Today in Italian we were supposed to have our Italian LAC presentations, where we are supposed to talk about an Italian Cultural Experience. Aly went first, and Elena promptly tore her to shreds. The slaughter went on for about 20 minutes, and it was awful. So, we only got through about 3 people today. Bleh. I wanted to get mine over with! It's so lame, the other class didn't have to do the first presentation that we did, and their presentations now are so much more low-key than ours. Elena has gone craaaazy... So now I have to wait until tomorrow to go.
In Creative Writing, we had an in-class writing day, and guess what we wrote about?? Going home! My piece, as are all of the others, is pretty weird, but you know...
And in History of Witchcraft, we played Jeopardy and I pretty much answered every single question. It was awesome. Needless to say, my team won. Wohoo. I'm humble, I know.
I was checking out the sweet new ipods, which you can watch TV SHOWS and MOVIES on! And I was thinking, what would I have engraved on the back of mine? It was neat, looking at some of their suggestions. One was even a marriage proposal! I think I would be a sweet quote on mine. Or maybe a witty phrase. Or maybe just my name. Who knows. Most of the quotes I like are too long... Maybe "so every sweet with sour is tempered still?" or "One man, in his time, plays many parts." Any suggestions? Not that I'm going to get one soon (only once I make some mullah), but it's fun to think about... Only two lines, 27 letters each... anyone? anyone?
Ciaaao ragazzi
30 November 2005
29 November 2005
cash money
Money is so frustrating, especially when you have none. Europe is so expensive, mostly due to the fact that the dollar is doing so poorly. And when you need a new computer, it's even worse. I will definately need to get a job when I get home, to get a new ipod (they're so awesome :), and some new clothes, because travelling around Europe has worn all of my clothes down... Just random stuff that I would like for Christmas and am not going to ask for because my parents are already too nice and have already spent too much darn money on this crazy time abroad. *Sigh* At least I still have clothes though, and shoes. Although I don't really have warm clothes, I definately didn't count on it being 2 degrees C here. It was pouring when I was walking from la casa mia back to school! My shoes and backpack are still drenched, and my socks are wet... ick... Now, to figure out where I can get a job....
On another note, to all of you who want to send me mail (I know you all do :), you probably shouldn't send anything after this week. I leave here on the 15th, and won't be coming back. So, I won't get your awesome letters. :) Thanks.
Tomorrow, I have to do my LAC presentation on a Cultural Experience I've had here... I have no idea what I'm going to do, esp. since I can't do Living With My Host Mom. THAT has certainly been an experience!
Ciao
On another note, to all of you who want to send me mail (I know you all do :), you probably shouldn't send anything after this week. I leave here on the 15th, and won't be coming back. So, I won't get your awesome letters. :) Thanks.
Tomorrow, I have to do my LAC presentation on a Cultural Experience I've had here... I have no idea what I'm going to do, esp. since I can't do Living With My Host Mom. THAT has certainly been an experience!
Ciao
28 November 2005
gladiators
Rome was pretty much awesome. Hands down, one of the coolest cities I have visited. I think it is probably because I have learned about it for so long, starting in 6th grade Latin class when we learned about the Forum, etc., and on through all my history classes. The city is just so rich in history. The city IS history. 
On the train to Rome around 9 am, Amanda called to tell us that it was SNOWING back in Florence. I was a little disappointed about that, but oh well, I was on my way to Roma. Thanksgiving dinner the night before was amazing. We went to I Latini and had a bajillion course dinner. It was great. Afterwards, we went to a few bars, which was fun, and Diana tried to climb on one of the cows that are peppered around the city. Hilarious...
Anyway, we got to Rome, and they bussed us straight from the train station to the Vatican. The line was enormous, it snaked basically all the way around the complex. And it was Freezing outside. Luckily, the line moved very quickly, and I soon found myself inside, where Ashley, Tina, and I jumped onto the Sculpture tour to be with Rocky, and not the boring Neil. Good call, us. We went out into the Piazza, where the giant pinecone supposedly from the oculous of the Pantheon. From there, we
could just make out the dome of Saint Peter's. We walk in through a room filled with sculptures, tons of old busts that I guess are just funerary busts for normal people who died. How cool, amazing sculptures just for your monument. I wish they still did that. Anyway, we continued on to an open area where we saw a Perseus and the Laocoon, the man with the serpent and his too sons. It is a really amazing statue.
From there, we wandered through the laberinthine rooms of the Vatican, past old Christian paintings, etc., and ended up in the Raphael room, which is incredible. The paintings covering the ceiling and walls are awesome, my favorite being the "School of Athens." It is such a cool
painting, with all of the old Classical masters thrown in there... Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Euclid, Diogenes. I think Raphael painted Leonardo da Vinci's face as Plato. And I guess he had snuck a peek into the Sistine Chapel and decided that Michelangelo was worthy to be put on there, so there sits Michelangelo, in the front, as an afterthought. He even stuck himself in there... Humble, isn't he? ;)
From there, we made our way through the throngs past the hall of Maps, which was pretty dang cool, full of paintings of old old maps, and somehow found our way into the Sistine Chapel. I know everyone says this, but it is pretty breathtaking. It shows the story of Creation, God creating the heavens and the earth, vegetation (complete with the buttocks, as Prof.
Duni likes to say, of God), the Expulsion of Adam and Eve, etc. My personal favorite, however, wasn't part of the Creation scenes but was Jonas and the fish. So amazing.
We left by way of a side door and took a special staircase that the Pope walks down that I guess they only opened to the public 3 weeks ago. It was cool, and there were Swiss Guards milling about everywhere in their crazy costumes, whose colors seemed to be imitating the colors of Michelangelo and Raphael. From that staircase we exited into the huge Saint Peter's piazza,
where they were already starting to erect a house-sized nativity scene. Walking up the steps to Saint Peter's was really kind of humbling for me, entering the place where millions upon millions of people have made their pilgrimages.
