Qwellie

I think the reason that I'm not so emotional right now upon leaving are the following:

1. I don't do that emotional stuff a lot
2. I know I'll be back.

And so, I leave you with this fine words:

One day I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.

-The First Doctor




Oh, and:

Naturally about 5 minutes after I wake up a good hour before the taxi is going to arrive, my dad calls and tells me since he and mom are basically ready, they have called for an earlier taxi. Wonderful.

You know, I really thought I was done with all the nonsense that Italy can throw at me. I figured, at this point, there was really nothing that this country could do to throw me off or surprise me. As of this moment, I stand by that claim. But that doesn't stop Italy being full of nonsense.

A little back story, I think, is necessary to truly understand this story. Way back when 'round the time of Easter I sent a package addressed in rather large, clear, if not altogether friendly letters, to my beloved Ana. Inside said package were shiny delights for various peoples, herself included. I decided that I wanted the package to arrive before May first, so I thought early April was really the time to send.

Off to the post office I went, filled out the papers, paid the Euros, and thought that joy was being sent off into the world to arrive in a few weeks.

No, actually. That isn't how it works. About two weeks later I e-mail Ana and ask her if she has received any sort of package. (But, Rachel, you may ask, wouldn't Ana have sent you some sort of word about receiving a package of goodies? Probably, yes. But my tesoro has occasional gaps in correspondence. ;D) It had turned out that she had received nothing at all. So, since it was Easter week, we figure we'd give it another week....

Basically, It is now June and there has been not hide nor hair of said package in either country. Queen of the Morons here lost the tracking number, so there was no way of tracking its progress. Lacy gets a package from home that was sent in January which gives me new hope that mine might not actually be trapped in The Void of Lost Mail. But then school had ended and now there was the chance that it would arrive while people were gone! The result of this realization was a rather confusing conversation with the head of campus mail concerning the possibility of the package arriving during the summer and how is should be handled. Followed by an e-mail clarifying the phone call.

And how does it all end? Yesterday I get an e-mail telling me that there is a package for me. My package, to be exact. I really rather doubt that it ever left Italy. But was on some shelf in the post office for this past month and a half just waiting. Waiting for someone to see it and send it off. Only, for reasons that baffle me, that just wasn't possible. Because it was returned to sender. Way to go, Italian Postal Service.

Then again, way to go, Italian Postal Services! The package is intact, nothing inside is broken, and it arrived at the office before I had left the country. Those are good things. Only too bad it couldn't have just gone where it was intended to go.

But as Dirk Gently says "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be." I'm not sure how that actually applies to the package, but it comforts me.

Not really. I just wanted to quote Douglas Adams.

Other than that, I had a chat with Ricci concerning my 18-12 split of the 30 credits and it looks to be that everything will work out just fine. Hooray. During our conversation about it, he gave me a smile that said "you were waiting for the last possible moment to tell me this, weren't you? You've known about this situation for quite some time." But I feel that even with that, somewhere, in that smile, there was the satisfaction that I had learned how to deal with my grades the Italian way.

Or maybe that was just my satisfaction.

I have now finished exams and am awaiting the arrival of my beloved parents. It is rather startling to find myself in June. Last night I packed up winter clothing. I can't help but be continually confused as to how I got here and what is going to happen in the next fortnight. (Yes, Daniel, fortnight.) Because, creepily, that is all I really have left.

Alright, actually I have a bit more than a fortnight, but it really only feels like two weeks.

But is it creepy? Is it really? Not actually. Supremely strange, I grant you. AND weird. So very weird.

The exams, as far as I can tell, have gone over rather well. My philosophy exam was a lot better than I had expected. I was so worried, but in the end it was quite fine. It was the first time that I didn't feel like I was being interrogated and we had ourselves a conversation. She was really nice and sweet and we talked about how hot Raoul Bova was for about three minutes. Wonderful times.

The written, well, that remains to be seen. I think it was OK, but I feel like it was BS too. Whatever. It is over and then I am finished with exams and tests and studying and all of that crazy stuff. Thusly, I find myself unsure of what to do with myself. Who knows, perhaps I should go on a trip, get a piercing, or have a long aperitivo. Who knows? I don't. But I've got the time and the options. Well, I have a week. But I still have options.

