Teenagers Can Be Cute!

This morning was a very special morning, as I began my education internship!

I don't think I've mentioned my internship yet. I had to apply for it when I got here, so I didn't want to jinx my chances! However, I was accepted and made the trek to Alessi high school this morning (I had to be there at 8:10...bleh). I just found out yesterday evening that I was starting this morning, so no Monday night karaoke for me!

For my internship, I will be helping two English teachers (one on each day I am there, Monday and Tuesday mornings) to plan their lessons. However, there is a lot more to it than that. I am to organize group work, provide the students with practical conversations, and arrange skits and other fun activities. Lucia is the teacher I am working with on Tuesdays (and this morning). I met her last week, as she led our tour. She is the head of the English language program at the school. She is so passionate about teaching, and we already hit it off (I got Italian kisses on each cheek when I left!) She emphasizes speaking. She instructed me to use no Italian in class (even though I can still chat with the kids in Italian for fun later). She wants them to have the unique opportunity to converse as much as possible with a native speaker. An amusing moment occurred when one of the students asked me my age. I replied twenty (in English). I thought numbers were pretty simple, but he looked at me somewhat blankly. Lucia explained that the kids are used to hearing English in the form of British accents (all of the recorded tapes they hear are recorded in England) so he didn't understand my American accent at first! I repeated my age again, and he understood. I don't think British and American accents sound all that different in the grand scheme of things, but I guess to a non-native speaker, they do! It's really a cultural education I'm receiving.

The kids were AMAZING. I love them already. This class was a first year class, so most of the students are fourteen. It's cute, because most of the boys still have baby faces (I forgot how young high school freshmen can look!) It sounds weird, but the girls were literally entranced by my presence. Italians (and Europeans in general) seem to really idolize American culture. They talked about The Simpsons (Lucia explained that the show is big in Italy). I asked them if any of them had ever been to the United States, and none of them have. However, when I asked them where in the US they would like to go, they all said either California or New York (big surprise there). I think they believe that the whole country is like what they see in the movies!

Today's class wasn't a representation of how the day will typically go. Lucia told me in advance that today's fifty minute period would be devoted to introductions, as well as a question and answer session with me. Not going to lie, I loved talking about my culture and learning about the kids!

Right off the bat, I noticed extreme differences in Italian education. Lucia had me take attendance so I could learn names. When I called a name, the student would stand up, raise his or her hand, and declare, "I am here." It seemed so much more official in a way (I don't know if that's the right word). While teenagers will be teenagers, these kids were extremely attentive and respectful. In Italy, students stay in the same classroom all day, and the different teachers come to them (completely opposite from the States, where the teachers have their own classrooms and the students switch). When I told the kids about this, they exclaimed immediately that they prefer the US method! I guess it would be tiring to sit in the same room all day long!

I shouldn't have been surprised by this, but I thought it was interesting that there were three immigrant students in the class (out of about twenty). One girl is from Romania, one boy is from India, and another boy is from Peru. Italy has seen a huge increase in immigration in recent years. Lucia told me afterward that one of these students has to act as translator for his entire family (he's the only one who can speak Italian). So he knows Italian fluently after four years, as well as his dialect from home AND some English. I am continuously amazed at how children and adolescents an rise to the occasion in the face of difficult circumstances. This type of resiliency is also present in another boy in the class, who is almost completely deaf. Imagine trying to learn a foreign language when you can't hear! The desks in Lucia's class are set up in a circle, specifically so this boy can read everyone's lips. Lucia really has to be creative in her lessons so that students with handicaps can feel included. Another reason why she is such a brilliant teacher. I will definitely be learning a lot from this experience. And not only academically!

Another reason I loved this school is the welcoming atmosphere. I've gone into a lot of new volunteer/internship situations the last few years. I have rarely felt so comfortable so immediately. Lucia met me in the teacher's lounge before we went up to her class, and all of the faculty members were very anxious to say hi to me (even if their English wasn't fabulous, although most can speak at least a little bit). One of the other English teachers even bought me a cappuchino! He LOVES the Celtics (go Boston!) and was absolutely fascinated that I was from Celtics nation! Everyone was just wonderful. I even received a personal greeting/conversation with the headmaster (principal!)

