The second heaven sighting happened for me on Friday when our Italian teacher, Ciara, took us to Perugina, the largest chocolate factory in Italy. In the factory 120 lines run each day to produce more types of chocolate than I should probably know about if I want to continue to lose weight here. The factory was first owned by two families, one of which was Sansepolcro’s own Buitoni family. God bless their idea to put the factory in Perugia, very close to Sansepolcro, but also God bless them for expanding it to be as large as it is today. After hearing about the factory we got a tour of it. As soon as I walked into the factory the scent of chocolate filled my nose and my pupils probably looked as though they were dialated. There was chocolate pouring into molds and flying down conveyer belts everywhere I looked. Baci are the chocolate/hazelnut candy popular to Perugia and only made at Perugina. There are 1500 of them made every minute of every day. That is a lot of Baci, a lot of Baci for Hannah to eat! It was apparent I had stepped out of heaven when I stepped into the gift shop and was repeatedly confronted by an “Italian” American woman. She asked if we were Americans and then went on to say that we were in her group’s way and we were being rude. I was quickly set off by this woman, who seemed American and judged me to be rude solely because I was American. She went on to tell us that she was American, but that we were “in her country.” Don’t worry; I was confused by this also. I tried to forget how offended she had made me and went on to have a great day with my friends and our teacher Ciara over a great lunch, which included one finally Italian lesson. She is done teaching us and our new teacher, Francesca, will come tomorrow. I experienced the mini metro on the way to the train station for Ferrara. The “mini metro” is a small one car metro which is run by computers I assume, as there was no driver.
From Perugia is was off to Ferrara where we were staying with our friend Giacomo and meeting up with Nicole, who studied in Ferrara last fall. We were too tired to last into the night the way the Italians do and got to sleep after a trip to LoboLoco, a bar Nicole took us to with the sweetest bartender. We got up a little later than planned and walked faster than the average American (so this is way faster than the average Italian) to get to the train station for our train to Venice. I think Samantha, Vi, and I all had a chance to catch up on our sleep on the full train to Venice, and when we arrived it was pouring. We were told it may rain, but we didn’t want to listen to anyone. We stepped out into the city and less than thirty minutes after being there we were all soaked. We each weighed about 10 more pounds than we had upon arrival simply because we were so wet! At one point Samantha and I walked straight through a puddle filling our shoes with even more water, looked at one another and could do nothing more but laugh. We reached the point where we decided we would only “see” Venice, we would not be “doing” Venice. I must include that another reason for time loss was the two and a half hour search for the Hard Rock Café where we ate burgers that CAME with fries and drank diet Pepsi (not Coke) which had free refills. I am ashamed to have gone there and spent the 25 euro I did on my meal, but was completely content on getting my one American meal complete with free refills and Rolling Stones playing in the back ground. It was time to accomplish our next and last mission for the day before returning back to Ferrara, going to Murano by way of the water bus. This city is the one known for its glass making and it had a charm which I enjoyed, especially when the sun began to peak through the clouds and force me to pull out my sunglasses. I peeked into a window to find a man (or perhaps it WAS a woman) blowing glass to create what looked like a wine stopper. This art has always fascinated me because blowing glass is a tedious job, which can make things frustrating. I have a friend from the summer who blew glass in his garage and had to keep everything he was working on at a certain temperature, while moving, and while making sure air was being circulated. I ended up making some good purchases before we left to head back to Venice. This time we took the water bus directly to the train station, and wished we had known about the stop upon our arrival in the down pour. It would have been nice to learn about a more convenient way around ahead of time, but would have made for an unexciting day. I left Venice planning to return back, and while I probably won’t make it back this time, next time I’m in Italy I will return!
We boarded another full train and Sam, Vi, and I were split up again, but this time Vi and I were sitting across from each other and beside two German men. After about fifteen minutes I decided they had to be German but I wanted to ask. I didn’t know whether to ask in Italian or English or at all. I am glad I asked because these two young men turned out to be very nice and know a lot of English. They taught me a few simple German words and after they got off Vi continued my language lesson by teaching me to count in Vietnamese. Vi and I ate a small dinner and instead of heading off for the discotecha we decided to return to Giacomo’s. Today we all got some extra sleep and Nicole showed us all the places she loves in Ferrara. The city reminds me of Sansepolcro in a way, but larger and with more stores (ones that I can afford) and many more bikes! Arriving back in Sansepolcro gave me the same bittersweet feeling it always does. There is a sad feeling that another weekend is over here in beautiful Italy, but amazing feeling of being “home” in Sansepolcro, which overwhelms me. I have sat down and written another blog as I always do Sunday nights upon my return, and I’ll now retreat to bed thinking about all of the things I should have done tonight before sleep, but won’t do because of sheer exhaustion. Buono notte!
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:2
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Good Wine and Good Company
More days have passed in this beautiful Tuscan town of Sansepolcro. Things have calmed down with exams completed and the trustees preparing to leave. This leaves me with mixed emotions as an amazing art history class ends and new friends from the Meredith college community are made. The guests will be gone upon my return from Venice and Ferrara for the weekend, which will be strange. It seems they have had a way of teaching me many things while they were here that I didn’t know about Meredith.
