Today is Thanksgiving, and while I'm in Italy, a place where this holiday isn't a holiday at all, I've a few things I'd like to say thanks for.
I am thankful for the circumstances which have brought me to this place. I'm thankful for the bad relationships, I'm thankful for the misery. I'm thankful for the uncertainty, the bad grades, the sickness, the bouts of loneliness, the struggles I went through.
I'm thankful, because without the negative aspects of my life, I would not be able to appreciate the positive ones. Without the bad, there is no good.
Today I am thankful for a positive attitude. I'm thankful for my health, I'm thankful for my family. Today, I thank God for where He's brought me. For surrounding me with people I admire, for allowing me to know them. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be here, and for the impact it's had on my life. I'm thankful for my mom, who is always there for me, even when I'm 4,000 miles away. For my dad, who has the uncanny ability to make me laugh. For Tara, whose brilliance and selflessness inspires me, and for Gordon, who shows me that I don't need to have my life planned out to enjoy it. There's of course many more people I thank God for, but I'd need a full length book to name them all.
I thank God that regardless of where I am in my life, I can still thank God.
Today's routine is not much different from any other day here, with the exception of the fact that the restaurant will be serving us their version of an American thanksgiving. I'm not exactly sure what that will entail, but i'm sure it will be good.
Carissa's parents arrived today, and tomorrow we'll be going to Rome with them to hang out and see the Coliseum and whatnot. So that should be fun.
Also, yesterday John scared me and I fell down the stairs a bit and hurt my back. Moral of that story: don't jump out and surprise people. that's how people get hurt.
giovedì 26 novembre 2009
mercoledì 25 novembre 2009
British and American Writers in Italy
Three days into the new class, and things are looking up. As of yesterday, the majority of the people in the class were stressed to the point of having breakdowns, and no one felt confident that they could do the assigned work on time.
It is a 3 week class, and in that time, we were assigned an average of 150 pages of reading a night (6 novels and a few short stories), 2 essays, a group project, student led discussion days and a final exam essay. On top of that, we have to prepare to leave, while doing our last trips and things before we leave. Confident that I could in no way handle that amount of stress, I talked to our professor yesterday and told her my concerns. She said I would be able to audit the class (take it for no credit) if I wanted to, and I felt good with that decision.
Last night, she reduced the reading by 100 pages, in lieu of the choir rehearsal, concert, and reception that happened last evening. Everyone was grateful, and I was actually able to get all of the reading accomplished. Then this morning in class, we were met with a surprise. Dr. Frankwitz announced in class that she was removing the book Indian Summer from our reading list. While we were all busy thanking God and her for their grace, we were shocked once again, when she continued by saying she would also eliminate the first paper. I glanced around the room in that moment and was met by 11 faces with the same expression I wore on mine: total disbelief, followed by incomparable relief. As it turns out, Dr. Frankwitz realized that the amount of work she had assigned was perfect for a 4 month class, but when compressed into 3 weeks, it was simply impossible.
So now the workload is both doable and enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to a good end to the semester.
Tomorrow is thanksgiving, and we are all anxious to see what meal Mauro will have prepared for us. He'll do his best to put on a Thanksgiving feast, though it will no doubt be quite different than we Americans are used to. Carissa's parents arrive tomorrow, which will be a nice treat, and I'll be going with them to Rome on Friday.
It is a 3 week class, and in that time, we were assigned an average of 150 pages of reading a night (6 novels and a few short stories), 2 essays, a group project, student led discussion days and a final exam essay. On top of that, we have to prepare to leave, while doing our last trips and things before we leave. Confident that I could in no way handle that amount of stress, I talked to our professor yesterday and told her my concerns. She said I would be able to audit the class (take it for no credit) if I wanted to, and I felt good with that decision.
Last night, she reduced the reading by 100 pages, in lieu of the choir rehearsal, concert, and reception that happened last evening. Everyone was grateful, and I was actually able to get all of the reading accomplished. Then this morning in class, we were met with a surprise. Dr. Frankwitz announced in class that she was removing the book Indian Summer from our reading list. While we were all busy thanking God and her for their grace, we were shocked once again, when she continued by saying she would also eliminate the first paper. I glanced around the room in that moment and was met by 11 faces with the same expression I wore on mine: total disbelief, followed by incomparable relief. As it turns out, Dr. Frankwitz realized that the amount of work she had assigned was perfect for a 4 month class, but when compressed into 3 weeks, it was simply impossible.