Ok, so today Meghan and I felt that we had to see Pirates on the big screen. It had to be done, even if it was going to be dubbed. So we went, had ourselves a wonderful time and came to the conclusion that Orlando Bloom is hotter in Italian and that Johnny Depp is hot in any language. Nothing really shocking there. We emerged from the cinema to sunlight and felt rather fine about life. And then Italy had to go and be Italy.

Meghan and I then departed a casa, walking down Malpighi like one does, chatting about the movie. Sunglasses donned, we were clearly not interested in anyone. But that doesn't stop people, does it? No, because this is Italy.

A group of five boys, aged 12-14, stop us and ask how to get to the train station. We pause, orientate ourselves and point. Actually, I point and Meghan says that it is at the end of the street. I feel that the rest will only make sense if I write it in dialogue. Unless specified, this conversation is in Italian.

Leader boy: Are you from around here?
Meghan: No.
Striped shirt boy, to Meghan: You are a very beautiful girl.
Meghan, not hearing: What?
Me, in English: He says you are pretty.
Meghan: Oh.

We walk. Yet, they walk in the same direction as us. And, heaven forfend, don't leave us alone. the leader boy walks up so that he is parallel with us.

Leader boy, pointing at Meghan, and sort of yelling it down the street. Towards the end: You are a very beautiful girl. She is a very beautiful girl. Very beautiful. SHE is beautiful. Beautiful this girl is. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. She. She is beautiful.*

We continue walking. We get a little ahead of them, but that deters not Leader boy.

Leader boy, still to Meghan: How old are you? How old are you?
Meghan, not hearing: What did he say?
Me, in English: He want to know how old you are.

As Meghan turns around to answer the question, we seem to have finally moved far enough away from them.

All this time all I could wonder was, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, ITALY?? And by Italy, I mean the Italian male. Where is the sense? We are walking, minding our own business, we stop and be nice and tell you where the station is. Clearly, we are into you. Actually, I take that back. Clearly, Meghan is into you. After all she is in a pink dress. The tall one near her is foreboding. Let us not speak to her or awknowledge her existance.

But, WTF? Meghan is 21. You are 14. It isn't going to happen. And you proclaiming that she is beautiful all up and down the street is not actually a turn on. It did not, as you perhaps cleverly thought, make her want to jump in bed and ride you like an Italian stallion. Because you aren't a stallion. You are 14. And obnoxious. I can understand your desire to learn her age because, though your may share the same height, she is not on you level. She is above it. A lot. Because you are an adolescent moron and everyone is above you.

I quit.

*I may have taken some liberties with the translation, but that was the meaning.

In other news, Sean has yet to be to Rome. He has been here for 10 months but has yet to go to Rome. Where is the sense in that?

It would seem that sense has left Italy. That is, if it was ever there in the first place.

Exams. What are they good for? Absolutely nothing. But still I have two left. One on Thursday. The one that I least want to take. So, naturally, here I am taking a break from studying. I just realized that a week from tomorrow and I will not only be done with classes, but it will also be the BCSP Farewell Dinner/Talent Show. And I feel like there is some sort of finality entwined with said Dinner. Maybe it has to do with my desire to go somewhere the week before my parent's arrive. Hence, I might not be in Bologna for much of that last week. Or maybe, just maybe, I don't want it to end?

I was sitting on some steps near a canal in Venice the other day, talking, as almost always, with la Tribe, about how I do really want to go home. YET, it is really going to be annoying as all fuck to not be able to hop a train to Venice, or a relatively cheap flight to London or wherever else I wanted to go in the greater European area. Grounded in the land of flatness and restaurants, I'm not going to be going anywhere till August.

I think the best sum up, thus far, comes from Lacy: "Ah fuck. I went and got attached. Blast it all, I love my study abroad experience, even with all the recent lows. Well fuck me!"

That is basically it.

After a week home I am going to want to go somewhere or do something that is nigh impossible in St. Cloud. Such as have aperitivo with some people, or hop a train to Zurich, or go and sit in a piazza and philosophize on the meaning of haircuts. Shan't be able.

And why do I fear the following?

1. That I really have reached new levels of Snobdom that I hitherto thought out of my grasp
2. Settling back into the land of MN is going to be much harder than I want it to be
3. The Olive Garden

I think it could be fair to say that I am one of the more frustrated with the so-called charm of Italy, but however I might complain and shake my dominant fist at this boot shaped country, I went and got attached.

Whoops.

