Giotto and Stefano

I was almost late for class. I had to sprint to school. I think its punishment. You see, I was supposed to get up and run this morning, but at 8:00am it was raining and I decided to lay in bed longer. Clearly I was meant to run regardless.
Anyway, my art history class took a trip to the Scrovengi Chapel today. It’s famous because Giotto painted the inside. The frescos are the most beautiful that I have seen thus far. Brilliant colors and humanistic figures…the techniques he uses are so modern. I was stunned by his attention to detail-the application of color, the movement of the scenes and the of course the expressions and body language of every person. I definitely need to go back. The chapel is very old and they tightly control the exposure to the environment and elements. In other words, only a handful of people are allowed in at a time and each group session only lasts for probably 10-15 minutes.
Speaking of art history I’m going to be repetitive and tell you that I adore my art history professor. Today it was pouring down rain and he was singing the “Bippity, Boppity, Boo” song from Cinderella and then pretended to be Dr. House and used his umbrella as a cane. Then after we went to the church he took the four of us out to lunch. He keeps everything lively and keeps us laughing. Like today, he’s talking about the progressive style of Giotto and how elements of his work can be seen in later artists and he starts listing and few names…then all of a sudden he skips hundreds of years and is like, “oh and then there was Picasso.” Of course he’s joking and there is a delayed response in our laugh cause it takes a second to translate and then another second to realize that he’s teasing us.

In other news, Michael, my stepfather, was concerned on the phone this weekend about one of my earlier entries and the English teaching, Canadian student that we had befriended…After all he could turn out to be a psycho-killer who preys on American college students in Italy. I liked it better when my parent’s biggest concern was that I was going to get pick-pocketed by Italian gypsies! (Which my host mom assures me is not likely). Anyway, this is not random, but I mention this to juxstaspose alongside another situation where I met someone new- which will probably get my parents pacing back in the states. (Wow I just used a big word, no wonder my Italian is terrible today, I can speak English!)
Ok where was I? So today I met Stefano. He is my Tandem partner. It’s where they pair up people from different parts of the world to help with language speaking skills. You send in your name and your email and the language you want to learn and then you get an email back with contact information of another person. Then you make arrangements on your own to hang out weekly. Tandem-no joke-feels like a dating service (and I know many who have used it for that purpose). Today was more comfortable than any first date-and even blind date- that I’ve been on. Imagine the awkwardness of a first date or even a blind date, then multiply it by 10000, and then add in the fact that there is a significant language barrier --- THIS was what it was like meeting Stefano today. He picked me up after class and we got lunch and coffee and sat there awkwardly either not understanding each other or having run out of things to say. Then we walked around in the rain and then he walked me home. That said, I think we’re going to get along. I know practically nothing about him but he seems like a nice, intelligent, and decently attractive guy. (Though he’s probably a serial killer who likes to pray on unsuspecting American college girls and he uses Tandem to make his victims feel safe when meeting a total stranger.) Anyway, he’s 27 and is getting his PhD. and so learning English is a requirement. He’s English is about as good—or maybe worse than my Italian. He speaks so fast in Italian and mumbles that I usually have no idea what he is trying to say. He lives on an island right outside of Venice (where the glass is blown, but I forget the name) and has 6 siblings. He promises to show me around Venice and he wants to take me to some museums and exhibits there. I am in town this weekend so I think were going to spend Saturday together and maybe go to the Pratto or he wants to take me to this local pastry shop.
Im usually really fine with meeting people, I think it’s the language barrier that threw me today. I am meeting this other guy from the University Thursday for drinks after class, so Im hoping this “meeting new people you can’t understand” thing gets easier.
The only other thing I learned by meeting Stefano today, is that my chances of having an Italian lover this semester are slim because if they were hitting on me, I don’t think I know enough Italian to pick up on it. Then again, sometimes the expression of love needs no words……ok, now Im definitely going to get a parental phone call after that comment. Did anyone else have to promise they wouldn’t come home knocked up or married – or am I the only one who solicits these worries from my parents?