Important guests mean fun activities, and one of these which we were invited to was a wine tasting. Yes, I had a wine tasting with the president of my college and some of the most important faculty, trustees, and alumnae. I felt like a professional of wine after these few hours of counting “legs” on a wine glass to see how much wine content it contained along with smelling it for certain fruits and flowers. Call me crazy but I always connected grapes with wine, not pears and other fruits or flowers. Italy as most people know is known for their wine, but it is no wonder because Italy has over 300 kinds of grapes. This blew my mind, but also made it possible for me to realize how people can compare wines and actually taste many differences. Rose wine alone can be made in many ways. You can mix different types of grapes, only use the flesh of the grape, or use red grapes to create your desired red wine. My dad made beer while I was growing up and the process has always fascinated me. After the wine tasting I am fascinated with the way the thousands of different wines in Italy are made. It’s not just some smashed grapes in a wooden barrel. The barrels are of certain wood, the grapes of certain vines and locations, and the “smashing” of a certain art. The location of the wine tasting and the detail explained for such things began to fascinate me. I assume I will have to continue tasting them while I am legally allowed, then when I return to the states I can show people how to properly open their wine bottles and teach them about their wine.
The company of the people at the wine tasting added to its amazing atmosphere. The arrival of these important Meredith faculty and friends has brought with it amazingly long lunches that include some great conversation. I feel lucky to get to talk to women who graduated from Meredith in 1946 and still love the college so much that they would come for the opening of the Palazzo Alberti. Also, having president Hartford here along with the trustees reminded me of how important this was to them also. This place has become like a home and knowing that I have made one of the best decisions of my life by coming to Sansepolcro is something I cannot describe to anyone. I believe the only other people that can truly understand it are the other 8 girls studying here with me. If I think about December 6th ill just break down into tears. For now I must sleep because there is a long weekend ahead after a busy week with little sleep included!
Can’t wait to tell about the next adventure CIAO AMICI
:)
Important guests mean fun activities, and one of these which we were invited to was a wine tasting. Yes, I had a wine tasting with the president of my college and some of the most important faculty, trustees, and alumnae. I felt like a professional of wine after these few hours of counting “legs” on a wine glass to see how much wine content it contained along with smelling it for certain fruits and flowers. Call me crazy but I always connected grapes with wine, not pears and other fruits or flowers. Italy as most people know is known for their wine, but it is no wonder because Italy has over 300 kinds of grapes. This blew my mind, but also made it possible for me to realize how people can compare wines and actually taste many differences. Rose wine alone can be made in many ways. You can mix different types of grapes, only use the flesh of the grape, or use red grapes to create your desired red wine. My dad made beer while I was growing up and the process has always fascinated me. After the wine tasting I am fascinated with the way the thousands of different wines in Italy are made. It’s not just some smashed grapes in a wooden barrel. The barrels are of certain wood, the grapes of certain vines and locations, and the “smashing” of a certain art. The location of the wine tasting and the detail explained for such things began to fascinate me. I assume I will have to continue tasting them while I am legally allowed, then when I return to the states I can show people how to properly open their wine bottles and teach them about their wine.
The company of the people at the wine tasting added to its amazing atmosphere. The arrival of these important Meredith faculty and friends has brought with it amazingly long lunches that include some great conversation. I feel lucky to get to talk to women who graduated from Meredith in 1946 and still love the college so much that they would come for the opening of the Palazzo Alberti. Also, having president Hartford here along with the trustees reminded me of how important this was to them also. This place has become like a home and knowing that I have made one of the best decisions of my life by coming to Sansepolcro is something I cannot describe to anyone. I believe the only other people that can truly understand it are the other 8 girls studying here with me. If I think about December 6th ill just break down into tears. For now I must sleep because there is a long weekend ahead after a busy week with little sleep included!
Can’t wait to tell about the next adventure CIAO AMICI
:)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
grand opening weekend!
Oh my, I can’t begin to describe how tired I am, but I also won’t get a chance to explain WHY I am as tired as I am if I don’t blog tonight. Where to begin? Who know the weekend that wore me out the most so far would be the weekend I stayed in Sansepolcro? This weekend was the grand opening of the Palazzo Alberti, home of Meredith College in Italy, OFFICIALLY! I feel honored to be one of the “immortal nine” as we like to refer to ourselves as, and while it has been tiring to remain charming it has been truly amazing to meet so many alumni and friends of the college.
While I would love to tell the story of the night before all of our guests arrived, I must condense it for the sake of its ridiculousness. We all decided we would enjoy ourselves and the company of one another one more time before the madness began so we went to KCafe. I discovered a guy I had noticed, who works at the bar with his girlfriend and to make the story short we caused a scene in one of the most popular bars in the city! No, no girlfriends of crushes were hurt in this story but it was too funny not to mention, even I am not telling it in its entirety.
Saturday morning as soon we were out of the bed we began to prepare to for the day’s activities. I quickly learned where the flower shop was, and how fast a palazzo can be cleaned with teamwork. We all pitched in and did exactly as directed by Dr. Webb before picking up our guests. Ellen Goode, a professor and wonderful women, brought with her a whole bag of goodies for me, so I was beyond happy to see her. I am now happy to say I now have a beautiful Canon powershot camera and lots of orbit. My dad even slipped in his favorite, Winterfresh and a CD of his music for me! The holey pajamas are currently being worn, and while the hole is too big to even keep my legs warm, I am happy to have received them! Back to what is REALLY important…
After everyone arrived, they came here for an open house and we got to meet all of the wonderful guests that came for the grand opening. This included president Hartford, Dr. Jackson and some other important faces from campus. It was nice to know how much this all means to these people, because this place has already become a second home for us young women. I have realized all of the hard work that has been put into making this all possible, so seeing this weekend finally arrive was exciting, even in the midst of a lot of school work! We visited on of St. Francis’ favorite city with everyone and I had another “moment.” Over the hills and on top of a mountain there were three crosses. I was reminded of how lucky I am to be here! When we returned from Montecasele it was time to attach myself to a chair for the rest of the evening to work on my paper. After four or five hours of work I went to bed so that when I woke up Sunday for the 5K race in San Justino I would be able to run it.
