I'm alive

I realize (as my mother pointed out) that I have not posted anything in a bit.
the weather is amazingly beautiful here. mid 70s and sunny, my favorite. I have been wearing my strraw hat and have been happy.
we went to some amazing etruscan ruins today. nice walk in the out of doors and very interesting to look at the ruins.
duff called me while I was on the train home...it was nice to chat with him for a moment.
Ima about to be kicked off but I'm still here!

the 13 a battle to the death

today has been a wonderful day.
IT was wonderful and sunny and I could wear a t-shirt. class was fine this morning, and then Margot and I went to the flower festival that was in Lucca. the festival was actually less wonderful than we had hoped. It wasw more potted plants and such, but we were able to find very pretty cut flowers to bring to our host families after some searching.
We were very curious about flagolino, this is a wild strawberry liquor that is generally made only in the mountains, so we bought a small bottle, and then got a tirramisu at a cafe and two glasses...yes the waiter looked a us alittle strangely, but none-the-less. It was dissapointing in exactly the manner that I expected it to be. Namely it had alcohol in it. I mean I see something red with wild strawberries floating in it and I expect something like the juice that we get in our strawberries when we sugar them. Of course I expected there to be alcohol in the Fragolino, I'm not entirely silly, yet somehow it was a dissapointment. not bad though by any streatch of the imagination.
It was really nice just to wander around Lucca. VEry calm warmer day. really my favorite kind of day where it is warm enough to not need a jacket and long sleves but not hot by any streatch of the imagination.
in about a half an hour the group is meeting to go to dinner together. We are going to a restaurant that Carlos Margot and I went to when we came back from Perugia. VEry good appitzers, I havn't tried their desserts yet and I am very excited about trying them. It is a scicilian restaraun, they are better at desserts than other parts of Italy because there is alot of French influence in their desserts. More excitingly I am hungry...food is so much better when you are hungry.
Perhaps you can tell that I am killing time...I am in no particular rush for once and I find myself rambling.
I read Sebastian's recent blog entry about his friend Kyle. I remember him talking about him a the talent show last year. I can not even begin to comprehend dealing with the loss of a best friend. I just think good things towards him at times like this. I think his time in China is actually beginning to come to a close.

An interesting thing here is the beggers. Almost all of the beggers here have little puppies. they are sooo cute...I guess it works thus they have them but it is accordian, puppy or lieing postrate with a sign. then there are the Africans. It is intersting the Europeans have such comtempt for racism in america as virtually all of the africans that I have seen are selling purses or sunglasses on the corners. And there is alot of mistrust/hatred of Gypsies.

I am thinking about writing alittle story about my almost daily battle/race with the 13. It is like a looming orange storm on the horizen that is ever coming closer. Our brave hero has only the choice to beat it for the other only choice is death!!!!!!! THen in a race to the end where there looms the fateful corner they speed....
that is to say that the stupid bus seems to always be going on the route at the same time that I am riding on my bike....stupid bus getting in the way of a pleasent bike ride.

the Plants on the porch are looking bigger and healtier every day. I actually have quite a bit of homework that I need to do, but we have had activities to do everyday, so I havn't done it yet...not to worry...I can demolish busy work with a single swipe of my hand!....and I do this all without filling my betùlly button with matchheads and then lighting them on fire...which is a decidely bad idea....I won't name the inspired one who came up with that idea but his name starts with Du and ends with ff. As far as I know he did not actually carry out this idea....I hope

herbie

so exciteingly my flight was canceled from Milan to Pisa last night. oh man were the oldr people on the lfight pissed. I just had a mom moment and asked what alitalia planned to do to compensate for our inconvenience. thus today I will go try to get money back at the travel agency. so I took a bus home with the rest of the people on the flight...got home at 3 in the morning...unfortunate, but not too terribble as I could sleep until alittle before 9.

IT turns out that MArgot only went somewhere on one day this weekend. people went places without her and then asked her why she didn't come or call..even though she did. I think people are not terrible nice...anyhow she turned out to have a really nice weekend anyhow.

this should be actually a fun week. the program is having dinner together tomorrow. And we are going to a museam and ROselle..

oh interesting thing. the GErmans have something called curry wurst. which is wurst cut up with ketchup over it and curry powder sprinkled on top. it is actually really good. I might start eating my hot dogs that way. IT is really nice and clear and sunny today! horray!

