Friends Makin' Mems.

...memories, that is. This weekend I had so much fun with friends these past days that I just couldn't wait to share with you some of the things I did! First, I received a wonderful visit from my friend Abi. We studied together here in Siena during the Spring 2009 semester, and since lately I've especially been missing my Siena School friends who made this lovely place even more special, it was a special treat to have her here. She's living in Florence for now and was able to come for a day trip a few weeks back, but this time Abi came on Thursday and stayed for a few days. Slumber party, anyone? We talked and talked and drank LOTS of tea and talked some more. It was really perfect for the both of us.

Friday evening, after some awesome stone soup alla Abi, we went out on the town and shared a Bella Vista. Although I'm not much of a cocktail drinker, this drink is great! The ginger they put in it gives a nice spicy taste that definitely reminds me of being in Siena with friends. We were joined by Deanne, the most awesome Canadian I know, and had some fun girl talk. Can you really ever get enough of that? The three of us joined some friends to celebrate Gabriele's birthday. I usually don't talk about going out because it's mostly the same scene no matter where you are, but I mention it this time for two reasons:

1. Realizing that I can have a conversation in Italian really never gets old to me. I struggled (and continue to fight) with this language. It means a lot that, despite some hiccups, I can get my point across. It was also nice to hear Abi, who is a language genius, recognize how the language is more fluid for me after a year and a half. It's difficult to see my own growth so moments like these are especially sweet.
2. Italians celebrate birthdays differently. I didn't know this when my birthday rolled around, but on your birthday, you pay. Team North America (Abi, Deanne, and I) tried to explain how it works in our cultures, but Team Italy wasn't having any of it. Not that I was complaining. The free drinks were nice. :)

On  Saturday afternoon, Abi and I made a visit to Florence. Shamefully, I had not made a trip up there until then, but maybe that contributed in making the trip so wonderful. We spent the afternoon with the group of friends I made on my first trip to Italy in July 2008 and had a fantastic time, as per usual. I finally made it up to Piazza Michelangelo which offers the best view of the city.  Then we walked around and caught up with each other, played some billiards to pass the time, and I got a ride on my friend Armando's moped. Don't worry, Mom, I made him promise to drive safely. It was SO FUN!!! Abi and I made the trip back to Siena and went to bed early because yesterday we had planned a big day.

We woke up extra early, dressed ourselves in the sloppiest clothes we had, and met Gabriele who drove us out into the country a hour to go grape harvesting! Since there was no one on the road, we were a little ahead of schedule, and so he took us to a nearby town with a Roman bath that people still use. Next day trip, maybe?

 

When we finally got to the small vineyard of Gabriele's family friend Raddichio (or "Radish"--I couldn't figure out where the nickname came from), we jumped into the work cutting the bunches of grapes off the vines. Not very complicated work, but it was a great experience and a wonderful day to pass outside of the city and in good company. 

Lunch time, as usual, was the best part though. Waiting for things to be finished, we toured a bit of the farm and played some with Raddichio's grandchildren and the hugest pack of dogs I've seen in real-life. Raddichio's wife and her crew made a feast for us with their homegrown products which we ate under the olive trees. I had to take a slow pace just to keep going, but everything was delicious beyond words. I wish I could share with you the good food and the warm feeling from being in moments like this one. It's certainly an experience to have. Post-meal, we went back to work which went by so quickly and even got some free wine as payment.

Where all the magic happens.

Real free range chickens.
We ate here under the trees...but there were no birds to be found.

If anyone's interested in renting this cute house it's available. :)

On the trip back, I took some pictures of the view I thought you'd like to see and dragged our tired and sorry selves back home. My sore scissor-cutting hand gives a big wave to all of you until next time!

Revelations According to Me

As promised, I'm writing a post to give you an official update on my life as it is now. I feel like I've settled into a new temporary routine. I'm acting as a substitue for my friend Anya who is traveling in the States, so I spend my mornings at a preschool playing with Italian babies for a few hours. It's interesting how much I've learned there. I'm definitely getting some practice of the imperative tense and have been learning some really fun songs like the one about the round, round watermelon that wanted to be the best in the world and the Italian version of "Ring Around the Rosie."

I've also started hanging out with two lovely ragazze. Violeta is 10 and she's a power house. She knows what she likes and is, as we say in the South, smart as a whip. Gaia, age 7, is a sweet girl. After our first meeting I was a bit nervous about what she'd think of me, but held on to me tightly wherever we went on Friday. She also learned the word "puppy" on Friday. Success. They fall into their birth order dynamics pretty nicely which reminds me quite a bit of Jason and myself. Too fun!

But I have made some revelations lately that I'd like to share with you:

The first is that I'm alone. Now, I could use the euphimism and tell you that I'm living on my own, but I don't think that phrase is sufficient to describe how I feel. Sure I have friends here. Whether I be sick or sad, they have shown over these past weeks more patience and kindness than I could express in words. I feel like I've won the lottery when it comes to them. Still it's difficult to live so far from majority of my network. At times I feel very solitary and, let me tell you, that's a pretty scary thing.