Sunday marked the day of my first ever run in an official race. A 5K, and in Italy which makes it even better! Nicole and I signed up to run and after the Swabb’s arrival less than twenty-four hours before, they chose to run with us too (the Swabb’s are here to teach the science and society class). It was hard to compare a race in Italy to one in the US when I had only been in track meets in the US. This race started with the smaller children’s races in which they ran about 200 meters. I was questioning whether I should have just signed up for that race right before we began. Finally it was time for all the big kids to begin the race. Now before I go any further let me clarify two things. One is that I was not in the 14k competitive race, but the non-competitive 5k race. A girl has to work her way up, you must understand. Second of all I must clarify that apparently being time for the “big kid race” included boys around the age of 12. The reason I know this age was included was because for the first four kilometers of the race, I was in fact racing a 10 to 12 year old little boy. During the third kilometer we were running side my side and I turn to notice that he is looking at me as if he wants to really race me. It was fun to run with him but by the last kilometer he had gotten ahead. Ill blame my “older legs” for beating him, but it is surely to not happen with the next young boy. One thing I will say I know they don’t do in races in the US is give away free cheese to everyone who ran. After the race, we turned in our numbers and each got a bag of goodies which included a one pound slab of cheese. Let’s just say, it was all worth it. Incase you were wondering the man who won the competitive 14 kilometer race was a Kenyan man that came in about three minutes after me making his time only 40 minutes. How people go that fast, I will never know.
Once we found John Rose amongst the crowd, we rushed back to the Palazzo to prepare for a big Sunday lunch with all of the trustees and friends of the college. I was very excited that all the girls in the house were invited. We got a chance to learn about all of the people that had come, and of course eat an amazing meal that was way too large. After eating with amazing people, we rushed back to the palazzo to add finishing touches and tie the ribbon on the door to be cut. It was finally here, and I am so glad I got to be a part of it all! The mayor of Sansepolcro, the natio, and president Hartford were there to cut the ribbon with Dr. Webb and Sarah Andreini (the assistant director for the program) close by. After the ribbon cutting and a presentation by the flagmen and drummers (similar to the Ballestra), the entire town was invited into our home. There were people everywhere! It was madness. I enjoyed seeing so many people interested in the program, and the palazzo. It’s great that now the whole town will know that the palazzo is our home and we are with Meredith College. I’m hoping it means less funny looks and more hellos and questions from people in the streets! The night finished off with a beautiful concert from a choir, our own Chelsea Stith and her piano teacher, and good friends to the program singing opera. It has been a great weekend and I am so thankful for our extension for our art history paper because I’m not sure I could have done such things tonight! It’s hard to be charming all day long after a 5K. Buono notte <3
While I would love to tell the story of the night before all of our guests arrived, I must condense it for the sake of its ridiculousness. We all decided we would enjoy ourselves and the company of one another one more time before the madness began so we went to KCafe. I discovered a guy I had noticed, who works at the bar with his girlfriend and to make the story short we caused a scene in one of the most popular bars in the city! No, no girlfriends of crushes were hurt in this story but it was too funny not to mention, even I am not telling it in its entirety.
Saturday morning as soon we were out of the bed we began to prepare to for the day’s activities. I quickly learned where the flower shop was, and how fast a palazzo can be cleaned with teamwork. We all pitched in and did exactly as directed by Dr. Webb before picking up our guests. Ellen Goode, a professor and wonderful women, brought with her a whole bag of goodies for me, so I was beyond happy to see her. I am now happy to say I now have a beautiful Canon powershot camera and lots of orbit. My dad even slipped in his favorite, Winterfresh and a CD of his music for me! The holey pajamas are currently being worn, and while the hole is too big to even keep my legs warm, I am happy to have received them! Back to what is REALLY important…
After everyone arrived, they came here for an open house and we got to meet all of the wonderful guests that came for the grand opening. This included president Hartford, Dr. Jackson and some other important faces from campus. It was nice to know how much this all means to these people, because this place has already become a second home for us young women. I have realized all of the hard work that has been put into making this all possible, so seeing this weekend finally arrive was exciting, even in the midst of a lot of school work! We visited on of St. Francis’ favorite city with everyone and I had another “moment.” Over the hills and on top of a mountain there were three crosses. I was reminded of how lucky I am to be here! When we returned from Montecasele it was time to attach myself to a chair for the rest of the evening to work on my paper. After four or five hours of work I went to bed so that when I woke up Sunday for the 5K race in San Justino I would be able to run it.
Sunday marked the day of my first ever run in an official race. A 5K, and in Italy which makes it even better! Nicole and I signed up to run and after the Swabb’s arrival less than twenty-four hours before, they chose to run with us too (the Swabb’s are here to teach the science and society class). It was hard to compare a race in Italy to one in the US when I had only been in track meets in the US. This race started with the smaller children’s races in which they ran about 200 meters. I was questioning whether I should have just signed up for that race right before we began. Finally it was time for all the big kids to begin the race. Now before I go any further let me clarify two things. One is that I was not in the 14k competitive race, but the non-competitive 5k race. A girl has to work her way up, you must understand. Second of all I must clarify that apparently being time for the “big kid race” included boys around the age of 12. The reason I know this age was included was because for the first four kilometers of the race, I was in fact racing a 10 to 12 year old little boy. During the third kilometer we were running side my side and I turn to notice that he is looking at me as if he wants to really race me. It was fun to run with him but by the last kilometer he had gotten ahead. Ill blame my “older legs” for beating him, but it is surely to not happen with the next young boy. One thing I will say I know they don’t do in races in the US is give away free cheese to everyone who ran. After the race, we turned in our numbers and each got a bag of goodies which included a one pound slab of cheese. Let’s just say, it was all worth it. Incase you were wondering the man who won the competitive 14 kilometer race was a Kenyan man that came in about three minutes after me making his time only 40 minutes. How people go that fast, I will never know.