So now the workload is both doable and enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to a good end to the semester.
Tomorrow is thanksgiving, and we are all anxious to see what meal Mauro will have prepared for us. He'll do his best to put on a Thanksgiving feast, though it will no doubt be quite different than we Americans are used to. Carissa's parents arrive tomorrow, which will be a nice treat, and I'll be going with them to Rome on Friday.
venerdì 20 novembre 2009
Inferno, Purgatory...finally, Paradise!
It's been a long week (or month...) but it's finally over. The Dante class finished yesterday, and there are still 3 days before the next class starts. It's finally time to relax. Now, it is true that we in the english class were assigned homework for monday, but I'm not thinking about that yet. Clearly the incoming professor is not aware that the weekends in between classes are supposed to be free.
Because I've memorized it, I'd like to share with you what we had to recite for class. It's not that long, but you try reading it, let alone memorizing it. It's not so easy.
Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,
che la diritta via era smarrita.
Ahi quanto a dir qual era e cosa dura
esta selva selvaggio e aspra e forte
che nel pensier rinova la paura!
Tant'e amara che poco e piu morte;
ma per trattar del ben ch'i'vi trovai,
diro de l'altre cose ch'iv'ho scorte.
Io non so ben ridir com' i' v'intrai,
tant' era pien di sonno a quel punto
che la verace via abbandonai.
Ma poi ch'i' fui al pie d'un colle giunto,
la dove terminava quella valle
che m'avea di paura il cor compunto,
guardai in alto e vidi le sue spalle
vestite gia de' raggi del pianeta
che mena dritto altrui per ogne calle.
Now you may be wondering what relevance there is in knowing 18 lines of classical Italian. I'll tell you a secret...THERE IS NONE. I know virtually no Italian, so it's comparable to someone who knows no modern English memorizing Shakespeare or Chaucer. Completely useless.
But if ever, in the middle of your life's journey, you find yourself lost in the middle of a dark wood and care to express that in classical Italian, i can help you out.
Today was a much needed day of relaxation. I stayed up pretty late hanging out with Kate and Garrett and then slept in later than usual. Megan and I had some breakfast and then watched Studio 60 for a bit before talking a walk before lunch. After lunch it was a couple more episodes of Studio 60 and then a two hour nap (which was completely accidental). I'm incredibly thankful for the chance to rest.
The new art teacher arrived today, but I haven't met her yet, and the new english teacher will come in tomorrow.
Because I've memorized it, I'd like to share with you what we had to recite for class. It's not that long, but you try reading it, let alone memorizing it. It's not so easy.
Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,
che la diritta via era smarrita.
Ahi quanto a dir qual era e cosa dura
esta selva selvaggio e aspra e forte
che nel pensier rinova la paura!
Tant'e amara che poco e piu morte;
ma per trattar del ben ch'i'vi trovai,
diro de l'altre cose ch'iv'ho scorte.
Io non so ben ridir com' i' v'intrai,
tant' era pien di sonno a quel punto
che la verace via abbandonai.
Ma poi ch'i' fui al pie d'un colle giunto,
la dove terminava quella valle
che m'avea di paura il cor compunto,
guardai in alto e vidi le sue spalle
vestite gia de' raggi del pianeta
che mena dritto altrui per ogne calle.
Now you may be wondering what relevance there is in knowing 18 lines of classical Italian. I'll tell you a secret...THERE IS NONE. I know virtually no Italian, so it's comparable to someone who knows no modern English memorizing Shakespeare or Chaucer. Completely useless.
But if ever, in the middle of your life's journey, you find yourself lost in the middle of a dark wood and care to express that in classical Italian, i can help you out.
Today was a much needed day of relaxation. I stayed up pretty late hanging out with Kate and Garrett and then slept in later than usual. Megan and I had some breakfast and then watched Studio 60 for a bit before talking a walk before lunch. After lunch it was a couple more episodes of Studio 60 and then a two hour nap (which was completely accidental). I'm incredibly thankful for the chance to rest.
