Less than ten days till the Week of Exchange and I'm finally going to Rome to view museums, art, eat more cool food, and go to school for like...what? Three days! Haha I received my family, just a mother and her son. Her son is so unbelievably adorable and I talked to her on the phone today, she seems really nice! :)
That week is one of the only things keeping my spirits high at the moment because my pet peeves have been getting the best of me lately. That's the only thing I don't like about myself, my pet peeves. I have too many and they don't seem normal.
Like when people do things that annoy me (whether they affect me or not) in my peripheral vision and what not, but that's actually probably everyone's pet peeve so I don't know.
Something else that quite annoys me is being treated like a baby. (I do have a feeling we've already discussed this...) Because whenever I learn a new curse word or when I say curse words in Italian everyone's like "Aaaw she's so cute!" or "Who taught you those words?" D: Or when I ask of a word I don't know and it turns out to be a curse word, everyone's like "It's better if you don't know, we can't teach you these things! They're terrible!"
WHAT?!
In reality, I'm not going to lie, I curse like a sailor.
I don't know the language of the foreign country, I'm not 5 years old!
---
Haha yesterday I was so happy, I received my Math Test back from my other class, and I received my highest score yet! An eight and a half, which is an excellent score! And it wasn't normal either (according to my teacher), so you can just imagine my happy victory dance around the class while everyone just stared.
Another thing I'm happy about is that I'm not actually stupid.
It's just the language barrier! That's it! I understand everything once I translate, observe, and organize then I'm good to go!
I understand my Physics homework, but a lot of the people in my class don't even know what they're doing! I was a bit shocked...
With my Italian, I'm tired of people playing a roller coaster game with me. One minute my Italian is bad, the next I'm awesome! I'm not listening to people anymore. No one knows what they want from me, and if they do, they sure do suck at stating it properly.
I'm learning at my own pace and I think I'm pretty good right now. All that matters is I'm trying!
---
A couple of my Italian friends are taking AFS years abroad! I'm so happy. One is going to Germany and the other to Argentina. :) I'm going to miss them so much, even though I definitely leave Italy way before they part. They're so kind to me and just help out in any way they can.
Plus they're extremely patient which is rare! I live in a part of Italy where everyone just seems to be in a rush. That's one of the main things I dislike about the North. Everyone is always jumping from one thing to the next and there's never anytime for rest. It came as a huge shock for me to get used to.
Anyways, I know they'll be excellent students.
---
I finally met the girl from Canada! Her name is Claire and she's kind! Plus she likes a couple of anime shows I like, Harry Potter, Darren Criss and his Harry Potter Musical, Architecture and Art of Italy and other things! Haha I meet some of the craziest people. Too bad she's only here for 2 more months!
I love the US in all, but Italy is only one percent of my life and I'm having so much fun! I find myself growling at the calendar every time a new month goes by. It seems a bit of happiness just creeps up on me every now and then.
---
Well, my class found out I can sing. I guess it's good, but now no one wants me to shut up. "Sing this, sing that! Your voice is so cool! I didn't know you could do that!" It's cool, they even chose me for the "Project for Peace" concert where we all go to a city close by and perform with other schools with themes of peace and unity.
We were sharing our favorite songs in German class (in which I had to quit, because learning Italian is already hard enough for me) and I told one the girls in my class to download my song for me on a CD, in which she agreed. But the morning of the day I had to share my song, she told me she didn't actually download it. I tried to download my favorite song on a CD in my blind rage, but of course with my crap musical technological skills it didn't work.
I didn't want to let my class down not sharing any music so I told them I would sing something for them. It was hilarious at first because everyone shared awkward looks like "Oh no this is going to be bad!" But I sung an easy "A Part of Your World" from the Little Mermaid, and everyone's jaws dropped. Now I have another nickname, "La Sirenetta" ("The Little Mermaid" in Italian).
---
My mom has turned into a control freak.
My father had a shoulder surgery so he's off work from the hospital for 2 months and my mom is going through therapy with her shoulders and back.
She has slight scoliosis and doesn't want us to have it either. Whenever we have dinner she goes absolutely ballistic if we slouch. ("Shoulders down, neck at a 90 degree angle, UP I SAY UP, don't slouch over your soup, it's bad!) Five minutes late we go back to slouching position.
I think my mom's been a bit distraught lately. I think her troubles have been getting to her and she's been on a very strictly timed schedule.
Our only bonding time really now consists of picking lice eggs out of my little sister's hair. ಠ_ಠ It's so fun.
---
My mother in the States sent me a package for my birthday in November and I finally received it last week! It was lost for quite some time and I was so happy when the post man arrived at my door with it!
But then he was like "That will be 18,10 Euros, please." I just stared at him like, Oh crap.
So I ran around my house scrounging for cash but I only found 16 Euros! 16 FREAKING Euros! So he took my package away and I couldn't have it. He left me an evil yellow tag that told where I could find my package two days later and ONLY TWO DAYS LATER.
Ti odio postage system of Italy.
I would like to them to give me a call like the bus company did so I can just complain.
The bus company called because they wanted to know what the Italian buses were like for an exchange student so I told them the truth. The evil truth. They probably thought I was some type of troll because they just laughed the whole time! D:
---
One of my classmates has been in the hospital for a few weeks now. Her appendix burst but after her surgery I think she caught some type infection and everything has been going down hill from there. She's lost a lot of weight she's so weak. She also said it's very depressing being stuck in a hospital bed all day. (I absolutely believe her.)
I respect her best friends that visit her every single night, and I asked if I could come along with them. I made her a cute colorful card and I didn't think she expected me to show up and see her. She was in a terrible state (well, still is) but I believe she will get better.
One of our teachers wanted to include her our lessons so we Skyped her during class and had her sit a desk with us as a laptop student. She was so happy to see all of us again and she cried.
I hope she feels better soon! :)
---
Sorry this post is so boring, there has been a lot that has happened but I'm a bit tired to type. But the next post should be interesting.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Ye Ole' Tour of me Castle!
