Flirting with Florence

"I have an affection for a great city. I feel safe in the neighbourhood of man, and enjoy the sweet security of the streets." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Although it's only been a few days since my arrival, there is no better feeling than sitting outside a Florentine cafe and admiring the culture as it surrounds you. I'd like to call it an industrialized paradise as the noises that would normally bother us (late night chatter outside your apartment, cars being driven around at high speeds, the click-clack sounds from pedestrians' footsteps)...they are all so soothing!

Although my housemates complained about the miscellaneous noises occuring outside our window while trying to sleep, I slept through it like a baby. It's almost like listening to those silly Nature CD's, except the sounds are artificial.

The people here are also very kind as the natives are willing to ask you for assistance if your body language calls for it (e.g. staring at a map for five minutes with a confused look on your face). That happened to me as I was exploring the southern areas of the Northern half of Florence -- this is where a lot of the nightlife is located

This one native gentleman was kind enough to walk me back to my apartment on Via Sant Antonino (about a 2 minute walk from the train station in the middle of town). Mind you, it was one in the morning and even I felt sketched out as I walked past many dark alleys (which also reeked of drunkard's piss puddles). But the man gave off a very friendly vibe; one so safe that I felt protected.

Speaking of sketchniess, there is nothing more awkward than having a random drunk Italian come up to you and put his leg up against your crotch. From the little Italian that I understand, he was trying to explain to me the sport of football. He seemed too drunk to be trying to pickpocket me (and if he did, it would be even more awkward as all of my belongings are in my waist pouch under my shirt).

The apartment itself is on the fourth floor of a five story building. It's small and quaint with two bedrooms, a small, full bathroom, and a small kitchen. It's nothing to write home about but at least we have hot water, electricity, and a washer! I know there are a couple apartments around town that do not have any of the three commodities that Americans take for granted.

The kids that are studying abroad with me seem very fun and friendly. I've effortlessly made friends (many of them actually came up to me to start conversations) and I've started to do the same. It's comforting to know you are with companions who know as equally little as you do. :)

Although most were predicting that we would get culture-shocked, I personally did not (as I had originally figured). There is a decent amount of texts written in English and a good amount of people know at least the basics of the language. So it's hard to be culture-shocked but I don't blame people if the "syndrome" of sorts does hit them.

The language barrier can be problematic as I tried ordering a latte and a sandwich but they could not understand my English nor (poor) Italian accent. This is extremely dorky but whenever I hear Italian dialog, it reminds me of how characters in The Sims communicate (through their babble of a language). Through the many dialogs I've had with the people of this city, I've learned one thing: SMILE! It's a universal signal for friendliness and it really helps alleviating that notion of "damn you tourists for invading my home" -- a common vibe that all of us have shared on multiple occasions.

A general mistake that foreigners do in Italy is touching food at a market. You're not suppose to touch the fruits! I actually saw this lady get scolded for that and she walked away as if she did nothing wrong. I know my mother would hate that about Florence as she loves to examine the fruits and vegetables before buying them.

Frankly, the only real "con" about this whole place is the excessive walking people would have to do during the winter. I love it during the summer as it's so beautiful to walk these Florentine streets and admire the exotic architecture or the alien behaviors of those who live here. I often find myself pondering just how much life is different in the middle of December. But I'm sure it must still be grand in one way or another during the winter.

I've spent an hour on this thing...so it's time to get off and enjoy the city some more. So until next time, ciao!

Bon Voyage, Asian James

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." - St. Augustine

As I patiently wait for my airport limo service to arrive at my house, I'm surprised that I am neither scared nor anxious about this trip. From what all of my friends have told me, Florence, Italy is a great time and it's normal to be scared. I'll be interested to see if the emotion of fear does emerge as I get closer to the country.

On a similar note, I'm curious to see if I'll experience culture shock, the state of being terrified from being in an alien environment. I adapt pretty well to unknown situations and have always been a very independent person (being able to make decisions on my own, live on my own, taking care of myself without the help of others, etc.) but I've always been at least a bit familiar with my surroundings. Knowing me, I have a feeling that I'll just chalk everything up to being "COOL" or "AWESOME" instead of thinking "WHAT THE F*(&?"

Since my time in America is winding down, this entry will have to be kept short. The limo arrives in 10 minutes so it's time to go sit on my front porch.

Flippin' a switch

I can't stand Livejournal - the interface is poorly designed (if you've used it before, you'll know what I'm talking about). Part of it was being spoiled by Blogger as I was introduced to it through last semester's Digital Writing class (if you look at the previous posts, they're academically oriented). Blogger's navigation is easy, the aesthetics are slick...what more could you ask for?!

Blogger > Livejournal

A Lesson on Adobe's InDesign

While glancing on the inside of a random issue from The New Yorker or The New York Times, I've often been left in a state of aesthetic awe. Professional layouts help organize the material in relation to the graphical art associated with the written content. Whether it's wrapping text around a picture, or making sure each page of the publication follows a consistent theme (for example, a six column structure).

On March 30th, the Mirror (Fairfield University's independent school newspaper) held a tutorial session on how to use Adobe's InDesign program - computer software that allows you to graphically layout how each page of a magazine or newspaper looks before it is printed.

While initially launching the program, the program seems intimidating as it holds the ability to perform many functions. Now mind you, I had never used InDesign. However, the saying of "don't judge a book by its cover" holds true as Adobe strategically made it as foolproof as possible, without comprimising on the program's powers.

The seminar was conducted by Ryan Blair, now Editor in Chief of the newspaper. He ran the audience, composed of mostly Mirror staffwriters and contributors, through a recreation of that week's issue.

First, he showed us how to do the cover page. This included:

• adding headlines
• copying and pasting content from Microsoft Word and into empty text field boxes
• resizing images to make it look better on a page
• showing us a variety of templates available for use
• linking the articles from the front page and onto each subpage (such as material that is "Continued in B3")

Then he ran us through minute details within the design process in which most novices overlook. Two examples are a) choosing the wrong font and size which makes the page look funky in comparison to the other pages and b) improperly linking the article which appears on different pages.

As an amateur user of Adobe's powerful software called Photoshop, I was already comfortable with the similar structure and design themes that the company incorporates through its other expensive software. I just had difficulty trying to add text and graphics while making sure everything was proportional and consistent.

InDesign can be had for roughly $700 excluding tax. It's not a program that the average joe will purchase. Rather, experience with the program will come in handy with any career involving publication design.