The new art teacher arrived today, but I haven't met her yet, and the new english teacher will come in tomorrow.
mercoledì 18 novembre 2009
Tuesday
Yesterday morning I woke up at 7, and Becky, Annie, Kate and I worked out until 7:45. After a quick shower and a breakfast of french toast, we tidied up. Today the monastery had to be extra clean and presentable because the bishop and mayor were coming to visit. They arrived at 9, when class started, so we began our class without our teacher, since Dr Skillen was giving them a tour. At 9:30, they came into the classroom, and after a brief discourse on the goings on of our class, the bishop blessed us, praying that we would use our intellect to the glory of God (or something along those lines). Skillen of course had us recite the opening lines of the Inferno in Italian for them just to show off.
A bit after that both classes got to go down to the Refectory and talk a bit with the bishop and mayor over some refreshments.
Yesterday was a beautiful day, but unfortunately, almost all of it was spent inside studying. Our exam was today, and since Skillen has a habit of going on tangential rants during class, none of us had any idea what we were supposed to be studying.
At 6:45, we presented our group project, which was a combination of mini lectures and a game show/skit and discussion. While the preparation for it was a lot of work, the actual presentation was pretty fun. The game show was called "Judgment Day" and had 3 mini games within it called Where in the hell is Dante?, in which contestants had to guess which circle of hell Dante was in, based on what was acted out. The second round was called Damn Right, a game in which a damned soul's sins were presented and contestants had to send them to the right circle of hell. The last game was Fit the Crime, and contestants had to label the appropriate sin and give sinners the correct punishment, according to Dante's Divine Comedy.
That went over well though, and everyone was pretty happy since we got to have cake and wine.
Dinner was pizza night, and while I love pizza, it was unfortunate because pizza night always runs long. Last night especially so, since it was Eli's birthday and they served cake and Mauro sang to him. Finally, at around 9:30 we headed back to the monastery, but before we could study, we had a quick choir practice. It was after 10 before I started my studying, and it was the start of a long night.
I don't know what relevance it will hold in the future, but if you ever want to know what happens in the first 11 cantos of the Inferno, Purgatorio, or Paradiso, I'd be happy to inform you.
Tomorrow we will recite the first 18 lines of The Inferno in Italian, and after that this class will finally be done. The new teachers arrive this weekend, and no one will be sad to see the end of Skillen's Dante class. Monday begins British and American Writers in Italy, taught by the chair of the Gordon English department.
A bit after that both classes got to go down to the Refectory and talk a bit with the bishop and mayor over some refreshments.
Yesterday was a beautiful day, but unfortunately, almost all of it was spent inside studying. Our exam was today, and since Skillen has a habit of going on tangential rants during class, none of us had any idea what we were supposed to be studying.
At 6:45, we presented our group project, which was a combination of mini lectures and a game show/skit and discussion. While the preparation for it was a lot of work, the actual presentation was pretty fun. The game show was called "Judgment Day" and had 3 mini games within it called Where in the hell is Dante?, in which contestants had to guess which circle of hell Dante was in, based on what was acted out. The second round was called Damn Right, a game in which a damned soul's sins were presented and contestants had to send them to the right circle of hell. The last game was Fit the Crime, and contestants had to label the appropriate sin and give sinners the correct punishment, according to Dante's Divine Comedy.
That went over well though, and everyone was pretty happy since we got to have cake and wine.
Dinner was pizza night, and while I love pizza, it was unfortunate because pizza night always runs long. Last night especially so, since it was Eli's birthday and they served cake and Mauro sang to him. Finally, at around 9:30 we headed back to the monastery, but before we could study, we had a quick choir practice. It was after 10 before I started my studying, and it was the start of a long night.
I don't know what relevance it will hold in the future, but if you ever want to know what happens in the first 11 cantos of the Inferno, Purgatorio, or Paradiso, I'd be happy to inform you.
Tomorrow we will recite the first 18 lines of The Inferno in Italian, and after that this class will finally be done. The new teachers arrive this weekend, and no one will be sad to see the end of Skillen's Dante class. Monday begins British and American Writers in Italy, taught by the chair of the Gordon English department.
domenica 15 novembre 2009
Olive Harvest!
