Bear With Me--Lots of Thoughts

There have been many different revelations for me throughout this past school week. I have made some realizations about the amazing women I live with and also in many more aspects of Italian life and history.

I should start by talking about the wonderful women I have now lived with for almost two months. It’s hard to believe it has only been that long, because we have begun to finish one another’s sentences and call each other out for common mistakes. Each one of is so different and unique in our own way, and it has been interesting to watch this. Sam, Nicole, and I all like to talk way too much, but at the same time we still have our differences. I would begin to brag about each of the wonderful women here but I think there is a large chance ill get emotional, as i remember we only have 6 weeks left together. I can honestly say that I believe there is a reason we were each brought here, and that we are supposed to all be here together at this point in our lives. I have come to appreciate Amanda’s helpfulness, Bekah’s gentleness, Chelsea’s patience, Jackie’s wit and sarcasm, Jenna’s creativity, Lauren’s energy, Nicole’s positivity, and Sam’s friendliness. While discovering these qualities in each woman, I have found that one thing we all have is an obvious compassion, not only for our experience here in Italy but for life. Everyone realizes how amazing it has been to be here, and I each one of us will walk away changed, in a positive way, from our time in Sansepolcro.

Changing subjects from the amazing women I live with and moving onto goodbyes seems fit. This is because we only have a little more than a month left. Considering I can’t imagine leaving this place and these people, the thought of saying goodbye to it all will be incredibly difficult. After reading Frederick Buechner, as I do every night before bed, I am reminded of the significance of saying “goodbye.” Before the word goodbye was simplified, people said “God be with you.” Doesn’t this seem to be less depressing, but very touching at the same time? I closed my book, set it back on my bed side table, and promised myself that when I left these wonderful people in Sansepolcro I wouldn’t say “goodbye,” but perhaps something more uplifting. Maybe I will tell them “see you again” or “God be with you” (if I feel comfortable enough that is). Either way, I think it is important to remember how this phrase began today whether we’re leaving loved ones for a long time, or just a short while.

I will now move from collective thoughts and realizations to some experiences I’ve had this week. Wednesday the science and society class traveled to the Aboca factory a few miles away from Sansepolcro in San Giustino. Here they make many organic products and natural remedies from plants they grow themselves. When we arrived we were given white paper robes and hats to wear in order to protect all of the plants. Seeing everyone in these bland, cheap cover-ups was a hilarious moment for me. After taking pictures in our cool new wardrobes, we walked through the factory, where the different plants are dried and then processed into powders to make the different products. All of their products are grown organically, and Aboca has a certification that assures all of those plants are indeed organic. I really enjoyed grabbing an extra sprig of dried mint and crumbling it between my fingers. The smell was so fresh and delicious! After stealing the spare plants from the drying racks we went into the packaging area where we saw them making and packaging the products they make. I wanted to steal the boxes of tea and sample honeys that were being labeled, but chose to keep my hands in my pockets to avoid getting arrested. I figured it was a better idea to visit the Aboca museum and store before I left in December. Each room of the factory had some amazing scent, which filled my nostrils and then sent happy feelings through my blood stream. As if the afternoon hadn’t been amazing enough, our guide gave me a business card for her rock climbing company in San Giustino. It is my plan to find a way there before I go home!

Thursday entailed two hours of Spanish in the morning as it always does, but we moved Sara’s Italy Today class to the afternoon. This is because a man from the theater in nearby Anghiari came and to speak and show us a film about a man killed by the Mafia, “I Cento Passi.” His name is Giuseppe Impastato, and his house was one hundred steps from another man's, who was very involved with the Mafia. Giuseppe never feared the Mafia, but instead expressed his hate toward them over a radio station he created with other fearless friends. Giuseppe left home when his Dad, a boss and member of the Mafia, and him could no longer live together under Giuseppe's bitterness towards the Mafia. Giuseppe's father was killed one evening, most likely by a member of the Mafia who is still unknown. Giuseppe went on speaking his mind on the radio until the day of his set up death on May 8th, 1978. His bitterness towards the Mafia began after he witnessed the death of his uncle at the age of 15. This movie moved all of the girls and I so much, and I think that everyone will agree with me when I say that we were speechless after the movie. I was disgusted by the Mafia after seeing this movie and reading about them in Italy Today.

Friday was my second week at the elementary school, Maestre Pie in Sansepolcro. This week I went to the school a little more prepared than last week and had some Halloween activities for my three classes. The first class was a level V class, and we colored a haunted house. The challenge came when I told them to “color the roof orange” in English. With a little help thekids did a good job, and next I had the level I students who would have to color pumpkins of a certain number a specific color. They all gave me the same helpless look that I often give my Italian teacher when I have no idea what she has said. After realizing they didn’t understand what I was asking I began to walk around and help students individually. This was a nice feeling, because I knew I was making closer connections with the students. Another way that I benefit from going into the schools is when the students are talking in Italian and force me to practice mine. I am almost positive that I ended up at the school where the lease amount of English is spoken to students. After being frustrated last week, I tried to accept it as a challenge this week. Each week I am taught some simple word that I use over and over again while I am with my students. This week that word was questa which means “this” and I could use it over and over again to ask the children simple questions. Because I was also teaching them some Halloween words in English, I learned some of them in Italian, strega which means witch. Some of the pictures I had drawn on the chalkboard were so terrible that it was hard to identify what they were, but when they said it in Italian I looked up the word and told them if they were correct. When you teach elementary school level children English, you feel a little stupid if you don’t go into it knowing a pretty good amount. This has challenged me to study more, and the kids have become a sort of motivation for my Italian studies.

After class on Friday we were having some special guests from The University of Rochester in New York that have been studying in Arezzo for the semester. My only concern after their visit was why we hadn’t met them earlier. They were all so kind and I shared some great conversation with some of them, specifically one girl Rashiida, who is the also a sophomore and sat beside me at lunch. She is majoring in anthropology, like my sister did at Davidson, and she is also majoring in international studies. We had really good conversation about culture and differences of each human. She has had classes about these topics, but I am just interested in theme on a non scholarly level. It is fascinating that people come from so many different cultures, backgrounds, and families. We talked about our realizations that if everyone were the same than we may all lose our individuality. Sometimes it seems that if we all thought a like the world could be better, but I think that if it wasn’t for all of the creative thoughts from the billions on the Earth we wouldn’t be at the place we are today. People must also challenge themselves through experience, because I truly believe it is through experience that you learn some of life’s greatest lessons. We all exchanged numbers with different students from Rochester and hope to see them again soon. We will all go through Arezzo soon and be able to reconnect over a cup of coffee, or some food. Luckily none of them seemed to be big baseball fans, so my fear of having Yankees fans in MY palazzo never was a concern.

Now it is a beautiful Saturday in Sansepolcro, as the sun peaks through the dark clouds, which fill the sky and the beautiful valleys and farm lands seem to go on for eternity as Nicole and I run beside the river. Life is good here in Sansepolcro, and for at least the rest of the afternoon I must be productive by sitting with Carlo Levi’s biography. This means I must put down the computer and resist a college student’s #1 source of procrastination, Facebook. While listening in the most recent Vintage 21 sermon yesterday, I learned that over 50 million people are subscribed to Facebook and spend a total of over 6 billion minutes on it a day. I wish this would have made me feel bad enough to stay off of it for a long time, but I think it’s now a disturbing addiction. As Conan O’Brian says, by the end of 2009 the 3 different worldwide sites Twitter, MySpace ,and Facebook will combine to make youtwitface.com. I found that quite humorous. Hope you enjoyed bearing through all of my thoughts from the past five days! Now to get down to business! ciao