For anyone who didn't realize it, Buon Natale is Merry Christmas in Italian! I didn't expect there to be many differences between Christmas in the US and Christmas in Italy after everyone described the traditions to me, but I. Was. Wrong. I'm not very sure if it was only in my family or if it was an Italian "norm," but other than spending the day with family it was kind of like a normal day. I myself am confused so bare with me.
Let's begin with Christmas Eve. At around 9 pm we went to their grandmothers house for Christmas Eve dinner with some of the family. One of the major differences between the food on Christmas Eve and Christmas is that they eat a lot of seafood. For Christmas Eve we ate bruschetta, calamari, pasta with calamari, salad, fish, and pandoro(a sweet bread covered in powdered sugar). I'm missing a few things but you get the gist. At 11:30 we went to the church and attended the midnight mass. We were late so we were in a separate room and couldn't see the service very well. The mass ended at 1 am and that's when it started. The kissing. I have never kissed so many cheeks in my entire life. Complete strangers came up to me and kissed me. It was strange at first but after a while I found myself going up to people and kissing them. When the kissing stopped we went to The Garden, the bar we go to everyday. There the kissing started again. It was strange to be out with friends on Christmas but it was really nice. I still think it was crazy we didn't return home until 3am!
Christmas morning I woke up at about 10:30, went downstairs, and ate breakfast with Velia. While eating Velia gave me my gift from the family, a cute elephant necklace. But this is where I got confused. There were no presents under the tree, and I did not see my siblings receive any presents, but I think they were given money? I'll clarify once I know more. After breakfast I relaxed a bit and then got dressed. We were having Christmas lunch at our house and it is a very big deal. They began to prepare the food two days prior to Christmas. We started eating at 1 and didn't stop until 5 or 6. The courses were: antipasto, risotto, pasta, salad, meat, fruit and nuts, and finally dessert. I've never eaten so much in my life. After taking a little nap I went downstairs to find a completely new group of family members I've never met. Italian family are very large, especially compared to my fairly small family. At around 10 Laura, Velia, and I went to The Garden again and came home around two. I was exhausted and the next morning I slept until 1 pm!
I was kind of thankful that this Christmas was so different then mine because honestly I'm kind of in denial that I missed Christmas with my family. This was one of the best Christmases I've ever had, but I think every exchange student will agree that there is nothing better than Christmas in their home country. 🎄
Arrivederci!
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Rotondella
It's only two months late but I actually have some pictures to post! There are even more from this trip but I have told you before what a hassle pictures are. So please enjoys these photos.
Taranto
Today my school went to the city of Taranto to see a play be preformed we had an hour before the show to walk around city and go in a few shops. The city is right on the see and very beautiful. The streets were wide and no cars were allowed on the main street. There were Christmas lights and a tree set up which I thought was pretty funny considering we were surrounded by palm trees.
After walking around the city we made our way to the theater. We saw "The picture of Dorian Gray" performed in English. It was good and I think im the only one who enjoyed it considering everyone else could barely understand! Afterwards it was back to reality and back to the Italian language!
The 18th birthday is very big in Italy. People rent out banquet halls and other large spaces and have 100+ guests. There is eating, drinking, singing, and lots of dancing. Everyone wears their best dresses an we party until about 2 in the morning. I've been to a few and have two coming up next week. I like not always going to the bar and being able to dance. I love 18th birthdays. :)
After walking around the city we made our way to the theater. We saw "The picture of Dorian Gray" performed in English. It was good and I think im the only one who enjoyed it considering everyone else could barely understand! Afterwards it was back to reality and back to the Italian language!
The 18th birthday is very big in Italy. People rent out banquet halls and other large spaces and have 100+ guests. There is eating, drinking, singing, and lots of dancing. Everyone wears their best dresses an we party until about 2 in the morning. I've been to a few and have two coming up next week. I like not always going to the bar and being able to dance. I love 18th birthdays. :)
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Straight jackets, a hurricane, and cibo.
During another stimulating day at school, I have decided to describe my classroom to you. Let's begin con mia scuola, or as I like to call it, "the one room schoolhouse." There is one hallway in my school with about fifteen rooms. In each class there is 15-20 students. My classroom is very calming. There's bare white walls, no clocks, and bars on the windows; it's reminiscent of a psychiatric hospital. Very stimulating! There is one blackboard to use, which is often ignored due to the fact it is the size of a postage stamp. There is also no supplies. No pencil sharpeners, no scissors, no learning aids. It erks me so much that the rooms do not even have clocks. It's really hard to be a student in Italy. They purchase everything themselves and are then expected to study for hours after school. My host sister once studied for seven hours straight. I try to study but it is very hard to focus, especially when I don't understand everything.
Last weekend was also pretty action packed. We had ourselves a little hurricane and we weren't allowed to leave the house for two days. The beach in Nova Siri got hit pretty hard but the town is still intact. Other towns were not as lucky.
I have also come to the conclusion that I am the most awkward person to ever live. I feel like a penguin from the movie Madagascar. "Smile and wave boys.. Smile and wave." However I'm starting to understand almost everything. Speaking is a different story. I'm not very talkative as it is, and talking in Italian only makes it harder. I can speak basic things, mostly all present tense. I wish people could understand it's a process, and that if they don't talk to me and try to teach me Italian, then I am going to learn much slower.
I've been craving some American things at this time. At the top of my list is apple pie, a big juicy steak, and believe it or not a Starbucks frappucino! I love Italian food with all of my heart but sometimes I just want a taco, or Chinese food, or a good ole Philly cheesesteak. Since I've been in Italy I don't think that I have seen any international restaraunts. But hey, pizza and pasta is fine by me.
Hopefully I will have something exciting to talk about soon. Arrivederci!
Last weekend was also pretty action packed. We had ourselves a little hurricane and we weren't allowed to leave the house for two days. The beach in Nova Siri got hit pretty hard but the town is still intact. Other towns were not as lucky.
I have also come to the conclusion that I am the most awkward person to ever live. I feel like a penguin from the movie Madagascar. "Smile and wave boys.. Smile and wave." However I'm starting to understand almost everything. Speaking is a different story. I'm not very talkative as it is, and talking in Italian only makes it harder. I can speak basic things, mostly all present tense. I wish people could understand it's a process, and that if they don't talk to me and try to teach me Italian, then I am going to learn much slower.
I've been craving some American things at this time. At the top of my list is apple pie, a big juicy steak, and believe it or not a Starbucks frappucino! I love Italian food with all of my heart but sometimes I just want a taco, or Chinese food, or a good ole Philly cheesesteak. Since I've been in Italy I don't think that I have seen any international restaraunts. But hey, pizza and pasta is fine by me.
Hopefully I will have something exciting to talk about soon. Arrivederci!
Saturday, November 30, 2013
A longer than expected break..
Hey everyone! Sorry about the delay. Unfortunately I dropped my iPod and shattered the screen after only having it for two months. I then didn't have it for three weeks because it was apparently being "fixed." After having little to no contact with my family, I was a little angry when I went to pick it up and found that it was still broken because "it was bought in America so they could not fix it." Once I finally got my iPod back I had another blog setback.. I may or may not have forgotten my password. But everything's good now.
So much has happened in this time that I haven't been able to blog. It's honestly way to much for me to say, so I will sum it up. It has had it's ups and it's downs. I had my Intercultura campus where every exchange student in Basilicata and Puglia met at a hotel for four days. It was nice seeing some Americans and being able to talk about stuff that people here don't understand. We also went swimming in the sea, while everyone in Pennsylvania was huddled under blankets. At home I've seen a movie with my school (Italian movie theaters have a ten minute break halfway through the film), had a cookout with friends in a rooftop apartment, had my birthday, and really gotten to know my friends here. On the downside I sometimes have difficulty communicating and got very homesick during Thanksgiving, but these were all things I expected.
It may be hard at times but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I love my friends and my host family. It's so crazy to think that if I had not gone to school one day almost a year ago, I would not have seen a presentation by an AFS volunteer, and my life would be completely different.
So much has happened in this time that I haven't been able to blog. It's honestly way to much for me to say, so I will sum it up. It has had it's ups and it's downs. I had my Intercultura campus where every exchange student in Basilicata and Puglia met at a hotel for four days. It was nice seeing some Americans and being able to talk about stuff that people here don't understand. We also went swimming in the sea, while everyone in Pennsylvania was huddled under blankets. At home I've seen a movie with my school (Italian movie theaters have a ten minute break halfway through the film), had a cookout with friends in a rooftop apartment, had my birthday, and really gotten to know my friends here. On the downside I sometimes have difficulty communicating and got very homesick during Thanksgiving, but these were all things I expected.
