Alright, all you James Bond Fans, and even if you aren't a fan, you need to be hard core jealous of me right this instant. You will never guess what is being filmed ON THE STREET OUTSIDE MY CLASSROOM. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, the next James Bond flick. Can you say excited? Can you say 'geeking out'? Fantastic, because that is exactly what I am doing right now. We spent a good hour after class today hanging around outside where they are testing the film shot, then another good 20 minutes hanging around outside the actual film set in hopes of seeing someone famous. I was looking into every car that drove past hoping to get a glimpse of Daniel Craig (Jane, by the way, has never seen a JB movie and I was shocked and amazed. Also, the theme song from the Golden Eye video game for N64 has been running through my head non-stop. Dun nun dah dah duh duh daaaaah dun dadadaaaa duh da dow).
So there you have it, people. The second of my must see films (the first being the new Batman because 1) it looks genuinely quite good, and 2) because I have a secret love for Heath Ledger and want to see the last movie he ever made). Quantam of Solace. Lame title, one overly excited 20-year-old.
A Presto, tutti!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Felice di stare lassù
So there's a really cute little italian song that I am in fact in love with. Volare, by some person whose name I can't quite remember, and I had the extreme pleasure of hearing it sung live on the telly last night. Since then, it has been most pleasantly running through my head, and I have found myself humming little phrases here and there of different stanzas and choruses. It makes me quite happy.
Siena is still lovely, it looks like rain today, and it's actually one of those awkwardly hot/cold days where the air is cool but when you walk around (especially up and down hills) you're dripping sweat. It's a peculiar situation, but I enjoy it none the less. How many people in the States can say that they're running around in a teeshirt in February?
Let's hope it lasts.
Ciao.
Siena is still lovely, it looks like rain today, and it's actually one of those awkwardly hot/cold days where the air is cool but when you walk around (especially up and down hills) you're dripping sweat. It's a peculiar situation, but I enjoy it none the less. How many people in the States can say that they're running around in a teeshirt in February?
Let's hope it lasts.
Ciao.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Good Morning, Sunshine.
Oh I miss home. I know, it's been a week, and I'm a wimp and lame for missing home. But I do and there's nothing you can do about it.
Since getting the internet up and running, I've had more contact with people. This is due to the fact that I can now be on AIM at a normal hour for you people. Silly things, being six hours behind... But anyway, I've been in contact with more people and I realize I have less and less to say over the span of time. I do pretty much the same thing every day here, so when asked "How's Italy???" I basically have nothing to say:
"Well, it was sunny today, and there's some good weather coming in... and... um... we learned about pronoun dependent verbs... and... uh... I saw a pigeon."
Yes, it is lovely here. Yes, I do enjoy it. No, we do not in fact go out every night because Yes, I am, in fact, 85 at heart and enjoy going to bed at 10 pm. I'm a lady who enjoys her sleep. Also, we've been everywhere there is to go practically in this town, I think there are only a couple of pubs that we haven't invaded with our American Presence.
And the American Presidential election is all over the news here. (Thought process: presence sounds like present sounds like president PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION). Franco asked me about the presidential election and who I wanted to win and how it worked and everything the other day and I stumbled through it as best as I could. Honestly, I don't start doing my research until August, tops, and I probably couldn't hold an intelligent conversation in English much less Italian. As I was tripping over words he was looking at me strangely, and when I finished with an exasperated sigh he asked me, "Quando stai fuori della classe, che lingua parli?" (outside of class what do you speak) I didn't understand the point of the question, I was still furiously embarassed about the debacle of a conversation we'd just had. "Che?" I said. He repeated it again, slower. I still didn't understand why he wanted to know. "Parlo itliano alla scuola, ma quando sono con gli altri studenti parlo inglese." (I speak Italian in class, but when with the other students I speak English) He gave me a knowing look and nodded his head, "Si, pensavo che si perche tu non parli l'italiano bene." (I thought so because you don't speak Italian well). I was mortified, it was like a slap in the face. First you ask me about a subject I don't know anything about, and then criticize me when I don't know the words in a foreign language? What kind of crap is that? It's not like when we sit in Italian class they say "Oh, here's all the words for everything you may ever need to talk about in Italy, including the specific terms for the presidential election, the candidates' occupations, how to state their opinions and if you agree with them, and here is how to explain the electoral college." These are things I never thought I would encounter.