Prepare for the oddest tour ever! Yeaah I had no clue what I was doing really.
I found this video in my computer. It's beyond old, taken the first week I arrived in Italy. I was going to put it online but I didn't feel like it. It's a tour of my house! I was so befuddled with everything and going back to watch this is funny. xD
---
Also, RIP to my iPod. It broke! Now I can't listen to music while traveling around anymore. Yaaaaay. :'(
Sunday, February 26, 2012
i will join the circus
It was the 3 day weekend of Carnivale (thank goodness) and I had a lot of fun! Even though Carnivale is much bigger and cooler in Venice, it was still good in Treviso. :D There were colorful parade floats mainly having to do with the history of Italy or random themes such as Betty Boop with popular party music.
A lot of the dancers were in high school and I guess they choreographed and made everything in their free time.
My family and I stood on the side of the streets to let the floats pass. It was awesome seeing everyone in costumes! (Well except me, I didn't have a costume. :( ) There were so many boys dressed as girls, haha. I even saw Snow White as a man, complimented with bright highlight yellow heels of course. He worked it.
The dancers were fantastic, too! I just wished I could've dressed up as Waldo like I do the United States...
One of the things that actually surprised me about festivals in Italy is the confetti. Ok you're probably thinking duh there was confetti, but everyone throws it at each other. Like in your face throwing. I didn't have confetti so I was just running through the streets being pelted. At first it was all fun and games until I found out it was hard to brush off! I was finding it in my clothes for days and in uncomfortable places! *awkward cough* Yeah...
---
---
I decree AFS USA should show this video at all parting orientations from now on.
Thank you Dr. Seuss.
A lot of the dancers were in high school and I guess they choreographed and made everything in their free time.
My family and I stood on the side of the streets to let the floats pass. It was awesome seeing everyone in costumes! (Well except me, I didn't have a costume. :( ) There were so many boys dressed as girls, haha. I even saw Snow White as a man, complimented with bright highlight yellow heels of course. He worked it.
The dancers were fantastic, too! I just wished I could've dressed up as Waldo like I do the United States...
One of the things that actually surprised me about festivals in Italy is the confetti. Ok you're probably thinking duh there was confetti, but everyone throws it at each other. Like in your face throwing. I didn't have confetti so I was just running through the streets being pelted. At first it was all fun and games until I found out it was hard to brush off! I was finding it in my clothes for days and in uncomfortable places! *awkward cough* Yeah...
---
 | ||
| My study habits are becoming ridiculous. My brother found me sleeping face first in my Italian notebook because I was exhausted from studying. Look at that dedication! I work so hard. :) |
I decree AFS USA should show this video at all parting orientations from now on.
Thank you Dr. Seuss.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
I feel like Time Traveling.
Time is flying so fast over here!
It's already February 19th! I'm over halfway through my exchange.
I'm so happy I've made it this far! :)
I've had good and bad days. I'm really going to find it hard to leave Italy in the end.
I remember being depressed for three days. That's actually a really long time for me because I'm never depressed! I didn't want to get out of bed, I wasn't happy, it just seemed like Italy had caught up with me. I didn't want to speak in the different language anymore because everything just seemed so tough. I didn't want to go to school and always miss out on jokes, I didn't want to do the homework I didn't understand, I didn't want another day of studying only to feel stupid again. I was feeling impatient with everyone around me, and blaming everyone because they wouldn't know exactly what it's like to be a foreign exchange student unless they've experienced it themselves. I didn't even want to talk to my AFS tutor.
Then my feelings passed. It's either my silly teenage brain or just a down slope of the AFS roller coaster. I feel better now but if it happens again I'll snap myself back up. Maybe part of the reason I was depressed was because I wasn't drawing. I usually draw a lot but I noticed a long time ago, if I don't draw I become really angry.
I'm also starting to forget some of my old habits that I did in the United States. I couldn't believe it! The other day something in my brain reminded me of my weird old house activities (Such as wearing stockings on my head, etc.) and I asked my self "I really use to do that?!" Italy is really changing me. O_O
Such as turning me into a fashionista. I never used to care if something looked good on me and I would walk out the house looking like a bum. But when I go out I make sure I look orderly. Unfortunately, Italians do judge appearances which is annoying. Many people don't hesitate to stare with googly eyes if you look different. Me walking around town as a Gryffindor with an Afro doesn't help my situation much. Haha
I'm also starting to get over my fear of germs. It's just inevitable in Italy. It really is. Everyone coughing in their hands, sqauty potties, etc. I'm just done.
---
On the language.
I'm doing really well! My AFS whatever-they-are-I-don't-care-anymore/the old ladies in charge of my Treviso group aren't so happy with us. They said we're the year of disappointment and that our Italian isn't good.
I can only sit and laugh at them. Really. I'm not seeing the problem no matter how hard I try to look at it from their perspective. I feel my Italian is awesome. I can speak with people, I can read, and listen sufficiently. My only problem is when people speak to me really fast which is absolutely normal. (Come on, it's the same in the English language, too. Someone speaks way too fast you're not going to hear what they say. ¬_¬;;)
But for some reason these volunteers are always angry.
I'm done with them for now. I've received many compliments from Italians saying my Italian is great and there has been much improvement since I arrived. And I always make an effort to improve everyday! :) So I'm happy with what I'm doing, I'll take it they're just being cranky.
I've forgotten so much English. It's actually an effort to sit here and type these blogs. When I speak English Italian words slip out in every other sentence! I'm going to have reverse culture shock back in America! :D
---
I'm so proud of myself. I have officially reached a third grade reading level in Italian!
Once you know all the rules and tons of vocabulary, read a book. The magic just unfolds and you learn SO MUCH.
I find the Italian language similar to some other languages. I'm beginning to understand Spanish and French, too! I read some Spanish and I'm able to comprehend a bit of it. One of my friends was speaking in French to me, which I've never studied a day in my life, but I understood every word she said! So I guess you can learn one romance language learn em' all right?
