La Vita Bella

[I was rather pleasantly surprised that I managed to keep a journal during my stay in Italy.I thought I'd write for a couple of days and then get lazy but the beauty of that place is that you don't get lazy!!! I religiously wrote everyday....so here are some extracts from my journal.]



29/09/09 MODENA. 10a.m.

Finally feeling human! Do NOT like flying! Tailbone hurts.Food on flight was decent.Will drink on way back.Zurich Airport huge and gorgeous.Rome airport and Termini uber confusing and people are not helpful in Rome.Gave cig to strange Italian man and 10 cents to an Italian beggar(?!).Took the Eurostar to Bologna-fab train. Just like the movies.(I sound dehati!!). Reached Bologna; starving, tired and piddly!!!Waited for Eli(no clock tower mind you!A random art installation of a clock reading 10:25 not 10:10!!!My girl is just sooooo misinformed. Neither were the hotel landmarks correct.Apparently they changed in the one month she was in India!!!) Then she arrived with Caterina. Sweet girl, very pretty but what a voice! Weather is like in the hills. Days are like sitting on the bridge,soaking in the sun, on a winter's day. Night's are damn cold. Cate drove us to Eli's dad's where I met Davida and her Grandma. Cute boy! But doesn't speak English much. Then her dad....uff instantly like!!! In broken english he said hello and proceeded to say 'I'm your father' while meaning he's eli's father!!! Ate Gnoccho-pizza without the tomato sauce base with prosciutto(ham)! YUMMY!! At around 8 went to her mum's place which was basically head quarters. Now I know how she felt when she was here....ami kicchui bhasha bujhchi na. Lovely dinner of meat and ravioli with pumpkin(never thought kumro would taste this good)Also strangely the water is aerated.Strange to drink fizzy water but fun. Will get tired of it as soon as the novelty wears off.
In the afternoon Eli's mum took us to the city centre. We beautified ourselves in her shop where The Supersonics were being played on the PA system!Then Eli and I walked to the centre. Cobbled roads and paved ones. Musicians on street corners.We walked into Benetton...fuck!!! shoes for 60 euros!!!! Insane!!! Then for my 1st gelato!!! Eli picked out a combo of yogurt, cream, chocolate and muesli! Needless to say only the cream and chocolate hit home! Then to an Irish(?!) pub called Griffins-had my first Guiness. I'm not that much of a fan. Bought 1st Italian ciggies-Winston Blue.

Pearls and swine bereft of me
Long and weary my road has been
I was lost in the cities
Alone in the hills
No sorrow or pity for leaving I feel

I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky

Friends and liars don't wait for me 'cause I'll get on all by myself
I put millions of miles under my heels and still too close to you I feel
Yeah

I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky

I am not your blowing wind
I am the lightning
I am not your autumn moon
I am the night
The night

I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky

Well I am not your blowing wind
I am the lightning
I am not your autumn moon
I am the night

I should be studying but just cant. Feeling sad.Didn't want to talk to anyone.But suddenly someone said to me "Blue jean baby...". And I was sent into a place I hadn't been to in ages. The times when music was what connected events and people. Still today I hear these songs and I can still see the faces, smell the green but above all I can still feel the love. Because that is what it was. Love. Perhaps for music, perhaps for each other, perhaps just for the night. But it was still love. I cant help smile as I hear the familiar notes playing into the night as I write this. And I cant help feeling thankful. Thankful for rescuing me tonight. Thank you for reminding me of things that I had forgotten. Thank you for being you. This one's for you SG. From being ridiculously bored at birthdays to listening to the same songs in the middle of the night as we sit in our rooms, thousands of miles away yet right friggin there. Thank you.