For the past few weeks, every Friday, I have become a teacher in an Italian high school and I have now had time to collect my thoughts on the experience and wish to share them with you. As a whole, teaching in an Italian high school was a good experience for me. Not only did I get to see the differences between Italian high schools and American high schools but I also met many new people who made my experience that much more enjoyable. My teacher, Franca Bastianoni, was absolutely wonderful to me and always made me feel that what I was doing was worth something. She helped guide me and was always there to help her students understand as well. She was, by far, my greatest resource.
Friday October 16, 2009
My first day teaching was a tough one. I had four classes all of which had different levels of English competency. Franca asked me to prepare an introduction where I spoke about myself, my school, and anything else felt the need to explain. I made a power point presentation containing pictures of the state and city where I am from, as well as pictures of my family and friends. It was interesting explaining all of this to my classes and I soon figured out which classes I needed to speak slowly in so that they could understand me and which classes I could go more in depth in. For instance, in my 5B class we not only talked about myself but also ended up talking about how, in the U.S, people have to be 21 years old to drink whereas in Italy it really doesn’t matter. However, in my 2A class I couldn’t have a conversation like that because their comprehension isn’t high enough for it. They were all very nice to me though. One boy, when he found out that I attended an all women’s college, stated “Oh! It is a paradise!”
Friday, October 23, 2009
After my first day of teaching, I really had my work cut out for me because almost all of my classes had different lessons I had to create for them. In the U.S, I am a preschool teacher during the summer and over Christmas. This, however, is completely different from teaching high school students in a different country. Not only do I have to attempt to teach, which I have never done on such a high level but also to students who do not speak English especially well. My first class, 3A, and my second class, 4A, had the same lesson as they were basically on the same level of English. However, the students in my third class, 2A, were preparing for an exam called the P.E.T. which is a standardized test that they take in order to asses their level of English. I was told to look over some study books about the P.E.T and come up with a lesson to help them practice. Well I had never heard of the P.E.T before and I certainly didn’t know how to help them with it. I came out of that particular class feeling quite useless as a teacher especially when I found out that most of the students would not be taking the exam. My 5B class is the highest English level and their lesson was on a poem of Emily Dickenson’s. Talk about uplifting conversation. We talked about “I am Nobody. Who are You?” and I asked them questions about it and tried to explain it. This was slightly difficult considering that Ms. Dickinson decided to bypass correct grammar and For my 3A and 4A class, made a power point about American holidays which included Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and the 4th of July. Of course, some of these such as Christmas they are very familiar with so we talked about the differences. Surprisingly there weren’t that many. I may have confused them into thinking that all Americans eat pizza on Christmas Eve though.
Friday November 6, 2009
On my third day, I only had two classes, 2A and 5B, because the other two were on a class trip. For 2A, I made a slide show of my favorite and my most hated TV shows. They knew some of the shows and were able to talk a little about which ones they knew about. My favorites were “House” , “Friends”, and “Supernatural” and my least favorite were “South Park”, “Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy”, and “Hannah Montana”. The students knew about “House” and told me that there are a lot of medical shows in Italy and I explained that it was the same in the U.S. and then we all laughed about how stupid “Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy”, a cartoon show about three boys who do nothing but silly pranks and ideas, was. It a much more enjoyable class than the last one had been and I left feeling much better. My 5B class had another Emily Dickinson poem called “There is a Solitude of Silence”. Once again, Ms. Dickinson proved hard to explain but we got through it and then I had some extra time to talk about my trip to London the previous week and we compared stories because some of them had been before.
Friday November 20, 2009
My forth day of teaching was by far my best day. For 3A and 4A, I got to talk about the Globe Theater and since Shakespeare is one of my favorite things this was not a hard topic. I talked about the history of the Globe and the replica that is now in London. I also gave a little bit of history about the great bard himself. I think that my excitement for Shakespeare and the Globe helped keep my students interested. I had also reached a point where my students were happy to see me. They would say hello as soon as I walked in and give me these wonderful smiles. I had also figured out which classes needed me to speak slowly and clearly and which classes I could speak at a normal pace. These little lessons were really having more of an impact on me than I had though originally possible. Even my 2A class went really well. Franca asked my to prepare something called dictation drawing. Basically, you take a picture and describe it and the students have to draw what they hear. Now, the important thing to understand is that this is an art high school so as I was describing pictures, my students were producing works of art. This was especially funny when I told them to describe a picture to me and I had to draw it. We all laughed when the discovery was made that I have very little artistic talent, especially on a dry erase board. Unfortunately, I did not have my 5B class that day as they were off on a school trip but at least it all went exceedingly well.
Friday November 27, 2009
My last day of teaching was extremely bittersweet. At the end of every class, someone produced a camera and we all took a picture together. Franca also gave me a beautiful necklace charm which had been made by a professor at the school who teaches metal working. Not only was the charm hand made, but it was also gold. Needless to say, I left the school a little teary-eyed. Franca asked me to prepare one lesson for all four classes about New York. I was a little reluctant to do so because I have only been to New York once, and I would like my students to know that there is more to America than just New York. In the end though, it proved to be a good thing because I had forgotten how interesting New York can be. I talked about the Statue of Liberty and what an important symbol it is for the country. I spoke a little about Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Times Square. My last slide was a picture of the World Trade Center and I told my class about September 11, 2001. What surprised me the most was how emotional I became about it. I forgot how much of an effect that day had had upon my life and what a change it had brought to my country. My students then told me about how shocking and sad it had been for them and I realized how very similar we all are, even if we are from different parts of the world.
giovedì 3 dicembre 2009
martedì 17 novembre 2009
The London Pop-up Book: Part 2
October 30, 2009
Another 8am morning – this time in order to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace is home to the Queen of England and contains 775 rooms. If the flag is flying from the flagpole, it means that the Queen is home. It just so happened that the Queen was home although we did not get to see her. It was crowded as can be for the guard change and almost impossible to see anything. Fortunately, I did get a few pictures of all the finery.
Next, we went to get tickets for the evening show of “Wicked”, which is the story of the friendship between Elfaba, the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North from the Wizard of Oz. We did manage to get seats for 20 Pounds. I would have paid more because I have wanted to see “Wicked” for years but 20 is just fine. Since Amanda and I had done all the major sites the day before and had food at the hostel for lunch, we split from Samantha and Vi so that they could go see everything and we could go eat. They then met up with us at the hostel and Samantha and I decided to go to the Natural History Museum.
The Natural History Museum is an impressive building and the exhibits inside are even more intense. The first thing I saw when I walked in was the giant skeleton of a brachiosaurus. The museum contains an extensive dinosaur bone collection as well as exhibits on rocks and minerals and mammals, just to name a couple. Similar to the Louvre, it is impossible to really appreciate all that this museum has to offer within just a couple of hours. Samantha and I spent 45 minutes in an exhibit called the Vault which contains extremely valuable gemstones and precious minerals. One of the rocks is a meteorite that fell in 1910 in Ferrara, Italy. It contains material that is older than the Earth itself! In the mammal room is a full scale model of a Blue Whale. I could have spent a month in every exhibit in the museum and still not have comprehended all of the knowledge it had to offer.
After the museum, Samantha and I headed back to the hostel for a bite to eat and to meet up with Vi. We then headed over to the Apollo Victoria Theater to see “Wicked”. Words cannot describe how excited I was to see this show. I have loved the music from “Wicked” since high school but never had the opportunity to see it. It did not disappoint. Everything about it was wonderful: costumes, singing, set, and actors. It was magnificent.
October 31, 2009
Amanda and I set out early to visit Notting Hill and Portobello road. On Saturdays, there is a very large market selling everything from pashminas to antique telescopes. All kinds of people come to the market to both buy and sell. This diversity is packed onto a simple two lane road. It had been raining earlier in the morning so it wasn’t impassable when we first arrived but by the time we left, it was almost impossible to stay together. We drifted in and out of shops and stopped to look at things that caught our eye. There was so much to see it was a little overwhelming.
We headed back towards the center of town in order to visit a friend of Amanda’s. On our way back, we witnessed the insanity that is Halloween in London. There was a museum turned haunted house which included zombies, vampires, and other ghostly figures which haunt the night. I adore Halloween. I love to dress up and go out. I really love seeing all the costumes that little kids wear because they can be extremely cute. I do not, however, like being scared out of my skin. For this reason, I do not frequent haunted houses or anything else of the kind. However, the line for the museum’s haunted house was almost around the corner so in the end, without my business, haunted houses do just fine.
After a brief lunch, Amanda and I sprinted to the National Theater in order to catch the matinee of “Mother Courage and her Children”. This play is set in Poland during the 13 years war and follows a woman named Mother Courage. She has three children whom she is desperate to protect from the fighting but during the first scene, her eldest son is sneaked away by a recruiting officer. Her second son, who goes by the name of Cottage Cheese, has a mental disability and her daughter, Kattrin, is mute. Mother Courage follows the Polish army with a cart containing items that she trades with the soldiers for money. As the play continues, heartache and death are constant companions. It ends tragically but is still an amazing play. This show was truly one of the best I have ever seen and inspired me as an actress.
Next we headed back to Covent Garden. I had a ticket to see “War Horse” and Amanda decided to go to “Sister Act”. It may seem strange to see two shows in one day, but Amanda and I are theater majors and the stage is what we love. “War Horse” was very good. It follows a horse named Joey (a magnificent puppet manned by three people) and other horses as they go to war. Joey’s human companion Robbie is so distraught when Joey is taken away from him that he follows the horse into battle even though he is not of age. It is a heartbreaking but beautiful story.
Afterward as I made my way back to the hostel, I ran into Vi and Samantha. They had gone to see “Grease” that night. We decided to go out and see what London had to offer on Halloween. In the end, we went back to the hostel and had many conversations with the others who were staying there. It was a load of good fun and I went to bed quite happy with my day.
November 1, 2009
I decided that I wanted to go back to Portobello road to see if the market was still open. Unfortunately, the weather that had been so kind to us during the week gave in and it began to pour. There is nothing like walking down a deserted street in London, in the rain, only to discover that your shoes are no longer as water proof as they were when your trip first began. In the end, Amanda and I gave up wandering aimlessly around and stepped into a Starbucks to help warm out insides. We had a little heart to heart conversation (always good for the soul) then set out again in order to stop by the Tate Museum of Modern Art. This museum contains six floors with just about any kind of art imaginable. The Tate is free to enter, but the temporary exhibits are a paying affair. There was only one temporary exhibit that I wanted to see but I had run out of money and I couldn’t get more. In the end, I saw Monet and Andy Warhol so the visit was not a complete failure (as if seeing just those two artists alone could be considered anything but a victory).