The positive side here is that I feel like I'm learning more and better in this way. I'm finding my own limits, strengths, and weaknesses. Surely this information will be crucial knowledge no matter where or with whom I live. I'm also discovering my own opinions. I've never really been one to hide my opinions when I've had them, but believe it or not, sometimes I just can't make up my mind. I used to say that in these moments I could develop my thoughts after hearing what others had to say first. But as I begin to grasp my own priorities and the process for making decisions, I almost find it refreshing to be alone.

Strangely enough, the second realization I've made is how WONDERFUL the people I have in my life are. No matter where in the world I am, you show me all kinds of support in any manner of ways. I have heard from you when I needed it most and have felt your presence throughout the joyful and trying times. Sure, communication is different these days. It's not so easy to pick up a phone and call someone when you don't even live in the same country code. And if I usually talked to someone twice a week because I would run into them while walking across campus, I realize I wouldn't be doing that now regardless. Despite these differences, I know you're there. And thank goodness for technology! You can say what you like about the evil of technology but Skype is a god-sent. Hallelujah and amen. A very special thank you to Aunt Carol and Uncle Joe: you guys are awesome! And an honest message about what I think of YOU straight from the words of a legend just to say thanks.

In these days I have some important decisions to make which brings us to my final revelation. I've spent countless hours (recently and just generally in my 22 years) fretting over decisions of all kinds. Each one feels like it's the end of the world, despite my recognition that my life will go on no matter what I choose. I've decided to put an end to the fretting--or as much as someone who has nurtured worrying can. I'm never going to know what's "right." I might know 10 years from now that I made a good decision, but then again I might never know. What I do know is that I will make the best decisions for me when I need to in that very moment. Fretting is wasting all kinds of energy and time that I no longer choose to waste. In the words of my wise and beautiful mother, "it's just not worth it." So enough is enough. And that's plenty enough.

Things I saw walking down the street today.

A Spiderman moped that almost made me want to abandon my vintage Vespa dreams.

A chalk artist turning a dark "John the Baptist" Caravaggio into a colorful Sienese fresco similar to this one.

A 13 year old girl kick a 15 year old boy's behind in oversized "Scacchi in Piazza" which, of course, reminded me of one of my favorite movie scenes ever.

And that was just a stroll down the street this afternoon. All in all: I love living here. Better update coming soon.

City of a Million Moonlit Places

A proper post is long overdue. Although I don't feel like I have much to tell. My everyday is quite routine. I have school in the morning at the Siena School, where I studied during the Spring 2009 semester. It's an intensive language course for one more week. Then the afternoons change depending on the day. Mostly I work on my Fulbright application and trying to make connections. Sometimes I go to Campansi to visit my favorite elderly. Others are spent spontaneously with friends.

But I did want to go in more detail on one recent happening: another trip to Rome! Since I enjoyed the last show so much, Gabriele brought me along to the Globe Theatre in Rome once again. He has some company with whom he can discuss the show and I have a trip to Rome. Win-win, as far as I see it.

First we planned to meet up with Yoanna, my stunning French friend. She lives in Piazza di Spagna for now. On our way there, we stopped to watch a group of serious street preformers . I couldn't believe how these guys could move their bodies! We proceeded along, walking down Via Condotti with windows full of Gucci, Prada, and the like, forces you to stop and stare in awe. We waited on the Spanish Steps, chatting and doing some serious people watching, while we waited for Yoanna to come out. I read in a guidebook that centuries ago, the "beautiful people" would go, hoping to be chosen as a model by some artist. While there's not much modeling going on for paintings, there were enough characters to satisfy this psych nerd.

We finally caught up with Yoanna and together the three of us stumbled upon a restaurant nearby. It was delicious and offered an interesting form of entertainment when some woman decided to park her car on this tiny street. Cars piled up behind but there was nothing that could be done. We didn't see her for most of our meal...but did see the police who were stuck behind her write her a fine. We never hear her excuse herself other than explaining that she "ran" into the store to by some bread and eggs. Yikes.

After dinner, we ran over to Villa Borgese to the theatre. We were running late, but it worked out well because unlike the last time, the show was sold out! Luckily we had purchased our tickets beforehand. We saw La Bisbetica Domata, or The Taming of the Shrew, which is my favorite Shakespeare comedy. It was stunning! (Here are some pictures of the theatre, the last show, and this one, for those who are interested.) They updated the beginning to present day and the director created a gymnasium setting for much of the story. I really enjoyed myself despite that which was lost in translation, since they were all speaking Italian. Like last time, some actors were easier to follow than others and I'm sure it helped that I had read the play before, but maybe some of it is also from getting better. All bets are off when it comes to that.

After the show we went for a walk around Rome in some places I had never seen before. Unfortunately we couldn't get to all of them due to bad directions from locals and our incorrect map reading. Maybe next time?

This is to have succeeded.

This poem is my very favorite. It describes a definition that I actively struggle to compose for myself. First is the popular form attributed to Emerson, followed by the original which was confirmed to be written by Bessie Stanley. Lines from both resonate heavily with me, especially now as I find myself in the center of the boxing ring with Expectations. She's a quite the opponent, but I'm making the best of the match. Maybe we'll end up friends at the end of it all.

Success
To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty; 
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Success
He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he found it whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;
whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory a benediction. 

Bessie Stanley