Germany

I am in Germany! I am leaving later today, but since Doran needs to be in lab I am taking advantage of his internet connection to update.

The flight here was very easy and in little planes. FLying over the Alps was really quite spetacular white and craggy in the distance and then green in the valleys. We have had a good time hanging out together. It has been really quite nice to talk to Doran. We have had lots of intersting conversations. Doran it turns out has a strange obsession with Gummies. I do not mind Gummies but I have to admit that I do not have the same love that he has.

Saturday we went to Ludvigsburg. This is still in Stuttgart, but if we were in Italy it would not be, the city is much bigger than anything that I have seen yet in Italy. We stumbled upon a huge Market in the square, we bought some olives and some cookies to munch on, we then saw a bike demonstration...they were clearly trying to sell bikes they had this guy jumping over peopleand onto a car and such. what made it impressive was he did it all with out ramps all totally in himself these jumps. We then continues to a castle. Ther were two wedding parties there. We decided to wander the gardens instead of the inside. The gardens were wonderfully expansive. The formal Gardens were inspired by Versallias, it was quite easy to see the French influence in those gardens, very ornate bushes that were low. In back there was a green house and a cafe (of course) and a bird sancuary. that was really cool full of manderine ducks and flamingos and other unlikely birds. what was the most surprising and intersing was that there was a giant fairytale park back there. We did not expect it at all. It was really fun to walk around. there were lots of voice activated things like yo ushouted at Rapunzel to have her let down her hair, and there were LOTs of other fairy tales.

There was even a laberinth. of course we walked through it. IT wasn't that long or difficult, but it ws still fun. I feel like my life has been taken over with the concept of Labyrinths. Between reading all of the Borjes that I have been reading, and Nina talking about the Laberynths that she has been doing. One things that we have seen in now two places was the playgrounds here in Germany. I guess they really understand kids...because they have the best thing ever on plagrounds...wather pumps that go into different canals and such. This ione we saw had a spiral water irrigation thiing that allowed yo uto take wather up from the ground into another pool. Playing with streams and water is totally any kid's favorite thing. We thought that that was really neat.

Oh afterwards we tried to find a retaurant...it had sprinkled alittle bit in the evning but it had stopped. It is really hard to find a restaurant here that is not Italian. CLearly we were not going to go to an ITalian restaraunt as that would be folly for me. We figured that the Beer Garden would be a good German thing for us to do, except it was closed...there had been hardly any rain...we were disapointed in the Germans. Luckily we ended up finding a really nice tasty restaraunt. WE had very good beer and different Wursts with saurkraut. They do serve saurkraut warm...I though maybe that was a crazyness of Ryan but no...it is really done that way.

Sunday we tried to find this Russian Chapel that Lonely planet said was on the top of a hill. We walked the entire bus route (because it was short) that they said would take us there, but saw nothiong of the kind. We did however have a reallynice walk through the countryside. There were really expansive vineyards...I don't think the Germans are particularily known for their wine, but it looks as if they make it.
We then ate Dorners...these are like Gyros but slightly different. These shops are everywhere...even though yo umight think them to be a Turkish thing...it appears that they are the salty quick meal of choice here in GErmany.

I am bringing MArco back what I think is what he asked for. He asked for a GReat big white radish...I think that this is horseradish...I bought him one...apparently yo ucan not get this in ITaly. I hope it is what he wanted...if not it isn't a big deal.

anyhow it has been a lovely little holiday, and I will head back to Italy.

the New Pope

so there is un nuovo papa. It seems that the general reaction from the ITalians is actually negitive. From those I have poken with, they all are not happy with the fact that he is a northern European. I think the impression is in general that he is too conervative. MY reaction is that he is 78. I understand the benifites of an older pope, but there are definatly disadvantages as well. MArco was like "look he just died" as his reaction. Floriana just hoped that the news could start to be about something else. I was surprised that it only took 3 days to come to a decision.

Today is a long day of classes and cold in a strange way. It isn't cold persay, but it is not warm and it is somehow bothersome. It seems that it is definatly warmer in both Chicago and Connecticut right now.

