The iPod is Here!

[This was supposed to be posted about a month ago...my bad.]

Remember when I wrote this post about sending my 1st generation iPod Nano in so Apple could replace it? Well, my new Nano came, and quicker than I expected.  

The annoying bit about the whole process was that a signature was required to receive the packages. I understand why it was necessary (I don't want my neighbors stealing my packages off my porch!) but it made it almost impossible to pick the package up. The FedEx guy decided that he would come to drop off the packages at noon each day, when NO ONE was home, and couldn't leave them without my signature. I ended up having to drive forty-five minutes away to pick up the package at a FedEx location. 

The package was extremely light. It felt like almost nothing was in it at all.

I was surprised that the Nano didn't come in any special packaging. The AppleCare Service letter basically said "here ya go" and talked about the 90-day warranty of the Nano. But other than that, where's the headphones? Where's the USB adapter? I shouldn't complain, though: I have both of those accessories already, and I got a new Nano for free!

Shockingly, the Nano turned on right away and had almost a full battery. Apple's website says it has a 24 hour battery life, which is amazing! Also, the graphics are stunning, especially for such a small screen. The Nano I was given is silver (I couldn't choose the color) and has a capacity of 8GB, twice the amount of the Nano I sent in.

I can't wait to play around with it more and tell you all what I think of it. If you missed my previous post, you can click here to read about how you can exchange your 1st generation iPod Nano for a free new one, courtesy from Apple (and the fact that they don't want any more old Nanos exploding in people's faces).

The Epicness That Is SkyMall

I'm back! And majorly jet lagged. Apparently when you're jet lagged, you find everything funny. The most eventful part of my flight home was, during my flight from Chicago to Wisconsin, I opened up the SkyMall inflight magazine and couldn't help but wonder what some of these inventors were thinking. The products in there are ridiculous!

Clearly, making fun of these products was the highlight of my day-long journey back to the States, so hopefully you'll find them as I amusing as I did.

Portable Infrared Sauna

I feel so bad for this women because she looks like she's stuck in some sort of tent prison. How the heck are you supposed to get out of this?


The Slanket Siamese

First of all, it's a Snuggie people. Not a Slanket or whatever. It's the exact same thing as a Snuggie. Second of all, I don't care how much you love your significant other, but using this would be like you're handcuffed together. He gets up, you have to get up. He moves, you have to move. I guess maybe it's supposed to bring couples closer together (literally)?


Litter Kwitter 3-Step Cat Toliet Training System

I've never heard of people toilet-training their cats before, so if this is a popular thing, I apologize. I just stared at the magazine for about five minutes in shock. I guess it is a good idea--no more liter boxes!

The 24/7 Self-Cleaning Litter Box

Speaking of liter boxes, the magazine also sells this spaceship thing that looks like it'll trap your cat. What is up with this company, making weird things that make me feel claustrophobic just looking at them?

Porch Potty

Love the fire hydrant...it adds a nice touch. You'll never have to show your dog what real grass looks like, I guess.

The Led Matrix Watch

Just trying to figure out this watch hurt my head. Why on earth would you get a watch if you can't even read it? Even if I knew how the pattern worked, it just seems time consuming to use this rather than your classic analog one.

--Becky

Long time no see...

Everything about Italy is amazing...except the wifi. I guess that shouldn't be my excuse for not blogging in over two weeks, but the slow internet really is putting a damper on my blogging experience. Not to mention the fact that I can't seem to change Blogger from Italian back to English.
It's been the most amazing three weeks of my life. It's incredible how much being in a different country can change a person. Sorry if I've been annoying you with my "I LOVE ITALY!" posts, but I just want to reiterate how lucky I am to be here and how humbled I've been by the whole experience.

So...what have I been up to?

I saw the inside of the colosseum...

...and, on the same day, was a foot away from the Pope.

I went to the incredible Duomo in Florence, Italy...

...and was scared stiff climbing all the way to the top of the dome.

I ate my way through Vienna, Austria...

...and experienced the most terrifying cab ride of my life on the island of Ischia near Naples.

(It was a golf cart converted into a taxi. We fit seven people into it and it barely made it up the island's hills!)

I've met some of the coolest people in the world...

...and I've eaten pasta almost every day for the past three weeks.

