Oggi, studio per exam domani. Exam e su passato, regolare/irregolare, e perfetto e imperfetto.
Tempo e freddo oggi, ma settimana prima temo avuto calda.
Scuola e bene, e Firenze e bella. Sono lieto, e mi piace Italia. Manco America e mia casa, ma vado a America in Decembre. Adesso, sono in Firenze, e mi piace.
Arrividerci!
-KB
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Week 3: Wardrobe advice and feeling like a Florentine.
Another quick word of advice to future ACM Study Abroad students: BRING ENOUGH CLOTHING. I cannot stress that enough. I realize that packing light is important. However, I made the mistake of packing too light. As of now, I’ve more spent more money than I planned on clothes.T-shirts are a good choice, especially in solid, neutral colors. That way, they are easy to match with a pair of pants or a skirt, can be jazzed up with a necklace or scarf, and can be used with sweaters to layer outfits on colder days. T-shirts are just plain comfortable as well, which is very important. Also, jeans are a basic staple, and though this seems like it would have been obvious to me as I was packing, I’m here with a shortage of them. I have a blue pair, a brown pair, and a black pair, and though this seems like it would give me more choices, in reality it makes matching more difficult. Jeans here are EXPENSI VE, and I’ve resorted to dresses, skirts, and leggings, which seem to be a cheaper choice. Bring enough basic clothing. You and your wallet will both be glad you did.
Also, shoes are incredibly important. I brought two pairs of shoes with me, thinking it would be plenty. However, when both started giving me blisters, I knew I had to drop a few euros on footwear or else there would be blood. Sigh. I hate spending money. I bought a cheap pair of flip-flops from a street vendor in Monterosso, and then invested in a pair of comfy boots (probably Payless equivalent) for when it gets colder. So, my advice to all of you: make sure you consider your footwear carefully before bringing it. Walk in it, make sure it’s comfortable, and make sure you’re comfortable wearing it.
This is the beginning of my third week in Florence, and I’m finally starting to feel like I live here. I ride the buses to and from school, I can (very nearly) get around without a map, I know where to go to get inexpensive lunch (there’s a supermarket right around the corner from Linguaviva, and they sell loaves of bread for under 1 euro), and I know where I can get good gelato. I’ve found a niche in the city, and I think I’m really falling in love with the place. This previous weekend, we took a school trip to Siena, another gorgeous city. I’m not hugely knowledgeable on the topic of medieval art and architecture, but there was one thing I saw while visiting the cathedral in Siena that stuck with me: Professor Solberg mentioned the carvings on the pulpit echoing the style of Roman Sarcophagus carvings, and immediately I perked up. Classics! I know this stuff! Examining the carvings, I was reminded of the sarcophagi in the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. Like the various examples of Roman sarcophagi in the museum, this pulpit had deep, precise carvings, and figures that were very 3-dementional and lifelike. The pulpit was carved by Pisano between 1265 and 1268, and the carvings depict the life of Jesus from the time of his birth until his ascension into heaven.
On the way back from Siena, we stopped at a Tuscan town who's name escapes me, where there was a wine festival going on. We spent about an hour there, tasting some good wine and eating more gelato. I have a feeling I’m going to develop a taste for good wine while I’m here, then go back home and become a wine snob. The only real knowledge of wine I have now is that I generally like whites better than reds, and I generally like dry rather than sweet, but that changes depending on what I’m in the mood for. I wonder if my opinions will become more sophisticated as the trip goes on. So far I haven’t been purchasing alcohol very frequently because I’m so budget-conscious, but I can taste a few more wines while I’m here, right?
My Italian is still broken and beginner-ish, but I’ve begun to be able to understand whole phrases from hearing people speak on the street or in my host family. Generally I can understand more than I can speak, but I’m hoping that will change soon. Being immersed in a group of people that speak a certain language is definitely the best way to learn it. I just need to stop pronouncing everything like Latin. Hopefully this week goes well. I’ll update again when I can and let all of you know!
Arrividerci!