Also I received my school Pagella (Report Card) for the first half of the school year. I actually did well! :)
I'm judged on a different format than the other students at my school. I'm kind of confused why AFS would rate me on how much slang I know though...? Makes me wonder about them sometimes. Graded on a scale of 1 to 5, I'm mainly average, but they should go up in the future.
---
At the beginning of February Italy experienced a Siberian Wind with temperatures below normal. It was so cold! Everyone said I was lucky to come to Italy and experience something so unusual. Haaa no. I would've been happy if it was snowing, but Treviso just received fast winds that made it difficult to walk to school.
I was so mad when I went on Facebook and saw a lot of my AFS friends' statuses saying "One inch of snow, yeah, School Closed!!!!" And some of these kids were in SICILY. :( Which is definitely in the South. But in the North where I live, closer to the mountains, its barely snowed enough to stick!
I had to go further north in Conegliano to experience the beauty of Italian snow.
---
Many AFS students of my Veneto region met up in Venice exactly a week ago. Coincidentally it was also the opening day for the oh so famous Carnival! Many people dressed up in fancy gowns and masks. So beautiful. *sniffle*
It was so fun! Something like a nerdy anime convention except in a whole city. Many of us hadn't seen each other since the October camp, so you can only imagine how loud we were screaming in joy. I was so unbelievably happy to see everyone again! And I learned some interesting things about everyone else and how their experiences are going.
We even had a "Let me see your funky chicken" (anyone affiliated with AFS should know this) dance flash-mob in Piazza San Marco. It was hilarious. Everyone thought we were crazy.
---
I recently had to cancel my video blog. I was just too busy for it. I'm still managing to keep up with this blog, I don't plane to give it up, but documenting in this way is good enough for me.
---
I've been trying to get into Italian music for more learning and here are some of my faves. It's actually hard to find Italian music. American music is way too popular over here!
(You'll have to watch these on YouTube. This website is weird. =| )
Celeste -Laura Pausini
Dentro Ad Ogni Brivido -Marco Carta
---
In all Italy is still expensive even with the prices "on sale". Which is basically the equivalent to buying something at a normal price in America. I want to do some shopping while the sales are still here but I always have empty pockets!
---
Yesterday I had my first show! For skating. :) It was cute. I was so nervous! My parents took pictures but they weren't so good. I'll just show you the decent ones.
Since it is the weekend of Carnival, we had a party after and everyone dressed up in costumes to dance. I got a picture of Minnie mouse!
Time for the weekend. We're finally staying in the house for once on vacation! :D Ressssst!
It's already February 19th! I'm over halfway through my exchange.
I'm so happy I've made it this far! :)
I've had good and bad days. I'm really going to find it hard to leave Italy in the end.
I remember being depressed for three days. That's actually a really long time for me because I'm never depressed! I didn't want to get out of bed, I wasn't happy, it just seemed like Italy had caught up with me. I didn't want to speak in the different language anymore because everything just seemed so tough. I didn't want to go to school and always miss out on jokes, I didn't want to do the homework I didn't understand, I didn't want another day of studying only to feel stupid again. I was feeling impatient with everyone around me, and blaming everyone because they wouldn't know exactly what it's like to be a foreign exchange student unless they've experienced it themselves. I didn't even want to talk to my AFS tutor.
Then my feelings passed. It's either my silly teenage brain or just a down slope of the AFS roller coaster. I feel better now but if it happens again I'll snap myself back up. Maybe part of the reason I was depressed was because I wasn't drawing. I usually draw a lot but I noticed a long time ago, if I don't draw I become really angry.
I'm also starting to forget some of my old habits that I did in the United States. I couldn't believe it! The other day something in my brain reminded me of my weird old house activities (Such as wearing stockings on my head, etc.) and I asked my self "I really use to do that?!" Italy is really changing me. O_O
Such as turning me into a fashionista. I never used to care if something looked good on me and I would walk out the house looking like a bum. But when I go out I make sure I look orderly. Unfortunately, Italians do judge appearances which is annoying. Many people don't hesitate to stare with googly eyes if you look different. Me walking around town as a Gryffindor with an Afro doesn't help my situation much. Haha
I'm also starting to get over my fear of germs. It's just inevitable in Italy. It really is. Everyone coughing in their hands, sqauty potties, etc. I'm just done.
---
On the language.
I'm doing really well! My AFS whatever-they-are-I-don't-care-anymore/the old ladies in charge of my Treviso group aren't so happy with us. They said we're the year of disappointment and that our Italian isn't good.
I can only sit and laugh at them. Really. I'm not seeing the problem no matter how hard I try to look at it from their perspective. I feel my Italian is awesome. I can speak with people, I can read, and listen sufficiently. My only problem is when people speak to me really fast which is absolutely normal. (Come on, it's the same in the English language, too. Someone speaks way too fast you're not going to hear what they say. ¬_¬;;)
But for some reason these volunteers are always angry.
I'm done with them for now. I've received many compliments from Italians saying my Italian is great and there has been much improvement since I arrived. And I always make an effort to improve everyday! :) So I'm happy with what I'm doing, I'll take it they're just being cranky.
I've forgotten so much English. It's actually an effort to sit here and type these blogs. When I speak English Italian words slip out in every other sentence! I'm going to have reverse culture shock back in America! :D
---
I'm so proud of myself. I have officially reached a third grade reading level in Italian!
 |
| This book is difficult! haha |
Once you know all the rules and tons of vocabulary, read a book. The magic just unfolds and you learn SO MUCH.
I find the Italian language similar to some other languages. I'm beginning to understand Spanish and French, too! I read some Spanish and I'm able to comprehend a bit of it. One of my friends was speaking in French to me, which I've never studied a day in my life, but I understood every word she said! So I guess you can learn one romance language learn em' all right?
Also I received my school Pagella (Report Card) for the first half of the school year. I actually did well! :)
I'm judged on a different format than the other students at my school. I'm kind of confused why AFS would rate me on how much slang I know though...? Makes me wonder about them sometimes. Graded on a scale of 1 to 5, I'm mainly average, but they should go up in the future.