We headed back to the hostel so that I could change my socks and decide which matinee show we wanted to see. Sundays are much more difficult to see a show because it is often what is called a dark day. Dark days are simply days when the show and the actors take a break from performing. In America, these days often happen on Monday but in London, this is not so. Luckily, we found a promising play: “The Shawshank Redemption”. “The Shawshank Redemption” began originally as a novel by Stephen King and then became a movie made in America. As a play, it was very impressive. A man Andy is sent to prison for a crime he constantly claims he never committed. He becomes friends with another inmate named Red and the two strike up a strong bond. As the story continues, the audience sees the injustices inherent in the system and it all ends in a very surprising manner. Amanda and I so enjoyed it that we gave it a standing ovation and stood outside the stage door to get signatures. Laugh if you will, but it was worth it.
We headed back to the hostel, made dinner, and I ended up going to bed quite early. We were going to have a long day of travel the next day.
November 2, 2009
We had to start out early in order to get to the airport on time. Luckily, Amanda and I had checked in online but Samantha and Vi needed to check luggage. To make a long story short, we all managed to make the plane by the skin of our teeth. Hannah and Jenna were both on the same flight so it was good to know that the majority of us were getting back together. We flew into Pisa with no problem, bought tickets for Arezzo and then proceeded to spend the rest of the day on very crowded trains. Exhausted and sore, we made our way back to the palazzo and I fell into bed to get some much needed R&R. I had a wonderful trip and it is my dear hope that I will one day be able to visit London again.
Another 8am morning – this time in order to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace is home to the Queen of England and contains 775 rooms. If the flag is flying from the flagpole, it means that the Queen is home. It just so happened that the Queen was home although we did not get to see her. It was crowded as can be for the guard change and almost impossible to see anything. Fortunately, I did get a few pictures of all the finery.
Next, we went to get tickets for the evening show of “Wicked”, which is the story of the friendship between Elfaba, the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North from the Wizard of Oz. We did manage to get seats for 20 Pounds. I would have paid more because I have wanted to see “Wicked” for years but 20 is just fine. Since Amanda and I had done all the major sites the day before and had food at the hostel for lunch, we split from Samantha and Vi so that they could go see everything and we could go eat. They then met up with us at the hostel and Samantha and I decided to go to the Natural History Museum.
The Natural History Museum is an impressive building and the exhibits inside are even more intense. The first thing I saw when I walked in was the giant skeleton of a brachiosaurus. The museum contains an extensive dinosaur bone collection as well as exhibits on rocks and minerals and mammals, just to name a couple. Similar to the Louvre, it is impossible to really appreciate all that this museum has to offer within just a couple of hours. Samantha and I spent 45 minutes in an exhibit called the Vault which contains extremely valuable gemstones and precious minerals. One of the rocks is a meteorite that fell in 1910 in Ferrara, Italy. It contains material that is older than the Earth itself! In the mammal room is a full scale model of a Blue Whale. I could have spent a month in every exhibit in the museum and still not have comprehended all of the knowledge it had to offer.
After the museum, Samantha and I headed back to the hostel for a bite to eat and to meet up with Vi. We then headed over to the Apollo Victoria Theater to see “Wicked”. Words cannot describe how excited I was to see this show. I have loved the music from “Wicked” since high school but never had the opportunity to see it. It did not disappoint. Everything about it was wonderful: costumes, singing, set, and actors. It was magnificent.
October 31, 2009
Amanda and I set out early to visit Notting Hill and Portobello road. On Saturdays, there is a very large market selling everything from pashminas to antique telescopes. All kinds of people come to the market to both buy and sell. This diversity is packed onto a simple two lane road. It had been raining earlier in the morning so it wasn’t impassable when we first arrived but by the time we left, it was almost impossible to stay together. We drifted in and out of shops and stopped to look at things that caught our eye. There was so much to see it was a little overwhelming.
We headed back towards the center of town in order to visit a friend of Amanda’s. On our way back, we witnessed the insanity that is Halloween in London. There was a museum turned haunted house which included zombies, vampires, and other ghostly figures which haunt the night. I adore Halloween. I love to dress up and go out. I really love seeing all the costumes that little kids wear because they can be extremely cute. I do not, however, like being scared out of my skin. For this reason, I do not frequent haunted houses or anything else of the kind. However, the line for the museum’s haunted house was almost around the corner so in the end, without my business, haunted houses do just fine.
After a brief lunch, Amanda and I sprinted to the National Theater in order to catch the matinee of “Mother Courage and her Children”. This play is set in Poland during the 13 years war and follows a woman named Mother Courage. She has three children whom she is desperate to protect from the fighting but during the first scene, her eldest son is sneaked away by a recruiting officer. Her second son, who goes by the name of Cottage Cheese, has a mental disability and her daughter, Kattrin, is mute. Mother Courage follows the Polish army with a cart containing items that she trades with the soldiers for money. As the play continues, heartache and death are constant companions. It ends tragically but is still an amazing play. This show was truly one of the best I have ever seen and inspired me as an actress.
Next we headed back to Covent Garden. I had a ticket to see “War Horse” and Amanda decided to go to “Sister Act”. It may seem strange to see two shows in one day, but Amanda and I are theater majors and the stage is what we love. “War Horse” was very good. It follows a horse named Joey (a magnificent puppet manned by three people) and other horses as they go to war. Joey’s human companion Robbie is so distraught when Joey is taken away from him that he follows the horse into battle even though he is not of age. It is a heartbreaking but beautiful story.
Afterward as I made my way back to the hostel, I ran into Vi and Samantha. They had gone to see “Grease” that night. We decided to go out and see what London had to offer on Halloween. In the end, we went back to the hostel and had many conversations with the others who were staying there. It was a load of good fun and I went to bed quite happy with my day.
November 1, 2009
I decided that I wanted to go back to Portobello road to see if the market was still open. Unfortunately, the weather that had been so kind to us during the week gave in and it began to pour. There is nothing like walking down a deserted street in London, in the rain, only to discover that your shoes are no longer as water proof as they were when your trip first began. In the end, Amanda and I gave up wandering aimlessly around and stepped into a Starbucks to help warm out insides. We had a little heart to heart conversation (always good for the soul) then set out again in order to stop by the Tate Museum of Modern Art. This museum contains six floors with just about any kind of art imaginable. The Tate is free to enter, but the temporary exhibits are a paying affair. There was only one temporary exhibit that I wanted to see but I had run out of money and I couldn’t get more. In the end, I saw Monet and Andy Warhol so the visit was not a complete failure (as if seeing just those two artists alone could be considered anything but a victory).
We headed back to the hostel so that I could change my socks and decide which matinee show we wanted to see. Sundays are much more difficult to see a show because it is often what is called a dark day. Dark days are simply days when the show and the actors take a break from performing. In America, these days often happen on Monday but in London, this is not so. Luckily, we found a promising play: “The Shawshank Redemption”. “The Shawshank Redemption” began originally as a novel by Stephen King and then became a movie made in America. As a play, it was very impressive. A man Andy is sent to prison for a crime he constantly claims he never committed. He becomes friends with another inmate named Red and the two strike up a strong bond. As the story continues, the audience sees the injustices inherent in the system and it all ends in a very surprising manner. Amanda and I so enjoyed it that we gave it a standing ovation and stood outside the stage door to get signatures. Laugh if you will, but it was worth it.
We headed back to the hostel, made dinner, and I ended up going to bed quite early. We were going to have a long day of travel the next day.
November 2, 2009
We had to start out early in order to get to the airport on time. Luckily, Amanda and I had checked in online but Samantha and Vi needed to check luggage. To make a long story short, we all managed to make the plane by the skin of our teeth. Hannah and Jenna were both on the same flight so it was good to know that the majority of us were getting back together. We flew into Pisa with no problem, bought tickets for Arezzo and then proceeded to spend the rest of the day on very crowded trains. Exhausted and sore, we made our way back to the palazzo and I fell into bed to get some much needed R&R. I had a wonderful trip and it is my dear hope that I will one day be able to visit London again.
lunedì 16 novembre 2009
The London Pop-up Book: Part 1
October 28, 2009
Amanda and I had been planning for London for so long that it was wonderful to finally be on our way. We had plane tickets, a place to stay, and a plan on how to get there. We packed the night before (and had a wonderful time with Chelsea’s family) and talked about some last minute things. We got up around 6 because wee had to be at the bus station by 7. Caught the bus to Arezzo, caught the train to the Pisa airport, waited in line to check in and then to security. Here are some tips for European airline travel:
1.) Check-in online if you can. It saves time, energy, and frustration.
2.) Make sure any and all toiletries are in a clear case and in 100mL bottles or less (And yes, Clinique face wash works just as well in a smaller bottle as it does in the bottle it comes in. Don’t go wasting 15 Euros in the shop at the airport just because you forgot about the bottle rule.)
3.) Make room for delays
4.) Bring money and food.
5.) If you find that your credit card has decided to not let you withdraw money in the country you land in and you have to call your bank, be kind to the person on the phone. They have very hard jobs and are much more likely to help you faster and more efficiently if you ask them how their day is.
So we arrived in London around 4 and made it to the hostel around 5. The hostel was just wonderful, a great find by the brilliant Amanda. Close to the Underground but in a nice residential area that felt very safe. We arrived in time to see a show that night. We decided on “The Woman in Black”, a thriller-type ghost story in which there are only two characters and one ghost. I thought the acting was wonderful, especially because one of the actors portrayed a number of different people. A man named Arthur Kipps has gone to an actor in order to receive help on a story he has written about his past and wishes to tell. The Actor, who has no other name, makes the story a performance and places himself in the role of the younger Arthur while the real Arthur takes on the roles of all of the other people involved in the story. I realize that this is a bit confusing but the performances were just wonderful. I won’t give away the ending; I will just say that it was the perfect show to see just before Halloween.