K
Also, shoes are incredibly important. I brought two pairs of shoes with me, thinking it would be plenty. However, when both started giving me blisters, I knew I had to drop a few euros on footwear or else there would be blood. Sigh. I hate spending money. I bought a cheap pair of flip-flops from a street vendor in Monterosso, and then invested in a pair of comfy boots (probably Payless equivalent) for when it gets colder. So, my advice to all of you: make sure you consider your footwear carefully before bringing it. Walk in it, make sure it’s comfortable, and make sure you’re comfortable wearing it.
This is the beginning of my third week in Florence, and I’m finally starting to feel like I live here. I ride the buses to and from school, I can (very nearly) get around without a map, I know where to go to get inexpensive lunch (there’s a supermarket right around the corner from Linguaviva, and they sell loaves of bread for under 1 euro), and I know where I can get good gelato. I’ve found a niche in the city, and I think I’m really falling in love with the place. This previous weekend, we took a school trip to Siena, another gorgeous city. I’m not hugely knowledgeable on the topic of medieval art and architecture, but there was one thing I saw while visiting the cathedral in Siena that stuck with me: Professor Solberg mentioned the carvings on the pulpit echoing the style of Roman Sarcophagus carvings, and immediately I perked up. Classics! I know this stuff! Examining the carvings, I was reminded of the sarcophagi in the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. Like the various examples of Roman sarcophagi in the museum, this pulpit had deep, precise carvings, and figures that were very 3-dementional and lifelike. The pulpit was carved by Pisano between 1265 and 1268, and the carvings depict the life of Jesus from the time of his birth until his ascension into heaven.
On the way back from Siena, we stopped at a Tuscan town who's name escapes me, where there was a wine festival going on. We spent about an hour there, tasting some good wine and eating more gelato. I have a feeling I’m going to develop a taste for good wine while I’m here, then go back home and become a wine snob. The only real knowledge of wine I have now is that I generally like whites better than reds, and I generally like dry rather than sweet, but that changes depending on what I’m in the mood for. I wonder if my opinions will become more sophisticated as the trip goes on. So far I haven’t been purchasing alcohol very frequently because I’m so budget-conscious, but I can taste a few more wines while I’m here, right?
My Italian is still broken and beginner-ish, but I’ve begun to be able to understand whole phrases from hearing people speak on the street or in my host family. Generally I can understand more than I can speak, but I’m hoping that will change soon. Being immersed in a group of people that speak a certain language is definitely the best way to learn it. I just need to stop pronouncing everything like Latin. Hopefully this week goes well. I’ll update again when I can and let all of you know!
Arrividerci!
K
Friday, September 10, 2010
Quick update:
Eight minutes left of "caffe" break.
I'd just like to point out quickly that my host mom is amazing. I've been feeling a bit sick for the past few days and when she caught wind of it, she got all concerned, gave me aspirin, and sent me to bed. She promised vegetable soup for me today. Being so far away from home, it's nice to have someone to take care of me when I need it.
I'm still loving Florence. On Wednesday, a few of us went over to the Duomo and climbed the many stairs to the balcony along the facade that they only open once a year. I have pictures that I will try to attach, if I have time. Steph and I got gelato on the way back. Ah, gelato, what a vice you are already...
More later when I have more time!
I'd just like to point out quickly that my host mom is amazing. I've been feeling a bit sick for the past few days and when she caught wind of it, she got all concerned, gave me aspirin, and sent me to bed. She promised vegetable soup for me today. Being so far away from home, it's nice to have someone to take care of me when I need it.
I'm still loving Florence. On Wednesday, a few of us went over to the Duomo and climbed the many stairs to the balcony along the facade that they only open once a year. I have pictures that I will try to attach, if I have time. Steph and I got gelato on the way back. Ah, gelato, what a vice you are already...
More later when I have more time!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Bring on the second week!
Alright. Eventful past few days. To start off, I'm going to offer some advice to students who want to study abroad, especially in Florence, in the future.
1. Bring MORE THAN ONE power adapter.
2. Bring shoes you feel comfortable wearing and walking a lot in... blisters are no fun.
3. Keep a positive attitude about things, because in the end they're not that bad.
4. Enjoy the food.
5. Interact with your host family. Ask them to teach you things or do things with you.
6. It's okay to be homesick.
Now that those things are out of the way...