Once we found John Rose amongst the crowd, we rushed back to the Palazzo to prepare for a big Sunday lunch with all of the trustees and friends of the college. I was very excited that all the girls in the house were invited. We got a chance to learn about all of the people that had come, and of course eat an amazing meal that was way too large. After eating with amazing people, we rushed back to the palazzo to add finishing touches and tie the ribbon on the door to be cut. It was finally here, and I am so glad I got to be a part of it all! The mayor of Sansepolcro, the natio, and president Hartford were there to cut the ribbon with Dr. Webb and Sarah Andreini (the assistant director for the program) close by. After the ribbon cutting and a presentation by the flagmen and drummers (similar to the Ballestra), the entire town was invited into our home. There were people everywhere! It was madness. I enjoyed seeing so many people interested in the program, and the palazzo. It’s great that now the whole town will know that the palazzo is our home and we are with Meredith College. I’m hoping it means less funny looks and more hellos and questions from people in the streets! The night finished off with a beautiful concert from a choir, our own Chelsea Stith and her piano teacher, and good friends to the program singing opera. It has been a great weekend and I am so thankful for our extension for our art history paper because I’m not sure I could have done such things tonight! It’s hard to be charming all day long after a 5K. Buono notte <3
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Heaven's New Neighbor
This afternoon I got to go to a place I’ve never been before. It was a place nothing could go wrong, where every where I looked I saw beauty, and where I could be so at peace that nothing mattered but that time. I was somewhere that felt like the heaven’s neighbor.
Ok, I was really visiting my art history professors’ home outside of the city of Sansepolcro. I would have to say that it was beautiful beyond words. Their home, the yard, the views, and the community we all shared once everyone was gathered together almost brought me to tears. There I was with this new amazing, loving community I have become a part of in Sansepolcro, Italy. The Banker’s home has the most amazing view of the valley and the mountains, and if you haven’t noticed I am completely and totally in love with the beauty of mountains. If I wasn’t before, after this afternoon it has become official. Looking beyond the hills into the mountains of Italy brought this indescribable peace to my heart. I have come to this beautiful place, and sometimes the school work creates stress, but then I get to have community with beautiful people and even take a free dance class (which I got to do this evening) and I become filled with content.
How lucky I am to be an 18 year old (just give me a few weeks to make that 19 year old!) girl in Italy with 8 amazing girls, and professors who work as hard as I do every day to make this amazing program possible. John Rose, I’m not positive that this will count as an entry to you but I really do feel as though I learned something today. I learned that we have all created a new Meredith community here in Italy and this is a beautiful opportunity. I have already been touched by each student and staff in one way or another. Dr. Webb will continue to give her grunt each time I mess up my grammar by saying “me and someone” and not “someone and *I*.” Let me clarify that Dr. Webb has taught me much more than this in her class and out, and that every single class the conversations held have almost brought me to tears. She reminds me that this is ok because I am lucky to be here, and the things we are talking about are not “light.” John Rose will continue to worry that when I stare into the distance with a worried look on my face that I am upset about something, so I will make sure to smile more. The girls in the palazzo will continue to remind me of the wonderful community we have created, and that when December 6th comes I will have the most bittersweet feelings of my life!
Wow, I am blessed. Each and every one of us having this experience is blessed. It’s only been a month and each day I learn something about myself, this beautiful city, or just the world in general. I have never felt more so full of knowledge and insight. I have learned that I CAN run 40 minutes straight, I live in a beautiful small city in Italy, and this world is full of so much evil and madness that we never think of on a daily basis! I had to take my time to release this all. Now I pray I can release an ORGANIZED 8 to 10 page research paper by Monday! CIAO till my “next release”
Ok, I was really visiting my art history professors’ home outside of the city of Sansepolcro. I would have to say that it was beautiful beyond words. Their home, the yard, the views, and the community we all shared once everyone was gathered together almost brought me to tears. There I was with this new amazing, loving community I have become a part of in Sansepolcro, Italy. The Banker’s home has the most amazing view of the valley and the mountains, and if you haven’t noticed I am completely and totally in love with the beauty of mountains. If I wasn’t before, after this afternoon it has become official. Looking beyond the hills into the mountains of Italy brought this indescribable peace to my heart. I have come to this beautiful place, and sometimes the school work creates stress, but then I get to have community with beautiful people and even take a free dance class (which I got to do this evening) and I become filled with content.
How lucky I am to be an 18 year old (just give me a few weeks to make that 19 year old!) girl in Italy with 8 amazing girls, and professors who work as hard as I do every day to make this amazing program possible. John Rose, I’m not positive that this will count as an entry to you but I really do feel as though I learned something today. I learned that we have all created a new Meredith community here in Italy and this is a beautiful opportunity. I have already been touched by each student and staff in one way or another. Dr. Webb will continue to give her grunt each time I mess up my grammar by saying “me and someone” and not “someone and *I*.” Let me clarify that Dr. Webb has taught me much more than this in her class and out, and that every single class the conversations held have almost brought me to tears. She reminds me that this is ok because I am lucky to be here, and the things we are talking about are not “light.” John Rose will continue to worry that when I stare into the distance with a worried look on my face that I am upset about something, so I will make sure to smile more. The girls in the palazzo will continue to remind me of the wonderful community we have created, and that when December 6th comes I will have the most bittersweet feelings of my life!