It may be hard at times but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I love my friends and my host family. It's so crazy to think that if I had not gone to school one day almost a year ago, I would not have seen a presentation by an AFS volunteer, and my life would be completely different.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
It's not good, it's not bad, it's just different.
Ciao tutti! I feel like I haven't blogged in forever! This post, like all of the others, is going to be a random mashup of what my life is like. First off I would like to clear the air. I'm not trying to bash Italy in this blog. I'm simply trying to tell the differences that I see and experience. I'm sorry if anyone thinks I'm rude towards Italy/Italians. I'm just trying to tell the differences between Italy and America. It's not good, it's not bad, it's just different. All right! Now into my post.
Let's start with school. I've had a breakthrough. I finished a math equation! Iiris and I were moved into the prima B math class in school since our classes math was to difficult. These kids still no more math than I do though which is embarrassing since they're equivalent to 8th graders. We have a test this Friday and I'm bound to fail. This week I also had my first science class! The teacher had been missing since school started so we're a month behind. I think he said that he was sick? More importantly, I understood everysingle thing that happened in class! We were learning Biology, cells specifically, and since I took biology two years ago I could follow along. The Italian words they used were also very similar to the English ones we use. I wish I could have Biology everyday.
Should I talk about food again now? Why not! I've had a few more "firsts" on the food front. I've had veal, prickly pear (cactus fruit), and... horse. The first two I was ok with and both tasted good, but horse was another story. It wasn't the taste, or the texture that I didn't like, it was the fact that I was eating every horse named Misty that I've ever rode in my life. I know they're just animals but I have horse on a different level from cow and chicken. I don't think I'll be having it again.
I never get tired of looking at the Italian landscape, but it confuses me so much! Is it mountains, is it desert, is it forest? I have no clue. All I know is that it's beautiful. Everyone thinks I'm weird because I'm always talking about the trees here, but they're so different from the ones in Pennsylvania! Everywhere I look I see palm, cyprus, and fruit trees. Sometimes I miss the pine, oak, and maple trees of PA. I think I'll really miss them this winter. As much as I love living at the beach surrounded by palm trees during the summer, in the winter I love walking outside in the cold with the snow covered trees. Another thing I noticed about Italy is that when you are driving you go through lots of tunnels and that Italy also has a lot of windmills. Go green!
This Friday I didn't go to school because I had to go to Matera for my permesso di soggiorno. For any non Italians reading, it's the document that says I'm not living here illegally. Matera is where athe Passion of The Christ was filmed and is really beautiful. When I went we were in the modern part of Matera. We went to the police station where I signed documents, had my finger prints taken, and basically got a mug shot. It's lame but I felt like I was in CSI. Afterwards we drove to Bari and did some shopping. Io compravo leggings e due unghi smalti. Sorry if I just butchered that. It was some much needed retail therapy.
Even though I can still barely speak Italian I feel like I'm not just a tourist, but an "honorary Italian." My friends at school are inviting me to go to the movies with them, go out on Saturday nights, and I've even found some who like LOTR and The Hobbit! I can only imagine how good things will be when we can all speak Italian together. And I'm almost to 1.5k views on my blog! I hope to be over 2k by the end of the month. Grazie e arrivederci!
Let's start with school. I've had a breakthrough. I finished a math equation! Iiris and I were moved into the prima B math class in school since our classes math was to difficult. These kids still no more math than I do though which is embarrassing since they're equivalent to 8th graders. We have a test this Friday and I'm bound to fail. This week I also had my first science class! The teacher had been missing since school started so we're a month behind. I think he said that he was sick? More importantly, I understood everysingle thing that happened in class! We were learning Biology, cells specifically, and since I took biology two years ago I could follow along. The Italian words they used were also very similar to the English ones we use. I wish I could have Biology everyday.
Should I talk about food again now? Why not! I've had a few more "firsts" on the food front. I've had veal, prickly pear (cactus fruit), and... horse. The first two I was ok with and both tasted good, but horse was another story. It wasn't the taste, or the texture that I didn't like, it was the fact that I was eating every horse named Misty that I've ever rode in my life. I know they're just animals but I have horse on a different level from cow and chicken. I don't think I'll be having it again.
I never get tired of looking at the Italian landscape, but it confuses me so much! Is it mountains, is it desert, is it forest? I have no clue. All I know is that it's beautiful. Everyone thinks I'm weird because I'm always talking about the trees here, but they're so different from the ones in Pennsylvania! Everywhere I look I see palm, cyprus, and fruit trees. Sometimes I miss the pine, oak, and maple trees of PA. I think I'll really miss them this winter. As much as I love living at the beach surrounded by palm trees during the summer, in the winter I love walking outside in the cold with the snow covered trees. Another thing I noticed about Italy is that when you are driving you go through lots of tunnels and that Italy also has a lot of windmills. Go green!
This Friday I didn't go to school because I had to go to Matera for my permesso di soggiorno. For any non Italians reading, it's the document that says I'm not living here illegally. Matera is where athe Passion of The Christ was filmed and is really beautiful. When I went we were in the modern part of Matera. We went to the police station where I signed documents, had my finger prints taken, and basically got a mug shot. It's lame but I felt like I was in CSI. Afterwards we drove to Bari and did some shopping. Io compravo leggings e due unghi smalti. Sorry if I just butchered that. It was some much needed retail therapy.
Even though I can still barely speak Italian I feel like I'm not just a tourist, but an "honorary Italian." My friends at school are inviting me to go to the movies with them, go out on Saturday nights, and I've even found some who like LOTR and The Hobbit! I can only imagine how good things will be when we can all speak Italian together. And I'm almost to 1.5k views on my blog! I hope to be over 2k by the end of the month. Grazie e arrivederci!
Friday, October 4, 2013
Still no pictures.
This, sadly, is the best I could do with my pictures at the moment. These are from a week or two ago so I'm going to start with them and then get into my blog post. I'll start off with the older ones.
Misato, Iiris, me, and Giullia getting together for the first time after meeting our host families.
Where I spend most of my time, this is where all of my friends hang out.
And the reason I love Nova Siri so much, the sea. Yes, this is really where I'm living.
As I said in my last post I had to talk in front of the school. I don't really want to relive the horror of what happened so I will give you the short and sweet explanation. I bombed it. I was a deer in the headlights. It's one of those things I'm going to think about ten years from now and start shaking my head out of embarrassment. Being awkward is a curse.
I'm also sick. My throat feels like it's being clawed at and I'm just out of it. I dropped a glass yesterday during lunch because I just wasn't all there. I'm not dying or anything, but not being able to fully explain how I'm feeling and what I need to get better sucks. All of my friends at home have no idea how lucky they are and shouldn't take small things like this for granted.
There have been good things happening as well! My classmates treat me like a normal person and not some foreign object. I still hate sitting in school doing nothing for 5 hours but they make it a little more enjoyable. However, nothing can make History/Philosophy any better. The teacher freaks out and screams at people every class. The worst part though is that she has the most high pitched scream I've ever heard. I swear I hear her yelling "raggaze!" In my sleep. Some of the other teachers are trying to make me learn as well. My teachers back home will be ashamed, but my math teacher gave me some slope equations and then a few other problems to solve and I couldn't get more than halfway through any. I'm terrible at math when it's taught in English and have forgotten a lot. It was so embarrassing. I had to add 16+9 and I wrote that the answer was 15! I swear to god I'm not that stupid, I'm just under a lot of stress!
The other night I also went and did Zumba with my host sisters. It wasn't as traumatizing as I expected it to be and I deffinetly worked off some of the pasta and bread I've eaten. The only downside is that I still haven't regained full use of my legs. I'm so sore, yet there were women twice my age going harder and I garuntee you they feel 100x better.
I officially haven't seen my home state of Pennsylvania, my friends, and my family for one month. I can either think of it as 9 more months to go, or my expieriance already being 1/10 over. Both ideas are equally saddening. Things have been slower lately so I don't have much to say. I hope everyone is enjoying my blog, and if you're not, I don't really care. I'm trying to be as honest as possible without hurting any feelings. Ciao!
Sunday, September 29, 2013
My life be like...
