Sunday, September 14, 2008

Saturday Evening

Today was my good friend Rachel's wedding in New York. I really wanted to go but I took somedays off from school while the Italian was here and really couldn't afford to take anymore time off. I'm kinda bummed though. I would have liked to see her get hitched. I also missed the birth of her son. Rachel, if you are reading this, CONGRATS!! And I wish you all the happiness in the world. You deserve it.

I was invited to a small "end of the summer" get together at a friends house. She lives about a mile away from me, so since it was a beautiful day, I decided to take a nice walk there. She is a relatively new friend, but seems really cool. I met her in my circuit boxing class. I really love this class. The instructor is really cool and we have formed the "Ultimate Girls' Fight Club", seriously! We get together once a month on a Saturday at a cafe', restaurant or weather permitting, a park and just hang out. I'm so happy I get to be a part of this because I have met some really nice girls here in PDX.

After the party, Mia, my instructor, her daughter and I walked to her car and she pointed out a deli to me and said I should try it. It's called Elephant's Delicatessen and it's kosher, not that that matters to me, but it's nice to know. So we parted ways and I walked up to Elephant's. Wow, what a spread. It was a really nice gourmet deli. They even have pizza from a wood burning oven. Most things didn't have prices, which is a bit off-putting for me. Call me a miser but I like to know what I am paying for something. Their pizza had prices and they aren't bad. $9 for a pizza but I will wait for the Italian to come back because he is a pizza connoisseur. They even rent their garden for events. Hmm, this is giving me ideas for certain future events (wink, wink). I'll have to try their food first. I really wasn't hungry when I went there, so I didn't buy anything this visit.

When I got home I intended to watch a movie, but I started reading a new blog (new to me) that I just came across on Friday called "Pensieri dal Mondo" or in English, "Thoughts from the World". It seems she and I have quite a bit in common. However on this night, the more I read, the more I really felt I could relate to her. It's amazing how someone so far away can really be so near. I admire her because some of the things she writes about on her blog are things that I deal with but I keep them inside. She writes that sometimes she feels alone, like no one understands her, but I do. We both have absent Fathers, a love for Sex and the City, a love for our own feet and a bit of a foot fetish, relationships, cooking (or lack thereof), I know what it's like to be the new kid on the block too, etc etc.... What I really found enduring was little things she would say or write that are exactly the way my Ale says them in English. That's probably because she is Italian too. I don't know her name but I feel like I know her heart and I just want her to know that she is not alone.

3 comments:

fromtheworld said...

maybe I am a bit too sensitive (actually, I am sure I am), but your last blog made my eyes wet of tears. It is so nice what you wrote. And one of the reasons why I started blogging was exactly because I was tired of keeping everything inside, I felt my friends would get tired of listening to the same stories over and over and so I could just start to write them using an online diary. And I have to admit that since then, I found out that I am not so wrong and there are people out there who share similar feelings.
Beside this, your boxing class sounds so cool! I wish I could have found one here too (it would have been also a good way of learning some self-defense).
Thanks

Piccola said...

You're not too sensitive. I felt that way when I read your blog too. I've always been sentimental, though. A true friend will always be there to listen to your troubles and your joys, so I hope you continue to write your true feelings to your hearts content. I'm glad that you like what I wrote.

It seems like you have sacrificed a lot for your education and career. You have to know that you did the right thing. I did the opposite and it was a big mistake. Your knight in shining armour will come when you least expect it, you just have to stop waiting. Really! I had given up all hope and interest in relationships when my Ale came along and I truly believe that he is the one that I am going to spend the rest of my life with.

By the way, if you ever think of coming back to the States, you should look into OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University). I have a friend that does research there. She is a PhD/MD and I could put you in touch with her. This way you could feel completely at home here with the tree-hugging, granola-munchers..haha, just joking. Oregon is a really beautiful place. Ale really loves it here.

My boxing class is really cool. I love it and the people in my class are so cool which makes it even better. I look forward to going there every week.

By the way, how did you like the Bill Bryson book? I read one of his books and it was really funny. I could relate because I lived in the Midwest for a few years so I knew what he was talking about. You should look for books by David Sedaris. He also a really funny writer.

fromtheworld said...

Starting from the bottom. I read two books from B Bryson and I love the way he writes. I read one book in Italian and it is not the same. His English is too nice for me and with the translation you miss too much. One of my student suggested me to read Sedaris too, but I didn't yet. Now I am reading some French classic. For the rest, I am happy for what I am doing, it is what I was dreaming to do since I was young. I just worked with really difficult people, who always pushed me down, so I felt I had to do more and more to make it. This is why I gave up a lot. Plus, moving continuously doesn't help friendships or relationships. Hopefully, it will get better. And it is never too late to keep up with education and career. It shouldn't be everything but if you regret something you didn't do before, it is never too late to start...especially in the USA, where you get this feeling that everything is possible.
I have a friend from Oregon. I would like so much to visit there. He showed me beautiful pictures of the nature there. One day...so many places to see in the world. One life is not enough!