Like I said, I'm having the time of my life. I know this is probably going to be the last time I get to travel for the next five or six years, because with med school I'm not going to have the time (and definitely not the money) to go abroad until I'm graduated, if even that. So I'm soaking Rome and Italy up like my theology teacher says: "always remember to soak up the deep beauty of Rome, drink it in like you drink good wine, and...write down all that you feel is good, true, and beautiful about what you are experiencing here in Italy." I really am experiencing something beautiful here.

To all my followers: thank you so much for bearing with me during my "I love Italy!" kick while I've been a little MIA. I'll be back to regular posting as soon as the internet gets faster or I return to the US in two weeks...whichever comes first.

When in Rome...

Before I went to Rome, our advisers told us that there are four stages of cultural adjustment: 1) predeparture stage, 2) honeymoon stage, 3)culture shock, and 4)acceptance

Everyone, I am definitely experiencing the honeymoon stage.
There are so many things I love about this country that I don't even know where to begin. As the cliche goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here is just a round-up of pictures from the last few days.

The view outside of my window

  Picture from the surrounding neighborhood of Monte Mario

Bus ticket

 

 Trevi Fountain

 Victor Emmanuel II monument

The Colosseum

Orientation at Marcuse beach

 

 Dinner and a walk along the Tiber

Five weeks doesn't seem like it'll be long enough. I'm loving my time here and don't want to leave. I wish I could write more, but I need to go to class soon...ciao!

One-Piece Swimsuits

I prefer one-piece swimming suits over two-piece ones. It has nothing to do with my body image, and it's not about wanting to be more conservative or anything. It's just that there are some really cute one-piece suits coming out. Bikinis will always be in style, but this year, I'm loving retro one-piece suits !

@ J.Crew, $118

This is my dream swimming suit. I love the one-shoulder style and the bold colors. I'd definitely get the suit in red if I could afford it...but the J.Crew suit is $118, which is a little pricey for something I'll rarely wear.

@ Modcloth, $89.99

Here are some vintage-styled pieces from Modcloth, but they're still a little too expensive.

@American Eagle, $29.99

This suit from American Eagle is a great price, but the site describes the suit as "pink" when it clearly looks like it's red on my computer. I don't want to order this online and receive some eye-bleeding super neon pink suit instead. Plus, it's a little plain...and the model doesn't look happy in it at all. At least to me.

@ Target, $34.99

Here it is, my dream swimsuit at a decent price. Alas, it was sold out on Target.com and I'm pretty sure my nearby Target won't have it. Why oh why is everything I like always sold out?

@ Target, $24.99

I liked this suit too from Target--it's a decent price and it's cute. I'm just worried it'll look a little too juvenile on me, so I want to go to Target and try it on as well as look at their other suits.

As you can see, I'm a little picky when it comes to buying swimming suits. But what girl isn't? Do you guys have any suggestions or know any places that sell great (and semi-cheap) swimsuits?

Something to Think About

I had to take sociology this semester, which is the study of how different societies are created as well as their structure. In all honesty, it was probably one of the most boring classes I've ever taken, BUT once in a while our ancient professor gave an interesting lecture.

Via

He spent one lecture talking about the disparities between our urban society (Chicago) and the societies of the rest of the world. Some of the statistics he gave were truly shocking, and I think everyone should be aware of them. These statistics all come from the World Health Organization.

Via

• When you look at the world's population, 80% live in substandard living conditions
• 1/6 of the world’s population is unable to read and write
• 50% of the world’s population suffers from malnutrition
• Only 1% of the world’s population has a computer
• Over 1/2 of world’s population exist in relative poverty
• 1/7 of the world’s population (1.1 billion people) live in absolute poverty (meaning no food, just trying to survive)
• 7 million +  in US have no jobs
• The majority of world’s population live on less than $2 per day
• 6% of the world's population own 59% of the wealth in the world
• 1 million people in the world will not survive until the end of the week
• We are richer than 75% of the population if we have a roof over our heads and a place to sleep
• If you have money in the bank, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy

These statistics really put things into perspective for me. I'm assuming that if you're reading this, you have a computer. Therefore, you are part of the top 1% of the world. Next time I complain that I don't have something, I'm going to come back to this post and realize what a lucky person I am, compared to the rest of the world.

--Becky

Arrivederci!

Hi everyone! 

By the time you read this I'll be on a plane to Rome. I have no idea what the wifi situation is going to be like when I get there, so I probably won't be able to post any pictures of my trip for a few days. I've scheduled a few posts in advance while I'm gone, so I hope you enjoy them! I'll also try to keep up as best as I can with commenting on all of your blogs.

I'll update you all on my travels soon!

--Becky