It's hard work being an exchange student. You're stuck mentally between having a fun time where you are, but at the same time missing home. I have a headache everyday from frustration due to not knowing the language and I'm always exhausted. I'm. Always. Tired. No matter how much I sleep the mental stress I'm under drains me. And I hate when people say "Why are you always tired?" Oh I'm sorry, did you just move to a new country and leave your entire life behind? I've been extremely moody lately. It's one of those, "stop talking or I will punch you in the face" moods. If someone so much as talks to me sometimes I will get annoyed. It's like PMSing but there's really no reason for it. And everyone is so loud all the time. They will yell at each other from room to room instead of going and talking to them. They think I'm quiet but really I'm talking normally. In my one class the teacher doesn't hear well so people will yell and play music and I can't stand it. Like he was in an accident, why are you mocking him? It makes me so uncomfortable I end up covering my ears and tapping my foot. Do not get me wrong, I LOVE my classmates I just wish they would stop making fun of this teacher. It made me so anxious the other day I felt like I needed to leave the room.
Let's take this moment to segway into some good emotions, like for food. The other night we ate at a local restaurant named Colorado. I thought it was the funniest thing ever. Apparently they're all over Europe because Iiris said shed been to one in Finland. Like I said in my little snippet, I had a burger and it was less than impressive. But while over here, I have found a new favorite food, eggplants. Yes, my new favorite food is a vegetable. I've never eaten eggplant before coming to Italy and now I realize I've been missing out. Back home I thought "Ew, just another disgusting vegetable." I am a carnivore. I love meat. So the fact that I am loving eggplant is mind blowing. Eggplant pizza is like heaven for you taste buds. I wish I had some right now. I love me some melanzana.
Also somewhat related to food there is boys. (Boys are at a close second) Yes there are some goregous italian boys here. But not everyone is a model for Armani. It's a lot like back home in the states. There are the good, the bad, and the average. Me being me, I'm automatically attracted to the people I have no chance with. And who would have guessed it, but I find the guy who doesn't talk a lot cute! My life in a nut shell is that I like the quiet tall guy and then I'm to awkward to talk to them. And no one ask who because I will probably lie or avoid the question haha. It's completely random also, so no one will guess correctly anyways. (No he's not in our class, your one and only hint) Two people know and I'd like to keep it that way. The odds of that happening though are worse then the odds of me talking to him. And there are a few others who are very cute as well. Guys in Italy are just like America, most of them are immature. Peeing in public, playing paintball at historical zones, boy things. Of course not all of them are like that. This is usually why I like being friends with the quiter guys who don't need to be the center of attention. And a little side note is that all of the girls are gorgeous, so if you want to feel self conscious, come to Italy! Also a really random other side note is that in Finland it's completely normal for your boyfriend to sleep at your house and the parents are fine with it. That would be so taboo in America.
Everyone in general likes to ask me what I think about America, 9/11 specifically. I was only 5 when it happened so in really not that knowledgable on why it happened and all of the details. I do believe it was done by the terrorists but many people that I've talked to so far believe that the were altearier motives and that bombs were placed in the building. I never really know what to say because I don't know how much they actually know about the events so I just say that I mourn for those who died rather than how it happened. Tomorrow in school my neighbor, and Iiris's host brother, wants me to talk about it in front of the entire school. It's only like 200 people but still. I feel like I don't know enough about it to talk in front of everyone about it. I was not expecting everyone in different countries to care this much.
The last two Saturdays we have visited nearby towns. The first was Rotondella. I honestly didn't want to leave, it was perfect. It had 360 degree views of the mountains and the sea. It's way up in a hill and is the picturesque Italian town. I took so many pictures but I probably won't be able to upload any of them which is killing me. Yesterday we went to Tursi. It has a bit more history but we walked up hill for about 4 hours and I was wearing Vans so I wasn't exactly enjoying myself. It was pretty but I liked Rotondella. I'm also kind of disappointed about the trash. In America the cities and some towns are dirty but I'm yet to go anywhere without seeing trash. Italy is not covered in trash, don't take it that way. I'm sure some places are squeaky clean, I just haven't seen them yet. And to end this post on a happy note I would like you all to know that I heard an Italians phone go off and their ringtone was the Mario Bros theme song. :) and I promise the moment my pictures start to cooperate I will flood this blog with pictures.
Let's take this moment to segway into some good emotions, like for food. The other night we ate at a local restaurant named Colorado. I thought it was the funniest thing ever. Apparently they're all over Europe because Iiris said shed been to one in Finland. Like I said in my little snippet, I had a burger and it was less than impressive. But while over here, I have found a new favorite food, eggplants. Yes, my new favorite food is a vegetable. I've never eaten eggplant before coming to Italy and now I realize I've been missing out. Back home I thought "Ew, just another disgusting vegetable." I am a carnivore. I love meat. So the fact that I am loving eggplant is mind blowing. Eggplant pizza is like heaven for you taste buds. I wish I had some right now. I love me some melanzana.
Also somewhat related to food there is boys. (Boys are at a close second) Yes there are some goregous italian boys here. But not everyone is a model for Armani. It's a lot like back home in the states. There are the good, the bad, and the average. Me being me, I'm automatically attracted to the people I have no chance with. And who would have guessed it, but I find the guy who doesn't talk a lot cute! My life in a nut shell is that I like the quiet tall guy and then I'm to awkward to talk to them. And no one ask who because I will probably lie or avoid the question haha. It's completely random also, so no one will guess correctly anyways. (No he's not in our class, your one and only hint) Two people know and I'd like to keep it that way. The odds of that happening though are worse then the odds of me talking to him. And there are a few others who are very cute as well. Guys in Italy are just like America, most of them are immature. Peeing in public, playing paintball at historical zones, boy things. Of course not all of them are like that. This is usually why I like being friends with the quiter guys who don't need to be the center of attention. And a little side note is that all of the girls are gorgeous, so if you want to feel self conscious, come to Italy! Also a really random other side note is that in Finland it's completely normal for your boyfriend to sleep at your house and the parents are fine with it. That would be so taboo in America.
Everyone in general likes to ask me what I think about America, 9/11 specifically. I was only 5 when it happened so in really not that knowledgable on why it happened and all of the details. I do believe it was done by the terrorists but many people that I've talked to so far believe that the were altearier motives and that bombs were placed in the building. I never really know what to say because I don't know how much they actually know about the events so I just say that I mourn for those who died rather than how it happened. Tomorrow in school my neighbor, and Iiris's host brother, wants me to talk about it in front of the entire school. It's only like 200 people but still. I feel like I don't know enough about it to talk in front of everyone about it. I was not expecting everyone in different countries to care this much.
The last two Saturdays we have visited nearby towns. The first was Rotondella. I honestly didn't want to leave, it was perfect. It had 360 degree views of the mountains and the sea. It's way up in a hill and is the picturesque Italian town. I took so many pictures but I probably won't be able to upload any of them which is killing me. Yesterday we went to Tursi. It has a bit more history but we walked up hill for about 4 hours and I was wearing Vans so I wasn't exactly enjoying myself. It was pretty but I liked Rotondella. I'm also kind of disappointed about the trash. In America the cities and some towns are dirty but I'm yet to go anywhere without seeing trash. Italy is not covered in trash, don't take it that way. I'm sure some places are squeaky clean, I just haven't seen them yet. And to end this post on a happy note I would like you all to know that I heard an Italians phone go off and their ringtone was the Mario Bros theme song. :) and I promise the moment my pictures start to cooperate I will flood this blog with pictures.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Colorado
Just a little update. Italian pizza is, as expected, the best pizza I've ever had. I've had it twice now and both times I ate so much I thought I would explode. Another night we ate at a place named "Colorado" which I thought was hilarious but no one else understood why. I ordered a burger sandwich named "El Paso" (which isn't even in Colorado.) All I can say is that Italy has better pizza, but the US has way better burgers.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
So much to say, so little time.
Life in Italy never rests. At least mine doesn't. I'm used to going home after school and not leaving the house until the next morning. That is so not what happens here. We are always out, but I'm starting to like the busy lifestyle. The downside is I never have time to blog! One blog post can take me two days to write since I never have time to start and finish all at once. Like right now I have to take a break to eat lunch... 1 hour later... Ok, I'm back. This happens ALL THE TIME. It's also why I don't care if the spelling in my posts are wrong anymore, because it takes so long. Ok, my rant is over, lets talk about Nova Siri.
Like all of Italy, Nova Siri is full of bad drivers. Yet there are never any car accidents! I finally saw one yesterday but I'm really suprised there aren't more. I don't even think that the cars here have turn signals, but they do have horns. I always get a good laugh out of the parking here. It's the worst that I've ever seen. Today I saw someone get out of the car before it even stopped moving. I've also almost been hit by cars at least twice a day. I think the reason that there aren't a lot of car accidents is because the brakes in the cars stop on a dime. We can go from 30 to 0 in .01 seconds in these cars.