I wouldn't say that I was down to the wire concerning time left in Italy. But I think I am almost to the point where I can say that I am down to the wire. Two and a half weeks before I am done with all UniBo stuff. (Still have to tell Ricci about the 12 credits...funny how one forgets these things.) Then there are 25 days until the parents arrive. What it basically comes down to is that it has been 17 days since my last entry and nothing too newsworthy has happened. At least, nothing I can think of at this moment.

Hmmm...I suppose that this rates as news, last night was Valerio's birthday. The only directions that I got was that it was in a bar on Via del Pratello. So my friend Lacy and I figured we would just wander the via until I saw Valerio. We found him, met his friends from his program, and got ourselves a drink...only to realize that the bar where Valerio's party had ended up was one that we had been to before. It turned out to the be the bar that all 35 BCSPers had tried to fit into on the second or third night way back in August. Lacy and I both found this to be amusing since we were just musing about how the program was coming to an end.

As the time draws to a close, I'm feeling optimistic about my summer. I have a list of things to do and if there is any luck, I'll get some of them accomplished. I feel like there is a winding down happening here. But that could just be me trying to come to terms with the fact that it is almost done. Either way, we are on the home stretch if not the wire.

This last month has indeed been a whirlwind and it hasn't quite stopped yet. As April dawned on us, I found that the weather, at long last, was less rainy and more warm. Now, on this 27th day the heat is hot enough to require windows open at all times. Even if it doesn't do much good. Relatedly, I am allergic, it would seem, to spring. Fabulous. My nose has been a menace the last few days by keeping my up at night and leaking like the most annoying faucet ever. Because it is leaking on my face. But that is graphic enough, I should think.

Anyway, during this aforementioned whirlwind I've had me two rather lovely trips. The first was to Ireland with the lovely Lacy and the second was to Scotland to visit the lovely Leslie. Both fantastic and both yielded quite a few pictures. The upshot was that the month has literally flown by. However, the month has flown by and now exams are looming and I find myself a little worried about it all.

My philosophy class, for example. Actually, that is where I am really worried. Because I just don't get it. I plan to talk to the prof tomorrow, but who knows if that will yield anything? I can only hope. But I have much reading to do and, frankly, I just don't want to do it. I mean, theoretically the philosophical problem will be dealt with next week. (Does anyone else think that is a strange sentence?) And then it will just be English Lit and finito. Still have to tell Ricci about the 12 credits invece di 15. I will. Next week. Once the Enlightenment has been finished.

Other than that the time of departure is suddenly very really near and I just don't know what to feel or think. Upshot, weather is not crappy here. Downshot, if there can be such a thing, is that there is still so much to do. Or at least, if feels like there is so much to do. Stupid nose. Clearly it is the nose's fault.

Clearly.

I'm really bummed, as I knew I would be, about missing May Day. But then I've been bummed about missing all sorts of traditions. I miss my lantern, damnit! Oh well, next year will just have to be doubly spectacular.

Reader, I feel that now is a fine moment to introduce you to how the Italian educational system works. I know that I may have hinted on this subject in the past, but now I will enlighten you further and more clearly than you ever thought possible. It will be almost as if you are living here, only you don't. Which, I hope you find, is really lucky.

In the past week I have had two kinds of examinations. The first was an oral exam concerning the Italian Renaissance. The second exam, which I had today, was on the wonderful subject of Hamlet and was written. For those who know me, I don't particularly like exams. In fact, I suck at taking exams. Exams of all sort. Oral exams in Italian, for example, are not exactly my strong point. So we aren't going to talk about that exam. Basically, I study what I think I should study, start shaking once the exam starts, become a deer in headlights when he asks me something I don't know and, at last, come out with a grade that can be deemed passable. A relatively painless process once it is over.

But this Shakespeare exam was my first written. I was nervous for all sorts of reasons, but main being that I had the option of taking the exam in English if I wanted. However, upon seeing the exam and talking to the professor, I firmly decided to attempt it in Italian. For my part, I think I did alright. I mean, yes, after writing my "no more than 200 words" essays I did seriously wonder whether it was decent Italian of that of a four-year-old. But since four-year-olds can't typically write, I felt like I was OK. But the first part of the exam was identifications. The professor's brief was "the shortest answer possible." Ok.

