So today I completely forgot that I had a class at 8, because we only have that on Tuesdays, but I can't just show up two hours late, because thats kindof rude, so I thought I would actually write in my blog, because I haven't done that in quite a while.
My French Communist roommate is gone (I found out her real name is Audrey), and today I get a new one. Hopefully she's... nice. Yesterday my landlady came and cleaned the apartment!! Its really nice and clean. And she put a ridiculously bright pink blanket over the couch, haha. I bought new Birkenstocks yesterday. They're the thong kind, very european. I was going to buy black ones, not shiny, but they were too bold for me, so I got light green. They were needed because my other ones were worn down to the cork on the outside of my heels (and totally fine everywhere else, so I think I must walk weird).
Harinder leaves this week (the program director) and our second program director, Claudia is already here. We're having a transition dinner tonight and this really good ristorante called La Lanterna. I guess we're having pasta with Wild Boar sauce. According to Harinder, the cook said its really good.
Yesterday I turned in my final version of my term project! I'm really glad that that and my two tests are all over. Some friends of mine made a ten minute video of things in Perugia, so I'm going to post that sometime this week, along with my video from Gubbio. I think I've got some time tomorrow, so maybe then.
Oh, I'll write about Gubbio while I've got some time. About 12 of us went and Luke (assistant program director) was our tour guide, or something to that effect. It was nice because its not a very touristy town, which was a good change. Gubbio is a midevil city, and has a Roman ampitheatre and old churches. We took this crazy 'death cage' up the mountain, which is basically like an old chairlift, but you stand in these crazy cages. It doesn't slow down for you, so you have to run along side of it and jump in. Its in the video, so you'll be able to see it soon. At the top is the church of San Ubaldus. He died in the 12th century, and his body preserved itself naturally, without any sort of mumification or embalment or anything. Supposedly its a miracle, so his really old corpse is up on this altar in a class case/coffin that is addorned with gold. Personally, I think its creepy, and I don't think I will ever understand Catholosism's worship, or something to that effect, of dead men. After that, we summited Gubbio! We took a short walk up the rest of the hill, and at the top there was a cool tower that we could all go on top of. The view was amazing, and you could see in every direction. My digital camera had run out of batteries, and I was out of real film, but I'm actually kindof glad, because there is no way I would have been able to capture that moment photographically. After a few minutes, everyone stopped takling for about ten minutes, and it was really comfortable and awesome. The silence didn't even need to be broken awkwardly, it was so cool.
OK I need to go to class now. Ciao!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
lunedì, 30 luglio, 2007
We went to Gubbio on Saturday and it was really fun! I made a video from the trip, and hopefully I'll be able to post it soon :)
Thursday, July 26, 2007
giovedì, 26 luglio, 2007
I'm ready for this week to be over. We've had a crapload of class. For example, today: NINE HOURS.
Thats all. Ciao.
Thats all. Ciao.
Monday, July 23, 2007
martedi, 23 luglio, 2007
Yikes bikes! What a weekend! Here's the rundown:
I got up at 5:00am on Saturday and the met at Palazza Galenga at 6:00. The bus ride to Napoli took about five hours with a break at the half way point for breakfast. I slept pretty much the whole time. I tried to stay awake because the country is all so beautful, but I haven't gotten much sleep this week, so I suppose it was a good chance to catch up. Napoli was...OK. Its got some really great things to see and do, but we got there right before siesta began, and left just a little while after it ended, so everything was closed while we were there. I spent the day with Tony, Satoshi, Jordan, Winter, and Phil. We had Margherita Pizza and I finished an entire one by myself. Winter and Jordan have managed to rename everyone from our program, which is really hilarious. Some of the names include Will (winter), Gordon (jordan), Patrick (phillip), Tommy (tony), Elizabeth (me), Brad (brenton), and Logan (luke).
After Napoli, we took the bus to Pompei, which was totally awesome! I really enjoyed it. The ruins are all really amazing and the city is a lot bigger than I had expected. Its really impressive that so much has remained for 2,000 years. Our hotel was really nice, and was a good break from my apartment. I even had air conditioning!!! I had a roommate named Brixa (silent x) from India. She was really nice, which was also a nice break from my apartment in Perugia.
On Sunday we went to Capri. Our wake up was at 6:00, and we left at 7:00. We got to Capri at about 10:00, which included the ferry trip. We then took a boat tour around the island, which was beautiful and only took about an hour. For part of the tour we stopped at the Blue Grotto. It was soo beautiful inside! We took small boats into the cave through this tiny opening that was so small we had to lay down to go through it. The inside of the cave is light only by the light that comes through the water from the outside of the cave, which is what makes the cave blue. The ride was oly a few minutes, but definitely worth it.
We spent the rest of the day at the beach! It was wonderful and really felt like summertime! The weather was perfect, and so was the water. I forgot it was going to be salty when I got in because it was so clear, so it suprised me when I got water in my mouth. Haha. We swam for a really long time, and then layed on the beach, and then swam some more, and then layed on the beach for a little while longer. It was a really wonderful break from school. I'm definitely a bit sunburned, but not too bad. A little bit on my face, and then my lower back where Kathy seemed to forget to put any sunscreen. Whoops I guess?
This week is going to be really hectic. In fact, I need to go do some homework right now.
Oh, and the police busted a huge al-Qaeda training post right outside of Perugia. I heard about it earlier today, but because I don't read or watch Italian news, I'm not sure exactly how Italy is responding to it. I'll read some later this week, cause it will take me a while. But here's a bit about it from the BBC... ciao...