Today we got up, and after a hearty breakfast of cocoa puffs, we crammed 13 people into a 10 person vehicle, and took off to the country. We went to the farm of a nice old man named Sergio and his wife to help them harvest their olive trees. It was a ton of fun. We set up nets underneath the trees and then started picking. Unlike the vendemia where we had to taste the grapes and only cut the good ones, today we picked all the olives without tasting them. If you didn't know, olives straight from the tree are disgusting. We climbed on very tall, very old ladders to get the olives at the very top. If you know me, you know I'm afraid of heights..but I managed just fine on the ladders (or in Italian, scala).
John was kind enough to bring his guitar along and play for us while we picked. Sergio and his wife prepared lunch for us, which was delicious. We had penne pasta and bread with white wine for the first course, followed by wild boar, cheese, potatoes, and sausage with red wine for the second course. Then came salad, finished off with biscuits. After the harvest, we were served more wine, with the option to have grappa or brandy as well (none of which I had any of).
By 5pm we were tuckered out and ready to go, but I think everyone had a wonderful time.
Also, yesterday I talked to Dr Skillen and convinced him to cut the last 12 lines that we had to memorize. Now we only have to memorize the first 18 lines of the Inferno! Grazie mille, professori!
John was kind enough to bring his guitar along and play for us while we picked. Sergio and his wife prepared lunch for us, which was delicious. We had penne pasta and bread with white wine for the first course, followed by wild boar, cheese, potatoes, and sausage with red wine for the second course. Then came salad, finished off with biscuits. After the harvest, we were served more wine, with the option to have grappa or brandy as well (none of which I had any of).
By 5pm we were tuckered out and ready to go, but I think everyone had a wonderful time.
Also, yesterday I talked to Dr Skillen and convinced him to cut the last 12 lines that we had to memorize. Now we only have to memorize the first 18 lines of the Inferno! Grazie mille, professori!
martedì 10 novembre 2009
Tuesday
Last week we had to write a paper on Dante in conversation with Virgil. This week, we have to write a paper on Dante in conversation with Signorelli as seen in the San Brizio chapel. We also have to work on our group project, while studying for our test and memorizing 30 lines of the Inferno. The fun just never stops...
As promised, here is the picture of the Purgatory cake we made for John's birthday. The flags label each of the 7 layers, with the earthly paradise on top. A masterpiece, to say the least. And yes, I look extremely excited to be in this picture
As promised, here is the picture of the Purgatory cake we made for John's birthday. The flags label each of the 7 layers, with the earthly paradise on top. A masterpiece, to say the least. And yes, I look extremely excited to be in this picture
giovedì 5 novembre 2009
Remember, Remember
Remember, remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder, treason, and plot
I know of no reason
why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Happy Guy Fawkes Day!
Today is also known as paper writing day...and it's not incredibly fun. For the Dante class, we have to write a 5 page paper on Virgil as Guide for Dante's Divine Comedy. It's rather complicated and I don't really understand it, but with any luck, it'll get written soon.
Kate and I have started a workout routine in the evenings, and have gathered a bit of a following. While we all look like idiots doing "Turbo Jams," a group of us have been getting fit. With all the pasta we eat here, it's a wonder we aren't all rolly-polly by now.
Nothing much eventful has happened here recently. The other night at dinner they gave us two desserts, which was the highlight of the week. For the most part, life is pretty calm. The weather's been decent but very rainy. The heat was turned on this week for the first time, which has been lovely. With a monastery this huge, warmth is rare and we usually have to bundle in layers just to sit at a desk and do homework.
Tonight we'll be watching V for Vendetta on the big screen in honor of Guy Fawkes' Day, which should be fun. Only one person on the program had any idea who Guy Fawkes was, so today was a learning experience. It's my third favourite holiday, after Christmas and St. Patrick's Day.
The gunpowder, treason, and plot
I know of no reason
why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Happy Guy Fawkes Day!
Today is also known as paper writing day...and it's not incredibly fun. For the Dante class, we have to write a 5 page paper on Virgil as Guide for Dante's Divine Comedy. It's rather complicated and I don't really understand it, but with any luck, it'll get written soon.