Wow, I am blessed. Each and every one of us having this experience is blessed. It’s only been a month and each day I learn something about myself, this beautiful city, or just the world in general. I have never felt more so full of knowledge and insight. I have learned that I CAN run 40 minutes straight, I live in a beautiful small city in Italy, and this world is full of so much evil and madness that we never think of on a daily basis! I had to take my time to release this all. Now I pray I can release an ORGANIZED 8 to 10 page research paper by Monday! CIAO till my “next release”
Sunday, September 27, 2009
im one lucky girl... who loves the mountains!
Let me begin my blog from the weekend by pointing out I have officially been here over a month. It’s hard to believe I have already been here so long, but when I think about all I have seen it seems it has been forever. I still get two months of this before I come home! How amazing it is to be in the place you know you are meant to be.
This weekend was the first of a few long weekends we get while we’re in Italy. I decided to spend mine conveniently by staying in Sansepolcro Thursday and Friday night and then in Balze on Saturday, which turned out to be a bargain. Although my budget stayed low for the weekend, all that I got to see and do was priceless. On Friday I rode to Cortona, about 45 minutes from Sansepolcro. The roads were windy but the trip was worth it because of the views we got once we were in the city. Nicole, Vi, Sam, and I, along with our friend Giacamo took a simple walk up the hills and around the town to see the beauty this city had to offer. We walked up enough hills to work up an appetite and chose a restaurant, which would come to be more formal than we imagined. Once inside we came across some other American students, who were studying art in Cortona for the semester. I started up conversation with one of the guys whose name was Nathan and he told me his brother graduated from St. Andrews. I thought “you’ve got to be joking.” I knew that he couldn’t have made this up because no one has heard of St. Andrews unless they live in Laurinburg or graduated from the school. I realized once again, it really is a small WORLD; making a Laurinburg connection in Italy, how strange. After talking with some of the students we realized that there was a girl from Meredith studying with them. Erin Campbell is studying with this group in Cortona, and we got the chance to talk to her and invite her to lunch here in Sansepolcro. I think she appreciates studying in a small town, just as all of us girls do. It makes coming home from a weekend or day trip a little more comforting. Small cities seem to have a charming way of being more welcoming. After finishing our dinner, which the waiter retrieved from the elevator to serve us, it was off to Arezzo. In Arezzo we just ended up taking a small passegata before decided to come back to Sansepolcro for the evening.
While in Arezzo, and on the return home from our trip we saw many prostitutes. I only feel I should write about this because it disturbed me enough to leave a permanent imprint on my heart. These African women lined the streets in and around Arezzo, and do so in the larger cities of Italy, such as Milan. Nicole and I learned from Giacamo that these women are often times not standing on the streets by choice, but because their lives are in danger unless they do this kind of work. I assume that pimps take these women from what they know and send them to the streets. Because police aren’t concerned about the problems of prostitution, they have come to ignore these women and they continue to do this forced work (which IS illegal in Italy.) I can’t fathom how these women must feel to be used for sex or how lonely and hurt they must feel standing on the streets of Italy each night. It is my hope that these women can escape this horrible world of prostitution, and that the people forcing them to do this work will be punished.
Turning subjects onto something more light and happy is my adventure Saturday. It was time to do some hiking, and for me missing the mountains I lived in this summer. We went to a town called Balze about 45 minutes away from Sansepolcro and tried to find some good places to hike. We first ventured down to the paths which lead us to where the Tiber River begins. It was cool to think that I was at the starting point of a river so beautiful and popular to Italy. The weather was much colder since we were in the mountains but because we were hiking we managed to be ok with the temperature. The next place we went hiking didn’t have a destination but we found a quant resort with a horse and some very cute dogs. There was beauty in a 360 degree range and I no longer felt like I was in Italy or even America, I felt like I had to be in some kind of dream. The mountains are my retreat, and I keep being reminded of that, even in a foreign country. Taking the random trail and finding all kinds of beautiful views was so peaceful for me. We returned into the town where our hotel was and after walking from the top of the town to the bottom of the town in less than 15 minutes, came to what seemed like the town’s only open restaurant. I enjoyed my fizzy white wine and pizza, and some company from friends Nicole, Vi, Giacamo and Giacamo. It was a great evening which ended sharing different Italian desserts with friends and good conversation with my friend Vi on culture and life in general. It was nice for us to talk about the cultural differences we have seen in our own communities at home, the differences between racial groups in America, and all of the differences between our culture and the American culture.
