Divertimento Dappertutto!

Whew! I'm exhausted. I feel like I can see the minutes just roll by me and I'm running around like crazy to get school things done and to still enjoy the end of my time here. Actually, despite the fact that I have a really nice long weekend, I've decided to take it slow and to soak in the end of the semester. My time in Siena is really wrapping up and I feel pretty satisfied with everything that's happened. But to the specifics of recent activity!

The last couple of weeks have been PARTY CITY here (among getting un monta of work done)! I think primavera just brings out the best in people...even when the weather is only sporatically spring-like. Two friends turned 21 and we threw them a surprise party, American style at the school! We invited friends from Florence and even some characters that work at the school came. It was a great success. The next morning we got up presto presto for a trip into the countryside with Jeff and the creative writing class. I had so much fun, but especially since he gave me commentary on the places and people we saw that showed up in his book. I'm finishing it up now and really enjoying it, but I'm certain that that gave it extra life. Not to mention that despite the rain, the Tuscan countryside is fantastic! It's really hard to get to without una macchina, but lucky for us Jeff & Valeria (his wonderful wife) were great guides.

The past weekend was also meraviglioso! April 25th is a holiday to celebrate the independence of the country during WWII so Katie and I relished being Americans in Italy. We fought rough odds (read: Italian chaos on holiday) and ventured back to Jeff and Valeria's small apartment for the festa di carciofi. That's right people. I basically ate my weight in artichokes! Artichokes with penne pasta, artichoke soup, and best of all--i carciofi fritti! I had two servings of that one (and lots of other food). It was insane to see the tiny town overflowing with people after seeing next to no one in the streets just 6 days earlier. And in case you didn't know, Italian's version of una fila, or a line, is more like a mass of people that push themselves forward.

Later, I was also honored enough to attend a contrada party! Friends of a friend are from Siena and part of the Valdimontone (Valley of the Ram) contrada. At this time, I didn't know where the Montone's fountain was, so made my way there. It's also great to have some freedom to walk around places that are totally off limits to the public! I had a fit. But I have to admit that it was an odd sensation being there and everyone knowing you didn't belong to the group. I could understand how people who have lived in Siena for a long time thought of it as a closed community. Still, I had a lot of fun and was able to practice my Italian.

So, like I said there's a long weekend starting today. Why, you ask? It's Labor Day here in Italy! What fun, huh? Readers, rest assured I'm sempre working hard, but I'm still making sure to have a lot of fun while there's still time.

Un regalo

Well, it's finally happened. People, after allllllll this time I've spent here I finally got pooped on by un pigione. I say it's about time since there are SO many of them. Around here, apparently it's really good luck, even though it's really gross. My mom told me I should play the lottery, but I don't know about that....

But the best part is how it happened! I was out with some friends and we were hanging out in the street outside a bar, just chatting. It's the way here. There aren't many cars in the center of Siena and drinking in public isn't against the law here, so on nice nights EVERYONE is outside. My friends and I were chatting and laughing when I felt something drop on my head. I stroked my head I didn't feel anything. I figured that since I didn't feel anything I really didn't need to think twice about it. It had been raining all day and had just recently cleared up for the night. Probably just a rain droplet, right?


Hours later I go into the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. Sure, I had had some Birra Moretti, but not THAT much. And there it was--a glob of pigeon poop. But it wasn't so bad. My hair was up so my friends didn't catch it. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to share other than the picture of a Roman pigeon, but rest assured I laughed quite a bit. Hope you too enjoyed a chuckle or two at my expense!

One month left until I fly home. There's so much left to do and I'm really feeling EXTRA pressure to take advantage of the time I have left. I don't know what that means for the rest of the time here or what's to come for the next month, but I plan on finishing strong!

Buona Pasqua!

Or I guess I should say Happy Easter! I hope everything is going well at home because things are going pretty swimmingly here. Not all fun and games, though. I'm sure you've heard about the terremoto in the region of Abruzzo (in southern Italy). It's been quite a disaster and really hard to watch on the news. The television has been inundated with coverage of the earthquake and the effects on the victims and I can't help but be reminded of watching the news of Katrina. Sometimes it's just too much to watch continuously so I let myself tune out when I need to. Thankfully things are moving along, but to imagine all those deaths, especially of those students who were my peers, is heartbreaking.

