Wow, here I am writing again after a month... oops. Things here have been up and down lately. I just hit the 3 month mark yesterday of leaving home. They say around 3 months and around the holidays that things can get a little bit lonesome and it is true. Don't get me wrong, Italy is wonderful, there is just still so much that I'm getting used to, and I've been a little homesick. 

So in the past month what has happened... I think I'll start with my biggest learning experience/culture shock so far. My Italian lessons were givin to me a lot later than the rest of my fellow AFSers, it just happened that way. Between late Italian lessons and learning two languages, my Italian has been coming a little slower (it is getting so much better now that I'm taking lessons with a friend's mom) which was causing some rifts with some of the teachers. OK, on to the story. One Monday in art history class we went to a museum that I had previously visited on a Sunday in town. The previous time I had not payed, which I later found out is because museums are free on Sundays. When we arrived at the museum, my teacher informed me that I had to pay because I am not a permanent resident of Florence. This was a little embarrassing since I had left my wallet at school, and having no money with me, the teacher begrudgingly lent me the money to get in. When we arrived back at school she rushed off to her next class and my classmates and I to ours. The next time I had her class was on a Saturday. She came in the morning and began to talk, so I thought it would be a good idea to give her the money at the end of class. Boy, was I wrong. I was trying to pay attention to the lecture that we were being given, but was not understanding a lot (some teachers speak very quickly) and I noticed that she was getting angry. I asked one of the students if there was a problem and she told me that the teacher was angry that one student still had her money. She said something along the lines of "there is a student that has four euros of mine, and I want it back now. I'm going to speak only in Italian. I want my money back and she wont give it back because she wants to keep it for herself." and these points she repeated over and over again. As soon as I was informed I went up to the desk and gave her some money, which also made her angry because I had a 10 instead of 4, and she didn't have change. Some students lent me the money and I sat down at my desk again. She than began to speak of how my Italian was awful, that I didn't understand anything, that I was a burden on the class, and that my family, who speaks French at home was useless. This did not make me happy. Not only was I personally attacked in front of a whole classroom of kids whom I want to fit in with so badly, but she attacked my host family. The Gbikpi family has graciously taken me in, and accepted me like real family, I feel like a part of the family, and everyday at least one of them makes me smile and laugh. I then said to her in the best Italian I could muster "If you have a problem with me, you can talk to me" (I said that all in Italian in the class!) This was supposed to imply that instead of humiliating me in front of the class that she could simply tell me if she had a problem. This didn't help the situation at all. But some good came out of it. The entire class came to my aid. They did their best to stand up for me against the furious teacher. They spoke some of the words that were pounding against the inside of my head, wanting to come out, but unable to translate. The teacher showed some very unproffessional behavior (yelling at an exchange student for a period of 50 minutes) but instead of me being embarrassed, I think it was just her. About twenty to one, we stood against her. I've had some time to reflect on this, and many have suggested that it was her own problems mixed with a little bit of racism and fear that brought her act out like that. It was a very difficult experience (I don't recall ever being treated just like that by a proffessional adult) but I learned some good things about friendship and about inner strength. I was so tempted to walk out of the class, but I kept thinking of the reason that I am here: to be a representative for my country and to bridge to countries together. In thinking about how my country would like to be represented it gave me the strength to sit through the rest of the class.  

On to other news, I have started Italian lessons! I go from 2-4 after school on Mondays and Thursdays. I go to those classes with other foreign students. In my class are four other girls from 4 different countries: Serbia, Albania, China, and I believe India. It getting a little easier to answer questions and to hold little conversations, and of course charades and laughter are universal. I've been given Italian worksheets to complete and little by little I'm learning. On Fridays I take a train from Florence to Prato with my friend from class, Niki. Prato is about a 20 minute trip, but I don't mind, I actually love being on the trains here. Niki's mom is a private English teacher in Prato. She is from Trinidad and English is her native language. When she was done with school she moved to Italy to dance, and when she first came she didn't know any Italian, so she understands what it is like to live here and learn the language. She has graciously offered to teach me in an hour between students on Fridays. It has been very beneficial and each time our conversations in Italian get longer and more complex. 

Another form of Italian lessons has come from the television. The days I eat at home alone I sometimes turn on the afternoon television to listen to the Italian. On a rare day when I come home quickly I sometimes catch the Simpsons. Those are good days. But mostly I have to be content with "Paso Adelante," a Spanish soap opera centered around a dance school/company. Sometimes if I've finished homework before dinner I sit in the kitchen and watch a little TV and chat with my host mom. The only recognizable program, unfortunately, is "Walker Texas Ranger." Despite my most desperate hopes, Italian does nothing to improve the sad performance by Chuck Norris. But after dinner is when it gets more interesting. I have now watched "Shrek 2", "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", "Madagascar", "Mission Impossible", and an old fashioned Italian movie.... all in Italian! It is has helped a lot. 