A quick note about something else. MArco about once a week maybe will make me eggs for breakfast. This beleive it or not is a dilemma as I have no idea what prompts him to do so and can not predict when he will make them. There are two potential outcomes to this. I have taken a shower and he makes them while I'm in the shower, thu by the time I e them thy are no longer warm and the yolks are hard. If I do notice he'll serve them to me but then poor the extra butter from the pan on to the eggs...blech. anyhow

speaking of eggs. we were in the grocery tore yesterday, doing really a silly assignment...writing dowprices of food item in the grocery stores anyhow the eggs are not refrigerated in the store. they are just on the shelf. I don't know though if that should be concerning...I mean the egg is closed and people have always eaten eggs and only refrigerated them for a very short time, it was just interesting to note.

horray!

horray! I am definatly going to Germany this weekend! I am really excited, I found a plane fare that was at least €60 cheaper than the train, and that is with out a seat garenteed on the train....overnight. so totally the airplane.

I think that it will be very good for me to see Doran, he goes at a completely different pace than everyone here, totally ok to just wander and explore. However there is one daunting thing: it is one thing to explore here where at least I speak some Italian. I really speak no German, so I will have to depend on people speaking English and interpreting signs. I'm sure that I will be fine actually, it just struck me. However much I feel that I don't really speak Italian, I can certainly communicate eventually what I need to, and especially after a month (I will have been here a month tomorrow! crazy) I can get around without really anytrouble.

I think the most trouble now is on the phone. it is just so much harder to understand words when they are spoken over the phone. I do think that I am still improving though. It has been a verygood day or two for me. I definatly have a job to go back to this summer, my dad is coming for part of the break that I have and we will explore, and I am going to Germany this weekend. Not to mention that I have just been reminded of how lucky I am to be so loved by so many people. I have family and friends who are both intensily interested in what I do and how I feel.

now some observations. There has been the feeling...or I have had the feeling that we have had more and more homework...and it has a draining feeling. I have figured out why. Clearly I have much more work to do in Chicago...so what should the issue be? It is that this work is not particularily intellectually challenging. It is really just busy work that you have to get through. congegating verbs...inserting vocabulary, going to the supermarket and writing down the price of food...read a passage then summerize it. This is why I think that it feels like alot...simply because none of it is particularily engagin.

I have also made an observation about the group that I am with. I have to say that the dynamic of the group makes me generally sad...not because of personal hurtfulness, just as a human being. The students really go out of their way to get at each other's bad sides. What I mean is that they have constructed negitive oppinions of certain people's personalities and therefore say and do things to bring out that aspect of the person's personality that they find annoying to justify their dislike. this sort of intentional meaness for lack of a better word is just distressing. It is mean for absolutely no reason at all, I wish that people would not do that to one another. I definatly get the feeling though that most people do not like the group as a whole. It is an interesting mix of personalities to say the least.

I have an art quiz tomorrow...it should be a fun little quiz. I like her classes they are interesting, new facts and such...I think that language classes are not particularily interesting for 3 hours straight...I am finding myself getting antsy near the middle or 2/3 of the way through.

Other than that I do not think that I have anything spectacular to say..I had a hard time falling asleep last night...I was thinking about happythings so it was not a terrible thing. I was thinking about my brother coming to chicago in october...yes I know that is totally far away and that there are many exciting things between now and then...but I am still excited about the idea. I want to be able to show him lots and lots of fun things.
Horray!

quickie again

only alittle time.
this weekend I saw both Siena and Perugia. I think that Perugia was actually alittle far for a day trip, but it was nice...except for the rain. It rained all weekend. the weeks are beautiful, and the weekends...rain!
We did get chocolate in Perugia...as it is the chocolate capital of Italy...it came in big blocks...we tried cutting it with my sad little key chain knife...as we were doing so both Margot and I commented that we were going to slice her hand open...then of course we did...not really. only a superficial wound...la...lacier..something I forget the word. My poor little knife has now shed blood I also forgot the word for pilgeramage. and now I remember it as I just wrote it.
If Doran is able to respond to me then it looks like I wioll be able to go to Germany this weekend.
bought a great straw hat in Florence!
oh man
just what I wanted
that's really all that I have time for now

summer

I am waiting for it to be summer. It is quite lovely, but a part of me is ready for summer. The amount of work significantly increased this week. It still is nothing compared to chicago, but there is the ever looming fact that I need to read an entire Italo Calvino work, and I don't want to leave that for just the end. Other than that, I met an italian sudent the other day who wants to improve her English and work woth someone who is working on their Italian. So I moight meet up with her one night next week. Hopefully that will work out.