The only word that I could use to describe Saint Peter's Basilica is massive. It was absolutely, incredibly Huge. You don't really think about how big it is, until you realize that the little cherubs
that adorn the Holy Water fount are really bigger than you. And then you think about how huge the statues at the top of the Church, which look as big as the statues below them, must be. Incredible. One of the highlights of my trip was seeing Michelangelo's "Pieta" in St. Peter's. That statue is so moving. All that was playing through my mind when I was in front of it was "Ave Maria" and "Pie Jesu." Just beautiful. I wanted to go up and touch it, stroke the marble of Mary's drapery, Jesus' foot. It looked so real. We also saw a tomb for one of the pope's that Michelangelo had designed... Alexander VIII? Maybe. I don't remember. But it was really cool. It had tons of crazy-colored marble that looked like it was in huge drapes and folds on top of the tomb, as well as 4 allegorical figures, charity, prudence, truth, and another that I don't remember. Also a creepy skeleton that is bolted in under the "fabric" of the marble. Weird. 
After that, we went to lunch, and Kristin threw up in the middle of St. Peter's square... well, actually kind of the side, but same thing. Poor thing had a terrible migraine and hadn't eaten anything all day. (Sorry Kristin, I had to tell about it :) You know I love you) Then we again went with the sculpture class to see St. Peter of the Chains, a smallish, titular church for Pope Julius II, who was Michelangelo's patron. There, we saw the chains that supposedly bound Saint Peter, which was pretty powerful, and the tomb that Michelangelo designed for Julius II, which included his Moses. I liked that statue a lot as well.
After that church, we checked into the hotel, met up with Amy!!! Went to
dinner, then came back and, exhausted, watched "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," which I really enjoyed. That night, it thundered and lightning a lot, and Tina was scared. It was fun.
We woke up the next morning bright and early, ate breakfast at the hotel, stored our bags there, and walked to the Colosseum. This probably made my life complete. I have been learning about the Colosseum for so long. It
is crazy, I can imagine it how it looked two thousand years ago, covered in marble and gold fixings, with the floor still intact, sailors manning the awning above, gladiators fighting to the death, animals appearing from trapdoors behind scenery, the whole place being flooded with water for naval battles, thousands of screaming fans. It gave me goosebumps. It was neat to see all the passageways and rooms underneath, where they held the animals and gladiators, and from which they worked the mechanisms for the trapdoors. Awesome. Walked from there along the 
Via Sacra, stopping at the Arch of Constantine and the Basilica of Constantine, which was huge. It really did give me the chills, walking on old basalt and marble stones that have been there for two thousand years, that Caesar Augustus, and thousands of sandaled feet, have walked on. The Via Sacra took us to the Roman Forum, which was pretty much a jumble of old stones and columns. Which is better than it was; I guess it used to be covered by dirt and cattle in the Middle Ages. We saw the Temple of the Vestal Virgins, where the flame of Rome was kept alive by six virgins. Saw the altar where Julius Caesar was burned, and the platform where Marc Antony made his speeches and thousands of others began using rhetoric to manipulate thoughts.
Walked up Capitoline hill, past the Vittorio Emmanuel monument, and into the Piazza that Michelangelo designed. It was pretty cool, with a Marcus Aurelius statue in the middle and
buildings set at crazy angles. Ashley and I were watching this cute little boy, and this random man started taking pictures of him, and then of our group. Creepy.
From there, we walked to the Pantheon, which was really cool. It i
s so unbelievable that something that massive has been there since the times of the Romans. The dome was huge, with the big oculous in the middle; I wanted to be there when it was raining, so we could see the water rushing in and spreading across the floor. It is also where Raphael and the first two kings of Italy are buried.
We went to the Borghese Gallery, which was really really cool as well. We saw Canova's "Pauline Bonaparte as Venus," which was sweet because it had a crazy mechanism (from the time it was made) that allowed the statue to rotate. They were so clever... Arguably one of the best parts of my trip, however, were the Bernini statues. That man was amazing, he is my new favorite sculptor. Although the Pieta was pretty dang good, Bernini's works are incredible. The way he works the marble, it is like the rock is clay, he molds it in impossible ways. My favorite statue of his was the "Apollo and Daphne." In parts, he cut the marble so thin that it was translucent. We also saw his David, and it's amazing facial expressions and muscle contractions, his Rape of Persephone, and his Aeneas and Aniches. The way he carves skin, and veins, and fat rolls and wrinkles, even the little mole on the back of Pluto in the Rape of Persephone... it's amazing. I am in awe of him. We also saw a few paintings that I loved, I think they were by Rubens but I'm not sure. My favorite was the one with Saint Anne, Mary, and Jesus, where it is Mary who is stepping on the snake that represents the Devil. Of course I like Rubens, what a feminist... :)
On the trainride back to Florence, it was thundering and lightning... Cool end to an amazing trip
On the train to Rome around 9 am, Amanda called to tell us that it was SNOWING back in Florence. I was a little disappointed about that, but oh well, I was on my way to Roma. Thanksgiving dinner the night before was amazing. We went to I Latini and had a bajillion course dinner. It was great. Afterwards, we went to a few bars, which was fun, and Diana tried to climb on one of the cows that are peppered around the city. Hilarious...
Anyway, we got to Rome, and they bussed us straight from the train station to the Vatican. The line was enormous, it snaked basically all the way around the complex. And it was Freezing outside. Luckily, the line moved very quickly, and I soon found myself inside, where Ashley, Tina, and I jumped onto the Sculpture tour to be with Rocky, and not the boring Neil. Good call, us. We went out into the Piazza, where the giant pinecone supposedly from the oculous of the Pantheon. From there, we
could just make out the dome of Saint Peter's. We walk in through a room filled with sculptures, tons of old busts that I guess are just funerary busts for normal people who died. How cool, amazing sculptures just for your monument. I wish they still did that. Anyway, we continued on to an open area where we saw a Perseus and the Laocoon, the man with the serpent and his too sons. It is a really amazing statue.From there, we wandered through the laberinthine rooms of the Vatican, past old Christian paintings, etc., and ended up in the Raphael room, which is incredible. The paintings covering the ceiling and walls are awesome, my favorite being the "School of Athens." It is such a cool
painting, with all of the old Classical masters thrown in there... Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Euclid, Diogenes. I think Raphael painted Leonardo da Vinci's face as Plato. And I guess he had snuck a peek into the Sistine Chapel and decided that Michelangelo was worthy to be put on there, so there sits Michelangelo, in the front, as an afterthought. He even stuck himself in there... Humble, isn't he? ;)From there, we made our way through the throngs past the hall of Maps, which was pretty dang cool, full of paintings of old old maps, and somehow found our way into the Sistine Chapel. I know everyone says this, but it is pretty breathtaking. It shows the story of Creation, God creating the heavens and the earth, vegetation (complete with the buttocks, as Prof.