This is where you receive your lesson on Italy. I knew, 100% ten of those twenty. I guessed on five and there were five that I just didn't have a clue. So I'm staring off into space, willing the answer to sneak up on me when my eyes fall on the girl sitting in the same row as me. In the cubby under the desk she has her copy of Hamlet. And her notes. In fact, she is going through her notes. I look down my right-diagonal and see that this other girl has little notecards. Not ten minutes later the guy directly in front of me turns around and asks me "What was Aristotle's opinion on mythos?" aka question #17. I just do a general glance around the room and I am now fairly sure that I was the only one in the room who wasn't cheating! The freaking professor was in the room. And everyone is cheating.

So, the lesson is this: In Italy it is OK to cheat. In fact, it is more than OK, it is expected. It is a source of pride. If you can cheat, do it. If you can make it easier for you, excellent.

Under normal circumstances I would feel that I had done pretty well on that exam, but now I'm thinking otherwise. Everyone one of those cheating sons/daughters of bitches will have 20/20 on that identification part and I will be extremely lucky if I can get 14/20. Obviously I have to wait and see what my grade is before I take any sort of action. Remember, this is Italy, not BMC. But still. I'm beginning to think that Italy really isn't a place, but only a state of mind. And if you can arrive in that state, you will succeed beyond your wildest dreams! However, if you can't, for whatever moral or other reason, the system may fuck you over. Fuck it first, basically.

And now you know, and knowing is half the battle. At least today is sunny and GORGEOUS.

Well, it has been basically a month since my last joyous update about the internet arriving. Right now the only really, super, amazingly interesting thing is that my beloved cousin Katie is visiting! The first two days were plagued by rain, though the second day did yield me shoes. The first found me drenched in Florence and Vivoli closed! Yesterday was much sunnier, though still cloudy, and we took a tripette to Ferrara. Then we had the most DELICIOUS dinner at a restaurant called Merlo'. I need to take people there. I need to take my parents there! It is very good food though not super expensive. Today I think will find us drifting around Bologna.

On the down side of news I have exams next week. Eww. Needless to say I am freaking out about them un po'. Probably un po' di piu'. But that is life, is it not? This weekend holds Birthday Madness and one hopes that it all turns out well.

April finds me doing a bit of traveling, and that is good for the soul. Did someone say that or did I make it up? Either way I think it will be awesome.

It took a little over six months but at long last it has arrived.

Internet.

So long world, I no longer have to leave my bedroom!

Except that I will because if I spend more than one whole day in this house during a week I tend to go insane. Especially if the roommate is around. Considering I don't like her company.

BUT ANYWAY!!! INTERNET!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And when I say that first semester ends, I mean that I took my last exam for that semester today. I'm already taking classes for second semester, but apparently here in Italy, lines don't exist. That is, the new semester may start the first week of Feb, but that doesn't mean that an exam for the previous semester can't take place then! Oh, Italy.

Anyway, the most recent news is that I had a huge blow out with my roommate (that is, the one who shares a room with me). And when I say blow out, I mean she blew up at me. Long story short, she was out of line, I was already distressed (worried about exam, worried about life, not feeling well...it all adds up) and basically decided that I didn't want to live with her anymore because she is, and I use this as a technical description, a bitch.

However in the end I decided not to move out since I had somehow made it 6 months with her, certainly another 4 would be possible. (Well, at first I just wanted to run away, but then after a tearful call to my dad he talked me out of the idea.) And I've recently learned that the Swiss housemate, the one I like best of the three flatmates, really hates my roomie too. So, while that is nice in the sense of solidarity, she can go and shut her door to roomie's idiocy whereas I am stuck.

But maybe this means that if roomie ever does something out of line we can evict her! Though I suppose that is about as likely as internet ever arriving.

Today was my exam and I did very well. Though other people did better. And this only annoys in the sense that I know I studied more than some of the other kids who did better, but I was the one who got the questions that I couldn't answer as well. And I froze. I freeze. I sit down and I forget everything I just knew. Sad. Terrible. But I got a good grade so I really should be jumping around for joy. Only here I am lamenting that people who studied less did better. And I am the only one. :(

But I should get over this feeling of lamentation soon since I'm going to LONDON on the 24th! Can't get enough of that place, can I? So, I hope that not only will that trip be lots o' fun, but that it will prepare me for the last four months of class, of roommate, and of whatever else there is to come!

But I have a return date now: June 19th. This makes me happy.