And now, on to another completely random train of thought. Christmas time is usually when the program says that things get the most difficult. I do agree that the holidays aren't so easy to be away from family and tradition. I have been listening to some Christmas music that I downloaded before I left home. The city has done a very lovely thing here by decorating the city center with lights that hang above the streets. It is fun to walk in the city at night because the lights are overhead like a canopy and it gives the normally dark and cold streets a kind of welcoming feel. 

Besides for all of that I guess life has been pretty standard, or as standard as it can be in another country. I'm discovering that it is a big challenge living in another country. But I really am so lucky to have all the support I have here with my host family and friends, and then all the support I have back home too. I really want to give a big thank you to the people that help me through the tough times! That is really all I have to say for now... that and I'll try to be better about posting more often. Ciao! and buone feste! (happy holidays)

AFS Tuscany Camp

After weeks and weeks of counting the days until the AFS October Survival Skills Camp, the day arrived. I left around 10:30 for the station, where I met Giuditta, my advisor. We then bustled our way to the bus station and I was reunited with fellow AFSer Magali from Belgium. We had a rather uneventful trip to Colle Val D'Elsa. After getting off the bus we were picked up by some volunteers are driven to a villa outside of the city. (The picture left is all of us in the backyard of the villa by the well) The weather was nice and warm and for the first time in too long I got to breathe fresh air. It is amazing, the little things that we take for granted are often some of the things we miss the most, in my case one of the things is the fresh Newport air that I'm accustomed to. 

There were 11 of us total: Oregon, California, Texas, Honduras, Hong Kong, Thailand, Poland, Turkey, Greenland, Belgium, Chile. It was not like an ordinary camp. Instead of being read to from an ominous looking rules and guidelines book, we played games, talked, and laughed. During the scheduled time we played group games, talked about out concerns, and joked that the circle of chairs we sat in made us look like members of an AA meeting. In our spare time we hung out in the garden, talked, laughed, sang really loudly, and played some "Calcho" (a name for soccer.)

Most people ask me if I'm eating amazing food, and still the reply is yes. Even at camp. I was shocked. It was quite an upgrade from what I'm used to. Three course meals, and a waiter. The only thing that I really did not care for came as quite a surprise one morning. I went to pour myself a cup of coffee and though it looked like coffee, it smelled atrocious. I added a little extra milk and sugar and sat at my table to enjoy a pastry breakfast. Here in Italy, I drink coffee every morning. It is really superb, but not this stuff. This is because it was not coffee, but cafe d'orzo. It is a cheep form of coffee that I was informed that most hotels serve. It has trace amounts of coffee in it, but it really is barley water. Why people drink barley water instead of coffee will always remain a mystery to me. So if ever in a cafe in Italy, stick to cafe, stay away from options with "orzo."

The second day there, we got to take an outing to Siena. What a beautiful city it is. (I'm 

really proud of the picture I took at the right.) We just got to wander around the tiny steep roads of Siena, and took "pranzo" (lunch) at a pizzeria. There are so many tiny roads in Siena. And there is also the Duomo di Siena. An incredible church. (Pictured left is Ruyam from Turkey and I at the lower part of the duomo.)

The weekend passed too quickly and soon we found ourselves trying to make the last night last as long as we could. Among the events for the evening was a talent show. We split into three groups and were greatly entertained by a variety of acts including: cultural dancing from Turkey, Thailand, and China, a dance we all learned that is from Belgium and popular in Poland, a skit involving a lot of jam, and some group games. After the talent show we played this game called "werewolf" and had a lot of fun with that and the accusations that you're supposed to make while playing. It got late and the counselors went to bed, while we tried to stay of as late as we could. I don't even remember how late it was. 

The next day we played a game called "manifestazione." We had to sit onto the ground and huddle into a ball while the "police" had to try and pull us apart. It cause a lot of bruises, but we had fun. After lunch things became a little somber as the realization of returning to our new normal sank it. Most of us talked about how we wished the camp could go on for a month. Time rushed by and suddenly it came that time to leave for the bus. We said very loud goodbyes and I had to rush off for the bus. Again, the bus ride was uneventful. When I arrived home, my melancholy was immediately squashed when I saw a package from home sitting on my desk. A big thank you to mom for that!

Political Rebels

I can imagine for an Italian exchange student attending school in America, assemblies might just be the most humorous part of school. The simple definition of assembly is: a group of people gathered together in one place for a common purpose. That, I guess, is the only similarity between high school assemblies in Italy and the States... on second thought, I'd change common purpose to half and half (half care, half like to skip class.)