October 29, 2009
We woke up around 8 in order to get as much out of the day as possible. In some strange twist of fate, the weather, which had been bitterly cold when we left Sansepolcro, was surprisingly warm. This was odd for October, but I will always take blessings where I can. Our first order of business was the Globe Theater. Yes, that amazing building in which Shakespeare’s plays were first performed. Being a theatre major (and a past student of the infamous Gary Walton, whom has taught me the majority of what I know of that great bard), I could not bypass such an opportunity. Truly, it was as if I found water in the desert. I have been without stage and script for the whole semester. Being able to just sit in the Globe and listen to its history, I fell in love with the theatre world all over again.
After the Globe, Amanda and I visited some of the most famous sights in London. In order to visit the Globe, one must cross the Millennium Bridge. This modern structure crosses the Thames river right in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral. St. Paul’s was built in the 17th century and is one of the largest Cathedral domes in the world (this fact courtesy of my St. Paul’s mini card obtained from my hostel). Right beside the bridge sits the City of London School. According to Amanda, this is where Daniel Radcliff attended school for two years before making his millions as Harry Potter. Lucky lad. Not long afterward, Amanda and I took the tube to see such famous sights as Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, St. James’s Park, and Buckingham Palace. In truth, Big Ben is the name of the giant bell inside and the tower’s actual name is Stephen. Stephen the tower. I think I understand why everyone calls it Big Ben.
The London Eye is the world’s biggest Ferris wheel. For 17 Pounds, you can sit for 30 minutes in an enclosed glass egg and see the entire city. I did not spend 17 Pounds to see the entire city because venturing that high on a Ferris wheel is not my idea of fun. Heights and I don’t get along well. Still, just viewing the wheel was interesting. Even if the wheel doesn’t look like it’s turning, it is.
Westminster Abbey was next on the list, followed by the Houses of Parliament. Westminster Abbey has a small chapel next to it which is free to enter. Amanda and I had decided to go inside St. Paul’s and Westminster on Sunday because then you can venture in for free. Otherwise, it costs upwards of 10 pounds to get in. The chapel though, was just lovely. It reminded me quite a bit of the church I attended when I was younger. The walls of the chapel were covered in memorials and prayers for the departed and the stained glass windows pictured abstract art instead of traditional Bible scenes. We were lucky enough to have entered while the organist was practicing and so sat in silence for a few minutes just to enjoy the music.
We next wandered through St. James’s Park on our way to Buckingham Palace. This park is home to a large number of geese, swans, and ducks because there is a large lake located in the center. All of these birds recognize you as having one thing: food. This provides a lot of entertainment for the families who come to the park. It was such a lovely sight to see all the different ages present. Young and old, small and large; everyone can have a good time. We saw a group of children having a race on hop balls (those big bouncy balls that you sit on) and we saw people walking their dogs or just sitting on the grass and reading. At one point, Amanda and I found a marble monument in the shape of a wedge. A small amount of water flows from the top of the wedge to the bottom. The real sight came from watching all of the children climbing up and down this monument. They would slip and fall on the marble and some would laugh and some would cry. They would run and pose at the top for a picture and one little girl decided it was her job to collect all of the leaves which had gotten stuck. We sat and watched all the fun for a while until one parent read on the side that the monument was not to be climbed on. Everyone then vacated the makeshift playground. The monument is to commemorate the Canadians who came to help the English during both World Wars. The plaque in front states: In two world wars one million Canadians came to Britain and joined the fight for freedom. From danger shared, our friendship prospers. I understand honoring those who have given their lives for freedom, but at the same time I doubt those who passed would have been upset at seeing those children having such innocent fun. Especially if they could have seen the smiles.
Samantha and Vi met up with Amanda and I back at the hostel. They had been to Paris first and then made their way to London. We decided to see a show called “War Horse” that night but unfortunately it was sold out. We decided to see “Dirty Dancing” instead. “Dirty Dancing” was first a movie and is now a stage show. The dancing, of course, was amazing. The acting…not so much. Nevertheless, it was still a very enjoyable show. A successful first full day in London.
Amanda and I had been planning for London for so long that it was wonderful to finally be on our way. We had plane tickets, a place to stay, and a plan on how to get there. We packed the night before (and had a wonderful time with Chelsea’s family) and talked about some last minute things. We got up around 6 because wee had to be at the bus station by 7. Caught the bus to Arezzo, caught the train to the Pisa airport, waited in line to check in and then to security. Here are some tips for European airline travel:
1.) Check-in online if you can. It saves time, energy, and frustration.
2.) Make sure any and all toiletries are in a clear case and in 100mL bottles or less (And yes, Clinique face wash works just as well in a smaller bottle as it does in the bottle it comes in. Don’t go wasting 15 Euros in the shop at the airport just because you forgot about the bottle rule.)
3.) Make room for delays
4.) Bring money and food.
5.) If you find that your credit card has decided to not let you withdraw money in the country you land in and you have to call your bank, be kind to the person on the phone. They have very hard jobs and are much more likely to help you faster and more efficiently if you ask them how their day is.
So we arrived in London around 4 and made it to the hostel around 5. The hostel was just wonderful, a great find by the brilliant Amanda. Close to the Underground but in a nice residential area that felt very safe. We arrived in time to see a show that night. We decided on “The Woman in Black”, a thriller-type ghost story in which there are only two characters and one ghost. I thought the acting was wonderful, especially because one of the actors portrayed a number of different people. A man named Arthur Kipps has gone to an actor in order to receive help on a story he has written about his past and wishes to tell. The Actor, who has no other name, makes the story a performance and places himself in the role of the younger Arthur while the real Arthur takes on the roles of all of the other people involved in the story. I realize that this is a bit confusing but the performances were just wonderful. I won’t give away the ending; I will just say that it was the perfect show to see just before Halloween.
October 29, 2009
We woke up around 8 in order to get as much out of the day as possible. In some strange twist of fate, the weather, which had been bitterly cold when we left Sansepolcro, was surprisingly warm. This was odd for October, but I will always take blessings where I can. Our first order of business was the Globe Theater. Yes, that amazing building in which Shakespeare’s plays were first performed. Being a theatre major (and a past student of the infamous Gary Walton, whom has taught me the majority of what I know of that great bard), I could not bypass such an opportunity. Truly, it was as if I found water in the desert. I have been without stage and script for the whole semester. Being able to just sit in the Globe and listen to its history, I fell in love with the theatre world all over again.
After the Globe, Amanda and I visited some of the most famous sights in London. In order to visit the Globe, one must cross the Millennium Bridge. This modern structure crosses the Thames river right in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral. St. Paul’s was built in the 17th century and is one of the largest Cathedral domes in the world (this fact courtesy of my St. Paul’s mini card obtained from my hostel). Right beside the bridge sits the City of London School. According to Amanda, this is where Daniel Radcliff attended school for two years before making his millions as Harry Potter. Lucky lad. Not long afterward, Amanda and I took the tube to see such famous sights as Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, St. James’s Park, and Buckingham Palace. In truth, Big Ben is the name of the giant bell inside and the tower’s actual name is Stephen. Stephen the tower. I think I understand why everyone calls it Big Ben.
The London Eye is the world’s biggest Ferris wheel. For 17 Pounds, you can sit for 30 minutes in an enclosed glass egg and see the entire city. I did not spend 17 Pounds to see the entire city because venturing that high on a Ferris wheel is not my idea of fun. Heights and I don’t get along well. Still, just viewing the wheel was interesting. Even if the wheel doesn’t look like it’s turning, it is.
Westminster Abbey was next on the list, followed by the Houses of Parliament. Westminster Abbey has a small chapel next to it which is free to enter. Amanda and I had decided to go inside St. Paul’s and Westminster on Sunday because then you can venture in for free. Otherwise, it costs upwards of 10 pounds to get in. The chapel though, was just lovely. It reminded me quite a bit of the church I attended when I was younger. The walls of the chapel were covered in memorials and prayers for the departed and the stained glass windows pictured abstract art instead of traditional Bible scenes. We were lucky enough to have entered while the organist was practicing and so sat in silence for a few minutes just to enjoy the music.
We next wandered through St. James’s Park on our way to Buckingham Palace. This park is home to a large number of geese, swans, and ducks because there is a large lake located in the center. All of these birds recognize you as having one thing: food. This provides a lot of entertainment for the families who come to the park. It was such a lovely sight to see all the different ages present. Young and old, small and large; everyone can have a good time. We saw a group of children having a race on hop balls (those big bouncy balls that you sit on) and we saw people walking their dogs or just sitting on the grass and reading. At one point, Amanda and I found a marble monument in the shape of a wedge. A small amount of water flows from the top of the wedge to the bottom. The real sight came from watching all of the children climbing up and down this monument. They would slip and fall on the marble and some would laugh and some would cry. They would run and pose at the top for a picture and one little girl decided it was her job to collect all of the leaves which had gotten stuck. We sat and watched all the fun for a while until one parent read on the side that the monument was not to be climbed on. Everyone then vacated the makeshift playground. The monument is to commemorate the Canadians who came to help the English during both World Wars. The plaque in front states: In two world wars one million Canadians came to Britain and joined the fight for freedom. From danger shared, our friendship prospers. I understand honoring those who have given their lives for freedom, but at the same time I doubt those who passed would have been upset at seeing those children having such innocent fun. Especially if they could have seen the smiles.
Samantha and Vi met up with Amanda and I back at the hostel. They had been to Paris first and then made their way to London. We decided to see a show called “War Horse” that night but unfortunately it was sold out. We decided to see “Dirty Dancing” instead. “Dirty Dancing” was first a movie and is now a stage show. The dancing, of course, was amazing. The acting…not so much. Nevertheless, it was still a very enjoyable show. A successful first full day in London.
sabato 17 ottobre 2009
Observation on Italians in Italy
I have a few observations on Italians that I would like to write down before I forget what they are:
1.) Italian men have much more of a physical relationship with their children than American men I have seen. It is equally likely to see an Italian father holding his child or pushing a stroller or playing ball with them as it is to see the mother doing such things. As a matter of fact, the Italian mothers have a tendency to sit out during the fun just watching, having a coffee, or talking with other mothers.
2.) If an Italian boy finds out you are from America, you are "very beautiful" regardless of what you say to the contrary. Mind you, it is "very beautiful" not just beautiful. This phrase is usually followed by a very forward gesture: they try to kiss you. It is very simple to divert said gesture. Simply cover your mouth, say no, and quickly walk away.
3.) Italians love to dance. This is especially apparent in the discoteca. Italian men don't just stand there in the club and let the women dance for them. No, they genuinely like to dance and it is such a nice sight and feeling.