The schools here are also completely different. School starts at 8:15 and can go to 12, 1, or 2:15. There is school on Saturday, but since I never know what day of the week it is, it's not really a problem. The teachers move classrooms, not the students which is ok but by the break I'm dying to stand up and walk around. None of the teachers, except for two, ever try to teach me anything so I've decided to start copying my English to Italian dictionary. The class is also very loud. There's always people talking which I'm not used to. The classes at my school in the US are usually quiet. The science teacher also hasn't been there so we've had a "free hour" when we are supposed to have science. Today they didn't let us stay in the room without a teacher so we invaded a class full of first years. This would NEVER happen at home. The teacher in that class just let us all come in and talk and she just stopped teaching. In America we all would have been told to be quiet and do homework.
Saturday night is the big going out night in Italy. We were gone from 9 to 1 and I had a lot more fun than I expected. We started out by going to a popular teen hang out and meeting up with some friends. The one boy who was there is in the Italian army and he asked me to hung the national anthem because he knew the words. As I was about to start humming I thought "how does it go again?" I forgot the national anthem! I know it I swear but in that moment I could not think of it to save my life. I felt like the worst American to ever American. And people always ask me about 9/11 and the war and Syria and I never know what to say... But back to Saturday night. After talking with friends a few if us went to a pasticceria and got Nutella crepes. They were heavenly. After that we went to a bar and all sat around talking. It's so weird to be able to be in a bar and buy alcohol legally. I thought it would be really awkward but I ended up having a lot of fun. Things are getting easier now that I'm starting to make friends and like I've said before, everyone is really nice.
Although everyone is nice, everyone also touches a lot. In America, you have your bubble of space and no one ever enters it. I knew that people liked to hug and kiss but I didn't realize how often I would be touched. It's not that big a problem but people always grab my left arm where I have a little rod implanted and I don't like the way it feels. Hugs and kisses are fine, but I don't like it when people are holding my arm or shoulder for entire conversations. And people are always touching my boobs. They dont mean to, but then they just act like it bever happened! My bubble has been burst. I'm really not used to it. I know it's a cultural thing but its going to take me some time to get used to it.
Last night when we were out we went and visited the local church. I met the three priests who were all very nice and they tried to speak a little English. The youngest priest then showed me, Velia, Angela (my classmate), and Angela's father a new building for the church where the priests will live and where people can meet and where plays can be performed. The building had a wood ceiling which was really pretty. The church itself isn't old or historic but it's fairly big and nicely decorated. Afterwards the priest have us a ride home. He knows everyone in town and was saying hi to everyone we saw on the streets.
Stereotypical names for Italian boys would be Luigi, Mario, and Giuseppe, and I've met no Luigis, one Mario, and about 50 Giuseppes. At least half of the boys in town are named Giuseppe Antonio or Antonio Giuseppe after the saints of Nova Siri and Nova Siri paese. Saturday night I was with a group of about 10 boys and 5 of them were named Giuseppe. I think it's so funny that so many of them are named Giuseppe. And no one is named that back home. If I don't know a boys name, I just assume its Giuseppe. I've even met a girl named Giuseppe! I guess it's kind of like how in the US a lot of boys are named Matt or Noah, but this is barely comparable to the amount of Giuseppe's I've met.
Lets talk a little bit more about food shall we? I am yet to have any pizza which is kind of a downer but when I finally have some I expect it to be amazing. I don't think I have ever eaten eggplant before coming here, now I have it about 2 or 3 times a week. In really starting to like it. I'm even starting to get used to carbonated water I'm still not the fizzy water's number one fan but I can drink it now without gagging. Lunch is the biggest meal and is a few courses. First is pasta, then meat and usually some kind of vegetable, cheese, and lastly fruit with every meal is bread and wine.
My posts have been so long lately and I still have only scratched the surface of what is going one here. There's so much to say in so little time. Once things become routine ilk try to blog once or twice a week but right now I'm just excited. Y'all come back now!
Like all of Italy, Nova Siri is full of bad drivers. Yet there are never any car accidents! I finally saw one yesterday but I'm really suprised there aren't more. I don't even think that the cars here have turn signals, but they do have horns. I always get a good laugh out of the parking here. It's the worst that I've ever seen. Today I saw someone get out of the car before it even stopped moving. I've also almost been hit by cars at least twice a day. I think the reason that there aren't a lot of car accidents is because the brakes in the cars stop on a dime. We can go from 30 to 0 in .01 seconds in these cars.
The schools here are also completely different. School starts at 8:15 and can go to 12, 1, or 2:15. There is school on Saturday, but since I never know what day of the week it is, it's not really a problem. The teachers move classrooms, not the students which is ok but by the break I'm dying to stand up and walk around. None of the teachers, except for two, ever try to teach me anything so I've decided to start copying my English to Italian dictionary. The class is also very loud. There's always people talking which I'm not used to. The classes at my school in the US are usually quiet. The science teacher also hasn't been there so we've had a "free hour" when we are supposed to have science. Today they didn't let us stay in the room without a teacher so we invaded a class full of first years. This would NEVER happen at home. The teacher in that class just let us all come in and talk and she just stopped teaching. In America we all would have been told to be quiet and do homework.
Saturday night is the big going out night in Italy. We were gone from 9 to 1 and I had a lot more fun than I expected. We started out by going to a popular teen hang out and meeting up with some friends. The one boy who was there is in the Italian army and he asked me to hung the national anthem because he knew the words. As I was about to start humming I thought "how does it go again?" I forgot the national anthem! I know it I swear but in that moment I could not think of it to save my life. I felt like the worst American to ever American. And people always ask me about 9/11 and the war and Syria and I never know what to say... But back to Saturday night. After talking with friends a few if us went to a pasticceria and got Nutella crepes. They were heavenly. After that we went to a bar and all sat around talking. It's so weird to be able to be in a bar and buy alcohol legally. I thought it would be really awkward but I ended up having a lot of fun. Things are getting easier now that I'm starting to make friends and like I've said before, everyone is really nice.
Although everyone is nice, everyone also touches a lot. In America, you have your bubble of space and no one ever enters it. I knew that people liked to hug and kiss but I didn't realize how often I would be touched. It's not that big a problem but people always grab my left arm where I have a little rod implanted and I don't like the way it feels. Hugs and kisses are fine, but I don't like it when people are holding my arm or shoulder for entire conversations. And people are always touching my boobs. They dont mean to, but then they just act like it bever happened! My bubble has been burst. I'm really not used to it. I know it's a cultural thing but its going to take me some time to get used to it.
Last night when we were out we went and visited the local church. I met the three priests who were all very nice and they tried to speak a little English. The youngest priest then showed me, Velia, Angela (my classmate), and Angela's father a new building for the church where the priests will live and where people can meet and where plays can be performed. The building had a wood ceiling which was really pretty. The church itself isn't old or historic but it's fairly big and nicely decorated. Afterwards the priest have us a ride home. He knows everyone in town and was saying hi to everyone we saw on the streets.
Stereotypical names for Italian boys would be Luigi, Mario, and Giuseppe, and I've met no Luigis, one Mario, and about 50 Giuseppes. At least half of the boys in town are named Giuseppe Antonio or Antonio Giuseppe after the saints of Nova Siri and Nova Siri paese. Saturday night I was with a group of about 10 boys and 5 of them were named Giuseppe. I think it's so funny that so many of them are named Giuseppe. And no one is named that back home. If I don't know a boys name, I just assume its Giuseppe. I've even met a girl named Giuseppe! I guess it's kind of like how in the US a lot of boys are named Matt or Noah, but this is barely comparable to the amount of Giuseppe's I've met.
Lets talk a little bit more about food shall we? I am yet to have any pizza which is kind of a downer but when I finally have some I expect it to be amazing. I don't think I have ever eaten eggplant before coming here, now I have it about 2 or 3 times a week. In really starting to like it. I'm even starting to get used to carbonated water I'm still not the fizzy water's number one fan but I can drink it now without gagging. Lunch is the biggest meal and is a few courses. First is pasta, then meat and usually some kind of vegetable, cheese, and lastly fruit with every meal is bread and wine.
My posts have been so long lately and I still have only scratched the surface of what is going one here. There's so much to say in so little time. Once things become routine ilk try to blog once or twice a week but right now I'm just excited. Y'all come back now!
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Some pictures finally!
Flying over Switzerland in the morning.
Flying over France.
JFK airport.
Everyone going to France, Italy, and Spain from the US.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
The Pictures
After many failed attempts to post pictures of my experience so far, I have decided to write another post. This one will be about a few things I missed in my last post, and things that have happened since.