An assembly in the States can get noisy, but for the most part, it is a planned event regulated by staff, and with a school spirit, sport, or community theme. Assemblies in Italy are ran by students, are total chaos, and basically an open mike event. When the students feel there needs to be change, they skip class for the day, hold an assembly, and take turns passionately giving speeches with anarchist undertones. It is quite funny, actually. 

Today I arrived at school in Santa Croce, planning on attending class. I was immediately informed that the previous day's anti-system spirit(we had a manifestazione, which I will describe after the assembly) was to be carried on again today, in an assembly. So instead of going to class, hoards of students made the march from Santa Croce to San Gallo. 

There is an outside basketball court at the school in San Gallo, which is where we held the assembly. It was cold. We sat, and then for two hours heard students take turns with the microphone bantering back and forth about the Reforma Gelmini. The Gelmini reform, from what I understand, is a series of changes involving schools and includes a switch from five to four years of high school, but also eliminates public universities. Most students are against it, they fear that they will not be able to attend a college because private ones are too expensive. 

After the speeches, students went off to find food and some mingled in the court. I stayed until about 12:30, when my friends left. Some students are staying the night at the school, they are holding an occupation of the school. There are other schools in the city doing the same. 

The previous day we had a manifestazione, which is a political 

protest. The protest, like the assembly was against the Gelmini Reform, and against the current system. I attended the event with my classmates. It was pretty incredible, a whole piazza filled with students(pictured is the commencement of the protest in piazza San Marco.) We gathered for about an hour and then a van started blasting some Damian Marley and the like, so naturally we all started to follow the music. Some friends and I got up pretty close to the van and we all followed as it started down the normally very busy road that connects piazza San Marco and the famed Duomo. Piazza San Marco is normally very busy because it is a center where many buses stop. There was no room for buses, so they shut down for a couple hours. We made a very long trek along the road to the Duomo all the while dancing, moshing, shouting, making speeches, and trying our best not to get trampled.   We turned at the Duomo and made a loop back to the piazza adjacent to San Marco. In the piazza where we ended up is a university, and we were greeted by college students also holding signs. The signs said things such as "students against the Gelmini reform" or more extreme students preferred things such as "the government is fascist, and we want communism", the signs varied, as did the people. There were people from all walks of life, and all different schools in Florence. There were everywhere from well dressed kids in sweaters and ironed jeans to the more artistic type in inventive ensembles. The amount of dreadlocks rivaled those in attendance of a reggae concert, I was impressed. 

All in all it was a very interesting and good experience. Even if I don't agree with everything the protest stood for, I do like that students try to make changes. I have witnessed students in action, standing up for something that they believe in, just not at the level that the Italians do. I hear that they are also on strike in the south (I have a friend who attends school in the south) and that strikes are quite common. I'm not going to make a statement on which I think is better: the more passive ways of American students, or the revolution-esque ways of the Italians, but it is really eye-opening to have a view of both. 

Busses

It is nice to have a very active bus system in Florence. I do a ton of walking, but it saves me about 40 minutes a day on the way to school. The system is very efficient and buses arrive often. I usually have very little problem in the morning with overcrowding, but the afternoon is a whole other story. Everyone and their mom is on the bus in the afternoon. I usually go home after school to eat lunch, and some days, like today, I go back to the center for school supplies, photos, or just general perusing of the city's downtown. Today was the most packed in I've ever been on a bus. I stood there for 20 minutes of pure hell. We were crammed in like sardines, and of course I had the crazy pushy lady next to me. Even though I couldn't move she kept pushing me, her comfort took priority of common courtesy. And then there was her husband, who while trying to find a seat for his wife reached behind himself and, I hope it was an accident, ended up groping me. To this I slapped his hand away and said "Basta", which means "enough." (next time I've been instructed to say something else a little more forceful)

All in all the bus system is pretty great. I guess you just have to know your Italian slang, and have a good arm to keep the creepers away. 

AFS reunion

On Saturday I was able to go to a reunion with some of my fellow AFS students who are living in the same region as I am. The soiree took place right out side of Colle Val D'Elsa (pictured right, unfortunately not my photography, I forgot my camera.) Although I've enjoyed living in Florence, it was a lovely escape to be in the quieter countryside for the evening. The photo is a very good representation of what it was like to drive by. I hope to visit the city, as it is filled with old, castle-like buildings. I suppose I still haven't grown out of the castle faze... I still daydream of living in a castle with passages, and maybe a wizard. hmmm. 

