The Sweet Life

Today Maura and I woke up early and went to Italian class with the rest of our fellow students... that was fun. For our volunteer service we went and worked in the 'soup kitchen' that is ran by nuns. It was a really good experience... I almost started to cry because I can't imagine what it would be like to not be able to afford food...especially if you had a child...there were quite a few children there today... I must be on monthly emotion rollercoaster that some people so fondly call 'PMS' because I have been really emotional lately... I could look at pidgeon and cry. Did you know they eat pidgeons here? yeah..... yuck... PIDGEONS ARE FRIENDS-NOT FOOD!!! I think we will start a rally.
This weekend we are going to Pisa and Lucca. We can attent a rally\political demonstation of some sort while we are there in Pisa. Our teacher, Marianna, and her friends are taking part in it because she is from there...I couldn't really understand what it was for. Something to help non-profit\volunteer organizations. I am really excited for that.
Then the weekend after that, the newly renovated A TEAM (Maura Kyle Ella Jessica and Me) are taking a trip to Elba... which is an island that is really popular with local Italians. I have heard it is gorgeous with clear blue waters and white sand. We are leaving Friday morning and sleeping there Friday and Saturday night. We will most likely camp on the beach. I am super excited to be going with these people... we all have a ton in common and lots of fun together. They remind me of my friends back home... I am happy I have gotten the chance to bond with Ella and Jessica. They are supercute girls...anyway.. I cannot wait for that trip...
Last night we discussed politics at the dinner table with our host family. They really like OBAMA like me!!! They said he was like John F. Kennedy and that they liked him 'molto'=very much... I asked them if they liked their president and they got really sad and said no no no... then started rambling things in Italian that I couldn't understand.. but I got the jist of it.
It has been kind of rainy here the last couple days... but still very warm. We want the sun to come out so we can lay out and get a tan...
Yesterday we walked around and looked in shops.. I found the cutest little Bohemian style hat for £15. I have to purchase it... It would be perfect to wear at the musical festival in Belgium!!! HEY Hey!!! hahahah... I am very happy... Italian class is hard but I am going to make flashcards tonight and study hard. I miss my family and friends alot. Last night I talked to my mom and she was torturing me by telling me she made shrimp with tomatoes and parmesan... she is such a good cook.. oh and asparagas.... mmmm... I would kill for sushi or a green salad right about now.. The Italian diet is very high fat, high protein and high carb.. NO FIBER... I am one of those weirdos that like veggies.... anyway life it good... la dolce vita

Don't be shit... be Italian

So today I accidently took a 3 hr joyride on the buses of Siena... this whole bus thing really has me frustrated. Today is some sort of holiday here and apparently on holidays the bus schedule changes and routes are different... also there are two bus number 9's and bus number 10's... I got a lot of reading in though.... on a positive note... I started reading ''Sex, drugs, and Cocoa Puffs''... its not what it sounds like... its actually very critical of pop culture and sort of makes fun of the culture or Americana. Its very entertaining and I havent been able to put it down.
I studied Italian last night... and before that Maura and I went into town and met Kyle. We found a little playground and had an awesome picnic. Kyle's ''dad'' sent with him really good food and homemade wine. mmmmmm...
Yesterday was the first day I really started to miss my family and friends... I think the newness of this Italian wonderland is wearing off. I have now been here a week and it is getting more familiar. I guess the high is wearing off... not that that is a bad thing... I think now I will truly see the Italian culture and not the shiny surface that a typical tourist sees... which is why I signed up for this program in the first place. Also yesterday I was having lunch with my new friends and I made some sarcastic joke... because thats just how I am....and I know my friends back home would have been rolling on the ground with laughter and instead I just got looked at funny. I dont know.. sometimes I feel like these people don't really get me... but we all get along really well and have lots of fun.
Saturday we went to San Gimignano which is a really small medievel town in the heart of Tuscany. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Maura, Kyle and I climbed the tower and I got a little teary eyed because it was a 360° view of vineyards, olive trees, and green green green....
It was typical picturesque highly sought after view of Tuscany.... everything I hoped to see and more... I get a little emo.... I just couldn't believe I was really standing there seeing that. I feel really really lucky.... Then we saw this big piece of art that covered an entire wall of like a church... it had the real gold halos around each of their heads... like in the artbooks you see in school... again I was overtaken with emotion.. good thing I was wearing sunglasses... its very surreal to be standing in front of something so large and so old.... and still so beautiful...
I am still very happy... I love this place..I just wish the Italian language would magically make sense in my brain to the point of fluency.... hahaha....Ciao....