---
At the beginning of February Italy experienced a Siberian Wind with temperatures below normal. It was so cold! Everyone said I was lucky to come to Italy and experience something so unusual. Haaa no. I would've been happy if it was snowing, but Treviso just received fast winds that made it difficult to walk to school.
I was so mad when I went on Facebook and saw a lot of my AFS friends' statuses saying "One inch of snow, yeah, School Closed!!!!" And some of these kids were in SICILY. :( Which is definitely in the South. But in the North where I live, closer to the mountains, its barely snowed enough to stick!
I had to go further north in Conegliano to experience the beauty of Italian snow.
---
Many AFS students of my Veneto region met up in Venice exactly a week ago. Coincidentally it was also the opening day for the oh so famous Carnival! Many people dressed up in fancy gowns and masks. So beautiful. *sniffle*
 |
| Smurfs! |
It was so fun! Something like a nerdy anime convention except in a whole city. Many of us hadn't seen each other since the October camp, so you can only imagine how loud we were screaming in joy. I was so unbelievably happy to see everyone again! And I learned some interesting things about everyone else and how their experiences are going.
 |
| Heh, in this is only one of the small groups of us! We raided Venice! |
We even had a "Let me see your funky chicken" (anyone affiliated with AFS should know this) dance flash-mob in Piazza San Marco. It was hilarious. Everyone thought we were crazy.
---
I recently had to cancel my video blog. I was just too busy for it. I'm still managing to keep up with this blog, I don't plane to give it up, but documenting in this way is good enough for me.
---
I've been trying to get into Italian music for more learning and here are some of my faves. It's actually hard to find Italian music. American music is way too popular over here!
(You'll have to watch these on YouTube. This website is weird. =| )
Celeste -Laura Pausini
Dentro Ad Ogni Brivido -Marco Carta
---
In all Italy is still expensive even with the prices "on sale". Which is basically the equivalent to buying something at a normal price in America. I want to do some shopping while the sales are still here but I always have empty pockets!
---
Yesterday I had my first show! For skating. :) It was cute. I was so nervous! My parents took pictures but they weren't so good. I'll just show you the decent ones.
Since it is the weekend of Carnival, we had a party after and everyone dressed up in costumes to dance. I got a picture of Minnie mouse!
Time for the weekend. We're finally staying in the house for once on vacation! :D Ressssst!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Heh. Haven't update in over two weeks but surprisingly so, I've actually had a life! *everyone gasps*
Anyways, I'm still alive! I really do find myself saying that many times nowadays...
Where to start...?
---
School. Our famous tough subject of this blog.
But guess what? I've actually been keeping up with some of my classes! Meaning, my teachers of English, Physical Education, Chemistry, and Philosophy actually said I'm doing something good! Not so much in Math and Physics but I'm getting somewhere!
Last week, I had my first oral test in front of the class. For Philosophy of course, the class no one does good in. So when the Philosophy teacher addressed me, everyone fell silent because the teachers usually ignore me during lessons. I kind of freaked out, too because I knew, I just knew he said he was to say I would have an interrogation next week. =<
So my test was on the Philosophy book my parents bought me for my birthday if you remember. (Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder, it's actually really good.) I kind of ditched it to study Italian... so you can imagine my face when he asked me whether I read the book or not. I didn't even read 3/4 and I had 4 days to study and finish it. Commence stress mode.
But in the end I didn't finish the book BUT I still passed! The questions were simple and I tried to answer in the best poor Italian I could. My class was a bit surprised at some of the vocabulary I knew. I wonder what they think I do when I go home...??
It's seriously sad when I rush into class jumping and cheering at my friends that I could do my homework the night before. I'm so proud of myself when I can, but they're just like "Oh, um.. good job?" *awkward thumbs up*
To keep up with Math, I've had another class added to my schedule, 2AE. Second year (Yupp, went down a year lower, I'm that bad now.), Class A, Economics. Economic students study different material to that of my Language section. Now I have double the math classes every week. Ew...
I was interviewed by this class last year for English so there was no need for uncomfortable introductions. I'm very happy with them. They are hilarious and have as much character as the kids in Theater and my old classes in America combined.
My new math Teacher is funny, too. She actually has a soul! *cries tears of joy*. ("And this equation will help us find the triangle's- ALESSANDRA SHUT UP. Ugh, you kids chatter too much!- Where were we? Ok and this triangle's side is- What do you want Carlo?! If you just be quiet then maybe we can fix the problem- What? No, Nutella will not help us figure this problem!" *Throws book at desk and silently asks herself why she is a teacher in the first place* <--- Really she's nice. :) Trust me.
---
I've been giving myself a much more strict bedtime lately. I stop whatever I'm doing before 10 PM to go to sleep. I find it much easier to live life when I'm not falling asleep in the palms of my hands at school. And I'm less cranky and more energetic. It's much easier to make friends with a smile on my face instead of trying to hold myself up in a corner and grumbling from lack of sleep.
Technically, since I've been in Italy I haven't watched more than 12 hours of TV yet... O_O Actual TV. Movies in Italian, but I haven't watched a good show just for fun. I've actually been on the internet or doing something productive! It does help that my family's TV was broken for the first 3 months of my stay. Being without TV has made me realise how much I don't even need it.
I've also been filtering myself more on the internet. (Ohh speaking of filtering I've heared a lot about the evil SOPA, ohohoho) But I've been filtering for a good reason, because I usually would find myself browsing on the internet for no reason! Like some sort of addiction some teenagers have with Facebook. But my addiction is to Tumblr. It's so awesome! So I must control myself, do something more productive, or I just leave the computer all together and try to do something with people. It's actually kind of tough since I'm still quite the socially awkward penguin. :(
---
Seriously, school would be so much easier.
---
I've been having much more awkward meals lately at home.
