Entries this day: AAM_zzzz AM Dream Italy! best_lunch_ever! taormina zzzzz

AAM zzzz

3:33am CEST Thursday 23 June 2005

When I fell asleep in GET Room 9 after writing the previous entry, the light was on. When I woke up two hours later, the light was off. I do not remember anyone turning off the light, nor even opening the door.

AM

7:08am CEST Thursday 23 June 2005

This morning I called Niveen; we had planned to meet at 11pm yesterday but I was working as the doorman / bodyguard at Mafia Night. I was impressed that I stayed for (nearly) three hours at the door, just saying "password" to those who wanted to come in. I pretty much stayed in character the whole time despite several attempts to break me.

Anyway, I felt it necessary to talk to Hitomi last night so I didn't meet up with Niveen after Mafia Night, so I'm glad I got her number during dinner yesterday as a fallback plan. We're going to meet at 8am in Yacht Club for breakfast and then meet her other peeps at 9am in reception.

I'm hoping wander around alone or with one other person. I'd enjoy walking around with her so we can continue our discussion of religion.

Dream

7:47am CEST Thursday 23 June 2005

While in the shower, I remembered my dream.

I saw my dentist, and was all, "hey man; how's it going? Sorry I haven't seen you in a while.."

I also saw Eddie Murphy and joked about not remembering which black comedian he was. "Yeah yeah, he's Bill Cosby; he did that movie Brewster's Millions.."

Eddie Murphy was all, "heh heh heh" with his trademark laugh.

Italy!

9+am

We are in a cafe in Italy. Niveen and Adriana are here now; Jasna, Audrey, Natalie, Allison are out and about in the markets.

The markets were *crazy*... All variety of fish, with my favorite being long eel-like chrome silver fish. Totallllly amazing.

Niveen recorded a nice message on Tape #8.

I've been talking to her plenty; she has a lot to say, but maybe just doesn't have a chance to let it out. I'm really inspired (?) impassioned (?) by her stories. But who knows how long that passion will last.

Haha - Niveen asked for some sugar and the guy pulled a sugar packet out of his pants pocket.

10:23am

Oh my gosh I just took a picture of Niveen with a Niveen look-a-like right behind her.

best lunch ever!

12:30pm

I saw a guy selling sunglasses, and I was like, "I'll give you $10 for them," and he's like, "give me $30," and I'm like, "no - 10." and he says, "okay, 12" and then I'm like man, you sure dropped fast "no, 10." and he goes, "okay, $10." and I'm like, "woah; that was my original price. Should I have started even lower???"

Right now we are having the bestest freshest meal in the planet - Audrey bought some huge roasted peppers and cheeses and roast onions and basil and we are ripping them all apart and making sandwiches using the peppers as bread. So fresh; so delicious; so healthy; so awesome!!

Hahah! Audrey was like, "dig in! I don't like people who don't help themselves."

I laughed, and she goes, "I'm serious!"

Allison brought bread, and Natalie brought cherries. So amazing..

This was just after I had ordered ice cream and the guy was like, "do you want it in a cup, cone or bun?" and I'm like, whoah "bun" of course! It was delicious!

taormina

Niveen and I had decided to visit Taormina, a 40-ish minute train ride away. We ended up going with a group: Natalie, Audrey, Allison, Rika, Adriana, Niveen.. I don't remember who all went. The area was gorgeous. I was eager to climb (not pay for a taxi to ascend) a hill upon which many stores and shops and hotels enjoyed the charm of Italy with a great view overlooking the sparkling clear ocean.

I mailed postcards and bought water and chose not to buy another ice cream as I was running low on funds. The area was so beautiful! Audrey decided she would live there when she retired, doing yoga in the morning, creating art in the afternoon. It certainly would support such endeavors.

On the way back, I was pretty stressed about being late, but the girls negotiated a taxi, but it seemed to take fucking forever for us to reach a concensus. I kept saying, "I would prefer just to walk back" cause I knew how long it would take, and I knew I could make it to the train, and I knew how much it would cost. But I kept finding myself walking with Audrey; I was just unable to break myself away from her.

In the end, the taxi proved to be more fun than the train would have been, plus we got to spend time in the water on a beautiful beach. I'm thankful for this opportunity to take risks and take a taxi instead of the train.

At the same time, I was hoping Niveen would choose to come with me so that I would feel like she was ... thankful for my leadership? yeah, that sounds about right. I wanted to feel like a good leader.

Even so, I chose not to get into the water, since I didn't have trunks. I nearly stripped my shorts off, but was like, "hey - those are underwear!!! (not trunks!)"

The water was astonishingly clear. It looked like drinking water, so I tasted it. It was salty.

d'oh. My $10 sunglasses were broken during the beach adventure.

Heading back in the taxi now: 140 km/h. Mt Aetna is on the right, and I'm so so thankful that I'm on this fabulous PB adventure. Oh my gosh.

- - - -

Upon arrival back at the port, Niveen and I ate some more ice cream as I tried to teach her the phrase "off da hook!" She was cute and kept saying "hook" more like "huck"

zzzzz

1:02am

I'm tired. June 22nd is the night Hitomi cried and said "I'm sorry; this is your PB; you can do what you want to do." After that is when I threw 1/4 of my staff into the water. I let her throw 1/8th in, and I threw 1/8th. I haven't done work since that time, but I had a good day running around Italy.

(what? I thought that was June 21st. Maybe it's off cause I was so tired at the time I recorded it.)