Scared?

2 comments in the last 4 blogs? Where did everyone go? Eat too much Christmas food and now you're lazy?

Thanks!

A special thanks to Meadow, Bill, Ella and Simone Bailey for their generous donation to the Sean Walklin Travel and Enjoyment of Youth Fund. (or SWTEYF). Thanks again to everyone else who has contributed along the way!

Christmas time

New York, New York

Since I posted last I have done many things so I'll try to remember them all. Saturday morning Mario made breakfast then we went and picked out a Christmas tree with his family. It was their first real tree so they were excited. After the tree was set up Mario and I got ready to go into the city (manhattan). Before we headed in we stopped by and visited some of Marios friends, a couple of which decided to join us. We took the Queensboro Bridge into manhattan a ride which only takes about 15 min from Marios house. As we rode across the bridge Manhattan rose up in front of me. It was an amazing view. Wanting only to enjoy my first real look at the city i refrained from taking any pictures (that doesnt happen very often). The size, amount of lights, beauty of the buildings and the realization that millions of people lived there was not overwhelming but realized. I was surprised at how different most of the buildings were from each other. I was expecting the same office buildings over and over. We drove down Park Avenue, where My friend Casey was staying and then a few blocks later it was daytime again. Although it was about 1 AM we had driven into Times Square. The streets were full of people and there were thousands of lights, televisions and billboards. A very cool place. After driving around manhattan for a while we went to visit one of his friends in Grenwich village. On the way there we drove past ground zero. I was amazed at how large the holes were, and that they had not built anything in their place. Instantly made me think of where I was on 9/11. His friend had a nice apartment and we stayed there for a while before heading out to check out some of the NY nightlife. That morning Mario dropped me off at Caseys and her mom sent us out to a little deli to pick up some breakfast supplies. Her grandparents own a beautiful apartment on Park Ave that is full of beautiful painting, antique furniture and elegant styling. It even has a doorman! We made breakfast of bagels and waffles and bacon then set out for the game early so we could sight-see on the way. From Park ave we went down Madison ave, Broadway and many other famous sights. I saw Rockafeller plaza, the Giant christmas tree, all the TV studios, where today show does its walk around, radio city building along with countless stores and other landmarks. After about a 30 minute walk we arrived at Madison square Garden and worked our way through the crowd to our seats. Although on a higher level the arena isn't that big so we had an excellent view. After talking with Caseys mom Casey and I decided to go see if we could get a close look. First let me tell you that Ive been a laker fan since I was about 12 and mostly a Kobe fan. I've wanted to go to a Laker game so badly for many years. I've always worried that Kobe would be injured or out of his prime before I got a chance to see him. So this was big for me. The Lakers only play in NY once a year so I definitely lucked out. Thanks to Caseys mom, who got me tickets to the game as a Christmas present. We made it down to the court while they were warming up and saw many open seats. We sat in some that were about 5 or six CHAIRS up from the court. We were so close it was chairs not the rows of seats. Seeing them in person was really cool and I had my camera out pretty much the whole game. The knicks were getting beat pretty bad the whole game and I got to join in the gameday ritual of chanting "fire Isaiah" (I did it for you, Jon). Kobe played great. In person alot more than on TV you could see that he controlled the game whenever he was in. He did whatever he wanted and was incredibly fast and in control. At halftime they introduced the celebrities that were at the game. Rosie Perez, Q-tip, Chris Rock, Spike Lee, Rev Al Sharpton and one of the characters from the Sopranos were all there. We happened to be sitting only a few feet away from the court than they were! During the game it was fun to see Spike lee and Kobe trash talking and joking around. Towards the end Phil Jackson (the lakers coach) put in his subs and the Knicks crawled back to within one. Kobe came back in and calmly hit shot after shot. The Garden came alive during the Knicks rally, which was fun to hear. The lakers came out victorious and Kobe finished with 39 points 11 rebounds and 8 assists. It was a great experience. After the game Caseys mom took us out for lunch before Mario picked me up. When Mario picked me up he had his 12 year old brother Gianni with him. We headed off to meet up with a girl from our school in Italy that lives in the East village. We met her family and then went walking around the village looking for somewhere to order food for everyone. East village was very cool and we also walked through part of the NYU campus. The feeling I got walking around in NY is very similar to the way it felt to walk around Rome. They both have a energy that you can feel. Theres something electric about both cities that makes them exciting to be in. We finally settled on Thai food and headed back. After spending some time at her apartment Mario Gianni and I set off. Mario drove me around and showed me SOHO, tribecca and other neighborhoods. Since we were going to be busy with Christmas the next couple of days I wanted to hangout with Case some more before she left so we picked her up. We decided to do a cool NY type thing so we went to the brooklyn Bridge, parked and walked to the middle. The view was amazing. Manhattan with its breathtaking skyline on one side, Queens and Long Island on the other. To the right you could see the statue of liberty. The moon looked full and it had just rained so the air was nice and fresh. Amazing view. After enjoying that for a while we went to look at the seaport which also had a great view. We decided to show Casey Marios neighborhood so we took her to Astoria, Queens. Because it was sunday at about 1 there wasnt as much going on as usual but we found a nice cafe to get something to eat in. We hung out for a while before heading back to Manhattan to drop Casey off. I was pretty tired and kept falling asleep in the car. I woke up right when we pulled up to Marios house. It was a great couple days getting to know a little bit of the city. Thank you mom! The ticket here was an amazing christmas present! Im having an amazing time and I still have almost 3 weeks to go.

