Thursday, October 28, 2010

Planes, Trains and Taxis I'm in Spain

On Monday I departed for my first business trip in the new position.  I am spending the week in Spain.  We have more than 2000 employees in Spain with most of the population in Barcelona and Madrid. Purpose of the trip is to review the business and meet people.

I arrived in Barcelona via airplane on Monday morning.  If you've never flown into Barcelona I highly recommend it, but be sure to have a window seat on the right side of the plane.  It is so pretty coming in for the landing.  On the left side is the Medteranian Sea and the right is the port and city of Barcelona.  The city is surrounded by mountains that provides a magnificent backdrop leading to the sea.  I only spent the day there but learned a lot about the special part of Spain called Catalonia.  

After 8 hours of meetings we got on a high speed train and traveled to Madrid.  Now I agree, I'm biased for public transportation, but riding on a train at 300 km/hr is pretty impressive.  You have such freedom and comfort.  Because we were traveling late, we traveled in Premium Class.  Not sure if that is the same as First Class, but they treated us well.  We were able to have a Spanish wine (Rioja) with dinner and nice single malt scotch afterwards.  As you can tell, the meal was nothing to write about.

On Wednesday night I had the chance to do a little sight seeing.  I had never been to Madrid so it was my first time to experience the old city.  It was fantastic.  The temperature is ~65F this time of year and sunny/clear.  I went with Jose-Antonio, he works for me and lives here in Madrid.  We went to the old town via taxi and walked around for three hours or so.  We saw the king's palace, the center of Spain, we went to a market where you chose your food and drink and consume it on the spot and many, many little restaurants that are in little caves.  We stopped every now and again for a beer or glass of wine to ensure we stayed hydrated.  In Spain they serve the beer ice cold in 5 or 6 ounce glasses.  Because the summer's are so hot the beer gets warm very quickly.  Thats the theory, but mine never got warm.

We ended the night with a dinner outside in a large courtyard.  In Spain the restaurants don't open until 8:30 PM.  It was dark, yet still warm.  We had the famous Spanish ham that comes from southern Spain, were the pigs are black and eat acorns, very lean (for the most part).  The food was good, environment was pleasant and company was enjoyable.

If you ever get a chance to visit Spain I highly recommend a stop in Madrid.  The Spanish people are great host!  

Monday, October 25, 2010

Meeting People

As I mentioned in the previous posting, on Friday night I went to the Frog XVI to celebrate my small triumph over the Internet/phone connection.  For a number of reasons this is a nice place to go.  The wait staff are predominately English and very friendly, they have a happy hour Monday - Friday featuring microbrewed beer and free Internet access with my iPad.  

While sitting at the bar waiting for my bowl of chili, the couple next to me started to ask questions about the iPad.  They had an accent I have heard before, they are from South Africa.  My last two bosses in the U.S. were South African.  We talked for ~45 minutes.  They were a couple about my age.  He was on a business trip and she was accompanying him.  They spent 3 days in Barcelona, Spain and had just arrived in Paris for an extended weekend.  Knowing we plan to do the same it was interesting to hear how it was going for them.

Saturday was market day.  I was excited to go back to Marche de Passy and buy my weekend supplies.  I went to the produce stand to say hello with the man I met last week.  Unfortunately he was busy, but a younger guy (18-20) worked with me.  The produce guy did come over a say hello and to ensure the other guy was taking care of me.  There may be some that have better prices, but I like the people.

After the produce I walked over to the fromagerie (sp?), the cheese maker.  Now my true quest begins!  I truly enjoy cheese and I have made it personal goal to become a connesuier of the cheeses I will get to try in France, Spain, Italy and the other countries I'll have the good fortune to visit.  I explained to the lady that was new to France and about my quest.  She seemed very happy to assist me in my initiation into the French cheeses.  She asked if I preferred hard or soft, mild or strong, cow, goat or lamb.  My reply --  bring it on, I like all kinds and textures.  She proceeded to instruct the apprentice to get 3 different kinds - a hard, a strong soft and a goat cheese.  With each cut, he provided me a small sample, told me the name, wrapped it and wrote the name and age of the cheese on the paper.  I thanked them both and vowed to visit next Saturday to try 3 more.