My mom doesn't have much time to cook anymore because there is something wrong with her parents and her brothers Mario and Luigi (I'm sorry, I was laughing so hard when I first heard them and no one knew why. Anyways this is an inappropriate joke at the moment.) and she's been having to keep up with their situations.
But from what I've established on Halloween, which was my first visit to her parents house in Udine (north of Italy very close to Austria) things are not... normal. Her parents are very nice and kind but since they are older they forget many things. Luigi wasn't there, but my mother's other brother, Mario, I believe is an autistic savant. My father warned me before we went into the house that Mario was a bit odd, didn't tell me exactly how, but being in Italy for over a month I thought I could handle tougher things.
Mario talked fast without any direction, had rapid repetitive movements and he injured himself on many different occasions. But , Mario could also play the piano brilliantly! Even so, I feel bad for saying this, but it was very unsettling to talk to him. Because it was around the time where I didn't understand much Italian and he would just talk and talk and talk, shove documents in my face, show me books and music sheets I didn't really want to see, and I would try to tell him I didn't understand Italian but he would just keep going on and on. I gave up after a while.
But then a thought hit me and I could only wonder how my mother grew up with him. She is very normal and I just wonder what her life was like having to look after her brother. She's so patient with him and kind. Makes me wonder how I sometimes can't get along with my siblings in the States and they don't have any mental disorders.
Back on track, I think something is wrong with my mother parents at the moment. Of course their house would be really busy because them being elderly things are already difficult and they also have to take care of their autistic son. I believe they might be sick and my mother has been really worried. One time I came home, she was crying, and I had to just give her a big hug because I didn't know what to say. I stink at comforting people and I rarely ever see adults cry so I just didn't know what to do. It was shocking to say the least, because I've never seen my mom cry even though she seems under stress all the time. Hopefully things turn out better.
---
I've seen all of my United States friends look alikes! It's so weird. Either I'm homesick and seeing their faces everywhere or everyone has a long lost twin that lives in Italy.
---
Around this time the semester AFS students are arriving in Italy, and they will leave along with us when the exchange is finished! I am so happy to be meeting more students that will be apart of the Treviso family! I don't really understand how AFS relationships work but they just do.
It's weird. When I saw the exchange students in Cincinnati, I could only wonder why they were so close, and how they could be such good friends from different countries. I thought that would never happen to me but as it seems so, my Treviso group is extremely close. Probably even closer than the Italian friends we are all making. O_O AFS isn't exactly to happy about that though, our extreme closeness... aha that's a word, right?
And the family will grow! Today arrived a girl from Argentina. Her name is Rosita. I do admit, I had stereotypes of Argentinians, and I expected her to have long shiny black hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin but her appearance was pretty much the opposite. Haha
We were all so excited! Just imagine coming into a group of kids who have known each other for over 4 months and you're the new girl that has to make friends. I don't know if she was jet lagged or anything but she needed to get some rest before we could talk to her properly. We got some pictures together and she seems very nice! I can't wait to get to know her, and next time we see each other, of course her Italian will be better than mine since she speaks Spanish. I hope she'll feel at home with us! :D
Another girl if arriving in two weeks from Canada! Yes, power to the English speakers we're takin' ova!
Anyways, I'm still alive! I really do find myself saying that many times nowadays...
Where to start...?
---
School. Our famous tough subject of this blog.
But guess what? I've actually been keeping up with some of my classes! Meaning, my teachers of English, Physical Education, Chemistry, and Philosophy actually said I'm doing something good! Not so much in Math and Physics but I'm getting somewhere!
Last week, I had my first oral test in front of the class. For Philosophy of course, the class no one does good in. So when the Philosophy teacher addressed me, everyone fell silent because the teachers usually ignore me during lessons. I kind of freaked out, too because I knew, I just knew he said he was to say I would have an interrogation next week. =<
So my test was on the Philosophy book my parents bought me for my birthday if you remember. (Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder, it's actually really good.) I kind of ditched it to study Italian... so you can imagine my face when he asked me whether I read the book or not. I didn't even read 3/4 and I had 4 days to study and finish it. Commence stress mode.
But in the end I didn't finish the book BUT I still passed! The questions were simple and I tried to answer in the best poor Italian I could. My class was a bit surprised at some of the vocabulary I knew. I wonder what they think I do when I go home...??
It's seriously sad when I rush into class jumping and cheering at my friends that I could do my homework the night before. I'm so proud of myself when I can, but they're just like "Oh, um.. good job?" *awkward thumbs up*
To keep up with Math, I've had another class added to my schedule, 2AE. Second year (Yupp, went down a year lower, I'm that bad now.), Class A, Economics. Economic students study different material to that of my Language section. Now I have double the math classes every week. Ew...
I was interviewed by this class last year for English so there was no need for uncomfortable introductions. I'm very happy with them. They are hilarious and have as much character as the kids in Theater and my old classes in America combined.
My new math Teacher is funny, too. She actually has a soul! *cries tears of joy*. ("And this equation will help us find the triangle's- ALESSANDRA SHUT UP. Ugh, you kids chatter too much!- Where were we? Ok and this triangle's side is- What do you want Carlo?! If you just be quiet then maybe we can fix the problem- What? No, Nutella will not help us figure this problem!" *Throws book at desk and silently asks herself why she is a teacher in the first place* <--- Really she's nice. :) Trust me.
---
I've been giving myself a much more strict bedtime lately. I stop whatever I'm doing before 10 PM to go to sleep. I find it much easier to live life when I'm not falling asleep in the palms of my hands at school. And I'm less cranky and more energetic. It's much easier to make friends with a smile on my face instead of trying to hold myself up in a corner and grumbling from lack of sleep.
Technically, since I've been in Italy I haven't watched more than 12 hours of TV yet... O_O Actual TV. Movies in Italian, but I haven't watched a good show just for fun. I've actually been on the internet or doing something productive! It does help that my family's TV was broken for the first 3 months of my stay. Being without TV has made me realise how much I don't even need it.
