Milan was overall really fun. It didn't start off with a bang though. We were kinda apprehensive initially cuz the weather was unbearably hot (up to 38 degrees at some point) and milan wasn't exactly what we expected. It is as yx warned, dirty. Somehow, I had this impression that milan is this pretty cosmopolitan italian city with paved streets and friendly people all clad in the latest fashion. So sue me for being idealistic. XP Ahwells. Truth is, my image of milan is only right in the city centre, where the rich and the tourists shop. The store fronts are truly amazing. Window displays are taken to a higher level than they are elsewhere. Simply window shopping along the fashion quadrangle where all the luxury brands are located is a worthwhile experience. :)

Our "hotel" is family-run. Which is, I guess, a euphemism for tiny and dingy, in a way. It was converted from an apartment (or a few), and strangely enough, each room came with it's own toilet seat, sink and shower, right smack in the room itself. I was rather surprised, but we came to terms with it by having me shower in the shared bathroom on the first floor while yh showered in our room. By the end of our trip, the weather turned for the better (ie. I stopped sweating before I even step out of our room) and I felt better about the whole trip. Our hotel might be small and old, but the owners are friendly (despite them not speaking much english) and the place is kept clean. :) Italy is a land of friendly people, but my initial reserve is probably due to the language barrier. English is definitely less prevalent in milan as compared to berlin- and all announcements and signs can only be found in italian. I'm glad to say that I can now converse in basic (very basic indeed) italian.. :D

One of the most interesting things about milan is it's happy hour. From pretty much 6pm to 9pm every day, the bars in milan will set out a buffet which customers are free to enjoy as long as they purchase a drink. :) This pretty much constituted our dinners for the trip.

In any case, I'm back in berlin again, and school has started today. I'm in for a rough ride, I'd say. 150 pages of reading per day is NOT what I expected. :(( SIGHS. I guess that's what happens when I take 2 history classes concurrently.