This weekend we are going to Siena as a group. I hope that it is fun and that the negetive parts of traveling with a group are not too apparent. I am thinking that if it is at all pheasable (for a number of reasons) I would like to try to visit Doran in Germany next weekend because I have three days. If I can find a price, and it is ok for Doran that is. Basically it is merely a thought right now, but I think that it would be good for me to see someone else that I know.

celebratory loss

For weeks, months, even years my comrades and I fought in a country I don't deign to recall, perhaps at first forcibly though now inadvertantly. It seems now in old age that the time was unimportant, trivial in determining a life. Yet images, those though I may struggle to forget, remain and determine a past perhaps I wish was not. There are very few stories I tell of this time, but this is one of them.

In that gray green land full of the mistakes of my youth we waited anticipitory for the end of time. Of course the end of our time in the war, we had plans of course. The most immediate of which lay under the seat of the Jeep that we drove across the country. I was in command of these men in the Jeep, but more importantly we survived together. Safely tucked under the front passenger seat was a celebratory gem. Perhaps we found it in the tattered remains of the French countryside, perhaps it had always resided there, I can no longer be certain.

Finally the anticipated moment came and that which we had greedily treasured and protected could now be unveiled. Whether the sun glinted more off its surface or off our eyes could not be determined, even without the fog of memory. Yet at that fateful moment the first law of nature took its course, and there to our amazement our treasure made its way to the pavement. And the bubbles of our celebration slowly ran away between the cracks of stone and into the earth, leaving only shards of green and spots of light to appease our joy and sorrow.


for my grand father because it is really his story

yay!

no reason for the yay really.

I went and had a waffle today...so good there is a little waffle house type thing that makes delicious food that is not quite a waffle. the dough is denser and sweeter than a waffle, very delicious. I think they might be made with crack though because I would really like to eat more of them.

the thing that I forgot yesterday was about Italians and PDA. Italians are much more affectionate in public than Americans. I don't mean just kissing to say hello. I mean couples are far more affectionate in ways that I think Americans deem only for private.

and I gues my point about the trucks that got alitle rushed at the end, was alittle about economics, but I guess more importantly that they are in groups in trucks. or maybe it just is that guys in trcuks are generally sketchier than guys who drive cars (sorry daniel).

I have noticed that it is easier to express myself in Italian. I was talking with Floriana and Marco about all sorts of things last night, and everything just is coming faster and easier. I am glad. though I still am definatly having trouble understnading questions when they are asked me.

weekend

I had a very interesting weekend.

MArgot and I went to La spezia to walk on Saturday. there was un piccolo cataqstroph however. The problem was the trains. The trains in Italy are terrible in general, but this was worse than usual. Bought the tickets and look at the schedual, the next train for La Spezia leaves from Binario 2. we go, the train is on time, everything is great. However 20 minutes later we're in Livorno...livorno? that is completly in the wrong direction...but maybe just maybe it is a strange regional train...I keep my cool...then it starts moving again, however the movement is distinctly wrong. It is slower and the engine is making the wrong sounds...My thoughs...oh no! the train is being taken off the track...into a depository, sure enough after the train goes forward and then backs up we're in a depository. NOt a huge problem we'll just walk to the station and return to Pisa. Ufortunatly there is a CHinese woman with us who speaks only alittle Italian, no english...well I think we didn't try English really. Anyhow she doesn't understand that she's in the wrong city. anyhow we get back to Pisa and make it to La Spezia on the Next train...no problem really.

La Spezia is a pretty cool town. Built on a mountain. we found a great shop for Meringues of all things. we walked and had a good time. Margot was and still is alittle upset about the house lottery. I know some of you know this b ut my host family definatly calls Margot...MArgot le catestroph. It is my host father's opinion that she needs to smoke a joint everyso often to make her calmer.