4.) Now, one of the hazards of the discoteca is that Italian men also like to touch. This really has not presented much of a problem for me. Most of the time, they just go for my hair or my face (a sign of affection is running your hand down the side of someone's face, it is endearing).
5.) Obviously, one of the biggest problems that anyone will have while visiting another country will be the changes in cultural cues and rules. I don’t know what certain gestures, slang, and other forms of Italian communication mean. If I go to a club and dance with a friend, has the relationship changed or does it stay the same neutral that it was before. Or was it never neutral in the first place and therefore have I led this person to believe something they shouldn’t? This type of scenario is complicated enough using my own language, but add in the factor that I can’t understand the majority of the words they are using and I am irretrievably lost…as any normal person would be.
6.) At the same, Italians are the most laid back people. They open their shops usually around 8 or 9 in the morning, close them from 1 to 4, open them again from 4 to 8 and then the day is done. To top it all off, they get loads more vacation time than Americans do. I think they generally enjoy themselves most of the time working or not.
7.) The drinking age in Italy is 16. Children grow up around wine. I think that this is the reason that they are much less likely to binge drink because they grew up knowing how to actually enjoy a beverage for what it is and the art that goes with making it.
8.) The Italians that I have met who speak English tell me that they like speaking English more because it is easier. This utterly baffles me because I have a hard enough time with it and I’ve been speaking it all of my life.
1.) Italian men have much more of a physical relationship with their children than American men I have seen. It is equally likely to see an Italian father holding his child or pushing a stroller or playing ball with them as it is to see the mother doing such things. As a matter of fact, the Italian mothers have a tendency to sit out during the fun just watching, having a coffee, or talking with other mothers.
2.) If an Italian boy finds out you are from America, you are "very beautiful" regardless of what you say to the contrary. Mind you, it is "very beautiful" not just beautiful. This phrase is usually followed by a very forward gesture: they try to kiss you. It is very simple to divert said gesture. Simply cover your mouth, say no, and quickly walk away.
3.) Italians love to dance. This is especially apparent in the discoteca. Italian men don't just stand there in the club and let the women dance for them. No, they genuinely like to dance and it is such a nice sight and feeling.
4.) Now, one of the hazards of the discoteca is that Italian men also like to touch. This really has not presented much of a problem for me. Most of the time, they just go for my hair or my face (a sign of affection is running your hand down the side of someone's face, it is endearing).
5.) Obviously, one of the biggest problems that anyone will have while visiting another country will be the changes in cultural cues and rules. I don’t know what certain gestures, slang, and other forms of Italian communication mean. If I go to a club and dance with a friend, has the relationship changed or does it stay the same neutral that it was before. Or was it never neutral in the first place and therefore have I led this person to believe something they shouldn’t? This type of scenario is complicated enough using my own language, but add in the factor that I can’t understand the majority of the words they are using and I am irretrievably lost…as any normal person would be.
6.) At the same, Italians are the most laid back people. They open their shops usually around 8 or 9 in the morning, close them from 1 to 4, open them again from 4 to 8 and then the day is done. To top it all off, they get loads more vacation time than Americans do. I think they generally enjoy themselves most of the time working or not.
7.) The drinking age in Italy is 16. Children grow up around wine. I think that this is the reason that they are much less likely to binge drink because they grew up knowing how to actually enjoy a beverage for what it is and the art that goes with making it.
8.) The Italians that I have met who speak English tell me that they like speaking English more because it is easier. This utterly baffles me because I have a hard enough time with it and I’ve been speaking it all of my life.
lunedì 12 ottobre 2009
Ruins, Ruins Everywhere…
This three day weekend, Chelsea and I decided to travel south and go to Pompei and Mount Vesuvius. This is our adventure:
On Friday, all of us girls had to get up early in order to catch the 8:13 train to Perugia. Our Italian professor, Chiara, wanted to show us the chocolate factory there. Needless to say I was in absolute heaven there. I do love chocolate so. I did feel bad for the workers though. When you take a tour of the factory, you basically just walk above it in this windowed walkway. I know I would feel like an absolute goldfish if people were watching me do my job.
Right after the chocolate factory, Chelsea and I went to the train station to catch a train to Arezzo. Ironically, even though Perugia is closer to Naples than Arezzo is, it’s cheaper to go there from Arezzo. It’s simply because from Arezzo, you can go through the mountains instead of around them from Perugia. Come to find out, there was going to be a train strike on Sunday. This was a major problem because if there was a strike, we would not be able to get back until Monday and that would mean missing classes which is not good. In the end, we decided to chance it because who knew if we would be able to go again. One of the best decision of my life. So we got to Arezzo and had to make a mad dash to the train. We got on and managed to find a couple of seats together. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to keep them. As it turns out this was a particularly crowded train and because we had bought our tickets from a kiosk, we didn’t have reserved seats. So we had to park ourselves in the hallway on these little (and uncomfortable) pull out seats from the wall. Then, when the ticket master came around, we found out that our tickets were not for the right train. So not only did we have to pay the extra money for the right ticket, we had to pay a fine for the mistake. Needless to say, when we finally reached Naples, we weren’t exactly happy campers. A five hour train ride and money just oozing out of my wallet. Not only that, but we had to take another train to get to the city where our B&B was. Luckily, that one was easy to find and cheap. Unluckily, I had managed to miscalculate the direction in which our B&B was on the map and we had no idea where we were. So we called Omar, the owner of the B&B and he very kindly came and got us:
Lauren: “Omar? It’s Lauren. I’m standing in front of SISA, the supermarket.”
Omar: “SISA?!? Oh no. Stay there. I come get you.”
(After we hung up)
Lauren: “That can’t be good.”
Chelsea: “No, I don’t think so.”
He found us. We walked to the B&B and he showed us our room. We got all of our stuff straightened out. We fell into bed. All was well.
The next day (Saturday) we went to Pompei (if you think I spelled that wrong, don’t. The Italians spell it with one i.). That was way bigger than I though it was going to be. We basically spent all morning there. We even ate our packed lunch in one of their gardens. It felt amazing. It is hard to imagine the city as it should have been, especially with a pizza parlor right in the middle of it. Ah, the power of tourism. After lunch, Chelsea and I got on a bus and did something I’ve never even dreamed I would get to do: we climbed Mt. Vesuvius. When I say climbed, I actually mean power walked because we had to make it back down the mountain fairly quickly in order to catch the last bus back down to Pompei. Anyway, the crater is crazy wild. It’s huge and intimidating and volcanic. Looking down into it, you wouldn’t have guessed that it was an active volcano because there was plant life growing inside. However, Let’s Go, our guide book, says that the next time Vesuvius erupts will be the worst eruption since Pompei. This is a devastating thought because so many people have made their homes right beneath the volcano and why shouldn’t they? It’s a booming tourist area any time of the year. Not only will they loose everything, historic places like Pompei and Ercolano will be lost all over again and may not survive a second time. The volcano is monitored very carefully and extensive evacuation plans have been made but in the end, many very important artifacts, history, and people will be lost. It’s a sad thought but an ever present one in the face of such a natural wonder.
After we got of the mountain, we decided to walk to the train station in Pompei because when we went to the tourist office to ask about bus schedules to Arezzo, they told us to take a train. Go figure. So we walked to the station and talked to the man at the window and he gave us tickets. Apparently there was not going to be a train strike. Awesome news!! So now we had tickets home, reserved seats on the train, and knew where the station was. Success!! We then took our tired selves back to the B&B, went to the supermarket for dinner that night and lunch for the next day, and went to bed early. It had been quite a day.
On Sunday, Chelsea and I spent the morning in Ercolano. This lesser known city is similar to Pompei. Instead of volcanic ash, it was covered in volcanic mud which apparently preserves much better. Ercolano was also better excavated so many of the buildings and their artifacts are in better shape. All in all, I enjoyed Ercolano more than Pompei. Pompei is over-run with tourists while Ercolano is not. It had a couple of tourists groups but nothing overwhelming. The art is more prevalent in Ercolano too. The floors had beautiful marble and geometric designs and the frescos on the walls were full of bright colors. So if you ever decide to go south, I definitely suggest this site as a stop. The weather was just perfect as well. Overcast skies without rain make for nice, cool weather. After our ruins exploration, we made our way back to Pompei and the train station. We made the mistake of getting on to the wrong train line but in the end it got us closer to the train station than originally expected. A blessing in disguise. We got on the train and had the whole car entirely to ourselves until we got to Rome. There we were joined by a young man who slept most of the time so no problem there. We had packed our lunch the nigh before with crackers, sandwich meat, cheese, grapes, nutella sandwiches, and two kinds of yogurt. A wonderful lunch and plenty of munchies to snack on. This is a major lesson I have learned while traveling. Always bring food. Always. You never know how long you are going to be on a train or a bus and find yourself almost passing out. It saves huge amount of money as well.
In the end, we made it safe and sound to Arezzo (where we met up with Amanda, who had just returned from Venice.) and then had an uneventful bus ride back to Sansepolcro. I love this place.
On Friday, all of us girls had to get up early in order to catch the 8:13 train to Perugia. Our Italian professor, Chiara, wanted to show us the chocolate factory there. Needless to say I was in absolute heaven there. I do love chocolate so. I did feel bad for the workers though. When you take a tour of the factory, you basically just walk above it in this windowed walkway. I know I would feel like an absolute goldfish if people were watching me do my job.
Right after the chocolate factory, Chelsea and I went to the train station to catch a train to Arezzo. Ironically, even though Perugia is closer to Naples than Arezzo is, it’s cheaper to go there from Arezzo. It’s simply because from Arezzo, you can go through the mountains instead of around them from Perugia. Come to find out, there was going to be a train strike on Sunday. This was a major problem because if there was a strike, we would not be able to get back until Monday and that would mean missing classes which is not good. In the end, we decided to chance it because who knew if we would be able to go again. One of the best decision of my life. So we got to Arezzo and had to make a mad dash to the train. We got on and managed to find a couple of seats together. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to keep them. As it turns out this was a particularly crowded train and because we had bought our tickets from a kiosk, we didn’t have reserved seats. So we had to park ourselves in the hallway on these little (and uncomfortable) pull out seats from the wall. Then, when the ticket master came around, we found out that our tickets were not for the right train. So not only did we have to pay the extra money for the right ticket, we had to pay a fine for the mistake. Needless to say, when we finally reached Naples, we weren’t exactly happy campers. A five hour train ride and money just oozing out of my wallet. Not only that, but we had to take another train to get to the city where our B&B was. Luckily, that one was easy to find and cheap. Unluckily, I had managed to miscalculate the direction in which our B&B was on the map and we had no idea where we were. So we called Omar, the owner of the B&B and he very kindly came and got us:
Lauren: “Omar? It’s Lauren. I’m standing in front of SISA, the supermarket.”