I have been in Paris for 3+ weeks now.  I haven't met the rude inconsiderate French person that is normally portrayed on TV or movies.  In fact it is quite the opposite for me.  From the waiter at Le Passy who brings me my favorite wine, to the Priest at church who shakes my hand after mass, to the hotel staff at the B&B and Regina, to the produce guy or the cheese lady - all have been nice people, tolerant of my American ways and very poor French.

By the way, I had the cheese for dinner that night with a bottle of Burgundy wine and a baguette.  The cheese was fantastic! 

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Internet -- Stikes -- Smoking

It's been awhile since I've had the opportunity to connect to the internet to blog about my thoughts and observations.  This post will be in 3 parts so you can skip a section if you're not interested.

Internet
As part of the relocation company's service, some one from their office is assigned to assist me with the process.  Unfortunately they do not come and setup the equipment for you.

Last Saturday I walked to the Orange store to pick up my equipment.  I then had to wait for Orange (the provider, similar to RoadRunner) to establish the electronic connection.  This typically takes 7 to 10 business days and a service technician (ala Geek Squad) is scheduled to assist in the process.  When they connect you, they send a text to let you know you're good to go.  In my case the text is sent to Sophie, the internet coordinator at the relocation agency.  On Tuesday I get a note from her that my system should be activated.  Of course I can't wait to come home and start the connection.  In the U.S. it is usually a simple process of connecting a few obvious cables, plugging in your PC and accessing the website.  Here, it is much more elaborate.  I was scheduled for a service guy on Friday, but being the patient person I am, I started to do it on my own.  First issue, everything is in French.  Second, I don't follow directions very well.  Third, my laptop doesn't have a CD drive so I can't load the software.  I kid you not... for 3 straight nights I came home from work, messed with the connections, software, etc from 7PM to midnight.  I went to Le Passy where there is free internet to read all sorts of "how to" on the internet (again, all in French).  It was so frustrating.  After awhile I found myself praying for help to figure it out.  On Wednesday, I got access to the TV (yeah!).  On Thursday, I was able to see the wireless router on my laptop but I couldn't access it (dang!).  Finally on Friday I took the CD to work to put the contents on a thumbdrive.  Of course my laptop at work had a problem with the CD drive.  Fortunately our IT department was able to get it working and I put the CD contents on the thumbdrive.  Friday night... I'm so excited to get home because I'm sure I have it figured out.  There is no doubt that God had pity on me and finally granted me access to this incredible thing called the internet!  Everyone should now jump up and high five anyone near year, because that is what I wanted to do. 

Once I was connected, I went to the Frog XVI (it was happy hour with 5 Euro pints of microbrewed beer) for 2 pints of beer and a bowl of chili.  I quickly came home, called Jill and we proceeded to Skype.  I think it was the first time we saw each other for 2 weeks +.  What a glorious moment.  All the frustration and sleep deprived nights were worth it.

Strikes
Now I'm sure everyone has heard of the infamous strikes that have occurred in France the past few weeks.  The French government has submitted a bill to increase the retirement age among government workers.  It wasn't a big increase, but definitely a social change that split the nation.  I understand from Jill and the kids that the news has numerous articles and commentaries on the local union strike actions.  I have repeatedly said, other then the metro strikes that put more people on fewer trains, I have not seen any signs of the social unrest.

That is until Friday morning at work.  We were sitting in our offices when we heard someone on a bull horn and a banging drum outside.  Being on the 5th floor we all went to the window.  Looking down we saw a small parade, maybe 75-100 people with one small truck with a banner on it.  In the front was the bull horn and the drummer.  People followed as they walked around our 3 buildings.  No one was harmed or felt threatened, no property was damaged and it was over in 15 minutes.

My feeling on it all... the U.S. news likes to sensationalize these things (as do most countries looking at other countries problems) AND the rioting will be worse in Philadelphia if the Phillies win the World Series.

Smoking
No, I'm not a smoker and I've never smoked anything legal in my life.  However, I can't help but notice how many French people smoke.  Similar to the U.S. there is no smoking in public places.  But if you sit outside at a cafe, people can smoke (and they do).  Over the past 3 weeks I've conducted a non-scientific study and I've come to the conclusion that ~75% of the women and ~50% of the men smoke here.  I've seen people who can hardly wait to come out of the metro station before they light up.  What is more alarming is the number of young girls (16-25) who smoke.  I'm sure France's social medical system will face a large expense in the near future if they don't do something more drastic.

