It is impossible to believe that I have only been here a week! Every day has been so long and busy, I feel like I have been here at least a month.
Today was our first day of classes. Maria, Erin, and I went on a little adventure this morning to try to find a bookstore that still had copies of our textbook available, but everyone is sold out. Apparently one store is getting more in tomorrow, so we will try again then.
Class was from 10-12:30. I am definitely in the less advanced group, but that is fine with me! Our teacher's name is Clara! She is so nice and easy to talk to. Our lesson today was just like a long group conversation, telling about ourselves, discussing the idea of "art," etc. I feel like my conversational skills (while still very basic) are definitely improving already!
After class I walked over to my apartment to pay the rent for September and to get the keys. I met Giuseppe's girlfriend, and she was really nice. I think they have yet to find another girl for the other spot in the double, but hopefully they'll find someone soon. I move in tomorrow! I am excited to get settled in and to not be in a hotel/living out of suitcases anymore, but I am also nervous to be with only native Italians!
Rodolfo and I helped Maria move in today. We hung out at her apartment for most of the afternoon. Her roommate Serena is so nice!
Rodolfo and I left Maria there and went to l'aperitivo with Alex, Erin, Allegra, and Anne at a little cafe right down the street from the hotel. It was good, but not as expensive as a real meal.
Serena had invited Maria to go out with her and her friends for her friend Ariana's 21st birthday tonight, and Maria texted me while we were eating to say that we were welcome to come, too. So we did, and it was really fun! We met three of Serena's friends, who were all really funny and friendly. We went out to a pizzeria and just talked for a really long time. I really tried to push myself when it came to contributing to the conversation. I know I sounded really dumb sometimes, but it was really good for me for the most part. It was good to actually go out with Italian students.
Now I have homework to do for class tomorrow, and Maria's not here to do it with me:(
xoxo
01 September 2009
30 August 2009
Day 7!
Ciao ciao ciao! What a day!
I got up this morning at 5:30 to go running. Of course no one else wanted to go that early, so I had a nice little solo jog around the city. This time I went north of the hotel to il Parco della Montagnola. It was nice, but not nearly as pretty as Giardini Margherita, so I think I will run there from now on. It is farther away, but what with all the pasta I'm eating, I can use the extra exercise!
Maria, Rodolfo, and I went to mass this morning at the basilica of San Petronio, right off the main piazza. It was nice to go to mass, but it made me sad to see that there were only about a dozen people there and absolutely no young people!
Later, after coming back to the hotel and having breakfast, Rodolfo, Maria, Elisabetta, and I took a hike up to the sanctuary of San Luca, a church up on a hill well outside of the main city walls. It took us about 2 hours each way, but was well worth the hike! I took a lot of pictures of the church and the view, so check those out! I really want to go back soon.
We were absolutely starved on the way back from San Luca, so we stopped at Trattoria Meloncello for lunch. It is a highly acclaimed "cento percento" (100% ) Bolognese restaurant. There is no menu, the waiter just suggests food for you! We all got what he suggested, which was a sampler of three different typical bolognese pastas. All of which were unbelievable, of course. I don't remember what all of them were called, but my favorite was the tortelloni with ricotta, burro (butter), e salvia (sage).
We walked with Elisabetta to her apartment (she moved in on Saturday!). It was so big and so beautiful. I like mine better though, because it's a double and soo much closer! But it was nice to see her place. We also stopped on the way and I bought a Vogue Italia. It came with a free shopping guide too, so I have two Italian magazines to use to start brushing up on my reading skills! All my vocabulary is going to be della moda (concerning fashion). We got back to the hotel and both Maria and I took wonderfully long naps!
Later Erin, Meghan, and I went out to dinner at the Trattoria del Bassanotte, a nice little place just around the corner from the hotel. I had prosciutto e melone (prosciutto ham with cantaloupe). The salty ham and the sweet, juicy melon are the perfect combination!
My first Sunday in Bologna was just about as perfect as it could be!
Classes start tomorrow!
xoxo
I got up this morning at 5:30 to go running. Of course no one else wanted to go that early, so I had a nice little solo jog around the city. This time I went north of the hotel to il Parco della Montagnola. It was nice, but not nearly as pretty as Giardini Margherita, so I think I will run there from now on. It is farther away, but what with all the pasta I'm eating, I can use the extra exercise!
Maria, Rodolfo, and I went to mass this morning at the basilica of San Petronio, right off the main piazza. It was nice to go to mass, but it made me sad to see that there were only about a dozen people there and absolutely no young people!