The only downside of the day was the ten minute walk back to Umbra, since Alessi is at the bottom of the steepest hill ever (UMass O-hill kids, you would appreciate this!) However, I felt so happy that I didn't really care. Expect a lot more rants about my internship throughout the semester! I am excited to plan skits and just form personal relationships with the kids! They were extremely welcoming, and I am thrilled to be experiencing Italian culture firsthand.

Beauty is Everywhere

Another wonderful travel experience this weekend! Thursday night, I headed to Florence with Amy and Gretchen. It was a whole new dynamic with just the three of us; we all had to contribute to the travel process. Each of us has our unique travel strengths. Mine is keeping the group focused on finding gelato. (Kidding, I have more. Although that's definitely one). 

Anyway, the train ride on Thursday evening was very comfortable. Unfortunately, we arrived in Florence after it was already dark. The next two days would definitely make up for lack of views the first night! Gretchen and I found our hostel relatively easily (Amy stayed with a friend of hers). When we were booking our hostel on Wednesday night, we were both laughing hysterically because many people had commented on the site that they had to "play receptionist" for other guests because staff is only there for part of the day. The staff had emailed me "codes" for the doors since we were arriving after hours. It could have gone either way, but luckily we figured it out and found our room. This was some "hostel." There were rose petals in the bathroom! They had upgraded us to our own private bathroom but we paid the same price. Not complaining! I think I bring good luck when it comes to accommodations. Amy's friend Emily teaches English in Florence, and she was a wonderful guide/companion. She recommended great places to eat (that were removed from large numbers of tourists) and really helped us make the most of our time!

Friday was full of adventures. Naturally, we started the day with cappuccino and cornetto (a scone). If you’re us, you start off the day with two scones. Emily showed us this place off the beaten track that is well known among Italian locals. Mind you, this is after Gretchen and I had already had cappuccino before we met up with the other two. So now, we’re in yet another bar, and I just cannot help but get a cioccolato (literally amazing, rich chocolate syrup in a cup) and yet another cornetto. They were just calling my name is all.

The three of us did the Uffizi after breakfast. This very famous art museum could literally suck you in for days. There are three floors, and they wrap around, room after room. The museum holds very famous Renaissance works, many of which hold connections to the famous Medici family of Florence (shout out to AP European history). I don’t believe I mentioned this in my Rome post (I can’t believe I forgot) but in the Vatican museum, most of the male marble statues have no penises (as in, the penises were chopped off). Turns out that one of the popes centuries ago did not “approve” of penises on statues, so he had them all cut off. I guess when you chop a penis off a statue, it’s as if it didn’t exist! They actually look even more awkward without one (almost as awkward as this probably feels to some of you to be reading about this, particularly coming from me). For whatever reason, I thought it was fascinating. You may be pleased to know that the penises of the Uffizi museum statues were fully intact. Guess the pope didn’t reach those ones. There’s your art history lesson for the day! You can always learn something new! I’m all about spreading knowledge.

Rooftop pictures at Uffizi

Exploring!

After some general exploring, we decided to try out some of the leather stores (we’re twenty-year-old girls after all). Shopaholics in fact. What originated as a decision to enter a random store called “Caesars” turned into the most glorious shopping experience I’ve had to date.

Why was a random store glorious, you may ask? Two names: Dario and Angelo (the owners). When we first walked in, they were very, very attentive and kept showing us different leather products. To many, this may seem annoying. But they were HILARIOUS. Completely separate from the shopping, we had a conversation with them that lasted over an hour. They kept telling us how beautiful we were (“bellissima!”) and that we were the nicest girls they’ve met, and how we just seemed so intrinsically happy. I guess I can see why. The girls and I had just been saying how happy we are to be having these experiences, and I guess this genuine passion for living we’re feeling right now is carrying over into our demeanor. Dario and Angelo were saying that American girls aren’t used to compliments. (So true). They said that we deserved to be praised and told how special we are. Wow. We agreed that we would take their advice and not settle! 