''
Italy police raid 'terror school'
Italian policemen involved in the Perugia raid
Italian police put a laptop seized in the raid on display
Police in central Italy say they have uncovered a bomb school for Islamist militants after raiding a mosque in Perugia and making three arrests.
Evidence of training in explosives and poisons, and instructions on flying a Boeing 747 were reportedly found.
Police said the suspected cell had links to a group associated with Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
They seized the imam and two other men, all Moroccans, and have a warrant for a fourth man believed to be abroad.
We have discovered and neutralised a real 'terror school'
Carlo De Stefano
anti-terrorism police head
The three detainees refused to reply to questions when they were brought before a local magistrate.
Twenty foreign students were also arrested in a related dawn raid and police said that those without residence permits would be deported.
Perugia, a popular tourist destination because of its medieval and Renaissance palaces, is home to Italy's University for Foreigners, where hundreds of students from the Middle East are enrolled in university courses in Italian and other subjects.
The discovery of the alleged terrorist training centre is a matter for serious concern to the Italian authorities, the BBC's David Willey reports from Rome.
Italian Interior Minister Giuliano Amato said it was now necessary to pay close attention to mosques being used for activities unrelated to religion.
Chemicals
The suspects were running an "in-depth operation of instruction and training in the use of weapons and combat techniques suitable for terrorist acts", police said.
Police cars stand outside the Ponte Felcino mosque
The Ponte Felcino mosque is located in a suburb of Perugia
Chemicals - including acids and cyanide - were found in the mosque's cellar and equipment for remote detonation of explosives was also discovered, they added.
"The investigation has shown that... there was a continued training for terrorist activity," anti-terrorism police head Carlo De Stefano said.
"We have discovered and neutralised a real 'terror school,' which was part of a widespread terrorism system made up of small cells that act on their own."
According to the police, the Perugia cell had contacts with two members of the Moroccan Islamic Combat Group arrested around two years ago in Belgium.
The group is believed to have ties to al-Qaeda and has been linked to the 2004 Madrid bombings and 2003 attacks in Casablanca.
The detained men were named as imam Korchi el Moustapha, 41, Mohamed el Jari, 47, and Driss Safika, 46.
'Quiet community'
Officers are reported to have spent two years investigating activities at the mosque.
Between daily prayers, the small mosque at Ponte Felcino doubled as a training camp, a police statement said.
The imam allegedly held courses, showed propaganda messages and made fiery sermons inciting a small group of disciples, some of them children, to join a Holy War.
Map of Italy showing Perugia
The director of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic Community, Sheikh Abdul Adid Palazzi, told BBC News that he was not surprised to hear of the arrests.
"It is the top of the iceberg in our country - like in the rest of Western Europe. Most mosques are controlled by extremist pro-terror organisations - 90% of mosques," he said.
"And I think the percentage is more or less the same in Italy, Britain, France and Germany."
However the imam at the central mosque in Perugia, which has a 10,000-strong Muslim community, said the Ponte Felcino group had not appeared dangerous.
"Generally it's a quiet community," Abdel Qader told Italian news agency Ansa.
"A few made some noise over the international situation but those were just words. We trust justice... and if any [of the suspects] has made a mistake, he will have to pay."
'' -BBC
I got up at 5:00am on Saturday and the met at Palazza Galenga at 6:00. The bus ride to Napoli took about five hours with a break at the half way point for breakfast. I slept pretty much the whole time. I tried to stay awake because the country is all so beautful, but I haven't gotten much sleep this week, so I suppose it was a good chance to catch up. Napoli was...OK. Its got some really great things to see and do, but we got there right before siesta began, and left just a little while after it ended, so everything was closed while we were there. I spent the day with Tony, Satoshi, Jordan, Winter, and Phil. We had Margherita Pizza and I finished an entire one by myself. Winter and Jordan have managed to rename everyone from our program, which is really hilarious. Some of the names include Will (winter), Gordon (jordan), Patrick (phillip), Tommy (tony), Elizabeth (me), Brad (brenton), and Logan (luke).
After Napoli, we took the bus to Pompei, which was totally awesome! I really enjoyed it. The ruins are all really amazing and the city is a lot bigger than I had expected. Its really impressive that so much has remained for 2,000 years. Our hotel was really nice, and was a good break from my apartment. I even had air conditioning!!! I had a roommate named Brixa (silent x) from India. She was really nice, which was also a nice break from my apartment in Perugia.
On Sunday we went to Capri. Our wake up was at 6:00, and we left at 7:00. We got to Capri at about 10:00, which included the ferry trip. We then took a boat tour around the island, which was beautiful and only took about an hour. For part of the tour we stopped at the Blue Grotto. It was soo beautiful inside! We took small boats into the cave through this tiny opening that was so small we had to lay down to go through it. The inside of the cave is light only by the light that comes through the water from the outside of the cave, which is what makes the cave blue. The ride was oly a few minutes, but definitely worth it.
We spent the rest of the day at the beach! It was wonderful and really felt like summertime! The weather was perfect, and so was the water. I forgot it was going to be salty when I got in because it was so clear, so it suprised me when I got water in my mouth. Haha. We swam for a really long time, and then layed on the beach, and then swam some more, and then layed on the beach for a little while longer. It was a really wonderful break from school. I'm definitely a bit sunburned, but not too bad. A little bit on my face, and then my lower back where Kathy seemed to forget to put any sunscreen. Whoops I guess?
This week is going to be really hectic. In fact, I need to go do some homework right now.
Oh, and the police busted a huge al-Qaeda training post right outside of Perugia. I heard about it earlier today, but because I don't read or watch Italian news, I'm not sure exactly how Italy is responding to it. I'll read some later this week, cause it will take me a while. But here's a bit about it from the BBC... ciao...
