It's been a good January here in Italy. I started off the year with my american AFS friend coming to visit me and her, my host sister, two friends, and I went to the disco. It was a lot of fun! Then on New Years day we had a big lunch with the grandma. Pasta asciuta.. yummmm!!
It was great to have my friend come to stay with us for a bit and have another American around. Unfortunately, she got the stomach flu on her last day here. Also, on the Epiphany there is still vacation and the "Befana" comes during the night and brings you sweets if you've been good and puts them in a stocking.
I've been back to school for about two weeks now and it's going pretty well. Things are really starting to fall into place now. I'm understanding a lot and I'm even reading a small chapter book in Italian. On the back it says "for ages 9 to 10" HAHA! I guess my language is as good as a 9 year old! I'm also making friends and yesterday I went over my own friends house. It was fun and she showed me around her town so I got to see another piece of Salento. I'm really happy with how far I've come and I'm excited for the coming months because I know it's only going to get better. Right now in Salento it's actually a bit cold (one day it hit 32°F) and we light a fire almost every day. The Italians are also really crazy about covering themselves from the cold when it really isn't that cold. Though at this point I've gotten used to it.
I've started my school's theater program and we're going to do Don Quijote. However, I'm not sure what it will be like because the first and only rehearsal I've been to about 2/3 of the kids were missing.
Other than that, next month we have a vacation for "Carnival" and my host family, their same friends from Rome, and I are going to Belgium!
Miss you all and have a great day!
A Italia!
The flag in the bottom right is where I am!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Christmas in Italy
Happy Holidays everyone!!!
Thought you all would like to hear about what Christmas was like in Italy. To be honest, the main events of Christmas weren't very different. We put up a Christmas Tree with ornaments and tinsel, we went to Christmas Eve Mass, and had a big meal with the extended family on Christmas Day. However, there were many small details of Christmas that were different, starting with school. For the last few days of school we did this thing called "autogestione" which is where the students get to do what they want (basically, they can pick from a bunch of different stations to go to for these 2 hours of the school day. For example, Musicale, School of Rock, or Literature). I went to the Musicale "circolo" which was so much fun! It was like a school dance except in the basement of the school. Then on the last day before vacation we had a local band come to the school to perform a concert (again in the basement) and my class had a party (I ate SO much!).
Christmas Eve we had a big dinner with the family and opened presents and after we went to church (however with friends). The mass was really beautiful, though I was pretty tired seeing as it was at midnight! I gave my host brother a Boston University sweatshirt and a red sox hat and I actually see him wearing it all the time! For Christmas we ate a bunch... AGAIN! Then that evening my host sister and I went to see the Nativity Scene in our town. And what was strange is that that night we went out with friends. Even though Christmas Day had ended the "festa" still continues up until Epiphany... when the "befana" comes! Merry Christmas all!!
Thought you all would like to hear about what Christmas was like in Italy. To be honest, the main events of Christmas weren't very different. We put up a Christmas Tree with ornaments and tinsel, we went to Christmas Eve Mass, and had a big meal with the extended family on Christmas Day. However, there were many small details of Christmas that were different, starting with school. For the last few days of school we did this thing called "autogestione" which is where the students get to do what they want (basically, they can pick from a bunch of different stations to go to for these 2 hours of the school day. For example, Musicale, School of Rock, or Literature). I went to the Musicale "circolo" which was so much fun! It was like a school dance except in the basement of the school. Then on the last day before vacation we had a local band come to the school to perform a concert (again in the basement) and my class had a party (I ate SO much!).
Christmas Eve we had a big dinner with the family and opened presents and after we went to church (however with friends). The mass was really beautiful, though I was pretty tired seeing as it was at midnight! I gave my host brother a Boston University sweatshirt and a red sox hat and I actually see him wearing it all the time! For Christmas we ate a bunch... AGAIN! Then that evening my host sister and I went to see the Nativity Scene in our town. And what was strange is that that night we went out with friends. Even though Christmas Day had ended the "festa" still continues up until Epiphany... when the "befana" comes! Merry Christmas all!!
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