I've also been filtering myself more on the internet. (Ohh speaking of filtering I've heared a lot about the evil SOPA, ohohoho) But I've been filtering for a good reason, because I usually would find myself browsing on the internet for no reason! Like some sort of addiction some teenagers have with Facebook. But my addiction is to Tumblr. It's so awesome! So I must control myself, do something more productive, or I just leave the computer all together and try to do something with people. It's actually kind of tough since I'm still quite the socially awkward penguin. :(
---
Seriously, school would be so much easier.
---
I've been having much more awkward meals lately at home.
My mom doesn't have much time to cook anymore because there is something wrong with her parents and her brothers Mario and Luigi (I'm sorry, I was laughing so hard when I first heard them and no one knew why. Anyways this is an inappropriate joke at the moment.) and she's been having to keep up with their situations.
But from what I've established on Halloween, which was my first visit to her parents house in Udine (north of Italy very close to Austria) things are not... normal. Her parents are very nice and kind but since they are older they forget many things. Luigi wasn't there, but my mother's other brother, Mario, I believe is an autistic savant. My father warned me before we went into the house that Mario was a bit odd, didn't tell me exactly how, but being in Italy for over a month I thought I could handle tougher things.
Mario talked fast without any direction, had rapid repetitive movements and he injured himself on many different occasions. But , Mario could also play the piano brilliantly! Even so, I feel bad for saying this, but it was very unsettling to talk to him. Because it was around the time where I didn't understand much Italian and he would just talk and talk and talk, shove documents in my face, show me books and music sheets I didn't really want to see, and I would try to tell him I didn't understand Italian but he would just keep going on and on. I gave up after a while.
But then a thought hit me and I could only wonder how my mother grew up with him. She is very normal and I just wonder what her life was like having to look after her brother. She's so patient with him and kind. Makes me wonder how I sometimes can't get along with my siblings in the States and they don't have any mental disorders.
Back on track, I think something is wrong with my mother parents at the moment. Of course their house would be really busy because them being elderly things are already difficult and they also have to take care of their autistic son. I believe they might be sick and my mother has been really worried. One time I came home, she was crying, and I had to just give her a big hug because I didn't know what to say. I stink at comforting people and I rarely ever see adults cry so I just didn't know what to do. It was shocking to say the least, because I've never seen my mom cry even though she seems under stress all the time. Hopefully things turn out better.
---
I've seen all of my United States friends look alikes! It's so weird. Either I'm homesick and seeing their faces everywhere or everyone has a long lost twin that lives in Italy.
---
Around this time the semester AFS students are arriving in Italy, and they will leave along with us when the exchange is finished! I am so happy to be meeting more students that will be apart of the Treviso family! I don't really understand how AFS relationships work but they just do.
It's weird. When I saw the exchange students in Cincinnati, I could only wonder why they were so close, and how they could be such good friends from different countries. I thought that would never happen to me but as it seems so, my Treviso group is extremely close. Probably even closer than the Italian friends we are all making. O_O AFS isn't exactly to happy about that though, our extreme closeness... aha that's a word, right?
And the family will grow! Today arrived a girl from Argentina. Her name is Rosita. I do admit, I had stereotypes of Argentinians, and I expected her to have long shiny black hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin but her appearance was pretty much the opposite. Haha
 |
| With her host family! |
 |
| First together photo. |
 |
| Just arriving off the train! She looks happy! :) |
We were all so excited! Just imagine coming into a group of kids who have known each other for over 4 months and you're the new girl that has to make friends. I don't know if she was jet lagged or anything but she needed to get some rest before we could talk to her properly. We got some pictures together and she seems very nice! I can't wait to get to know her, and next time we see each other, of course her Italian will be better than mine since she speaks Spanish. I hope she'll feel at home with us! :D
Another girl if arriving in two weeks from Canada! Yes, power to the English speakers we're takin' ova!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
I need that Staples button
Random thought process, go!
1. At first the language barrier sucks. People tell jokes and you're often left out wondering why everyone is laughing. Then you feel unconfortable, depression happens, and it gets worse, and then you study the language more. After you finally start to understand some things. Everything doesn't seem so bad.
2. Exchange week is coming up pretty soon! Exchange week is when kids who live in the North part of Italy get to live in the South for a week (and vice versa with the Southern students). (And ofcourse you have to pay. T3T) I can't wait! I heard the South is very different from the North. I hope I can go! *winks at US parents*
3. Oh I get it now, girls wear skirts in the winter and pants in the summer. Makes sense.
4. I make straight Fs in school. That never happens. It's so weird getting bad grades and I can barely even help it. I pay attention in school, study hard, and still fail. Ouch.
5. Preparing for Seasonal Shows! They're very normal in Italy. If you do an activity apart from school, you often do two shows in the year for you parents according to your program. I do Skating and Theater after school so I have to prepare for two shows!
6. I performed part of the Harry Potter Sorting Hat poem (Sadly, I did memorize it two years ago.) in english for my Theater group and they loved it. I love them, too. Theater kids are awesome and wacky.
7. Oral tests in Italy might as well be living nightmares. Everyone freaks out when ever they are chosen for one. The teacher has a student pick a number out of a paper bag, and everyone holds their breath, to see if they are the doomed victim. It's something like the Hunger Games. Then if you are the prey, the teacher interrogates you in front of the whole class as they watch in silence. It's intense. I failed-- no, BOMBED miserably in Physics.
8. My little brother and sister are shetlered and a bit spoiled. *sigh*
9. I never thought I would have to deal with a jealous sibling. =/ My little sister Marta is very kind to me at home in front of our parents, but when I'm with her in front of my friends or with other people, she becomes a demon. She insults me, takes my stuff, and is just plain childish. Then she attacks me even when I kindly tell her to stop. There's something wrong with her. Marta has no reason to be angry with me. She receives enough (overflowing practically) love from her parents already.
10. Many people where glasses for fashion, not perscription.
11. Ugh, there's too much studying and tests.
12. Everything is still expensive.
13. Many Italian teenagers are glued to their cellphones and other technologies.
Random thought process over.