Lets start with the humping game. Yes, you read that right. I don't know how I forgot to mention it in my last post. Maybe I tried to forget but just couldn't. God knows I wish I could. How can I describe the humping game... It was a pretty unique experience. It started off innocently enough. "Get in a circle and hold hands." Sure why not. "Now put your hands on the shoulders of the person in front of you and rock back and forth than side to side." Alright. "Now put your right hand on the right knee of the person two people in front of you and rock back and forth." Uhm.. What? "Now keep your right hand where it is and put your left hand on the left knee of the person two people in front of you and rock back and forth." Right here is when things got very uncomfortable. I knew the person who was behind me, Taylor from Alaska, but guess who was in front of me. If you guessed a 6'5 boy from Columbia, you're right! I couldn't even get my arms around him to touch the persons knees two people in front of me! I pretty much raped the Columbian boy in front of me and Taylor who was behind me at the same time, hence my name for it. The humping game. That was the last time I participated in any games that the volunteers organized.
I have said this so much lately but I absolutely loved being in Rome. I could have stayed there forever and been perfectly content. Correction. I could have stayed there forever if there was wifi. If I could have talked to every person there I would have. Each person I talked to I felt like I was more educated. It also made me want to go to where they lived and made me realize that when I'm older I want to have a job that allows me to travel. I don't want to be away from home all of the time, but I want to visit every continent and go to as many countries as I possibly can.
Now lets talk about boys. In Rome there were a few countries who I noticed had pretty attractive guys. The nordic countries had some cuties, and the Romanians were really cute too. The more I think about things though, the more I realized I knew absolutely nothing about countries like Romania. I don't even know where it is! Does that make me an ignorant American? In New York it felt like all we talked about were American stereotypes, but we can't say that a country is ignorant, or loud, or sluty, because everyone in that country is different. There were girls from almost every country walking around in shorts so short you could clearly see their butt, yet people think Americans are sluts. It made me learn that we shouldn't judge a country on an experience we had with one person.
Now let me tell you about Nova Siri. The people here are very nice and welcoming. I finally got the kissing thing down because before I would almost kiss strangers on the lips. Here in Nova Siri it goes right cheek, left cheek. I also visited the beach the other day and I've decided I'm not coming home. If you could see this beach you would understand why. It has the best view I have ever seen. So I've decided I'm never leaving it. :) I can't wait to be able to swim in the Mediterranean.
I'm still lost 100% of the time in school. Today it wasn't boiling hot in the room so having jeans on wasn't that bad. I think I've forgot to mention that before. Girls have to wear pants to school, no shorts allowed. I also wasn't bored the entire time because the Latin teacher had me translate a paragraph from Italian to English (which took like 45 minutes,) and the English teacher had me read out loud a few pages from a book. Today was also a short day so we got out of school at 12:15, meaning we only had four hours of school.
At home I feel like a guest and not really a family member yet. I unpacked everything in my bags and now have them stored away. It's weird not to be living out of them after my days in New York and Rome. My room has a little fold out bed and my real bed should be here in a few weeks. I have pictures of my family and pets put but other than that its just a white walled room. Hopefully I'll be able to decorate it! It has a bathroom attached to it and also one right next to it and they are both very nice. I also go through clothes very quickly because they wear 3 to 4 outfits a day. They also don't wash their clothes as often so I end up wearing some things twice in one week, like jeans. And the whole not showering every day is making my hair a giant greaseball.
At the house there is also the infamous bidet. I have not used it. I don't plan to use it. There's just something about it that I find really weird. *BOYS STOP READING* One of the girls in my class asked me how we clean ourselves when were on our period and I had no idea what to say back. I most have looked so stupid because I had no idea what to say. I know a few Americans have used it and "enjoyed" it I guess you can say, but I don't think I will. We are also spoiled in the US with our pads and tampons. The ones here don't work so you have to use three at one time. It's very aggravating.
*BOYS CAN READ AGAIN*
The food here is banging. They're is pasta with almost every meal, and bread at every one. I don't think I will ever get tired of this food. There are so many different kinds. Today I had rabbit for the first time and it was ok. I didn't like knowing it was rabbit and all of the little bones. The other night we had Rusticco which was like a closed prosciutto and mozzarella pizza that tasted exactly like a grilled ham and cheese. I could have eaten the entire thing. Soon we are going to have calamari and pizza. I've had a lot of gelato but its all been store bought and tasted like regular grocery store ice cream. My family also has their coffee cold and eat cereal in it. In the afternoon is when they drink a shot of hot coffee. All in all the food here is pretty healthy and we walk everywhere so hopefully I won't gain weight. I actually think I might lose some but I'm probably just kidding myself. If I did lose weight though I would be very happy.
The only thing I don't like about Nova Siri is the stray dogs. It makes me sad when I see them because they make me think of Lulu. There are also a lot of stray cats and I find myself wanting to take them all home. Some of them are really cute but you need to watch your step as you walk or you will have an unpleasant surprise.
Things in Italy are slower and more relaxed. It feels like there is plenty of time in the day unlike America where everything is rushed. I've learned so much in such a small amount of time about the world and Italy. I learned that Romania has cute boys, rabbit tastes like chicken, and I take for granted a lot of things in America. But mostly I have learned about myself. Even though I miss my parents, I don't need them to survive. The language is still coming very slowly to me, but hopefully things will begin to make sense soon. Until next time, Ciao!
Lets start with the humping game. Yes, you read that right. I don't know how I forgot to mention it in my last post. Maybe I tried to forget but just couldn't. God knows I wish I could. How can I describe the humping game... It was a pretty unique experience. It started off innocently enough. "Get in a circle and hold hands." Sure why not. "Now put your hands on the shoulders of the person in front of you and rock back and forth than side to side." Alright. "Now put your right hand on the right knee of the person two people in front of you and rock back and forth." Uhm.. What? "Now keep your right hand where it is and put your left hand on the left knee of the person two people in front of you and rock back and forth." Right here is when things got very uncomfortable. I knew the person who was behind me, Taylor from Alaska, but guess who was in front of me. If you guessed a 6'5 boy from Columbia, you're right! I couldn't even get my arms around him to touch the persons knees two people in front of me! I pretty much raped the Columbian boy in front of me and Taylor who was behind me at the same time, hence my name for it. The humping game. That was the last time I participated in any games that the volunteers organized.
I have said this so much lately but I absolutely loved being in Rome. I could have stayed there forever and been perfectly content. Correction. I could have stayed there forever if there was wifi. If I could have talked to every person there I would have. Each person I talked to I felt like I was more educated. It also made me want to go to where they lived and made me realize that when I'm older I want to have a job that allows me to travel. I don't want to be away from home all of the time, but I want to visit every continent and go to as many countries as I possibly can.
Now lets talk about boys. In Rome there were a few countries who I noticed had pretty attractive guys. The nordic countries had some cuties, and the Romanians were really cute too. The more I think about things though, the more I realized I knew absolutely nothing about countries like Romania. I don't even know where it is! Does that make me an ignorant American? In New York it felt like all we talked about were American stereotypes, but we can't say that a country is ignorant, or loud, or sluty, because everyone in that country is different. There were girls from almost every country walking around in shorts so short you could clearly see their butt, yet people think Americans are sluts. It made me learn that we shouldn't judge a country on an experience we had with one person.
Now let me tell you about Nova Siri. The people here are very nice and welcoming. I finally got the kissing thing down because before I would almost kiss strangers on the lips. Here in Nova Siri it goes right cheek, left cheek. I also visited the beach the other day and I've decided I'm not coming home. If you could see this beach you would understand why. It has the best view I have ever seen. So I've decided I'm never leaving it. :) I can't wait to be able to swim in the Mediterranean.
I'm still lost 100% of the time in school. Today it wasn't boiling hot in the room so having jeans on wasn't that bad. I think I've forgot to mention that before. Girls have to wear pants to school, no shorts allowed. I also wasn't bored the entire time because the Latin teacher had me translate a paragraph from Italian to English (which took like 45 minutes,) and the English teacher had me read out loud a few pages from a book. Today was also a short day so we got out of school at 12:15, meaning we only had four hours of school.
At home I feel like a guest and not really a family member yet. I unpacked everything in my bags and now have them stored away. It's weird not to be living out of them after my days in New York and Rome. My room has a little fold out bed and my real bed should be here in a few weeks. I have pictures of my family and pets put but other than that its just a white walled room. Hopefully I'll be able to decorate it! It has a bathroom attached to it and also one right next to it and they are both very nice. I also go through clothes very quickly because they wear 3 to 4 outfits a day. They also don't wash their clothes as often so I end up wearing some things twice in one week, like jeans. And the whole not showering every day is making my hair a giant greaseball.
