We arrived, and the government fell… coincidence?

The plane ride:
We sat on the runway in JFK for three hours. Thank you Boston radar failure. It made the layover in Paris though more reasonable since a 5 hour layover on no sleep was not looking too appealing. The attendants on Air France speak little English. I was surprised. Everyone on the plane spoke to me and this other girl in French – apparently I looked French?? Anyway, in the Paris airport (maybe one of the worst airports I’ve ever been to – it was like being a rat in a poorly designed and unfinished maze) I pretended to be French. How? Speak very little, act like you know what you are doing, and only speak if you know the words. My sister would have been proud. I ordered and paid all in French. (Its not too hard to order water and a “queee-sant, se –vuu- play”. Going through security the rest of my group got held back to explain why they were traveling and had to show passports and I was let pass because I was first and said the number of the gate and the city I was going to in French and the person behind me said it in English. And even on the plane to Venice the flight attendant spoke to me in French. Too bad my French is apparently better than my Italian…

My family:
I DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ITALIAN. My family is wonderful and very patient. My mom, dad, and Eduardo speak a little English so it’s like playing charades. I know I will get better. Wanting to understand is the biggest incentive I’ve ever had.
Anyway, the family is great. The dad Carlo, looks a bit like Billy Bob Thorton. He drew me a map today so I could walk home from school, which was really sweet. The mom, Maria Beatrice, is so kind. I really like her. She just keeps telling me not to worry, to let her know if I need anything, and to feel at home. She is like me and a health food nut. She likes foods without preservatives and additives. We eat fruit for dessert, and she is conservative with sugar content. The children are warming up to me. The oldest, Eduardo, is 12 and knows some English and will speak to me and try to explain about his life. He has already volunteered to do my Italian homework if I complete his English assignments. The middle, Adriano, who is ten, will sometimes try to explain things to me, though he speaks no English. This evening we looked at comic books. We both like Calvin and Hobbes. The little one does not know what to think about me. I think he is eight, but he acts a bit young. He didn’t even speak to me until today. I called him out on it and asked if he was going speak me and he was like “no!” and wouldn’t explain why. I tickled him. He liked that and then just kept taunting me to tickle him more. His personality is very peculiar. He shouts a lot, though not always in anger and his parents seem very accustomed to this. Both are very calm in general.

The house:
I think I have the most elegant living situation of anyone on my program. We were comparing situations at the university and people we astounded with my description. Plus, we walked by my house today and people have jokingly started calling it my mansion. It’s not overly elaborate or gaudy, in fact most of my friend’s houses home would be significantly larger, its just that many people on the program live in smaller places by comparison. It is four stories and has its own elevator. The house is set up like mini-houses with a common spiral staircase. Each floor has its own gigantic door. The living room is on the first, the dining room, kitchen and parlor is on the second and the family’s bedroom are on the third. I live on the fourth four with their housekeeper Valentina. She is not Italian though she is fluent but speaks NO English. She has a very hard time understanding me. She walked me to school this morning and I felt bad cause we couldn’t talk. I think she laughs at my ignorance a lot. However, she is warming up to me and I can fore-see bonding should my Italian improve. I have my own room and my own bathroom. The roof in my bathroom is slanted and has one giant window. The sunlight this morning was breath-taking. They sky was pink and was reflecting off of our yellow house. I am right next to the river. So my view is astounding. The duomo is also right across the river. It’s a magnificent building to look at. The house also has balconies. In the spring we apparently with eat on the deck. They also own a house in Venice, and the mom says she will take me soon.

The program:
Orientation consisted of cappuccinos and an introduction thankfully in English. The director said we could pick the language and we immediately said it depended on how important the things were that he was going to tell us! (Tomorrow everyone speaks nothing but Italian… and I become the quiet girl) Then after two hours, they brought us lunch and we were finished. I wandered around the whole city with some of my new friends. We jay-walked, explored alleyways, and even bartered for things from vendors. By the time I had to walk home from the university I knew the area so well. There are many little streets but eventually you run into a familiar piazza or I find the river (il fume).

My family has internet, but no wireless. I can only really use their computer for emergencies since they use it quite frequently. However, it appears that I can access wireless from my room sometimes and so I will update more when I can. Next on my agenda is finding an internet café.

Baccio!