My internship is going well also. I feel like with all this extra time where I'm forced to hear and speak Italian, things are improving much quicker now. The other day, there was a party for Easter and a small group came to perform for the patrons of Campansi. I was able to meet them during the intermission and we talked a bit. The most interesting part of this story was that they had no qualms about calling me up to the stage in front of tutti to play an American song. What song you may ask? None other than, "Strangers in the Night" and unfortunately I couldn't help them out with all of the words--or fortunately, depending on your punta di vista.

But on to Easter break! I went with my friend Katie to Venezia and had a fantastic time. We stayed outside of Venice at a campsite which worked out pretty well and took the traghetto into the city and back again at night. The first day we got there without any real direction and by a stroke of luck, made our way into Gallerie dell'Accademia with no line and saw some FANTASTIC pieces of art. We spent hours there! After lunch, we also took a stroll through the Ca'd'Oro, or House of Gold--another museum. We met a man that works there who told us he left his heart and soul in America, despite his Florentine name. It made me wonder what it will be like when I'm no longer in Siena because I'm scared I've done the same here.

Comunque, we walked around a bit more in the Venetian labryrinth and found our way to the old Jewish ghetto. I loved the ghetto so much we visited it again...on Easter! A bit interesting, I know, but this section was almost untouched by the masses of tourists and yet had so much character! But after our first visit there, we literally stumbled on St. Mark's Square just before it was time to go home. Since we were under a time-crunch we planned to return for Easter mass.

The next day we started and finished in St. Mark's Square. First, we were in line for Doge Palace. From what I can gather the Doge had a similar function that the Queen of England now has. Doge's Palace served as the doge's living quarters and the seat of the state. There are also dungeons were the acclaimed Giacomo Casanova was held. I found the elaborate rooms to be quite much and couldn't imagine getting much done. In the Grand Council Chamber the first 72 doges are painted around the top border except one. He tried to overthrow the state and, in addition to being sentenced to death, was removed from all memory of the state. In place of his bust, there is a black cloth. That was pretty neat!

After lunch, the second visit to the ghetto and the museum there, Katie and I took some time along the Grand Canal. We met some interesting characters. My favorite moment was when one accused me of having a Tuscan accent! You better believe that I swelled with pride. We ended the day with some music for "the public good" in St. Mark's Square and a great Easter mass in the Basilica. Talk about thrilling! The detail was unbelievable and the music, as Katie said, really pulled you into the experience. Another good visit in a different part of Italy, but as usual, there's nothing like "home, sweet home."

Vacanza, Part 2

Allora. The second part of my trip was nice. I was by myself which had a tendency to be a bit lonely, but in the end I really enjoyed it. It's nice to know that I'm independent enough to travel on my own and that I have enough knowledge of the language to communicate. So first was Assisi. After a decent bus ride, I hopped off the pullman and I walked around pretty aimlessly and talked to some people. Needless to say, there was a lot of church visiting while in Assisi.

First, St. Francis. It's got upper and lower churches with gorgeous frescoes. My favorite was the lower church which was older than the other. While I'm not a huge fan of crypts, I managed to work up the nerve to enter them in Assisi. I read that St. Francis chose the spot of his basilica as his burial site because originally it was the Collo d'Inferno (Hill of Hell) or the place criminals were killed. Since some of his followers were devoted to the idea of building the church it's now known as the Collo di Paradiso. Knowing what I do about his teachings, I'm not so sure St. Francis would've been happy, but as one of the most popular destinations for pilgrims, I think maybe things might balance out. I was also a huge fan of St. Clara's Basilica, anchoring the other side of Assisi. Saw some others and even went to vespers mass at St. Rufinus. That night I ate some pizza, took a great walk, and was able to see Perugia down the hill. I stayed in a hostel and I think I was the ONLY person in the whole place. Nice, safe place with some peace and quiet--not for 15 euro!

The next morning I took another stroll to the train station for the trip into Perugia. I have to admit that I was a bit surprised at the city at first! I had heard that it'd be a bit like Siena, but that's not quite accurate. There were so many cars and the drivers didn't have much patience for pedestrians. This was a bit of a put-off at first, but when I FINALLY made it to the center (it took a while for various reasons) I really enjoyed myself. I bought a panino and ate it on the steps of the Basilica di San Lorenzo, which I also visited. Lucky for me, I was able to catch up with Alissa, another student from Meredith. She gave me a tour of the city and I met all of her friends. One of them performed a great magic show and after that we had a fun night hanging out with them like the Italian students by the Fontana Maggiore. The next morning Alissa was on her way to Venice, so I was out and about early. I decided to sit and write in my journal in a park that looks out onto the gorgeous Umbrian hills and by chance I met a man from NBC. He asked me to "model" for a news story on the Amanda Knox case so my hands were on the Today Show! That was pretty exciting.