Dario and Angelo have sweet life stories. They look about in their late fifties now, and are both married (“Our wives can’t know about this!” they joked as they hugged us and demanded a photo shoot with us in leather). One of the wives is actually from the US, and they have twin girls who are twenty-two.

Anyway, this amazing shopping trip ended with the three of us splurging on three authentic, custom-made Florentine leather coats. The men gave us a major discount because they loved us, but I still used debit because I didn’t want to see the price. However, I knew that this was a day that I’ll remember forever, and it was definitely a once in a lifetime chance to get something so beautifully authentic. Florence is known for leather, after all. Originally one of the other girls had tried on my coat, but it didn’t fit her. They pointed at me and insisted that I try it. Dario and Angelo zipped it up, and were speechless. Apparently it was “perfetto” on me. I apparently agreed. SOLD. (I used debit because I didn’t want to know). Dario and Angelo wanted to show us how real the leather was, which turned into them whipping out lighters and scraping the flames against the coats we were wearing (I jumped a little, I’m not a huge fan of being chased with fire). Apparently, real leather doesn’t burn (and our coats didn’t, the flame didn’t even make a mark). If the coats had been fake, I would have gone up in smoke. Comforting.

Sold! Rocking our new leather! 

It was really difficult to part with the guys, but they gave us their business cards and we are definitely going to try to keep in touch somehow. This is what I absolutely love about this country. You literally have no idea who you are going to meet each day. The life advice, the jokes…people here want to offer you a piece of themselves, a part of their lives. I can’t even explain how special that feels. 

Still cracking up over the whole thing, we headed to Ponte Vecchio to watch the sunset. Amy and I are kind of obsessed with sunsets (particularly beach ones) so that was always in the cards for the day. Ponte Vecchio is a famous bridge with colorful shops and stunning views. Several bridges cross the water in Florence, and they make for beautiful scenery. The atmosphere was lively and fun, with people taking pictures and chatting it up. We met a wonderful older man who took a special interest in talking to us. He was the sweetest, and he too told us that we were some of the happiest, nicest girls in the world (do we have a flashing sign or something?) He was sad to learn that Gretchen had a boyfriend, but couldn’t help but kiss her anyway.

Looks like a painting

The impending sunset made us so excited. We bought champagne to pop as it got dark. I joked that I "won't even remember" the night, but that turned into a joke ("I won't even remember spending that 3 euro on yet another gelato"). But of course, I was kidding. I will never want to forgot our Florence sunset. And, as always, we took lots of pictures. It was a wonderful evening with wonderful girls!

Gretchen's new friend

Miss you UMass!

After Emily got out of work, we met her at her apartment where she cooked us a fabulous dinner. She had invited her friend Dario, who was both intentionally and unintentionally hilarious and spoke no English. Amy, Gretchen and I are in the same Italian class (intermediate II) so we have similar language abilities. I think our proudest moment of the weekend was being able to communicate with Dario in Italian, and have a whole dinner conversation. We had to repeat ourselves occasionally (and vice versa) but we overcame the language barrier! Dario and I are actually Facebook friends as of today, and he’s been chatting with me in Italian since we’ve been back. I love having an authentic Italian to practice with!

After a really late night on Friday, we got started early on Saturday with a trip to the Duomo. One of the most famous churches in the world and a symbol of Renaissance power, the Duomo is something to see. We agreed that the inside was very anticlimactic after seeing St. Peter’s last week, but the outside is absolutely incredible. Nothing in Florence is built taller than the Duomo, so it towers above all.

Rub the snout for good luck

Duomo!

Accademia was the next stop. Accademia is a museum that is the home of Michelangelo’s David. We mainly went to see this sculpture. I have never seen anything like it. David looks like he might come alive. You can practically see his veins pulsing. Unfortunately, even my rebellious picture-taking skills wouldn’t cut it here (there were very few people to blend in with so I would have definitely been seen/yelled at) but trust me, it’s a masterpiece. We were marveling at how Michelangelo sculpted such a realistic looking figure out of marble. What if he made a mistake? It would be harder to cover up than a painting…would he just start over? So much time, so much effort. It is truly mind-blowing.