Omar: “SISA?!? Oh no. Stay there. I come get you.”
(After we hung up)
Lauren: “That can’t be good.”
Chelsea: “No, I don’t think so.”
He found us. We walked to the B&B and he showed us our room. We got all of our stuff straightened out. We fell into bed. All was well.
The next day (Saturday) we went to Pompei (if you think I spelled that wrong, don’t. The Italians spell it with one i.). That was way bigger than I though it was going to be. We basically spent all morning there. We even ate our packed lunch in one of their gardens. It felt amazing. It is hard to imagine the city as it should have been, especially with a pizza parlor right in the middle of it. Ah, the power of tourism. After lunch, Chelsea and I got on a bus and did something I’ve never even dreamed I would get to do: we climbed Mt. Vesuvius. When I say climbed, I actually mean power walked because we had to make it back down the mountain fairly quickly in order to catch the last bus back down to Pompei. Anyway, the crater is crazy wild. It’s huge and intimidating and volcanic. Looking down into it, you wouldn’t have guessed that it was an active volcano because there was plant life growing inside. However, Let’s Go, our guide book, says that the next time Vesuvius erupts will be the worst eruption since Pompei. This is a devastating thought because so many people have made their homes right beneath the volcano and why shouldn’t they? It’s a booming tourist area any time of the year. Not only will they loose everything, historic places like Pompei and Ercolano will be lost all over again and may not survive a second time. The volcano is monitored very carefully and extensive evacuation plans have been made but in the end, many very important artifacts, history, and people will be lost. It’s a sad thought but an ever present one in the face of such a natural wonder.
After we got of the mountain, we decided to walk to the train station in Pompei because when we went to the tourist office to ask about bus schedules to Arezzo, they told us to take a train. Go figure. So we walked to the station and talked to the man at the window and he gave us tickets. Apparently there was not going to be a train strike. Awesome news!! So now we had tickets home, reserved seats on the train, and knew where the station was. Success!! We then took our tired selves back to the B&B, went to the supermarket for dinner that night and lunch for the next day, and went to bed early. It had been quite a day.
On Sunday, Chelsea and I spent the morning in Ercolano. This lesser known city is similar to Pompei. Instead of volcanic ash, it was covered in volcanic mud which apparently preserves much better. Ercolano was also better excavated so many of the buildings and their artifacts are in better shape. All in all, I enjoyed Ercolano more than Pompei. Pompei is over-run with tourists while Ercolano is not. It had a couple of tourists groups but nothing overwhelming. The art is more prevalent in Ercolano too. The floors had beautiful marble and geometric designs and the frescos on the walls were full of bright colors. So if you ever decide to go south, I definitely suggest this site as a stop. The weather was just perfect as well. Overcast skies without rain make for nice, cool weather. After our ruins exploration, we made our way back to Pompei and the train station. We made the mistake of getting on to the wrong train line but in the end it got us closer to the train station than originally expected. A blessing in disguise. We got on the train and had the whole car entirely to ourselves until we got to Rome. There we were joined by a young man who slept most of the time so no problem there. We had packed our lunch the nigh before with crackers, sandwich meat, cheese, grapes, nutella sandwiches, and two kinds of yogurt. A wonderful lunch and plenty of munchies to snack on. This is a major lesson I have learned while traveling. Always bring food. Always. You never know how long you are going to be on a train or a bus and find yourself almost passing out. It saves huge amount of money as well.
In the end, we made it safe and sound to Arezzo (where we met up with Amanda, who had just returned from Venice.) and then had an uneventful bus ride back to Sansepolcro. I love this place.
martedì 6 ottobre 2009
View from the Top...the written portion
This blog was supposed to be posted last week (the week of the 28th of September). Sadly, I am terribly behind. But I will be posting both this and my blog about Pomei one right after another so do not fear.
The picture entitled “View from the Top” was taken by my roommate Samantha. I decided I needed an inspirational photograph and I think that one will do very nicely. It was taken in Montecasale.
I must apologize for disregarding my blog these past few days. It has been extremely and excruciatingly busy. Yes, even in Italy, there are hell weeks. To make a long story short and in order to not repeat what all of my friends have written on their blogs, I will paraphrase:
Massive Cleaning of Palazzo/Visit High School/Check Test In Italian: Friday (the 2nd). Trustees, Alumni and President Arrived: Saturday (the 3rd). Grand Opening: Sunday (the 4th). Term Paper Due: Monday (which got moved to Tuesday, thank sweet baby James). Florence With Trustees, Alumni, and President: Tuesday (the 6th). Midterm for Italian and Art History Final Exam: Wednesday (the 7th).
Samantha and I have transported a good southern phrase for all of this: Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again. Fortunately, every single one of the Meredith folks were an absolute joy to be around and we truly had a hard time saying goodbye when they left.
Now I've managed to get all depressing and that's silly. So a new and happier topic: Verona and Venice last weekend (the 25th through the 27th). I promised to write about them and now I am.
To begin, we had the hardest time finding a hotel. We were originally going to stay on Venice but when we found it impossible to find a place to stay I found a very cheap hostel in Verona: 17 euro a night and breakfast was included. Point for me. I have never booked a hotel in my life so needless to say I was exceedingly excited about my find. Unfortunately, said hostel was a good 20 to 30 minute walk from the train station. This is not horrible if you don't plan on using the train a lot but we did. Point to naive travel planner mishaps. Score is now tied.
Chelsea, Jenna, and I left for Verona early Friday morning. We arrived there (after paying 40 euro apiece for the train tickets...ugh) at about noon. We then proceeded to take one of the longest walks known to man in order to get to the hostel. I had packed a duffel bag instead of a backpack because I didn't know if we needed sheets. We didn't. They were provided. Extra weight brought for nothing. Point two goes to planner mishaps. I'm behind. After finally getting to the hotel, we went out to get some much needed food (silly us didn't bring a single crumb...another point to naivete...that makes three). Then we pretty much wandered around Verona. We managed to find a garden which was on of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It was called the Giardino Giusti and even though it was 6 euro to get in, it was completely worth it. The views, the hedge maze, and the general ambiance were to die for. I recommend it with all of my heart to anyone planning on traveling to Verona. We then went back to the hostel for dinner (only 8 euro, point for me. 2-3) Amanda met up with us later that night (after an eventful night in which she went to the wrong hostel, among other things) and we slept quite nicely.
The next day we traveled to Venice. I can't describe Venice. It's a place to experience. I know that many people have a hard time enjoying it because it is filled to the brim with tourists but I can't bring myself to dislike it. It's just a magical place for me. We got to go to the island of Murano, where they make glass and I got quite a few nice gifts. We just generally enjoyed ourselves just wandering around and a going into a bunch of shops. I even got to see some of the glass blowers at work, which is one of my favorite things. I could sit and watch those people for hours. One in particular specialized in making spiders. As creepy as that sounds, his spiders were truly beautiful. They were so delicate looking that you would think breathing on them would make them break. In truth, I’m sure they could last through quite a bit of wear and tear.
Unfortunately, we had an early train out of Verona so we didn’t get to see everything we wanted to but in the end this just means that I have something to come back to. We managed to get back to Sansepolcro in one piece so another point to me. Tied game. Not bad, but practice makes perfection.
The picture entitled “View from the Top” was taken by my roommate Samantha. I decided I needed an inspirational photograph and I think that one will do very nicely. It was taken in Montecasale.
I must apologize for disregarding my blog these past few days. It has been extremely and excruciatingly busy. Yes, even in Italy, there are hell weeks. To make a long story short and in order to not repeat what all of my friends have written on their blogs, I will paraphrase:
Massive Cleaning of Palazzo/Visit High School/Check Test In Italian: Friday (the 2nd). Trustees, Alumni and President Arrived: Saturday (the 3rd). Grand Opening: Sunday (the 4th). Term Paper Due: Monday (which got moved to Tuesday, thank sweet baby James). Florence With Trustees, Alumni, and President: Tuesday (the 6th). Midterm for Italian and Art History Final Exam: Wednesday (the 7th).
Samantha and I have transported a good southern phrase for all of this: Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again. Fortunately, every single one of the Meredith folks were an absolute joy to be around and we truly had a hard time saying goodbye when they left.
Now I've managed to get all depressing and that's silly. So a new and happier topic: Verona and Venice last weekend (the 25th through the 27th). I promised to write about them and now I am.
To begin, we had the hardest time finding a hotel. We were originally going to stay on Venice but when we found it impossible to find a place to stay I found a very cheap hostel in Verona: 17 euro a night and breakfast was included. Point for me. I have never booked a hotel in my life so needless to say I was exceedingly excited about my find. Unfortunately, said hostel was a good 20 to 30 minute walk from the train station. This is not horrible if you don't plan on using the train a lot but we did. Point to naive travel planner mishaps. Score is now tied.
Chelsea, Jenna, and I left for Verona early Friday morning. We arrived there (after paying 40 euro apiece for the train tickets...ugh) at about noon. We then proceeded to take one of the longest walks known to man in order to get to the hostel. I had packed a duffel bag instead of a backpack because I didn't know if we needed sheets. We didn't. They were provided. Extra weight brought for nothing. Point two goes to planner mishaps. I'm behind. After finally getting to the hotel, we went out to get some much needed food (silly us didn't bring a single crumb...another point to naivete...that makes three). Then we pretty much wandered around Verona. We managed to find a garden which was on of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It was called the Giardino Giusti and even though it was 6 euro to get in, it was completely worth it. The views, the hedge maze, and the general ambiance were to die for. I recommend it with all of my heart to anyone planning on traveling to Verona. We then went back to the hostel for dinner (only 8 euro, point for me. 2-3) Amanda met up with us later that night (after an eventful night in which she went to the wrong hostel, among other things) and we slept quite nicely.
