Field Trips & First Day(s)

After the official ending of the Italian Crash Course, I hit the ground running, and honestly shouldn't have expected anything less. Minutes after my exam ended, I found myself milling around the main lobby of the Lion Building, with about two hundred other exchange students, awaiting for the tours of the city. Luckily, there were more than a few familiar faces, and I found a little group of Arco friends to talk to about how the exam went, and what we were expecting for the tour. I was attending the classical tour, slated to visit the Duomo, La Galleria, La Scala Opera House, and the Sforza Castle. The Castle also included free entry to the Museum of Ancient Art, whose pinnacle piece was Michelangelo's final sculpture, Rondanini Pietà, which was begun in 1564, but was never finished, due to his death. It is an interesting piece nonetheless, as you can see that it is very unfinished. Halfway through his process of "setting the figures free" from the marble, Michel changes his mind, and decides that Jesus' figure should be upright, rather than reclining, so he hacked off the body, and fell over dead before he could knock off the arm.

After the tour, Fay and I beat the chill with a cioccolato caldo from the "Bar di Duomo," and the nice bartender gesturally asked me if I was married 13 times with all my rings. Cioccolato caldo is less like hot cocoa and more like melted dark chocolate smothered in whipped cream; something I am going to attempt to get only once a month. Although it was tough to hear on the tour, and I didnt learn all that much, I quite enjoyed the opportunity to look silly while taking pictures of buildings, as well as walk down streets I have yet to explore! Here are a few pictures of what I saw!

Duomo di Milano, of course!

Roof of the Galleria

Sforza Castle, Fountain, and other tourists

Michelangelo's Pieta, II; Unfinished because died

The day after the tour, an extremely large group of exchange students board three double-decker tour buses and headed down to Genova, the land of basil pesto and Christopher Columbus (both were born there). The Erasmus Student Network guides handed out chocolate brioches, water and iced tea, and boxes of red bull. As soon as the red bull kicked in, the bus ride was hoppin', with even our very Italian bus driver getting up from his seat to dance Gangham style, take selfies to the Chainsmokers, and going nuts over Pitbull. Good thing he was surrounded by five rosaries, two Madonna cards, and a proud display of traffic tickets.

We made it to Genova in one piece, and then went off on our tour! Large palm trees surrounded, but only at the port and harbor. Everywhere else was overcrowded by narrow streets, narrow buildings, and narrow space. It was a quintessential port city, with the new built right on top of the old, all the way up the hillside. After the tour of a few interesting spots, including the Basilica di San Lorezno, Via Garibaldi, and the Aquarium, we were let loose for two hours of exploring. Fay and I, as well as our new friends Evangeline and Iris, wandered back up Via Garibaldi to the main square, known as Piazza de Ferrari. Surrounding the piazza are three palaces, a theatre, and the stock exchange building; pretty important stuff. One of the palaces is now an art museum, called Doge's Palace. The day we were there was the last day of a Frida Kahlo exhibit, so naturally it was packed. We snuck out way into the bookshop, and attempted to go in the exhibit through the back way, but were thwarted. So instead, we took selfies.

Basilica di San Lorenzo; Black & White church

Crooked window to see out!

Inside - Sunday high mass

Aquarium! Didnt go in tho sad

Yo Frida wassup

At the end of the day, we watched the sun set over the harbor and behind the Genova lighthouse, then made our way to a bar for aperitivo, rounds of adult-category "Head's Up!", and gelato from Grom.

The next day was Monday, and I thankfully didn't have class. It was nice to finally have a day to rest and do little else. Fay and I had dinner plans, and we invited over the most Canadian Canadian I have ever met. Justin from Montreal is a real-live goalie, who has played in the same league as now-professionals. He smiles with his whole face, and is less a social butterfly and more a high-speed albatross dive-bombing head on into a sea full of strangers-turned-fast-friends. Enthusiastic as he was hungry, we enjoyed steak stir fry and pasta as we grilled each other about music. (I won when I knew the title of Chance the Rapper's latest album, Surf. Although I only know who he is from Childish Gambino.)

After our delicious meal, in stumbled our new friends Kim and Maddie. Kim from Seattle is a mainstream hipster, who wears a different cat/ice cream/alien sweatshirt and backwards hat everyday, and would listen only to Taylor Swift for the rest of her life. She has a vlog and an entire iPod touch for pictures, videos, and music. Her lingo is twice as hilarious as mine, and includes adorably expressive noises. Maddie is a glamourous Bostonian straight out of the late 1920's. A rocker of rompers, cateye glasses, and red lipstick, she is a beautiful singer and wears pretty perfume that sticks around after you hug her. They are two very cool humans, and I am astounded that all these people didn't exist to me two weeks ago.

Okay finally! The reason I am here! Classes yaaay - not. I am taking three, but may pick up a fourth once add/drop starts. First up is Business Strategy, from 8.45 to 12.00 every Tuesday. The first block is the discussion of concepts and debriefing a business case, then the second block is marathon writing a case study with your team of five other students. Since I essentially took this class during my first year, called Strategic Thinking, I was the designated writer, and it was awesome to have a whole team behind me, driving the deliverable. The professor is German, attended the London School of Business, and taught in Paris for ten years before coming to Bocconi. My second class is Corporate Finance, which brings together accounting, economics, and statistics. Given my track record in those classes, I am going to have to work pretty hard to keep up. My professor is a tall, pretty, unassuming, blonde American woman who is sharp as a tack, but may know what she's talking about a little too well to explain it to those who are less blessed in the area of investment banking. Finally, by 16.15, comes Principles of Marketing, taught by Roberta the Roman, who speaks deliciously accented English and wears all-black-everything.

Tuesdays are my busy days, but thankfully during my two-hour break, Fay and I have pizza in the park. Le Gusto di Bocconi is a hoppin' pizza place with a line out the door. Every single thing is amazing. My favorite so far has been the funghi e prosciutto, but I am greatly looking forward to the brie e sriracha pizza. Across from Bocconi is a nice, big park. We walked around and swung on swings, and I realized that I hadn't seen grass in like two weeks. Being on an urban campus is certainly different for me!

This coming weekend, Fay and I are taking on Rome! Everything is beginning to come together, although it will be interesting to balance travelling and social obligations of Bocconi with the necessary amount of school work. Luckily, staying in touch with home hasn't been hard, and although I miss everyone absolutely dearly, I can already tell that I am falling in love with Milan, and will miss it when I leave in only three and a half months! Grazie Mille, my ohana!