5. Heart

Friday April 12th, 2008


Fabulous. That’s the word that sums up last night. Last night I was supposed to meet up with Kari Leigh at 730 and then go to a friends dinner party of Mr. Uomo’s.

Let me back track. I met Kari Leigh Friday evening at Cardillac Café at the monthly Florence CS meeting. She is amazing. We immediately connected and we share the same background. She is also in Florence living here after so many years in the corporate world. She was the head HR for her company nationwide organizing, meeting, training everyone under the sun for her company. Realizing there is more to life than the rat race, she picked up her things and moved to Florence about a month and a half ago. I actually just met up with her for appretivo and that turned into 3 hours of talking while checking out our view of the river and then a stroll to get some gelato and walking the streets of Florence. I love it here. I do.

Okay, back to last night. Unfortunately I was spreading myself too thin to meet her and her friends at the restaurant at Santa Croce Piazza while I had to meet Mr. Uomo to drive to his friends house for the dinner party at 830. So I forfeited the dinner with Kari Leigh and off me and Mr. Uomo go to his friends place. My Italian is improving you guys, but not much. Here I am going into a party with pure 100% Italians who speak there native language. BUT its good, I need to learn and listen and that’s exactly what I did, listened and tried to have conversations which by the way ended up pretty nicely. Its amazing how I can communicate with someone that does not have no idea how to say certain things in English but I understand, its like charades. I should be queen by now. =)

We walk up the street to Johnny’s house and its sprinkling a little by now, but it was pouring earlier. First person we meet is Alexiso, who is Johnny’s partner. Mr. Uomo and I are the first to arrive. Alexiso and Johnny , there English is not so good. And you guys, seriously, by a month, my English will not be as crisp as it was before. Anyways, Johnny’s house is fabulous. I mean, the décor and also they have this lounge area outside that I swear, reminded me of a couple’s house in the valley that I went too about a year ago. The color coordination is impeccable and I feel like I’m at a friends house in west Hollywood. I guess its worldwide that gay guys have the best taste in home décor. And trust me, I know a lot of gay guys and their homes are immaculate! (Love you V, when are you coming?) The next couple to arrive is from Sardinia. After that more and more people start to arrive, 13 in total. So the whole night I’m mingling, the best I can anyway, to listen and to get to know people. 4 people total knew how to speak English, myself and Mr. Uomo included. The party gets moved into the dining room and we all sit and immediately there is chatter everywhere. Susie, Mr. Uomo’s close friend and is like ‘a sister to me’ tries to reassure me that Italians are loud sorry for this and that, but im just sitting there loving every moment of it. I tell her not to worry about me and that I absolutely love this. For the appetizers, we first have a plate of stuffed tomatoes, then comes out a plate of stuffed bell peppers and then stuffed eggplant. But these are plates the size of the biggest plate at buca di beppo. Huge. Then out comes the primi pratti, first course, and the first plate that comes out is ravioli with some type of pesto sauce and then comes the ravioli con ragu. Two types of ravioli for our first course, not to mention the 15 bottles of Chianti Classic that is forever flowing. After the first course, we all go for a break, stand up, dance a little, have a cigarette, anything you wanted, you did. The main course is still cooking on the grill, the classic Florentine bisteca. By this point, im rubbing my belly because it hurts, really it does, there’s so much food, but Im going to eat as much as I can because this is the best you can get in Florence, a real home cooked Italian meal with friends. And this group has unbelievable heart. You can just feel the love flowing in the room. At one point, between the serving of ravioli’s I just sat there and observed my surroundings. Candlelight dinner with a group of people full of love, a meal cooked with love and conversation everywhere. I was in love. This is what I came to Italy for. Not to get drunk or fall in love with an Italian. I came to experience experiences like this. And I couldn’t be any happier. And then we dance the night away, while dessert comes out, two types of desserts made by Alexiso’s mother. Food, friends, dancing. Fabulous.