We ended the day with a hike up to the lookout over the city. Beautiful small churches lined the path, as did the Stations of the Cross. We were rewarded for the climb with these views. We agreed that it would be a beautiful place to be proposed to (hint hint potential suitors).

On our way back, we popped into one last store, and were looking around when guess who pops in? Dario and Angelo!! I guess they were on pausa (an afternoon break that most stores take). Or as Angelo says, “I can go on pausa whenever I want” (I like his attitude). When I say they “popped in,” it was more that I turn around and see a man with a turtleneck halfway up his face sprinting towards me to engulf me in a bear hug. They kept calling us “their girls” to the owner of the store we were in (who they are apparently besties with). Oh Italy. It was great to see them one last time!

Another random moment: we were walking through the piazza when we see a bunch of people dressed in black sitting in chairs, looking like they were about to do something major. Turns out, it was an urban theater group! They started miming to an accordion player and acting out really complex scenes without speaking. We could have watched them for hours! So spontaneous but amazing! Another reason I love this place.

Throughout my four months here, I am working on finding beauty in the everyday. I strive to share my stories that reflect how glorious life can be when you keep a positive attitude and an open mind! There is so much to appreciate. In Accademia, I found this message someone had written in the bathroom stall that I was in:

Says it all, no?

"L'ombelico del mundo"

This week has been a crazy one; we have our first Italian quiz today (all Italian classes do) so everyone is frantically doing last minute studying in the library. Makes me miss UMass a bit! Anyway, I am listening to one of my new favorite songs as I go over my notes. It's called "L'ombelico del mundo."

I learned the song at Monday night karaoke. Karaoke is a tradition in Perugia, particularly among the young students. It doesn't even start until midnight, so you usually have to expect a late night when you want to go. I went for the first time this past Monday, and it was a blast! Definitely worth feeling slightly sleepy the next day.

Here's pretty much how the night went while I was there: a group of approximately fifteen to twenty American students singing the classics (think Nsync, "I'm a barbie girl," etc). The Italians were getting the biggest kick out of watching us. They seemed to know several of the songs as they were mouthing along, even though they were in English (see my post about American music here).

After the American kids had had our fix, a group of Italian guys went up to bring some actual Italian music into the mix. We kept cheering them on and they appreciated it. One song they sang was "L'ombelico del mundo." All of the Italians seemed to know it. (Point: When we went into a crepe store a few nights later and asked the middle-aged lady behind the counter about the song, she started singing it to us). At kareoke, my friend and I thought it would be funny if we pretended we knew it, so we started singing along. We also made up meanings for the words we didn't know. "L'ombelico"to us sounded like umbilical cord. Therefore, we decided that's what it meant. It became a joke that night. Much to our surprise, that IS what it means! (Thanks crepe lady!) Maybe our Italian is better than we think!

Speaking of crepes, Tuesday night we went to get some crepes (and be schooled on Italian music). I just have to post pictures, they were DELICIOUS. I got Tricolore, which is Nutella, strawberries, banana, and kiwi.

Also, for good measure, I became Julie Paps on Monday night when I cooked her broccoli and ziti recipe! It was my first attempt ever, and turned out pretty good I think. I will still need a few more tries to perfect it, and no one will ever make it like my mommy. :)

Heading to Florence this weekend! Ciao!

Variety is the Spice of Life

So I'm going to do something drastic and blog about several things in one post. Mind-blowing, I know!

Okay, so first, I have to talk about food. Food here is kind of a big deal. I discuss it a lot, I know. Anyone who observes my eating habits regularly may understand why. I'm not ashamed; I like to use the "I'm growing" excuse for my bottomless pit mentality (although, I think I've stopped growing by now, but who really knows). That excuse has grown into the "Well, I have a fast metabolism and need some meat on my bones" excuse. Not that I feel the need to make excuses. Especially in Italy. Eating comes before breathing.