Firenze is treating me well. I've solved my electrical issues, so hopefully I won't have any more computer problems. And I went to Cinque Terra this weekend, which was absolutely amazing. A bunch of Linguaviva students went on a bus to Monterosso, and we took a train to Vernazzo. Swimming in the Mediterranean, white wine, pasta and pesto, coffee flavored gelato... perfect day.
I know I keep mentioning the food here... but food is one of my passions. I asked my host mother if she'd teach me to cook Italian food, and her face lit up. "Si, si! You help me!" Considering it kind of felt tense between us for a few days because my Italian isn't that good and her English is limited, I think that was a major ice breaker. I'm glad I suggested it. I want to get to know my host family.
Today begins the second week of my study abroad experience. The first week was difficult, but already I think I've grown from it. So... bring it on!
Arrivederci!
1. Bring MORE THAN ONE power adapter.
2. Bring shoes you feel comfortable wearing and walking a lot in... blisters are no fun.
3. Keep a positive attitude about things, because in the end they're not that bad.
4. Enjoy the food.
5. Interact with your host family. Ask them to teach you things or do things with you.
6. It's okay to be homesick.
Now that those things are out of the way...
Firenze is treating me well. I've solved my electrical issues, so hopefully I won't have any more computer problems. And I went to Cinque Terra this weekend, which was absolutely amazing. A bunch of Linguaviva students went on a bus to Monterosso, and we took a train to Vernazzo. Swimming in the Mediterranean, white wine, pasta and pesto, coffee flavored gelato... perfect day.
I know I keep mentioning the food here... but food is one of my passions. I asked my host mother if she'd teach me to cook Italian food, and her face lit up. "Si, si! You help me!" Considering it kind of felt tense between us for a few days because my Italian isn't that good and her English is limited, I think that was a major ice breaker. I'm glad I suggested it. I want to get to know my host family.
Today begins the second week of my study abroad experience. The first week was difficult, but already I think I've grown from it. So... bring it on!
Arrivederci!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Moving Day!
Today, we're moving in with host families.
Honestly, I'm nervous.
What if the woman I'm staying with doesn't speak any English? My Italian is, of course, quite limited...
"Buona sera, mi chiamo Kate. Sono studentessa Americana, e sono di Wichita, Kansas. Piacere!"
Okay, I can pretty much introduce myself. I can ask for things, say thank you, you're welcome, and count to 100. That's a lot for only three days of class, but not nearly enough to start conversing with a native speaker. I hope she knows at least a little bit of English, so we can communicate better.
I have 35 minutes before I have to take all of my bags down to the Linguaviva entrance and find Rachel, who will be my roommate for the next three months. Then we take a taxi to where we will be living.
I've been looking forward to this forever, but honestly right now I'm terribly anxious.
I don't know when I'll be able to get online again, so... arrividerci for now!
-Kate
Honestly, I'm nervous.
What if the woman I'm staying with doesn't speak any English? My Italian is, of course, quite limited...
"Buona sera, mi chiamo Kate. Sono studentessa Americana, e sono di Wichita, Kansas. Piacere!"
Okay, I can pretty much introduce myself. I can ask for things, say thank you, you're welcome, and count to 100. That's a lot for only three days of class, but not nearly enough to start conversing with a native speaker. I hope she knows at least a little bit of English, so we can communicate better.
I have 35 minutes before I have to take all of my bags down to the Linguaviva entrance and find Rachel, who will be my roommate for the next three months. Then we take a taxi to where we will be living.
I've been looking forward to this forever, but honestly right now I'm terribly anxious.
I don't know when I'll be able to get online again, so... arrividerci for now!
-Kate
Monday, August 30, 2010
Arrival, first day, and such.
So here I am, sitting in the fourth floor hallway of the building that houses the Linguaviva school and also the hotel where we are staying the next couple of days before we move in with our host families. I can only access the wireless connection from the hallway, so here I am.
