Che lo vuoi...

Time for another blog! But before I begin, thanks to my readers who have either left comments or sent over emails, no matter how disturbing (ie the suggestion of me working as a gigo... haha, nevermind). So long as I know people are reading, I'll try to keep up.

So today, surprisingly I'm not mad after finding out a few friends were "talking behind my back" as the saying goes. Now that I got your attention, we're going to "Tarentino" this (start with the ending and work backwards, much like Quinten Tarentino does in on of my favorite movies, Pulp Fiction). So the story begins (or ends) with me wandering Volterra wondering that I can do this evening seeing as I really don't feel like going "drinking" and my favorite hang-out, La Vena is closed for some kinda construction. So I sit on a bench near the road/sidewalk/conversation area, what ever you wanna call it, and I decide to call my friend Fausto (the one with the banquet hall). And as I call him, I see him walking down the street, thus, I hang up and walk with him. So he tells me to come with him. And so I do just that. We end up at Del Duca, which I've mentioned a few times before, most notably, the episode of me eating dinner with the owner the night before my parents were to arrive in Italy and I was eating fish as though it were corn on the cob (look for the blog around October 4th). Anyways... Fausto is going to Del Duca to work, and so I'm about to leave when the owner suggest I stay and work. So I do. Half way through the night, he asks me if I want a job. Maybe we'll talk about that later but let's continue with this saga first seeing as I haven't even made a point yet and this paragraph is knee deep in words, assuming this paragraph had legs. (Where was I?) Oh, ok, so the guests at the restaurant are sipping their respective grappas, and I'm in the kitchen (where I was all night) cleaning up when Fausto comes in with a big (1 liter) bottle of beer. So him and I drinking and he's telling me this story about dinner Wednesday night, which was his birthday.

Breath... get a drink... wake up... do what ever you need to do, sorry for that long continuum (never used that word before, hope it makes sense)

As his story goes, him, his girlfriend, his mom, and another couple, who all know me and who I have all worked with to some degree, were all talking about me at Fausto's little birthday dinner. Now I can't get mad because of what was said. The other couple was Andrea (the architect I worked with for a few days a couple of weeks ago) and his girlfriend (?) who I worked with last June at a big wedding outside of town. (Oh, and since I said I worked with everyone at this table, just to clarify, I worked with Fausto's mom a few times while I was helping Fausto get his banquet hall ready for opening last year, and in the kitchen 2 weeks ago of his place, and Fausto's girlfriend, I've helped her at her bar a couple of times for a drink in return). If you haven't figure out where I am going with this, you in the same boat as me, cause I completely forgot too...

Oh... that's right, they're celebrating Fausto's birthday, talking about me, when I'm, ironically, across town eating a sandwich (haha, actually that's true). But unlike most "talking behind someone's back" this one was positive. Come to find out, Andrea was astonished (another big word I don't recall using before) by how "professional" I was and my "eye for detail" and that fact that I didn't leave work when the clock hit 8 (yes 8 is quittin' time here people). Mind you, if you can't recall, pulled an all-nighter to help him get his project complete in time for the noon deadline (he made it to the site 11 minutes LATE however). Fausto didn't go into detail as to what the others had to say about my work ethics, but I guess Fausto knew how important Andrea's opinion of me meant to me.

An idea arose from this. Fausto suggested I "sell myself" and I don't mean in a gigolo sense either (you know who you are!!) but rather I offer to work a few hours or even a day with some professionals or even just some "big shots" in town to get the word out. Let me approach this a different way if you will... Remember, the socializing and conversations with most other people takes place at _____. The answer is: the bar folks! Ie La Vena di Vino among others. And although I talked to Andrea the architect before at La Vena many of times before, it wasn't untill he saw me last June, when he went to the wedding at which his girlfriend was working at with me, did he actually see me outside of the context of (help me out here... what was that answer to the ? above?? Thats right, he's never seen me outside of THE BAR!! Good job people!!). So although I've talked with the owner of a big cheese farm, or a geometra (like a small time architect), or a friend who ran for mayor, or the owner of a big store in town, even if these people were looking for help, they have no idea of me, my work ethics, and my desire to prove myself, but they may rather think that this is someone who just likes to "socalize".

Wow... I hope I haven't lost anyone in this blog. I know I've said before I'm really sick of going out and drinking. Whether I said it here or not, I'm not sure, but I will now; living in a small town, I'm finding a problem in the variety of activities that one can partake in without either being alone or drinking. Unfortunately, I really don't want to end this blog with the suggestion that all I do is drink and act goofy, but I do stay out of my house and socalize. And added to that, I enjoy walking down the street and being able to say hi to almost anyone and hearing people greeting me by my name and asking me how I'm doing. It took a long time of hard work, ie staying out of the house, working, hanging out at La Vena, (networking) for me to be satisfied... no no no... delighted to walk around and people knowing me, often, more people know me and say "Ciao Vincenzo" more they say hi to my friend that might be walking with me and who grew up in Volterra. (Granted the other Volterrani wouldn't say hi, nor call my friend Vincenzo unless I that was his name)

Ok, I don't know how to end this blog so I will abruptly:

Ciao Tutti!!

