Ciao All,
So It has only taken me a little over 2 weeks to update my blog…if I do it every two weeks you will get around 10-14 more excellent long entries. Haha!
Ok so let’s go back to January 23rd. On the 23rd of every month we have a photo exposition at our apartment. The photographers change each time, but my two guy roommates and their friends organize it all.
So January rolled around and we put up 2 series of photos by different photographers. My apartment has very high ceiling and a large living room which is all white, that is why this event takes place at our apartment. So all day the house was cleaned and organized and finally it was 6. I got dressed and then went out to help set up the apertivi. We had spritz (wine wine or prosecco mixed with this red stuff called apertivo) and small snacks. There were potato chips and Silvio (the guy with the dreads) made some delicious foccacia pizza. He is Napoletano so he knows how to make pizza right.
A little after seven people started to come over. Around 830 it was so packed it was uncomfortable. I got to meet all of my roommates’ friends and I got to introduce them to my Italian friends and American friends. The show was officially over at 10 but the good friends stayed over. We all just ended up drinking and hanging out until about 230 I called it quits and went to bed.
I don’t really remember what we did that Saturday, it probably involved walking around the city and stopping for a beer or two.
So Sunday nights I now have a ritual. Every Sunday at 930 Desiree and Flor come over to watch Tutti Pazzi per Amore (everyone is crazy for love). It is this fabulous tv series about two families and all this love and baby and other goo. It is really quite fabulous. So 233cdothey come over and my roommate pasqua watches as well. We drink wine and just veg out watching this wonderful program, which I consider educational since it is in Italian.
So that was Sunday night and then the rest of the week went by quickly.
Friday came around and that night I had two American girls over and my friend Simona and my roommates and we all drank and hung out until about 1 am. I know what you are thinking, ok so then you went to bed. WRONG. 1 am is still early so of course Simona and the two Americans and I went out. We went to a club where they have lots of concerts and just danced to the dj for a while. Italy is slowing making me nocturnal!
Saturday day my friend Joe (he goes to the U) came to visit from Florence. We went shopping to get him a jacket since he came to Italy 2 weeks before without a jacket! Crazy! We got him a jacket and then I showed him around the sites.
That night Desiree, Flor, Nora, Joe, and I went out with my roommates. We went to club a little outside of the city and danced for a quite a while. We ended up getting tired and my roommates wanted to stay so we decided to trek it back. After 30 minutes we finally made it home! The next day I made my roommates French Toast and something kind of like Bacon. They looooooooooooooooved French toast and I have made it 3 times this week! The baconish thing they liked as well, but it wasn’t the right shape or consistency.
I took Joe to the station and he took the long train (one hour) back to Florence. That night I watched tutti pazzi per amore as always! Haha.
Monday I went to my first real Italian course! I was sooooooo nervous. The class was Italian Literature but it was under the major of Geography (school system is different here). So my class is pretty cool so far because we talk about Italian Literature, but with a focus on the locations and where the author comes from. I have it Monday 11-1 Tuesday 9-11 and Wednesday 9-11. That is a lot of listening and note taking. The class is more than half guys, which is weird, but understandable since it is under the major of geography.
We talked about the syllabus and then the teacher lectured about Dante. After class I introduced myself and it was so nerve wracking. The professor was very nice and I have officially decided to take the class.
So that was the last week of my pre-session Italian class as well. Tuesday we talked about a book we read in class and then Friday I took 2 exams, one on grammar and one on history/culture. They weren’t so bad and I just happy to be done!
So This last Friday (after the exam) I had dinner that home and then Pasqua, Costanza, Laura (pasqua’s friend) and I walked around the city looking for something fun to do. We ended up at this Jazz club but it was a bit snobby and full of older people so we left to head back to the apartment. Right under our apartment are 2 bars that are famous for their shots. We ended up meeting Silvio, Antonio and Silvio’s friend Carlo.
My roommates new obsession is this shot called the Agricola. Agricola means farmer in Latin and was a Roman Emperor…I assume the name comes from one of the 2. Fundementaly the shot is just a shot of rum but you chase it with a slice of orange dipped in espresso grinds and sugar cane. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the dips so I just used orange. So around 3 am we decide to go out again. Crazy I know, but hey my roommates are Southern Italians, they are famous for being a bit crazy! So we went to an alternative disco/club like thing, but I didn’t really like the music. We stayed there until 5 and then walked around the city until 7 am! We finally returned home and I went straight to bed, but Silvio, Carlo, Costanza, and Pasqua went out for breakfast and to walk around! They finally made it back by 11 and then we all passed out until afternoon.
Later that afternoon I had the window open I heard a whistle. Our window looks right into another window and my neighbors wanted to chat. 3 nights before Costanza and I got a little silly and we made light signals into their room until they saw us. So this time we actually talked and they invited me over for coffee.
It turned out that they have an American roommate whom I had met because she is on my program but for the year. So I met all of them including their two week old baby bunny! I love him!
Saturday night I felt pretty good and ready to go out again. That night the boys decided to do shots at our house! Insanity! We had a wonderful dinner of Horse. Haha yes Horse. In southern Italy they eat horse during the winter. It was surprisingly delicious, but I kept singing my little pony and pretending to be sad just to tease Antonio because he was the one who made it.
So after dinner we ended up doing agricole! I know crazy. Costanza ended up getting too tired and went to bed and Silvio had pulled an all nighter so he did as well. So Pasqua, Lucia (Francesco’s gf), Franceso, Antonio, and their friend Matteo and I all went out to a club called Locomotiv. It was a pretty fun place and we ended up dancing a lot. We made it home around 5 and guess what….I made French toast for everyone! Haha. I got to bed around 7…seriously I am not nocturnal. I slept until 2 and then just hung around until tutti pazzi per amore!
After the show we went to Soda Pops (a bar a lot of exchange students go to) to meet up with Desiree’s roommate to sing Karaoke! We stayed there for a while and then headed home because I had class today.
Class went well…I am kind of shy to talk to anyone, but tomorrow I am going to ask someone a question I already know the answer to just to start a conversation.
I went to Desiree’s house for lunch and she made me pasta. I then went grocery shopping and then stopped at Simona’s for a coffee. Friday we are having a carnival party here! Carnevale is for a few weeks during February here in Italy and also in south America! It is basically like our Halloween since you have to dress up! I am very excited and I haven’t figured out what I would like to dress as. Hmmm
I only have about 8 new pictures to put up so I will wait a bit.
Ok well if you have any questions or comments I am here.
Take care and be safe.