In fine, it was also nice to be able to move at whatever speed I wished and there was some good thinking time, but I quite like travelling with someone else with whom I can share my experience. But for now, I'm back "home" and loving it!

Eccomi!

Salve! Here's your prodigal blogger back to fill in an even longer gap. Two weeks--time's just moving along here, folks. I'm starting to get a bit nervous about returning, but that's a different story for a different post. Today, I have some exciting adventures to share. The first week was just a lot of school. I took my oral and written midterm exams in Italian (which went abbastanza bene) and had my first day "on the job" at Campansi, the nursing home I'm working at for my sociology class. I got to see a large part of the home gather for one of their monthly gatherings. This time the women from the division I'll be working with sang traditional Sianese songs for the other patrons and some visitors to celebrate the coming of spring. You know I loved that! I was also able to interact with some of the guests which is always good for my Italian.

After that busy work week, I had a week in vacanze. Wow! It was so much fun! I can't explain to you the overwhelming feeling of gratefulness that I got, especially during this past week. I am constantly appreciative for the opportunity to be here in Italy and to be having the life experiences here, but as a born planner, I can honestly say that I'm not sure I've ever been so content with my place in life before. To be a young woman in Italy now! I keep having this image of me as an old woman thinking back to this time in my life. But for the low-down, I'll split the stories into two entries. I still have some homework to finish up and there's too much to even write the gist of it all, so here's the first bit:

My friend Elizabeth and I took a night bus to Salerno, arriving there at 7 AM exhausted and unsure where to go. After an unnecessarily long time and several stops for directions, we finally found our hostel where we stayed for three nights and were able to meet some great people. The first day we explored Salerno and planned the rest of our trip. I am glad to report that fortune was our friend this whole trip and even when things seemed to be going poorly, they always turned out for the better. For instance, Saturday night we looked for a place to eat in a ravenous state, finally stumbling on a place after a while of searching that we weren't sure of. We ended up making great friends, returned for our last night, and ate well (for a discount!).

Our second day we spent in Pompei. What a trip! We decided to skip the audioguides and try to discover the best sites on our own--and a little help from Rick Steves. While walking aimlessly, I was lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Vincenzo, a well-informed security guard who had already worked at the ruins for 35 years. Vincenzo took it upon himself to show us the best sites, including those that weren't open to the public! I took in the sun on top of one of the houses, touched an original marble table, and stood in the best preserved houses which, according to Vincenzo, will never be open to the public. Here's a picture of us that Vincenzo took for us; please notice that we are behind a fence that is meant to keep people out from standing next to the completely original fountain! We even got an extra hour of exploration in his company. After sharing a coffee and our goodbyes, Elizabeth and I caught the train feeling that we had just had the best encounter with the ancient city possible.

The next day was split between Paestum and Amalfi. We got up close and personal with the Greek ruins in the morning and missed the first train back to Salerno. As Lady Luck would have it, we found a buffalo farm and tasted fresh mozzarella di bufala--the milkiest cheese and one of the many specialties of the region. After returning, we immediately took the hour-long bus trip to Amalfi. Talk about breath-taking! Not only from the gorgeous view but also the driving. The road clearly wasn't made for buses but somehow we got there. Elizabeth and I sat on the pier taking in the sunset on the coast (which can be seen above), explored a bit of the town, then returned.

The next morning we took a trip to Napoli. What chaos! It was so different than anywhere I had ever been before and have this feeling like I really need to return to understand more of the place. Sadly, we overlooked that we couldn't get into the one museum we had planned on seeing so instead spent a few hours soaking in the city. We sampled some great pizza & svogliatella (a pastry)--more yummy specialties of Campagna. My synopsis of the region: You can get lost quite easily and can meet some wonderful people, but you can NEVER go wrong with the food! We caught a train back to Siena in the afternoon, quite satified and thoroughly drained from our adventures.

I'll stop here for now, but don't forget to check out my pictures and keep looking for the second leg of the trip where I trugged on alone into Umbria, the region next to Tuscany.

When in Rome, be a tourist.

Ciao a tutti! It's amazing how things really are getting busier all the time. While me being busy here is not even closely representative of the chaos of a normal spring semester, I'm having trouble checking off my "to-do" list. There's so much to do and to see that it's hard to ignore the constant pressure to do them before it's already time to come home. But again, this is really less of a complaint and more of an observation of my "difficult" life abroad.