Duni likes to say, of God), the Expulsion of Adam and Eve, etc. My personal favorite, however, wasn't part of the Creation scenes but was Jonas and the fish. So amazing.We left by way of a side door and took a special staircase that the Pope walks down that I guess they only opened to the public 3 weeks ago. It was cool, and there were Swiss Guards milling about everywhere in their crazy costumes, whose colors seemed to be imitating the colors of Michelangelo and Raphael. From that staircase we exited into the huge Saint Peter's piazza,
where they were already starting to erect a house-sized nativity scene. Walking up the steps to Saint Peter's was really kind of humbling for me, entering the place where millions upon millions of people have made their pilgrimages.The only word that I could use to describe Saint Peter's Basilica is massive. It was absolutely, incredibly Huge. You don't really think about how big it is, until you realize that the little cherubs
that adorn the Holy Water fount are really bigger than you. And then you think about how huge the statues at the top of the Church, which look as big as the statues below them, must be. Incredible. One of the highlights of my trip was seeing Michelangelo's "Pieta" in St. Peter's. That statue is so moving. All that was playing through my mind when I was in front of it was "Ave Maria" and "Pie Jesu." Just beautiful. I wanted to go up and touch it, stroke the marble of Mary's drapery, Jesus' foot. It looked so real. We also saw a tomb for one of the pope's that Michelangelo had designed... Alexander VIII? Maybe. I don't remember. But it was really cool. It had tons of crazy-colored marble that looked like it was in huge drapes and folds on top of the tomb, as well as 4 allegorical figures, charity, prudence, truth, and another that I don't remember. Also a creepy skeleton that is bolted in under the "fabric" of the marble. Weird. 
After that, we went to lunch, and Kristin threw up in the middle of St. Peter's square... well, actually kind of the side, but same thing. Poor thing had a terrible migraine and hadn't eaten anything all day. (Sorry Kristin, I had to tell about it :) You know I love you) Then we again went with the sculpture class to see St. Peter of the Chains, a smallish, titular church for Pope Julius II, who was Michelangelo's patron. There, we saw the chains that supposedly bound Saint Peter, which was pretty powerful, and the tomb that Michelangelo designed for Julius II, which included his Moses. I liked that statue a lot as well.
After that church, we checked into the hotel, met up with Amy!!! Went to
dinner, then came back and, exhausted, watched "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," which I really enjoyed. That night, it thundered and lightning a lot, and Tina was scared. It was fun.We woke up the next morning bright and early, ate breakfast at the hotel, stored our bags there, and walked to the Colosseum. This probably made my life complete. I have been learning about the Colosseum for so long. It
is crazy, I can imagine it how it looked two thousand years ago, covered in marble and gold fixings, with the floor still intact, sailors manning the awning above, gladiators fighting to the death, animals appearing from trapdoors behind scenery, the whole place being flooded with water for naval battles, thousands of screaming fans. It gave me goosebumps. It was neat to see all the passageways and rooms underneath, where they held the animals and gladiators, and from which they worked the mechanisms for the trapdoors. Awesome. Walked from there along the 
Via Sacra, stopping at the Arch of Constantine and the Basilica of Constantine, which was huge. It really did give me the chills, walking on old basalt and marble stones that have been there for two thousand years, that Caesar Augustus, and thousands of sandaled feet, have walked on. The Via Sacra took us to the Roman Forum, which was pretty much a jumble of old stones and columns. Which is better than it was; I guess it used to be covered by dirt and cattle in the Middle Ages. We saw the Temple of the Vestal Virgins, where the flame of Rome was kept alive by six virgins. Saw the altar where Julius Caesar was burned, and the platform where Marc Antony made his speeches and thousands of others began using rhetoric to manipulate thoughts.Walked up Capitoline hill, past the Vittorio Emmanuel monument, and into the Piazza that Michelangelo designed. It was pretty cool, with a Marcus Aurelius statue in the middle and
buildings set at crazy angles. Ashley and I were watching this cute little boy, and this random man started taking pictures of him, and then of our group. Creepy.From there, we walked to the Pantheon, which was really cool. It i
s so unbelievable that something that massive has been there since the times of the Romans. The dome was huge, with the big oculous in the middle; I wanted to be there when it was raining, so we could see the water rushing in and spreading across the floor. It is also where Raphael and the first two kings of Italy are buried.We went to the Borghese Gallery, which was really really cool as well. We saw Canova's "Pauline Bonaparte as Venus," which was sweet because it had a crazy mechanism (from the time it was made) that allowed the statue to rotate. They were so clever... Arguably one of the best parts of my trip, however, were the Bernini statues. That man was amazing, he is my new favorite sculptor. Although the Pieta was pretty dang good, Bernini's works are incredible. The way he works the marble, it is like the rock is clay, he molds it in impossible ways. My favorite statue of his was the "Apollo and Daphne." In parts, he cut the marble so thin that it was translucent. We also saw his David, and it's amazing facial expressions and muscle contractions, his Rape of Persephone, and his Aeneas and Aniches. The way he carves skin, and veins, and fat rolls and wrinkles, even the little mole on the back of Pluto in the Rape of Persephone... it's amazing. I am in awe of him. We also saw a few paintings that I loved, I think they were by Rubens but I'm not sure. My favorite was the one with Saint Anne, Mary, and Jesus, where it is Mary who is stepping on the snake that represents the Devil. Of course I like Rubens, what a feminist... :)
On the trainride back to Florence, it was thundering and lightning... Cool end to an amazing trip
lightning
Last night, I came into contact what I had only heard of in literature before: rolling thunder. No joke, every thunder... clap? Boom? Not really sure what the correct term is there, maybe I'm just having a brain fart. But every thunderclap was at least 30 seconds long. It was crazy. Lightning flashes intermingled with the headlights of cars as they sloshed by.