Take Thursday night, for example. The night before my friends and I left for Rome, we went out for dinner. Here's how it goes. First, you get some kind of appetizer. Then, "primi piatti" (usually, a type of pasta). Then, "secondi piatti" (typically a meat course, although if you just want pasta you can stop at primi piatti). Next comes salad normally (salad is eaten after the big meal here, which I've actually grown to love! It feels like it cleanses your system).

And of course, dessert! On this night, most of us got tiramisu. YUM.

Practically inhaled it

All of us agree that we LOVE how Italians eat. In American restaurants, I often feel like I'm being pushed out the door. In Italy, when you sit at a table, it's your table for the night. Waiters don't check on you every five minutes, and you can sit for hours and just talk. The courses come out slowly, so you have time to digest. I love love love the feeling of walking out the door completely satisfied, but not overly stuffed.

Sometimes, it's tough to decide what you want...

Hmmm

And sometimes, you want everything. Then the bill gets uncomfortably large...

But still SO much cheaper than the same food would be back in the States! Exchange rates are overrated...

Regardless, we are still some happy girls!

And that's an Italian meal!



Part Two: The other Rome pics I promised! Thanks to the girls for these ones. :)

Trevi

Our steps

Love this candid

Pictures really are worth a thousand words...or in this case, probably infinity. 

When in Rome

Greetings! So, I just got back from Rome last night…

Yes, Rome was not in the plans. In fact, it was not in the plans until 11:28pm the night before we left.

We had been talking about going to Rome this weekend for a few days. However, we didn’t hit the “play” button on the plan right away for a few reasons. Amy and I had our second CIS dinner last night, which we certainly didn’t want to miss because we love Romina and couldn’t wait to hang out with the Rome CIS kids. We just weren’t sure whether leaving for Rome early Friday morning and coming back Saturday evening would be too quick of a trip. Also, one of the girls saw that the weather wasn’t going to be great in Rome this weekend. (It ended up being totally the opposite. More on that later). Long story short, we decided to just blindly go for it. I spent the night Thursday night at the girls’ apartment, and we planned. Hostel was booked, Vatican tickets were reserved, and the bus schedule was examined. And to say we didn’t regret the trip would be the understatement of the century.

Rome was…absolutely magical.

This entire post is going to be sentimental and maybe a bit sappy. But I honestly have no way of conveying the awe that comes with stepping out of the metro stop and laying eyes on beautiful ancient ruins looming next to stunning modern gardens and streets.  Those of you who have been there know what I’m talking about. There is an indescribable energy.  Rome is a stunning blend of old and new, past and present.

After settling into our hostel (which was very nice), we headed to the Colesseum. It is HUGE.  I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was blown away. I can’t believe it has been standing for this long; a part of it is not longer there, but overall the structure has survived two millennia worth of natural disasters and war. Not bad! None of the girls have been to Rome before (several of us haven’t even been to Europe at all) so this was our first major sight. Jordan in particular dreamt of coming here, so she was a little excited.

It takes your breath away

 And the Arch of Constantine of course!!

We really wanted to go to the top of the Colosseum for the view. Unfortunately, we only realized this around 3:45, and the last entrance was at 3:30! We will most definitely be back, so next time! The gladiators kept us entertained, however. After trying to talk to us, one of them asserted, “Don’t worry. I’m gay.” Silly gladiator! It felt like people camp out around the attractions trying to quite literally push flyers in your face and sell you stuff. Thank you, but those little squishy animal toys kind of get old after seven men in a row throw them to the ground to demonstrate their squishiness to less than enthusiastic potential customers.

After the Colosseum, we did some general exploring. I could spend years in that city; it literally felt like there were surprises around every corner.

One of my major “alive” moments happened accidently. We took a turn and decided to walk up these random steps (there are a lot of them in Rome). At the top, the steps turned into a beautiful square with a fountain. Only a couple of people were there, and we essentially had the square to ourselves. It was past dark at this point. We started running around like little kids and racing up and down more steps. Leaning over the railing at the top of the stairs with one of my friends, we kept saying, “We can’t believe we’re here right now.” 