''
Italy police raid 'terror school'
Italian policemen involved in the Perugia raid
Italian police put a laptop seized in the raid on display
Police in central Italy say they have uncovered a bomb school for Islamist militants after raiding a mosque in Perugia and making three arrests.
Evidence of training in explosives and poisons, and instructions on flying a Boeing 747 were reportedly found.
Police said the suspected cell had links to a group associated with Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
They seized the imam and two other men, all Moroccans, and have a warrant for a fourth man believed to be abroad.
We have discovered and neutralised a real 'terror school'
Carlo De Stefano
anti-terrorism police head
The three detainees refused to reply to questions when they were brought before a local magistrate.
Twenty foreign students were also arrested in a related dawn raid and police said that those without residence permits would be deported.
Perugia, a popular tourist destination because of its medieval and Renaissance palaces, is home to Italy's University for Foreigners, where hundreds of students from the Middle East are enrolled in university courses in Italian and other subjects.
The discovery of the alleged terrorist training centre is a matter for serious concern to the Italian authorities, the BBC's David Willey reports from Rome.
Italian Interior Minister Giuliano Amato said it was now necessary to pay close attention to mosques being used for activities unrelated to religion.
Chemicals
The suspects were running an "in-depth operation of instruction and training in the use of weapons and combat techniques suitable for terrorist acts", police said.
Police cars stand outside the Ponte Felcino mosque
The Ponte Felcino mosque is located in a suburb of Perugia
Chemicals - including acids and cyanide - were found in the mosque's cellar and equipment for remote detonation of explosives was also discovered, they added.
"The investigation has shown that... there was a continued training for terrorist activity," anti-terrorism police head Carlo De Stefano said.
"We have discovered and neutralised a real 'terror school,' which was part of a widespread terrorism system made up of small cells that act on their own."
According to the police, the Perugia cell had contacts with two members of the Moroccan Islamic Combat Group arrested around two years ago in Belgium.
The group is believed to have ties to al-Qaeda and has been linked to the 2004 Madrid bombings and 2003 attacks in Casablanca.
The detained men were named as imam Korchi el Moustapha, 41, Mohamed el Jari, 47, and Driss Safika, 46.
'Quiet community'
Officers are reported to have spent two years investigating activities at the mosque.
Between daily prayers, the small mosque at Ponte Felcino doubled as a training camp, a police statement said.
The imam allegedly held courses, showed propaganda messages and made fiery sermons inciting a small group of disciples, some of them children, to join a Holy War.
Map of Italy showing Perugia
The director of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic Community, Sheikh Abdul Adid Palazzi, told BBC News that he was not surprised to hear of the arrests.
"It is the top of the iceberg in our country - like in the rest of Western Europe. Most mosques are controlled by extremist pro-terror organisations - 90% of mosques," he said.
"And I think the percentage is more or less the same in Italy, Britain, France and Germany."
However the imam at the central mosque in Perugia, which has a 10,000-strong Muslim community, said the Ponte Felcino group had not appeared dangerous.
"Generally it's a quiet community," Abdel Qader told Italian news agency Ansa.
"A few made some noise over the international situation but those were just words. We trust justice... and if any [of the suspects] has made a mistake, he will have to pay."
'' -BBC
Friday, July 20, 2007
venerdi, 20 luglio, 2007
Yay! School is done for the week! I really need a break. Its been ridiculously hot, and most of our classrooms don't have air conditioning. And today we had six hours of class because we had to make up class that our teacher couldn't come to last week. I'm going to Napoli, Pompei, and Capri tomorrow, so I'm sure I'll have lots to write about when I get back. But for now, here's a video I made really quickly of my apartment:
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
martedi, 17 luglio, 2007
I ate McDonalds today. Hahahahaha. It was actually molto delizioso, I was really suprised. It was definitely better here than in the US, although not much. We rode the bus there during our two hour break from class.
Hmmm, I can't think of anything exciting to update my blog-readers on... oh, I bought a dress yesterday! Its really cute, its kindof gray.
I'm going on a trip this weekend! But I think that I already mentioned that. Oh! I saw Harry Potter last night!!! It was really good! Too bad I couldn't understand a lick of it. It was in Italian, and first of all it was kind of funny because its been dubbed over, but they speak so quickly that I couln't understand what anyone was saying. I went with Tony and Brenton, which... could have been a bad choice, because Tony didn't know anything about Harry Potter at all, so he was asking a lot of questions, which I didn't mind at all, because I couldn't understand anyway, but Brenton, who was sitting on the other side of me, would interupt my answers for Tony's questions and talk really loudly across my lap. I finally put my hand up and told him to top because he was really loud, and he got all defensive for a second but stopped. So then I quietly answered Tony's questions after that. I hate it when people are loud in theatres, and its probably more annoying that we were speaking English. But I really want to see Harry Potter in English now, and I also want to read the book, but I think I should read 5 and 6 again, for review.
I bought Harry Potter 1 in Italian yesterday, and Ty has the audio version, so I'm going to put that on my Ipod and listen and read at the same time! Yay for learning!!!
OK, basta, caio.
Hmmm, I can't think of anything exciting to update my blog-readers on... oh, I bought a dress yesterday! Its really cute, its kindof gray.