It reminds me of the early 70's (and probably well before that) when the U.S. was a heavy smoking population.  In the late 70's there was a great amount of energy put into education of young people about the hazards of smoking.  Finally in the late 80's and early 90's laws and heavy taxes were put into place to truly effect the habit.  My prediction... this could be the next wave of decisions that cause social unreast / strikes in France.

Monday, October 18, 2010

A Different Way of Life

I just wanted to create an intriguing title... Seriously, when you move to another country you do it expecting some things to be different, not just language, food and currency. I have traveled internationally for the past 15 years. I always thought I had an appreciation for the host country. Now after being here for almost three full weeks I realize I am only scratching the surface of understanding. I don't think this is unique to France or Paris. When you start doing things the locals do, your eyes get opened. Riding the metro to and from work, buying a fresh baguette every other day, going to church, shopping, sitting in a cafe using the iPad - you name it, it's a different experience from the U.S. You start to see the same faces, you greet people when you meet them, they know what you're interested in.

It has been a great experience so far. It can only get better when Jill joins me. I really miss her company. We talk two times a day, but it isn't the talking that I miss. It's just sitting there reading the paper with a cup of coffee, watching a show on television, having a glass of wine, thinking about what's for dinner and most important, that kiss goodnight. Hopefully it won't be too long. My fist trip back to the U.S. is 30 days away.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Saturday in Paris

My first Saturday in the new hood.  A very busy day, full of good learnings.

The day stared with a trip to Passy Plaza and Marche de Passy.  At Passy Plaza I found a wonderful supermarket, like Tops or Wegmans.  It has everything you may want.  I needed some basic cleaning stuff (Jill already warned me the apartment better be clean when she gets here).  The best thing I bought was a shopping bag.

Next stop was Marche de Passy.  This is the place I described last weekend.  I went in, a bit intimidated as my French is very basic and I lack confidence to use it.  Nonetheless I approached the veggie/fruit stand.  I quickly made friends with one of the workers.  He was given to me once I told them my French was so-so.  His co-workers said he needed to practice his English.  So we both shared a language lesson.  10 Euro worth of fresh veggies and fruits.  We agreed we would try it again next week.  My other purchases were less exciting, but I got some good stuff. Can't wait until next Saturday.

Next I had to walk to Champs Elyssee to the Orange store.  I had to pick up my cable box and wireless Internet box.  Of course it can't be connected today.  They say it takes 10 days from the time you sign the contract.  Hard to believe you can't flip a switch and the thing works.  Oh well, I'll wait the ten days.  I knew from the beginning this was a test of my patience.

On the way home I found a very cool pub.  It's called "Frog XVI".  It is on avenue de Kleber, not too far off the Trocadero circle.  It has microbrews and free Internet access.  Hence my multiple postings.  They serve a full pint (56 cl) for 7 Euro.  Better yet, Monday to Friday they have happy hour until 8 PM - 5 Euro pints!  What more could you ask for.  Oh yea, it is staffed with English people and the food is good.  It is about 10 minutes from the apartment. This could become a favorite hangout.

At the end of the day I decided to get my first French haircut.  Of course the lady didn't speak English.  My French was better then her English.  So after the initial awkward beginning, she washes my hair and starts cutting.  I think this is the first time I have had someone wash my hair since Mom used to do it when I was 4 or 5.  It cost me 24 Euro cash, no debit cards.  Of course I only had 20, so i had to run to the bank for cash.  The washing was nice, but the purple colored mohawk haircut will take some time to get used to.  I really have to learn better French.

The day ended with a nice dinner at the apartment and a call with Herb.  I really look forward to when friends and family are able to visit.  The apartment is very nice, but I think it'll be better when more people are here.

Oh yea, I was kidding about the purple hair and mohawk.  

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Move In Day

Monday was move in day to the apartment.  What an interesting experience that was.  Our appointment was scheduled for 2:30 PM.  My relocation consultant shows up on time but, In typical French fashion the agent was about 20 minutes late.  I've come to realized it isn't because they really want to be late, but parking in Paris sucks!