Oh well, we're off to Florence for the afternoon, I'll post a less whiny entry at a later date.
Ciao, a presto.
Since getting the internet up and running, I've had more contact with people. This is due to the fact that I can now be on AIM at a normal hour for you people. Silly things, being six hours behind... But anyway, I've been in contact with more people and I realize I have less and less to say over the span of time. I do pretty much the same thing every day here, so when asked "How's Italy???" I basically have nothing to say:
"Well, it was sunny today, and there's some good weather coming in... and... um... we learned about pronoun dependent verbs... and... uh... I saw a pigeon."
Yes, it is lovely here. Yes, I do enjoy it. No, we do not in fact go out every night because Yes, I am, in fact, 85 at heart and enjoy going to bed at 10 pm. I'm a lady who enjoys her sleep. Also, we've been everywhere there is to go practically in this town, I think there are only a couple of pubs that we haven't invaded with our American Presence.
And the American Presidential election is all over the news here. (Thought process: presence sounds like present sounds like president PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION). Franco asked me about the presidential election and who I wanted to win and how it worked and everything the other day and I stumbled through it as best as I could. Honestly, I don't start doing my research until August, tops, and I probably couldn't hold an intelligent conversation in English much less Italian. As I was tripping over words he was looking at me strangely, and when I finished with an exasperated sigh he asked me, "Quando stai fuori della classe, che lingua parli?" (outside of class what do you speak) I didn't understand the point of the question, I was still furiously embarassed about the debacle of a conversation we'd just had. "Che?" I said. He repeated it again, slower. I still didn't understand why he wanted to know. "Parlo itliano alla scuola, ma quando sono con gli altri studenti parlo inglese." (I speak Italian in class, but when with the other students I speak English) He gave me a knowing look and nodded his head, "Si, pensavo che si perche tu non parli l'italiano bene." (I thought so because you don't speak Italian well). I was mortified, it was like a slap in the face. First you ask me about a subject I don't know anything about, and then criticize me when I don't know the words in a foreign language? What kind of crap is that? It's not like when we sit in Italian class they say "Oh, here's all the words for everything you may ever need to talk about in Italy, including the specific terms for the presidential election, the candidates' occupations, how to state their opinions and if you agree with them, and here is how to explain the electoral college." These are things I never thought I would encounter.
Oh well, we're off to Florence for the afternoon, I'll post a less whiny entry at a later date.
Ciao, a presto.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
OH SWEET SWEET INTERNET
I LIVE! Seriously.
I thought I was going to die there for a minute, the internet access in Italy is, let's just say, less than stellar. What wireless there is flits in and out, and the landlines? 2 euro an hour? That's a student discount, ladies and gentlemen. Hells no.
Anyway, enough with the ranting. More with the recounting of the past week (since I know all one of you who actually read this trash cares or at the very least pretends to).
Flew out of Philly, no problems. The flight was long, the chairs were cramped, but the company was good. We spent most of the time at the airport munching on McDonald's and calling people. Viv and Jane are both nice, and have a fantastic chemistry not unlike two sisters who basically pick on each other all the time. It's pretty hysterical. Got to London at the early early early crack of dawn, after which we spent the 2 and a half hours staring at people in the London airport. And the fog. A portion of that time was dedicated to hopelessly watching our flight information crawl up the electronic board. At the time the gate should have been posted, we received a very polite "Please Wait" sign instead. With 10 minutes to takeoff, they gave us the gate. We sprinted there only to sit for another hour and a half on the plane because the country was too damn foggy. We finally took off at 1210, landing us in Rome at 330 where Richard, our very old (pushing 65) trip director was waiting for us. We then piled into a buslike concoction and headed the 2 hours to Siena to our respective host families. Mine is called Fedolfi, consisting of Luanna and Gianfranco (Franco from here-on-out) and a little weiner dog named Pippo. I was exhausted, inhaled the delicious delicious food that Luanna placed infront of me, unpacked into my tiny little room with a terrace and a view, and passed out.
