pda much?

here's something that is definately true about Europeans: they are very affectionate. picture a couple you know, or have seen, that a hugely into pda. now mulitply that times 50, and then pop them in random doorways, hallways, street corners, and other kinds of corners all over the city. that's what its like living here. and there isnt an age restrictio either. in italy, girls and boys dating in high school are making out all over the place. and they are so wrapped up in each other, that they really have no idea that anyone else exists.

now on the one hand, this kind of thing gets annoying. i have to walk around couples standing in my way all the time. i have to hear them and their sloppy kisses. and sometimes, when its a particularly strange pairing, its just not fun to have them canoodling (doubt that spelling is right) right in front of you.

however, on the opposite end of the spectrum, i think its kind of nice. i don't think couples do it to attract attention. i don't think they mean to get in the way. its just how they express their affection for each other, and they don't care who sees it. in a way, its sort of romantic.

along the same lines, families and friends are a lot more affectionate too. brothers and sisters don't feel weird touching. i was a friends homestay and the sister sat on her brothers lap all through dinner (she was 15, he was 20 i think). teenagers, parents, and older people all kiss each other on each cheek to say hi.

all in all, i don't really mind it. although my roommates who all have boyfriends seem thoroughly annoyed.

i have a feeling this post is sort of convuluted (again...spelling?). its not my normal carefree, rambling, sort of style. i felt more like a textbook. haha. oh well. other news? i signed up for summer classes yesterday. yes, there was as plural there (sorry you're finding out through a blog kv). JP - the best advisor in the entire world - recommended that on top of the summer Shakespeare session, i take Literary Criticism as well. which shouldn't be too bad. i honestly don't mind taking summer classes...although it might be another story when time comes for me to go to them. but they are both only a couple hours as day for a month, and then it'll be over with. and i won't be taking them at the same time either, so that's good.

okay, i gotta go. i have this Renissance Art History test tomorrow that's going to kill me. but, hey, i'm only days away from Paris.

hullo, mate!

okay...i think i might have heard a couple of people say "mate" this weekend. but not many. the funny thing is, when you're surrounded by people with british accents, you can't help but pick it up yourself. its strange. i kept catching kelly saying phrases with an accent. and i kept saying "yeah" like they did. haha.

so how was the trip you're wondering? it was FANTASTIC. london is the best. ever. i could live there. i really could. i could actually see myself doing it. the only thing that would suck would be flying home. but anyway, back to the happiness of london. i guess the only city that i can compare it to is NYC, which i love. its so big, and there is so much to do. we took the Tube everywere (subway) so it was really easy to get around. it took us everywhere we wanted to go. everyone was VERY helpful. compared to italy is was really crazy. we could ask strangesr on the street how to get somewhere and they didn't give us evil looks. lol. all the public transportation people were more than happy to give us advice. it was great. plus its cleaner.

um...i'm not entirely sure what my favorite thing would have been. i really like seeing all of the sites and everything. Chicago was amazing. i've only ever seen parts of the movie, so it was great to see the real show. and it was SO good. my favorite song was probably We Both Reached for the Gun, if i can find it, i'll include the version from the movie below. the puppitering bit was hilarious. i guess i didn't catch the humor of hte movie in the bits i saw, so for me Chicago was so much funnier than i thought it was going to be.

ouch. i'm getting a neck cramp from looking at this computer. urgh. this week is supposed to be goregous in Florence. up to like 12 or 13 degrees celicus which i think is around 55 or 60 degrees fahrinheit. woot. on Saturday i leave for Paris. i can't wait to see mom. i'm so excited. its crazy to think that i've been here for like a month and half already. time is going by so fast.

okay...here's the Chicago video. although, obviously the version i saw was not as flashy.

its raining. per usual.

i'm so glad i brought an umbrella here. its rains all the time. yesterday i believe it was about 32 degrees...which is completely unheard of for italy. everyone was bundled up, including me, since i am now used to their weather and think that 32 is insanely cold. lol. i know all of you are rolling your eyes at me right now.

i'm hoping this warm up before ann and mom come. it would be really convienent to have nice weather while they were here. and for this weekend when i go to london. its not supposed to rain until saturday, which is the day i'm leaving...so that works out. and its supposed to be really sunny all day on friday. woohoo. although it will only be about 45. but that's okay. i'm really excited...i think london might end up being one of my favorite places here.

i've sort of got everything else figured out trip-wise for a while too. this weekend is booked, then i'm in paris with mom and ann, and then the weekend after they leave i'm going to Naples with my friend becky. i am so, so, so excited about it. we are taking day trips to Pompeii and Herculeaneum (i can't spell it right) and Capri. its going to be gorgeous!! then the last weekend in march i'm going to Dublin and the first weekend in april i'm going to Greece. however, i don't have any plans made of Easter weekend. which is too bad, since we don't have class on monday...but i'll figure it out.

i don't think i have that much else to say. Verona and Venice were awesome. and not as much money as i thought they would be...i'll email out the pictures momentarily. plus, we had a really cute escort for Venice. that was fun.