Another week of class is going to begin tomorrow, after going to Arezzo (if you haven’t learned I must go there to get to most places, or in this case to get most anything done) for our Permesso disagiorno <-couldn’t have spelled that correctly (permits to stay here as students.) I must work hard to get my term paper started before Meredith faculty and friends arrive for the opening this weekend! It’s a busy time of the semester! Ciao until next time :)
This weekend was the first of a few long weekends we get while we’re in Italy. I decided to spend mine conveniently by staying in Sansepolcro Thursday and Friday night and then in Balze on Saturday, which turned out to be a bargain. Although my budget stayed low for the weekend, all that I got to see and do was priceless. On Friday I rode to Cortona, about 45 minutes from Sansepolcro. The roads were windy but the trip was worth it because of the views we got once we were in the city. Nicole, Vi, Sam, and I, along with our friend Giacamo took a simple walk up the hills and around the town to see the beauty this city had to offer. We walked up enough hills to work up an appetite and chose a restaurant, which would come to be more formal than we imagined. Once inside we came across some other American students, who were studying art in Cortona for the semester. I started up conversation with one of the guys whose name was Nathan and he told me his brother graduated from St. Andrews. I thought “you’ve got to be joking.” I knew that he couldn’t have made this up because no one has heard of St. Andrews unless they live in Laurinburg or graduated from the school. I realized once again, it really is a small WORLD; making a Laurinburg connection in Italy, how strange. After talking with some of the students we realized that there was a girl from Meredith studying with them. Erin Campbell is studying with this group in Cortona, and we got the chance to talk to her and invite her to lunch here in Sansepolcro. I think she appreciates studying in a small town, just as all of us girls do. It makes coming home from a weekend or day trip a little more comforting. Small cities seem to have a charming way of being more welcoming. After finishing our dinner, which the waiter retrieved from the elevator to serve us, it was off to Arezzo. In Arezzo we just ended up taking a small passegata before decided to come back to Sansepolcro for the evening.
While in Arezzo, and on the return home from our trip we saw many prostitutes. I only feel I should write about this because it disturbed me enough to leave a permanent imprint on my heart. These African women lined the streets in and around Arezzo, and do so in the larger cities of Italy, such as Milan. Nicole and I learned from Giacamo that these women are often times not standing on the streets by choice, but because their lives are in danger unless they do this kind of work. I assume that pimps take these women from what they know and send them to the streets. Because police aren’t concerned about the problems of prostitution, they have come to ignore these women and they continue to do this forced work (which IS illegal in Italy.) I can’t fathom how these women must feel to be used for sex or how lonely and hurt they must feel standing on the streets of Italy each night. It is my hope that these women can escape this horrible world of prostitution, and that the people forcing them to do this work will be punished.
Turning subjects onto something more light and happy is my adventure Saturday. It was time to do some hiking, and for me missing the mountains I lived in this summer. We went to a town called Balze about 45 minutes away from Sansepolcro and tried to find some good places to hike. We first ventured down to the paths which lead us to where the Tiber River begins. It was cool to think that I was at the starting point of a river so beautiful and popular to Italy. The weather was much colder since we were in the mountains but because we were hiking we managed to be ok with the temperature. The next place we went hiking didn’t have a destination but we found a quant resort with a horse and some very cute dogs. There was beauty in a 360 degree range and I no longer felt like I was in Italy or even America, I felt like I had to be in some kind of dream. The mountains are my retreat, and I keep being reminded of that, even in a foreign country. Taking the random trail and finding all kinds of beautiful views was so peaceful for me. We returned into the town where our hotel was and after walking from the top of the town to the bottom of the town in less than 15 minutes, came to what seemed like the town’s only open restaurant. I enjoyed my fizzy white wine and pizza, and some company from friends Nicole, Vi, Giacamo and Giacamo. It was a great evening which ended sharing different Italian desserts with friends and good conversation with my friend Vi on culture and life in general. It was nice for us to talk about the cultural differences we have seen in our own communities at home, the differences between racial groups in America, and all of the differences between our culture and the American culture.
Another week of class is going to begin tomorrow, after going to Arezzo (if you haven’t learned I must go there to get to most places, or in this case to get most anything done) for our Permesso disagiorno <-couldn’t have spelled that correctly (permits to stay here as students.) I must work hard to get my term paper started before Meredith faculty and friends arrive for the opening this weekend! It’s a busy time of the semester! Ciao until next time :)
Friday, September 25, 2009
news from a week without internet!
I must vent in some way and so I am choosing to do it in a productive way by blogging! I can complain and let everyone know how I feel. The lack of convenient internet access has begun to make me crazy, but also made me realized how much I rely on an unreliable form of communication. I will always remember what Dr. Webb said about the internet, that “I knew they called it the curser for a reason.” Some days I think something out there wants to see how far I can go without completely losing it. I will not lose my mind; instead I will accept the fact that I am impatient and should not trust the internet. There are many books that I could use to type my English paper and find a topic for my art history term paper. I don’t REALLY need the internet. It is interesting to notice how frustrated I get when I don’t get the internet while writing about the limited communication during World War 2. These people were lucky when their lovers got a letter from them, but because I can’t check my Facebook or see if there is enough information on the web to write about architectural motifs in the 15th century I come close to tears. The steps we have made in communication are huge. Even though it currently requires leaning out the window, I can talk to someone using a camera and microphone, across the world for FREE. These forms of communication are gifts! I do hope my English paper turns out well, and I also hope I find a topic for my art history paper that could be done without internet, and perhaps only books. At least I would know it was possible to go without the internet if I completed my work well. (written the 22nd but getting on the blog now…)