LAL (17-10) 31 24 20 20 95
NYK (8-19) 21 16 24 29 90
Final
12:00 PM ET, December 23, 2007
Madison Square Garden
New York, NY
Kobe is youngest to score 20,000 points as Lakers win

· Complete Schedule: Los Angeles | New York
NEW YORK (AP) -- From the jawing with Spike Lee and Chris Rock to the postgame news conference with his daughters on his lap, Kobe Bryant enjoyed every minute of his return to Madison Square Garden.

Youngest to 20,000

Kobe Bryant eclipsed Wilt Chamberlain in NBA history as the youngest player to 20,000 points Sunday.

Player Years-Days
Kobe Bryant 29-122
Wilt Chamberlain 29-134
Michael Jordan 29-326
Oscar Robertson 30-97
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 30-34230 players are in the 20,000-Point Club: 18 are in the Basketball Hall of Fame; 10 are not yet eligible. Only eligible players not in Hall: Tom Chambers, Adrian Dantley.
Making history made it even better.
Bryant scored 39 points, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to reach 20,000, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the New York Knicks 95-90 Sunday.
Bryant added 11 rebounds and eight assists in his first game at the Garden in nearly two years. His 3-pointer in the opening minute of the third quarter allowed him to reach the milestone at 29 years, 122 days.
"I always like playing here, period," Bryant said. "Last year I didn't have an opportunity to play and I was upset about it. This is my favorite arena to play in so I'm just happy and relieved that I was able to play tonight."
Before Bryant only Wilt Chamberlain (29 years, 134 days) and Michael Jordan (29, 326) had gotten there before turning 30.
Bryant's last basket came in the final minute after the Knicks had trimmed a 25-point deficit to one. The victory capped a 3-1 road trip for the Lakers, who headed home to host Phoenix on Tuesday.
Jamal Crawford scored 31 points for the Knicks, who were again without Stephon Marbury and have lost two straight and eight of 10. David Lee had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Nate Robinson scored 16 points.
After the Knicks fell too far behind to make a comeback likely for the second time in three days, coach Isiah Thomas said there would be lineup changes when the Knicks play their next game, against Orlando on Wednesday.

Like great players before him, Kobe Bryant has starred in the NBA's most famous arena. The Lakers star has shined in his recent appearances at Madision Square Garden, including Sunday's 39-point effort.

Game notes
Bryant became the 31st player with 20,000 points.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=271223018

Cake recipe

This is the cake I made for Brittany on her B-day. Its pretty simple to make and is an authentic Florentine cake. Try it out.