Today, every car I saw was frozen. Not just, you know, frost-covered. No, actually Frozen, with sheets of ice covering the hood and the windshield. I almost killed myself walking to school this morning. I was walking across the bridge that spans the train tracks, and it was covered in ice. I almost cracked my head open, but caught my balance, only succeeding in looking like an idiot in front of all the Italians driving by on their motorinos.
Yesterday, I was planning on writing a nice, long post on my trip to Rome, which was absolutely incredible. However, this program is possibly the most unorganized ever, and, alas, only one person has the keys to the school, I guess, and they forgot to come in. Or something. So the computer lab was closed all day. Hello?! I don't HAVE a laptop... I CAN'T work on my papers at home. I NEED the computer lab to do work. Wtf? I don't understand how no one could get the lab open. The library was open... Why didn't they have a key for the school? Incredible... So anyway, I will post a nice, looong post later, complete with pictures. My camera battery did die, so I didn't really get to take pictures of the Pantheon or after, but I still got lots of good ones :)
Ciao
Today, every car I saw was frozen. Not just, you know, frost-covered. No, actually Frozen, with sheets of ice covering the hood and the windshield. I almost killed myself walking to school this morning. I was walking across the bridge that spans the train tracks, and it was covered in ice. I almost cracked my head open, but caught my balance, only succeeding in looking like an idiot in front of all the Italians driving by on their motorinos.
Yesterday, I was planning on writing a nice, long post on my trip to Rome, which was absolutely incredible. However, this program is possibly the most unorganized ever, and, alas, only one person has the keys to the school, I guess, and they forgot to come in. Or something. So the computer lab was closed all day. Hello?! I don't HAVE a laptop... I CAN'T work on my papers at home. I NEED the computer lab to do work. Wtf? I don't understand how no one could get the lab open. The library was open... Why didn't they have a key for the school? Incredible... So anyway, I will post a nice, looong post later, complete with pictures. My camera battery did die, so I didn't really get to take pictures of the Pantheon or after, but I still got lots of good ones :)
Ciao
24 November 2005
Happy Thanksgiving!
i am thankful for my family. i am thankful for my friends. i am thankful for Jeff. i am thankful for the snow yesterday. i am thankful for Marzia's minestrone soup. i am thankful for hot tea on a cold day. i am thankful for scarves and mittens. i am thankful for warm blankets and towels. i am thankful for hot showers. i am thankful for pumpkin pie and whipped cream. i am thankful for being able to travel on Ryanair for 1 eurocent. i am thankful for the swiss alps. i am thankful for my planner. i am thankful for my education. i am thankful for the ocean. i am thankful for Seattle. i am thankful for being able to read and buy books. i am thankful that i haven't stepped in dogpoop since i've been here (yet... knock on wood). i am thankful for big sweaters. i am thankful that i have glasses and contacts and thus won't get hit by a bus or car or motorino. i am thankful for the color purple. i am thankful for watching movies in class. i am thankful for mom's apple crisp. i am thankful for Christmas trees. i am thankful for Christmas carols. okay, i am thankful for Christmas. i am thankful for getting mail. i am thankful for the smell of freshly-cut grass. i am thankful for poetry. i am thankful for my small ears. i am thankful for palm trees. i am thankful for Maui and all that it entails. i am thankful for Jeff (did I already say that? ;) i am thankful for volleyball, sand and indoor. i am thankful for poker and chess. i am thankful for running outside when it's really cold out, and your lungs seem to freeze. i am thankful for watching sunrise and sunset. i am thankful for rain. i am thankful for history, and my past. i am thankful that i can read and write and live in a real house with running water. but most of all, i am thankful for having amazing people to spend Thanksgiving with.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving!
23 November 2005
SNOW
I walked out of the building after I finished up some emails this morning, and it was SNOWING! Just a few little flurries of flakes, nothing much, but it was awesome! I don't know where it was coming from, though, because there were no clouds above us... Strange. I love snow, I want a blizzard... C'mon... :)
Ps I was just up reading on the landing at the little tables up there, and I sat on this pin/needle thing. It really hurt, I'm not gonna lie. Now I'll probably get Aids or something. Great...Stupid pins in the seat cushions...
I have to go to a lecture tonight for my 20th C. Europe class that is on Trans-Atlanticism. Joy joy. I also have to read Cassandra for that class by tomorrow. It's about 150 pages, and I've only read 60. Totally doable. I actually enjoy it a lot, although it is a little confusing and hard to follow. It's about the fall of Troy, told from the perspective of Cassandra, the prophet who no one listens to. Good book, so far. And I have a quiz in Italian tomorrow. That she told us about yesterday. She has gone crazy, and is assigning all this stuff. Oh Italy. But we're going out to dinner tomorrow night, and got a pumpkin pie, so I am all psyched and ready for Thanksgiving!
Ps I was just up reading on the landing at the little tables up there, and I sat on this pin/needle thing. It really hurt, I'm not gonna lie. Now I'll probably get Aids or something. Great...Stupid pins in the seat cushions...
I have to go to a lecture tonight for my 20th C. Europe class that is on Trans-Atlanticism. Joy joy. I also have to read Cassandra for that class by tomorrow. It's about 150 pages, and I've only read 60. Totally doable. I actually enjoy it a lot, although it is a little confusing and hard to follow. It's about the fall of Troy, told from the perspective of Cassandra, the prophet who no one listens to. Good book, so far. And I have a quiz in Italian tomorrow. That she told us about yesterday. She has gone crazy, and is assigning all this stuff. Oh Italy. But we're going out to dinner tomorrow night, and got a pumpkin pie, so I am all psyched and ready for Thanksgiving!
boo
As I was walking to school today in the booger-freezing cold, I saw a little dog in the crosswalk who was turning circles, barking at another dog, just like Lulu! Granted, it was wearing a leash, so it almost asphyxiated itself, but I thought it was funny, and it made me miss my little doggie, and cat.