The next day consisted of walking around Siena. We met up with Richard and Mike, the poor guy is the only male on the trip. I feel a little bad for him, but oh well, he's enthusiastic enough to go out and do exactly as he pleases whether followed by us three or not. The walking tour was nice, Siena is all hills and valleys and stone streets. It's very beautiful, and the weather is warmer than home. It's warm enough to walk around sans hat and gloves, and with jacket open. The food is delicious, although it is very easy to slip into what we have deemed the "Euro State of Mind" in which you see something and think, "Oh! It's only a euro-fifty! That's nothing! And look! A panino for 3 euro? Fantastic!" meanwhile in dollars it is slowly racking up. I don't even want to think about how much I've gone through already. But yes, the city is lovely the people are lovely and everything is fabulous. We walked through some museums and some buildings and it's all just old and gorgeous like time just stopped here (which it did, basically. The Black Death wiped out 80% of Siena's population).
We've travelled to San Gusme' which was lovely as well, very cute and similar to Siena, got a fabulous lunch, went to a hot spring spa to soak, which was wonderful besides the fact that it smelled like rotten eggs, and basically have travelled and know the city fairly well. At least well enough to know that if you take the wrong street where it will somewhat end up in a few minutes.
As for classes, it's a piece of cake. Very laid back for 2 and a half hours each day from 9 to 1130 M-F. There's rarely any homework, our homework last night was to translate an American joke into english. Seriously. There are no papers, we have a few minor presentations that are mostly just to get us speaking better, and a final at the end which I can't imagine will be very difficult. After 1130 we normally wander around and shop, get lunch at some small paninoteca or pizzeria, head over to the student center to use the crappy internet, then hang out in La Piazza del Campo, which is where everyone goes because it's basically the only thing here. People lay out on the bricks in the sun and the Piazza empties slowly as the sun sets and the shadows creep over the center. In all it's simply gorgeous.
Well, I believe that is it for now, I may post again soon! Hope the States are treating you with more kindness (at least to your wallets) than Italy. Ciao! A presto!
I thought I was going to die there for a minute, the internet access in Italy is, let's just say, less than stellar. What wireless there is flits in and out, and the landlines? 2 euro an hour? That's a student discount, ladies and gentlemen. Hells no.
Anyway, enough with the ranting. More with the recounting of the past week (since I know all one of you who actually read this trash cares or at the very least pretends to).
Flew out of Philly, no problems. The flight was long, the chairs were cramped, but the company was good. We spent most of the time at the airport munching on McDonald's and calling people. Viv and Jane are both nice, and have a fantastic chemistry not unlike two sisters who basically pick on each other all the time. It's pretty hysterical. Got to London at the early early early crack of dawn, after which we spent the 2 and a half hours staring at people in the London airport. And the fog. A portion of that time was dedicated to hopelessly watching our flight information crawl up the electronic board. At the time the gate should have been posted, we received a very polite "Please Wait" sign instead. With 10 minutes to takeoff, they gave us the gate. We sprinted there only to sit for another hour and a half on the plane because the country was too damn foggy. We finally took off at 1210, landing us in Rome at 330 where Richard, our very old (pushing 65) trip director was waiting for us. We then piled into a buslike concoction and headed the 2 hours to Siena to our respective host families. Mine is called Fedolfi, consisting of Luanna and Gianfranco (Franco from here-on-out) and a little weiner dog named Pippo. I was exhausted, inhaled the delicious delicious food that Luanna placed infront of me, unpacked into my tiny little room with a terrace and a view, and passed out.
The next day consisted of walking around Siena. We met up with Richard and Mike, the poor guy is the only male on the trip. I feel a little bad for him, but oh well, he's enthusiastic enough to go out and do exactly as he pleases whether followed by us three or not. The walking tour was nice, Siena is all hills and valleys and stone streets. It's very beautiful, and the weather is warmer than home. It's warm enough to walk around sans hat and gloves, and with jacket open. The food is delicious, although it is very easy to slip into what we have deemed the "Euro State of Mind" in which you see something and think, "Oh! It's only a euro-fifty! That's nothing! And look! A panino for 3 euro? Fantastic!" meanwhile in dollars it is slowly racking up. I don't even want to think about how much I've gone through already. But yes, the city is lovely the people are lovely and everything is fabulous. We walked through some museums and some buildings and it's all just old and gorgeous like time just stopped here (which it did, basically. The Black Death wiped out 80% of Siena's population).