Later, after coming back to the hotel and having breakfast, Rodolfo, Maria, Elisabetta, and I took a hike up to the sanctuary of San Luca, a church up on a hill well outside of the main city walls. It took us about 2 hours each way, but was well worth the hike! I took a lot of pictures of the church and the view, so check those out! I really want to go back soon.
We were absolutely starved on the way back from San Luca, so we stopped at Trattoria Meloncello for lunch. It is a highly acclaimed "cento percento" (100% ) Bolognese restaurant. There is no menu, the waiter just suggests food for you! We all got what he suggested, which was a sampler of three different typical bolognese pastas. All of which were unbelievable, of course. I don't remember what all of them were called, but my favorite was the tortelloni with ricotta, burro (butter), e salvia (sage).
We walked with Elisabetta to her apartment (she moved in on Saturday!). It was so big and so beautiful. I like mine better though, because it's a double and soo much closer! But it was nice to see her place. We also stopped on the way and I bought a Vogue Italia. It came with a free shopping guide too, so I have two Italian magazines to use to start brushing up on my reading skills! All my vocabulary is going to be della moda (concerning fashion). We got back to the hotel and both Maria and I took wonderfully long naps!
Later Erin, Meghan, and I went out to dinner at the Trattoria del Bassanotte, a nice little place just around the corner from the hotel. I had prosciutto e melone (prosciutto ham with cantaloupe). The salty ham and the sweet, juicy melon are the perfect combination!
My first Sunday in Bologna was just about as perfect as it could be!
Classes start tomorrow!
xoxo
29 August 2009
Day 6!
FLEAMARKET. That was the adventure of the day today. Maria, Erin, Julia, Alexandra, Meghan, and I all went back to the fleamarket that Maria and I found yesterday. It was so intense! We spent three hours there, but it seemed like so much longer! We picked up some things that we are going to need right when we move in, like towels--only 4 E for a set of 2! They have all kinds of cosmetics, perfume, shampoo, conditioner, etc, too, so I won't ever have to spend that much on household stuff/toiletries.
I had a lot of free time today again since both Maria and I have housing already. Nothing too exciting really happened.
Rodolfo, John, Alexandra, Meghan, Julia, Erin, Maria, and I all went out to dinner at Il Portico, which wasn't too adventureous, but it was raining, so we just wanted somewhere close! It was delicious though. I ate an entire pizza! I know that sounds crazy, but that's how it's done here. One pizza per person. They seem big, but are paper thin, so one Italian pizza probably equals about tree slices of what you guys know as pizza. We went for gelato after at Peccati di Gola (sins of the throat!). I had nocciola (hazelnut) and biscotto (cookie). DELICIOUS.
And now more free time. I'll be glad to start classes on Monday just so I have something to do!
xoxo
I had a lot of free time today again since both Maria and I have housing already. Nothing too exciting really happened.
Rodolfo, John, Alexandra, Meghan, Julia, Erin, Maria, and I all went out to dinner at Il Portico, which wasn't too adventureous, but it was raining, so we just wanted somewhere close! It was delicious though. I ate an entire pizza! I know that sounds crazy, but that's how it's done here. One pizza per person. They seem big, but are paper thin, so one Italian pizza probably equals about tree slices of what you guys know as pizza. We went for gelato after at Peccati di Gola (sins of the throat!). I had nocciola (hazelnut) and biscotto (cookie). DELICIOUS.
And now more free time. I'll be glad to start classes on Monday just so I have something to do!
xoxo
Address
I forgot to say this earlier, but my address is going to be Via Righi 14. Google Maps/Earth it--you can see my terrazzo!
Day 5! (written the morning of day 6...)
Ciao a tutti! I got back to my room really late last night, so I didn't get time to blog. Yesterday was very fun though! We all had to get up early and walk to the post office to file our applications for the living permits we need in order to be legal here. It took forever!
Other than that, Maria and I had a lot of free time. We walked around a lot, and Maria had an appointment for an apartment at 3:30. She now has an apartment too!! It is so cute and sunny, and I actually really like it too, but it's too far out of the centro (downtown) for me. The one roommate we met was really nice too. I'm really excited for everyone who is finding apartments and making friends with their Italian roommates. We are all going to have such a good year!
We also wandered around and stumbled into the BIGGEST flea market I have ever seen. I love love love to shop and even I was overwhelmed by how much stuff there was! We are going back today:) so I'll try to remember to take some pictures. Seriously though, the size of this thing is incomprehensible! Shoes, jeans, clothes, jewelry, purses, belts, everything you could possibly think of all for really cheap! It just happens to be right around the corner from my apartment and it goes on every weekend YEAR ROUND!