We get to the building and the agent punches in the code.  No sooner are we in the building the concierge comes out of her office wanting to know what we were doing.  All in French the two ladies I'm with explain that I'm the new tenant.  We introduce ourselves to Fatima, the keeper of the property - the concierge.  Now Jill had read about the importance of the concierge so I wanted to be very nice to her.  Fatima is probably mid to late 40's, about 4 feet 2 inches and probably half as wide.  She is not fat in the traditional sense, but she is solid.  

We came into the apartment and the relo consultant, Fabienne, and the agent keep telling me things to remember.  When we come in the electric, gas and water don't work.  The three of us start turning nobs, pushing buttons and flipping breakers.  Finally we realize how clueless we are and call the person who knows the apartment.  He shows up in 15 minutes and within 5 minutes we are up and running.  Then the two ladies start an inspection of the apartment that was very intense.  Every scratch, dent, nail hole or paint scrape was documented.  After 1 hour of this, they then inventory every piece of furniture and fixture in the apartment.  I just sat in the formal living room and relaxed.  So at 6 PM I had the keys and passcodes, the apartment was ours!

It took me 3 trips to and from the hotel to move all my stuff.  I stopped at a small market and picked up something for dinner and settled in for my first night in my home away from home.         

My First Metro Strike

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week I had the pleasure of experiencing a transportation strike.  The French are notorious for protesting against various social changes.  This one is actually very sensitive to the country.  The French govern,net is trying to increase the age that people can retire and get a full pension from the system.  It is an attempt to balance the finances of their system.  

The strike itself was relatively quite.  Every other metro train was cancelled so you had a lot of riders.  I have never seen so many people jammed into a metro car in my life.  For the first time in a long time I was happy that I'm as big as I am because people can't easily push against me to gain more space to put more people.  I saw some small framed people get jammed into the tightest little laces.  We couldn't even lift our arms it was so tight.  Nonetheless I made to and from work on time and with very little aggravation.  I have observed the ridership the past two weeks and I think I have a good system to ensure easy on / off and maintain some sanity during the crowded moments.  Stay near the doors, in the corners and open the windows be open.

To really appreciate Paris you have ride the metro.  I have no problem with this, but I can't wait to have my car.  Coming in the next. Few weeks...

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Weekend Summary

The weekend is coming a close and what a nice weekend it was.  The weather was 70-75 degrees with blue skies and sunshine.  They tell me this isn't typical, but I tell them it can stay like this for the next two years.  It is getting to mid-October, one of my favorite time of year for sports.  Baseball playoffs are under way (go Yankees!) and football is in full swing.  Unfortunately I can only read about it until I get in the apartment (which could be tomorrow, if not Tuesday).  This is a good year not to have to fall in the bad habit of wasting Sunday afternoons watching the Bills.

So a little about the weekend...  Saturday I moved into the new hotel very near rue de Passy.  It is a nice hotel and one I recommend for people who like quaint, quiet and good service.  It is less then 2 minutes from the apartment.  I have a room on the top (eighth) floor.  It is twice the size of the last one and it has a little terrace that I can (and do) sit on.  Matter of fact I'm sitting on it, having a beer, playing BB King from the iPad and writing this blog passage.

This weekend I did a lot of walking around at different times of the day to check out the new neighborhood.  I found this really cool market called march de Passy.  It has 2 florist, 3 butcher shops, 2-3 fresh produce shops, 3 fish shops were they clean and filet the fish for you while you wait, 2 bakers (with free samples), an oyster bar where you buy them to take home or eat right there, a hardware shop and at least 3 cheese shops.  It was extremely busy, but everyone was nice.  It puts Wegmans to shame.  When you come out of this building (it's not very big), there is a small cobblestone street that has another bunch of shops - butchers, bakers, produce and I found a small Italian shop were they make fresh pasta for you.  Ok, so food shopping consumed most of my day.  I didn't buy anything yet, but wait until next weekend!

This morning I got up, got caught up on a few things and went to church.  There is a Catholic church called Notre Dame de Grace de Passy only 2 blocks away.  It is an. old church I found on my walk yesterday.  I went this morning thinking it would be a good way for me to practice my French listening since I know the flow of the mass.  Well, that didn't work too well.  It was a children's mass and there were ~100 kids there between the ages of 18 months to 5 years old.  I don't think the French are keen to disciplining the kids.  Obviously they all get donuts regardless how they behave.  Any way it felt good to go to spend some time in God's house.

