The Milanese

have many things to be proud of. Milan is a city of elegant importance. It is has a key location near many other European countries. The Milan Duomo is one of the most captivatingly beautiful churches in the world. They have art, theatre, and nightlife. They have history and culture. There's the Castlello Sforzesco, the canals, the soccer teams, the amazing transportation, the fashion, the food, not to mention the best looking business men walking down their streets I fear I will ever see. But one thing you will probably never hear them boast about is the weather. It's a new experience for me. The rainy season took me completely off guard and I often came home squelching and soaked. Then followed weeks of clouds, more rain, snow, ice and persisting cold. When I mention it, in perhaps discussing the differences between my home state and Milan, the looks I recieve are apologetic. Do I just imagine the averted gazes and lowered voices when people tell me, "Go to Rome" or "Visit Sicily"? It's actually not THAT bad. I don't know what I expected- we are a stone's throw from the Alps themselves! The truth is I am a complete wimp and starting January I begin (literally and routinely) dreaming of the beach and summertime. But the Italians here need not be ashamed of perhaps one of the very few things they cannot boast about- today was an absolutely beautiful day. In fact this week this sun has made an appearance more than once, and the results for me are that around the time I exit school I get a nice sunlit walk in a bustling european city. It raises my spirits undoubtedly. It makes me wonder how I could ever NOT have high spirits. The sun comes out and says "Grace! Look Around! Your life is perfect!". I buy it every time. Why wouldn't I? It's really true!

Today "sono di buon umore", I'm in a good mood. I went to school and arrived on time (always a blessing). I had a couple hours of classes but also time to research and print off things to help me understand some of my current topics a bit better. After school (while walking in the sun) I made my way to Giorgio's house for lunch. I had been pretty worried about Giorgio. He had been sick for quite a few weeks and I hadn't seen him since Christmas Eve (and he had been sick BEFORE Christmas Eve too!). I was completely relieved to see him well again and to have lunch with him and his wife Valeria. Giorgio is always an amusing character and he never fails to disappoint me. He is so Italian! For instance, today I asked Giorgio how his kids were (all of them college age and beyond) and this is a little translation of his reply: "Oh, horrible! They have abbandoned me! I never see them! They are never around! I want my children in my house with me always but they tell me 'Oh Papa, we don't love you anymore!' " Giorgio has told me on more than one occasion that he doesn't want his children to ever leave him, and that in America people leave home too early. "Why wouldn't I want them to stay with me forever?" Pretty cute, eh? While at Giorgio's house I got to use his skype account to call America for free, and while it was too early in VA to call most people, I knew I could probably reach my dad. I had a 45 minute conversation with him! It was so great, and when I left Giorgio's the sun felt even warmer.

Enough for now,
Grace

oh p.s.
something I thought was funny the other day: we were sitting at the dinner table but Stefano kept running back and forth to watch his cartoons until Sergio finally said "Stefano! Come in here and sit down like all other christian people!"

Guess What?

We have a new President!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:)
I can't tell you how awesome it was to see, not only Barack Obama become president, but to see it happen through the Italian perspective. They follow our politics more closely than many Americans, and their approval of this new presidency is evident. Almost all of my classmates and professors saw the inauguration. I came into my classroom beaming the next day. Verdiana came up to me and said "Ho pianto!" (I cried!) and I said "Anch'io!" (I did too!).

As for the everyday stuff, I think I'm slipping into a more routine schedule. Mondays I do something fun (I went to Lecco these past two Mondays! I have photos that will eventually get posted. Lost my cord...) since I have a a ridiculously little amount of school. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I run after school and speak English to cutie pie italian toddlers. Wednesday is a good day for lunch with friends or walking around, but like today- I'm just going to study. But then from Friday-Sunday apart from school, it's pretty much all up to me. That's another thing that is different about my host families. My first host family always had something for me to do, usually with their family or friends or their church. But now that I have more time I can call up friends from school to do something and get to know people better.

It's nearly February, which means we are coming up on my 5 month marker soon.
Crazy.

xxoo
Grace

NEW FAMILY

OK, Sorry if I kept you waiting (Mother) but it's been tricky getting to the computer. However, I'm here now and I'll give you a brief summary of my family/house/location change.

I now live with Sergio, Manuela, Elena (12 yrs.) , and Stefano (5 yrs.) in their condo in Poasco, which is actually outside of the city limits of Milan. I'm really happy about my switch for several reasons. First of all, it shall achieve the exact goal of Rotary and the point of changing families- which is to have a better idea of the average Italian family by living with different types of people. My new family, is different than my last and I'm excited to experience Italy through their style of doing things. Also, the house is kind of out in the booneys- at least for the Milanese, and while some exchangers, when I tell them where I live, get these looks that plainly say "Not Convenient!" for me, it is so worth the extra time and tricky transportation. There is space! There are trees! I can even run in this new little village of mine, because what is there we can't even call traffic. As for the house itself, it is obvious that a 5 year old lives there. It's doesn't have the elegance of my previous home- but I'm not afraid if I put something away in the wrong spot, or to disrupt the order. I felt immediately comfortable in their chaotic jumble- I even wash dishes again! I must emphasize, I am genuinely pleased about all of this. My family is helpful, but a little more hands-off. At this point I'm well adjusted and I don't need everyone to do everything for me or with me. I think my new family recognizes my ability to handle my own situation with maturity. Manuela is just the sweetest chatterbox you'll ever meet- which I think will help my Italian progress further since she is kind of hard to understand. Sergio feels like more like an American father, if only because he is big and tall. I think we're going to be tight, I helped him talk to his American cousin on Skype last night. It felt not only cool to be using my translating skills, but to be able to help the people who are so kind to me! Elena is a bit quiet, but I came home the other day and asked her if she wanted tea and a snack and once you sit her down with some passionfruit brewing she'll go on about her day. Stefano is going to be a heart-breaker. He greets me the same way every time I see him- he asks for kisses and says "sei bellisima!" (you are so beautiful!). This kid is 5. It's only just begun. Oh and they are all blonde, except Sergio, so I don't stick out like a sore thumb. I have begun to use the yellow metro line, which is the nicest, but used to be pretty useless for me. It is also easy to stop by and keep in touch with the Politi's. I have a feeling they will always be on the scene. So yeah, it's all good! And yesterday I got my first ever box from home!!! Mama Santa, I was so happy! Thank you everyone who contributed to it, it meant a lot.

xxoo,
Grace

All Good Things Must Come To An End.