I'm going on a trip this weekend! But I think that I already mentioned that. Oh! I saw Harry Potter last night!!! It was really good! Too bad I couldn't understand a lick of it. It was in Italian, and first of all it was kind of funny because its been dubbed over, but they speak so quickly that I couln't understand what anyone was saying. I went with Tony and Brenton, which... could have been a bad choice, because Tony didn't know anything about Harry Potter at all, so he was asking a lot of questions, which I didn't mind at all, because I couldn't understand anyway, but Brenton, who was sitting on the other side of me, would interupt my answers for Tony's questions and talk really loudly across my lap. I finally put my hand up and told him to top because he was really loud, and he got all defensive for a second but stopped. So then I quietly answered Tony's questions after that. I hate it when people are loud in theatres, and its probably more annoying that we were speaking English. But I really want to see Harry Potter in English now, and I also want to read the book, but I think I should read 5 and 6 again, for review.
I bought Harry Potter 1 in Italian yesterday, and Ty has the audio version, so I'm going to put that on my Ipod and listen and read at the same time! Yay for learning!!!
OK, basta, caio.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
domenica, 15 luglio, 2007
Wow! We're already 1/4 of the way through our program!!! Thats so crazy! Its also kindof crazy that I'll be here for another month and a half. I can't really comprehend how much I'm going to learn, Italian and other things, in that time. I also can't comprehend how much homework I will have to do between now and then. I swear, the B1 students don't get any homework besides what Harinder (program director from UofO) gives them. And the B2 students have all this other crap that our teachers give us. Its so dumb. We shouldn't have to do both. Oh well I guess.
Tonight is the finale of Umbria Jazz, which is kindof sad, but... not really at all, because I am excited for the piazzas to be nice and calm, not that they'll really be that calm, but whatever.
We're going to go see Harry Potter tomorrow!! We were going to try to see it tonight, but because its the last night of Umbria Jazz, we figured we ought to hang out and enjoy it while its still here. Most of the showings are in Italian, but I heard a rumor that they show the films in English on Mondays... I suppose we'll find out tomorrow, but I think I want to see it in both languages, it doesn't really matter what order though.
We had a Bible study today! It was me and Tony, this kid Ty, who we asked because he has a tattoo of a cross on his forearm, and Kathy (who I travelled with from Rome to here) and Brenton, who is just a cool kid who we thought may be interested in coming and he was, and also Satoshi, but I don't think he knew was he was agreeing to come to. Haha. It was good though, we read Acts 1, and then just got into discussion about what to do with our lives, and how to live them and glorify God and minister to others all at the same time. It was a really good discussion. Ty is a leader at a youthgroup at a church in Eugene, and it sounds like he knows a lot about the Bible. And Kathy I think is semi-involved in church stuff, and Brenton said he's never been to a Bible study, and really appreciated this one. We're going to do Acts 2 sometime next week, and it sounds like we'll have at least one more person!
Its really amazing to see God bring together all these random people, who are from the same place but in a foreign country. Because I would probably never met any of them (besides Tony) if it weren't for this trip, and here we are sharing our walks and learning together. Yea, pretty much neato.
Ciao ciao.
Tonight is the finale of Umbria Jazz, which is kindof sad, but... not really at all, because I am excited for the piazzas to be nice and calm, not that they'll really be that calm, but whatever.
We're going to go see Harry Potter tomorrow!! We were going to try to see it tonight, but because its the last night of Umbria Jazz, we figured we ought to hang out and enjoy it while its still here. Most of the showings are in Italian, but I heard a rumor that they show the films in English on Mondays... I suppose we'll find out tomorrow, but I think I want to see it in both languages, it doesn't really matter what order though.
We had a Bible study today! It was me and Tony, this kid Ty, who we asked because he has a tattoo of a cross on his forearm, and Kathy (who I travelled with from Rome to here) and Brenton, who is just a cool kid who we thought may be interested in coming and he was, and also Satoshi, but I don't think he knew was he was agreeing to come to. Haha. It was good though, we read Acts 1, and then just got into discussion about what to do with our lives, and how to live them and glorify God and minister to others all at the same time. It was a really good discussion. Ty is a leader at a youthgroup at a church in Eugene, and it sounds like he knows a lot about the Bible. And Kathy I think is semi-involved in church stuff, and Brenton said he's never been to a Bible study, and really appreciated this one. We're going to do Acts 2 sometime next week, and it sounds like we'll have at least one more person!
Its really amazing to see God bring together all these random people, who are from the same place but in a foreign country. Because I would probably never met any of them (besides Tony) if it weren't for this trip, and here we are sharing our walks and learning together. Yea, pretty much neato.
Ciao ciao.
Friday, July 13, 2007
venerdi, 13 luglio, 2007
I can add photos now! Ok, so lets see here, the first two images are just from the short time spent in Rome. The next two are the view from my window, and the last is (from left to right) Daniel (Austrian), Kevin (UofOian), and Tony (UofOian).
Mmm.... I think I'll add some more photos. Yea.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
mercoledi, 11 luglio, 2007
it rained really hard today, yikes bikes. oh, wait... my shift button doesn't work, so here's how things are gonna go- 1 equals explanation point... and thats pretty much all i can't use that i need.
anyway, it rained. i was sitting in tony's kitchen, and you can see some roof from there, and the window was open, and all of the sudden it started raining REALLY HARD -capslock button-1 and there was hail bouncing off the roof and such. but then we had to go to class, which was just really unfourtunate. as soon as we got outside i decided we should have brought an umbrella. durring the short walk from tony's appartment to mine -which is on the way to school, and he had to buy the textbook, so i went there to change- i was completely soaked. it looked like i had taken a shower. and we looked like idiots walking through the rain, because we were the only ones. well, the reason for that is because by the time i toweled my hair and changed clothes, it completely stopped raining. so, now i know, if it starts raining in italy, don't go in the rain, just wait it out.