Sunday it was windy and cold. I went to several curches asking about choirs. It turns out that the rehersals are on Monday nights at 9. it may not be possible for me to go that late. After all the riding of my bike in the rain I decided to bake a pie. Margot came over because her family's grandmother was coming over. the pie turned out really well, but I think that the chemistry of the butter is different here. the crust was definatly more pastry and buttery like than when I make it at home, the tell tail sign was when I rolled out the crust it was too easy to roll. anyhow my host father was juyst like...a tort with out eggs? it is a miricle!

We had a discussion about how to make meringues. he was making some...let the eggs stand and then decided to beat them again..of course the whites just fell and became goop, so he tried to make it into a cake. he added two MORE eggs and flour...I tried some this morning, it was really eggy tasting not terrible, but not amazing either.

I had somthing that I ment to say other than all of this but I can not remember it.

perhaps it is my theory on Italian men who honk their horns at women. It has been my experiance that only men in trucks honk their horns. I think that it has to do with economics etc...more money...car...probably married...manual labor (3 men in truck) honk.

Things are getting abriviated because I only have so long on line here.

I think this is plenty for today.

il torre

so everyone remember the tower that I rode my bike to last week? well Margot and I went there again and found a way up. IT was a really lovely hike, especailly so because there were lots of signs prohibitting us from going up to the tower. but as I said to Margot, that is what is needed to make an adventure complete, the feeling that you actually should not be doing something. IT was fantasatic. we first climbed up to the tower. great views of Pisa and the surrounding cities and the mountains. I took pictures and hopefully they will turn out. it was alittle hazy yesterday so we'll see.

we then climbed up another mountain right next to it. I got to hear all about Margot's life. It was fun....it confirmed some susspicions that I had about here, and explained other things about her personality, none of it really surprised me though. It was a really nice long hike.

Carlos is another student in the program because mia asked.

Margot was flipping out about the lottery for housing because meagan got a low number. I did my best to calm her. I think the bike ride did her alot of good. though she did call me twice during dinner...and my poor gelato wasw just sitting there melting away...gelato is a very important and serious thing, not to me melted, you know...

anyhow I have been watching the plants grow on the balcony, and making excursions into the world...nothing particularily amuzing to report today...except the group going to venice was really bikkering alot today. I am very pleased that I am not going with them, individually they are all ok, but together their personalities really grate against each other. IT is quite gray today...looks like rain.

cioccolate

today I had cioccolate con panna at la casa della panna.

the italians drink their chocolate the way they drink their coffee...dark think and bitter. topped with sweet cream it was amazing. getting hot chocolate at an american coffee shop will forever be inadiquate and terrible. Not that it was ever particularily amazing, they tend to make milky dirnks that are slightly brown. there was I think no milk in the drink that I had here.

Tonight I am going to a movie. I am not sure which one. I have the rest of the day off and I think that I will enjoy the sun. I expected the day to be slightly worse than it is. It is wonderfully sunny and a good temperature.

the weather is not looking like it will be nice this weekend, so I may not go hiking afterall. we'll see.
carlos and Margot are having a little "spat" again. who is more right...blah blah blah.

we had a test this morning, or rather it was a quiz. it was long though, and all the things that are difficult for me. It was fine though.

I will off and enjoy the day

colors

in response to Sarah's comment:

I think that those colors will become more prevelent in the summer. Today the sky is a lighter weaker blue than I imagnie htat you imagine (heehee)

In case you all were wondering all of the key boards here are fairly terrible, usually one or two keys do not work, so that is why my writting is ridden with typos.

the yellow and green, yes and no. It is still early spring, but much of the world is green. the houses are painted subtle oranges and yellows. the roofs are generally rusty red.
the river here is not that clean, it is green I would say, a darker green but not a sickly one, alittle like the chicago river in terms of not being that clean, the connecticut river is much cleaner than the arno.

the weather is chilly (read upper 40s to lower 50s) in the morning, it generally warms up to the upper 60's though. In the sun it can be quite warm some days, but it is still jacket weather, at least lighter spring jackets. It is by no accounts hot yet.

speaking of colors; I did my wash yesterday and the water must be much hotter than at home or at school because all of my underware is a sort of dirty pik color now, not that that's a problem, luckily the only white things in the wash were socks and underware.