Life has continued, but nothing that interesting has really happened. For a few weeks there was nothing, so I was in the BCSP office a lot because there was no where else to go, really. So I did that a lot as well as read for my exam that is still yet to happen (not until Feb 20).

Last week classes started, however. So that is nice, however I still have to study for an exam while I try to read for my current classes. That is a bit odd. But this semester I am taking a Shakespeare class about Hamlet, a Renaissance class, and a History of Enlightenment Philosophy class. The latter doesn't start until Wednesday, however. So, that is something to look forward to, I guess.


Actually, there is something to look forward to: another trip to London! This time it is with my friend, Maria Isabella. She has never been before, so I get to play tour guide. That is pretty exciting. Not to mention that, if things work out, I will be able to see Hot Fuzz and The Tempest (starring Patrick Stewart as Prospero). That would be pretty sweet!

Still no internet a casa. But hope springs eternal and continues to bubble along weakly.

While Sunday was glorious and sunny, today is grey and a bit chilly. I do hope that the sunny days return. They really make life better, I do have to say. So, yes. I think that is basically what is going on right now. Oh, we are closing in on a return date to the US, for those who are interested. Don't have it yet, but it is coming.

See what I did up there on the subject line? Yeah? Thought so.

Anyway, I just had me an utterly lovely week and a half break away from Bologna. It was really what I needed since I knew that going home for winter holiday of choice was as out of the question as staying in Bologna. What follows is a vague story that might, on occasion, be punctuated by obnoxiously detailed moments of my Mawrful break.

The truly fabulous thing about flying in Europe is that there are airlines like easyjet and ryanair that have really cheap flights. Using this, I found myself some rather reasonable flights to England and France. Knowing that there would be a least a nice handful of school friends in those areas, I made my plans, checked them more than twice and, on January 4th, set off to Merry Olde England for a week.

But before we get there, let us take a moment to remember how I got to the airport to catch my plane for England. A train from Bologna to Milan, a bus from Milan to the airport, a shuttle from the airport to my hotel (it was an early flight), then another shuttle to the airport from my hotel at around 6 in the morning. That is how much I care.

Anyway, got into Gatwick around 9:30-10 and arrived in London somewhere roundabout 11. I then followed my brother's expert directiong and made my way to my hostel. Then, after settling my stuff, I began to wander around London. I didn't have a map, pounds, and I was a mite peckish. Plus I was on a mission to find a coffee place (Starbucks or Cafe Nero) and order myself a coffee-to-go. Because, they don't do coffee-to-go in Italy and it is a damn shame. Anyway, after rounding Russell Square, walking past the British Museum and then wandering blind for a few more minutes I found an ATM, a newstand, and a Starbucks...all in a nice row. After that, caffinated, money in my pocket, and map nicely concealed in my bag, I was off!

Though much really wasn't done that day besides some wandering and some calling of friends to tell them that I was now in town, it was lovely. Though I kept hearing Italian EVERYWHERE! More Italian than English, I promise you. It was rather strange and towards the end I was just annoyed. Had I not gone to England to get away from the Italian? No matter. I had sushi. All was therefore well.

The next day began my first of many meetings with mawrters. I had myself a lovely lunch in a pub with Hannah and her boyfriend, Jonathan. It was awesome to see her after so long and hear of her Egyptian adventures. We also caught each other up on whatever Mawr gossip we could. Though, considering we've both been a bit out of touch with the Mawr world, there wasn't too much to tell. She did sound wonderfully British, however, as being home makes her accent change in that way.

Day three was plagued by rain. Rain, rain, rain. And then there was some more rain. I found this annoying as I was wandering from shop to shop, in search of sales and the ever elusive pair of brown boots. My purple uggs, however, were enjoying getting completely soaked, however. But that day had a silver lining as I was able to procure a ticket to the last (well, last matinee) show of "Much Ado About Nothing" staring Tamsin Greig as Beatrice and Joseph Millson as Benedick. It was awesome and Milson as Benedick was really fabulous, I have to say. Obviously Greig was also hilarious, but I felt that Milson stole the show. Plus the set was awesome. So that made my day a bit sunnier. Of course, I then had to return to the world of rain. But luckily it wasn't that far to the underground. I rule the Tube, people. I rule it.