I've been traveling a lot more on the weekends than I imagined I would, but I'm trying to find a balance. Last weekend I went with some friends to Rome and had a truly fantastic time. Leaving early nella mattina, we boarded the bus to Rome and arrived around noon. Getting oriented, we made a bee-line to Vatican City. It was truly breath-taking to see some of these masterpieces and to be able to tell you "what it smells like in the Sistene Chapel" (Good Will Hunting). I also really loved walking around in St. Peter's Basilica, but my favorite part of the day was when the 3 other girls and I ate some of the best gelato EVER and soaked in the sun, the people, and the experience in the Piazza del Papa'.

After checking in at the hotel, we took a nap before going to dinner. All weekend we ate wonderfully (and cheaply) thanks to Rick Steves and some other guidebooks! After dinner we went on a grand tour of the city at night. My host parents were surprised about how much I actually did see in just a day and half, which made me feel really good. :) But among this crazy tour was the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Fountain of the Four Rivers (my favorite!). I didn't see them in the day time, but everything looked GORGEOUS at night. Surprisingly, we also had some opportunities to speak in Italian. Rome has a bit of the same feeling as New York City with a big tourist fingerprint. I heard more English than I had in a while and couldn't wait to get back to Siena and Italian.

Sunday morning we split up for a few hours and my friend Julissa and I went back to the Vatican to see the Pope. The crowd was insane! He said a prayer, talked a little about "La Festa Delle Donne" (which I'll explain later), and made some shout-outs in German, French, English, Spanish, and Italian. Then we went to meet up with the other travellers at the Colosseum. After a 10 minute wait for a ticket (incredible!), we got our tickets per gratis. That's right--FOR FREE! La Festa Delle Donne, or the Day of the Women, was created after the Women's Rights Movement. While I question if it's any less commercial than Valentine's Day, it was certainly an unexpected and very welcomed surprise. But getting back to my sight seeing, I loved the Colosseum and the Roman Forum! Standing there in the remnants of everyday life from centuries ago definitely sits among my favorite moments of the trip.

Tomorrow, the women of the school are going on a retreat of sorts to another agriturismo but this time in Maremma, the beach region of Tuscany. We'll be visiting a park and going on a wine tasting and I've heard rumors that the food is out of this world! You'll get another update later. But for more pictures of Rome, check out "Le Fotografie" under links.

Buona giornata!

Studio e Imparo

My terza settimana of classes are nearly over. Italian is same-old, same-old...or as much as it can be when you're learning all kinds of things all the time. Every morning my class starts with Roberto, as per usual. Language class is only 3 times per week. The other two days (Wednesday and Friday) are my History of Siena class. Since I came back to Italy specifically for this city and spend a fair amount of my free time learning more about it, I think it'd be fair to claim that this class was designed for me. It's been raining a lot this week but se ferma, we'll go on a walk to see some things that we talked about on mercoledi.

Scrittura creativa is Monday mornings and Wednesday evenings with Jeff, the author. You may or may not have read his first libro--he's written two--which I'm reading now. He's a fun character and I love the way he thinks, or rather, the way he makes me think. Mondays we turn in our assignments and have class discussions on a particular topic for the week. He uses all types of media and an array of literature so we can discover how to use a particular construction well. Sometimes it's explicit. Sometimes it's not. But working towards "getting it" is part of the fun. Then on Wednesdays we take turns reading ours allowed and offer critism to improve the piece. We've done 2 assignments, and I am always thinking that they can't get any harder, but somehow they do.

Then there's sociologia. I'm the only student in this class so "group discussions" are more personal, which you know I love! I'm learning about the history and methodology of sociology, but then the second part of the class is an internship out in the community. I can either work with a group of disabled or at the local nursing home. I'm having a hard time deciding because the opportunities would be so different and would offer me very different experiences of the city, but I'm convinced that I can't make a bad decision here. Either way, I'd have a great chance to observe and even participate in a specific part of life in Siena and practice my Italian. As these points were my goals for coming back to Siena, I can't go wrong. I've visited both places and am going back to the nursing home again today to get to know a little more about the atmosphere and what I might be doing if I choose that location. I'm going alone and while I'm excited, I'm still a bit nervous since there will be no one I can rely on for a translation.