oh, and my french communist roommate told me today that ''a womaan from ze agenziee cameuh baiie, anduh, she zaide zate anozere girleh izeh going to moveh in wizus''. which is pretty cool, and it sounds like she's either american or british, and doesn't speak italian. and whoever lives in my room still hasn't showed up, so i'm going to go to the agency tomorrow morning and ask about that, because its weird that there's a bunch of stuff in my room.
other than that, nothing new has really happened. oh, actually, stefania was wearing a new set of clothes today... so maybe there's like a two-day rule for that kindof thing. i'll give it more time before i decide, it could definitely be a three-day rule.
yea, i think thats all for today. does anyone have any requests for information on my life in italy...question mark... let me know111
ciao
anyway, it rained. i was sitting in tony's kitchen, and you can see some roof from there, and the window was open, and all of the sudden it started raining REALLY HARD -capslock button-1 and there was hail bouncing off the roof and such. but then we had to go to class, which was just really unfourtunate. as soon as we got outside i decided we should have brought an umbrella. durring the short walk from tony's appartment to mine -which is on the way to school, and he had to buy the textbook, so i went there to change- i was completely soaked. it looked like i had taken a shower. and we looked like idiots walking through the rain, because we were the only ones. well, the reason for that is because by the time i toweled my hair and changed clothes, it completely stopped raining. so, now i know, if it starts raining in italy, don't go in the rain, just wait it out.
oh, and my french communist roommate told me today that ''a womaan from ze agenziee cameuh baiie, anduh, she zaide zate anozere girleh izeh going to moveh in wizus''. which is pretty cool, and it sounds like she's either american or british, and doesn't speak italian. and whoever lives in my room still hasn't showed up, so i'm going to go to the agency tomorrow morning and ask about that, because its weird that there's a bunch of stuff in my room.
other than that, nothing new has really happened. oh, actually, stefania was wearing a new set of clothes today... so maybe there's like a two-day rule for that kindof thing. i'll give it more time before i decide, it could definitely be a three-day rule.
yea, i think thats all for today. does anyone have any requests for information on my life in italy...question mark... let me know111
ciao
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
martedi, 10 luglio, 2007
Yesterday we ate dinner at my apartment, which I hate doing, because its not very clean there. But we were about to eat, and this guy Mike was sitting in the kitchen, and all of the sudden he pulls a brown, soft-looking banana out of his pocket. He had a banana in his pocket all day long. Hahahaha. Yea, he does some other weird things that don't make any sense, but that has definitely been the best.
My roomate is still communist, but I don't know any other details. I tried to do some research on communism in France, but my search didn't come up with much. I'll have to try a bit harder. If all else fails, I think I will just ask her about it. Maybe I can find out what her name is in the process. Yep, good idea.
Here's another weird thing: all of my teachers wear their clothes multiple days in a row. I noticed it last week with my 'lingua' teacher, who wore the same shirt, pants and shoes on both Thursday and Friday. Then she wore the same dress and accessories yesterday and today, and so did our 'orale' teacher. And my 'cultura' teacher wore the same thing today that she wore last Thursday. So, I asked this Hungarian kid named Mate (in Italian, so it took a minute for us to communicate), and he said that people do things like that in Hungary as well. Or, at least I think thats what he said, or thats what he said, but he may not have understood my question. Anyway, thats just a funny cultural quirk that I thought was interesting. I think I will ask Luke or Harinder about it... whoever I see first.
Umbria Jazz continues to be amazing every night. Last night there were some awesome black ladies from Mississipi singing their little hearts out, and I guess after I went to bed there were some guys playing some blues that included a washboard and an accordion. I'm really sad that I missed them, but it sounds like they're playing again sometime this week.
Today we had all three of our classes. I understood everything that we talked about in our first class (lingua), but then the next four hours went by, and I'm not entirely sure what exactly we learned about. I think it had something to do with true love and this 80 year old man, and then marriage in Italy, with some questions about marriage in America, and then divorce and how long it takes to get divorced and then I think we may have talked about how much it costs to live in certain cities in different countries. Then in 'cultura' class, we learned about Perugia, but I don't really know what we were supposed to learn, because there was lots of new vocabulary. So yea, yikes bikes is probably the best way I can describe my day of learning/ not knowing whats going on. I think it was partially because we had to be at school at 8:00am, which just sucks because it takes at least 20 minutes to walk there.
Well, I think thats all for now. I'm sorry I don't have any more updates on French Communism/ my hardcore roommate. Someday, we will all know her name, and we will be much more content.
Ci vediamo... in a few months actually, so... ciao!
My roomate is still communist, but I don't know any other details. I tried to do some research on communism in France, but my search didn't come up with much. I'll have to try a bit harder. If all else fails, I think I will just ask her about it. Maybe I can find out what her name is in the process. Yep, good idea.
Here's another weird thing: all of my teachers wear their clothes multiple days in a row. I noticed it last week with my 'lingua' teacher, who wore the same shirt, pants and shoes on both Thursday and Friday. Then she wore the same dress and accessories yesterday and today, and so did our 'orale' teacher. And my 'cultura' teacher wore the same thing today that she wore last Thursday. So, I asked this Hungarian kid named Mate (in Italian, so it took a minute for us to communicate), and he said that people do things like that in Hungary as well. Or, at least I think thats what he said, or thats what he said, but he may not have understood my question. Anyway, thats just a funny cultural quirk that I thought was interesting. I think I will ask Luke or Harinder about it... whoever I see first.
Umbria Jazz continues to be amazing every night. Last night there were some awesome black ladies from Mississipi singing their little hearts out, and I guess after I went to bed there were some guys playing some blues that included a washboard and an accordion. I'm really sad that I missed them, but it sounds like they're playing again sometime this week.