okay i have to go to some homework...talk to you soon!

right now i should be studying for an italian quiz

i'm sitting in CAPA - the school - and i just finished writing out my scholarship application junk and sending it all the sam w. poor girl. she's going to printing off pages for days. whew.

anywho...i'm not studying, although i should be. i will. class is at 1:15 and its about 11:45 right now. i think the time shows up different for you guys. italian is much harder to learn that i thought. i think that's because i learned German in high school, which is so much closer to English. this is all different. i can't make the sounds with my mouth. ugh. lol.

so i don't know if any of you have seen the movie Requiem for a Dream (with Jared Leto, Jennifer Conally, rated R). for most of my readers, i would say...do not check this out. you won't like it (mom, sherri, barb, and other people in the age range, this means you.) i mean...it was a well shot movie. i thought the cinematography was great. but it was so depressing. just a spiraling down of all the characters. nothing good really happened. basically its like...life sucks, you get addicted to drugs, and then horrible, horrible things happen to you. then end. maybe it hit so hard because, while im in this not normal environment, i like to be cheered up. i've been watching The Office and romantic comedies or other happy movies this whole time. haha. anywho...i'll post the trailer for Requiem below, if you want to check it out. proceed with caution.

things that are different here that you might not know...

• the paper is a different size. same width, but its longer. and for people like me its annoying, because it sticks out of the top of my notebook. haha.
• dogs go to the bathroom everywhere. kind of a gross thing, but i run into it (not literally) all over the place. there really isn't grass anywhere. so its kind of strange.
• they tell time in military.
• things are open and closed at strange times. since time is not really that important here, stores open around 10. sometimes. they close for a few hours around lunch, and then close at nigh around 8.
• scooters and mopeds are everywhere. which you might this is a myth. its not. here's proof.

i'll try to think of more random stuff later. and eventually - when its warmer - i'm planning on documenting the walk to school for all of you. which i actually don't do that much right now because the bus is shorter.

also...i'm going to Verona on saturday.

it bothers me when my desk is like this...

this just further proves my "goldness." haha.

in order to make sure no one reading this post goes "huh? who? what?" i thought i'd give you a little who's who and some definitions.

kristine - my boss at merchants.
barb - my winona mom, who i also work with at merchants.
sam - this could be either one of two people, they are my good friends in winona, and i'll try to specify which one i'm talking about
roxy, anna, or ada - my roommates here
lol - laughing outloud, something is funny
idk - i don't know
omg - oh my god

i know i have a lot more to update on, but i'm really tired, and sick again. so i'll have to save it for a later day...sorry!

upcoming travel plans:
this saturday - Venice
next weekend (19-21) - London!!!

i almost fell asleep at the opera. almost.

hahaha.

before you start judging the title of this post, i'll let you know that i'm being a bit dramatic. however, the opera was exactly what i anticipated. anna, roxy, and i (my roommates) decided to go a showing of Lucia di Lammermoor last night. luckily, in our Contemporary Italian Society class at 3:30 on wendesday, we had a guest speaker come and talk to us about opera. he went over how an opera is created, and then roxy asked him to give us the plotline of the opera we were about to see so we could understand what was happening.

the show started at 8:30 and there are three acts. here's a short summary of the plot as given by Opera News:

In a feud between the Scottish families of Ravenswood and Lammermoor, Enrico (Lord Henry Ashton of Lammermoor) has gained the upper hand over Edgardo (Edgar of Ravenswood), killing his kinsmen and taking over his estates. By the time of the opera's action, however, Enrico's fortunes have begun to wane. In political disfavor, he stakes all on uniting his family with that of Arturo (Lord Arthur Bucklaw), whom he means to force his sister, Lucia (Lucy Ashton), to marry.

ACT I. In a ruined park near Lammermoor Castle, Enrico's retainers prepare to search for a mysterious trespasser. Normanno, captain of the guard, remains behind to greet Enrico, who decries Lucia's refusal to marry Arturo. When the girl's elderly tutor, Raimondo, suggests that grief over her mother's death keeps her from thoughts of love, Normanno reveals that Lucia has been discovered keeping trysts with a hunter who saved her from a raging bull. He suspects the stranger is none other than Edgardo. Enrico rages, and as retainers confirm Normanno's suspicions, he swears vengeance.

At a fountain near her mother's tomb, Lucia, fearful of her brother, awaits a rendezvous with Edgardo. She tells her confidante, Alisa, the tale of a maiden's ghost that haunts the fountain and has warned her of a tragic end to her love for Edgardo. Though Alisa implores her to take care, Lucia cannot restrain her love. On arrival, Edgardo explains he must go to France on a political mission but wishes to reconcile himself with Enrico so he and Lucia may marry. Lucia, knowing her brother will not relent, begs Edgardo to keep their love a secret. Though infuriated at Enrico's persecution, he agrees. The lovers seal their vows by exchanging rings, then bid each other farewell.

