ITALY 2013

Thursday, May 23, 2013

I REALLLLLLLLLY WISH I HAD TIME TO BLOG

But I don't.

The school is about to finish (2.5 weeks omg) and the teachers aren't stopping a minute before. Today I've been working nonstop for the past 5 hours. I studied English literature (Defoe, Swift, and Richardson), 200 vocab words from Gatsby, Italian tutoring homework (imperfect, direct pronouns, possessive pronouns), wrote a summary of Franz Kafka's Letter to His Father (for German class). And even thought it's only 8 pm and we haven't had dinner yet (my parents aren't even home from work), I'm ready to fall asleep to an episode of Grey's.

But I really need to practice reading for German because I still have difficult pronouncing some words.

I promise I'll provide a real update with pictures and everything as soon as I get the chance.

OH also big shout out to Elena for always editing my Italian writing & my adorable siblings for their emails last night. Love y'all. Ciao.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

THE GREAT GATSBY

This afternoon I finally saw the Great Gatsby. I'm so happy. It wasn't what I was expecting but Leonardo was flawless even dubbed over in Italian.

And I understood almossssssst everything. Sometimes Nick Carraway spoke in passato remoto - which is a weird verb tense that's only used in literature and film. NEVER conversaionally. Some Italians aren't even sure about this tense, so it's fine.

Italian newspaper about the Cannes film festival

Also Runa gave me a translated version of the book!!!!!!! So now I have something new to read in Italian. Reading is really good for vocabulary and, as my host mom will tell you, vocabulary is the most important part of learning a language.

Alright that's it for now. Love y'all. Ciao.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I GOT A 9 IN ITALIAN

For the past week I've been studying Neoclassicism and Pre-romanticism for my interrogation today. I read over the texts we were given in class, Googled things for more information, and then took notes in English & Itailan. Next I wrote about one page in Italian comparing//contrasting these two periods with my host mom and German classmates. Then Alice, my tutor, edited. Then I started reading this page over and over again out loud whenever I could: with my religion teacher, during lunch break yesterday, while my host mom cleaned up after dinner... but it still wasn't enough.

I can't remember the last time I worked this hard on an assignment. It was so challenging. No matter how many times I reread the page, none of the words stuck in my mind. Next I tried memorizing the meaning of the document (in English), hoping that this would help my brain make connections. It didn't. Then Elena made a map/graphic/scheme of the ideas and I reviewed that a lot. I think when it comes to language - which is so auditory - I need something visual to help me. I don't know. Anyway, today I had my interrogation and Prof. Virgili was really happy to see how far I've come with Italian. She couldn't stop beaming. It made the entire process that much more rewarding.

So that's what I've been up to... As of Monday, there are only 4 more weeks of school, which actually sounds like a lot considering that my friends in America are all out & about working on their senior projects.

Tomorrow the Great Gatsby comes out here!!!! So excited. What else.

On Friday I have to give a presentation of the artist August Macke in my German class (in Itailan, don't worry). I haven't even started researching, so I should probably go do that. Yikes. Love y'all. Ciao.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Anastasia in Italian

Any day I go to Elena's house is awesome - but today was by far one of my favorites because we watched ANASTASIA!!!!!!!! Ok. I know I'm a little too old to obsess over an animated movie but I can't help myself. The only three movies I watched as a child were: Babe, Charlotte's Web, and Anastasia. I had a thing for pigs. Anyway. Elena also loves Anastasia and today we finally watched it in Italian.

The entire thing was wonderfully sporadic and unplanned. During the the last hour of school (history, we were taking a test, I got a 7.5!) it started pouring. It was horrible // out of nowhere. On Saturdays Ludovica exits the school at noon so her mom had already picked her up and they were at the grocery store. The plan was for me to take the bus at 1:40. But the moment I stepped out of the building I knew there was no way I could make it home. It was literally raining cats & dogs (btw this expression doesn't exist in Italian, in case you were wondering.)