Today we had all three of our classes. I understood everything that we talked about in our first class (lingua), but then the next four hours went by, and I'm not entirely sure what exactly we learned about. I think it had something to do with true love and this 80 year old man, and then marriage in Italy, with some questions about marriage in America, and then divorce and how long it takes to get divorced and then I think we may have talked about how much it costs to live in certain cities in different countries. Then in 'cultura' class, we learned about Perugia, but I don't really know what we were supposed to learn, because there was lots of new vocabulary. So yea, yikes bikes is probably the best way I can describe my day of learning/ not knowing whats going on. I think it was partially because we had to be at school at 8:00am, which just sucks because it takes at least 20 minutes to walk there.
Well, I think thats all for now. I'm sorry I don't have any more updates on French Communism/ my hardcore roommate. Someday, we will all know her name, and we will be much more content.
Ci vediamo... in a few months actually, so... ciao!
Monday, July 9, 2007
lundedi, 9 luglio, 2007
Holy crap.
My roommate is hardcore communist. There's a huge hammer and sickle tattoo between her shoulderblades. Thats all I have to say for today, nothing can top it.
Oh, except a bird flew into my room last night and I was freaking out. Haha. I wasn't the only one though, the bird and I were definitely sharing the same feelings about its presence in my room.
Ciao.
My roommate is hardcore communist. There's a huge hammer and sickle tattoo between her shoulderblades. Thats all I have to say for today, nothing can top it.
Oh, except a bird flew into my room last night and I was freaking out. Haha. I wasn't the only one though, the bird and I were definitely sharing the same feelings about its presence in my room.
Ciao.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
domenica, 8 luglio 2007
Well, first of all, in response to all of the comments on my last post, you're all crazy and are over analyzing the situation. Adam, I'm not going to ask my roommate some question in french that you translated for me, you lost my trust when you smashed that egg on my head. And this is a different roommate than the MIA roommate, who lives in my room, and is definitely still MIA, and I want to know where the heck she is. Also, along with these roommate updates, I would like to inform you all that (french roommate) and I had a bonding moment today when we were trying to make the washing machine work. Its really old, and everything is in Italian and all of the writing on the knobs is worn off. We couldn't figure it out together, but we laughed, which is a good sign. And I will have you know that I now have the washing machine on lockdown and I figured it out all by myself without silly french roommate... who I still don't know come si chiama (what her name is). Woops.
Umbria Jazz started on Friday night and it was awesome!!! Well, it still is awesome! A bunch of us made some dinner, and hung out in Tony's appartment for a while (which is right in Centro), and then went down for Umbria Jazz. We found more people from our program at Piazza Italia, and Luke, the ARD (Assistant Resident Director), who was buzzed when we found him, and drunk by the time I went back to my apartment at about two in the morning. The music usually ends around 1:00-2:00am, but the two main piazzas in Centro stay really crowded until at least 5 or 6. Haha, people are crazy here!
Yesterday we went to Assissi, where San Francesco is from. We went and saw his bisilica, and it was awesome. You're not supposed to take pictures inside, but I took one while we were sitting in these pews from my lap, and it actually turned out allright. I didn't really mind that you can't take pictures because you can't really capture the amazingness of the basilica anyway. So there's prettymuch three levels in the basilica: the lower basilica, which is amazing, and has an altar, under which San Francesco is burried. And there's crazy frescos all over the place. Then we went down to the... I don't know what you call it, but where the remains of Francesco are, and also of his four fav friars, haha. There's also the upper basilica, which is also amazing and has beautiful frescos on the walls and cielings, and there was earthquake damage in '94, and a whole section of the cieling fell on a friar and three other guys (after the earthquake, not yesterday). Although I think all of this is ridiculous for religous purposes, the architecture and art is really amazing, and I'm glad that I get to experience things like that.
Oh, and we got our tour from a friar named Ed and he was from Canada.
So yea, school tomorrow, woohoo!
Umbria Jazz started on Friday night and it was awesome!!! Well, it still is awesome! A bunch of us made some dinner, and hung out in Tony's appartment for a while (which is right in Centro), and then went down for Umbria Jazz. We found more people from our program at Piazza Italia, and Luke, the ARD (Assistant Resident Director), who was buzzed when we found him, and drunk by the time I went back to my apartment at about two in the morning. The music usually ends around 1:00-2:00am, but the two main piazzas in Centro stay really crowded until at least 5 or 6. Haha, people are crazy here!
Yesterday we went to Assissi, where San Francesco is from. We went and saw his bisilica, and it was awesome. You're not supposed to take pictures inside, but I took one while we were sitting in these pews from my lap, and it actually turned out allright. I didn't really mind that you can't take pictures because you can't really capture the amazingness of the basilica anyway. So there's prettymuch three levels in the basilica: the lower basilica, which is amazing, and has an altar, under which San Francesco is burried. And there's crazy frescos all over the place. Then we went down to the... I don't know what you call it, but where the remains of Francesco are, and also of his four fav friars, haha. There's also the upper basilica, which is also amazing and has beautiful frescos on the walls and cielings, and there was earthquake damage in '94, and a whole section of the cieling fell on a friar and three other guys (after the earthquake, not yesterday). Although I think all of this is ridiculous for religous purposes, the architecture and art is really amazing, and I'm glad that I get to experience things like that.
Oh, and we got our tour from a friar named Ed and he was from Canada.
So yea, school tomorrow, woohoo!