At the house there is also the infamous bidet. I have not used it. I don't plan to use it. There's just something about it that I find really weird. *BOYS STOP READING* One of the girls in my class asked me how we clean ourselves when were on our period and I had no idea what to say back. I most have looked so stupid because I had no idea what to say. I know a few Americans have used it and "enjoyed" it I guess you can say, but I don't think I will. We are also spoiled in the US with our pads and tampons. The ones here don't work so you have to use three at one time. It's very aggravating.
*BOYS CAN READ AGAIN*
The food here is banging. They're is pasta with almost every meal, and bread at every one. I don't think I will ever get tired of this food. There are so many different kinds. Today I had rabbit for the first time and it was ok. I didn't like knowing it was rabbit and all of the little bones. The other night we had Rusticco which was like a closed prosciutto and mozzarella pizza that tasted exactly like a grilled ham and cheese. I could have eaten the entire thing. Soon we are going to have calamari and pizza. I've had a lot of gelato but its all been store bought and tasted like regular grocery store ice cream. My family also has their coffee cold and eat cereal in it. In the afternoon is when they drink a shot of hot coffee. All in all the food here is pretty healthy and we walk everywhere so hopefully I won't gain weight. I actually think I might lose some but I'm probably just kidding myself. If I did lose weight though I would be very happy.
The only thing I don't like about Nova Siri is the stray dogs. It makes me sad when I see them because they make me think of Lulu. There are also a lot of stray cats and I find myself wanting to take them all home. Some of them are really cute but you need to watch your step as you walk or you will have an unpleasant surprise.
Things in Italy are slower and more relaxed. It feels like there is plenty of time in the day unlike America where everything is rushed. I've learned so much in such a small amount of time about the world and Italy. I learned that Romania has cute boys, rabbit tastes like chicken, and I take for granted a lot of things in America. But mostly I have learned about myself. Even though I miss my parents, I don't need them to survive. The language is still coming very slowly to me, but hopefully things will begin to make sense soon. Until next time, Ciao!
Monday, September 9, 2013
The longest post to ever be blogged.
Ok, where do I begin! Lets go back to Thursday. Thursday we left the Hilton hotel in NYC and went to JFK airport. We got through fairly quickly and then had to sit at the gate for about two hours. With all of the kids going to France, Italy, and Spain being there we pretty much took up the entire sitting area. When we boarded the plane some girls stole the seats that my friends Kayla, Caroline, and I were supposed to sit in so we couldn't all stay together. I sat with Caroline and Kayla had to sit up front. Now I understand that we were in economy seats, but this was the tightest seat I've ever sat in. And of course the girl in front of me had her chair reclined all the way back. The good thing about the seats was that they had screens on them and a really good selection of movies. I watched The Great Gatsby and Monsters University (MU in Italian.) I also tarted listening to an Italian band but couldn't get into it. The food they served was not gourmet to say the least. Even though it was an economy meal there was still a lot of food so we were all full. I could not sleep for the life of me and right when I fell asleep they turned the lights on and served breakfast. We had eaten about 3 hours earlier so there was no point other than to not let me sleep. It was terrible though and I didn't eat any of it.
When we landed in Switzerland it was about 7 in the morning and their was fog that was starting to disappear. When we were flying over it, it was so beautiful. I deffinetly want to go there again and actually leave the airport. The shopping they had there was insane. There was Gucci, Burberry, and a bunch of other big name brands. There was a lot of places to buy food as well. This one place called Marche was like a grocery store. It was huge. There was also stand that sold Swiss chocolate and it would be a sin to not buy chocolate while in Switzerland, so I bought truffles and macaroons. They were incredible. The down side to Switzerland was that we arrived early so we had a 5 hour layover. When we boarded our last plane we were greeted by people speaking Dutch so I could actually understand what they said since I took German in school. I slept about half of the flight which only took an hour and a half.
When we got to Rome it was about 10,000 degrees and we had to wait for our bags to come through the baggage claim. After we had our bags the Intercultura (Italian AFS) volunteers made us wait an hour for some other students and then let them leave the airport first. Needless to say, I did not like the Rome airport.
We rode buses for an hour then to a hotel on the outskirts of Rome. It was an old convent that was turned into a hotel so all of the rooms were very tiny. The grounds though we're about a mile long so we were all spread out. There were about 10 buildings throughout. The place was swarming with teenagers. There were 470 from 47 different countries. I met people from all over the world and it was actually really fun. I also learned things that I didn't know before, like the fact that Turkish people are incredibly loud! I'm convinced they were all insane. Same with the Portuguese. The people from Hong Kong spoke perfect English and were really nice, and the French girls were all drop dead gorgeous and not stuck up at all. I met Kiwis, Norwegians, Chileans, and people from just about everywhere in between. During one get together I asked a girl next to me where she was from and where she was going. Her name was Iiris and she was from Finland and it turned out she was also going to Nova Siri! We spent the entire day together after that. I made so many friends in just a few days. It's crazy to think I haven't even been gone a week. I kept saying " If I could bring all of you with me to my host family everything would be fine!" Saying goodbye to them Saturday was really hard.
12:15 on Saturday a group of us left the hotel and went to the bus station we stood there for two and a half hours waiting for our bus. In that time I had to use the restroom. I expected the toilet to just be a hole in the ground but I didn't know I would have to pay! It was only .60€ but I still thought it was stupid I had to pay to use a hole in the ground. When we boarded the bus the seats were as tight as the plane and it took us 6 hours to get to Policoro, which is next to Nova Siri. There were four of us on the bus. Iiris and I, and then a girl from Brazil and a girl from Japan. I didn't get to sit by any of them though. It was a long 6 hours. When we arrived in Policoro I was shaking and so nervous. My host family was there waiting for me with a big sign saying "Welcome Lauren" that they made themselves. They greeted me with kisses and off we went to Nova Siri. We had a big dinner and some of their family and friends came over. I've never been kissed so much in my life. It was a nice first night.
This morning was the first day of school which was anything but fun. We sat in class for an hour while the first teacher let us talk the whole time. The next class was Latin which was 3 hours long. I wanted to die. I don't even know Italian yet! And after that was Religion which was just like the first. The kids in school were really nice though and were trying their English out on me. Hopefully in a month or two I will actually know what the teachers and my classmates are saying. I didn't have any supplies for school either, not even a pencil.
After school, which ends at 1:15, we came home and ate lunch. There was meat and spinach, potato insalata, bread, pumpkin insalata, and fried pumpkin flowers. The pumpkin flowers and meat and spinach were my favorite. Southern Itslian food has more vegetables than Northern so be ready to see my blog about the food. (Which by the way is always amazing.) Afterwards we were about to go over paperwork when I randomly started to cry. I think it's finally hitting me that I won't see my family. I've also been stressed and have actually gotten hives on my chest.
After I took a nap and composed myself we visited some of my extended host family and then met some of Velia's friends in a park like area. We all sat and they talked while I tried to pick out words I knew, aka none. They also all chain smoke. I'm okay with people around me smoking, I just don't want to. They even smoke at school. And when I say they all chain smoke, I mean they ALL chain smoke.
We then went back home for dinner and ate at around 9:00. For dinner we had melon wrapped in prosciutto and grilled eggplant when we were done eating I gave them their gifts and I really hope they liked them. We also got through the paperwork without me bursting out in tears. All in all, I'd say it was a good day.
Pictures of everything will be posted tomorrow. And if there are any spelling mistakes just ignore them because I am not spell checking this. Grazie.
When we landed in Switzerland it was about 7 in the morning and their was fog that was starting to disappear. When we were flying over it, it was so beautiful. I deffinetly want to go there again and actually leave the airport. The shopping they had there was insane. There was Gucci, Burberry, and a bunch of other big name brands. There was a lot of places to buy food as well. This one place called Marche was like a grocery store. It was huge. There was also stand that sold Swiss chocolate and it would be a sin to not buy chocolate while in Switzerland, so I bought truffles and macaroons. They were incredible. The down side to Switzerland was that we arrived early so we had a 5 hour layover. When we boarded our last plane we were greeted by people speaking Dutch so I could actually understand what they said since I took German in school. I slept about half of the flight which only took an hour and a half.
When we got to Rome it was about 10,000 degrees and we had to wait for our bags to come through the baggage claim. After we had our bags the Intercultura (Italian AFS) volunteers made us wait an hour for some other students and then let them leave the airport first. Needless to say, I did not like the Rome airport.