Maria and I also wandered around and found a cartoleria (stationary store) to buy academic planners. It was so funny because we actually went to several shops trying to find an American style planner with one week per two pages, because that's the way we both like to see our calendars. But then when we did find one like that, it looked so BORING next to the Italian style planners, so we just got those instead. They are so different, one day per page, and the pages are graph paper. Most of the notebooks here are that way. Very Italian.
Andrea hosted a pizza party for all of us last night at his apartment. It was out of the city walls and really beautiful. I really enjoy all the time I get to spend with the people in the program! And Chris, Andrea's wife (who is American), is such a sweetheart and so helpful! She was telling us all about what clubs to go to, which supermarket is the cheapest, where to get our hair cut, stuff like that. All good things to know!
After the pizza party, Erin, Max, Rodolfo, and I went out to a discotech! It was really more like just a bar, and because it's still summer vacation here (in a "college town"), it was pretty dead. But we still had a good time. We befriended the bartender and the six Italians who were actually there. It was a very good night, my first night out in Bologna! That is why I didn't have time to blog last night!
More pix later...
xoxo
P.S. A lot of you have been emailing/facebooking me, and I love it! You can also leave comments here on my blog, I would love that too. It's always so good to hear from everyone, I really appreciate it!
Other than that, Maria and I had a lot of free time. We walked around a lot, and Maria had an appointment for an apartment at 3:30. She now has an apartment too!! It is so cute and sunny, and I actually really like it too, but it's too far out of the centro (downtown) for me. The one roommate we met was really nice too. I'm really excited for everyone who is finding apartments and making friends with their Italian roommates. We are all going to have such a good year!
We also wandered around and stumbled into the BIGGEST flea market I have ever seen. I love love love to shop and even I was overwhelmed by how much stuff there was! We are going back today:) so I'll try to remember to take some pictures. Seriously though, the size of this thing is incomprehensible! Shoes, jeans, clothes, jewelry, purses, belts, everything you could possibly think of all for really cheap! It just happens to be right around the corner from my apartment and it goes on every weekend YEAR ROUND!
Maria and I also wandered around and found a cartoleria (stationary store) to buy academic planners. It was so funny because we actually went to several shops trying to find an American style planner with one week per two pages, because that's the way we both like to see our calendars. But then when we did find one like that, it looked so BORING next to the Italian style planners, so we just got those instead. They are so different, one day per page, and the pages are graph paper. Most of the notebooks here are that way. Very Italian.
Andrea hosted a pizza party for all of us last night at his apartment. It was out of the city walls and really beautiful. I really enjoy all the time I get to spend with the people in the program! And Chris, Andrea's wife (who is American), is such a sweetheart and so helpful! She was telling us all about what clubs to go to, which supermarket is the cheapest, where to get our hair cut, stuff like that. All good things to know!
After the pizza party, Erin, Max, Rodolfo, and I went out to a discotech! It was really more like just a bar, and because it's still summer vacation here (in a "college town"), it was pretty dead. But we still had a good time. We befriended the bartender and the six Italians who were actually there. It was a very good night, my first night out in Bologna! That is why I didn't have time to blog last night!
More pix later...
xoxo
P.S. A lot of you have been emailing/facebooking me, and I love it! You can also leave comments here on my blog, I would love that too. It's always so good to hear from everyone, I really appreciate it!
27 August 2009
Day 4! HO TROVATO UN'APARTAMENTO
I FOUND AN APARTMENT! I am so excited and relieved. I can't believe I found one so quickly, and it's such a huge weight off my shoulders. I have been on cloud 9 all day because of it. I called this morning and made an appointment, so Maria and I went to go see it at noon. I really liked it then, but asked if I could think about it and call tomorrow morning. But I acutally called back this evening and went back to ask a few more questions and secure my place. I just had a really good feeling about it from the beginning, and the more I thought about it, the more I knew that it's where I belong this year.
The apartment is on Via Righi, which is right in the middle of town and very close to the hotel and the BCSP office. It is on the 4th floor (technically the 5th), and there isn't an elevator. But I am used to stairs, having lived on the 4th floor of Collins for the past two years! The apartment takes up the entire top floor of the building, so it is quite roomy by Italian standards. There is a huge double room, where I will be living with another girl. My room faces south, and the wall is almost completely windows! There are two other rooms which are singles, a bathroom with a sunny window overlooking the terrace, a decently sized kitchen, and a HUGE, beautiful, sunny, perfect terrace. The view is so beautiful, and thanks to all the windows, there is so much light in the apartment. I really really love it. I will take pix as soon as I move in so everyone can see it!
