Divertimento cuando dovrei studiare

There's been lots going on this week to distract me from my studies! However, all distractions have been welcomed with open arms. The days are set up so much better here and I have adapted my schedule accordingly. Instead of procrastinating all day and then studying through the night with a small break to eat (only because you NEED nourishment) like it is in San Diego, here we wake up early, study, eat a lovely long lunch, study, and then do whatever we want in the evening, including eating and going out if we so please! It's so nice to get up, get everything out of the way, and then not only feel accomplished but feel free to enjoy myself in the evenings. I love it.

I got the internship I mentioned before with the Migration Magazine in the Italian Lit department. The lady I'll be working with, Rebecca, is American and did her masters at UCLA. She's so sweet and is very excited to include me in the project and teach me all she can. She said, "I promise you won't make a single photocopy." I'm so lucky to have found an internship that will actually be worthwhile.

Wednesday was Elizabeth's birthday and she reserved the back room of Le Stanze for apperitivo. Everyone dressed up and there was a great mix of Americans and Italians there.

Thursday was Valentine's Day! We had a nice lunch the four of us girls (including a parmeseano compliments of Federica's mom--mmmmm) and then Azzurra and Federica brought their stuff into my room and we attepmpted to study. Who studies on Valentine's Day anyway?

Then in the evening I went to this kind of weird tortellini show thing with the program. They did a big skit and told us about the history and we helped make tortellini wearing awful yellow smocks. We were all disappointed because there wasn't really a full meal involved. There were two tortellini chairs though, and I thought that was pretty cool.

Friday was Federica's birthday so most of the day was spent NOT studying and just preparing. The girls in the apartment have been getting a lot closer lately...it's so much fun to be able to talk about personal things and joke with one another in Italian! All day I called Federica 'Principessa'. In the evening, the boys next door and a few others came over for dinner and dessert. It was nice to have a relaxed evening with everyone...and Federica's tiramisu was amazing!



Saturday I decided to get out of the house and go to the Republic of San Marino with Shawn, Giuliana, and her friend from home, Kim. It's actually it's own country within Italy, kind of like the Vatican, which means that the rest of Italy hates them because they don't pay taxes. It's up on a hill with castles overlooking beautiful views of hills, red-tiled roofs, and the ocean. I loved the getaway.

T minus 7 days until my exam...and T minus 9 days until Barcelona! Woo-hoo!

Quaresimo & the Dawn of a New Semester

Well, it's officially Quaresimo (Lent) and that means it's time to crack down on all this fun I've been having. Well, at least a little. Luckily, my Italian roommates are Catholic too so I'm not the only one who's not eating meat on Fridays and that helps me so much to remember! For Lent, I've decided to give up chocolate and take up diligence. One might be hard to achieve without the other. How I'm going to study without chocolate is beyond me.

On Ash Wednesday I went S. Maria Novella to find out their times for mass that day and ended up deciding to do confession with this priest I have a certain affection for. He's old and oh so sweet and made me feel so comfortable when I was trying to confess tutti i miei peccati in Italiano! Later that night I went to mass at my favorite church so far, Santo Stefano. It was such a small congregation (only 20 people) and I was so proud of myself for how much I was actually able to understand! Mass is practically like lecture here since I have to concentrate so hard to process everything, but it's certainly getting easier.

Meanwhile, school has started again. It's nice to see the city bustling with people. I had missed that. The only class that's started for me so far is one on the experiences of the people during the wars of the twentieth century. The prof is quite a character and she holds my attention relatively well...which says a lot. Later this semester I'm going to take a Dante class at the study center and then an English romance lit class at the University. Lit's hard enough without being in Italian. Right now I'm studying for an exam in my Italian lit class from last semester. Ahh. It takes me so long to get through the material.

I'm hoping to take on an internship this semester, most likely with the Italian literature department. I still have to meet with the lady I would be working under to secure the details, but if it goes through it should be really cool. It's for a new magazine the department's putting out with pieces written by immigrants on their experiences in this country.

In other news, I'm still tutoring English. Have I even mentioned before that I tutor English to two Italian sisters? There's Claudia, ten, and Elena, six. Claudia's English is already quite good because she's been studying it for a long time now. Tutoring them is fun and a good excuse to get out of the house.

Once I'm tired of being diligent, I still find time to go out and have a good time. Last Saturday night we went to the Mexican restaurant and there was dancing on tables, and tonight we're going to a birthday party for one of our Italian friends, Vincenzo.

And the most exciting of all things this month is that Brittany and I booked another trip! We'll be heading to Barcelona soon for some Sangria, Flamenco, and Tapas! Totally can't wait. Mostly just because I want to see Brittany. :)