Friday, July 6, 2007
venerdi, 6 luglio, 2007
Right now I feel like writing about the things that suck about Perugia. There's not many, but they include: I'm pretty sure my french roommate hates me, because (for example) today a few of us made amazing pasta for lunch, and I didn't know that she was even in the apartment, and then when we were sitting in the living room she walked by and I said "Ciao!" (makes sense, right?) and she totally ignored me, like I would be greeting anyone else in the room. Then she walked through like five more times without looking at me, and closed the door to the kitchen when she went in there. It was so weird!! Also, I don't really know whats going on in class about 90% of the time. I really enjoy classes, and I feel like I'm learning a lot, but I still am totally clueless most of the time. What else... OH! My kitchen is gross. I cleaned some of it today, but a lot of the dirtiness is permanent, and I think I'm going to try to avoid cooking in there much, and just go to other people's houses. And the bathroom is gross too. There's no shower curtain, and so water goes everywhere (its supposed to be that way) and then there's hair all over the floor from my roommate, who, I don't even know her name yet, and I don't know if I ever will, because she doesn't want to talk to me. But yea, the hair is disgusting. I think thats pretty much all that sucks, I guess also that its hard to communicate with people from home, but that is a different kind of suck. Haha, anyway...
Tonight the Umbria Jazz Festival starts!!! Yay! Pretty much, how it works, is approximately a million muscisians come to Umbria, and especially Perguia, and play music all over the city during all hours of the day and night. Its going to be awesome, and I'm going to just listen to jazz all the time. Woohoo!
Tomorrow we're going to Assissi with our group from UofO. I think Luke (program director assistant) may be giving us a tour... I'm not sure though. He gave us a tour of Perugia the other day and it was hilarious. He just has very dry humor, and I really appreciate it.
One thing that is starting to become habitual is that a few of us meet at one cafe for cappucinos every morning. I really enjoy the coffee here. I didn't drink it at all until I came here, and I'll probably be addicted by the time I come home. And gelato is also becoming a everyday occurance, it is so delicous!
I really enjoy the people who came to Perugia from the UofO, its a really random group of people, but that makes it even more often. Everytime we get together I am totally entertained by the quirks that everyone exhibits. Haha, yea, its really great. There's a few really awkward people, and I just love it.
Well, that was a random post. I've got a crapload of homework, so I'm going to go take care of some of that right now. Ciao!
Tonight the Umbria Jazz Festival starts!!! Yay! Pretty much, how it works, is approximately a million muscisians come to Umbria, and especially Perguia, and play music all over the city during all hours of the day and night. Its going to be awesome, and I'm going to just listen to jazz all the time. Woohoo!
Tomorrow we're going to Assissi with our group from UofO. I think Luke (program director assistant) may be giving us a tour... I'm not sure though. He gave us a tour of Perugia the other day and it was hilarious. He just has very dry humor, and I really appreciate it.
One thing that is starting to become habitual is that a few of us meet at one cafe for cappucinos every morning. I really enjoy the coffee here. I didn't drink it at all until I came here, and I'll probably be addicted by the time I come home. And gelato is also becoming a everyday occurance, it is so delicous!
I really enjoy the people who came to Perugia from the UofO, its a really random group of people, but that makes it even more often. Everytime we get together I am totally entertained by the quirks that everyone exhibits. Haha, yea, its really great. There's a few really awkward people, and I just love it.
Well, that was a random post. I've got a crapload of homework, so I'm going to go take care of some of that right now. Ciao!
Thursday, July 5, 2007
giovedi, 5 lulgio, 2007
We had our first day of class yesterday! I thought that our teacher would be really hard core and intimidating, but she was really nice, and wore Chuck Taylors. Of course there are a few people in the class who seem to be way better at Italian than me and others from UofO, but I don't feel too far behind at all. The thats sitting next to me right now is annoying, she's reading these dumb things that she thinks are hilarious, but its not funny at all.
Our quattro luglio party was so awesome! Almost everyone from the program came! We had watermelon, hamburgers, hotdogs, potatoe chips, etc. I bought some red champagne without knowing it, and it was really good! Everyone enjoyed that, even though thats not really American. I definitely would have appreciated some fireworks, and a beach to be at, but for being in Italy, it was a really good 4th. We had to explain the holiday to Tony's japonese roommate (in Italian), which was kindof funny.
I'm going to go eat soem gelato now and head to class. Ciao!
Our quattro luglio party was so awesome! Almost everyone from the program came! We had watermelon, hamburgers, hotdogs, potatoe chips, etc. I bought some red champagne without knowing it, and it was really good! Everyone enjoyed that, even though thats not really American. I definitely would have appreciated some fireworks, and a beach to be at, but for being in Italy, it was a really good 4th. We had to explain the holiday to Tony's japonese roommate (in Italian), which was kindof funny.
I'm going to go eat soem gelato now and head to class. Ciao!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
mercoledi, 4 luglio, 2007
Happy 4th of July! I didn't realize that it was the 4th until I wrote the date of my blog. Ha!
Well, class finally starts today, and I'm really excited! Also, when I left my house this morning, the man that lives below me left at the same time. He is so cute! He wears these glasses that magnify his eyes, and its really funny. I think his wife is a little deaf, because I saw them yesterday, she pretty much yelled "CIAO!" at me and I had to speak really loudly to ask her how she was doing. It was really funny. They're a cute couple, and hopefully I can talk to them more as I have more classes.
Last night a few of us cooked dinner at Tony's place and it was really good! We had penne pasta with pesto, and whatever its called when you put basil, mazzarella, and tomatoes on bread, and some facaccia bread. Mmmmm, che delicioso!