Breanna just came in and said it was snowing! Just a few flakes, but still, it's something! Awesome
Ciao
Breanna just came in and said it was snowing! Just a few flakes, but still, it's something! Awesome
Ciao
22 November 2005
le neve
It has been so cold here lately. Colder, even, than Oxford when I visited. By a lot. I've been hearing through the grapevine that it may even snow on Friday! I think if this happened, I would be the happiest person alive. I love snow! And the cold weather makes me feel at home. It's nice. Although I am definately not equiped to handle this weather... Don't have enough warm clothes. Just my Northface. Ah, me.
Had a cooking class last night, which was great, as usual. We made two risottos, a vegetable one and a sausage and saffron one. Pork cooked in milk, which was a little strange because I'd never heard of doing it that way, and an apple tart... Mmmm. Good stuff. Yesterday was a pretty good day, because we learned the last of whatever we're learning in Italian, and I got an A- on my annotated bib. in Witchcraft! You ask why I'm excited about an A-? Well, Duni, although the cutest prof. ever, is also the hardest grader ever. The highest grade I had heard about on the last paper was my B+. So a jump up from that is amazing. I'm happy. I'm also psyched to get home because I'm taking some really good classes next quarter. Anyone in any of my classes?
MWF 9:15-10:20 Women in East Asia (Molony)
MWF 11:45-12:50 Intro to Poetry (Hawley)
MWF 2:15-4 Historical Writing (The most amazing teacher alive, Unger)
TR 11:50-1:35 Dialogue Between Science and Religion (Molesky-Poz)
and I'm thinking of adding Chaucer.
Ciao!
Had a cooking class last night, which was great, as usual. We made two risottos, a vegetable one and a sausage and saffron one. Pork cooked in milk, which was a little strange because I'd never heard of doing it that way, and an apple tart... Mmmm. Good stuff. Yesterday was a pretty good day, because we learned the last of whatever we're learning in Italian, and I got an A- on my annotated bib. in Witchcraft! You ask why I'm excited about an A-? Well, Duni, although the cutest prof. ever, is also the hardest grader ever. The highest grade I had heard about on the last paper was my B+. So a jump up from that is amazing. I'm happy. I'm also psyched to get home because I'm taking some really good classes next quarter. Anyone in any of my classes?
MWF 9:15-10:20 Women in East Asia (Molony)
MWF 11:45-12:50 Intro to Poetry (Hawley)
MWF 2:15-4 Historical Writing (The most amazing teacher alive, Unger)
TR 11:50-1:35 Dialogue Between Science and Religion (Molesky-Poz)
and I'm thinking of adding Chaucer.
Ciao!
20 November 2005
grathias
I am running on approximately 45 minutes of sleep right now... Let's see if I can remain coherent...
So, this weekend was pretty much nuts. Let's see, on Friday morning, I woke up around the ungodly hour of 3:10 am to get to the train station at 4. I was actually kind of nervous that Marzia wouldn't be home before I got back, that would just be pathetic. She's been going out a lot lately, but I think it was with Antonio that night. Anyway, so I was walking to the train station, looking at the stars and the fluorescent streets washed in the light of street lamps and the moon, and there were all these drunk Italians stumbling around, just getting home. Sad times. I was like, yeeeah, I'm just getting UP. There were these three (trashed) Americans that I didn't really look at as they were walking by, but then I heard them say, Hey, she's in our program!!! And then, as they get farther away, a whisper: Why is she wearing a backpack?? I'm just getting back from studying, you know...
Right. So we get to the train station and then the airport, and then get on 
the bus to Barcelona from Girona... In all, I think we spent about 4 hours traveling on just about everything except a boat or funicular. We found our hostel and then found Jonathan. It was so good to see him! Aww, I've missed my big friend. And, he served as our translator as we wandered around the streets of Barcelona. First things first, we got some lunch, a nice Spanish meal of Paella and croquettes. It was pretty awesome, especially the croquettes. Good times. I don't know why, but Spanish food was not what I expected. I think I expected Mexican food. Ha! But it was good. Then, we walked up Las Ramblas, which was crazy and crowded with flower vendors and birds in cages. On the way up, we walked through a Plaza, Piazza, whatever, with about 8 bajillion pigeons in it. They were just chilling, and we thought it would be cool to run through and scare them all up in a huge swarm of pigeons, but they didn't care when Jonathan ran through. Tina was scared and refused to go into the mob so she went to hide by the street. Ha, but they all started flying right towards her... Good times...