Found in: 

Found in:A Cook's Tour of Italy: More Than 300 Authentic Recipes from the Regions of ... By Joe Famularo
At:http://books.google.com/books?id=1rqiksCI2_UC&pg=PA66&lpg=PA66&dq=florentine+orange+cake&source=web&ots=aAxw8Cxlnm&sig=VNozbRodBQg17o3jJotkn2BkPRE

file:///Users/seanwalklin/Desktop/AK%20traveler.band/

Closer to the city.

Today I woke up about 6 AM. It must be the time change becuase I couldnt go back to sleep. I was scheduled to go with Marios aunt, Antoinette, to shop with her and Mario's nonna (gma). She arrived with bagels, muffins and coffee and me her and Rosa, Marios mom, had breakfast. We set off for Astoria, Queens to pick up her mother. Her mom was a nice old lady with a playful smile. We went to a store called BJ's which is like Sams club to pick up bulk stuff for their Christmas eve dinner and then went to a organic fresh foods market called raspberrys that had lots of Italian goods. We also stopped in a deli called Sorriso (smile in Italian) that made me feel like I was back in Italy. It was full of meats and cheese and Italian goods. Antoinette has been going there for over 15 years so she knew what was good and they recommended new things to her. After we dropped off her mother Antoinette took me out to lunch at a bakery that served panino's and was in Astoria. After lunch she took me to Long Island City so I could take pictures of Manhattan.

feels good to travel...

Germany was great. I got a chance to walk around A LOT and use the trains many times. Scott was a great host and showed me some really cool places. His parents were also great. Very generous and nice. Scott and I cooked the ravioli recipe that I invented for my final for his parents and they enjoyed it. The morning I left we went to a different christmas market first. I had some glovine which is mulled spiced hot wine and the best potato soup I've ever had. We also had some fried potato batter which was called krampuffin or something. Scott took the train with me to the airport and walked me as far as he could go. I was flying air France and I had heard that they weren't that great an airline. The people checking me in had been great tho. My flight was leaving about 4 and I was there pretty early so I watched a movie on my laptop and shopped in the airport stores. It was amusing seeing that the airport had better stores than Alaska. I boarded (touching the side of the plane, of course) and sat in my aisle seat. This first part would be only about an hour and a half so I barely had time to put a movie in before we landed. when we landed in Paris I had about 2 hours to kill. I found the gate I was supposed to board then wandered around. The stores here were even better and I enjoyed walking around listening to people speaking French. Italian and French are the "romance language" but to me Italian sound much smoother. The Paris airport was beautiful and much more user friendly than any US airport I have been to. There were long rows of computers to use (for a fee) couches set up where you could play playstation 3's (for free) and an area with desks and plug ins incase you have a laptop. I found one of those and looked through my photos for a while. With about 30 minutes to departure I started wondering why there werent that many people waiting there. I looked at the screen and in red letters it was blinking a different gate number and the word "boarding" in french and english. I was surprised that they hadn't made an announcement. I had enough time to get to the other gate so it was okay. To get on the plane I had to show my boarding pass about 5 times. The plane was huge, with pretty nice seats and a new feature that i had never seen on a plane. There were video monitors in the headrest in front of me that were touch screens. You could touch them to select from about 20 movies, different TV shows, games, news, sports or flight information. I was sitting next to a young guy from Haiti that only spoke french and a young lady from Brasil They were both nice. I was beginning to think that who ever said the airline wasnt a good one when my thoughts were confirmed. They begin passing out free champagne, wine or beer and we weren't in first class! That was followed by the best airplane food Ive had. It was bree cheese, a baguette, wine, beef and rice in a kind of tomato sauce with eggplant, a salad yogurt and a little desert. That was followed by more drinks. After they were done serving drinks they put soda and water and fruit juice at different stations for people to help themselves to. Pretty good service. I couldnt sleep so I read for a while and watched Seinfeld. With about 2 hours to go they served a sanwhich and a couple other little snacks. As we begin our decent I started to get excited. Europe (especially Italy) and New York are the 2 places I've always dreampt of going too. Now I was doing both! After We landed I made it through customs pretty quick. waiting for my baggage took a while tho. When I walked out of the arrival area I searched the crowd. Mario had sent me his sisters myspace page and said she would probably be the one to pick me up. I saw a lady with a "Sean" sign and after she asked my last name she introduced herself as Mario's mother. I could tell right away she was a good person. We loaded my bags and set off for the house. Although it was about 5AM my time I was excited. Just on the way from the airport I saw the New York times printing facility, Shae Stadium (where the mets play), the US open tennis court and 2 huge bridges. We drove by Flushings which she explained was chinatown. She was a good tour guide! We went through a nice neighborhood and pulled up to a beautiful house with large columns in front. She explained that they were doing some renovations but that I would have the 3rd floor to myself until Mario came. Even with the work being done they had a beautiful home. Nice wood floors and antique furniture. My room was awesome. With wall to wall windows on one side I could see the two bridges and across the water, part of the city. Beautiful. I met one of his sisters and I could tell it was going to be a nice stay. They were the type of people who make you feel at home in a place you've never been. I loved getting into the big bed after the little thing they give us in Italy. I woke up this morning about an hour ago and I'm getting ready to head out and explore. P.S.: I HAVE LAKER TICKETS!

