But my "Chi" wasn't flowing!

This kind of absence is just inexcusable.
I have succumbed to the pressures of corporate life and then there was the India trip. Oh and then the Italy trip. With some fun work trips thrown in for good measure.
Boy am I tired.
Just so you know writing is like going to the gym for me. I love it when I'm there but getting there can be a toughie.
I'm here.
Let's get this show back on the road.

It would be logical for me to start in chronological order but I'd rather not tax my brain this first post of the year...let us begin with the recent trip I was on.
Oh Italy! What a fantastic fantastic place. I just fell in love! The people are so stylish and fabulous, the sights are breath-taking and the food and wine. Ohhhh the fooooooooood and wiiiiiiiine.

Everyone told me Milan is ugly. I thought it was precious. Until of course I went to Florence. Ok Milan is a bit ugly. Sure. But it's not fair to Milan because at least Milan has sushi. Not too many places in Italy have sushi. But everywhere in Italy is the yummiest bread and pasta and pizza and...well clearly I could go on and on. Nothing beats the veal in Milan though. I'm such a bad Hindu.

Anyway back to Milan. Such a joy to walk through streets lined with designer boutiques, gelaterias, boutiques and gelaterias. Clothes, shoes and Gelato. What more does a girl need!?

You do need to speak a bit of Italian to get by...that and a lot of gesturing. The Italians are big on gesturing anyway so even if you don't understand a word the guy giving you directions is saying, all the hand waving will eventually get you there. Then the simple Grazie Mille Ciao will do just fine. Smiling is key. I smiled a lot. My favorite word in Italian? Salida. Sales. I picked this one up pretty quick. Turns out Feb is a good month to be in Milan thanks to Salida. Some major salida action going on there.

But I was good. Tried to focus on being a good ol' penniless tourist. Climbed to the top of the Duomo (cathedral), saw the sights, roamed the streets guidebook in hand and ventured into almost every bakery I saw. It was me and the Japs. (Japanese not Jewish American Princess) Oh they just love Italy and clearly Italy loves them! When a major leather boutique in Florence had annoucements in Italian and then Japanese and all the sales people were Japanese I knew I was in an American Consulate in Mumbai type of situation where the annoucements are in Hindi and then Gujurati...