The rest of my Sunday has been relaxing.  Another walk in a different direction, bought some fresh fruit and now it's about time to think about dinner.  Tomorrow starts a new week at work and maybe a new place to stay.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Does no really mean no?

Once again, I have experience that no doesn't really mean "no, definitely not" here in France. What I have learned there are two things the average French person appreciates -- 1) challenging authority and 2) bureaucracy. All week I was told I wouldn't be able to get the apartment on Monday because the company payment wouldn't be made on time. It's not like the company can't afford it...

When I challenged the person telling our relocation company this, I was told the person who signs the checks was in training and wouldn't get to it until the following week. Everyone was handcuffed by the "procedure". No thought to the customer. This is evident in so many ways here. You just have figure out the code. Sooooo....

I threw out the challenge flag and offered to take the document to my boss, the Sr. VP of HR, for his signature. I'm sure you guessed the results. Within 24 hours a message is sent to the agency saying all is good. I have the final acceptance walk through at 2:30 PM on Monday.

So my bags are packed. I move to a hotel only 2 blocks from the apartment tomorrow morning. My fingers are crossed, my prayers are said. If all goes well I should be in my Paris home in 3 more days.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

One Week in Country

Well... It's been a full week since I arrived in Paris. Man, that was a fast week. So what got accomplished to make the transition work?

I was able to get our bank debit cards on Tuesday. That's a good thing because I now can access cash for personal use. Doesn't mean a whole lot yet because I'm still in a temporary living situation. But, there is something liberating about having your own cash in pocket. Now I have to track the details. Not one of my strong points.

To the best of my knowledge I still am not signed up for payroll. Supposedly tomorrow (Friday) they will address this issue for me. I certainly hope so as I hate to think I'm doing this for free.

Started to lay out my travel plans for the next 5-6 weeks. Planning 3 days in Madrid, 1 in Barcelona, 3 in Rome, another 4 or 5 in Milano/Bologna/Turin, 1 day in Switzerland and maybe 2 in Romania. If possible I will fit in 2 or 3 more visits (Greece, Israel, Saudi or who knows). Can't go to Algeria until my French visa clears. Before I know it I'll be home for Thanksgiving. Crazy huh! I'll be sure to blog it all.

Apartment move in next week!!!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

No Doesn't Always Mean No (in France)

It's been some time since I've had to live in a hotel for such an extended period of time.  It really can make you appreciate the space you have in a home.  I figured I'm living in a room (including the shower) that isn't much bigger then the upper back deck of our house.  Good thing I spent time on a submarine!  Now you would think I'd be dying to leave the room, but I found myself fighting for just the opposite the past two days.

When I checked in on Thursday last week they informed me I would have 5 nights in one room and then I'd have to move to another room on Tuesday night.  I would then transfer back to my room on Wednesday.  At that time I wasn't prepared to debate it.  As it got closer I realized it was truly a crazy thought and I prayed that someone at the hotel would see the silliness of this exercise.  Remember, I have 5 suitcases in my room and half of them unpacked to provide some sanity to the living arrangement.

Last night I spoke to 3 different people hoping one would have the magic key that would allow me to stay in this lovely little room.  I even said ok to the move, but please leave me there for the remaining period.  Unfortunately, no one could crack the code.  I went to bed believing I would need to pack up everything, drag it all down the hall (or worse yet, up a few floors) and re-establish my living space.  Needless to say this would take some planning and effort.  I woke early this morning, did a quick shave, brushed my hair and went down to fight the battle.  Wouldn't you know it, of the two people at the front desk, I get the person who flunked English 101.  After ~15 minutes of miscommunication, one of the guys I talk with each morning comes free to help me.  I kid you not... within 10 minutes he gives me the golden key to my little ole room.  It really made my day.  

This gave me additional insight to the French way of working - first response may be "impossible", the next "no", followed by "maybe" and then "of course".  I don't believe all are this way, but for the future I won't accept the first response as the last word.  Another important French lesson.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Small World isn't only for Disney

It really is a small a world.  Yesterday I went back to "The Great Canadian".  That's the sports bar from the last post.  I wanted to watch the Ryder Cup, have a beer or two and get lunch.  I took the metro from the hotel area, Carrefour  Pleyel, to Invalides metro stop (that's for those who like to fly around Google Earth).  From there I walked for ~20 minutes to TGC.

