Toto, We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

Ciao! It is nice to be back in "real time." Although I loved writing about my spring break adventures, a lot has been going on here!

I've had a fair amount of work the last few weeks, but I am enjoying classes very much. My internship is still amazing. Lucia has me organizing weekly speaking activities for the kids. They don't get conversation practice very often, especially with a native English speaker. Last week, for example, I organized an activity in which the students had to pretend that they were at their high school reunion (they were learning phrases relating to "I used to...") and they would then fill in the blank. We had so much fun! I always feel so happy when I leave that school! I am hoping to bring my brother(s) to my internship while they are visiting so the kids can meet them. Not sure if it will work out, but we'll see.

This past weekend, I spent two days in Sicily with two friends. The above quote from the Wizard of Oz pretty much sums up the journey. Sicily might as well be a different planet! The trip definitely allowed me to put my new "go with the flow" mentality into practice. Sicily had hurricane type weather all weekend! Actually, I shouldn't say ALL weekend. Friday was drizzly, but still perfectly fine. Saturday, however, we faced periodic downpours and strong winds. While I was slightly disappointed with the weather, I tried to keep a positive attitude. Our predicament turned into a hilarious and wonderful day, so I can't complain!

Sicily has the craziest landscape ever. It's stunning. The only way I can really describe it is that it is a bizarre mix of Florida/Africa/a jungle/the occasional groves of orange and lemon trees. Oh, and then there's Mt. Etna, Europe's largest volcano, chilling in the background.

We explored this really cool old monestary...

On Saturday, we went to Syracuse, a city about an hour away from Catania (our base). The Greeks controlled Sicily for a long time, and evidence of their presence is everywhere. We headed to an archeological park with tons of Grecian ruins. Unfortunately, the park was closed due to the "severe atmospheric conditions." However, this didn't really matter, because you can still walk around the perimeter without actually entering the park and see almost everything! I wish these pics could convey the tremendous scale and beauty of the area.

Greek house

Ancient furniture

Check out this cool tree!

Bird in flower form

Creepy...

Stunning

Culturally, there are huge differences between this area and what I've experienced on mainland Italy so far. Sicily is grittier in a way. It is also very family-oriented. Some of my favorite moments from the weekend involve the people we met. Friday night, we went to get gelato (the best I've had so far, by the way). When the woman behind the counter found out we were American, she shrieked and called into the back room to her husband/brother/second cousin and they all came out and chatted with us! I felt so welcomed, and for a half hour, we were part of the family.

On Saturday night, we went to get pizza. Again, the running of a business is a family affair. Several generations were working in the store. I played peekaboo with the two-year-old granddaughter. She had never seen me in her life, and yet hung out with me for twenty minutes while we waited for our pizzas! I just love these moments small moments of joy. The semester has been full of them!