After an amazing dinner, we headed to the Trevi Fountain. The second it started to come into view, we screamed and ran down the street. I had butterflies, I was so excited! The Trevi at night is stunning; a group of girls were playing guitar and singing, and strangers were laughing together and taking pictures. The girls and I discussed “rules” for wishing in the fountain throughout dinner. Does it matter what kind of coin you use? Do you make the wish while the coin is in the air, or before you throw it? The six of us ended up lining up horizontally, backs to the fountain, and shouting “Uno, due, tre!!” before tossing the coins over our shoulders. So special!

Unfortunately, my camera had died after the Colosseum. I was able to charge it that night (so it was fine for Saturday) but I couldn’t take pictures of the Trevi. However, my lovely friends had me covered, and got some beautiful shots of the fountain, plus various pictures of all of us/me individually. I will definitely put those up in my next post, since this one is getting long anyway!

The next day, we woke up bright and early for the Vatican! Personally, the Vatican was this Catholic girl’s dream. My faith has always been extremely important to me since childhood, and I felt like I was making a pilgrimage of sorts.

The museum was great, but huge. I’m definitely glad I’ll be going back with my family for a private tour when they’re here in April, because sometimes there is no way to know what you’re seeing. It’s such a massive place!

We followed the signs to the Sistine Chapel.

I wish I could have seen our faces when we walked in. Pictures will never do this place justice. The entire interior is covered with art. We kept asking ourselves how Michaelangelo was able to paint on a slant; how did he even make it up to the ceiling, let alone create such a masterpiece? I don’t think we’ll ever know. Taking pictures in the chapel is against the rules. However, I’m turning into a bit of a rebel (and everyone else was taking them). Therefore, I held my camera in my lap and randomly pointed it up at the ceiling, hoping I would get a decent shot. And what do you know, a blurry but not too too terrible picture of the Creation!

After the museum, it was time for St. Peter’s. I should note the weather, which will explain the pictures to follow: 65 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. I can’t believe it’s January and we all had our coats off!

Family Christmas card!

 There is no way I can describe the basilica but to just post the pictures I took of the inside. I have never felt so small, but in the best way possible! I have also never seen a more beautiful structure. It was a very spiritual experience.

This doesn't capture how beautiful the streaming light was!

Outside of the exit of the basilica, we walked by this fountain. I told the girls that it was holy water. I have no idea whether this was true or not, but I do know that it was the most delicious water I have ever tasted. And hey, it can’t hurt to fill up water bottles (as we did) or stick your mouth in it, can it? Now I’m filled with holiness from head to toe!

Amy and I had to take the four o’clock bus back to Perugia to make our dinner. The other girls stayed a few extra hours. As Amy and I got ready to walk back to the metro stop from Vatican City, we looked at her watch in horror. We only had an hour. That is, an hour to get back to the metro, take the metro to Termini, walk from Termini to the hostel to get my stuff (a good ten minute walk, the hostel staff watched our bags for the day), and then get BACK to Termini, take the metro from Termini to Tiburtino (another train station), and then at Tiburtino, find our bus.

What ensued was probably one of the most entertaining hours ever (although it didn’t seem so hilarious at the time).

Picture this: two obviously American girls (particularly tall, blonde Amy) completely sprinting through the streets of Rome, jumping curbs, dodging streetlights, and getting the strangest looks from almost everyone. I’m pretty sure Amy was nearly hit by several cars in the process. Looking back, it probably looked downright shady considering we were both looking over our shoulders and carrying large bags.

When we were sprinting back through Termini to catch the metro to Tiburtino, a young man shouted at us in Italian, “Hey! I just saw you girls outside running! Like Superman!” ….Looks like we’re making quite an impression on this city.

In the end, we made it with about seven minute to spare. If we didn't run, we would have missed our bus for sure. Operation complete! No mission is too daunting for these two partners in crime! 

I know these types of stories are ones that I will remember.

Earlier in the day while we were in St. Peter’s, I took a few minutes to say some prayers in this little spot that is used for that purpose. I had so much to say. I think I started to cry for a minute; my heart was just so incredibly full. I love these girls. I love Rome. I love the adventures we have, and I know there are so many more to come. I love that I have the amazing opportunity to experience the world. I love that I get to feel so alive.

Ciao Roma!!