After about an hour of watching the golf game I overheard the waitress tell a couple behind me that she was from Rochester, NY.  It took her awhile to circle back to me, but when she did I shared what I heard and that I was from Spencerport.  She shared she was from Gates (a community next to Spencerport).  I immediately asked if she knew the most famous teacher in Gates Chili, our good friend Joan.  Once I said "Health teacher" she locked right in.  We didn't get to talk too much, but I learned she graduated in 2005, her name was Ashley, she went to college in NYC and she came to Paris in March.

The point I took from this experience was to ask people (particularly English speakers) where they are from.  You never know, maybe I'll meet some of my long lost pals from Olean, Panama City, the Navy or Franklinville.  After all, it is a small world.      

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Saturday and the Beauty of Skype

A few random thoughts as I close another day...

One of the challenges of being abroad is how to stay connected with friends and family.  Though I've only been here a few days I find I want to share my experiences with the folks back home.  Fortunately I still have my U.S. cell phone, but eventually I'll have to hand it in.  Last night I found the miracle of Skype.  If you don't use it yet, I highly recommend it.  All you need is to download the program, have a mic/speaker on you PC and create an account.  If you're fortunate enough to have a web cam, then you can also see each other.  Last night I talked with each of the kids, Jill and Kyrstin.  It was very nice.

Today I took a trip to explore the area around our new apartment.  I REALLY can not wait to move in.  There are so many neat things to explore and do.  I found one whole street dedicated to little food shops - butchers, bakers, fish store, cheese and, yes, 3 or 4 wine stores.  I had lunch in the neighborhood.  The guy spoke to me in French and I actually understood a few of the words and what he meant.  I asked him what kind of sandwich the guy next to me was eating - in French!  More surprising, he understood what I said.     

Tonight I had dinner with a good friend of mine, Bruce.  We met at the Canadian bar in the 6th Ard.  It was nice because everyone spoke English.  You know for my last dinner in the U.S. until end of November I asked Jill to make chili because I thought I wouldn't find it here.  Well they have it and it's not too bad - but it doesn't compete with Jill's.  The place is a sport bar so they had the Ryder Cup on the televisions.  It was the 2nd session of the day and the Europeans were winning every match.  The 4 people at the table next to us were from England and they were cheering every swing of the club.  It was fun, but after awhile I felt like I was watching the Buffalo Bills.  Man, one day I'd like to cheer for a winner...

Friday, October 1, 2010

First Day on the Job

Today was the first day on the job in Paris. I felt like a kid going to the first day of school - excited, a little nervous and full of energy (I slept well last night). I woke bright and early, had a light but nutritious petite dejuener (breakfast) and walked the 15 minutes to work.

Thank God I had been to the office so many times before because I knew the routine. I got my badge and walked through two buildings and up to the 5th floor where I found my new assistant, Kelly, waiting for me. It was 8 AM and no one was in the office, so we took some time to discuss how we would work together.

Kelly was nervous at first. She thought her English wouldn't be good enough so I laid a little of my French on her. That's all it took to convince her that she spoke good English and my French needs work. She had everything (cell phone, badge, mail and desk stuff) ready for me except my laptop. She was relieved to learn that I had my U.S. laptop with me, but she had everyone working to get me one. I went use my new Blackberry and I realized the keyboard is not standard American (better known as QWERT (look at the top row of letters on your keyboard and you'll figure out what that means). So everyone starts scrambling to find me a QWERT laptop. Finally it arrives and wouldn't you know it -- EVERYTHING is in French. C'est la vie.

We did have a "coffee" meet and greet around 9 AM. It was nice to say hello to all the HR people. I've known them for quite some time so it was nice. They all raved about the area our apartment is in. A couple of them live there and I have dinner invites lining up.

I had a meeting and lunch with my boss to discuss my old and new objectives. It was nice to have an on-site cafeteria that serves 3 different main courses. By the way... you can get beer and wine there. When we finished JSB, my boss, introduced me to the company president. I had met him a few times before, he joked with me about the challenges I'll face in Italy. Not a bad place to have challenges.

At the end of the day I packed up my new stuff and my old stuff and rode the metro back to the hotel (it was raining). Thank God it is Friday.