We rode buses for an hour then to a hotel on the outskirts of Rome. It was an old convent that was turned into a hotel so all of the rooms were very tiny. The grounds though we're about a mile long so we were all spread out. There were about 10 buildings throughout. The place was swarming with teenagers. There were 470 from 47 different countries. I met people from all over the world and it was actually really fun. I also learned things that I didn't know before, like the fact that Turkish people are incredibly loud! I'm convinced they were all insane. Same with the Portuguese. The people from Hong Kong spoke perfect English and were really nice, and the French girls were all drop dead gorgeous and not stuck up at all. I met Kiwis, Norwegians, Chileans, and people from just about everywhere in between. During one get together I asked a girl next to me where she was from and where she was going. Her name was Iiris and she was from Finland and it turned out she was also going to Nova Siri! We spent the entire day together after that. I made so many friends in just a few days. It's crazy to think I haven't even been gone a week. I kept saying " If I could bring all of you with me to my host family everything would be fine!" Saying goodbye to them Saturday was really hard.
12:15 on Saturday a group of us left the hotel and went to the bus station we stood there for two and a half hours waiting for our bus. In that time I had to use the restroom. I expected the toilet to just be a hole in the ground but I didn't know I would have to pay! It was only .60€ but I still thought it was stupid I had to pay to use a hole in the ground. When we boarded the bus the seats were as tight as the plane and it took us 6 hours to get to Policoro, which is next to Nova Siri. There were four of us on the bus. Iiris and I, and then a girl from Brazil and a girl from Japan. I didn't get to sit by any of them though. It was a long 6 hours. When we arrived in Policoro I was shaking and so nervous. My host family was there waiting for me with a big sign saying "Welcome Lauren" that they made themselves. They greeted me with kisses and off we went to Nova Siri. We had a big dinner and some of their family and friends came over. I've never been kissed so much in my life. It was a nice first night.
This morning was the first day of school which was anything but fun. We sat in class for an hour while the first teacher let us talk the whole time. The next class was Latin which was 3 hours long. I wanted to die. I don't even know Italian yet! And after that was Religion which was just like the first. The kids in school were really nice though and were trying their English out on me. Hopefully in a month or two I will actually know what the teachers and my classmates are saying. I didn't have any supplies for school either, not even a pencil.
After school, which ends at 1:15, we came home and ate lunch. There was meat and spinach, potato insalata, bread, pumpkin insalata, and fried pumpkin flowers. The pumpkin flowers and meat and spinach were my favorite. Southern Itslian food has more vegetables than Northern so be ready to see my blog about the food. (Which by the way is always amazing.) Afterwards we were about to go over paperwork when I randomly started to cry. I think it's finally hitting me that I won't see my family. I've also been stressed and have actually gotten hives on my chest.
After I took a nap and composed myself we visited some of my extended host family and then met some of Velia's friends in a park like area. We all sat and they talked while I tried to pick out words I knew, aka none. They also all chain smoke. I'm okay with people around me smoking, I just don't want to. They even smoke at school. And when I say they all chain smoke, I mean they ALL chain smoke.
We then went back home for dinner and ate at around 9:00. For dinner we had melon wrapped in prosciutto and grilled eggplant when we were done eating I gave them their gifts and I really hope they liked them. We also got through the paperwork without me bursting out in tears. All in all, I'd say it was a good day.
Pictures of everything will be posted tomorrow. And if there are any spelling mistakes just ignore them because I am not spell checking this. Grazie.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
I feel like this isn't really happening. I'm sitting in my hotel room just thinking about my life how it was and how it's now going to be. The nerves are setting in. My stomach is in knots, my hands are shaky, and I'm weak in the knees. The gateway orientation is really helping though.
The goodbyes today were hard. This is going to sound bad but I bawled my eyes out when I left my dog and only shed like two tears when I left my parents. I'm going to miss them too but my dog is like my best friend. My mom broke down as she was hugging me but my dad kept it together. Ill start to really miss them in a few weeks maybe even days. I feel like it will be easier if we don't talk but I feel like they'll want to.
I'm meeting a lot of people at the orientation who are really nice even though they're not going to be with me in Italy. I can't believe tomorrow I fly to Zurich and then Rome and my adventure begins. Hopefully then I won't be such a nervous wreck.
The goodbyes today were hard. This is going to sound bad but I bawled my eyes out when I left my dog and only shed like two tears when I left my parents. I'm going to miss them too but my dog is like my best friend. My mom broke down as she was hugging me but my dad kept it together. Ill start to really miss them in a few weeks maybe even days. I feel like it will be easier if we don't talk but I feel like they'll want to.
I'm meeting a lot of people at the orientation who are really nice even though they're not going to be with me in Italy. I can't believe tomorrow I fly to Zurich and then Rome and my adventure begins. Hopefully then I won't be such a nervous wreck.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Today was very difficult. I was home alone all day and had to pack my bags by myself. I've been feeling overwhelmed because I think I'll forget things. I've also been on an emotional roller coaster. Good old Mother Nature decided to show her face today as well making things 100x worse. Every time I would look at my pets or family I would burst into tears. I honestly hope that I cried so much today that their is nothing left for tomorrow. Saying goodbye to Lulu is going to be so hard and I know to some people that will sound stupid, but I love my dog more than life itself. And even though she acts like I don't exist I'm going to miss Kitty too.
Even though I'm upset about leaving my family, friends, and pets I still am excited to start my journey. Tomorrow is the day I got to New York City. The day after that I fly to Rome. I'm so excited to meet my host family and make friends. I just wish I could bring my pets with me..
13 hours 32 minutes
Even though I'm upset about leaving my family, friends, and pets I still am excited to start my journey. Tomorrow is the day I got to New York City. The day after that I fly to Rome. I'm so excited to meet my host family and make friends. I just wish I could bring my pets with me..
13 hours 32 minutes
Monday, September 2, 2013
Anxious
Today was the last day I got to see my sister. We said the smallest goodbye ever and didn't even hug. Ill miss her more than I probably think. I also hung out with some friends of mine from school at the mall. We ate, talked, and got our nails done. I thought about how it was going to be my last time at the mall and with them. I think I will do okay in New York I just don't want my mom to cry in front of me because it will be reallyyyyyy uncomfortable. I'm scared, excited, nervous, but most of all, anxious.
1 day 14 hours
1 day 14 hours
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Getting close
Stress is really starting to get to me. What if I cant communicate with my host family? What if I get in trouble in school because I don't know whats going on? What if I can't do it? These and many more questions, are all of the things I'm trying not to think about. To be able to have this experience I cants have a negative mindset. This is going to be hard for me because I'm usually tough on myself and stress a lot. Not only that but the smallest things will make me cry. Sitting with my cat, snuggling with my dog, and thinking about what my friends will do when I'm gone. But I need to stop thinking about that kind of stuff. I know when I get to New York I will more than likely cry, but that will be the last time I allow myself to. I need to be strong and independent. This is my experience and it will be what I make it.
2 days 23 hours
2 days 23 hours
Saturday, August 31, 2013
The last yeehaw.
Last night was the Luke Bryan concert and it was one of the best nights of my life. I waited 5 hours to get a spot in the pit and it was so worth it because I ended up right in front of the stage. Florida Georgia Line was the first act and they were really good. The one singer kept coming over to where we were and he was pretty cute. Unfortunately he was sweating like crazy and at one point splashed his sweat all over us haha. I got it on video and you can hear someone in the background scream "I just got wet!" I didn't know all of their songs but still they got us pumped up.
And then finally the main act, LUKE BRYAN! When he came out he was wearing a light bluish green shirt and he just looked so adorable. He sounded amazing live and he really interacted with the audience. At one point he took a girls phone and took a picture of his butt! He would come over to where we were standing all the time. At one point he began to shake it in front of me and looked me right in the eyes. I swooned like a 12 year old at a Justin Bieber concert. He was so freaking good. His last song was Country Girl and he came right in front of us and looked so freaking good shaking it. At the end he ran around the stage touching peoples hands and even though I got completely trampled and squished by people, I TOUCHED HIS HAND. I am officially in love.
Me and Luke's stage trailer
The second act was Thompson Square and they sounded really good too but they didn't get us as pumped as FGL. They sang sadder songs and didn't interact with the audience as much. I started to tear up during a song they sang dedicated to our troops because they showed a soldier coming home to his dog and it made me think about leaving mine. All in all it was a good performance.And then finally the main act, LUKE BRYAN! When he came out he was wearing a light bluish green shirt and he just looked so adorable. He sounded amazing live and he really interacted with the audience. At one point he took a girls phone and took a picture of his butt! He would come over to where we were standing all the time. At one point he began to shake it in front of me and looked me right in the eyes. I swooned like a 12 year old at a Justin Bieber concert. He was so freaking good. His last song was Country Girl and he came right in front of us and looked so freaking good shaking it. At the end he ran around the stage touching peoples hands and even though I got completely trampled and squished by people, I TOUCHED HIS HAND. I am officially in love.