This solidarity has actually made me think a lot about what it means to study abroad and how different it is from living negli stati uniti. For the first time I am truly away from my support system. While I am fortunata and am able to keep contact with people back home through lots of modes (including this blog!), you all aren't here with me, experiencing what I live every day. But then, I am thankful to have a great group of amici here who are going through all the same struggles and adventures. Still, they don't know my past besides the antecdotes that come up in conversation. So I have realized recentamente that the only link between my past and my present...is me. I know that sounds funny and so obvious, but it makes living life now so different than how I've lived before. But then again, I guess that is the point.

In other news:

* Of the 17 fountains, I have seen 15. The other 3 are in private giardini--which I'm trying to get in to see. Vediamo!

* In completely unrelated news, I got an internship in D.C. this summer with the American Psychological Association to work in research labs. And, needless to say, I'm really excited! I go about a month after I return to the States so I think that it will help reassimilate back to being in America.

Festeggiate!

I'm sorry it's been a while since I've posted. The new classes have been keeping me busy. Between them and trying to experience everything around me, I haven't had much time for reflection or communicating back home. Maybe that's a good thing, but I wanted to let you know that I'm still here. I'll get to my classes at another time, but I wanted to let you in on the biggest thing that's going on right now: CARNEVALE!

It's hard to understand Carnevale without drawing up from a plethora of American experiences. The motive of celebration comes from a religious background, much like Mardi Gras. Soon, according to tradition, the people will be called on to fast and to reflect, so now they celebrate while they still can! People dress up like at Halloween, but dance and sing in a way that we can't fathom as Americans. Everyone buys in to the tradition. It only becomes obvious that you are an outsider if you are not dressed up, which happened several times.


I was first hinted at the beginning of real celebration when on my daily walk stumbled on a mass of people in the city center. I diverted my planned route to investigate and found costumed children running around loosely followed by parents and grandparents who were being covered by handfuls of confetti. There were also pockets of pre-teens too cool for costumes who could still celebrate with silly string and handfuls of shaving cream.


I chose to celebrate with some of my friends by taking a trip to Viareggio. Every year there is a celebration by the sea that lasts a month before Lent and is full of all types of activities. We were only there for the day but experienced quite a celebration. There was a parade I could only compare to what I have seen on television every year on Thanksgiving, but am sorry that I can't describe it any better than that. As we say at Meredith College, "You just have to experience it!" We spent the day dancing and singing along ("Y.M.C.A." was played four times in about 6 hours!), throwing confetti on strangers, and staring in complete disbelief at the incredible floats that passed by. On a side note, there were some effigies that made different cultural values evident. If you want to see more of Carnevale, view the pictures and videos in my "Fotografie" link. But for a quick taste of the experience, here's a video I'll leave you (but please excuse the poor videography). Buon divertimento!

Everyday Adventures

I've been told that I need to update my blog so that's why I've started this post, but I must admit that I don't know of much to tell you. Sure, my days have been busy, but I had been thinking about any spectacular event I found necessary to recall and couldn't think of anything right off the bat. So I need to apologize because I'm a brat.

I've been here 3 weeks and I've just realized that I'm already taking things for granted. Not in the traditional sense; I'm still going on my walks and trying to practice my Italian. I'm una monella because experiencing the exceptional has become an everyday activity. So much so that I occasionally forget that it's not normal to go on scavenger hunts and to walk into ornate churches by chance, but I'll get those stories in time.


First off, I spent my weekend in Florence. The city's only 45 minutes away in autobus. It's okay, you can be jealous (but I have to admit that Siena is still better). A group of us made the trip up there and met some amici I have kept up with since last summer that live in Florence. They only speak in Italian, so it was really nice to have a fun way to practice with no pressure. I decided to stay the night and ended up being really happy with that decision. My friends and I saw a huge group of people and tons of polizia and when we went to investigate found an anti-facist group. Interesting, to say the least.

But continuing, I was just chilling at the Ponte Vecchio, having a grand old time when I see my friend from Meredith College Sheryl 2 passi da me. I couldn't even believe it! I wasn't even able to form words I was so shocked. I took 2 steps and wrapped my arms around her without giving her any kind of warning. Like any normal person, she screamed. EVERYONE turned to look at us and out of complete incredibility of the situation we spent the entirety of the next 2 minutes laughing so hard we couldn't breathe. I knew she'd be in the city, but the city is ginormous and we happened to be in the same place. The more experience I have, the smaller this world gets and I love it!





