The next four days I spent as a houseguest with Julia at Kat's place. This was when the party really started. After a slight mishap at the airport (where we all met) in the morning (a mishap that did, in the end, leave me with a muffin and coffee-to-go) we all arrived at Kat's. Though extremely jetlagged, Julia revitalized herself with a quick shower and bit to eat. And then we head out into the land of London for some brief sightseeing followed by dinner with Hannah and her bf. Which was hilarious and awesome and slightly surreal since we were eating at a mexican style restaurant in England.

The next day we went to Windsor Castle. Though we couldn't go in, but we atribute that to the fact that the Queen was chilling out there. However that day was made awesome by the meeting up with Hannah Upp! We wandered Windsor and it was a lot of fun. I, yet again, got a coffee-to-go.

The following day was the greatest day of the year, AKA my birthday. We spent it seeing some sights, doing some light shopping (well, I got Green Wing 1 and 2 and the Special...amazing!), and then we saw "Night at the Muesum". Which had really hilarious bits involving Owen Wilson and Steve Coogen. Then we went back to Kat's to find that her dad had purchased a nice birthday cake for me. How cool is that? It was chocolate and it was awesome.

More sights the next day, but a specific sight worth mentioning is the Tate Modern. They had an installation of slides. That is the kind you find in children's jungle gyms. And, apparently, part of art of the piece was people actually sliding down said slides. So, who were we to not oblidge art? Needless to say it was really cool, although over a little too quickly. And so ended the last day in London. It really was an awesome trip.

The next day ended up sort of sucking for me. I had a flight out of Luton at 9:25 and I got to the airport at 9. However, with easyjet, you need to geta boarding pass at least 40 minutes before the flight or they won't issue you one. So I had to get a ticket for the next flight which didn't happen until 2:50. So I wandered the airport, flipped through some magazines, tried to read some of my reading, bought a bagel with my credit card because I didn't have any more pounds...you know, the usual. Oh, not to mention that my boot broke after going through security. So I was wandering the airport with one boot that didn't zip up. Fun. I arrived in Paris, at night, and proceeded to get on the right train into the city, my brother telling me where I needed to get off. (Though, had I been thinking, I would have remembered that Julia wrote that all down for me...whoops.) Then, I had to get out of the station. But my ticket had fallen through one of the many holes in my coat's lining. Thus, when I got to the turnstile, the officer person there told me that I had to go back and buy a new one. Do any of you know how obnoxious it is to find a ticket booth in Gare du Nord? You follow these multilingual signs that promise you your destination only for them to stop, suddenly, reavealing no ticket booth in sight. Obviously I found one in the end because I'm still not trapped in there. Got to the streets, took FOREVER to find a cab, and eventually I got to the hotel. Exhausted I collapsed onto the bed and proceeded to watch The Bourne Supremacy dubbed in French. And then some weird movie from 1974 about some excorsism with a bit of softcore porn for good measure. It was in English with subtitles, so obviously I watched for a while.

But the next two days were far better. Julia and I did some shopping and then met up with Alex! We wandered about Paris and ended up at Notre Dame. OF course, on our way, Julia and Alex proceeded to give directions to a lost Irish guy. A really cute lost Irish guy. After which we had dinner. THEN I was to meet up with Julie for a bit. Only, I didn't meet up with just Julie. Because D was also there! I was, needless to say, shocked. We went out for a bit, chatted, and then because they had to catch a train, parted ways.

The last day of my trip was spent mostly in the home town of Alex. We went to her favorite cafe and talked the afternoon away. Then Julia and I trained back into the city and enjoyed ourselves a crepe for dinner. The next morning, I woke up, checked out, and began my many forms of trasportation home.

1. A cab from the hotel to Gare du Nord.
2. A train from Gare du Nord to the Airport (I did get on the wrong train at one point, but I was vigilant and fixed the problem and only added on an extra 7 minutes or so to my journey)
3. An airplane from Charles du Gualle to Malpensa.
4. A bus from airport to train station
5. A train from Milan to Bologna
6. A 15 minute walk from the train station to my apartment

All worth it.

( Some pictures )

It has been a bit of a while since I last updated, so I will give a brief overview of how December has progressed. Overall, I would say that December has been a good month. I still don't have internet at home and am beginning to suspect that if we ever do get it, it will be the day before I leave to return home. But with 15 more students coming for second semester, the already small BCSP office will be more cramped, and my use of their internet might be slightly compromised. But we shall see how this plays out.

I am having a hard time believing that it is December. While it does get a bit cold outside, there is no snow and my nose hairs have yet to freeze. I'm not really complaining, but it does make for confusion when one is used to other signs of winter.

