feeling better!

so I was not very happy, but perhaps it was because I expected to not be happy. Such a big change in location and culture is very difficult. But I think I am doing better.

I am much happier. Yesterday I got a wonderfully long e-mail from Nina and I talked to both Lorah and Sarah on-line.
Talking to Sarah did me alot of good, because she reminded me of something very important. She reminded me that TRaveling is sonamous with adventure, and in doing so she reminded me of who I am when I am with her. I am not necessarily reserved and quiet and sad. NO! I am out going, secure, and adventurous. and so I will endeavor to be so here.

I normally wake up around 7 and then toss and turn until 8 when my alram goes off. I then eat breakfast with Floriana and Marco. I bike to school which is almost exactly a twenty minute trip. I have Italian classes in the morning most mornings, one day a week I have art in the morning, or a tour of a different city. Then I have a break in which I frantically check e-mail and try to update everyone. I usually only have 30 minutes for that so when things are brief that is why. then I usually have a second class. afterwards I go out to eat in a small shop here or there depending on my whims. Today it is very nice, so I plan to sit and read somewhere as I have explored the city alot on foot and think that I'm ok not exploring today. Then I go home, I read for alittle bit, or do homework. we then eat dinner and talk about the day. after that I do alittle more homework or reading and go to bed.

This saturday I think that I will try to travel to Bologna. I do not have a huge amount of commitments but enough I think. The program has trips planned for some saturdays during the quarter to Florence and sienna and calci and Lucca. I think that Floriana and Marco will take me to Lucca on Sunday.

Talking to people from home via e-mail or aim when I am able to be on at a resonable hour really makes me happy. NOw the only thing to resolved is my Music theory GRade...will he ever post it?

some time!

I am really glad that classes are starting now. I have been in a bit of a limbo because I have not had that much to do.

Honestly it is quite difficult to be over here. I would prefer being with friends that I really know well. I also think it is hard because I live quite far away from the center of town.
I live with Floriana and Marco. Floriana is a DOctor of Archeology and MArco I think goes to school and works in a food shop of sorts. I am not entirely clear on this. they are in their mid-fourties. It seems that MArco is a little bitter about the fact that he can not see a retierment of anysort in his future. he asked a number of questions about Pensions in America.

They live in a small one bedroom apartment. this is alittle awkward because they gave me the bedroom and sleep in the other living room/dining room. At first I felt really bad about this, they decided to do that themselves, and itàs also a little extra income for them. Their apartment is about a 20 min bike ride from where I go to school. they also have a tiny tiny little Fiat. What is funny is when they picked me up just seeing MArco, he looks alittle like the sort of person that you are instinctually sketched out by. He was wearing sweat pants that were tie died/ stained and a hat a fleece sweatshirt and in general looked disheveled.

however much for his "complaining" they have a quite nice life I think. Yes their aparment is small, but there are only two of them. also they have a very nice sail boat. they say that it is not nice, but it is. It is a sail boat I wish I could have. About 30 ft long I think with a cabin to live in. they live about4 months in the summer on the boat. Not a bad lot if you ask me.

Yesterday I went to the beach while they worked on their boat. I was in an isolated place, and then I walked down. It seemed that the entirety of Pisa if not more towns was there at the beach. MAny people were fishing, all they youbng men playing soccer.

I have to say that the fashion of the youth here is not particularily attractive. It is very 80's for the guys, tight jeans jean jackets even the hair cuts are mullety. The girls wear tight jeans, short skirts and boots, cool stckings, or really baggy jeans with a sport type jacket. Itall makes me look very frumpy, and I'm distinctly not.

I am alot happier now than I was. I was feeling really lonely. IT is strange being so far away, I'm not sure yet if I like it or not.

quikie

I have to get back to class in 5 minutes. but a quick observation for nina especially but really everyone.
my Italian teacher looks sooo much like the character in the Incredibles that is the clothing designer.
and she sort of has a personality to match.
I have lots to say but I have to go to class.

pretending

perhaps I'm pretending that I'm not actually going.
not because I don't want to go, I certainly do, but it's intimidating to be so far away from people who mean quite alot to me. Of course I know that missing people in anticipation is always worse than actually missing them. As Joe said to me anticipation is always keener than reality.
I just have a bit more of a music final to do. I've been procrastinating horribly.

yesterday nina and I went to the point. We had an adventure! Nina was joking how she makes all of her life an adventure. I understand. My father brother and I have quested and adventured as long as I can remember. My brother will actually come home and talk about the adventures (called as such) that he had.

Anyhow, we walked and then skipped rocks out on a flat stone at the very tip. It was beautiful. the sun was setting, the sky was light pink and the water was light blue. We looked at everything and described how we would photograph it. The pussy willows were blooming...blooming? or fuzzying? AS we returned the sky was the spectrum of blues that you only see at that time of day. The kind of blues you can never replicate.

It was an all together quite satisfactory evening.

I am exhausted.
but they said I can get my visa on wednesday. so I'm actually going.
mostly I need to sleep.

I'm into the Lucca program! so I'm definatly going to be in Italy from March 23 to July 19.
2 more papers
2 more exams
3 more performances

!

the first!

I am going to italy for a quarter! I might be going for longer if they ever e-mail me about my opera program, but I am definatly going for at least 10 weeks! That is why I decided to start blog, so that I can tell people all the amazing things that I am doing with out needing to send out mass e-mails...which are fun too...but less so.
so I had a debate whether to call this emitaly or eminitaly. I like more syllables, plus emitaly sounds alittle like admitedly...cool but confusing.
I thought to start it now because I should be researching and writing a paper.
It's on Dawn Upshaw.
It could have been cool, but alas will not be.

Interesting facts: I learned today that I could sell my extra wisdom teeth pain killer pills for $5 a pop. I won't.
Mozarts letters are pretty easy reading, I fully recommend them.
Puccini was not nearly as amusing.

I will probably not update this much until I'm actually in Italy, because it seems silly to talk about how much work I have and how long rehersals are, that is not all that interesting to read, and many of you hear this daily anyhow.

so.....