Brief Retrospective

Until I had the ticket in my hand I never really believed that I would be going to chef school in Italy. I felt stuck. I didn't have enough money to go to school and the school I was going to was uninspiring and at the same time I had no clue what I wanted to do for a career. I had taken out school loans and had no interest in taking out more to waste when I wasn't applying myself as well as I can. I had always wanted to go to Europe and coincidentally Italian (especially Roman) history was one of my favorite subjects as well as my favorite food. (since then I have learned that gambardellas and every other Italian restaurant I have been too is not real Italian food. Anyway I knew Italy would be the perfect place for me. Even if I don't end up being a chef I believe in the quote of “Its not what you know but where you’ve been”. Traveling and meeting new people is so important. From the first step I took of the plane from Alaska to Germany I have been absorbing everything I can and trying to become the best person I can be. I have seen amazing things and met great people. Seeing the sistine chapel still has an impact on me. Put that together with Tuscan countryside, the Duomos of Milan and Florence, the statue of david, lake como, Leaning Tower of Pisa, St.Peters Basilica, amazing paintings, not to mention the incredible food I’ve tasted and learned to make. I have a decent understanding for the Italian I hear and speaking it is beginning to click. I’ve watched the sun set over Florence from the top of the duomo. I’ve explored the streets where Dante and Michaelangelo lived. I’ve heard Germans, Italians, Greeks, Japanese, Senegalese, Middle Eastern and Russians laugh and realized that they all sound the same. I feel more like a part of the world than I ever have. I know how to keep from being pick pocketed, how to find the right trains, what time to go to the fresh markets and many of the other little things that makes traveling easy. I know that using your hands when you talk makes the language barrier smaller. I know the italian words for pass, shoot, rebound and that the butt slap after a good play is international. I know that Mcdonalds is the same garbage whether its in Fairbanks or a quarter mile from the Duomo in Florence. I’ve made life long friends and dozens of acquaintances that I wouldn’t hesitate to look up. I learned to say “Prost” when drinking with the Germans at Oktoberfest. I’ve laid on a beach with my girlfriend on the Mediterranean Sea. Ive eaten Sangiovese grapes right off the vine. The dishes I learned in this 1st semester in my BEGINNERS class would make any restaurant in Fairbanks that served them the nicest one in town. I haven't watched TV in 4 months and haven't been to the movies in longer. I’ve learned how supportive my whole family can be and how generous they all are. This semester has been great and I’m looking forward to an even better next one.

Meintz

Im in meinz (SP?) Germany right now until the 19th and its beautiful here. Scott took me to a christmas market yesterday and then we walked around the city for a while. Its a beautiful place right on the Rhine river. Its also the site of the worlds first printing press. On the way back to his house we walked over a huge bridge and he showed me an area with incredible grafitti.