Daaaze

Also sort of like "days." Because I am so creative it hurts. I am back with something that is definitely worth writing about. It occurred this very day! Alright. So one of the things that I think we're supposed to do here besides take classes is get an internship or volunteer position or something of the like. And of course the amazing Giovanna and Monica help us figure out what we want, search for our perfect match, and arrange the entire thing. I had told Giovanna that I would probably want to work in a museum or gallery, which is what I did this summer in Boston and is literally the only thing I can picture myself doing. She ended up finding an internship that a girl who (funnily enough) lived with our host family last year had. Cataloging old sheet music and books in the Biblioteca Nazionale. Just, you know. She told me she'd tell me when she heard from them. I skipped merrily along my way out of her office and then many weeks passed and nothing had happened. Not that I was PINING for it to begin...but it was slightly weird. And then yesterday I happened to see Monica in passing and she just casually mentioned that I would be meeting with the internship people with Giovanna the next day (today) at 2. Now I couldn't go to my (FREAKIN' FOURTH TRY) University of Florence class, which would have been perfect. Oh well I think I've put up with enough frustration from that silly university so really nothing else can push me over the edge because I am already over the edge. I am rappelling the cliff. Still need to find a permanent class though...hum dee dum. I digress. So today Giovanna popped her head into the classroom and told me to meet in her office at 1:30 so we could go. I found myself with about 10 minutes to get lunch after class and before the meeting, so me and Camilla hastily purchased disgusting salty sandwiches. When I came back Giovanna was talking in her office. I did not want to interrupt. Until 1:45 when finally the professor left her office and I awkwardly entered. Giovanna saw me and she bolted to get her things and we walked slash sprinted to the library. We got lost so she stopped to ask at a hotel. We had walked RIGHT past it. It was kind of hard to miss. haha I'm glad to know someone else has just as poor a sense of direction as I do. We entered with about 2 seconds to spare. Giovanna chatted with the friendly security dude at the desk. I think he thought I was her daughter or something? Because we both have red hair? Maybe? Because Giovanna said "non, non e la mia!" (no she's not mine) and laughed. Then the woman who I guess will be my boss appeared. She was very small with a cartoon-ish voice and big red glasses and was very nice. She seemed to be kind of gushing over me. She said I looked like a "true Bostonian"....I don't really know what that means but let me tell you I have never felt so cool to be from Boston in my LIFE. You tell Italians you're from Boston and they think of a magical far off land home to the Red Sox and Celtics (er at least this guy at a discoteca on Friday seemed to have this impression...) Then the woman brought us to the music room, which was very small and library-y, with about 3 people studying. She introduced me to a man whose name I do not remember but it's ok. He thought my name was "Elisa" and Giovanna clarified ("Ah-lee-zone"). Throughout the whole encounter Giovanna kept nudging me forward, physically encouraging me to get closer and see everything first. Then the woman (oops I forget her name too) took out some keys and showed us to the room where my OWN SPECIAL PROJECT is located. The room is named after Luigi Dallapiccola, a composer. It was small and we were all quite close together. She told me the history of it but I promptly forgot. Still I could not help but smile when she revealed a PIANO! That was hidden under a tarp. That (I think?) Luigi Dallapiccola himself played. The piano had the date "1900" carved in gold. She let me play a note. The sound quality wasn't great (when oh when will I find a nice piano) but the piano itself was obviously incredibly special. She said I could play it. When she left the room Giovanna said that I had to christen the room and play something, make sure it was in tune. So I played the notes of a chord. When the woman came back in she said "not today" and it was slightly embarrassing but whatever. haha. So all these scores haven't been cataloged and this is what she wants me to begin. Kind of like a once in a lifetime opportunity I would say. Then she gave us a tour of the library. At one point she opened a door and we were outside overlooking a square courtyard with arches designed by Michelotto (I think?) and it was so typically Italian and Renaissance-y and stunning. Giovanna decided to take pictures of me, one with the woman [oh by the way she also randomly took one of me signing papers...]. She said she knew we didn't like it when she took our pictures but in 10 years we would think they were precious. When we left and had hardly taken 3 steps out the door Giovanna grabbed my arm and said in English "isn't this fantastic??" Proof that 1) For people who know English and another language, English is the language that allows you to express yourself so much more easily and precisely. I often think of this when I am frustrated with Italian. 2) Giovanna is one of the most amazingly supportive and amazingly amazing people I have ever met, and 3) I am going to be working to catalogue never-before-catalogued old sheet music and books in the Biblioteca Nazionale di Firenze. How is my life real.