There are some really great places in Florence that I got to see (like the Church of Santa Croce pictured below), but there is far too much even for a weekend. I guess I'll just have to go back. Darn! But no worries because I have been having more adventures here in Siena since I returned. I'm not sure if you know, but I am enthralled by all things Siena including le contrade, le fontane, e il Palio. (For more general information, click on this great video I found or look at my post from this summer.) Some people call my passion obession, but whatever. I've been using my daily walks to find the baptismal fonts of each contrada.

Tuesday I went looking for the Oca (Goose) fountain but instead found the House of St. Catherine. I got there 5 minutes before mass, took the timely arrival as fate, and walked into a totally different atmosphere. So much so that my jaw dropped. This little church was gorgeous! The colorful paintings and the gold embellishments--I was shocked! There's nothing like that in the States. Un prioprio italiano laughed at me and reminded me that the Renaissance happened here in Italy before the United States existed. Gee, thanks!

But still no Oca fountain, yet the search continues. Today I found 2 new ones I'd never seen before along with a few others I already knew of, but I'm still lacking 8 of the 17. Eventually I will take pictures but for now I'm using the fountains as landmarks to learn the city streets. When I know how to get back to them on my own, then I'll take a picture. Until then, aspettate!

Daily Discoveries

I've been busy to say the least. But even looking back on things, busy is much different in Italy than it is in America. It's healthier and more enjoyable at first glance. On a crazy night with a lot of homework I get 7.5 hours of sleep instead of 3 back home. And while it feels like I've been in school from 9-5 all day, I still have time to take walks around the city as I mentioned before. Thanks to a terrific friend who made me promise to go in giro each day, I take time to "get lost" in the Siena. This part of the day is undoubtedly my favorite. I stumble across different ways to get home or things that I saw last summer that I forgot about. Ci sono i tesori dappertutto! (There are treasures everywhere!) Maybe next time I'll remember to take my camera and document it for you.

But getting to the events of the week, each day starts the same. My brisk walk across the north part of the city-my average travel time lands at 13 minutes-ends when I arrive at school just in time to open the doors of the Siena School as the bells of San Domenico chime. I slip into class and each day starts with our trip to the Wonderful World of Italian Grammar. A bit like Disneyworld, but not. After 2 weeks of this same thing, I can resolutely say that Italian grammar class and English grammar class are equally painful.

But I've made some more discoveries. At the close of the second week, either 1) my brain is learning how to learn quicker, or 2) my mind is starting to think in Italian. Or both. I'd be happy with that, too. Classes are becoming less painful and I'm less likely to hesitate before speaking. And two days in a row I haven't had a headache at the end of the day! I don't know exactly what's happening, but I think that is a GREAT sign!

Continuing on, we had course presentations this week. I attended them all just to get a feeling for each of the classes. Taking the pulse of the school, I think everyone is pretty excited. Excited to take other classes besides Italian and to get to know new and very interesting people. There are 6 new professors who are bringing with them a wave of excitement about their subject for us to tap into. Some are Italian, some are immigrants, but all have very interesting stories. There is still a whole week of intensive Italian before we get started, but time is already flying by so I'm sure I can wait a little bit longer.

Ho togliato la testa del toro (I cut the head of the bull, or made a decision when doubting between choices) and I'll be taking the two part Sociology class and Creative Writing. I'll go into more detail about them when we get started, but I wanted to talk about getting inspired by Jackie. I don't consider myself a creative person, but Jackie, the photography instructor, talked about the Photography class's requirement to keep a photo journal. I started today. I'll leave you with some of them. A dopo!

Some Firsts

After class Friday we gathered together in Piazza Gramsci for the bus ride to San Gimignano. Known as the "City of Towers" or "Medieval Manhattan," this small town somehow maintained a number of the towers that were used to protect it. Although the number of towers is now a small fraction of what it used to be, this small village was a free comune that didn't intimidate the constantly shifting powers enough to destroy them all. I couldn't wait to get there, because while you can stand in awe of the surrounding panorama and speculate how the fortresses were created, they have world class gelato. I hadn't bought any gelato in anticipation of the euphoria-inducing sweet.

On the 90 minute bus ride I day-dreamed about becoming reacquainted with the sweet treat, but was pulled out of a few dreams for some interactions with "countrymen." The first were 4 boys about 9-11 years old who sat just behind me in the last row and were VERY loud. My favorite point in the ride was when they were singing "Hot N Cold" by Katy Perry, which I'm not sure they understood. My next exchange was with a guy about my age. He threw down some pick-up lines which my host father retains are a way some ragazzi simply say to establish some contact. There wasn't much said between us, but nonetheless he threw me a very public kiss from the street.

Finally, we arrived in San Gimignano and I led the group at a very fast pace to the place that sits so well in my memory. Those that know me well enough may recall that I have very little memory for directions or location, but this was clearly a place important enough to be ingrained. I enter the small, yet charming Piazza della Cisterna, beeline to the gelaterria of heaven ... and discover that it's closed! YES, it's closed. Why? For vacation until the end of February. When I read the sign, I had this impulse to fall on my knees, shake my fists at the heavens and cry out in agony, but thankfully I ignored that one.

Instead, I explored the views that the city had to offer with a friend of mine named LeAnn. There was no way I couldn't get over my disappointment with some good company and a gorgeous place to explore. We made sure to get some gelato which ended up being an adventure in itself. Without knowing it, LeAnn got "caldo gelato" which really just tasted like flavored whip cream. It sounds good at first, but I would suggest you stay away from that stuff if you're not looking for a sugar coma.

After the trip home, we all took some rest and met again in the ever stunning Piazza del Campo. We hung out there for a while and then hit the town, coming to a pub called La Bella Vista, which looks like it might become our "stomping ground." I ordered the house drink which is semi-sweet and made with ginger. Hanging out with my friends, we chatted amongst ourselves and later with a few locals studying for the Italian version of the BAR exam (practicing our Italian, of course). After a while, part of the group left to explore the nearby discoteca. I stayed behind and soon called it a night. With so many new things going on, I find that I need a lot of sleep.

L'inizio

So school has started which has been keeping me quite busy! Not to mention exhausted. I start my walk to school around 8:45 and get there with just enough time to get myself situated before class at 9. Then grammar with Roberto fino alle 10:45 where we do exercises and occasionally play games (where the real point is to have the best team name!) which is followed by a 15 minute break. After is conversation class with Claudia until lunch al mezzagiorno. I just finished writing new words to an old Italian song from the 60s for homework. Both classes are challenging but the atmosphere is still really fun.

The length of lunch depends on what else we have left for the day which ends up being anywhere from 45 minutes (an extreme case) to 2 hours (which is the average). Then comes language lab where both levels of Italian meet with one of the professors for an activity. Sometimes we play games like Categories, while other times we watch movies. Two days ago we went on a Treasure Hunt and had to ask the Sianese questions about the city; we were all a bit nervous at first, but my group had lots of fun!

So I'm getting settled in as much as I can, but things continue to be unsure. I have accepted it as a reality of studying abroad that I cannot count on my emotions to be consistent from one hour to the next. Lucky for me, there is still great support from the staff and other students of Siena School.

But I'm still having fun. I've been going on walks everyday around the city just to see what I can find. Secondo me, the views from everywhere are simply stunning. I've also had some entertaining experiences. For instance, my host parents asked me if I wanted to come with them to the countryside to babysit their grandkids. Of course I did and was greatly rewarded.

First, I saw 2 wild boar (a speciality of Siena) nella campagna. But then, I met 3 beautiful girls who I was able to spend time with and get to know. The oldest is pre-adolescent aged, around 11 or 12. We practiced a little English together and I found it nice that other people have as much anxiety about another language as me. The youngest is 1 and was simply joyful. She is almost ready to walk but is so cute that you always wanted to squeeze her close. And the middle child is 4 and turned out to be a perfect companion for me. She taught me new words and corrected some of my grammar. I taught her some English words ... although she couldn't care less. We sat at the kitchen table and spent hours together drawing pictures, counting, and practicing the alphabet. And of course there were lots of tickles. I've discovered that laughing sounds the same even in Italy.

But now I have to get some sleep. No matter how much I get, it's never enough! A dopo, tutti!

Today I went to the hospital...

but not until after church. I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't worry. Let me just get along with the story and we'll get to the hospital visit in time.

So I woke up a bit confused about where I was. It hasn't settled yet that I'm here and on top of that, my already skewed concept of time has worsened. So much has happened over the last few days that the days feel more like weeks. Today is the end of day #4! Non lo credo! Anyway, when I was finally oriented and ready for the day, my host mother and I left for a walk. She showed me how to get to school first. It's so close I can hardly believe it. I didn't time it, but I'll get back to you, maybe tomorrow when I start my first day of classes (EEEK!).

Then we went to San Domenico and attended mass. It was almost a surreal experience of jumping back into time, pre-Vatican II. For those of you that don't know Church history, Vatican II, among other things, brought vernacular tongue into the church. Previously, everything was in Latin. Although I've been to church enough to know what to expect and have quite a bit to attribute to Mrs. McDonald's Ecclesiology class in high school, I couldn't participate in prayers because I only know them in English! One of my missions for the semester is to learn them in Italian. But still what an interesting experience!

After church, Tina took me to La Piazza Del Campo. My loyal readers, I will admit to having misty eyes when they met Piazza Del Campo. This place is truly stunning and holds so much history. It is literally and figuratively the heart of the city. My words are far too limited to express my veneration for this place. It is with my highest suggestion that I tell you to see it for yourself.

The walk home was quick and easy. After lunch, a nap, and dinner (no wonder I feel like all I do is eat and relax), Tina asked me if I'd like to go with her to visit a friend. Where? At the hospital. (Told you it was coming.) Of course I said yes since I'd never been there before. I told her that and she reminded me that it was a good thing. I guess I should be a bit more aware about my eagerness to experience everything. Ennio joined us and off we went.

Like everything in Siena, it's not very far. It's quite similar to those in America I've been to, complete with a gift shop and a sketchy cafeteria, which probably still has better food than America, although I did notice some differences. Maybe I was off tonight or really know nothing about medicine, but the organization seemed a bit strange. Everything was color coded and yet somehow neurology was down the hall from dermatology. Hmmm. But also, the hospital was without private rooms. Not much of a surprise with Italy being on a socialist health care system, but occasionally it slips my mind.

Tina's friend was in great health and on her way out of the hospital soon. She had some other visitors and it was interesting to watch them all interact. It was hard to keep up with their rapid conversation but I'm pretty sure the Palio came up at some point. Maybe I'm biased to want to hear it, but the Sianese really like their Palio. But now I've gotta catch some zzz's because tomorrow I start classes. Buona notte!

Casa Dolce Casa

It’s been another miserable day weather wise but besides il tempo, today has been pretty fantastic. The only other thing is that I believe that I’ve quickly gotten over the time difference…and was unhappily awoken by the crowing del gallo at around 3 a.m. Quite usually I’m a heavy sleeper as my gracious, yet occasionally clumsy roommate Chelsea has learned. And yet I just couldn’t find any solace last night—which can be attributed to the anxiety I had for today’s events. Perche’? Well today we met our host family!

But first we made a quick trip back in the direction of Lucca and took a tour of La Fortezza di Montecarlo. It continues to amaze me that I can visit places that were built centuries before the modern world dared to think of the Americas. La Fortezza was built in parts starting around 1100 for the purpose of, what else?, security and communication. Paired with Lucca, La Fortezza was used during the constant state of war with Pisa and Florence, (UGH!) the eventual victors. Here are a few pictures from Il Cosimo Torre (as in the Cosimo of the Medici Family), which has recently been renamed “the Wow Tower” for obvious reasons. For more pictures of the group, our tour, and our hilarious guide don’t forget to look at “Le Fotografie” link!






















When we were pulling up to Siena, my excitement was manifested in my unstoppable movements which were only calmed to meet the family. They picked us up in a parking lot and it was as if a party had erupted suddenly. The director Miriam ushered me to a charming elderly couple. Right away, my host mother Tina told me that she doesn’t speak English, so there was no speculating on my part. I am one of few in the city walls and based on a map I’ve seen I should have about a 15-20 minute walk to school. I’m really excited about that since I’m being fed so well. Too well, in fact. We had dinner several hours ago and the debilitating heaviness that comes with the practice of eating too much has not left my mid-section.

My host father Ennio was quite excited that I only had due valigie while he watched the other students with 3-4 bags each! I’ve had a laugh or two watching these beautiful women juggle suitcases. But I’ve come to find out that Ennio is a bit of a “computer whiz.” We’d been warned that Internet isn’t something that many Italians have, but when I was welcomed here I found out that not only is there wireless internet, but the phones are hooked to the internet and therefore all calls are free. What a set up, huh? For another surprise, Ennio speaks wonderful English, but is a great Italian teacher. We speak in Italian until I get caught up and then he helps me with my vocabulary and grammar. And let me tell you, I need lots of help! I tried telling him about Cornhuskin' (Sbuchatura della Granturco) and learned quite a bit in only five minutes. Needless to say, I couldn’t be more pleased with my home-stay and am so excited to get to know them better.