I've finished with 3 of my 4 classes for the semester. I don't know the results of the Political History of Italy class yet, but I've done alright in the other two. Of course, the Political Anthropology final was a bit of a terrible ordeal. For those who don't already know, the long story can be found ( here ). But this means that the finals are done until Feb. And that is nice.

I've begun my winter holiday tripping. I went to Rome for Christmas with a family that is connected to my family via my grandma. It is a bit of a long story, but the gist is that my grandma has been very good friends with Dolores (the grandma and now great-grandma of this family) since my grandma was my age. And Dolores has been in Rome since 1949 or so. Anyway, they were all very nice and welcoming and I only felt vaguely out of place. After all, they aren't actually my family, as soon as they found out I was taking Italian the English basically vanished from the conversation, and the closest person to my age is 31. (Well, I suppose that the 12 year-old is technically closer, but he wasn't around very much.) But it really was lovely and it really went rather well. Not to mention that I got to see Siri! So, the first of the school friends of Winter Break was seen. I am jealous that she gets to go home in a few days. Though I think it is mostly because I miss my family over the holidays and so forth.

Anyway, I'm going to Milan at the end of this week to visit a family friend and CLO!!!! She just texted me like 2 minutes ago that she can be in Milan on the 29th. I am rather thrilled, needless to say. I am hoping for that trip to go well. And for me to get my ticket earlier than the day of...just in case. Learned my lesson when I forgot to get an earlier ticket to Rome the day before Christmas Eve. It all worked out fine, but I could have gotten an earlier train if I had taken a moment to get a ticket before the day.

Then, after a few days and New Years, I will be jetting off to London to see a nice grouping of friends, as well as spending my brithday in London. Finishing off the trip there is a few days in Paris to see a couple more schoolmates and then it is back to Bologna to finish readings, maybe take a tripette to Siena or somewhere before semester 2 starts. Everything is pretty good right now, except that while I'm in Bologna I seem to be chilling on my own. Which is a bit sad in that I have no one to hang out with. But, they are only for short spells before seeing some really fabulous people.

That about covers it for the moment. I'll add in some pictures from Rome when I upload them to the computer.

Yeterday Jess, Gina, Matt, and I got tired of Bologna and took a rather refreshing day trip to Ferrara. Early on it was decided that it would be a good day. It in fact turned out to be a great day. There was a bit of chilliness in the air, but the sun was shining and the sky was blue. And Ferrara has a castle with a moat. A MOAT. What more do I really need to be happy. We ended up seeing the Castello Estense (with moat), a little palazzo which was quite beautiful, the Cattedrale which was quite grand, and the Palazzo Diamonti (think that was the name) which was pretty sweet. All day spirits were high and the mood was right. We had wanted to go to the Jewish quarter to see the museum, but sadly it was shut. You would think we would have thought of that eventuality as we were going on a Friday. But oh well. I guess that means that we will have to go back. Darn.

( Ferrara )

So, for the past week or so, we here in the BCSP office were wondering what was going on with the free wireless. Because Macs could no longer get onto it and the PCs were getting very weak signals. For some, like me, this was more than just a little annoyance. The BCSP office is where I practically live when I need internet. Because lord knows if we will ever get it in the apartment. What is going on there is anyone's guess. Anyway, for the last week, we have all been agonizing over the internet issue in the office. Today, but cinque minuti fa, a tech person came in to assess the problem.

Wouldn't you know it, for the past three months we here at the BCSP office have been using someone else's wireless. Hence the low signal and the lack of Mac love. So, within a few magical seconds, we are all now connected to the BCSP wireless. And, to make everything all the better, the instruction of how to get the wireless has been posted on the bulletin board for the ENTIRE TIME.

Oy vey.

Whatever, I have functional free internet again for much of 4 out of the seven days of the week. It is far from perfect, but it is way better than nothing.

Stupendo.

The last few weeks have been fairly boring. I get up, I go read for a while, go use the internet, go back to the apartment, do things that don't require the internet, and then go to bed. It isn't a wretched way to live, but it is a bit on the dull side. Of course things did pick up during the time of Thanksgiving. We had a dinner, which was very nice and somewhat right. That is, there was turkey, cranberry sauce...even pumpkin pie. Except that it was the italian version of it all. Which meant that I actually liked the pumpkin pie. After stuffing ourselves, the BCSPers kept the party going late on into the night. :D

As of now I'm trying to finalize my winter plans and get myself ready for exams. That is basically what I was doing before, only now it is closer to the time of exams. Which basically means that I am freaking out. Sometimes. Occasionally. When I think about it.

