Hey there,
I am writing from my room right now as I sit here sweating in the 90 weather here in Sesto Fiorentino. We just finished lunch – the food here is unreal – and now the kids have classes and voice lessons and I have some free time. Ok I haven’t written anything recently so I will try and catch you up.
I arrived on a Tuesday in the middle of the afternoon. The eight music students were already here and I just kinda wafted around all day with nothing to do. I started to get to know the layout of the villa and meeting the music kids. I spent the next couple of days preparing for the Honors students to get here and checking out Sesto Fiorentino as well as Florence which is about a 10 minute train ride from here. Here in Sesto we are stuck between some really big hills (I would call them mountains, they call them hills here) so I went and climbed for a little bit. It really is nice to be back in Italy.
Up until yesterday really it has been pretty overcast and rainy since I got here. Yesterday and today have just been really hot but sunny. It’s crazy to think I have been here two weeks already. So some of the highlights:
- Cinque Terre – We went hiking through these five towns right on the water, it was beautiful weather that sprinkled just when we needed it to.
- Kiko and his girlfriend Erin came and visited last week. We watched the Champions League final around the corner from the villa and then we went into town to a disco. It was fun being with them but the disco was kind of stupid. Just what I expected really, Italian men praying on American girls.
- Some of the music kids and I went to a real disco outside of the city, closer to Sesto, the other day and it was a lot of fun. They had an Elisa cover band and the singer who was supposed to be Elisa was really good.
- We were playing soccer with one of the professors kids and I got scraped up. He was good.
- Haven’t stayed up to watch the games yet but I will probably these next couple of days
- All the kids are from Michigan and Wisconsin so Euchre is frequently played which I dig.
Some thoughts so far:
- Tigers need to pick it up.
- Comparing Sesto to Padova is useless. PD has a unique charm for kids of my age.
- The flowers here are beautiful and bountiful.
- If it’s this hot now, I don’t want to know what July is going to be like.
- The music students are really good and it’s really pleasant listening to the piano while staring up at the frescoed walls of the villa.
- Frisbee is a great time killer.
- The Tigers really need to pick it up.
- Florence has a lot to offer but is REALLY really touristy and doesn’t give you the feel of true Italian culture unless you seek it out.
- I feel like my Italian is getting worse in the villa because all we talk is English. Kind of a bummer but I am trying to get out more even if it’s just by myself.
- I really should go to Church.
- Country music makes me think of summer
- I really wanted a hot dog for Memorial Day
- I think I want to write a book for how to behave in Europe for the American population
- First Entry would be – SHUT UP. The world already thinks we are LOUD, arrogant and ignorant, why prove them right by opening our mouths?
- Hockey should be more popular.
- Seriously Tigers, what’s goin on?
That’s all for now. Tonight at 8:30 the music students are putting on a performance. I’m excited for that. I’ll try to keep this up, cheers ya’ll.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
High thoughts
Monday, May 12, 2008 – 5:04 PM Eastern Standard Time –
Hi all,
I’ve decided to restart my blogging as I should have some more time to do it these next couple months. I have every intention of keeping with it though I’m not sure what to expect. For those of you who have come back – thanks for thinking about me :-)
I am currently a little over an hour into our flight and we are due north of New York flying wayyyy into Canada (I’m assuming the jet stream is up here somewhere). It is still very bright outside and that made me realize that I still have to pass an entire night in this airplane - we are due in around 5:45 AM in Frankfurt.
I spent my time in the airport checking out the McNamera terminal and buying little things that I needed or wanted: Chapstick, comb, handkerchief (just kidding pops), and I picked up converters and a book (Michael Crichton’s latest called NEXT). I also got a Hani deluxe to go and scarfed that down just in time to be (I think) the last person on the plane. I found a spot in the front row in the middle (I didn’t take my seat next to the little old lady who would’ve had to move) but I have a ton of leg room now so life is good.
During takeoff I started Barack Obama’s book The Audacity of Hope which, after only 30-some odd pages, has sufficiently convinced me of his aptitude and justified his candidacy. If you have listened to one of his speech’s I’m sure this will come as no surprise to you but the ideas and level-headedness the man possess sincerely makes me believe that his goals will be pursued and conceivably followed. Luckily for you, I’ll have to stop my rant, dinner just showed up. See you in a bit.
6:19: Chicken dinner. Wasn’t bad.
Wasn’t necessarily good either.
I was able to read a bit more of Obama’s book… I won’t be able to do his words justice and by giving a brief synopsis I will inevitably omit important topics he covered so I will give a quick analysis of my thoughts:
He is thorough and intelligent enough to remain remarkably independent despite his democratic affiliation. His stubbornness and determination not to bow to political pressures and to remain committed to his liberal ideals is a breath of fresh and hopeful air in the polluted politics of today. Any oppositional assertions of his political ineptitude or overreaching goals (really the only two grievances I have heard) have been easily and sufficiently dispelled in the opening chapter.