On Wednesday we were able to go on yet another art history trip, this time to Urbino. I remind myself every trip we take how lucky I am to learn directly from a piece of work, versus staring at slides in an uncomfortable chair of some sort for way too long. Urbino was one of those places I think I will have to go back to before I go home. When we arrived we were able to sit on some beautiful steps to get our lesson from the Bankers. They make such a great pair, because their incredible knowledge fused together makes for an amazing class. We learned some architectural terms, which I was sure I should remember from Dr. Goode’s History of Architectural Furniture class. I decided that I will do my term paper on these terms, finding out which architectural motifs were used more in the 15th century than others and how they were used in the art work of that time. The Palazzo Ducale di Urbino has been turned into a museum, which is where our art trip was to. I loved how each room held certain art work and being that it was so well organized I took in all that there was to see. We saw many “Madonna and child” work as well as more of the “Annunciation” and Piero Della Francesco’s work. The bankers told us that a painting which is worth at the least, 50 million dollars done by Piero was just sitting on a chest the last time they had visited the museum. This time it was in a glass case with a sensor attached for when people like Dr. Banker got too close. What beautiful art I have gotten to see here in Italy! Now to tell you about the virtual library we saw after seeing the entire art museum. Wow, this technology made me feel like I was literally in a Harry Potter movie. You got to touch a book on the wall and it pulled it from the shelf. The pages of these ancient Hebrew written books covered the wall, and you could flip the pages with your hands. Urbino is a must return site, whether it be this trip or in my next adventure to Italy ;)
Now it’s time for the weekend. Tonight I will go to Cortona with Nicole, Sam, and Vi and we will have dinner and dancing with our the two Giacamos! Then tomorrow it is time to go to the MOUNTAINS and camp. Well, we will actually be in a cabin because it will be too cold to camp, which of course is sad for me to hear. I’ll be sharing my adventures again soon! CIAO
On Wednesday we were able to go on yet another art history trip, this time to Urbino. I remind myself every trip we take how lucky I am to learn directly from a piece of work, versus staring at slides in an uncomfortable chair of some sort for way too long. Urbino was one of those places I think I will have to go back to before I go home. When we arrived we were able to sit on some beautiful steps to get our lesson from the Bankers. They make such a great pair, because their incredible knowledge fused together makes for an amazing class. We learned some architectural terms, which I was sure I should remember from Dr. Goode’s History of Architectural Furniture class. I decided that I will do my term paper on these terms, finding out which architectural motifs were used more in the 15th century than others and how they were used in the art work of that time. The Palazzo Ducale di Urbino has been turned into a museum, which is where our art trip was to. I loved how each room held certain art work and being that it was so well organized I took in all that there was to see. We saw many “Madonna and child” work as well as more of the “Annunciation” and Piero Della Francesco’s work. The bankers told us that a painting which is worth at the least, 50 million dollars done by Piero was just sitting on a chest the last time they had visited the museum. This time it was in a glass case with a sensor attached for when people like Dr. Banker got too close. What beautiful art I have gotten to see here in Italy! Now to tell you about the virtual library we saw after seeing the entire art museum. Wow, this technology made me feel like I was literally in a Harry Potter movie. You got to touch a book on the wall and it pulled it from the shelf. The pages of these ancient Hebrew written books covered the wall, and you could flip the pages with your hands. Urbino is a must return site, whether it be this trip or in my next adventure to Italy ;)
Now it’s time for the weekend. Tonight I will go to Cortona with Nicole, Sam, and Vi and we will have dinner and dancing with our the two Giacamos! Then tomorrow it is time to go to the MOUNTAINS and camp. Well, we will actually be in a cabin because it will be too cold to camp, which of course is sad for me to hear. I’ll be sharing my adventures again soon! CIAO
Sunday, September 20, 2009
In the last week...
I haven’t been able to write since Siena. This is because of the slight madness I have felt with classes and homework, but also our internet has been anything but convenient the past week. I am currently stealing “Alice’s” internet so that I can get out all I want to say and focus on my English paper (which of course I’m terrified to begin.) Last weekend after returning from Siena I had the chance to attend the Ballestra, Sansepolcro’s most important event of the year. It is a cross bow competition held every year in September. The participants dress up in medieval outfits, which include colorful shirts and tights. Seeing these “macho men” in bright colored shirts and tights confused my normal perception of a strong man shooting his gun (or arrow) in camouflage. While these men were all very skilled, it took a few moments before I could take this competition seriously. I am used to dancers in pink tights and leotards or colorguard members in one-piece unitards, not men shooting cross bows in tights. Once the competition began I was impressed by how many men hit directly on the target. I was sure there would only be around ten arrows that hit the target, but with the exception of just a couple they all hit the middle. After the cross bow competition came the flag throwers. Anyone who knows me is aware that I myself spun flags for six years before starting college, so when these men arrived in the palazzo I was shocked. I didn’t want to underestimate what these men could do, but because of my experience I couldn’t help myself. I was quite impressed that these men (who were also in brightly colored wool shirts and tights) could toss the flag like they did. It showed that they really took time to prepare for this event. The big difference between their flag spinning and the spinning I have done is that we usually are dancing around a bit more. The Ballestra brought with it another chance for me to analyze a cultural difference, this time for something I have experience doing.
Now I get to reflect back on all I learned and saw recently. I guess Dr. Webb’s class last week is important to mention, seeing as how the conversation got so intense my eyes began to produce tears (as they are known for doing over the simplest things.) The conversation in our class has been about WWII in Italy, which I have learned involved many more countries. While I did attend 13 years of school previous to this class, I felt like I hadn’t learned a thing because I didn’t know so many of the things we talked about. I am glad to be learning how many countries were involved in the war, and although it is hard to imagine the reality of the war it is something we should do. No one ever told me growing up that Americans, Poles, Brazilians, South Africans, Moroccans, Indians, and New Zealanders were all involved in WWII. That is just referring to countries on the American and British side. I have to begin my paper on a topic relating to our reading about the war and I think my heart has led me to write about the brutal effects the war had on everyone. I couldn’t imagine watching people I loved dying in front of my eyes or seeing someone hung in a palazzo. Our class discussion reminded me that although the Second World War is over, there is still one going on everyday in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although I am in Italy and not the US for the semester, my ignorance for all the violence happening today is still present. The people of WWII woke up fearing their lives, but because we don’t literally see the violence outside of our windows, we don’t think of it. I am thankful I don’t have to witness such horrible things but at the same time it is important to remember there are people fighting for, and losing their lives for our country every day.