Went into Dali's museum, which was kind of crazy-sexy-cool. Lots of sexual images, and crazy crazy stuff. But it was really fun to look at! We 
found Gaudi's two famous houses, La Pedrera and Casa Batllo. They were both SO COOL. I think Gaudi is my new favorite person. We went into La Pedrera, and the apartm
ent was so neat. It was so light and beautiful, and the roof was incredible. Crazy statues and curves, and the view was great. We stopped by the Cathedral, but it was under tons of scaffolding, so we decided not to go inside. Then, we headed over to Temple de la Sagrada Familia. That place was awesome. It looked like a giant drip sandcastle. Very neat. The Passion scenes on the front was really cool too. It stilllll isn't finished, and I've heard the inside isn't that spectacular, so we didn't go in, but it was very fun to look at. After that, we walked back to the hostel and just hung around forever. Got some good falafels at Maoz, where some girl got tabasco sauce in her eye. OUCH. She was shrieking all over the place. Not good. Learned how to play Golf, the card game, from some girls who are studying in Rome. Good times. Then, around 2 am, everyone decided to go out, but I really didn't feel well. I don't 
know what it was, maybe crazy Spanish food, maybe that I had gotten up at 3 am that morning, but Tina stayed with me. We were almost asleep when crazy London roommate
comes into our room. He starts talking to us (drunk, of course. Who is ever sober in Barcelona? Crazy crazy city) and the conversation went something like this: tonight I had a first date with a girl, and I got her a hamster. I was 
walking down Las Ramblas and saw him all cold in a cage and got him for her. But she didn't like him. Stupid women. Now, I'm thinking, okay, crazy man, do I have any pepperspray or sharp 
objects on me? But Tina, in her Tina way, is just like, Oh a hamster! I can't believe she didn't like it! I would have liked a hamster! To which he says See, I love American girls. I want to marry an 
American girl. Do you have a boyfriend? It just went downhill from there. I think I fell asleep at some point. Needless to say, he's a little nuts. So, we slept in late on Saturday, thankfully, and when we got up we did breakfast right with some churros and chocolate. They were AHmazing. So so good, I could eat them every day. Then, we took the metro to Park Guell, this crazy part that Gaudi designed that was supposed to be a housing development, says Kristin. It was full of more crazy ceramics and curves and columns, and these cute little gingerbread-ish houses. I wish Gaudi were still alive, I'd want him to
design my house. They are so cool, Gaudi was the man. Took a cab back to the hostel and Jonathan and I went to the store and got some bread and cheese for lunch. Which was incredible, my favorite meal ever. AND, they had REAL cranberry juice! I've missed real juice, they don't have it in Italy. Just sugar and water and some flavoring. Played some chess, the girls went shopping, Jonathan took a siesta, and I walked down 
Las Ramblas to the water, peeking in at little artisan vendors. It was really fun, a beautiful night. Then, the fun started. We went to see Bloc Party, which was absolutely ridiculous. The show was so good and the crazy Spaniards were jumping all over the place. I don't know, but concerts kind of make you violent. When people are all up in your grill, invading your space and pushing into you so that you feel like you're getting asphyxiated, you have to throw some elbows and push back. There was this one Spaniard that kept slamming into Kristin and I, and finally I just kept 
shoving 
him every time he came near us. It didn't really deter him, but I felt like I was doing something. I got a shirt which looked awesome, but they gave me the lame 'girl' version which isn't really a shirt. Stupid difference between guy and girl shirts. I just wanted a dumb t shirt. Oh well. So after that, it took forEVER to catch a cab home. The girls all jumped in one after 20 minutes, and finally, after another 20 or so, Jonathan and I just took the metro. Went to a really good dinner, and then Jonathan went to the hostel. This was now about 2 am, and we had to catch the bus to the airport at 6:30, leaving the hostel at 5:45. Ashley was macking on the two cute South Africans, Ryan and Dane, but Kristin, Tina and I wanted to go crash. (And yes, Ashley... you are the queen of 
mackin... ;) You know I love you...) We wandered around trying to decide what to do (we couldn't), and then just went back to the hostel and talked for a while in the room. Took a little hour nap, and then woke up at 5:40 
to get the heck out of there. Got to the airport okay, got to Pisa okay, got to Florence okay, all in a daze of having gotten nooooo sleep. Fun times.There was a Florence v. Milan soccer game today, and when Ashley S. and I tried to get to school, we had to take the autobus. It was PACKED, and we were squished anyway, trying to get off was pretty much impossible... So we get ready for our stop, and get ready, and then... watch it go by. The bus driver went by about 3 stops before finally stopping, with Italians screaming obscenities meanwhile. I still don't know what happened there, but oh well. Anyway, this post is sooo long, and I will have to add pictures tomorrow. Hope everyone is well... :)
Ciao!
16 November 2005
angels
All of Florence is now swathed in Christmas garlands and decorations. Angels are peeking out from store windows, which are covered in a thin layer of frost. I can't believe it. It is the middle of November, and already Christmas stuff is all over the place. It is worse than the U.S., I guess because they don't have the buffer holiday of Thanksgiving to commercialize between Fall and Christmas. Oh well. It was kind of nice, walking back from Oliver Twist last night at the Odeon and seeing all of the Christmas trees in the windows lit up. It's funny, though, because although Italy is a Catholic country (they have the Pope, for crying out loud), no one goes to church. Oh Italy.
I still can't believe I only have a month left! A day less than a month, actually. Marzia mentioned it today while her and I were eating dinner (Orsejda was working on a paper). It made me kind of sad. Jonathan called me today to make sure I was still going to Barcelona... Of Course!!! Silly Jonathan. I can't wait to see him, and Spain. Never been there before, I'll have to be sure to get a stamp on ye olde passport. Did I mention that we got a stamp in Switzerland? I don't think they usually stamp passports when you take the train, we didn't really go through customs (although they keep your passport overnight). However, we wanted a stamp, so, in Lauterbrunnen, we went up to this random guy who was working in the train station and asked him if he could stamp the passports. So, he did. It was great. Much cooler than my Forli stamp. Anyway, I have all my pictures up on my kodakgallery site. Finally. Aaaand, I need to search for flights to Paris... They are so expensive. Blah
Ciao
Ps c'mon people, leave me some love. i get no comments
I still can't believe I only have a month left! A day less than a month, actually. Marzia mentioned it today while her and I were eating dinner (Orsejda was working on a paper). It made me kind of sad. Jonathan called me today to make sure I was still going to Barcelona... Of Course!!! Silly Jonathan. I can't wait to see him, and Spain. Never been there before, I'll have to be sure to get a stamp on ye olde passport. Did I mention that we got a stamp in Switzerland? I don't think they usually stamp passports when you take the train, we didn't really go through customs (although they keep your passport overnight). However, we wanted a stamp, so, in Lauterbrunnen, we went up to this random guy who was working in the train station and asked him if he could stamp the passports. So, he did. It was great. Much cooler than my Forli stamp. Anyway, I have all my pictures up on my kodakgallery site. Finally. Aaaand, I need to search for flights to Paris... They are so expensive. Blah
Ciao
Ps c'mon people, leave me some love. i get no comments
15 November 2005
Encore
Yesterday, I went to bed at 9:30. That's right, 9:30. Cut me some slack, I was up all night on the night train! I kept thinking that they were evactuating the train, for some reason. And then I had weird dreams. So the whole sleeping thing didn't really work out too well. Oh well, I kind of caught up last night.I got a package today! From my mooommy. She sent some airbourne, vitamins, and fruit snacks. Always nice to have fruit snacks. And today, in Italian, the prof wasn't too scary, she was actually kind of nice. Aaaand, I got a card from Lauren :) So it's been a good day. Now I'm trying to upload my pictures into Kodak Gallery, AGAIN, but it's still not working. I hate these computers. Bummer... Oh well. I have some up here, so you all can see all the stuff I'm doing.
