La Luna

Dearest Mr. Moon, please tell me a story from the midnight sky. I cannot sleep and all I see are all your eyes peering at me. Surely with them you have seen many stories unfold. Wont you tell me one? I have no where to go and nothing to do, please Mr. Moon if you want to do your job and put me to sleep, tell me a story. I'm much too old for a human to gladly tell me one, and my mom does not live with me anymore. Please, can you be her for a night and I can pretend I am three. Please Mr. Moon, I long to hear a tale of love and pain and redemption. Oh wont you tell me a story under this Roman night sky, I've just turned 22 and I dont want to be an adult for a couple of hours. Please and thankyou Mr. Moon.

the Page

My new favorite song (try to listen to it if you can):

im tired of waiting in this hollow state
pushing aside
things i want to say
its taken my heart to give a little bit

pulling my dreams to feel myself sink
the page is blank the pen is down
im working it out

its been a while i have something to say
but the page is blank my pen is down
im working it out

what's this feeling inside, thats coming out
the page is blank my pen is down
im working it out

the pen and the paper i wouldnt know
but the page is blank my pen is down
im working it out


(thanks for introducing me to appleseedcast cuz!)

la dulce vita

Siphalticus. Yep, you guessed it, it is a name of a disease. Not just any disease. It ìs the rare disease that spreads within the human blood only after being bitten by man-eating termites. If you find you have been bit, rush to the nearest pharmacy\grocery store and pick up the following:
1. Milke (it helps rebuild the bones that are wasting away after being bit)
2. Hard candy (the disease makes a persons tongue explode if they are not sucking on hard candy 24\7)
3. Medicine: aspirin, bladder expander (i will explain later), and phlemoxicilan
4. Diapers (the adult ones, Depends seems to be a favorite brand)
You see, this disease gives you an uncontrable bladder, so do all you can to stay near a toilet.

This is the role play I made up in teaching students the difference between SOME and ANY. In a class of four people, one person is the doctor advising the two sick ones to get these things. The sick then go to a pharmacy and ask the other student for these things.

I mean, seriously, why wouldnt you want to learn in MY CLASSROOM?

School is done in one week. This week was long and hard, next week we have exams and then on Friday we will receive our certificates, if we pass. I taught this cute, little 7 year old Esmerelda with my flatmate Sarah this week. We received an A + which was rather exciting.

In other news, I head to Futani tomorrow morning, the little town my grandparents grew up in. I am excited about finally getting to see the place Ive heard of all my life. My cousins keep saying that I shouldnt expect to see much, but its more the nostalgia than anything else that excites me. Neither of Franco's daughters will be with me which means Ill have to use my horrible Italian and listen much more carefully than I ever have. I can get away with understanding the jist of what someone is saying to me, but speaking back is a definite problem. There is so much lost in translation.

In a weeks time I'll be heading to Greece for a week with three of the girls I am in school with. Rather exciting as we attempt to see the ancient world for as cheap as humanly possible. I'll keep you posted!
p.s. this picture is in a park i went to on the outskirts of Rome

Congratulations

According to the 7th grade, my sister is the hottest teacher at her school. A big shout out to her. haha.

So Florence didnt happen, but Pisa did. The friend that went with me went to App State in Boone and we both decided that Pisa is the Italian version of Boone, although it is a bit warmer and a little more touristy. But its a college town, and as we passed through the square to get to the leaning tower, there was a peace demonstration. Rock climbers were climbing the square's ancient building and tacking up a NO WAR sign to the columns. The Bob Marley in the background only made us smile.

"Used To"

I taught twice this week, and I can honestly say I enjoyed the classes. In one of them, a student was trying to read "I used to do sport." Instead the pronunciation came out, "I used to do pot." I tried hard not to laugh out loud.

So the course is halfway through and even though it is difficult, I am sure I wont regret it. Im learning more about my own language in further depth than ever before (I know how can that be...I was an English major for pete's sake). Linguistics, phonetics, serious grammar... oh yeh I know you all wish you signed up for this course. I have three more teaching sessons and in week 4 Ill have an exam on all those previously listed subjects. woohoo.

I saw the catacombs yesterday, and I must say of all the things I've seen in my life, they have made the top 10 list. It was one of those eerie feelings, and it's possibly not what you would feel if you were there. I only saw a portion of them due to time and the law (you cant see all of them because of the poor ventilation in many areas). The guided tour cost €5, and besides the awe I felt in walking the tomb caves (apparently Peter and Paul had been/worshipped there), I also felt like such a teacher as the tour guide's L1 (or first language) was obviously not English. I wondered where he learned his English, and began, in my head, correcting his English and diagramming his sentences. I hope that will soon go away like when I first learned how to type without looking at the keypad when I would think...in my mind every word I thought, I would attempt to type on an imaginary keypad in my head. Yeh, odd, I know.

Supposedly I'm off to florence tomorrow, but it might not happen. Either way I'm sure I'll venture off somewhere, and I'll be sure to share the experience with you all. Mom, I ate a hazelnut gelato for you...so you owe me €2. haha. It was molto buono!

As I mentioned before, the long train ride to school seemed like a pain, and although it does make for a long day, I use it to read The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor D. I think he's my new favorite author, not only for his impecable writing skill and amazing descriptions, but also because he saves me everyday from the embarrassment of not knowing where to put one's eyes while riding any form of public transportation.

I made some new Italian friends...Fabio and Fredrico, who work in the coffee shop across from school. I practice my Italian with the uncle and nephew and my name is the easiest for them to pronounce. "Oh Gena, nome italiano" "Si," I say. I found out that Fabio speaks Spanish a little -- this has the same effect on me that gelato does -- a sensation of extreme joy. He makes cappucinos with smiley faces on them, they are simply amazing (for a non-coffee drinker to start drinking daily) and they are only €.80. Possibly one of the cheapest things I have found in Italy so far. When I say the Italian word for "wait" (aspetta) they laugh at me because I pronounce it as my grandparents do...e/shpe/ta...they right away say...Napoli...and I try to tell them in my broken Italian that my grandparents are from there. It makes them smile and laugh. It's a good thing I haven't told them the other words my grandparents have taught me! (Yes, meema and peepa and peepa...I'm talking about all those words I just seem to know so well, I can't imagine why?!)

Okay that's all for now...I'll leave you with some Dostoevsky,
THE MAN WHO LIES TO HIMSELF AND LISTENS TO HIS OWN LIE COMES TO SUCH A PASS THAT HE CANNOT DISTINGUISH THE TRUTH WITHIN HIM, OR AROUND HIM, AND SO LOSES ALL RESPECT FOR HIMSELF AND FOR OTHERS. AND HAVING NO RESPECT HE CEASES TO LOVE, AND IN ORDER TO OCCUPY AND DISTRACT HIMSELF WITHOUT LOVE HE GIVES AWAY TO PASSIONS AND COARSE PLEASURES, AND SINKS TO BESTIALITY IN HIS VICES, ALL FROM CONTINUAL LYING TO OTHER MEN AND TO HIMSELF. THE MAN WHO LIES TO HIMSELF CAN BE MORE EASILY OFFENDED THAN ANY ONE.