The next day we traveled to Venice. I can't describe Venice. It's a place to experience. I know that many people have a hard time enjoying it because it is filled to the brim with tourists but I can't bring myself to dislike it. It's just a magical place for me. We got to go to the island of Murano, where they make glass and I got quite a few nice gifts. We just generally enjoyed ourselves just wandering around and a going into a bunch of shops. I even got to see some of the glass blowers at work, which is one of my favorite things. I could sit and watch those people for hours. One in particular specialized in making spiders. As creepy as that sounds, his spiders were truly beautiful. They were so delicate looking that you would think breathing on them would make them break. In truth, I’m sure they could last through quite a bit of wear and tear.
Unfortunately, we had an early train out of Verona so we didn’t get to see everything we wanted to but in the end this just means that I have something to come back to. We managed to get back to Sansepolcro in one piece so another point to me. Tied game. Not bad, but practice makes perfection.
lunedì 28 settembre 2009
Bus Rides
It occurs to me that I have yet to write about my bus trips to and from Arezzo. These trips happen fairly often due to several reasons. The train station is in Arezzo as is the police station (which apparently you have to visit in order to get finger printed and you have to get finger printed in order to study in Italy…who knew?). Arezzo is just a central location essential to small towns such as Sansepolcro. I’m not an overly huge fan of Arezzo, but that’s just a personal feeling. I guess I should say that it has very little hold over me. However, the bus rides are a favorite of mine. Today (Sunday), I returned from Venice and Verona (which I will write about later) and we caught the 5:15 bus back to Sansepolcro. I have made the discovery that this is the absolute best time to take the bus because the sun is just beginning to set and the Tuscan colors are set off to an absolute tee. The small town of Anghiari is one we always pass when going back to Sansepolcro. Today, I have seen it in its glory. Anghiari is set on top of a hill and when the bus goes around said hill, the entire valley is laid out before the starving eyes of weary travelers such as myself. With the sun brushing the browns, golds, greens, and other autumnal colors it truly becomes the vision everyone says it is. The houses, quaint in their archaic ways, are clustered in groups scattered around the valley and their colors are man’s attempts at imitating nature. They have done a splendid job and unlike most manmade buildings, provide a pleasing scene for the onlooker that does not clash horridly with the surrounding countryside. It is this sight that finally produces a sigh of relief from me. I am almost home.
At the same time it is strange to think of Italy as home… mostly because so much of it is still foreign to me. I’m a just beginning to touch the tip of the iceberg that is Italy’s history and I won’t get far beyond that tip by the end of the semester. Yet I have friends here, and the girls are so close to me that they must be considered family. I have a comfortable bed, wonderful food, and people who love me both here and back in the States. Therefore, it must be a home.
At the same time it is strange to think of Italy as home… mostly because so much of it is still foreign to me. I’m a just beginning to touch the tip of the iceberg that is Italy’s history and I won’t get far beyond that tip by the end of the semester. Yet I have friends here, and the girls are so close to me that they must be considered family. I have a comfortable bed, wonderful food, and people who love me both here and back in the States. Therefore, it must be a home.
martedì 22 settembre 2009
Florence
I find it hard to decide if I like Florence or not. I know I should feel overwhelmed by a city as huge as it is but I don’t. I think this is a good thing. I assume it is because I feel more comfortable in the role of traveler and my awful, terrible, and horrible sense of direction is slowly but surely becoming less of a burden. I think the key to traveling to such large places is having a plan: picking out specific places that must be seen (and accepting the fact that seeing every single museum and church and painting and sculpture is impossible) and leaving a little wiggle room for shopping and eating. Another key is being able to take that plan and abandon it completely. Sometimes when the mind has an order, the body demands another, such as plopping down outside the Duomo after an exhausting climb to the top of the world and not thinking about anything else at that moment except how much my feet want to kill me. I find that being able to balance both keys will ensure a satisfactory visit. No, I didn’t go jewelry shopping on the Ponte Vecchio. Instead I climbed 463 steps to the top of the Duomo. I doubt I will ever do it again but if I had to do it over, I totally would. The climb up wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be and the view was beyond imagining but there were so many people up there (many of them frustrated by the climb which I had no patience for because they were given fair warning) that I felt really dampened the experience. Then I was able to be less than an inch away from Michelangelo’s fresco that he painted on the ceiling of the dome and felt a thousand times better. It’s beautifully grotesque. It depicts both heaven and hell and Jesus is doing his holy duty by sitting on his throne and looking down onto his faithful believers and his angels are flying around being happy as pie while all kinds of cruel, torturous things are being done to the people in hell. Beautifully grotesque is really all I’ve got. I managed to see Michelangelo’s “David” too. David is quite large. That’s all I really have to say about him. Everyone knows that he is a magnificent sculpture and that one cannot possibly fathom an imagination like Michelangelo’s but no one ever tells you just how big he is. So now I’m telling you: David is very, very big. Telling you this will not change the reaction you will have which, I swear, will be “Wow, David is a gigantic statue”. David is from the Bible story “David and Goliath” by the way. Did I make that connection before this weekend? Of course not. It’s not Italy if some piece of art isn’t making you feel like a complete idiot.
Speaking of art, the Uffizi is the place to go if you want to experience art overdrive. It was originally built for the Medici’s as their office buildings and now houses so many “Annunciations”, Madonna with Child”, and other Bible story paintings you’d swear you’d taken a step back in time. The first floor consists of sketches and prints and the second floor houses paintings and sculptures. This massive collection took the entire morning to view and we didn’t even see the first floor. I did get to see Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and “La Primavera” and neither was a disappointment. They are rather large paintings and I wish I could have taken a picture but alas, no cameras allowed. Par for the course I guess. I find I quite enjoy an artist by the name of Luca Signorelli. He was a student of Piero della Francesca and I just love his work. I can’t really explain why, but I just have a strong reaction whenever I see a painting of his.
I didn’t buy anything while I was in Florence. Don’t get me wrong, I love some good old Italian leather…I just don’t like good old Italian leather prices. I’m a frugal kind of person. That wasn’t going to change because I am in Italy. It’s hard to explain, but nothing struck me as something I desperately needed to buy. I realize that I might not ever go back to Florence but I spent my money on museums and churches and I’m ok with that. That’s something else I’ve had to come to terms with: just because I’m in Italy doesn’t mean I have to stretch my bank account to its farthest limits. I don’t have to buy everyone I know something from every city I go to and being frugal is an ok thing to be. Here is an interesting shopping observation about Florence. They have a Disney store which thrilled me to no end. What that store does not have is my favorite Disney princess of all time: Belle. My reasoning? It’s because she’s French.
People in Florence do not speak Italian to you. They speak in English and become extremely excited if you even attempt to speak Italian. They will ask “You understand Italian?” and you reply “Un piccolo” (“A little”) and then they proceed to blather in Italian regardless of whether you can understand them or not. They immediately become much more amiable and helpful when they discover that you are at least attempting to speak their language. It has brought to light a brand new set of opinions for me. In the future, when I plan on going to a country whose language I don’t know, I will strive to learn as much as I can before I leave and during my stay as well as carry around a phrase book. I am so grateful to be in a small town where I am forced to speak Italian. One of the more frustrating memories of Florence occurred during breakfast on our second day. During breakfast, there were attendants who refilled cutlery, plates, and food. An American woman got up to ask one of the attendants for another plate. When the attendant didn’t understand her, the American proceeded to raise her voice and just repeat “Plate! Plate!” which of course achieved nothing except to disturb fellow eaters. If the woman had simply looked up the Italian word for plate in a phrase book, annoyance and embarrassment could have been avoided.
If you go to Italy and feel the need to cry your eyes out, look no further than Florentine opera. My travel companion, Chelsea, and I managed to get very cheap tickets to see Verdi’s “La Traviata”. “La Traviata” is what movies such as “Pretty Woman” and “Moulin Rouge” are based on. The basis of the story line is that a prostitute, Violetta, falls head over heels in love with a young man, Alfredo, who loves her desperately back. Unfortunately, Violetta is deathly ill with tuberculosis and Alfredo’s father has interfered with his son’s love life and basically forced Violetta to give Alfredo up. In the end, all miscommunication is revealed and Violetta and Alfredo are able to be back in each others arms just as Violetta’s life leaves her. As a reminder, this is an Italian opera so nothing can be understood but the pure beauty of voice and piano are often universally comprehensible. During the last act I proceeded to cry profusely a.) because I am a hopeless romantic and it wasn’t fair that Violetta had to die and b.) because the feeling and power behind the voices was pure magic. So I made a fool of myself but I think it was well worth it.
Florence is a whirlwind kind of town. It is easy to like and easy to be disappointed in as well. I’m not sure I can explain this last comment. I think that Florence is just a place you have to experience and feel for yourself.
Speaking of art, the Uffizi is the place to go if you want to experience art overdrive. It was originally built for the Medici’s as their office buildings and now houses so many “Annunciations”, Madonna with Child”, and other Bible story paintings you’d swear you’d taken a step back in time. The first floor consists of sketches and prints and the second floor houses paintings and sculptures. This massive collection took the entire morning to view and we didn’t even see the first floor. I did get to see Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and “La Primavera” and neither was a disappointment. They are rather large paintings and I wish I could have taken a picture but alas, no cameras allowed. Par for the course I guess. I find I quite enjoy an artist by the name of Luca Signorelli. He was a student of Piero della Francesca and I just love his work. I can’t really explain why, but I just have a strong reaction whenever I see a painting of his.
I didn’t buy anything while I was in Florence. Don’t get me wrong, I love some good old Italian leather…I just don’t like good old Italian leather prices. I’m a frugal kind of person. That wasn’t going to change because I am in Italy. It’s hard to explain, but nothing struck me as something I desperately needed to buy. I realize that I might not ever go back to Florence but I spent my money on museums and churches and I’m ok with that. That’s something else I’ve had to come to terms with: just because I’m in Italy doesn’t mean I have to stretch my bank account to its farthest limits. I don’t have to buy everyone I know something from every city I go to and being frugal is an ok thing to be. Here is an interesting shopping observation about Florence. They have a Disney store which thrilled me to no end. What that store does not have is my favorite Disney princess of all time: Belle. My reasoning? It’s because she’s French.
