Mimi and No-No's

I may have mentioned that most of the faculty will meet in the square to discuss the day. I woke early and went for a walk. I brought my iPod and have decided that AC/DC's Back in Black is perfect for walking the steep hills and angled streets. Dodging cars is easier as they yell in your ears. At the end I decided coffee would be good. Now, my Italian has been a slow process, but I know how to order my coffee. After all I have my priorities. The place I like the best is a small Cafe' in the square. The real name escapes me - but the faculty call it simply "Mimi's". I walked in and proudly state Cafe Machiotto...which basically means a shot of espresso with cream. Starbucks could never match its taste. Now something you should know. If you walk into an Italian Cafe' and confidently speak the order clearly and accurately it is like a flag waving with the words "I speak fluent Italian"....oops. Mimi started talking to me - very nicely I replied "sorry - I don't speak Italian". Now I am her project. Mimi has decided I will learn basic Italian before I leave. The only problem is she speaks really fast. She has managed to teach me that if you order at the counter, you drink at the counter (now I know why that guy in the train station was yelling at me for sitting down after I ordered - stupid American), you don't need to tip in Italy (it's included in the price) and that the proper way to say thank you is Gracia not Gracie as I had been saying. I may get this yet. I like Mimi - she is my kind - relentlessness, confident in my ability to learn and really caring.

After classes the faculty met at Mimi's again to have some wine. I ordered - dose bianche and dose vina rosa (White and Red Wine - 2 of each). Mimi brought out the wine and a tray lined with breads, peanuts and chips. Have I mentioned that I really like Mimi? After a while we were joined by some uninvited guests. No-no's. Italy's version of mosquito's. I knew it was too good to be true. I don't get mosquitoes bites-at least not the hive part-and I am hoping my low blood sugar will keep them away. A few of the girls have not been as fortunate and now have nice swelled appendages...I mean it - our bites are nothing to these. I am guessing that this is why the locals don't sit out too much in the evening. They head indoors to the bars and disco's (yes, you read that right - disco's) or perhaps it is the good music. In any case I didn't hear any AC/DC.

Our phones finally work so I called my house tonight. It was good to hear Jim and Andy's voices. Tomorrow I am going to try and use the Skype phone in the lab to see if I can catch Jimmy. It is .09 euro a minute - I think I can afford that...