I actually hate that saying. I also hate the phrase "too much fun". There are so many fun, amazing things that are possible to enjoy continually! Please don't rain on the fun-lover parade! Whoever invented this phrase probably also invented Mondays and the end of winter vacation.

It is indeed the last evening of vacation. To be honest, I don't feel THAT gloomy about it. As much as I would like it to just stretch on (about another 6 months would be nice) I'm just grateful that I got to do so many things in the past couple weeks. The last couple days I visited Padova, Udine, and Selvino. It was tough cramming it all in, but I think my whole host family is glad we did it. My favorite thing about Padova was the church that Giotto painted that I got to see. In Udine I got to meet a lot of relatives, and one of Marina's cousins helped me broaden my exclamation vocabulary considerably (Che Barba!). In Selvino (like Bardonecchia) THERE WAS SO MUCH SNOW. So now school begins again and in about 5 days I switch host families, and while I think I'm ready for a change- it's going to be sad leaving the Politi's who I've spent 4 months with (well, nearly- tomorrow is 4 months exactly).

This is a big mile marker for me. 4 months ago things were drastically different! I have a feeling from here on out time will go even faster and I'm going to make the absolute best of it. I have 6 months left here and whoever thinks that is plenty of time better think again! As much as I am looking forward to going home, back to Virginia in the heat of the summer- I'm just not ready yet.

Love,
Grace

Selvino

Udine

Padova

Lake/Train

Make yourself comfortable

because this is going to be long. I’ll try to keep it as brief, interesting, and informative as possible.

The very beginning of break:

The last day of school didn’t involve a lot of school. Almost everybody brought in things to eat and drink (including champagne) and attempted to learn until the last block when everyone gave up and spent the hour singing songs. That evening, while I rode the “It’s finally vacation” happy wave, I went to a big Christmas party with my family. It was fun because I got to hang out with these guys Paolo and Stefano who I had seen a couple times before. We discussed everything from hip hop to American and Italian idioms.

The next day I had a Rotary Christmas Lunch which was great because I got to see everyone and wish them a Merry Christmas- not to mention that we went to a beautiful church service and as always there was good food (not TOO hard to find in this country). Afterwards I went to see Anima Dell’Aqua (art exhibit) with Mary and Cecilia and we saw the Caravaggio painting “Narciso”.

I spent a day (and night) in Monza with Danielle, Katharine, Jody, and Kylee. We walked around, had some gelato even though it was cold, Katharine cut my hair in a host family's bathroom, we went to a Mexican restaurant (BEANS) and we watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Christmas Eve I met back up with Mary, Cecilia, and John to see another art exhibit, Magritte. That evening I went to my tutor’s house for dinner which was so great because he (as always) practically forces me to use his Skype account to call people in America for free which meant I had good long conversations with Craig, my family, and Jamison. We used about 10 different forks for dinner. OK, not ten- but it felt like it. The midnight mass at Sant’ Ambrosio (when I met up with my host family again) was a lot more intense than our little Duncan Memorial service. The place was packed and there were clouds from the 50 tons of incense.

I hadn’t felt homesick for the longest time until Christmas Day. It just feels weird when you’re not at home. It was pleasant and cozy but it’s not the same as Christmas with your family- I didn’t expect it to be. I had a video conference with my family back home which made me really happy but a wee bit nostalgic.

I spent a lot of time with my host family and their relatives. Over Christmas and the couple days after it always seemed like we were having either lunch or dinner with somebody’s cousin. It was nice to be around all the chingchinging (toasting) and happy faces. Nonna Bina, the tiny grandmother, even told me “Ti voglio bene bene bene, tesoro” which translates to “I love you so much, treasure”.

We went to Bardonecchia for a couple days with family friends and I did indeed go to the hospital. It is a rather entertaining story so you will have to skype with me to get the full deal- but the moral of the story is: Don’t let Grace ski on the Italian Alps. I’m perfectly fine now and I had a total blast so don’t you fret one bit. One of the coolest part about this weekend was how much instinctive my Italian felt. For instance, when I fell wrong on the slopes I didn't even think about it- but I said "Ho fatto male, ho fatto male!" immediately. The translation step in my head from English to Italian is speeding up, and sometimes I just skip over it, and I find myself wondering "whoa, where'd that step go?"

I left them for New Year’s Eve. Kailee, an Australian girl who will be going home in about a week, invited us all to spend New Year’s with her and her family at their “palace” on Lake Maggiore. I went up with Kylee and on the 31st and we all came back together today (the 2nd). I absolutely loved it. Even our Rotary guy Murnik (no idea how to spell that) was there! It really felt like vacation- we hung out with Kailee’s host parents (who are adorable), stayed up late, slept in long, watched Desperate Housewives and The Office, played pool, played cards, listened to music, sock-slid on the floors, and enjoyed a constant state of laughter and being together. I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures but I have a couple that I’ll put up and I’ll steal more later. ;)

I leave the day after tomorrow to go to Udine with the host fam. Glad I get a chill day.

Love,
Grace