People in Florence do not speak Italian to you. They speak in English and become extremely excited if you even attempt to speak Italian. They will ask “You understand Italian?” and you reply “Un piccolo” (“A little”) and then they proceed to blather in Italian regardless of whether you can understand them or not. They immediately become much more amiable and helpful when they discover that you are at least attempting to speak their language. It has brought to light a brand new set of opinions for me. In the future, when I plan on going to a country whose language I don’t know, I will strive to learn as much as I can before I leave and during my stay as well as carry around a phrase book. I am so grateful to be in a small town where I am forced to speak Italian. One of the more frustrating memories of Florence occurred during breakfast on our second day. During breakfast, there were attendants who refilled cutlery, plates, and food. An American woman got up to ask one of the attendants for another plate. When the attendant didn’t understand her, the American proceeded to raise her voice and just repeat “Plate! Plate!” which of course achieved nothing except to disturb fellow eaters. If the woman had simply looked up the Italian word for plate in a phrase book, annoyance and embarrassment could have been avoided.
If you go to Italy and feel the need to cry your eyes out, look no further than Florentine opera. My travel companion, Chelsea, and I managed to get very cheap tickets to see Verdi’s “La Traviata”. “La Traviata” is what movies such as “Pretty Woman” and “Moulin Rouge” are based on. The basis of the story line is that a prostitute, Violetta, falls head over heels in love with a young man, Alfredo, who loves her desperately back. Unfortunately, Violetta is deathly ill with tuberculosis and Alfredo’s father has interfered with his son’s love life and basically forced Violetta to give Alfredo up. In the end, all miscommunication is revealed and Violetta and Alfredo are able to be back in each others arms just as Violetta’s life leaves her. As a reminder, this is an Italian opera so nothing can be understood but the pure beauty of voice and piano are often universally comprehensible. During the last act I proceeded to cry profusely a.) because I am a hopeless romantic and it wasn’t fair that Violetta had to die and b.) because the feeling and power behind the voices was pure magic. So I made a fool of myself but I think it was well worth it.
Florence is a whirlwind kind of town. It is easy to like and easy to be disappointed in as well. I’m not sure I can explain this last comment. I think that Florence is just a place you have to experience and feel for yourself.
mercoledì 16 settembre 2009
Cathedrals
I do not consider myself to be a very religious person. I have my own faith. I do feel that the earth cannot be so beautiful for nothing and that a higher being is there to nurse it along. However, I constantly feel the weak points of my faith in the face of the driving force that is the Catholic Church within Italy. The monuments that are their cathedrals not only consistently take my breath away but are pillars of strength within the community. Although American churches have their own beauty, it is hard to compare because American churches do not have such rich history. Some of these cathedrals have been around longer than my country has been a nation and it is a simple fact that Catholics hold a lot of pride in the places that they worship. While in the presence of these often huge buildings, I imagine the hundreds of thousands of believers that have laid their mark in them. I imagine the hundreds of years worth of people whose hands have rubbed smooth the intricate designs in solid wrought iron railings. I look at the wood of the altars and see the places in the middle where so many knees have bent in prayer that the indentions of them are forever set. I look at the paintings and the frescoes that adorn the walls and humble myself to the beauty of the art. Then, I close my eyes and let the history and the art and the palpable faith that can be felt in every stone wash over my soul…and then I let myself be awed by the sheer force of it all.
This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to Siena, which has become one of my favorite cities. Samantha, Hannah, and I stayed with a wonderful couple, Ben and Martha (who is a Meredith alum) in their guest house. In Siena, there is a massive church called the Duomo. I will try to describe it to the best of my ability but I’m afraid the description will fall hopelessly short. However, before I describe it, I must say the way we found it. When we first arrived in Siena, the girls and I decided we wanted to see what people who come to Siena always see: the Campo and the Duomo. The Campo the massive piazza located in the center of town. From the Campo, the tower of the Duomo can be seen. We headed in that direction but because so many of the buildings are so tall, the tower of the Duomo gets lost easily. So when we got there, I felt as if I had run right into the church itself. We had come upon it so suddenly that I had to take a large breath and I know that my eyes widened into large globes as I took it all in. The most striking thing about the Duomo is the fact that it is horizontally striped with black and white marble. As tacky as this sounds, it is by far one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Lions grace the stone arches in front of the doors and the faces of countless saints and apostles gazed down upon me as I stood in line to get my ticket.When we got inside, I was once again awed by the sheer size and glory of the dome, the marble pictures on the floor, the busts and statues all around, and the wooden seats and paneling. As I am gazing at all of this, I must constantly remind myself to breathe because I feel a little overwhelmed. Then I think that there are some people in this world who will never be able to experience this beauty and I really, really want them to because sometimes faith needs a little boost. What better way to boost faith than to view firsthand the beauty that faith can create?
This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to Siena, which has become one of my favorite cities. Samantha, Hannah, and I stayed with a wonderful couple, Ben and Martha (who is a Meredith alum) in their guest house. In Siena, there is a massive church called the Duomo. I will try to describe it to the best of my ability but I’m afraid the description will fall hopelessly short. However, before I describe it, I must say the way we found it. When we first arrived in Siena, the girls and I decided we wanted to see what people who come to Siena always see: the Campo and the Duomo. The Campo the massive piazza located in the center of town. From the Campo, the tower of the Duomo can be seen. We headed in that direction but because so many of the buildings are so tall, the tower of the Duomo gets lost easily. So when we got there, I felt as if I had run right into the church itself. We had come upon it so suddenly that I had to take a large breath and I know that my eyes widened into large globes as I took it all in. The most striking thing about the Duomo is the fact that it is horizontally striped with black and white marble. As tacky as this sounds, it is by far one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Lions grace the stone arches in front of the doors and the faces of countless saints and apostles gazed down upon me as I stood in line to get my ticket.When we got inside, I was once again awed by the sheer size and glory of the dome, the marble pictures on the floor, the busts and statues all around, and the wooden seats and paneling. As I am gazing at all of this, I must constantly remind myself to breathe because I feel a little overwhelmed. Then I think that there are some people in this world who will never be able to experience this beauty and I really, really want them to because sometimes faith needs a little boost. What better way to boost faith than to view firsthand the beauty that faith can create?
It has been three days since my imprisonment...
What happens in Italy when there is a large rainstorm? The internet goes out. What happens to a palazzo full of American women when the internet goes out for three days? They go a little crazy. It's actually quite funny to see how all of us have reacted to this lack of internet access. We have devised quite ridiculous ways to try and gain it from a different source: from placing our laptops on windowsills to holing up in faculty apartments (which I am currently doing). Yes, it means that access to facebook is limited if not impossible which is hard enough ;) but I think the real frustration is the fact that we can't do research for classes or email assignments. We have a travel break to Florence coming up this weekend and many places need a reservation in order to get in. Heaven forbid we pick up a phone and call. As for me, I wanted to check the news and just keep in touch. For now, we will suffer through but I'm not sure how long some of us can hold out...
domenica 6 settembre 2009
Being immortal has its perks...
So last night was our big promenade. Turns out I wasn't a royal, I was a girl of spring. To be specific, google image Botticelli's Primavera. We had long flowing dresses that went every which way in the wind. My other friends were actually the royals and they looked beautiful! Another plus is that we all had great seats for the night's festivities. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We were told that we needed to get dressed between 7:30 and 7:45. We got to where the costumes were and were told that we weren't needed for another hour. Ok, cool, there was a bunch of fun stuff to look at anyway. We walked around a bit and started to walk back to the palazzo when we heard someone call "Raggaze! Raggazze!" (Girls! Girls!) It was the man who told us we had an hour. Turns out he was wrong, we needed to get dressed now. (Mind you, this was all in Italian. We managed to figure out what he was saying. Finally a year of Italian is paying off.) So we did and the woman who was in charge of it all (wife to the man who told us the wrong time. Her name was Paola.) kept calling "Americane! Americane! Raggazze Americane!" Gotta love feeling a couple dozen pairs of eyes on you when she does that. We all gathered where the procession was going to start and then I was brought to a different location. Turns out all us Primavera girls were in the front, just behind the drummers and trumpeters. Woah. Once again, this is all in Italian and I haven't got a clue what is going to happen. All I knew was that I was a painting. Fair enough. So the trumpeters start their thing and then the drummers and then we start walking. We walk very slowly in these nice straight lines towards the piazza. When we finally get there, the royals sit in the chairs on the edge of the piazza and the Primavera girls are placed in this little white wrought iron gazebo on display for all to see and adore (by this point, my nerves are pretty much shot because not only were there several professional photographers but also a cameraman). All around the piazza, these bleachers have been set up so that people can see. So there is quite a bit of pomp and circumstance that happens. When these Italians take a step back into the Renaissance, they do NOT mess around. Drummers and trumpeters play their hearts out. Then there is a flag throwing demonstration (on of my personal favorites), a dance featuring any number of girls between the ages of 8 and 18 and one little boy, a tug of war, horse parade, a mini play in which there are flaming swords and the man kills either his beloved or his daughter (I'm not sure which), and a belly dancing show. Whew! So after all of this, I am told we can go. Little did I know that "go" meant "go walk around the city...twice...in heels...on cobblestones...for over an hour." Now, being an immortal was wonderful and beautiful and all...but I was ready to go home and get warm (did I mention it got very chilly?) So we finally got to stop, watch a few fireworks and go get our clothes back on. We told Paola that we had a wonderful time, which we definitely did, and went back to the palazzo for some nutella. Oh what a night...
venerdì 4 settembre 2009
An Italian Renaissance Royal
So the biggest week of the year in Sansepolcro is happening this coming week. Starting tomorrow, the entire town will take a step back in time to the Italian Renaissance. Everyone wears the garb and there is a market and a parade...and I'm going to be in it!!!! One of the girls in the parade dropped out at the last minute and through sheer luck, called our coordinator, Sara, and asked if she knew anyone who could replace her. Of course there is a palazzo full of girls who wouldn't mind so we went over to the shop and we all got a dress! I managed to fit the one that they really needed because of my height so I will be towards the front of the procession but it is so great that a bunch of us get to be in it! Very exciting.
martedì 1 settembre 2009
Observations on Americans in Italy
Being the long legged creature that I am, I have spent the majority of my life either walking ahead of people or slowing down enough for them to keep up with me. A leisurely stroll doesn't usually happen at school because I am often running to a meeting, class or rehearsal. Returning to the Meredith campus so often means no free time. I'm not complaining mind you, the things I choose to do with my time are what I want to be doing. Meredith in Italy? Not at all. You stick out like the tourist that you are if you ever walk at more than a brisk stroll. I was not the first to realize this. Samantha told me to slow down one day and when I asked why she told me to look around. In doing so, I found that I sped past a large amount of Italians, all of whom I can only imagine thought I was fast paced American...which I am. However, I'm not in America anymore and must therefore s...l...o...w... d...o...w...n. Otherwise I will miss the entire point of passegiatta. Italians do not walk at night to go anywhere, they walk in order to be seen and to see others. It is a social thing, something to be enjoyed, not endured.