We've travelled to San Gusme' which was lovely as well, very cute and similar to Siena, got a fabulous lunch, went to a hot spring spa to soak, which was wonderful besides the fact that it smelled like rotten eggs, and basically have travelled and know the city fairly well. At least well enough to know that if you take the wrong street where it will somewhat end up in a few minutes.
As for classes, it's a piece of cake. Very laid back for 2 and a half hours each day from 9 to 1130 M-F. There's rarely any homework, our homework last night was to translate an American joke into english. Seriously. There are no papers, we have a few minor presentations that are mostly just to get us speaking better, and a final at the end which I can't imagine will be very difficult. After 1130 we normally wander around and shop, get lunch at some small paninoteca or pizzeria, head over to the student center to use the crappy internet, then hang out in La Piazza del Campo, which is where everyone goes because it's basically the only thing here. People lay out on the bricks in the sun and the Piazza empties slowly as the sun sets and the shadows creep over the center. In all it's simply gorgeous.
Well, I believe that is it for now, I may post again soon! Hope the States are treating you with more kindness (at least to your wallets) than Italy. Ciao! A presto!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Today's the Day
That's right, everyone. Today's the day I fly out. Wednesday morning I will be waking up in a strange house, in a strange bed, and probably panicking that I'm not at home. I've been brushing up on my Italian, we'll see how far that gets me, or how long I can actually remember the words I looked up. I'm sure that the host family I'm staying with is nice, and that they won't lock me up in some closet and give me the Cinderella treatment, but it's something I worry about anyway. I also have to look at the itinerary and figure out just when my classes are and all of that, sort of get myself ready for the next 4 months. I feel so very unprepared...
Oh well. The countdown to 655 begins.
Oh well. The countdown to 655 begins.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Packing, how I laothe you
Packing is something that I have never enjoyed. Packing for 4 months is like a personal hell. It also forces me to realize that I am, in fact, leaving and am going to be missing out on everyone here. It's a little sad.
On the bright side, I get to go shopping, and the parents are picking up the tab. It's glorious. I don't think I've done a binge shop like this... ever. I have more pants than I have ever owned (7. It's ridiculous. I know) as well as a whole bunch of shorts and shirts and shoes! I love shoes.
Speaking of which, it's time to shop for some more of them. Sweet.
On the bright side, I get to go shopping, and the parents are picking up the tab. It's glorious. I don't think I've done a binge shop like this... ever. I have more pants than I have ever owned (7. It's ridiculous. I know) as well as a whole bunch of shorts and shirts and shoes! I love shoes.
Speaking of which, it's time to shop for some more of them. Sweet.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Hallo!
So, welcome. This is mostly for my friends and family who want to check up on me while I'm in Italy this semester, I figure it's easier than me sending e-mails to everyone and it'll hopefully keep me somewhat consistent with updates. We'll see how it goes.
Also, I may put bits of it in Italian, possibly not, I haven't figured that bit out.
For those who don't know, or are just passing by, I'm a junior in college and I'm traveling to Siena, Italy for the Spring Semester. I'm freaked out by it, the whole home stay host family thing, the speaking a foreign language, the living in a new city, pretty much all of it. But at the same time I'm so excited to be going that I almost can't wait. It's going to be rough leaving all of my friends and family here, I'm going to miss them all, but I'm sure the 4 months are going to fly by and I won't even know what hit me.
I'll try and post pictures, right now we're looking at 4 days. Well, 4 days once we hit midnight. Ciao!
Also, I may put bits of it in Italian, possibly not, I haven't figured that bit out.
For those who don't know, or are just passing by, I'm a junior in college and I'm traveling to Siena, Italy for the Spring Semester. I'm freaked out by it, the whole home stay host family thing, the speaking a foreign language, the living in a new city, pretty much all of it. But at the same time I'm so excited to be going that I almost can't wait. It's going to be rough leaving all of my friends and family here, I'm going to miss them all, but I'm sure the 4 months are going to fly by and I won't even know what hit me.
I'll try and post pictures, right now we're looking at 4 days. Well, 4 days once we hit midnight. Ciao!
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