ACT II. In an anteroom of Lammermoor Castle, Enrico plots with Normanno to force Lucia to marry Arturo. As the captain goes off to greet the bridegroom, Lucia enters, distraught but defiant, only to be shown a forged letter, supposedly from Edgardo, proving him pledged to another. Crushed, she longs for death, but Enrico insists on her marrying at once to save the family fortunes. Now Raimondo urges her to consent to the wedding, invoking the memory of her mother and asking her to respect the family's desperate situation. When she yields, he reminds her there are heavenly rewards for earthly sacrifices.

In the great hall of Lammermoor, as guests hail the union of two important families, Arturo pledges to restore the Ashtons' prestige. Enrico prepares him for Lucia's melancholy by pleading her grief over her mother's death. No sooner has the girl entered and been forced to sign the marriage contract than Edgardo bursts in. Returning earlier than expected, he has learned of the wedding and come to claim his bride. Bloodshed is averted only when Raimondo commands the rivals to put up their swords. Seeing Lucia's signature on the contract, Edgardo tears his ring from her finger, curses her and rushes from the hall. Hardly comprehending his words, Lucia collapses.

ACT III. Edgardo sits in a chamber at the foot of Wolf's Crag tower, deep in thought, as a storm rages. Enrico rides there to confront him, and the flames of their enmity flare. They agree to meet at dawn among the tombs of the Ravenswoods to fight a duel.

The continuing wedding festivities are halted when Raimondo enters to announce that Lucia, gone mad, has stabbed and killed Arturo in the bridal chamber. Disheveled, unaware of what she has done, she wanders in, recalling her meetings with Edgardo and imagining herself married to him. When the angry Enrico rushes in, he is silenced by the sight of her pitiful condition. Believing herself in heaven, Lucia falls dying.

Among the tombs of his ancestors, Edgardo, last of the Ravenswoods, laments Lucia's supposed betrayal and awaits his duel with Enrico, which he hopes will end his own life. Guests leaving Lammermoor Castle tell Edgardo the dying Lucia has called his name. As he is about to rush to her side, Raimondo arrives to tell of her death, and her bier is carried by. Resolving to join Lucia in heaven, Edgardo stabs himself and dies.

so yeah...its a tragedy. and it was interesting. i did understand the story, but i just didn't really think about how opera was. its long. it takes a long time to get through a scene. there really isn't a lot of movement. mostly the singers stand in the same place, maybe pace back and forth, and sing for 10 minutes during a scene. then they switch the people and start all over again. don't get me wrong, i appreciate their effort, i really do. but not knowing the language made it kind of boring for me. i didn't know what they were saying, so i had a hard time concentrating.

i did like watching the orchestra. that was really fun...i miss it so much! (Mr. Dunn would be proud.) and i can't imagine playing violin for that long. 3 hours. seriously. my arms would be hurting "for reals" (roxy uses that phrase all the time and it cracks me up!)

overall, i'm glad i went though. i mean, how many people can say they went to an opera in italy? plus, i got a program for the theatre for part of the rest of the season which is exciting. we're talking about going to a ballet, and i'm going to try to convince someone here to go to a symphony concert. woot.

and we're going to a movie tonight. i'm so excited...i miss movies. also, i've had this strange craving to watch Out of Sight lately. which i don't own. haha. anywho, so we're going to Vicky, Cristina, Barcelonia. i think it will be awesome. and its in English. and our trip to Siena is tomorrow. hopefully it stops raining. no one lies about their trip to Europe when they say it rains a lot. especially here...all the time. haha. mk...later.

i saw Rome in 48 hours

woo. my first trip down. it was excellent. i've put all the photos up on FB...so you can see them there. and i've emailed a copy to a bunch of people. if you're having trouble viewing them and are dying to see them, let me know. commenting on here sends me an email : )

as for exciting things that happened while i was gone. i learned that italians can be incredibly helpful. when we were on the train going to Rome, Kelly asked the people we were sitting next to how we get off the train. Kelly is in her 6th semester of Italian. our neighbors told us how to get off, and then thought we needed help finding our hotel. which we didn't really, but i had my Let's Go book out, and they seemed to me to just be asking where we were going. it ended up being a huge deal. they got like five other people involved, my book got taken from me. everyone was talking in Italian trying to help us, and everytime our nieghbors explained it to someone they stared at me and Kelly.

at one point, a couple of guys started chanting "Americano! Americano!" haha. oh god. i got so red in the face. then a couple of people yelled at us to follow them off the train, so we did, and then a group of Italians were still trying to figure out how to get us to our hotel. it was probably the funniest that has ever happened to me. they were trying to read my book, which is in English, and show me on the map, speaking Italian. finally Anna came over and told them that we understood that we didn't need their help. haha. it was nice though.

our hotel was good. i went with my roommate Anna, Kelly (a girl in my program) and then Anna's friend Mica (whoc is a girl. lol.) i'll leave you with two mini tours of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the Colosseum. enjoy!

edit: the videos might have to wait. i can't get them to upload. sorry!