I hate to go on, but my political convictions could not let me put that aside and I truly encourage anyone reading this to go to the library and borrow or just sit in a bookstore and read through the first chapter just to get an idea of who this candidate is and what he promotes. It will help to make an informed decision this coming election period no matter what your personal convictions may be.
Alright, I’m off the pulpit.
But I’m still on the plane.
5:08 more hours. No big deal. I am really thinking a nap is in order though. The sun is still shinning quite bright out which is really weird – I feel like this night will come and go in a matter of minutes.
I am beginning to get more and more excited for the trip - this morning I woke up feeling quite sick and now I am ready to roll. I just realized though, I didn’t bring a connector cord for my camera. How silly of me. I should be able to get my pictures on a disc though, but that’s a pain. Oh well. Anyway, I am going to put some jams on and try to take a nap - I may or may not write s’more. We’ll see how lucky you are.
10:29 EST – So I haven’t really slept at all. I just got done watching the movie “Jumper” because it was set in Ann Arbor. It was ok, Hayden Christiansen was in front of Michigan Book and Supply for about a fraction of a second. That’s just about all of Ann Arbor you see. It was either that or the Bucket List which I wanted to watch but I figured I’d watch that another time. I’m amped right now, it’s primetime back home. I hope Billy’s alright…. More food? What it’s breakfast time already??
Hi all,
I’ve decided to restart my blogging as I should have some more time to do it these next couple months. I have every intention of keeping with it though I’m not sure what to expect. For those of you who have come back – thanks for thinking about me :-)
I am currently a little over an hour into our flight and we are due north of New York flying wayyyy into Canada (I’m assuming the jet stream is up here somewhere). It is still very bright outside and that made me realize that I still have to pass an entire night in this airplane - we are due in around 5:45 AM in Frankfurt.
I spent my time in the airport checking out the McNamera terminal and buying little things that I needed or wanted: Chapstick, comb, handkerchief (just kidding pops), and I picked up converters and a book (Michael Crichton’s latest called NEXT). I also got a Hani deluxe to go and scarfed that down just in time to be (I think) the last person on the plane. I found a spot in the front row in the middle (I didn’t take my seat next to the little old lady who would’ve had to move) but I have a ton of leg room now so life is good.
During takeoff I started Barack Obama’s book The Audacity of Hope which, after only 30-some odd pages, has sufficiently convinced me of his aptitude and justified his candidacy. If you have listened to one of his speech’s I’m sure this will come as no surprise to you but the ideas and level-headedness the man possess sincerely makes me believe that his goals will be pursued and conceivably followed. Luckily for you, I’ll have to stop my rant, dinner just showed up. See you in a bit.
6:19: Chicken dinner. Wasn’t bad.
Wasn’t necessarily good either.
I was able to read a bit more of Obama’s book… I won’t be able to do his words justice and by giving a brief synopsis I will inevitably omit important topics he covered so I will give a quick analysis of my thoughts:
He is thorough and intelligent enough to remain remarkably independent despite his democratic affiliation. His stubbornness and determination not to bow to political pressures and to remain committed to his liberal ideals is a breath of fresh and hopeful air in the polluted politics of today. Any oppositional assertions of his political ineptitude or overreaching goals (really the only two grievances I have heard) have been easily and sufficiently dispelled in the opening chapter.
I hate to go on, but my political convictions could not let me put that aside and I truly encourage anyone reading this to go to the library and borrow or just sit in a bookstore and read through the first chapter just to get an idea of who this candidate is and what he promotes. It will help to make an informed decision this coming election period no matter what your personal convictions may be.
Alright, I’m off the pulpit.
But I’m still on the plane.
5:08 more hours. No big deal. I am really thinking a nap is in order though. The sun is still shinning quite bright out which is really weird – I feel like this night will come and go in a matter of minutes.
I am beginning to get more and more excited for the trip - this morning I woke up feeling quite sick and now I am ready to roll. I just realized though, I didn’t bring a connector cord for my camera. How silly of me. I should be able to get my pictures on a disc though, but that’s a pain. Oh well. Anyway, I am going to put some jams on and try to take a nap - I may or may not write s’more. We’ll see how lucky you are.
10:29 EST – So I haven’t really slept at all. I just got done watching the movie “Jumper” because it was set in Ann Arbor. It was ok, Hayden Christiansen was in front of Michigan Book and Supply for about a fraction of a second. That’s just about all of Ann Arbor you see. It was either that or the Bucket List which I wanted to watch but I figured I’d watch that another time. I’m amped right now, it’s primetime back home. I hope Billy’s alright…. More food? What it’s breakfast time already??
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