Ciiiiao
The funicular we had to take to the top of the mountain Edmee left us a note! How sweet... We knew right then that it was going to be an awesome trip -
->
14 November 2005
Heidi, cowbells, cheese, and chocolate
This past weekend was potentially one of the most fun I've had since I've been in Europe. (Besides Oxford, of course) Switzerland was gorgeous. I can honestly say that it was the most beautiful place I've been to. On Thursday night, we took the overnight train to Interlaken. It was quite an experience, having 6 people crammed into a tiny train couchette.
(There were 5 of us, plus a random Philippine guy who was studying in Rome) We got into Interlaken around 7:45 am, and Kristen and I promptly bought Swiss gloves. It was frigid out. Then, we made our way to our home for the weekend. We stayed in a teensy tiny town called Murren, consisting of perhaps 20 houses, a few assorted shops, and a Coop, all perched on the side of a mountain. It was so remote that cars were not allowed in the town, and we had to take a fenicular up the sheer mountainside.
a weekend stay, although I could have lived there forever. And when we went out onto the balcony... Phew... The view was literally breath-taking. 
The Swiss Alps were Right there, I felt like I could reach out and touch Jungfrau. We even saw some crazy paragliders going down through the valley. It was so cool, and must have been so fun. We were not down to pay 180 CHF however.The weekend pretty much consisted of lots of cards, hot cocoa, and chess. On Saturday, we walked over to Gimmewald, which was an even small village than Murren. The highlight of the village was the watertrough. There, we were attacked by (not-so)-hostile locals, who threw rocks at us (The older one had to tell the younger boy to throw them at our feet, not our heads) and nettles waved at us.
Then we played a rousing game of rock-soccer. Very fun. On the walk home, Kristen, Amanda and I stopped in a house selling Swiss goods, and bought hand-knit ear-flap hats, which is now 
my favorite item of clothing. I even had my hair in the Heidi slash Swiss-milkmaid style.
It was great. That night, we made some amazing chocolate fondue. Nick was a little crazy, attacking anything that fell off a fork into the pot. We had to watch our hands to make sure they weren't stabbed, because we would have had to have been life-lifted out of town to the nearest hospital.
So, basically it was a magical weekend. At night, the stars were so clear. I attempted to whip out my forgotten Astronomy knowledge, and even managed to find Pegasus, Cassiopea, Andromeda, Taurus, and we found Orian hiding behind the 
mountains Saturday night. The sky was soooo clear, free from Florentine smog, and the moon was gorgeous, rising up from the mountains like a huge pearl. Nick and I attempted to capture the beauty in our cameras, but had no luck. Regardless, it was beautiful, and I already miss it. I also miss our hot cocoa breaks, spiked with some Baileys, at 3pm. Although we did blow a fuse the first day there, trying to use the water heater. Ooops, sorry Edmee.
It was sad leaving. We did go down to Lauterbrunnen and decided to check out a Basar that we had seen a poster advertising. Little did we know... We put our coats and bags in the room once we actually found the place, and walked up stairs... to what looked like a small church gathering. After the initial mutual-awkwardness, we settled down and bought some cake and became the people who would eventually be the topic of conversation.." Hey Olga, remember those crazy American tourists who came to our Basar that one year? That was so bizarre (ha ha ha)." I don't think Olga is a Swiss name, but you know what i mean...We got some good cookies there too. They taste exactly like flat krumkaka. Mmmm. And Nick bought an amazing hand-knit blankie for 15 CHF. Awesome.
So we got in this morning around 7:45, and I dropped my stuff off at home and came straight to school. I am tired... But I am uploading some pictures now because Italian class was cancelled. Sweeet!
Ciao! Or should I say, Auf Wederseyn! (however you spell it...I swear, I don't speak German guys!)
yoddle-ay-he-who
I know, I know. Everyone has been waiting with baited breath. When is Galen going to post next? What fun, exciting thing has she been up to? Well, for all of you who didn't know, I went to the land of cow-bells and Ricolaaaaaaaaa this past weekend. However, I have to get to class. But I will update after I am done for the day, so never fear. I will include pictures as well. Because I know everyone wants to see me with Heidi-style hair, Swiss Alps as a backdrop. Stay tuned!
Ciao
Ciao
09 November 2005
Il fumare uccida
finally... THANK GOD!
Smoking ban
Initiative 901, whichexpands the state's Clean Indoor Air Act, was approved with comfortable marginsin all 39 counties.
"I think this is a clear sign thatWashington voters are demanding the right to breathe clean air," said PeterMcCollum, Yes on I-901 campaign spokesman.
The measure bans smoking in buildingsand vehicles open to the public and in places of employment, including within 25feet of doorways, windows and ventilation openings. Violators can be fined $100for each infraction.
I-901 had enormous support from theAmerican Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Associationand more than 400 people, all contributing more than $1.3 million total. Therewas only token opposition.
Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002612596_initiatives09m.html
In other news, did you hear that there is a state-of-emergency declared in France? That is so ridiculous. It's been said that France hasn't seen anything like this since the student revolts in 1968. I don't know about that, but it is kind of scary.
We talked to some Italian students for our LAC class today. It was pretty fun, and interesting to get some students' perspectives. It's funny, how soon they start their kids with languages. They said that they were learning English when they were tiny. In the US, most students don't learn a language until highschool. I was privileged enough to start in Kindergarten, because that is when you can really grasp the language. They also said that cheating was not a big deal in Italy, and that tons of students did it. I, being the goodie-goodie that I am, was appalled by this. Oh well, to each his own, I guess. Nonetheless, I somewhat feel differently about the intelligence of Italians now, which is probably not a good thing. We discussed some politics, and they described how all of Italy hates Bush, and how they don't really like their president. I've found that most of Europe does not like Bush. Interesting... Anyway, it's been a good day. Just trying to finish up my Witchcraft Annotated Bibliography.
