Okay, quick post! Sorry for my absence lately! So busy! Crazy!

Tomorrow is my last day in Bologna and I physically can't imagine leaving. I don't think my body or mind will allow such a thing. I will be back, positively.

My parents are here though, it's very exciting. 

After tomorrow we are going to Switzerland, Paris and Rome!

I can't wait for my European birthday. 

Life is beautiful! I have no more internet until I return. My computer is dying now! AHH!  I will see you all in 2 weeks. CIAO!

xoxoxoxo

Buddies in front of the Adriatic Sea.

Buddies cuddling on the train. 

In Fellini's hometown.

Alex's very reflective sunglasses.

I just love these boys and will miss them so much.

I have to regretfully inform you all of some news:

I will never be leaving Italy. 

...c'mon! Somehow this has to happen. I don't wanna go (whining) I caaaaaaan't.

So, that's that.

Ciao!

Me & some of the crew!

Made friends with some of the fellas at the restaurant around the corner and 

they agreed to be my bodyguards! 

This is Mandy and I ^^.

We love our good friend, Gorgeo.

Spaghett at dinner!

Dark and ominous...

Me with the dark and ominous. I'm not quite dark or ominous. 

Blurry Ervin getting ready to take me around Bologna

About to get on Ervin's vespa!

Walking down one of the busiest streets in Bologna.

When I describe watching films in the piazza, this is the screen!

If you have ever talked to me online, I sit in front of this church!

The turn to get to my apartment!

My spirits are high today!

One dominant reason for this brilliant mood is my dinner last night. Its' taste is resonating my mouth and in my mind a full day later...just delicious. Truffles? MY FAVORITE EVER. It was a ricotta stuffed ravioli sprinkled with truffles, truffle oil, and porcini mushrooms. My brain exploded.

My spirits are also high because I finally got my storyboard figured out and reshot today. I am very pleased with the photos and can't wait to run home and work on editing them some more.

Tonight should be interesting...more on that later.

Tomorrow night we are dressing up as cowboys and going to the Italian screening of Giù la Testa in the piazza. Cowboy party anyone?

I miss everyone! Kisses & such.

July 5^th: Bologna:

 

What a strange sensation! The film festival is over… Our schedules were so free today that is was a bit reverse of the expected emotion, and instead became stressful.  A free day in between the festival and classes? There is too much to try and accomplish!  Laundry? Groceries? Working on film projects?

By the way, you can take an underground tour of Bologna to look at the medieval structure that lies beneath, the canals and river systems, etc. You enter in through the sewers in hard hats for the tour. Must!

Somehow, we made friends with the fellas over at Bar Romano near Piazza Maggiore. Adrian is from somewhere near Russia and Ervin is from Albania. More than kind to us, they have restored our faith in the possibility that us Americans can be appreciated too! Ervin, whom I had the opportunity to spend some time with today, is obtaining his law degree at the University of Bologna and works at Bar Romano part-time. I believe we may be grabbing drinks sometime this week, which will be nice…except for the fact that he speaks only about 3 words of English: “good”, “ beautiful”, and “yes”.  I can say about the equivalent in Italian…let’s hope the music that is playing is good? In any case, I think it sounds fun to have friends here in Bologna to stay in touch with once I return to the ole US of A. You know…just in case I am ever dramatically forced to escape the United States and flee to Albania? I know I’ll have a couch to crash on.

Speaking of my homeland, I am a touch sad that I missed the 4^th of July, but I am sure I represented my country just fine…I resisted singing any particular tune from Team America: World Police.  That says enough.

Tonight I really miss New York. I miss my apartment. I miss my fire escape. I miss taking the trains, or walking the length of the island on my day off. I miss going to the park and running by the river.  I miss everyone there. Nostalgia is absolutely destroying my brain tonight! I don’t handle nostalgia well and do my best to document things that occur and then leave them behind. I overanalyze.

Okay, focus…

Tomorrow I am attending class to show a draft of my storyboard and grab some feedback. After that, a few of us are grabbing a camera and heading over to the piazza to pull pranks on tourists and tape it. That’s right, that’s how I am choosing to spend my time after class. Harnessing all that creative energy and feedback to throw it into a gag clip. This is the life of Jessica Ramsey. However, after this wonderful activity takes place, I want to catch sunset with some of my photos that I am using for my photo essay. It’s buckle down time and I need to stop being such a neurotic perfectionist!

A quick thank you to everyone who has emailed me or facebook messaged me in regards to following my blog. I really appreciate such kind encouragement and thoughtful words. And of course, hugs to my brilliant family and my lovely friend Chris for finding time to somehow indulge all this nonsense I write and even comment on it! I am so truly grateful for the people I have in my life.

It is 5am here…I swear, I’ll never sleep. I am going to squint my eyes real hard and see what happens. Wish me luck! Ciao!

*Hug to Tophers*

Me at the piazza probably getting online to check this thing and talk to folks.

Mandy photographing the downstairs corner.

You know you are in an interesting bar when there are handcuffs in the vending machine.

Me & a few of my metal fellas.

About to head upstairs.

You sit at a coffin that lies in front of a tomb. Inside the table/coffin is a skeleton.

Downstairs at Transylvania.

CROWDED piazza for The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.

Beautiful moon seen from downtown. 

I loved this dog. The dogs here just wait loyally for their owners and

demand no attention from anyone else. 

A little creepy, but I like it.

In Transylvania's dining room investigating.

Armed cartoon cow display in a store

One of my many boyfriends, Chaplin.

Delicious dinner out.

Octopussy? Bond would be proud of this menu option.

The corner near our apartment. 

How we feel when we, Americans, are partially acknowledged

How we feel when Americans are given just terrible looks!

Sushi and cabbage salad, mmm!

Alex and our fruit sashimi--he matches the kiwi perfectly

Sushi date! 

Sushi and coke zero=two things that make me SO HAPPY

Alex smoking and Eva using his knees as a chair.

The original inspiration for my thesis on silent cinema and the concept of death.

This is a shot from the silent film "The Crowd"

Betty Boop and Coca-cola? Ahh, a touch of home.

Lil ol' me and my Cinema Ritrovato laminate festival pass!