Sooooo Elena generously called her mom and asked if I could come over for lunch. Ahhhhhh I love her. I love the entire family. They're too kind to me. My shoes were wet so Elena let me borrow slippers. I told you, Italians take their slippers seriously.

oh also we baked a cake

we're very productive

and after she walked me to the bus stop in the rain

and insisted on taking this picture

and then I got my second manicure in four months alone in PSG. ..

So yeah, I've had a fun day. We're skipping the disco tonight. Instead, my class is having a dinner in the center and then hopefully we can go out if it's not raining. Love y'all.

OH.

Almost forgot. Happy (almost) Mother's Day to my two moms!!!! Love you both <3

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Ascoli

Yesterday was - without exaggeration - the longest day of my life.

School @ 8. Lunch at Elena's @ 1:30 <3 we ate risotto with mushrooms it was delicious. More school until 4:30. Runa's dad picked me up at school and I went to her house for an hour. Then a woman from AFS picked Runa, Risa, and me up and we drove to Ascoli @ around 6:30. We got to Ascoli, ate pizza and gelato. Then the AFS volunteer left us to explore the city until 10:30. We got home at midnight. I couldn't fall asleep until 1:30 and then Ludo accidentally woke me up at 5:30, so needless to say I took a nap after school today... Anyway, here are the pictures!!!!!!!!

Runa's dog - you can't tell by this picture but she's like 100 pounds

gelato - Nutella flavored it was fantastic

the entire place felt so big and ancient and sadly I don't think these pictures do it justice at all

Risa!!!

It wasn't the most picturesque time to be there. It was dark and rainy and therefore wonderfully uncrowded. Only locals were out getting a caffe or walking their dogs. My host dad grew up in Ascoli, so my host mom says we will definitely go back for a day trip soon and I can take better pictures!!!!!

Monday, May 6, 2013

Yo I've been busy

Today I had my art interrogation. It was a little over 2 minutes of almost-pure memorization in Italian. Sanguine - my professor - was super impressed with both my analysis and pronunciation. He gave me a 9!!!!!! He also told the other teachers//Ludo how great I did.

Unfortunately, this gave my German teacher an idea.

Now I have to present a summary and analysis of Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by German paintor Caspar David Friedrich... in German, of course. I'm actually kind of excited for this because it's a real challenge and there's the benefit of becoming more worldly//cultured//why not? I mean, I might as well show my willingness to try, even if I make a fool out of myself. Who cares.

So, for Thursday, I have to come in with my analysis and summary in English. Then we'll translate together. Then I have to study. We'll see what happens.

Today I decided to attempt to read // analyze 4 pages of text in Italian on the Neoclassicism & Pre-romanticism. I must have read these 4 pages a million times. First I wrote down all the words I didn't know, approximately 75. Then I translated them and reread. Then I wrote a summary in English. Then my host mom helped me write a summary in Italian. Now I'm trying to memorize that. . . but it's 10 pm and I need to shower and I'm exhausted.

Tomorrow, I'm going to Ascoli with AFS to talk about my experience thus far. I leave for school at 7:50 am and come home at 11:00 pm... I can do it. Let's hope I don't forget my phone charger tomorrow morning.

Wednesday I have Italian lesson from 6:30-8:00pm. I have to figure out when to take the bus into Fermo. Another adventure.

Thursday I have a physics test <3

Friday...more Italian lessons...

Saturday I'm going to the disco in San Benedetto.

I miss my dog. I miss my friends and family. But I know that this experience is already more than halfway over and I need to appreciate every second of it. I feel like after my art interrogation today, there's nothing I can't do. Yes, like all things worth having it will take a lot of effort, but I can do it!!!!!!!!

Oh my god I have to go before I vomit. Bye.

Friday, May 3, 2013

A picture is worth 1000 words

Currently studying for my art history interrogation on Monday. I have to give a summary and analysis (in Italian, of course) of Caravaggio's La Canestra di Frutta. Needless to say, I wanted to take a short study break so here are some recent pictures. Wish I had time to write more. Love y'all. Ciao!!!!