I think maybe this weekend I will try to go hiking in the countryside, though I am still rather unclear on that. In general it depends on the weather. I watched an interesting documentary on the coast and islands of Italy. there were very pretty wvistas.

anyhow that is the most I can write about without really having anything to say :-)

the weekend

first a quick comment for ryan before I forget.
some variation of retarded park is very popular here. everyone parks where ever no matter what side of the street they are on...so it is not unusual to see two cars front to front, or back to back. they are not usually double parked though. i also saw a toy car that I almost had to buy for you, until I realized that it would drive everyone crazy...it drove around playing a song and honking, it's doors would also close and open.

note: retarded parked is when someone is double parked in the wrong direction.

saturday I went to bologna. while waiting for Margot and the train Carlos and I had a strange conversation with an older man. he kept on asking me vero or sbagliato...true or false...right or wrong...to which I was like che? che e vero o sbaigliato? he wanted to know whether the world was true or false. I think that the whole thing made Carlos alittle uncomfortable.

Bologna was very pretty...I took pictures of different places and helped MArgot take pictures with her stuffed armadillo for the house. SAn Petronio was really quite beautiful...very big and bright lots of light. the stone was pink...altogether very lovely. we also had a wonderful lunch. I had cabonara...which was alittle different from how I make it but not totally.

Carlos spent the entire time spounting his pleasure that we went to Bologna and not Milan like those other silly uninformed peple. I think that he just needs to be right, or best at traveling etc. for instance whatever food we triedwas compared to how he makes things....he would say things were bvetter than his but he would say it with surprise...anyhow just a brief analysis of CArlos.

oh while we were there I watched a french girl smoke really really slim cigarettes while she talked...perhaps a story...they were really thin almost stylish cigarettes...you know were a cigarette to be particularily stylish.

then I came baclk alone while they looked for a hostel. It turned out that they came back really late because MArgot got pinkeye again (the other eye afew days later...it happens) anyhow Carlos was alittle annoyed at that.

Sunday I went to Bologna with Floriana and MArco. I guess that the market is part of what they do for money. I read and explored the city and wrote. I really like Lucca. I think that it is beautiful and peaceful. I am very pleased that I will spend the summer there.

today I did not have class until three. Marco is growing Pot out on the Balcony. he was like have you seen my garden...these pots here?....yes....what is growing?....ummm grasss....marijuana....how big will it get....(points to the ceiling) two meters...maybe the cops will come and arrest me. he says that the bird eats the seeds as well. that strkes me as alittle strange....but I guess not entirely.

today i really sunny again. I am getting some freckles on my nose.
the pope died...supposedly the country has 3 days of mourning, but everything appears to be continuing as normal...not that it shouldent't of course.

there are a ton of documentaries about the pope on television though.

things are fairly regular here now...I go places...do the little bit of homework that I have.
peaking Italian is definatly getting easier...not tons...I still have alot of trouble...but I have noticed that I need to look iup ,much fewer words when I am writing, that is areally good feeling.

bike ride

yesterday I went on a lovely long bike ride in the afternoon. I rode all the way to Calci and Capronna. there was a really neat tower on top of a cliff that I wanted to go into, but I was worried about getting back intime while it was still light so I didn't press the issue. Marco made a big deal about me going "so far" in such a short period of time. But it was on Bike and it really was not all that far.

Tomorrow I am definatly going to go to Bologna. I am going to go buy my ticket after this.

When I returned from the bike ride floriana told me that we were going to have a guest for dinner. It was a young man who they had met in GReecre last summer while sailing. HE is in the Italian Navy, very handsome nice person. We had a really nice dinner too. little fishies on toast, spicy pasta, and home made GElatto.

Today I am going to different Churches to talk to them about being in their choir. Rosanna wrote me a letter to help me out with them. She will also talk with the University chorus, but they accept people in November so it may not be possible. IT is nice out, I still am very happy for a jacket in the morning and the evening, but lovely none-the-less.

I do not have much else to say as I am hungry and have had class in this room for 3 hours.