Flatemates ditched me again this weekend. But it was nice. Did some cleaning, had a friend over to watch some flicks. It was nice. But we are going to be a full house again tonight (unless Serena decides to come home tomorrow) which means not too much I suppose. Though, with Natascia home, Laura is going to ask her about the internet. Because Natascia claims that she ordered it and a phone line in January of 2006. Now, Italy takes its own sweet time, yes. But this is just ridiculous. So, Laura is going to level with her tonight and then if it turns out that Natascia was spinning us a yarn, Laura and I will probably sign up for something together as we both have computers and love the internet. Then maybe by second semester I will be able to be forever online like I like it.

Oh, and for those few who are in the know, I've watched Torchwood. In the end I think it is sad because it be better. Spin-offs don't have to suck and the show has come close. But it just doesn't seem to be able to quite do it. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised considering these are the people who are making Doctor Who the way it is now. But still. I live in hope.

( Thanksgiving pictures )

Last night I watched "Mallrats" during a moment of missing home. Because, for those who know, "Mallrats" was filmed at Eden Prairie. Of course, it has been heavily rennovated since then, but it is still my mall. But as I watched it, I realized that it was my mall. Because I no longer live five minutes from it. I live, on a clear day, an hour and five minutes away. That sort of stinks I don't mind telling you. And there I find myself missing my ex-mall. But then I do consider KOP my mall and I don't even really frequent it.

In other news, I've been planning my winter break plans and have already mapped out a week in London and threeish days in Paris. Am rather thrilled with that. Still not sure what I'll do during christmas nor positive as to what I'll do New Year's. Though, New Year's is looking considerably up as it is potentially going to be with the best Italian in the world. That is Clo, by the way. For those in the know.

Anyway, I have a feeling that spring semester I might go crazy because I'll be missing so much Mawr. But, then again, springtime in Italy. Some how I might find a way to survive. Basically I am full of nervousness towards the upcomming exams and trying to figure out the first part of the winter break. If exams turn out to be easy, I may find myself travelling more spring semester. And that would be cool. Wouldn't it? Or maybe I'll find a job at at theater. I wouldn't hold my breath, but there we go. I have been a bit down the last few days, but things seem to be looking up. Not to mention that it has been really grey lately, and I think that could be a big part of it.

No new pictures at this point, but this is where I am, roughly, at the moment.

This past weekend I had a really great time in Copenhagen visiting McCurdy. Sadly I didn't get a chance to meet/remeet her best buddies there (I went to high school with one of them) but we still managed to make it all awesome. She lives a half hour train ride outside of Copenhagen, so we didn't do very much sightseeing. Of course I was only there for two days. But I didn't see the Little Mermaid or anything like that. All I know is that I want to go back to Scandinavia.

Anyway, I have to dash right now. Still without internet at home. Maybe second semester, yes? Is that a vain hope? Or may something will happen that will make it arrive sooner! That would be nice.

( Copenhagen Photos )

Nothing too exciting and new has really happened since Holly and Erina visited me. I've been going to classes, tracking down books, and trying to figure out the secret meaning of Italian life. So far the only secret that I have found, and I don't think that it is too much of a secret, is that eating is important. Eating well, to be more specific. And in connection to this revelation, it isn't all that hard to eat well.

Speaking of eating well, I met Jess's mom last night. We had indian food. It was really nice. My brother would be a cross between shocked and proud. But we had a nice dinner and it was a good time. But before this nice little evening of indian food and BMC love, I was ditched by my roommates for the weekend.

It wasn't so much an evil thing. I knew one of them was going home for the weekend, but I didn't know about the other two. so, fiday night, I'm having a quiet evening at home and no one is around. It was odd becuase my roommates don't go out. They just sit on the couch in the kitchen, watching strange Italian television, and smoke. Oh the strange Italian television. Anyway, I ended up spending much of the weekend just wandering around the town looking for, though never finding, somewhere to study.

But as I wantdered I took some pictures of the Bologna area near where I live. So, below you'll find some pictures of the city near where I live. These pictures, below, are of the area vicino a mia cassa. Anyway, pictures.

( The Pictures )