Kate and I have started a workout routine in the evenings, and have gathered a bit of a following. While we all look like idiots doing "Turbo Jams," a group of us have been getting fit. With all the pasta we eat here, it's a wonder we aren't all rolly-polly by now.
Nothing much eventful has happened here recently. The other night at dinner they gave us two desserts, which was the highlight of the week. For the most part, life is pretty calm. The weather's been decent but very rainy. The heat was turned on this week for the first time, which has been lovely. With a monastery this huge, warmth is rare and we usually have to bundle in layers just to sit at a desk and do homework.
Tonight we'll be watching V for Vendetta on the big screen in honor of Guy Fawkes' Day, which should be fun. Only one person on the program had any idea who Guy Fawkes was, so today was a learning experience. It's my third favourite holiday, after Christmas and St. Patrick's Day.
domenica 1 novembre 2009
happy birthday and halloween
Friday morning a few of us spent the morning making a cake. It took 4 times the normal amount of cake, but in a few short hours we had created a Mt. of Purgatory cake for John. We gave it to him on his birthday Saturday and he was overjoyed.
There's a story behind it, don't worry. We don't just make cakes on random subjects involving purgation... In the first class in September, John was my partner for our group projects. Our project was on purgatory, and in order to help us remember what happened in each canto, John wrote a little ditty. It caught on and by the end of the month, everyone knew the Dante song. So in light of that, John's birthday cake was a 7 layer cake, each level holding a little flag, one for each of the 7 deadly sins. There were also two little pirate-looking figures for Dante and Virgil and a tree on top. It was pretty awesome. I'll post a picture when I have one.
Halloween was yesterday, and of course, we all dressed up. Carissa and I originally thought about bringing back our 80s costumes, but Kate gave us a much better idea. We decided to dress up as Sergiy and Angela (a couple in our group). I was Sergiy and Carissa was Angela. We may or may not have snuck into their rooms and stolen some of their clothes for that costume.... Carissa even fashioned a small hoop earring for Angie's nose ring. It was pretty impressive.
We went to dinner dressed in our costumes, and of course got a lot of inquisitive looks. Halloween isn't really big in Italy. Hannah dressed as Leonardo, the waiter at the restaurant, which of course he loved.
After dinner, we had a little party. We got mulled apple cider, raisin bread, and apple pie, had a dance party and enjoyed a showing of Carissa's and my music video that we made at the beginning of the semester (on the big screen of course). Carissa, Garrett and I finished the evening off with a viewing of Vampire Diaries (appropriate for the holiday).
I do believe I consumed more sugar yesterday than I had during the entire two months previous. But it was a lot of fun.
There's a story behind it, don't worry. We don't just make cakes on random subjects involving purgation... In the first class in September, John was my partner for our group projects. Our project was on purgatory, and in order to help us remember what happened in each canto, John wrote a little ditty. It caught on and by the end of the month, everyone knew the Dante song. So in light of that, John's birthday cake was a 7 layer cake, each level holding a little flag, one for each of the 7 deadly sins. There were also two little pirate-looking figures for Dante and Virgil and a tree on top. It was pretty awesome. I'll post a picture when I have one.
Halloween was yesterday, and of course, we all dressed up. Carissa and I originally thought about bringing back our 80s costumes, but Kate gave us a much better idea. We decided to dress up as Sergiy and Angela (a couple in our group). I was Sergiy and Carissa was Angela. We may or may not have snuck into their rooms and stolen some of their clothes for that costume.... Carissa even fashioned a small hoop earring for Angie's nose ring. It was pretty impressive.
We went to dinner dressed in our costumes, and of course got a lot of inquisitive looks. Halloween isn't really big in Italy. Hannah dressed as Leonardo, the waiter at the restaurant, which of course he loved.
After dinner, we had a little party. We got mulled apple cider, raisin bread, and apple pie, had a dance party and enjoyed a showing of Carissa's and my music video that we made at the beginning of the semester (on the big screen of course). Carissa, Garrett and I finished the evening off with a viewing of Vampire Diaries (appropriate for the holiday).
I do believe I consumed more sugar yesterday than I had during the entire two months previous. But it was a lot of fun.
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