Ciao
By the way, in my Witchcraft class today after we had finished the Crucible, we were discussing the Salem trials, and I said I had read some stuff on the subject before. So the professor kept asking me stuff that I had read and such. I felt quite intelligent and special... You know me, Ms. Salem Witchcraft Trials Specialist
Smoking ban
Initiative 901, whichexpands the state's Clean Indoor Air Act, was approved with comfortable marginsin all 39 counties.
"I think this is a clear sign thatWashington voters are demanding the right to breathe clean air," said PeterMcCollum, Yes on I-901 campaign spokesman.
The measure bans smoking in buildingsand vehicles open to the public and in places of employment, including within 25feet of doorways, windows and ventilation openings. Violators can be fined $100for each infraction.
I-901 had enormous support from theAmerican Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Associationand more than 400 people, all contributing more than $1.3 million total. Therewas only token opposition.
Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2002612596_initiatives09m.html
In other news, did you hear that there is a state-of-emergency declared in France? That is so ridiculous. It's been said that France hasn't seen anything like this since the student revolts in 1968. I don't know about that, but it is kind of scary.
We talked to some Italian students for our LAC class today. It was pretty fun, and interesting to get some students' perspectives. It's funny, how soon they start their kids with languages. They said that they were learning English when they were tiny. In the US, most students don't learn a language until highschool. I was privileged enough to start in Kindergarten, because that is when you can really grasp the language. They also said that cheating was not a big deal in Italy, and that tons of students did it. I, being the goodie-goodie that I am, was appalled by this. Oh well, to each his own, I guess. Nonetheless, I somewhat feel differently about the intelligence of Italians now, which is probably not a good thing. We discussed some politics, and they described how all of Italy hates Bush, and how they don't really like their president. I've found that most of Europe does not like Bush. Interesting... Anyway, it's been a good day. Just trying to finish up my Witchcraft Annotated Bibliography.
Ciao
By the way, in my Witchcraft class today after we had finished the Crucible, we were discussing the Salem trials, and I said I had read some stuff on the subject before. So the professor kept asking me stuff that I had read and such. I felt quite intelligent and special... You know me, Ms. Salem Witchcraft Trials Specialist
07 November 2005
postal service
As I came out of Italian today, I was greeted at the mailbox by about 8 assorted letters and cards. Halloween greetings galore, with even a few coupons for flo-naze included. You know you're really loved when you get coupons for flo-naze - thanks grandma. I felt very pleased by this outpouring of affection and kind words, it was nice to get those. All in all, a good day. We watched part of The Crucible in Witchcraft, which was fun because I like that time period and feel like we haven't studied Salem's witchcraft trials enough, and Prof. Duni, who is awesome, moved out annotated bibliography due-date from Wednesday to Monday. Sweet.
Currently, I am attempting to write my composition for Italian, on the subject of "my favorite day or experience from fall break." Now, aside from the fact that I feel like I am in second grade for writing this (how many times did we have to relate in essay format "What I Did Over Summer Vacation" at Villa?), it is kind of hard. How can I describe how fall smells, and how the cold grips your face and nose and scalp and nape of your neck in a clamp like a vise? How can I describe the muted feeling of leaves, damp, crunching under your feet, while all around you, the fireworks of autumn are bursting in reds and oranges? How can I describe treading through the mud and drizzle to a river on which hundreds of students have rowed, year after year. How can I describe the sacredness of walking down Addison's Walk, the path C.S. Lewis walked every day. How can I describe the happiness I feel walking through the frigid cold with a warm hand in mine and our puffs of breath preceding us? How can I describe how it feels to spend time with a person who I've only seen twice in the past 5 months? I don't think I could do it properly in English, let alone in my shabby Italian.
Oh well, I'm trying... Slowly...
Cheerio
Currently, I am attempting to write my composition for Italian, on the subject of "my favorite day or experience from fall break." Now, aside from the fact that I feel like I am in second grade for writing this (how many times did we have to relate in essay format "What I Did Over Summer Vacation" at Villa?), it is kind of hard. How can I describe how fall smells, and how the cold grips your face and nose and scalp and nape of your neck in a clamp like a vise? How can I describe the muted feeling of leaves, damp, crunching under your feet, while all around you, the fireworks of autumn are bursting in reds and oranges? How can I describe treading through the mud and drizzle to a river on which hundreds of students have rowed, year after year. How can I describe the sacredness of walking down Addison's Walk, the path C.S. Lewis walked every day. How can I describe the happiness I feel walking through the frigid cold with a warm hand in mine and our puffs of breath preceding us? How can I describe how it feels to spend time with a person who I've only seen twice in the past 5 months? I don't think I could do it properly in English, let alone in my shabby Italian.
Oh well, I'm trying... Slowly...
Cheerio
pretty mouth and green my eyes
It's so weird thinking that my time in Italy is almost over. Just a little over a month and them I'm home. My weekends are pretty much booked, too, so hopefully the time will just fly by. I can't wait for Christmastime, I hope it snows this year.
ps I miss Jeff already
ps I miss Jeff already
03 November 2005
Oxford
So, it is officially decided... I love England, and am moving here when I graduate. Period. Now, what to do about the whole the-pound-is-1.78-times-the-dollar issue...
27 October 2005
arias
I knew Brynya was going to make me. I knew it I knew it I knew it. Dang it, Brynya! I haven't sung in three years! Bum! I am just going to embarrass myself in front of everyone at her wedding. Honestly. It is going to be a sad sad day... I knew that's what mom was going to say too. She called and was like, 'soo... I talked to Brynn today...' *pause pause pause* And mom never pauses, so I knew something awful was happening. And then she didn't say anything else about it, and I KNEW she was going to make me sing. I knew it. We'll see how this goes...
This morning was really cold. And still there are mosquitos. I got a few fresh ones two nights ago, so I'm going to be nice and attractive for when I go to visit England. Oh well, no more class for a week! Awesome. I'm psyched... I'm coming back England! Watch out. I love breaks...
This morning was really cold. And still there are mosquitos. I got a few fresh ones two nights ago, so I'm going to be nice and attractive for when I go to visit England. Oh well, no more class for a week! Awesome. I'm psyched... I'm coming back England! Watch out. I love breaks...
26 October 2005
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