heading for halfway

Another day at the office, another hot sunny day in Milan and, today, I can't seem to wake up. I slept more than I have in the last few days, the temperature was much cooler than the last few days. I don't get it. It may very well be because of the fact that I did not have a shower this morning owing to the lack of hot water. There isn't any sort of chronic shortage or anything, it's simply that, unlike Niki, Dorota, and Matilde, I can't make the hot water heater turn back on. This is no one button pushing action. This water heater is intense. Think the flames of hell, but blue and on a smaller scale. When hot water isn't needed and the heater is on, you can see a single blue flame through the little open window. When the water turns on, the flames ignite (like those on a gas stove) and you see a row of flames before your eyes and hear gas burning as if it were a violently ignited fume from hell (i make it sound like i've ben to hell, and, I assure you, that is not the case). So this morning, no flames were going, and trying to reignite them by turning the switch just was not successful= no hot water for me. I'll have to get the real lesson in hot water heating from Dorota (she has been showing me her tricks in the kitchen, learning lessons from a real cook ;).

Speaking of Dorota, last night Carly and I, after declaring our love once again for the GS supermarket and heading over there to get some clams and wine for dinner preparation and deciding to hit the town together later that night after eating aforementioned items (although you don't eat wine...), ended up staying in the apartment and chatting for a good 2-3 hours with Dorota about just about everthing but with a focus on life and travel (yea, I know, real specific...). As we have dinner around 8 or 9, by the time we are just chilling and chatting the sun's light wanes and the apartment darkens. A nice ephemeral passing of time, a reminder that time treks stoically forward. It was only when I started talking in Dorota's general direction instead of looking Dorota in the eye because things were getting dark that Dorota turned on the lamp in the room and we continued on our way. It was nice to spend a night at home instead of heading out, since the previous three days have been a Marina marathon in anticipation for her long trip (which, unfortunately and fortunately, got cut short, so we'll see Marina again on Monday).

Now I have woken up... it only took two hours, oi. I am very happy now at the office, doing tasks that are challenging to me, using my Italian writing skills, and working with someone who seems to care about my productivity and my learning here at the photo agency. I sat through a meeting this morning, completamente in italiano certamente!, a sort of progress report on things going on in the office, with other agencies, with daily work. I am happy that I moved up to the top floor because I have much more visibility if I am not doing anything or if I am not tremendously productive. I've been doing a lot of writing for myself, so I look busy, but I have also been doing a lot of cool work more often. I get to struggle with Italian too, writing turquoise instead of turkish and writing that mongolian people looking for gold wear bathtubs on their back instead of saying they wear deep pans on their back. It has made for some laughs, and laughter is really the best thing.

So another week has ended and I am leading to the half-way point of my sojourn in Milan. Sales start tomorrow in Milano and I've been on the quest for linen pants and a pair of shoes... tomorrow's price chop should be just what my wallet needs to get high quality clothes at highly desirably prices. Sunday I may take a trip, who knows, it's just that easy when you're in Europe. Depending on Carly's job situation she may be leaving on Sunday :( but as she exits, Matilde comes back from her adventures in Scotland. A lunedì!