Luke Bryan
Even though a man spit his chew out on my leg, FGL sweat on me, I couldn't feel my legs, and the liquid nitrogen used in Luke Bryan's performance splashed and burnt my arm it was still my favorite concert to date. Id see him again tonight if I could. For me it was the perfect ending to my time here in the US. When I get back next year I definitely want to see him again. Thanks for an awesome night Luke.
3 days 22 hours
Thursday, August 29, 2013
The last hurrah
More like the last yeehaw. Tomorrow is what I'm considering my last American experience. I'm seeing Luke Bryan at the Allentown Fair with my sister. Luke is adorable and I'm so excited. We're going five hours early so that we can stand right in front of the stage. I love country music and I really doubt they have it in Italy! Its another thing I'm going to miss.
On another note I only have to do 6.5 more hours of Rosetta Stone (yay)!! I'm doing two hours tonight and I'm getting up early to do more before I leave for the concert. I feel like Ive learned nothing from Rosetta Stone. Its making me so mad that its making me learn about yen. Why the heck is it teaching me about Asian currency?! The only thing I learned is that "prego" means "you're welcome." And the only reason why I know that is because of the spaghetti sauce!
Its also so weird that all of my friends are in school and I'm not. I get to sit at home waiting for the 4th while they're all together in school. I'm thinking about not using my Twitter because it would just frustrate me and make me miss home. No one probably even realizes I'm gone! But High School is weird like that; once you're gone nothing really changes. I hope my friends miss me time to time. Something will happen and they'll think of me and a memory we have together.
I started to repack my bag today and its all ready full and weighs a ton. I have no idea how I'm going to choose what to take and what to leave because I am not paying $200 for over weight bags! Its kind of surreal how I'm feeling right now. I know what's coming yet it doesn't seem real.
5 days 13 hours
On another note I only have to do 6.5 more hours of Rosetta Stone (yay)!! I'm doing two hours tonight and I'm getting up early to do more before I leave for the concert. I feel like Ive learned nothing from Rosetta Stone. Its making me so mad that its making me learn about yen. Why the heck is it teaching me about Asian currency?! The only thing I learned is that "prego" means "you're welcome." And the only reason why I know that is because of the spaghetti sauce!
Its also so weird that all of my friends are in school and I'm not. I get to sit at home waiting for the 4th while they're all together in school. I'm thinking about not using my Twitter because it would just frustrate me and make me miss home. No one probably even realizes I'm gone! But High School is weird like that; once you're gone nothing really changes. I hope my friends miss me time to time. Something will happen and they'll think of me and a memory we have together.
I started to repack my bag today and its all ready full and weighs a ton. I have no idea how I'm going to choose what to take and what to leave because I am not paying $200 for over weight bags! Its kind of surreal how I'm feeling right now. I know what's coming yet it doesn't seem real.
5 days 13 hours
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Sette Giorni
I leave in one week. I cant even process that. In one week I will no longer live in the United States. There is so much I'm looking forward to in Italy yet there is so much I am going to miss here in the states. Ill miss homecoming and prom, football games on Friday nights, seeing movies at the theater downtown, my pets, my family, my friends, and even the smell of my house. I'm leaving everything I know and I'm scared as hell but I know it will all be worth it in the end. But there is still what I have to look forward to. Living at the beach, my host family, the friends I will make, the FOOD, and the feeling of accomplishment ill get knowing that I did it on my own. So no matter how hard it gets I need to realize what I'm gaining. And I think its ok to be scared that you wont be able to do it and to know how much you'll miss home. Believe it or not I am human and I do have emotions. But fear is all part of the experience, and in order for there to be good, there needs to be bad.
6 days 14 hours
6 days 14 hours
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
Rosetta Stone
Sorry I didn't post yesterday! We took my sister Emily back to college so I was gone all day. I feel like all I've been doing lately is sitting in the car or doing Rosetta Stone. ROSETTA STONE IS LIFE. I have to get my forty hours in or else I have to pay for it! I have a little over thirty hours right now and I really need to pick up the pace. Contrary to their slogan, Rosetta Stone is neither fast nor fun. Sitting in front of the computer for hours matching pictures is as fun as watching paint dry.
I have almost everything I need to take with me except winter boots and a gift for my host father! I have absolutely no idea what to get him. I was thinking maybe a book but he wouldn't be able to read it anyways. He works a lot but when he isn't he like to go sailing. Ugh I have no idea what to get him. Hopefully I can think of something soon!
8 days
I have almost everything I need to take with me except winter boots and a gift for my host father! I have absolutely no idea what to get him. I was thinking maybe a book but he wouldn't be able to read it anyways. He works a lot but when he isn't he like to go sailing. Ugh I have no idea what to get him. Hopefully I can think of something soon!
8 days
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Going away party!
My going away party went really well. I started tearing up before everyone arrived but somehow managed to pull it together. I don't know why I've been so emotional lately. Is it stress? Lets just blame it on those good old teenage hormones. Like I started crying watching Too Cute because I thought about how much I was going to miss my dog. She really is the best dog ever and I finally understand why they're "mans best friend." Anyways enough about me crying, here are some pictures from my party.
Caprese salad skewers
Italian flag flower arrangement
My huge and delicious tiramisu :)
And lastly some of the family that came!
Today was a lot harder than I expected it to be. I didn't know whether I should smile or cry. I have a lot of confusing emotions right now so hopefully I can figure them all out by next Tuesday!
10 days
Friday, August 23, 2013
Today was pretty crazy. I have my going away party tomorrow so there was a lot of cooking and cleaning going on. All of my extended family is going to be there. It makes everything feel so real. Its the last time ill see a lot of them for a long time. No Thanksgiving together, or Christmas. Its a lot to take in. But on the bright side I'm having a huge tiramisu at my party! If you don't know already, I LOVE FOOD. So I'm pretty much guaranteed to come back from Italy even fatter than when I left. But indulging in great food is all a part of la dolce vita.
So after a day of worry and stress I did what any girl would do, get a mani pedi and watch Disney movies! I'm almost done shopping for everything I need. I just need some winter clothes and my ipod! Its so close I can almost taste it, kind of like my tiramisu.. 11 days.
So after a day of worry and stress I did what any girl would do, get a mani pedi and watch Disney movies! I'm almost done shopping for everything I need. I just need some winter clothes and my ipod! Its so close I can almost taste it, kind of like my tiramisu.. 11 days.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Nova Siri!
This is Lulu!
And here's a little side view of Kitty!
Ill try to post once a day before I leave and once or more a week while I'm abroad. Its going to be really difficult the first few months so sorry if I don't stick to that! See you tomorrow!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Ciao!
Ciao! I'm Lauren Udit, a 16 year old American who is about to be living the dream in Nova Siri, Italy. Some of you may be wondering how a teenage girl could get this amazing opportunity. Well one day during school we had a presentation in class about studying abroad through the organization AFS and about possible scholarships we could receive. When I was looking at the countries that I could travel to, three immediately stood out: Ghana, New Zealand, and Italy. My sophomore year of high school had so far been disappointment after disappointment. My friends had changed, my classes were harder, and like every teenage girl I was moody and tired. "This is it." I thought as I scrolled through the AFS website later that night. "This is how I can escape the hell that is high school." Don't get me wrong there are some parts of Cedar Cliff (my school) that I really like, like managing the boys basketball team, football games on chill October nights, and my friends. But something was always missing. So after bugging my parents for days they decided to let me try to get a scholarship to go abroad. To go to Italy for a year the tuition was around $14,000! There was no way my parents and I could afford that. Thankfully in my area they offered the Speedwell scholarship, which would pay for 100% of my tuition. I wouldn't be able to do this with out them! The only draw back is that I had to go to a non English speaking country, so no Ghana or New Zealand. But is living in Italy ever a drawback? No!
So here's a little information on Nova Siri. Its along the Southern coast of Italy in the Basilicata region! I'll be living in Nova Siri Marina and not the actual town of Nova Siri. It looks beautiful and I cant wait to go. I leave for New York in 13 days and go to Italy the next day! Its so insane that in only 14 days I'll be living in a different country. Its going to be the best year of my life and I'd love for you to join me. :) Grazie, and stay tuned!
So here's a little information on Nova Siri. Its along the Southern coast of Italy in the Basilicata region! I'll be living in Nova Siri Marina and not the actual town of Nova Siri. It looks beautiful and I cant wait to go. I leave for New York in 13 days and go to Italy the next day! Its so insane that in only 14 days I'll be living in a different country. Its going to be the best year of my life and I'd love for you to join me. :) Grazie, and stay tuned!
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