My roommates are really really nice, too. Right now there is a girl Elena and a boy Giuseppe, and there will be another girl sharing my room, but I don't know who yet. Elena knows some English, and she is very good about being able to tell when I don't understand what she is saying. Guiseppe speaks much more quickly than Elena does, but speaking to him will be a good challenge for me every day. I really had a great feeling about this place even after just talking to Elena and Guiseppe on the phone to make the appointment. I just know somehow that this is the place for me!
Rodolfo, Maria, and I went to a little bar for lunch. I had a piadina (like a flatbread sandwich) with speck ham and mozzarella cheese. I almost wept it was so delicious!
Then we had to go back to the office for a meeting about our pre-session classes. We met the two teachers, Christine and Clara! They were really intimidating at first, but turned out to be sooo nice and easy to talk to. We all had to take a little placement test because we will be split into two groups for the pre-session based on skill level. I fully expect to be in the lower group, but that is fine with me. I need all the help I can get right now!
We had an "aperitivo" after the test with the teachers, Andrea and Danielle, and some really friently Italian students. Aperitivo (appetizer) is a thing that Italians do before dinner and consists of wine or other drinks with little snack type foods eaten standing up. This one was provided for us for free, but it's a really nice thing to have at a restaurant because you just have to pay for a glass of wine, and then you can eat all the appetizers that you want to! Anyway it was delicious of course! We had prosecco, which is kind of like champagne, and all kinds of little sandwich type things with ham, mushroom, zucchini, tomatoes, cheeses, and I don't even know what else, and then there were these little cream puff type things called bigne' and tarts with strawberries on top. All of the Italian students were so nice and super friendly, as well as patient with my limited vocabulary! I think it will be easier to make friends with Italians than I thought it would be. It's so funny because they are very stand-offish in public, like when walking down the street, but they really are very cordial, warm, and welcoming when you talk to them.
Well, it's going to be an early night for me. I don't really have anything else to do right now, so I need to catch up on my sleep!
xoxo
more pix!
The apartment is on Via Righi, which is right in the middle of town and very close to the hotel and the BCSP office. It is on the 4th floor (technically the 5th), and there isn't an elevator. But I am used to stairs, having lived on the 4th floor of Collins for the past two years! The apartment takes up the entire top floor of the building, so it is quite roomy by Italian standards. There is a huge double room, where I will be living with another girl. My room faces south, and the wall is almost completely windows! There are two other rooms which are singles, a bathroom with a sunny window overlooking the terrace, a decently sized kitchen, and a HUGE, beautiful, sunny, perfect terrace. The view is so beautiful, and thanks to all the windows, there is so much light in the apartment. I really really love it. I will take pix as soon as I move in so everyone can see it!
My roommates are really really nice, too. Right now there is a girl Elena and a boy Giuseppe, and there will be another girl sharing my room, but I don't know who yet. Elena knows some English, and she is very good about being able to tell when I don't understand what she is saying. Guiseppe speaks much more quickly than Elena does, but speaking to him will be a good challenge for me every day. I really had a great feeling about this place even after just talking to Elena and Guiseppe on the phone to make the appointment. I just know somehow that this is the place for me!
Rodolfo, Maria, and I went to a little bar for lunch. I had a piadina (like a flatbread sandwich) with speck ham and mozzarella cheese. I almost wept it was so delicious!
Then we had to go back to the office for a meeting about our pre-session classes. We met the two teachers, Christine and Clara! They were really intimidating at first, but turned out to be sooo nice and easy to talk to. We all had to take a little placement test because we will be split into two groups for the pre-session based on skill level. I fully expect to be in the lower group, but that is fine with me. I need all the help I can get right now!
We had an "aperitivo" after the test with the teachers, Andrea and Danielle, and some really friently Italian students. Aperitivo (appetizer) is a thing that Italians do before dinner and consists of wine or other drinks with little snack type foods eaten standing up. This one was provided for us for free, but it's a really nice thing to have at a restaurant because you just have to pay for a glass of wine, and then you can eat all the appetizers that you want to! Anyway it was delicious of course! We had prosecco, which is kind of like champagne, and all kinds of little sandwich type things with ham, mushroom, zucchini, tomatoes, cheeses, and I don't even know what else, and then there were these little cream puff type things called bigne' and tarts with strawberries on top. All of the Italian students were so nice and super friendly, as well as patient with my limited vocabulary! I think it will be easier to make friends with Italians than I thought it would be. It's so funny because they are very stand-offish in public, like when walking down the street, but they really are very cordial, warm, and welcoming when you talk to them.
Well, it's going to be an early night for me. I don't really have anything else to do right now, so I need to catch up on my sleep!
xoxo
more pix!
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