Every morning so far has been an adventure while walking to and from school (or to be honest- walking anywhere). During my walks, amongst other things to think about- I try and figure out the intentions of the male population present in Firenze...perhaps this can be best understood by examples:
a) This morning- I leave the gate of my apartment to hear a man on a bicycle as he rides by say "mio dio" (my god)- and I think to myself, yeah I know I look like crap- please don't remind me...I just woke up. This may or may not have been what he meant. Perhaps I will never know...
b) This afternoon- Walking through a park, I am attempting to take a picture, when all of a sudden I get an eerie feeling of being stared at, I look up and in some distance I (as I was close to the river, and the park was above me)found a man just staring at me. So I look away thinking, hhmm maybe he will go away. No...he walked closer and stood right behind me, staring down watching me and proceeding to try and get my attention. I went the other way after I took the picture...
c) I don't know what the fascination is, however I have noticed that men have a habit of trying to see what is inside my boots? Sounds weird- yes, thats because it is... Today I decided to wear a pair of flat black boots, while walking by some men, they either stopped and attempted to peer down my boots or as they walked by, they tried to look down my boots. This strange happening is slightly perplexing me and I never thought I would be thinking about people trying to look down my boots. I don't know if I should be concerned or not?
d) Walking home from school- I guess because I walk some of the way home alone, I can be considered somewhat of a target? Well men think that by screaming "bella" bella" at me, I will then stop and talk to them? I just don't understand. Some even go so far as trying to get complete sentences out as I quickly walk by....
I am sure this is a very common thing, and I was told before I came over here- I just find it slightly humorous
On a lighter note, with my schedule today- it was a long day! We only had two classes, but both very long. My first class of the morning was Fashion History, where we talked about the fashions from 1850's- 1900's. I really enjoyed the class because of my interest in design and my fascination with crinoline (hoop skirts that people worn under their dresses) and the styles of the 1800's. The class got a little bit more exciting when one of the girls, (a non masters student but someone who was sitting in from another class) bluntly and rudely asked for a break- as we were about an hour in and she wanted to go for a cigarette. However she ended up questioning the professor and asking for her background and knowledge on this course. I was very surprised to see the professor so calmly answer this girl after the girl was so rude and disrespectful. The girl kept on blabbing on and thankfully someone else in the room said- "she should just leave if she is not interested, and take her break, this is wasting class time". The real zinger in the situation was when the professor said to the girl- "I studied at Oxford, just like yourself".
I dont think there was a single person in that class that didn't feel awkward or slightly embarrassed.
Our second class was Trade Marking, it deals with patents and the legal sides of how brands and logo/ trademarks work. I am not much for legal and law subjects, however when dealing with the fashion aspect of it- it all makes more sense!
A slight sidenote: I found these pictures and I thought I would share as they both sum up my two classes of the day with crinoline caged skirts and patents. They are from the
National Archives site.
Drawing of Improvements in Hoop Skirts, April 2, 1861
Drawing for a Flying Machine, October 5, 1869
Drawing of Rocking Chair and Fan, August 7, 1847