I'm quieter now. And for those of you who don't know me well, this is a major change. I still have a rather large laugh (don't worry Mom) but it usually only comes out, at least to my knowledge, within the palazzo. We've been here a little over a week and already consider this our Sansepolcro. A small group of Americans from another university visited this week and our first reaction was to compare our behavior to theirs. They were loud. This was especially frustrating when they ate at the pizzeria just beneath our windows when we were trying to sleep. How very strange to judge my culture. At the same time, I must confess that Italians have their loud moments too. Weekend passegiattas are especially volume heightened. I guess my point is that Italians expect us to be loud...and we don't want them to.
Lastly, I must comment on an Italian observation I have made. Almost every Italian mother I have seen has short hair. Almost every girl around my age has long hair. Almost all of the little female children I have seen have short hair. Therefore my deduction is thus: Italian moms (and moms of all cultures) have enough to deal with, let alone bother with a bunch of useless hair on their own heads and their kids heads. The teenagers, on the other hand, have nothing to do and thus grow their hair out 1.) because they can 2.) because it's the style and 3.) because it gives them something to do. Whether or not this is correct makes very little difference to me. I'm just reporting what I see. And seeing is believing after all ;)
I'm quieter now. And for those of you who don't know me well, this is a major change. I still have a rather large laugh (don't worry Mom) but it usually only comes out, at least to my knowledge, within the palazzo. We've been here a little over a week and already consider this our Sansepolcro. A small group of Americans from another university visited this week and our first reaction was to compare our behavior to theirs. They were loud. This was especially frustrating when they ate at the pizzeria just beneath our windows when we were trying to sleep. How very strange to judge my culture. At the same time, I must confess that Italians have their loud moments too. Weekend passegiattas are especially volume heightened. I guess my point is that Italians expect us to be loud...and we don't want them to.
Lastly, I must comment on an Italian observation I have made. Almost every Italian mother I have seen has short hair. Almost every girl around my age has long hair. Almost all of the little female children I have seen have short hair. Therefore my deduction is thus: Italian moms (and moms of all cultures) have enough to deal with, let alone bother with a bunch of useless hair on their own heads and their kids heads. The teenagers, on the other hand, have nothing to do and thus grow their hair out 1.) because they can 2.) because it's the style and 3.) because it gives them something to do. Whether or not this is correct makes very little difference to me. I'm just reporting what I see. And seeing is believing after all ;)
lunedì 31 agosto 2009
sabato 29 agosto 2009
Early morning walks, interesting people, amazing horse shows... Oh My!!!
So this morning began with an 8 a.m. walk with the also infamous John Rose whose escapades into the here and yon are legendary. Said walk lasted 2 hours and I got some beautiful pictures which will be posted at a future date. Although the hour was early, the weather was so nice. After the walk I came back and crashed for about an hour and a half. Then a bunch of us watched Casanova which is set in Venice (how very appropriate, don't you think?). Afterward, Sam, Vi, Jenna, and I made our way over to the PAM (grocery store) where we met a local man who spoke a little English and highly enjoyed speaking to us even if we didn''t exactly return the fervor. Oh well. Lastly, I saw one of the most amazing things tonight. There was an equestrian show in the piazza that was totally wicked. I mean they did things that would make me faint. One guy was riding a horse and had a massive jump rope THAT WAS ON FIRE AND THE HORSE WAS JUMPING OVER IT! THE HORSE WAS SKIPPING ROPE WITH A MAN ON HIS BACK AND BURNING FLAMES UNDER HIM!!!!!!!!!! Holy. Woah. They were bowing and dancing and playing dead and all kinds of crazy mess. Speaking of crazy messes, I need to sleep now. Ciao!
venerdì 28 agosto 2009
Classes...
...have begun and I am glad of it. I have found that learning is something I really enjoy. We will have Italian Monday through Friday for two hours (9 - 11) and then on Mondays and Wednesdays I have Travel to Learn and Learn to Travel with the infamous Dr. Betty Webb (11:15 - 12:15). Tuesdays and Thursdays Sara teaches Italy Today (11:15 - 12:15) which focuses on the history, politics, and economics of Italy. Sara is our Italian contact and is the one who leased the palazzo for us. She lives here in Sansepolcro. At 12:30, we have lunch which is ALWAYS mmh, mmh good. Then on Mondays and Wednesdays I also have Art History from 2 to 5. Art History will last only until the middle of the semester and then I will switch over to Science and Society Monday through Thursday 2 to 4. Confusing? Yes. Exciting? Most definitely.
Tonight, a bunch of us girls went out. Passeggiata is basically where everyone comes out at night and walks around. It's Friday which means that the market is going to start soon and many of the stalls set up early. It was extremely crowded tonight because August is almost over (August is national go on vacation month, I swear the entire country goes on a break) and there are several things going on this weekend, including an equestrian show which I am super pumped about.
I also bought a bike today. For only 45 euro, I got a good mountain bike with a basket and lock which I will be able to sell to the next crew who come over. It's great to have a bike here because there are so many places to go and the weather is so hot that a good bike breeze is lovely. Oh, and it's neon orange which means that I cannot possibly be missed. I am the orange bike kid ;) Other than that, my purchases have been limited to gelato which is so cheap and so addicting. Not a good combination.
Tonight, a bunch of us girls went out. Passeggiata is basically where everyone comes out at night and walks around. It's Friday which means that the market is going to start soon and many of the stalls set up early. It was extremely crowded tonight because August is almost over (August is national go on vacation month, I swear the entire country goes on a break) and there are several things going on this weekend, including an equestrian show which I am super pumped about.
I also bought a bike today. For only 45 euro, I got a good mountain bike with a basket and lock which I will be able to sell to the next crew who come over. It's great to have a bike here because there are so many places to go and the weather is so hot that a good bike breeze is lovely. Oh, and it's neon orange which means that I cannot possibly be missed. I am the orange bike kid ;) Other than that, my purchases have been limited to gelato which is so cheap and so addicting. Not a good combination.
Everything is in Italian...
...including the internet, so it took me a while to set this up because I could not understand what it was telling me to do. Well, all fixed now so yay! Anyway, I really want to try to write on this everyday or at least every other day...so here it goes. I'll start at the beginning:
August 24, 2009
I arrived in Washington D.C. without a problem. I met up with most of the girls there (Nicole and Amanda had already left for Italy) which was a relief because I didn't want to take an 8 hour plan ride by myself. The plane for Rome was supposed to leave at 6:18 and the captain even came on and told us we would be arriving 10 minutes early. Alas, it was not meant to be. There were engine lights on that were not supposed to be and so we didn't leave until 8:43. And no, we were not allowed to get off the plane.
August 25, 2009
We finally managed to get to Sansepolcro...3 hours late. Dirty, sweaty, and extremely tired but we made it. After we got off the plane and passed through security (where I am convinced the man did not even look at my passport, let alone stamp it) we met up with Dr. Betty Webb and her husband John Rose. Then we had to take a train from the airport to the main train station in Rome (no I did not see the Vatican, we went around the edge of the city) and then had a good two hours before our next train left for Arezzo. We had a bite to eat then slumped against the wall for a little R&R before lugging 50lbs of junk to the train. After placing our luggage we basically all slept on the two hour ride to Arezzo. At Arezzo, we switched to a bus and made the final 45 minute journey to SANSEPOLCRO. Thank heaven, we finally made it. The palazzo is just beautiful. They have done a magnificent job restoring it. My room has three beds (I am rooming with a girl named Samantha who is very sweet) with matching wardrobes and nightstands. Light blue walls and cream colored wood. And then there was dinner. I can't describe it but it was so divine, definitely one of the best meals I have every had. this is going to be good.
August 26, 2009
We had orientation today. We went to different places within the city and visited a couple of cathedrals, one of which is the Servi. Beautiful. Then again, I expect no less from a city as old as this one (it dates back to prehistoric times, no joke). I'm really glad that classes begin tomorrow because I need a routine again. It's amazing here but overwhelming. I don't know where I fit so it's difficult to feel comfortable. The language barrier isn't too hard to deal with because gesturing works really well but I really need to start using what little Italian I know and pick up new words.
August 24, 2009
I arrived in Washington D.C. without a problem. I met up with most of the girls there (Nicole and Amanda had already left for Italy) which was a relief because I didn't want to take an 8 hour plan ride by myself. The plane for Rome was supposed to leave at 6:18 and the captain even came on and told us we would be arriving 10 minutes early. Alas, it was not meant to be. There were engine lights on that were not supposed to be and so we didn't leave until 8:43. And no, we were not allowed to get off the plane.
August 25, 2009
We finally managed to get to Sansepolcro...3 hours late. Dirty, sweaty, and extremely tired but we made it. After we got off the plane and passed through security (where I am convinced the man did not even look at my passport, let alone stamp it) we met up with Dr. Betty Webb and her husband John Rose. Then we had to take a train from the airport to the main train station in Rome (no I did not see the Vatican, we went around the edge of the city) and then had a good two hours before our next train left for Arezzo. We had a bite to eat then slumped against the wall for a little R&R before lugging 50lbs of junk to the train. After placing our luggage we basically all slept on the two hour ride to Arezzo. At Arezzo, we switched to a bus and made the final 45 minute journey to SANSEPOLCRO. Thank heaven, we finally made it. The palazzo is just beautiful. They have done a magnificent job restoring it. My room has three beds (I am rooming with a girl named Samantha who is very sweet) with matching wardrobes and nightstands. Light blue walls and cream colored wood. And then there was dinner. I can't describe it but it was so divine, definitely one of the best meals I have every had. this is going to be good.
August 26, 2009
We had orientation today. We went to different places within the city and visited a couple of cathedrals, one of which is the Servi. Beautiful. Then again, I expect no less from a city as old as this one (it dates back to prehistoric times, no joke). I'm really glad that classes begin tomorrow because I need a routine again. It's amazing here but overwhelming. I don't know where I fit so it's difficult to feel comfortable. The language barrier isn't too hard to deal with because gesturing works really well but I really need to start using what little Italian I know and pick up new words.
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