when in rome...

Okay, this will be my third (or is it fourth?) attempt of uploading some of the pictures to my photopage in Facebook. This is Italy, Ladies and Gentlemen, and I am in Rome. A big city, one of the business destinations of the world! And it seems like people here don't even know anything about the internet (yes, including my hotel's front officers. Yesterday, I was helped by a German guest who happened to pass by me while I was asking the front office people at the reception desk about the internet connection. The German guy helped me while the front office guy just shrugged uninformed about the internet.). Amazing...

Anyway, enough bad-mouthing Italy. This country is a piece of beauty. I still love France, thought, and I only had the chance to visit some of the places in France (and nothing can beat shopping in Paris - what a chic experience!), but Rome is something else.

This will be the last night I'm spending in Italy. After this, Mom and I are off to Greece. Sightseeing (and shopping - for souvenirs, at least) and I have booked around 10 hours of private belly dance lessons with Ms. Maria Aya.

Yes, I was about to go to Turkey when some idiots decided to detonate two bombs in Istanbul in July, enough to scare away potential tourists like my family and I. So I had to cancel appointments with the great Ms. Sema Yildiz. I asked Ms. Yildiz about a teacher she recommended in Athens and she told me to go to Ms. Maria Aya. After exchanging e-mails with Ms. Maria Aya, everything is settled.

The itinerary is as follows:

Day 1 (Saturday, 30 August 2008).
Arrive in Athens, 6.35 PM. Hopefully after the check-in and everything at the hotel, I will be able to go to her studio at 7.30 PM and begin the class. We will begin with me showing the moves so Ms. Maria Aya can determine my level (MY GOD, I'm so nervous) and I'll be shown a video of the history of belly dance.

I'll be gone from Athens and be back on Thursday, 4 September 2008.

Day 2 (Thursday, 4 September 2008)
After spending all day in Kalambaka / Meteora, we'll drive back to Athens. My tour guide said that we'll reach Athens at 7 PM. We'll have a two-hour lesson on this day.

Day 3 (Friday, 5 September 2008)
The tour guide will show us Athens and we will have free time after 5 PM, which means three-hour drill after 6 PM. THREE HOURS!!

Day 4 (Saturday, 6 September 2008)
My flight will be on 5.25 PM, so I have all morning for myself (before 2 PM). Morning drill for God knows how long.

Fortunately, Ms. Aya is kind enough to say yes to my whims. Hehehe...

Oh well, I'm off to Facebook-ing.

Can hardly wait!