Well, class finally starts today, and I'm really excited! Also, when I left my house this morning, the man that lives below me left at the same time. He is so cute! He wears these glasses that magnify his eyes, and its really funny. I think his wife is a little deaf, because I saw them yesterday, she pretty much yelled "CIAO!" at me and I had to speak really loudly to ask her how she was doing. It was really funny. They're a cute couple, and hopefully I can talk to them more as I have more classes.
Last night a few of us cooked dinner at Tony's place and it was really good! We had penne pasta with pesto, and whatever its called when you put basil, mazzarella, and tomatoes on bread, and some facaccia bread. Mmmmm, che delicioso!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
martedi, 3 luglio, 2007
Yesterday Tony, Kevin and I met at nine alla Fontana Maggiore to get breakfast before class. I had a cappucino, and it was actually pretty good. When we got down to Liceo (where most of our classes are, but its actually a highschool that the University uses in the summer) we saw Sitoshi and he told us there aren't classes until Wednesday because other students still need to take entrance exams. We went grocery shopping and the I took a siesta! A few minutes after I woke up on of my roommates arrived. She is from France, but I can't remember her name because I've never heard it before. She came to dinner with us, along with Kevin's roommate, Daniel, who is from Austria. Most of our conversation was in Italian, which was awesome! After dinner we met more UofO students in Piazza Italia, and hung out there for a while. Then some of us went to this sleezy discotec, and Jessica and I had fun watching our semi-drunk classmates dance to Justin Timberlake and the Grease soundtrack. (haha)
I'm really excited to start classes tomorrow so it will be easier to communicate with people around me, especially my roommates and neighbors. And hopefully my other two roommates will arrive today.
OK, ciao!
I'm really excited to start classes tomorrow so it will be easier to communicate with people around me, especially my roommates and neighbors. And hopefully my other two roommates will arrive today.
OK, ciao!
Monday, July 2, 2007
lunedi, 1 luglio, 2007
We don't have class today or tomorrow because other students still have to arrive and take placement tests. So we've just been wandering around more of Perugia. I went grocery shopping today, and bought a bottle of wine for 2 Euro. Its so cheap here! Haha :)
My roommates haven't arrived yet. Well, maybe by the time I go back to my apartment they will be here. I talked to my landlord on the phone yesterday, and I think she told me that the rest of the girls (maybe all girls? who knows...) are arriving today. I guess I'll find out later!
Tonight we're going to sit down and have a nice meal. Since we've been here we've been trying to eat cheaply, which still tastes great, but I think its time for something ma costoso. My Italian is already improving, even though classes haven't started. Of course so many people here speak English, its really easy to just go with that. But I'm sure once classes start, we'll be more encouraged to speak in Italian all the time. I don't know if I wrote about this yesterday, but I got into grado B2, with Tony... and well a few more students that no one who reads this will know, but we have to take more classes than those who got into B1. Hopefully we'll get more credits. OK... ciao!!!
My roommates haven't arrived yet. Well, maybe by the time I go back to my apartment they will be here. I talked to my landlord on the phone yesterday, and I think she told me that the rest of the girls (maybe all girls? who knows...) are arriving today. I guess I'll find out later!
Tonight we're going to sit down and have a nice meal. Since we've been here we've been trying to eat cheaply, which still tastes great, but I think its time for something ma costoso. My Italian is already improving, even though classes haven't started. Of course so many people here speak English, its really easy to just go with that. But I'm sure once classes start, we'll be more encouraged to speak in Italian all the time. I don't know if I wrote about this yesterday, but I got into grado B2, with Tony... and well a few more students that no one who reads this will know, but we have to take more classes than those who got into B1. Hopefully we'll get more credits. OK... ciao!!!
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Sunday, July 1st, 2007
Ciao da Italia!
I am having a wonderful time so far. Travelling went fine, our hostel was a little sketch, but what isn't sketch in Rome? Yea, thats a very dirty place. We arrived in Perugia on Saturday at about 3:00 to find that STA booked our hotel in the WRONG CITY! I don't know how they messed that up, but my apartment was ready so it was OK. Someone was already moved into my apartment, but she hasn't actually been there yet. Maybe she's away for the weekend? I had a very confusing experience with my neigbor who lives below me. In the end, I found that he wanted me to call my landlady, and I was confused, so he took me downstairs and called her for me, and I talked to her, but I'm not entirely sure what she told me... so yea.
The food is really great, and we've been finding good cheap places. I had my first gelato today, and it was DELICIOSO! Yea, that will probably go down every day. The city is built on a huge hill, and we walk everywhere, so I think my legs will be really buff when I come home. We start classes tomorrow! I'm in grado B2, which is higher than some other people, so thats pretty neat...
My time is running out for the internet, so Ciao!
I am having a wonderful time so far. Travelling went fine, our hostel was a little sketch, but what isn't sketch in Rome? Yea, thats a very dirty place. We arrived in Perugia on Saturday at about 3:00 to find that STA booked our hotel in the WRONG CITY! I don't know how they messed that up, but my apartment was ready so it was OK. Someone was already moved into my apartment, but she hasn't actually been there yet. Maybe she's away for the weekend? I had a very confusing experience with my neigbor who lives below me. In the end, I found that he wanted me to call my landlady, and I was confused, so he took me downstairs and called her for me, and I talked to her, but I'm not entirely sure what she told me... so yea.
The food is really great, and we've been finding good cheap places. I had my first gelato today, and it was DELICIOSO! Yea, that will probably go down every day. The city is built on a huge hill, and we walk everywhere, so I think my legs will be really buff when I come home. We start classes tomorrow! I'm in grado B2, which is higher than some other people, so thats pretty neat...
My time is running out for the internet, so Ciao!
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