Journal Entry 1

May 12th at the Casalinga,
alone, 10pm.
Today there was too much to
think about. I wished all
day to be able to sit
down and write. I thought
about relativity. That is, how
everything in this universe
is related. It's a big
topic that maybe I'll
tackle tomorrow.
What am i thinking right
now? Well, I'm sitting
here with a few
crostini toscani, and
about a glass and a
half of wine. A couple
from Vancouver was sitting
to my left earlier. I
was pleased to be seated
next to English speakers.
After ordering and having
a glass of wine, I
(dammit, there's no more tiramisu)
stood up and said "Excuse
me" to the woman to
my left. I didn't look
at her or the man with whom
she was seated
as I spoke. I knew the
impression I gave.
They thought they were
sitting next to an Italian.
I pronounced the words "Excuse
me," in such a perfect American manner,
in order to tell them one thing-
I was one of them.
I smoked two
cigarettes outside,
hoping my second
course was still
being prepared. I
walked back into
the dining room, and
the Canadian woman
watched me with a
smile as I took
my seat, to her right.
"I almost ate one" she
said, referring to my crostini which had
arrived while I was out. So there it
was, the beginning of
a short and meaningless
but enjoyable conversation,
all provoked by my
intentionally exaggerated
"excuse me." I planned
the whole thing. I wanted to
talk to them. I wanted to
know why they were in
Florence, how they found
this piccola trattoria.
Ah, the wine is finished.
I have more back
home. I just
noticed another couple
that is speaking
English.