Questo è Vincenzo, lui è un ARCHITETTO AMERICANO

Well, another nearly two weeks has passed and thus you would think I would have alot to talk about. Hmmm, well I have enough to talk about. Like since my last installment, I went to downtown Pisa for the first time. I was avoiding my friend, Marco because I knew he wanted to go there and take care of some business on a Saturday, and I, not feeling good and not sleeping well at night, didn't answer the phone when he called 6 times in a matter of a half an hour. Well, later that day, I decided to go grocery shopping, and of course, as I'm walking down to the store, he comes driving by and tells me to hop in the car so we can go. He then said we'll be back by 8 that night. I figured ok, 4 or 5 hours won't hurt, then I can get home and relax. So we go around and around Pisa to finally meet his friend, oddly enough at a church. Well this church was actually holding an exhibit of Volterran art, and thus I ran into a few people I knew. Well Marco ran into a couple of girls and told me we're not going right back to Volterra at 8, but rather to dinner. So we go to this noisy pizzaria that he was raving about and we get a table next to a little kids birthday party. And mind you, I didn't bring asprin and wasn't feeling good to begin with. So after being at that pizzaria for probably 2 or 3 hours, we finally go. I thought we were heading to the cars but after a few streets I didn't recognize, I knew that wasn't the case. Well, in the distance, above one of the average buildings, I was a tower and my eyes were locked on it knowing it was the "Leaning Tower" which I have never seen before. So for another 2 hours, we're standing outside the cathedral and the tower where my eyes were still locked on it while Marco and his friends were watching the lunar eclipse. So to make a long story, well, not much longer, we made it home a little after 3 am!!! About 7 hours after I wanted to be home and about 11 hours after we left Volterra!

I mentioned above that I'm not sleeping well. I can't figure out why, but even if I take a couple of sleeping pills at say 11, it seems Im alway up till about 6am when I finally seem so ehausted that I fall asleep. Thus, I tend not to wake up till 2 or 3. I've been trying to fix this by doing manythings to get me to be tired by 11, such as not drinking coffee, not doing anything that requires extensive thought before 11, even trying to "carb out" as my mom would put it to try to make me tired. No luck. Even forcing myself out of bed by 10 after only 4 hours of sleep didn't help when I tried to go to sleep at 11 that night and failed. Its driving me a bit crazy. Thus I'm taking donations of Valumns or prescription sleep aids. Anxiety seems to be my mom's theory but seeing as I did find a job and money seems to be ok, I don't know if this could be the case.

Speaking of which, a friend of mine, with a little restaurant about 20 yards from my house said he needs some help for the summer. This restaurant has the best view from any restaurant in Volterra seeing as this is the little piazza I go to when I want to over look the Tuscan hills. The pay won't be bad but the hours aren't guarenteed. Sergio, my new boss said he won't need me till Good Friday, and at which time it'll be a bit slow and I won't be working alot, but later, in June through August, there will be more hours available. Thus I may need to find something else to bring home a bit more pancetta (Italian form of bacon).

I hope that my architect friend, Andrea might need some help but I also hope to earn a few bucks this time. When I say bucks, I assume he's not going to pay me with US dollars nor with male deers either, although I think I'd take the later seeing as the US$ isn't that strong and at least I can eat like a king for a while with a buck of two. Anyways... I'm also spending my free time right now to create a portfolio that I can send to a few different architects in the area. Thus, if they need someone part time for the summer, I can do that, or if they need someone full timefor the summer, it gives me enough time to help Sergio find another person, or if they need someone full time after the summer, that would be fine too. So I may have to break down and find a descent printer! Maybe one with a scanner... Any suggestions?? Oh, and on my way here, to use the internet, I was going to stop by Andrea the architect's office but ran into him on the way. He suggested I stop by his office later this week cause he might have some stuff for me to do and also asked if I want the key to his office so I can work when I want on stuff for him or if I find an architecture competition for myself.

Well, sorry for keeping this issue so long, but maybe I'll have internet soon and be able to write more short blogs more often (been waiting 4.5 months). Take care all!

Ciao tutti!!

Comè il tempo vecchio

So, another week has passed. Today marks 3 weeks since I arrived back here in Italia. About an hour after I wrote my last blog on Friday, my birthday, I got what you might call a birthday gift unexpectedly. I ran into an a big architect here in town, Andrea "Dero". He kinda knew I was looking for work and also got tipped off from another America, Annie, that I was willing to work with him a few hours a week to get my feet wet. Well last week, he suggested I come help him with this architectural competition to design an addition onto a school in Siena. So after drinking quite a bit on my birthday, I went to his office the next morning where he introduced me to the project and we talked about way to improve his design. So for the past week, Ive been helping him. I think he was impressed and he gave me quite a bit to do. I know he was thankful that I stayed right to the end seeing as the project was to be turned in at the school by noon on Wednesday (the competition deadline). I even pulled an all-nighter with him on Tuesday night to get it all done. And although I wasn't getting paid, I was loving what I was doing. And ironically, his office is 2 stories above where I used to work, so I guess you could say I'm moving up in the world. What was weird was Tuesday night when him, another architect in his firm and I went to my old work for pizza ad my ex-boss was waiting on us. When the project came to a close, Andrea asked for my number, I assume so when theres another big project, he can call me up for assistance.

So Wednesday I slept most of the day seeing as I went to bed that morning at 7:30. And although I didn't make money, I certainly saved money seeing as I didn't go out, or barely went out, the few nights I worked late with him. This work reminded me of how much I love what I do, in architecture that is. So now, not only am I back to looking for work here, I'm also looking for an architecture competition that I can compete in, either by myself or with a friend I know here who just finished architecture school.

Otherwise, no new news. Hopefully things will keep going in the right direction with spring slowly approaching. Anyways, I'm about to go meet up with a few friends before dinner.

Ciao tutti!!