Strike #1 for the Americans

Our shower....in the living room

 I came home from class today and Bre informed me that we do not have a shower for a week because it is leaking.  Not only that, but it is leaking through our floor into an antique shop below our apartment, probably ruining priceless Italian antiques.  Oops! So now our shower doors are chilling in the living room while they fix it.
   
The most interesting (and entertaining) part of this was trying to interact with the technician who spoke very little English.  While he was sitting in our kitchen waiting to work on the dishwasher (which was also broken) I realized how big of a barrier language really is.  I wanted to have a normal conversation but found that next to impossible without making bizarre hand gestures and guessing on Italian phrases (based on the Spanish I remember.)  By the end of my trip I hope to overcome this barrier and engage in more interaction with the many Florentines I see every day!