1. At first the language barrier sucks. People tell jokes and you're often left out wondering why everyone is laughing. Then you feel unconfortable, depression happens, and it gets worse, and then you study the language more. After you finally start to understand some things. Everything doesn't seem so bad.
2. Exchange week is coming up pretty soon! Exchange week is when kids who live in the North part of Italy get to live in the South for a week (and vice versa with the Southern students). (And ofcourse you have to pay. T3T) I can't wait! I heard the South is very different from the North. I hope I can go! *winks at US parents*
3. Oh I get it now, girls wear skirts in the winter and pants in the summer. Makes sense.
4. I make straight Fs in school. That never happens. It's so weird getting bad grades and I can barely even help it. I pay attention in school, study hard, and still fail. Ouch.
5. Preparing for Seasonal Shows! They're very normal in Italy. If you do an activity apart from school, you often do two shows in the year for you parents according to your program. I do Skating and Theater after school so I have to prepare for two shows!
6. I performed part of the Harry Potter Sorting Hat poem (Sadly, I did memorize it two years ago.) in english for my Theater group and they loved it. I love them, too. Theater kids are awesome and wacky.
7. Oral tests in Italy might as well be living nightmares. Everyone freaks out when ever they are chosen for one. The teacher has a student pick a number out of a paper bag, and everyone holds their breath, to see if they are the doomed victim. It's something like the Hunger Games. Then if you are the prey, the teacher interrogates you in front of the whole class as they watch in silence. It's intense. I failed-- no, BOMBED miserably in Physics.
8. My little brother and sister are shetlered and a bit spoiled. *sigh*
9. I never thought I would have to deal with a jealous sibling. =/ My little sister Marta is very kind to me at home in front of our parents, but when I'm with her in front of my friends or with other people, she becomes a demon. She insults me, takes my stuff, and is just plain childish. Then she attacks me even when I kindly tell her to stop. There's something wrong with her. Marta has no reason to be angry with me. She receives enough (overflowing practically) love from her parents already.
10. Many people where glasses for fashion, not perscription.
11. Ugh, there's too much studying and tests.
12. Everything is still expensive.
13. Many Italian teenagers are glued to their cellphones and other technologies.
Random thought process over.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
On track, right?
I think I've reached a nice limbo.
My Italian is a bit bland and I'm forgetting English. It's like I can't communicate and I actually have to think about the words that come out of my mouth constantly.
Really, when people speak English to me now, I have a small panic attack. ("What are you saying--?! Oh you're not speaking Italian...") I remember the other day I couldn't remember the word "table".
I've also been thinking and dreaming in Italian for the past couple of weeks, but I never took the time to notice until a few days ago. There was no jump for joy or squeal, it was just more a small revelation like "Oh that's cool." And then moving on. Haha fail///
Eeesh! Oh well I think my AFS coordinators will finally be quiet. I can't believe my host mom actually talks to them. She wants to make sure every rule of AFS is followed. And I'm not going to lie, it's not fun when they are.
She told me the other day while we were on vacation that I need to stop everything that has to do with English, because of course it will slow down my learning process of Italian. She also stated you can find a lot of English in Italy already so it's not particularly good for me. But just try to stop speaking, writing, reading (blah, blah, blah) as much English as possible.
Ok...
Now I don't think that was exactly fair for her to say. Why?
Because my older host sister, her daughter Sara, is on her own foreign exchange in Costa Rica at the moment like me and she contacts her every single day. Sara is supposed to be learning Spanish which is very similar to Italian. So it must be a bit easier for her.
But don't you think she's slowing her process down by writing to her everyday on Facebook and Sky-ping every other night in Italian? =| It's probably none of my business how much they contact each other but it's kind of... creepy. To me it is anyways. I think my host mom really really misses her daughter because every morning she gets on the family iPad and does the daily stalking of her daughter's Facebook profile...
Which brings me to a point of: Italians are really close to their children. Really close. Constant kisses and hugs, childish nicknames and cuddling, wanting to know every single detail of their day, wanting to know what they're thinking, etc.. It's interesting. It's not just my family that does this, it's others, too. Either that, the kids are in screaming matches or don't get along with one of their parents. Normal teenage angst, yes?
One side of me is happy; My parents are more involved in their children's lives and they feel loved. Other side of me is stifled and annoyed; My parents suffocating their children's space and babying them. (Oh and also my space. =\)
(Now the thing with living with small children is that I'm also treated in their mentality by my mother. She thinks 17 years old is a small child's age. It's young but come on, I'm not a baby! She wouldn't even let me watch the TV Show Supernatural, in which I watch in the US, because it was too "explicit". I had to stop myself from pulling out my hair. It's so frustrating at times. I was probably in danger mentally and physically the moment I decided to leave my house in the States to come live out of my comfort zone in Italy. That's courageous enough in itself. I'm sure no childish person would make that decision.)
Also, I think I have to accept now that it is just in my little brother's and sister's nature to complain and cry. They constantly manipulate my host parents with their tears and it works. I can't believe it. My little sister is 7 years old, so yeah I knew she would cry sometimes, BUT EVERY SINGLE DAY? Is that normal? Today is the first day where she didn't cry at all. Everyday since I've arrived in Italy she has cried because she's wanted attention or something else petty. Also, my 13 year old brother cries when he is complaining and my host parents ask him to do something reasonable, ("Davide, please clean up your room a bit."), and he doesn't want to. He doesn't cry everyday, but he cries more than what I expected of a 13 year old boy...
If my parents yell at them, they immediately apologize afterword and then proceed to give them a handful of kisses. Then in the verbatim words of my host mother, "I'm sorry my love!" or "Forgive me, my treasure, my small child be strong!" If my little brother and sister came to my house in the US, they would probably think it was a hell hole. We were smacked and beaten if we talked back or didn't follow rules. Here, my parents don't even lift a finger against their children.
My brother and sister use their tears on my parents but I make sure they don't work on me. When I don't give them what they want, they get angry and start calling me unflattering Italian adjectives and sometimes throw pillows at me. What the freak.