We arrived at the beautiful house of one of the AFS Intercultura volunteers, Claudio. I was greeted by a familiar voice yelling "CIAO! CIAO, BELLA!" I immediately recognized the voice as Bridget's, the other American living in the same Tuscan region. All seven of us showed up: Bridget from the States, Magali from Belgium, Lea from Greenland, Ruyam from Turkey, (all of the previous are female) and David from Honduras, and Franciszeck from Poland. 

It was so much fun getting to see some of the people from orientation camp, and it was a relief to know that they are all in the same boat as I am. Comparing stories, cultural jokes and phrases, and the differences in culture (food, fashion, transportation, severe unpunctuality, lack of space, ect.) that we have experienced was the best therapy for any homesickness I may have had. It put everything in perspective: these are some of the most interesting experiences of my life, and we all know that those make the best stories. Throughout the night my ears rung the favorite and classic phrase of Italian mamas throughout the country: "Mangia!"  (it means "eat", Italians are big on feeding you... a lot. )

It was so nice to spend the evening with such lively company in the fresh country air. The drive back was as lovely as the drive up. I got to see the stars for the first time in a while. I guess that is something I take for granted in Newport, the stars. On the ride home I spent most of the time looking out the window at the big dipper, and it looks the same in Newport, and that was very comforting. 

By the way, my host mom says "dis bonjour a tout le monde" which basically means "say hi to everyone" (that's French) So hi from Ruth, and hi from me. 

I took a walk today....

This is taken from santa croce, it is my school.


And this is what I found

All about school

Monday through Saturday I awake at 6:15 to give myself an hour to prepare for school. I leave the house at 7:15 and take the 11 or 17 bus 2 stops past Piazza San Marco to the famous Duomo of Florence(my picture does no justice to its' magnificence.) In the morning I don't really have time to ogle at the sights, so I just walk right on by. I really can't believe it. From the Duomo I walk to Piazza Della Signoria, which is home to the famous Palazzo Vecchio, which was the home of the Medici family (in their time the most powerful and influential family in Florence. An interesting fact for movie buffs is that a scene from Hannibal was shot on on of the balconies on the Palazzo Vecchio, which I see almost every day. I take a turn there and head straight for Piazza di Santa Croce. In the famed square is the Basilica di Santa Croce, and is also called Tempio dell'Itale Glorie, or Pantheon dell'Itale Glorie. In English that means Pantheon of Italian Glories. It is called this because Italian geniuses such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Rossini, and Marconi are all buried there. Right across the small Italian street is my school. In the morning many kids sit on the steps of the Basilica waiting for the doors to open. From one of my classrooms I can see into the courtyard. It is completely incredible knowing that across the street from where I'm trying to learn to be more artistic are the remains of Michelangelo, I need say no more about that. 

The only day that is different is Tuesday, the day I go to San Gallo for school, it is near the Piazza San Marco, and that day I get to wake up 15 minutes later! 

There is block scheduling at my school, and I stay with the same students all day. They will get their own blog entry, as they are truly amazing people, who have taught me so much! Here is my schedule:

Monday: Santa Croce.

(the numbers on the class will represent what period it is, they are 50 minutes long)

1-Painting( right now we are just drawing, and the curriculum this year is advertisement)

2-Painting

3-Painting

(15 minute break. EVERYONE smokes. I have met 1 girl who doesn't)

4-Painting

5-Art History

6-English

(I get to go home at 1:10 this day! No 7th period!)

Tuesday: San Gallo

1-Math/Physics

2-Math/Physics

3-Math/Physics

(Break)

4-Philosophy

5-Italian History

6-English

7-English

Wednesday: Santa Croce

1-Geometry(like architecture, we draw objects using perspective, sometimes measurements)

2-Geometry

3-Geometry

4-Chemistry(the teacher is scary-crazy, she thinks I'm dumb, but I know more than she thinks.)

5-Chemistry

6-Literature/History

7-Literature/History

Thursday: Santa Croce

1-P.E.(Our first day we walked to Piazza Michelangelo, from which you can see the whole city.)

2-P.E.

3-Philosophy

4-Sculpture (we are sketching right now, we are doing big group projects this year!!!)

5-Sculpture

6-Sculpture

(I get to go home at 1:10, there is religion class 7th but it is optional... I don't know anyone who takes it)

Friday: Santa Croce

1-Literature/History

2-Literature/History

3-Painting(Homework-I have to read a novel sized book in a month and write a summary)

4-Painting

5-Painting

6-Math/Physics

7-Math/Physics

Saturday: Santa Croce

1-Art History

2-Art History

3-Chemistry

4-Geometry

5-Geometry

6-Geometry

WEEKEND!!!!!

I get to sleep in on Sundays! like I did this morning. I woke up just as my host parents were leaving for church. I got up and made myself a Sunday breakfast of omelet, toast, and wonderful Italian coffee. It was bliss.