Switching topics to a cultural view of things, I will now tell you about observations from a weekend in the big city of Florence. I had to point out it was the BIG city of Florence because most of my observations were comparing Florence to Sansepolcro, or small towns. The first disappointment came after an American encounter in H&M. There were these two girls in line with way too many clothes in their hands complaining about train tickets. I quickly became annoyed because anyone who could afford the amount of clothes in their hands should not be complaining. Being American, they complained loud enough for me to hear and want to leave the store, and a few minutes later when they came out of the store I saw one of them had an Auburn shirt on. For me, it explained everything but that is only because I am an Alabama football fan! I really am not quite sure why so many Americans complain, when many of us are very lucky. The encounters I had with Americans in Florence again reminded me that I am happy to be living in a small town like Sansepolcro. When Sam, Vi, and I went to the market on Saturday I was quick to notice the number of vendors that said “Hello” versus “Ciao” or “you are American, I will give you good price.” These people frustrated me so much that I didn’t think twice at looking what they were selling and continued on my way. Why is it that so many people in Florence catered to “us Americans?” I don’t think that many people in the US notice where someone is from and begin to speak in their language. Their desire to cater to me disgusted me, and this is why I insisted on speaking (or trying my best to speak) Italian to the people I came in contact with that day, because this is their country and they shouldn’t feel they need to talk to us in English.
No worries, Florence left me feeling more than just frustration. I was very happy to be there, see its beauty and do some shopping. I went to the Accademia and again felt like an idiot upon discovering that Michelangelo’s David is the David from David and Goliath. The things you continue to learn at the age of 18! I also had my first taste of Asian/Thai cuisine right here in Italy. We discovered a very nice restaurant away from the center of town with less Americans, and the food was great. The moment in which I hated being camera-less came when we walked across the Ponte Vecchio after dinner. The cities lights bouncing off the water of the river begged for cute photos. Thanks to Sam and Vi, I will still get to remember the moment! It’s good to be back in Sansepolcro for a while and hopefully I can stay focused over the next few days and produce a good paper for English. My love to everyone at home and far away! Ciao Ciao <3
Now I get to reflect back on all I learned and saw recently. I guess Dr. Webb’s class last week is important to mention, seeing as how the conversation got so intense my eyes began to produce tears (as they are known for doing over the simplest things.) The conversation in our class has been about WWII in Italy, which I have learned involved many more countries. While I did attend 13 years of school previous to this class, I felt like I hadn’t learned a thing because I didn’t know so many of the things we talked about. I am glad to be learning how many countries were involved in the war, and although it is hard to imagine the reality of the war it is something we should do. No one ever told me growing up that Americans, Poles, Brazilians, South Africans, Moroccans, Indians, and New Zealanders were all involved in WWII. That is just referring to countries on the American and British side. I have to begin my paper on a topic relating to our reading about the war and I think my heart has led me to write about the brutal effects the war had on everyone. I couldn’t imagine watching people I loved dying in front of my eyes or seeing someone hung in a palazzo. Our class discussion reminded me that although the Second World War is over, there is still one going on everyday in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although I am in Italy and not the US for the semester, my ignorance for all the violence happening today is still present. The people of WWII woke up fearing their lives, but because we don’t literally see the violence outside of our windows, we don’t think of it. I am thankful I don’t have to witness such horrible things but at the same time it is important to remember there are people fighting for, and losing their lives for our country every day.
Switching topics to a cultural view of things, I will now tell you about observations from a weekend in the big city of Florence. I had to point out it was the BIG city of Florence because most of my observations were comparing Florence to Sansepolcro, or small towns. The first disappointment came after an American encounter in H&M. There were these two girls in line with way too many clothes in their hands complaining about train tickets. I quickly became annoyed because anyone who could afford the amount of clothes in their hands should not be complaining. Being American, they complained loud enough for me to hear and want to leave the store, and a few minutes later when they came out of the store I saw one of them had an Auburn shirt on. For me, it explained everything but that is only because I am an Alabama football fan! I really am not quite sure why so many Americans complain, when many of us are very lucky. The encounters I had with Americans in Florence again reminded me that I am happy to be living in a small town like Sansepolcro. When Sam, Vi, and I went to the market on Saturday I was quick to notice the number of vendors that said “Hello” versus “Ciao” or “you are American, I will give you good price.” These people frustrated me so much that I didn’t think twice at looking what they were selling and continued on my way. Why is it that so many people in Florence catered to “us Americans?” I don’t think that many people in the US notice where someone is from and begin to speak in their language. Their desire to cater to me disgusted me, and this is why I insisted on speaking (or trying my best to speak) Italian to the people I came in contact with that day, because this is their country and they shouldn’t feel they need to talk to us in English.
No worries, Florence left me feeling more than just frustration. I was very happy to be there, see its beauty and do some shopping. I went to the Accademia and again felt like an idiot upon discovering that Michelangelo’s David is the David from David and Goliath. The things you continue to learn at the age of 18! I also had my first taste of Asian/Thai cuisine right here in Italy. We discovered a very nice restaurant away from the center of town with less Americans, and the food was great. The moment in which I hated being camera-less came when we walked across the Ponte Vecchio after dinner. The cities lights bouncing off the water of the river begged for cute photos. Thanks to Sam and Vi, I will still get to remember the moment! It’s good to be back in Sansepolcro for a while and hopefully I can stay focused over the next few days and produce a good paper for English. My love to everyone at home and far away! Ciao Ciao <3
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