It has taken an immense amount of patience to get over this. I keep having to remind myself they are young and will grow older. It's just a phase.
Since I'm not in the States I don't feel rightly entitled to yell at them. I remember one time I yelled at Davide for annoying me and my host mom didn't respond so well. My tolerance has gone up over 110%. I don't yell at people anymore when I'm angry. I just try to remain calm and I don't ever remember being like that...
Time flies so fast.
Which brings me to a point of New Years' and New Year's Resolutions.
I was probably the only teen in Italy who didn't go party.
Uh-huh. Yeah I asked a great amount of people to hang out with me but they were all "busy". Well, can't say I didn't try. So I just went to a small party with my parents and their friends. They were old, I was bored, so I read children's' English book and studied Italian. Whoopty doo.
I didn't make a New Year's Resolution either... I've been happy with the way I've been conducting my life. OuO So I guess even though a week after New Year's it's not too late to make up one on the spot.
I want to be an all around better person. Just continue to do my best in everything everyday and to have courage no matter what.
----
The last day of break for school vacation. Bring it on.
My Italian is a bit bland and I'm forgetting English. It's like I can't communicate and I actually have to think about the words that come out of my mouth constantly.
Really, when people speak English to me now, I have a small panic attack. ("What are you saying--?! Oh you're not speaking Italian...") I remember the other day I couldn't remember the word "table".
I've also been thinking and dreaming in Italian for the past couple of weeks, but I never took the time to notice until a few days ago. There was no jump for joy or squeal, it was just more a small revelation like "Oh that's cool." And then moving on. Haha fail///
Eeesh! Oh well I think my AFS coordinators will finally be quiet. I can't believe my host mom actually talks to them. She wants to make sure every rule of AFS is followed. And I'm not going to lie, it's not fun when they are.
She told me the other day while we were on vacation that I need to stop everything that has to do with English, because of course it will slow down my learning process of Italian. She also stated you can find a lot of English in Italy already so it's not particularly good for me. But just try to stop speaking, writing, reading (blah, blah, blah) as much English as possible.
Ok...
Now I don't think that was exactly fair for her to say. Why?
Because my older host sister, her daughter Sara, is on her own foreign exchange in Costa Rica at the moment like me and she contacts her every single day. Sara is supposed to be learning Spanish which is very similar to Italian. So it must be a bit easier for her.
But don't you think she's slowing her process down by writing to her everyday on Facebook and Sky-ping every other night in Italian? =| It's probably none of my business how much they contact each other but it's kind of... creepy. To me it is anyways. I think my host mom really really misses her daughter because every morning she gets on the family iPad and does the daily stalking of her daughter's Facebook profile...
Which brings me to a point of: Italians are really close to their children. Really close. Constant kisses and hugs, childish nicknames and cuddling, wanting to know every single detail of their day, wanting to know what they're thinking, etc.. It's interesting. It's not just my family that does this, it's others, too. Either that, the kids are in screaming matches or don't get along with one of their parents. Normal teenage angst, yes?
One side of me is happy; My parents are more involved in their children's lives and they feel loved. Other side of me is stifled and annoyed; My parents suffocating their children's space and babying them. (Oh and also my space. =\)
(Now the thing with living with small children is that I'm also treated in their mentality by my mother. She thinks 17 years old is a small child's age. It's young but come on, I'm not a baby! She wouldn't even let me watch the TV Show Supernatural, in which I watch in the US, because it was too "explicit". I had to stop myself from pulling out my hair. It's so frustrating at times. I was probably in danger mentally and physically the moment I decided to leave my house in the States to come live out of my comfort zone in Italy. That's courageous enough in itself. I'm sure no childish person would make that decision.)
Also, I think I have to accept now that it is just in my little brother's and sister's nature to complain and cry. They constantly manipulate my host parents with their tears and it works. I can't believe it. My little sister is 7 years old, so yeah I knew she would cry sometimes, BUT EVERY SINGLE DAY? Is that normal? Today is the first day where she didn't cry at all. Everyday since I've arrived in Italy she has cried because she's wanted attention or something else petty. Also, my 13 year old brother cries when he is complaining and my host parents ask him to do something reasonable, ("Davide, please clean up your room a bit."), and he doesn't want to. He doesn't cry everyday, but he cries more than what I expected of a 13 year old boy...
If my parents yell at them, they immediately apologize afterword and then proceed to give them a handful of kisses. Then in the verbatim words of my host mother, "I'm sorry my love!" or "Forgive me, my treasure, my small child be strong!" If my little brother and sister came to my house in the US, they would probably think it was a hell hole. We were smacked and beaten if we talked back or didn't follow rules. Here, my parents don't even lift a finger against their children.
My brother and sister use their tears on my parents but I make sure they don't work on me. When I don't give them what they want, they get angry and start calling me unflattering Italian adjectives and sometimes throw pillows at me. What the freak.
It has taken an immense amount of patience to get over this. I keep having to remind myself they are young and will grow older. It's just a phase.
Since I'm not in the States I don't feel rightly entitled to yell at them. I remember one time I yelled at Davide for annoying me and my host mom didn't respond so well. My tolerance has gone up over 110%. I don't yell at people anymore when I'm angry. I just try to remain calm and I don't ever remember being like that...
Time flies so fast.
Which brings me to a point of New Years' and New Year's Resolutions.
I was probably the only teen in Italy who didn't go party.
Uh-huh. Yeah I asked a great amount of people to hang out with me but they were all "busy". Well, can't say I didn't try. So I just went to a small party with my parents and their friends. They were old, I was bored, so I read children's' English book and studied Italian. Whoopty doo.
I didn't make a New Year's Resolution either... I've been happy with the way I've been conducting my life. OuO So I guess even though a week after New Year's it's not too late to make up one on the spot.
I want to be an all around better person. Just continue to do my best in everything everyday and to have courage no matter what.
----
The last day of break for school vacation. Bring it on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)