force myself to blog at home and pay for precious time at the internet cafe so i can upload from my flash drive, because i love you all that much.

i should probably say something other than "i'm back" to make this entry worth reading. venice is awesome. i think it would be a really cool place to live; not necessarily forever but while one is in their 20s and unattached or something. so those of you who are drifting in life... come out. it rocks here. it's just kind of expensive with this friggin euro but whatever. i think the gelato alone makes it worth it. seriously folks. i don't think i will be able to eat ice cream at home ever again.

come to think of it, i won't be able to eat anything at home ever again. except for chinese food. madonna, i miss good chinese food. it's fucking horrible here, but i have to eat the tofu because there are like no soy products whatsoever and i feel like fainting quite often. i'm living on eggplant, actually. they put it in everything and it's one of my favorite foods, so i am enjoying that immensely.

what else? my apartment is cool, we have a garden but i don't use it except for hanging laundry while i play venetian house. fellow, who works and lives with me, is leaving at the end of june, so another person i work with is going to move in. i'm really glad, i pay a good price and love this place, who the hell wants to find another one?

i always thought i cursed a lot until i met one of my bosses, who is from ireland. he cracks me up, i swear. everything is 'fuck' this and 'fuck' that, and with his accent, it's not vulgar, it's culturally endearing. the other day he asked me to find a broom and sweep - because i'm an intern and that's what we do - and while i was looking for it, i smelled pasta with pesto coming from the student room. so i drifted in there and had something to eat and came back out to where he was. "this might be a good time to tell you that i am terrible at finding things," i said. he said, "you can't find it? hmm. where could it be? oh, hey, did you get something to eat?" i grinned. "yes. i found that." he laughed and said, "i'll fucking bet you did."

maybe you had to be there.

i like this pic of fellow and i, it was taken last night, i was drinking a 'venice,' how original: