Ciao!
I can't believe I'm actually writing my final blog. This is really it. I thought maybe I'd write one when I get back and talk about what it's like to return (plus that'd put my blogs at an even 50), but the point of the blog was to tell you about my trip here, not the mundane things that go on in the states. Plus, I won't have time. So this is really it.
My last weekend here was good, I suppose. The weather wasn't so hot Friday or Saturday, so I spent the day cooped up in the house, reading. On Saturday, the clouds were moving so fast, and they kept tricking me. I'd look outside and it'd be bright and sunny, so I'd gather my things to go outside. Within 10 minutes, though, a raincloud would roll in and it'd be raining! :(
Yesterday, though, was gorgeous. I went to the lookout and stared at the ocean and Isola Bella for probably over an hour. It was very peaceful, and I'm so glad I got to spend some time there. I think it might be favorite place in town (right after Osteria dal Rita and Martina's place, naturally). I left the lookout in a great mood, only to meet up with the creepy old man who tried to ask me out two weeks ago. I spotted him way ahead of him on the road, and he saw me coming. Actually, he had followed me to the lookout, I believe, but got distracted hitting on an Asian tourist, so I was relieved he had left me alone. Anyways, I pulled out my phone and pretended to be on it. I finally "hung up" when I thought he wasn't really paying attention to me anymore. Wrong. He walked right up and asked if I was on vacation. He did at least recognize me, though. We spent about 3 incredibly torturous minutes in conversation. He asked me the same questions he did last time. I usually answered in one word answers, hoping he'd get the hint to leave. He didn't. He asked for a date that evening. I told him no again. This time he got mad and wanted to know why. It's amazing how simple answers fly out of my head in moments when I really need them. Instead of saying, "I have a boyfriend," which would have been really easy to say, I started stuttering and saying "Because, because! Because I said!" And in general not making sense. He then asked if there was a problem, I said "Yes. Ciao." I think he was quite angry at this point, but so was I. He had intruded on my nice, peaceful afternoon, and I didn't appreciate it. Not to mention we were around several people, and we were starting to create a scene. Thankfully at this point, we were right outside Martina's bar, so I ducked in to grab some lunch, and he didn't follow, which was probably a good decision on his part. Martina would've taken care of him! :) So I chatted with Martina for a few minutes while she heated up my arancini. I then decided to retreat to the house to enjoy my lunch. I spent the rest of the day enjoying the view from the terrace at the house. And then I walked the Corso that evening.
I didn't think I'd really be sad to leave here. I've been looking forward to going home this whole week, but this morning, I've already had two goodbyes, and I'm feeling a bit emotional. I stopped by Aurelio and Angela's house to say goodbye this morning. I saw Aurelio Friday and already told him bye, but I sat and chatted with Angela for awhile. I meant to get them flowers to thank them for everything, but never got around to it. I wasn't sure I'd actually get a chance to see them, either. I'll make sure to send a nice thank-you note when I get home. About an hour ago, I told the teachers goodbye. I'll really miss this bunch of teachers. They are all so sweet and fun to be around. Naturally, tonight, we'll have to say goodbye to Elsa and Nini. Clay and I have some Auburn things to give them, which will have a lot more meaning now that they know about "War Eagle." Once Clay gets back from Barcelona this afternoon, we'll also head to Martina's to say goodbye. And naturally, I have to pack everything as well.
Tomorrow will be a long day, no doubt, so please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We leave Taormina at 5 a.m. in a taxi. We have a flight from Catania at 7:10 a.m. We land in Rome, and from Rome we go to London (Heathrow) and from London we go to Chicago, and from Chicago we go to Atlanta. Assuming everything goes according to plan, we'll land in Atlanta a little after 10:30 p.m., which is 4:30 a.m. "our time." By the time I make it back to the house, I will have traveled for 24 hours straight. Yeah, long day.
Anyways, I've got things to do now, so I suppose I better sign off. I hope y'all have enjoyed reading the blog as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I'm so glad I'll have a record of my trip when I get home. I've enjoyed it so much, I've contemplated blogging once I start teaching (Teach for America actually has a blogging site), but I'm thinking I'll be too busy. We'll see. If I decide to do it, I'll e-mail out the link. Thanks for thinking of me while I was over here, and if you ever decide to head to Sicily, I have loads of advice, so let me know!! Alright, I'll see y'all back in the States!
Ciao and AQUILA DA GUERRA!!!!!!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
First I was Afraid, I was petrified . . .
Ciao!
Thought I'd follow the song theme this week. Anyways, this will have to be short as I'm running out of time today. The Internet wasn't working at school earlier, and then we had a really bad storm. First time I've seen lightning and heard really bad thunder. The power at our place was knocked out for 10 minutes! Anyways, I wanted to just write some random things about what I've learned on my trip. After all, my blog's subtitle is about what I've learned along the way.
I have to admit that my first week here, I was convinced I wouldn't survive three months here. I did. Successfully, and I'm so proud of myself for sticking it out past that first week or so. And what do you know, I actually enjoyed it! :) Along the way, I also learned a lot:
I think after this trip, I will be even more willing to try new things. I've always been outgoing, but this was definitely out of my comfort zone. I've also gained some skills at adapting to new surroundings. I think I'll be able to be more flexible and adaptable in the future, as well.
I've learned to look at things in a different and new way, from someone else's perspective. I've always been fortunate to be able to do that to some extent through journalism, but experiencing a completely different culture is really eye-opening.
I think the biggest accomplishment is learning to rely more on myself. Again, I've always been an independent person, but I've also been a people person, and one who relied heavily on my friends and family for support. While I've had a wonderful network of friends and family back home to e-mail with and occasionally talk with on the phone, it's not the same. I like having someone in the room next to me, or just across town, or even only two hours away back in Atlanta. When I started feeling homesick or overwhelmed, sure I called occasionally, but for the most part, I had to learn to comfort myself.
Lastly, I think on some level I realized what things are most important to me. As I've stated over and over, everything must be simplified here because of my lack of language skills. There were times when it was easier for me to just not explain something because it would take too much time or I just didn't know how to explain it. But for the things that really mattered, I made sure I understood what words to use. I looked up and memorized sentence structures to describe my friends, family, and Auburn. I made sure I knew how to explain Teach for America and my job with them. I could tell someone things that I really liked - tennis, piano, singing, music. Interestingly enough, I never got around to talking about past jobs at newspapers . . .I'm not quite sure what this means, but on some level I think it means those just weren't as important to me as the things I did learn to say. Maybe. In fact, the only thing I could say about newspapers was that I studied journalism and worked at the student newspaper. I also could say exactly what kind of articles I liked to write. That was about the extent of my explanation.
Anyways, the school is closing. I'll get on Monday for one last post! :) Have a great weekend!
Thought I'd follow the song theme this week. Anyways, this will have to be short as I'm running out of time today. The Internet wasn't working at school earlier, and then we had a really bad storm. First time I've seen lightning and heard really bad thunder. The power at our place was knocked out for 10 minutes! Anyways, I wanted to just write some random things about what I've learned on my trip. After all, my blog's subtitle is about what I've learned along the way.
I have to admit that my first week here, I was convinced I wouldn't survive three months here. I did. Successfully, and I'm so proud of myself for sticking it out past that first week or so. And what do you know, I actually enjoyed it! :) Along the way, I also learned a lot:
I think after this trip, I will be even more willing to try new things. I've always been outgoing, but this was definitely out of my comfort zone. I've also gained some skills at adapting to new surroundings. I think I'll be able to be more flexible and adaptable in the future, as well.
I've learned to look at things in a different and new way, from someone else's perspective. I've always been fortunate to be able to do that to some extent through journalism, but experiencing a completely different culture is really eye-opening.
I think the biggest accomplishment is learning to rely more on myself. Again, I've always been an independent person, but I've also been a people person, and one who relied heavily on my friends and family for support. While I've had a wonderful network of friends and family back home to e-mail with and occasionally talk with on the phone, it's not the same. I like having someone in the room next to me, or just across town, or even only two hours away back in Atlanta. When I started feeling homesick or overwhelmed, sure I called occasionally, but for the most part, I had to learn to comfort myself.
Lastly, I think on some level I realized what things are most important to me. As I've stated over and over, everything must be simplified here because of my lack of language skills. There were times when it was easier for me to just not explain something because it would take too much time or I just didn't know how to explain it. But for the things that really mattered, I made sure I understood what words to use. I looked up and memorized sentence structures to describe my friends, family, and Auburn. I made sure I knew how to explain Teach for America and my job with them. I could tell someone things that I really liked - tennis, piano, singing, music. Interestingly enough, I never got around to talking about past jobs at newspapers . . .I'm not quite sure what this means, but on some level I think it means those just weren't as important to me as the things I did learn to say. Maybe. In fact, the only thing I could say about newspapers was that I studied journalism and worked at the student newspaper. I also could say exactly what kind of articles I liked to write. That was about the extent of my explanation.
Anyways, the school is closing. I'll get on Monday for one last post! :) Have a great weekend!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
These Are a Few of My Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Things
Ciao!
I have officially finished all my courses and exams for my undergraduate degree!!!!! I don't think it really hit me since instead of walking out of a class from Haley or Tichenor, I walked out of a small room in a small building in Taormina, Sicily. As I walked through the door, I thought, "Wow. I am completely finished with my undergrad. Four years. Done." It's a bit surreal, but what better place to end than Sicily?
Heads-up, but this blog might get long-winded. I've got a few things to catch you up on, and then if I've got time, I'm going to list the things I will and will not miss from Sicily. Let's start though with the Catania trip. It started out not-so-hot. They bumped the price of a ticket up 60 centisimmi, and the bus schedule online was wrong, so we had to chill at the station for about 30 minutes. We went to Catania to take pictures and so some last-minute shopping. The last time we were in Catania was on a Sunday, and everything was closed. We thought returning on a weekday would solve this problem, but we came in the afternoon during naptime. I thought for sure a big city like Catania wouldn't have a nap time, but they do. So, we walked around the city for an hour, then got some gelato. We met up with Sabina, one of the daughters of Elsa and Nini to drop off a key. Then we waited for the bus. But here is where the trip was totally worth it, and I hope you don't think I'm sick in the head for this next part.
Ever since we got here, I thought for sure I'd see a car accident. After all, they drive like drunk maniacs. Yet, I haven't once seen a car accident. Until yesterday. It happened right in front of us at what has got to be one of the worst intersections in Catania. It's right by the bus station, and there is supposed to be a one lane road with a bus lane merging with another lane from the opposite direction to form a two-lane road. But people think the bus lane is a second lane, so there are actually four lanes of traffic merging into two, without a stop sign or light, but with motorinas zipping and swerving in between. I actually think they could merge faster if they wouldn't tie up the bus lane. Each lane from either direction could flow directly to where it is supposed to go, without stopping. But there is constant braking because instead of following the rules, the Sicilians create new lanes.
Anyways, so this little car stops, but the guy behind him is in the middle of lighting a cigarette, so he's not paying attention, and he rear-ends the guy in front of him. It was only a fender bender, and the front car didn't even have any damage, but it's the only accident I've seen, so at least I know they do happen here. Unlike in the states, though, the guy in the front car got out, greeted the guy behind him, and they just politely chatted. No cussing, no yelling or getting mad, like a lot of people back home would do. Then the guy in the front car helped the cigarette guy reattach his front grill, which had fallen off and suffered some damage. Then the two went about their business.
The second fun thing happened on the bus. We were sitting right behind this young Sicilian who was carrying on a conversation with the man across the aisle. The young guy spent the whole ride talking about all the places in the States he had visited and his opinion of things in the States. We were eavesdropping the whole time. Then he scooted over, and I couldn't hear him anymore, but Clay could. After about 45 minutes, Clay finally asked him (in Italian) how many times he had been to the States. The guy looked a little shocked, but politely answered the question and asked us if we were from the states. We're pretty sure he already knew since we would perk up when we heard American cities, but we don't think he knew we spoke Italian. In fact, after Clay asked, the guy tried to whisper to his buddy that he didn't realize we spoke Italian. But Clay heard that too. It was pretty entertaining. He didn't say anything negative really. He said it was a completely different world. I did overhear him say we had really big cars, and we actually stopped at lights and signs, which was funny in light of the accident we had just witnessed.
Two nights ago, Clay and I taught Elsa and Nini "War Eagle," a phrase that above all else, they must know! We wanted to tell them the story behind it, but we knew there were a lot of phrases we wouldn't know, so before dinner yesterday, we looked up what we needed in the dictionary. After dinner, I read the legend of how "War Eagle" started (in Italian of course), and Clay told them about the tradition of rolling Toomer's corner. We also showed them a video and a photo, and Elsa absolutely loved it. Now she keeps saying War Eagle, and we're so excited! So, "Aquila da guerra!"
One other thing I failed to mention - Nini has been speaking to us in Sicilian for the past two weeks. He and Clay made a deal a long time ago that he would speak in Sicilian for our last two weeks. Sicilian is essentially an entirely different language. We actually found a Sicilian-Italian vocabulary dictionary in my room the other night, so we were looking through it. My understanding from the book and Nini is to speak Sicilian, you change an "O" at the end of a word to a "u," and you change "e" to "i." So now we just make up words with him. If something ends with an "O," we just switch to "u," and about half the time, we're correct. Or we just shorten a word. They do that a lot as well. We're probably destroying our Italian.
Today was also the last day we ate at Osteria dal Rita, or Sala's place as we call it, which makes no sense since Sala isn't a member of the family that owns it. Anyways, it was the perfect last lunch. They gave us free bruchetta, which happens a lot. We both ordered Penne Sicilia, and we got a double helping of it! Then they gave us their traditional almond dessert wine with biscotti. Plus, we got 2 euros off the final bill! We were sad to leave, but we went inside and told the family goodbye and how much we enjoyed their osteria. I really will miss eating there every week. With that, I'll move into a list of other things I'll miss:
1. Martina's sweets at her bar (we're going there one last time Monday)
2. The incredible views here - from the beach to Etna to Madonna della Rocca
3. The incredibly nice people.
4. The gelato.
5. The Sicilian Sweets!!!!!!!!!!!! I really don't know what I'm going to do when I get home. I can't possibly get the same canoli, cassata siciliana, tiramasu, ochio di bue, etc., etc.
6. The teachers here at Babilonia. They are absolutely the nicest bunch of people you'll ever meet. I can tell they really enjoy their job as well, which makes class all the more fun.
7. Aurelio and Angela, and Elsa and Nini. Both families are incredibly kind and welcoming, and I've learned so much from them.
8. The cute houses and doors. This weekend I'm going to go around Taormina and take pictures of people's doors because they are quite interesting.
9. The walking. I've really enjoyed not having to drive, although, sometimes it would be nice to drive to places the bus won't take me, but overall, I have not missed my car.
10. Not having anything to do. This could also go on the list of things I won't miss as there are days I'm so glad I have nowhere to be and nothing to do, but there are other days where I miss being busy.
11. Constantly meeting new people from all over the world.
12. The blog
13. Sundays at the piazza.
14. The cliche European background music - flutes, guitars, accordians. I might even miss hearing The Taormina Special being played over and over by the accordian guys. I still haven't figured out why between two or three accordian players, they only know one song.
15. The sense of accomplishment I feel when an Italian actually understands what I've said to them.
16. Window shopping in front of really large window displays.
Naturally, there are some things I won't miss, like:
1. The smoke. Almost every European here smokes, and I've breathed in so much second-hand smoke that I might as well have been a smoker these past three months.
2. The driving. I've gotten more accustomed to it, but I still think I might be hit by a car every day.
3. The euro, and constantly making exact change.
4. Hand-washing my clothes.
5. The flower guys.
6. The mime.
7. The steps. I like walking, but I don't like climbing.
8. Dog poop on the sidewalk.
9. The loud cats.
Alright, I'm sure I'll think of some more tonight. Maybe I'll add them tomorrow. Ciao!
I have officially finished all my courses and exams for my undergraduate degree!!!!! I don't think it really hit me since instead of walking out of a class from Haley or Tichenor, I walked out of a small room in a small building in Taormina, Sicily. As I walked through the door, I thought, "Wow. I am completely finished with my undergrad. Four years. Done." It's a bit surreal, but what better place to end than Sicily?
Heads-up, but this blog might get long-winded. I've got a few things to catch you up on, and then if I've got time, I'm going to list the things I will and will not miss from Sicily. Let's start though with the Catania trip. It started out not-so-hot. They bumped the price of a ticket up 60 centisimmi, and the bus schedule online was wrong, so we had to chill at the station for about 30 minutes. We went to Catania to take pictures and so some last-minute shopping. The last time we were in Catania was on a Sunday, and everything was closed. We thought returning on a weekday would solve this problem, but we came in the afternoon during naptime. I thought for sure a big city like Catania wouldn't have a nap time, but they do. So, we walked around the city for an hour, then got some gelato. We met up with Sabina, one of the daughters of Elsa and Nini to drop off a key. Then we waited for the bus. But here is where the trip was totally worth it, and I hope you don't think I'm sick in the head for this next part.
Ever since we got here, I thought for sure I'd see a car accident. After all, they drive like drunk maniacs. Yet, I haven't once seen a car accident. Until yesterday. It happened right in front of us at what has got to be one of the worst intersections in Catania. It's right by the bus station, and there is supposed to be a one lane road with a bus lane merging with another lane from the opposite direction to form a two-lane road. But people think the bus lane is a second lane, so there are actually four lanes of traffic merging into two, without a stop sign or light, but with motorinas zipping and swerving in between. I actually think they could merge faster if they wouldn't tie up the bus lane. Each lane from either direction could flow directly to where it is supposed to go, without stopping. But there is constant braking because instead of following the rules, the Sicilians create new lanes.
Anyways, so this little car stops, but the guy behind him is in the middle of lighting a cigarette, so he's not paying attention, and he rear-ends the guy in front of him. It was only a fender bender, and the front car didn't even have any damage, but it's the only accident I've seen, so at least I know they do happen here. Unlike in the states, though, the guy in the front car got out, greeted the guy behind him, and they just politely chatted. No cussing, no yelling or getting mad, like a lot of people back home would do. Then the guy in the front car helped the cigarette guy reattach his front grill, which had fallen off and suffered some damage. Then the two went about their business.
The second fun thing happened on the bus. We were sitting right behind this young Sicilian who was carrying on a conversation with the man across the aisle. The young guy spent the whole ride talking about all the places in the States he had visited and his opinion of things in the States. We were eavesdropping the whole time. Then he scooted over, and I couldn't hear him anymore, but Clay could. After about 45 minutes, Clay finally asked him (in Italian) how many times he had been to the States. The guy looked a little shocked, but politely answered the question and asked us if we were from the states. We're pretty sure he already knew since we would perk up when we heard American cities, but we don't think he knew we spoke Italian. In fact, after Clay asked, the guy tried to whisper to his buddy that he didn't realize we spoke Italian. But Clay heard that too. It was pretty entertaining. He didn't say anything negative really. He said it was a completely different world. I did overhear him say we had really big cars, and we actually stopped at lights and signs, which was funny in light of the accident we had just witnessed.
Two nights ago, Clay and I taught Elsa and Nini "War Eagle," a phrase that above all else, they must know! We wanted to tell them the story behind it, but we knew there were a lot of phrases we wouldn't know, so before dinner yesterday, we looked up what we needed in the dictionary. After dinner, I read the legend of how "War Eagle" started (in Italian of course), and Clay told them about the tradition of rolling Toomer's corner. We also showed them a video and a photo, and Elsa absolutely loved it. Now she keeps saying War Eagle, and we're so excited! So, "Aquila da guerra!"
One other thing I failed to mention - Nini has been speaking to us in Sicilian for the past two weeks. He and Clay made a deal a long time ago that he would speak in Sicilian for our last two weeks. Sicilian is essentially an entirely different language. We actually found a Sicilian-Italian vocabulary dictionary in my room the other night, so we were looking through it. My understanding from the book and Nini is to speak Sicilian, you change an "O" at the end of a word to a "u," and you change "e" to "i." So now we just make up words with him. If something ends with an "O," we just switch to "u," and about half the time, we're correct. Or we just shorten a word. They do that a lot as well. We're probably destroying our Italian.
Today was also the last day we ate at Osteria dal Rita, or Sala's place as we call it, which makes no sense since Sala isn't a member of the family that owns it. Anyways, it was the perfect last lunch. They gave us free bruchetta, which happens a lot. We both ordered Penne Sicilia, and we got a double helping of it! Then they gave us their traditional almond dessert wine with biscotti. Plus, we got 2 euros off the final bill! We were sad to leave, but we went inside and told the family goodbye and how much we enjoyed their osteria. I really will miss eating there every week. With that, I'll move into a list of other things I'll miss:
1. Martina's sweets at her bar (we're going there one last time Monday)
2. The incredible views here - from the beach to Etna to Madonna della Rocca
3. The incredibly nice people.
4. The gelato.
5. The Sicilian Sweets!!!!!!!!!!!! I really don't know what I'm going to do when I get home. I can't possibly get the same canoli, cassata siciliana, tiramasu, ochio di bue, etc., etc.
6. The teachers here at Babilonia. They are absolutely the nicest bunch of people you'll ever meet. I can tell they really enjoy their job as well, which makes class all the more fun.
7. Aurelio and Angela, and Elsa and Nini. Both families are incredibly kind and welcoming, and I've learned so much from them.
8. The cute houses and doors. This weekend I'm going to go around Taormina and take pictures of people's doors because they are quite interesting.
9. The walking. I've really enjoyed not having to drive, although, sometimes it would be nice to drive to places the bus won't take me, but overall, I have not missed my car.
10. Not having anything to do. This could also go on the list of things I won't miss as there are days I'm so glad I have nowhere to be and nothing to do, but there are other days where I miss being busy.
11. Constantly meeting new people from all over the world.
12. The blog
13. Sundays at the piazza.
14. The cliche European background music - flutes, guitars, accordians. I might even miss hearing The Taormina Special being played over and over by the accordian guys. I still haven't figured out why between two or three accordian players, they only know one song.
15. The sense of accomplishment I feel when an Italian actually understands what I've said to them.
16. Window shopping in front of really large window displays.
Naturally, there are some things I won't miss, like:
1. The smoke. Almost every European here smokes, and I've breathed in so much second-hand smoke that I might as well have been a smoker these past three months.
2. The driving. I've gotten more accustomed to it, but I still think I might be hit by a car every day.
3. The euro, and constantly making exact change.
4. Hand-washing my clothes.
5. The flower guys.
6. The mime.
7. The steps. I like walking, but I don't like climbing.
8. Dog poop on the sidewalk.
9. The loud cats.
Alright, I'm sure I'll think of some more tonight. Maybe I'll add them tomorrow. Ciao!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
It's a Small World After All
Ciao!
I don't have much time today because we are headed to Catania for the afternoon - our last trip to Catania! So, this will hopefully be short and sweet. One of the biggest discoveries I've made here is that the world isn't as big as I thought. I mean, it's huge, don't get me wrong, and there are a million different cultures to learn about, but in the end, I think we're all a lot more similar than we like to think.
In talking with other students from the school, I've discovered that many countries struggle with the same issues. I've learned about illegal immigration in other countries, corrupt politicians, unemployment rates, crime, racism, and justice. The issues in other places really don't sound that much different than what we have in the states. Sure, some countries struggle more than others with different issues. And everyone's economy suffers at some point more than others. Ultimately, though, there are so many similarities between countries.
I think one of the biggest similarities, though, is human nature. Through the school we have met so many incredibly nice people, but we've also come across some not-so-nice people, and that sounds exactly like back home. I know good people, and I know bad people. Period. The families here are a lot like in the states - they love each other, and would do anything for each other.
In a physical sense, I've also had some instances when I thought the world was way small. Back in February, there were two Swiss students here. Now, they were from the same country, but still, this is a cool story. One of them, Christoff, worked at a company that his parents founded. Another student, Francesca, had a brother who also founded this company with Christoff's parents. The two of them didn't realize this until his last week here! It was amazing! Another example is us meeting Jay and Michelle. Two Americans, and she happened to go to school here for two weeks, and they happened to now live in Marsala. And then just last week, there were two other Americans here from Hawaii. I mentioned a professor of mine had started a mediation center in Hawaii, and they actually knew what I was talking about! Two weeks ago we had a student from London, Susannah. Once she had decided to come to Taormina, she was telling her friends about the trip. Turns out one of her friends in London is the nephew of Elsa and Nini! We also met an American here several weeks ago who now lives in Rome, a huge city, yet he actually knew our terrible tour guide because she had dated one of his friends! It's like playing 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. I think we're all connected a lot more than we realize, and I think if I stayed here longer, I'd find even more connections.
That's probably enough for today. The weather looks like it's going to cooperate for our trip into the big city! I'm actually taking my camera today to get pictures of Catania. A domani!
That's probably enough for today. The weather looks like it's going to cooperate for our trip into the big city! I'm actually taking my camera today to get pictures of Catania. A domani!
The Final Countdown
Ciao!
It's crazy, but in exactly one week at this time, I will be on my way home. The rest of the blogs this week will probably be dedicated to last-minute explanations and reflections on my time here. I hope I don't bore you with them, but when I get home, I want to have a written record of all these things that I've seen, experienced and thought while I was here. So today, I'm going to try and wrap up any other random explanations and descriptions I haven't previously detailed.
I'll start, though, with my new family, Elsa and Nini. It has been two weeks since I moved into their house, but for about 5 of those days, I was in Marsala. I still feel more like I'm a guest, there, although I think that's normal. I didn't feel really comfortable and at home at the Ferraris until I had been there for a little more than two weeks. Of course in this case, by that time, I'll be leaving. Clay and I have rooms on the second floor, which is also where the family lives, so we all share a bathroom. This hasn't been as awkward as I initially thought it would, which is good. My room is absolutely huge, probably three times the size of the old one. Plus, I have more storage room, so I don't feel as cramped as I did at the old place. In addition to my bed and a desk, there is a couch and a small chair in my room!! I've really enjoyed both of those as I have another place to read, and it gives Clay and I another hang out area that isn't really someone's room (although technically it's in my room, it's kind of across the room from my bed/desk area).
Elsa and Nini are incredibly nice people, and very different from Aurelio and Angela. Elsa talks non-stop, which means I really have to pay attention every second to understand what she's saying. I don't want to say they are a stereotypical Italian family, but really, they do fit the stereotype sometimes. Elsa talks a lot, and only has one volume: loud. The two of them bicker and banter playfully, but they are so affectionate with each other, which is adorable. When I asked Nini how long they had been married, he got a big smile on his face as he told me 33 years! Aurelio and Angela were a lot softer-spoken, and I don't think I ever saw them give each other a hard time. Although, it's fun to watch the antics between Elsa and Nini. Nini says stuff just to irritate her, which is hilarious to watch.
Nini is always joking. He gives Clay a hard time because Clay used to say "Si, va bene" to everything (like I did as well) when he first arrived. They finally caught on that he didn't actually understand what they were saying, so now Nini always says "Si, va bene" at times when you wouldn't normally say that.
I also realize how much I have to adapt to understand how different people speak. I had grown accustomed to Aurelio and Angela's voices, so I really had no problems communicating with them. If Aurelio asked me a question, and then Nini asked me the same question, I can guarantee you I would understand Aurelio, but not Nini, mainly because I'm so used to hearing Aurelio speak. In my defense, though, Nini mumbles a lot, so it is more difficult to understand him. I've been embarassed sometimes when Elsa asks me something and I tell her I don't understand. She then repeats it 4 or 5 times before I understand the words coming out of her mouth. The majority of the time, it's a simple question that I could've answered two months ago, even, but I just am not used to her voice.
That's probably all about the new house, really. The cooking is good, but I liked Aurelio's better (and Elsa would probably kill me if she ever knew I said that). But, I am often treated at their house with homemade limoncello or chocolate liqueur, both of which are absolutely wonderful!
Ok, onto other explanations.
1. Italians like to make out a lot. In general, they are very affectionate with each other in public. They are always holding hands, embracing each other, kissing, etc. They are actually really good at multi-tasking. I've seen several couples walking down the Corso, kissing, and pushing a stroller. Keep in mind, the Corso is crowded, and a stroller takes up some room, but somehow they manage to do both. It also seems that all Italians are in a couple. I rarely see people walking around by themselves. Occasionally I'll see a group of young people, but past the age of about 25 or so, and everyone is holding hands with someone. I suppose they never learned about cooties.
2. They don't recycle. This one really surprised me, actually. The Italians, and Europeans in general, are good about conserving energy. We rarely have the heaters on, and I think my toes have actually been frozen most of the time I've been here. They'll need to go through a deep-thaw when I get home. At the Ferraris house, we always had to turn off the lights as soon as we were leaving a room/area, etc. So they conserve energy. But then, they go buy mounds of plastic water bottles because they won't drink the tap water, and just throw them away! I realize the conserving energy is probably the more important thing to do, but google "Naples trash" and you'll get pages of articles about the huge trash problem in Napoli. Their land fills are full, so now people just pile up their trash bags on the street. The images are so gross, and I can't imagine what the city smells like. I realize recylcing doesn't help everything, but I thought maybe they would. I've only seen a recycling bin once or twice in train stations. Maybe I've missed them, but there doesn't seem to be a huge push for it, like there is in the States right now.
3. This is really a language thing, but jokes are often lost between languages. We have so many jokes that are play on words, or rely on complete understanding of the meanings (or double meanings) or words. Since I don't have complete command of the language, I miss all sorts of jokes. One night back in January, we were out with our group of friends, and Benjamin and Christoff made a joke about my last name. Apparently in German, if you take the "r" out of it, then it's some sort of sexual innuendo, I'm not really sure. Anyways, they said something about how sorry they felt for the "r." This gave them about 10 minutes of amusement, and since I don't speak German, I was utterly confused.
It's crazy, but in exactly one week at this time, I will be on my way home. The rest of the blogs this week will probably be dedicated to last-minute explanations and reflections on my time here. I hope I don't bore you with them, but when I get home, I want to have a written record of all these things that I've seen, experienced and thought while I was here. So today, I'm going to try and wrap up any other random explanations and descriptions I haven't previously detailed.
I'll start, though, with my new family, Elsa and Nini. It has been two weeks since I moved into their house, but for about 5 of those days, I was in Marsala. I still feel more like I'm a guest, there, although I think that's normal. I didn't feel really comfortable and at home at the Ferraris until I had been there for a little more than two weeks. Of course in this case, by that time, I'll be leaving. Clay and I have rooms on the second floor, which is also where the family lives, so we all share a bathroom. This hasn't been as awkward as I initially thought it would, which is good. My room is absolutely huge, probably three times the size of the old one. Plus, I have more storage room, so I don't feel as cramped as I did at the old place. In addition to my bed and a desk, there is a couch and a small chair in my room!! I've really enjoyed both of those as I have another place to read, and it gives Clay and I another hang out area that isn't really someone's room (although technically it's in my room, it's kind of across the room from my bed/desk area).
Elsa and Nini are incredibly nice people, and very different from Aurelio and Angela. Elsa talks non-stop, which means I really have to pay attention every second to understand what she's saying. I don't want to say they are a stereotypical Italian family, but really, they do fit the stereotype sometimes. Elsa talks a lot, and only has one volume: loud. The two of them bicker and banter playfully, but they are so affectionate with each other, which is adorable. When I asked Nini how long they had been married, he got a big smile on his face as he told me 33 years! Aurelio and Angela were a lot softer-spoken, and I don't think I ever saw them give each other a hard time. Although, it's fun to watch the antics between Elsa and Nini. Nini says stuff just to irritate her, which is hilarious to watch.
Nini is always joking. He gives Clay a hard time because Clay used to say "Si, va bene" to everything (like I did as well) when he first arrived. They finally caught on that he didn't actually understand what they were saying, so now Nini always says "Si, va bene" at times when you wouldn't normally say that.
I also realize how much I have to adapt to understand how different people speak. I had grown accustomed to Aurelio and Angela's voices, so I really had no problems communicating with them. If Aurelio asked me a question, and then Nini asked me the same question, I can guarantee you I would understand Aurelio, but not Nini, mainly because I'm so used to hearing Aurelio speak. In my defense, though, Nini mumbles a lot, so it is more difficult to understand him. I've been embarassed sometimes when Elsa asks me something and I tell her I don't understand. She then repeats it 4 or 5 times before I understand the words coming out of her mouth. The majority of the time, it's a simple question that I could've answered two months ago, even, but I just am not used to her voice.
That's probably all about the new house, really. The cooking is good, but I liked Aurelio's better (and Elsa would probably kill me if she ever knew I said that). But, I am often treated at their house with homemade limoncello or chocolate liqueur, both of which are absolutely wonderful!
Ok, onto other explanations.
1. Italians like to make out a lot. In general, they are very affectionate with each other in public. They are always holding hands, embracing each other, kissing, etc. They are actually really good at multi-tasking. I've seen several couples walking down the Corso, kissing, and pushing a stroller. Keep in mind, the Corso is crowded, and a stroller takes up some room, but somehow they manage to do both. It also seems that all Italians are in a couple. I rarely see people walking around by themselves. Occasionally I'll see a group of young people, but past the age of about 25 or so, and everyone is holding hands with someone. I suppose they never learned about cooties.
2. They don't recycle. This one really surprised me, actually. The Italians, and Europeans in general, are good about conserving energy. We rarely have the heaters on, and I think my toes have actually been frozen most of the time I've been here. They'll need to go through a deep-thaw when I get home. At the Ferraris house, we always had to turn off the lights as soon as we were leaving a room/area, etc. So they conserve energy. But then, they go buy mounds of plastic water bottles because they won't drink the tap water, and just throw them away! I realize the conserving energy is probably the more important thing to do, but google "Naples trash" and you'll get pages of articles about the huge trash problem in Napoli. Their land fills are full, so now people just pile up their trash bags on the street. The images are so gross, and I can't imagine what the city smells like. I realize recylcing doesn't help everything, but I thought maybe they would. I've only seen a recycling bin once or twice in train stations. Maybe I've missed them, but there doesn't seem to be a huge push for it, like there is in the States right now.
3. This is really a language thing, but jokes are often lost between languages. We have so many jokes that are play on words, or rely on complete understanding of the meanings (or double meanings) or words. Since I don't have complete command of the language, I miss all sorts of jokes. One night back in January, we were out with our group of friends, and Benjamin and Christoff made a joke about my last name. Apparently in German, if you take the "r" out of it, then it's some sort of sexual innuendo, I'm not really sure. Anyways, they said something about how sorry they felt for the "r." This gave them about 10 minutes of amusement, and since I don't speak German, I was utterly confused.
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