Saturday, July 10, 2010

Home

It is so nice to be home. My husband and my family was waiting at the airport, my puppy was happy to see me, and my wonderful coworkers sent me some flowers with their condolences for my loss. What a kind and thoughtful thing to do. Thank you so much, gals! You are the best.
I also wanted to share some of my loot with you. First of all, as it is with the wonders of the universe, I stumbled upon the only yarn shop in the alleys of Venice and got some beautiful Italian and Croatian yarn there.

I also found some illustrated cooking books that are just too cute to pass up. I got one for each one of my sisters, and one for myself.
Now I just need to learn Italian.

Italy 2010 - Final Days

This is where my journey in Italy ended - the beautiful Venice, Italy.
But first... I finished my class... and my MBA. What an awesome class to close the program with! And I made some great friends. It's going to be an experience I'll never forget.
I also finished a knitting project. I call it my Italy scarf. It changes colors from start to the end (blues, greens, browns - just like the scenery).
After saying our goodbyes, leaving the campus and arriving at our hotel, my new and wonderful friend Jean and I headed to Venice. Here are some amazing shots from this magical city. The weather could not be more perfect, it was not busy, and Jean and I must have had all the start aligned in our favor, because the whole experience was smooth and flawless. I will remember this day forever.
 Arrivederci, beautiful Venice!
Hopefully I will return one day.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Italy 2010 - Day 8

We had a busy day. First we went on an Alpinestars company tour.
The company was pretty impressive. We got to take a look at how their products were made and tested.
We got some hats out of this trip.
Following the company tour, we had an etiquette class. We got to apply our Continental etiquette skills at the gourmet multi-course dinner later that evening. There are all 15 of us. Great people.
Since I am a vegetarian, I had different meals than my classmates. But they were so tasty. Here is simple pasta with the richest pesto I have ever tasted.
And another one of my courses were grilled vegetables. Vegetables here taste better than what I am used to in the States. It definitely makes me want to get back to gardening my own veggies again.
This dinner was long, but my company was entertaining.
Here we all are - posing for a group photo together with the program director and his wife. What a smart and good-looking group of people. :)
And here are just the folks from Iowa. Our professor Ginny (I), Steve and Jean (O), myself and Jared (W) and Mike and Ted (A).
What does that spell? IOWA!! I love going places, but I love going home even more.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Italy 2010 - Day 7

There wasn't much happening in the past few days. I mostly did homework and studied, and I didn't get to leave the campus much. But tonight I decided to share some of the campus life with you.
The view from the student lobby was beautiful, as always. It made me feel a little melancholy. But luckily, my classmates engaged me in a fun game of cards. We first played golf, and then played "Asolo-hole".
Poor James ended up being the A-hole more than a few times.
These folks make me laugh. I am grateful to be surrounded by these nice people.
In terms of the class, I am doing great! I really, really like our professor. She is very cool. And beside some very useful assignments, she is also making learning fun. Here is a picture of my dream future that we got to draw.
It was quite an interesting exercise. I feel like I've really grown personally through this class (and the overall Italy experience). I can't wait to apply it when I get home. And I really miss home. :(

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Italy 2010 - Day 4

While the sad news dampened my mood, it did not prevent me from seeking comfort in the beauty that was all around me. A few of us decided to take a walk around Asolo. Here are some of the sights.
Me with Mike and Lauren in front of Elanore Duse's home.
These streets are so narrow, and yet they are two-way. They also share the space with pedestrians and bicyclists. 
The fortress.

I adore their shops. Small but very tasteful.
And then there are the fountains (that come from Roman aqueducts)..
Gelato in Italy is so delicious. I got mine from Francesco, a very pleasant gelato shop owner.
I also had the best cappuccino in my life.

We also learned a new lesson. When you want latte in Italy, make sure you ask for cafe latte, otherwise you will get milk. Poor Lauren!
Megan (who took a lot of pics of me - sweetest girl in the world), Lauren (with her milk), Mike and I enjoying our drinks. Megan and I also shared Caprese salad (yum!)
We were later joined by our instructor for dinner. I had polenta with cheese. It was actually quite light and satisfying. 
And then Megan and I shared amaretto mousse with pineapple for dessert. 
Despite all the sadness I was feeling, I was happy to be in the company of good people in a beautiful surrounding (eating most delicious food).