Elizabeth and I left Kansas City on Saturday, and it already seems like a lifetime ago. The flights were pretty uneventful, and I figured the whole trip would be easy. Once we hit the trains though, that kind of changed. The train from the Rome airport to the Termini station in Rome was on time and uneventful, like the flights, but catching the train to Florence from Rome became another story entirely. Either the guy at the ticket booth back at the airport sold us the wrong tickets, or we got on the wrong train, but somehow we ended up on the regular train instead of the Eurostar. This put us behind schedule about two hours, and by the time we reached Florence, it was 7pm and time to meet with the rest of the group with no time to freshen up or anything. Thankfully we got a few minutes for that before dinner....
Dinner was interesting. We ate at a pizza place, and instead of ordering a pizza to split between three or four people, you order an entire pizza for yourself. My first thought was that I would hardly be able to eat any of it, but I actually ended up finishing more than half. The crust is thin and the toppings are a lot more thinly spaced than on American pizza. I'm hoping that the food I eat here will be healthier than the food at home.
We have some kind of orientation soon, so I should wrap this up... so quickly, here were my first thoughts of Florence: At first glance, it looks like Istanbul, which I visited this spring. The streets are narrow, the buildings are close together, and there are pedestrians EVERYWHERE. I've only seen the old part of the city so far (which is what I saw of Istanbul as well), but I think it's gorgeous. I wonder where my host family will live... I hope it's close enough where I can walk to school.
Anyway I'm off now. Will update again soon.
Peace, love, and all that :)
-Kate
Elizabeth and I left Kansas City on Saturday, and it already seems like a lifetime ago. The flights were pretty uneventful, and I figured the whole trip would be easy. Once we hit the trains though, that kind of changed. The train from the Rome airport to the Termini station in Rome was on time and uneventful, like the flights, but catching the train to Florence from Rome became another story entirely. Either the guy at the ticket booth back at the airport sold us the wrong tickets, or we got on the wrong train, but somehow we ended up on the regular train instead of the Eurostar. This put us behind schedule about two hours, and by the time we reached Florence, it was 7pm and time to meet with the rest of the group with no time to freshen up or anything. Thankfully we got a few minutes for that before dinner....
Dinner was interesting. We ate at a pizza place, and instead of ordering a pizza to split between three or four people, you order an entire pizza for yourself. My first thought was that I would hardly be able to eat any of it, but I actually ended up finishing more than half. The crust is thin and the toppings are a lot more thinly spaced than on American pizza. I'm hoping that the food I eat here will be healthier than the food at home.
We have some kind of orientation soon, so I should wrap this up... so quickly, here were my first thoughts of Florence: At first glance, it looks like Istanbul, which I visited this spring. The streets are narrow, the buildings are close together, and there are pedestrians EVERYWHERE. I've only seen the old part of the city so far (which is what I saw of Istanbul as well), but I think it's gorgeous. I wonder where my host family will live... I hope it's close enough where I can walk to school.
Anyway I'm off now. Will update again soon.
Peace, love, and all that :)
-Kate
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Saying "arrivederci!"
17 days until takeoff... I think this is when I start to freak out a little bit.
I think I have everything I need for the semester: clothes, books, etc. Now all I have to do is enjoy the 2 1/2 weeks I have at home, and mentally gear up for this huge adventure.
It's going to be strange not being able to come home for three months straight. I mean, Monmouth College is about nine hours from where my family lives, and that's further from home than most people I know. Still, I'm able to come home at every major break, thanks to Amtrak. Not this semester though. I've got a feeling that I'll be too busy to be homesick anyway. I will miss my family and friends quite a bit though.
So, my goal for these last 17 days is to enjoy every last one of them.
I think I have everything I need for the semester: clothes, books, etc. Now all I have to do is enjoy the 2 1/2 weeks I have at home, and mentally gear up for this huge adventure.
It's going to be strange not being able to come home for three months straight. I mean, Monmouth College is about nine hours from where my family lives, and that's further from home than most people I know. Still, I'm able to come home at every major break, thanks to Amtrak. Not this semester though. I've got a feeling that I'll be too busy to be homesick anyway. I will miss my family and friends quite a bit though.
So, my goal for these last 17 days is to enjoy every last one of them.
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