Just a Day, Just an Ordinary Day

Again, it is just another day in Assisi, getting all my work done and hanging out with my friends. I am still thoroughly enjoying it here and will be sad when I have to leave in a few days. But for now, I am going to make the most of it!

My work has been slightly draining and I am having a hard time with some of it. Not because it is academically hard, more just topically hard. My emotions are getting involved and I really need to try and control that better. I do not want to get attached because then I will get unhappy, which is just a shame. This summer is going to be a lot of fun and I do not want to feel sad for all of it.

This trip has certainly taught me a lot about journalism so far. Do not get too attached, because then you can't help but get "involved." It's much easier to take yourself out of the picture and simply fade into the background... then again, I think I'm pretty good at doing that anyway.

Well, here's to another day in Assisi. As hard as it is, I want to come back and I want to explore more and live more. I want to be free.

Finding Beauty in Painted Glass

Today was just another day in Assisi. Nothing ground breaking happened, we just did our normal thing. We had a lecture and talked about Francis of Assisi then broke for a little to write. Some other girls and I went to the piazza to get a cappuccino and it wasn't until too late that I remembered there is espresso in those buggers. Me and espresso are not good friends. It makes me shaky and nervous and way too hyper. So the whole day I have been hopped up on espresso... it's amusing for my friends I guess, haha.

I turned in my article for my local artist today as well as my blurb. I got a good amount done, which was nice. After my work, I uploaded some pictures on Facebook and the exporter was being silly. Then I went out with two of the boys and met up with our chaperone. Overall, it was a chill and relaxing night. Nothing too out of the ordinary happened. It was just another beautiful day in Assisi!

Rome... So Many Memories

May 23, 2010

The past couple of days have been so crazy! Friday we took the train to Orvieto to visit the Gordon students who are studying abroad there. It was so beautiful there and it was certainly perfect for an art student to go study there. We got to see the Il Duomo, which is a huge church that was built between 1290 and 1320. It was so gorgeous and huge! It was amazing to think that the people back then could build something like that. The ornate carvings on the side depicted the story of Creation from Genesis. The interior was equally as massive and had amazing stained glass artwork as well as many of the panels of window made of alabaster. It was incredible to be standing in such a master-piece.

That night we left for Rome from Orvieto around 5 and took the train. We got to Rome and went to find our hostel. I had never stayed in a hostel before and I was nervous about staying there. It was called Ciao Bella and we had to search all over two streets for the place! It took us a good while until we finally found it. It was inconspicuous because there was no sign, just the name on the door buzzer. We were so relieved when we finally did find it and luckily we were all put in the same room. I was pretty nervous throughout the whole ordeal, but luckily we were safe because our group was so large.

Since we found the hostel at 9, many of us were ready for dinner. We went to a sweet little restaurant and I got this really good pasta dish with bacon in it. Everyone was ready to go sightseeing after dinner, so we went to the Trevi Fountain, because we heard it was more spectacular at night. It really was lovely with the light playing off the water and the statues. It was quite impressive and I was taking about a billion pictures. After Trevi, we ventured over to the Pantheon , which was also quite spectacular. I'm amazed at just how large all of these ancient buildings are. I stood in front of the door of the Pantheon and was so tiny compared to it. I could not get over how massive it is.

On the way back we were walking back to where the hostel was and four American boys came up to us, drunk, and asked if we had any weed. We all looked at each other in disbelief and said no. They then asked us where we were from and we said Boston. They told us they were from Canada and then used some obscenities to describe poor Canada. We saw them again fifteen minutes later and one stood next to me and he reeked of beer. I was so disgusted. We had, at this point, gotten lost and they asked how to get somewhere. My friend, Ricky, laughed because we were lost and sober and we knew they'd never find what they were looking for drunk.

We got back to the hostel after being lost for about an hour and by then everyone was done. We got ready for bed and went to sleep around 2 am. At about 3 or 4 in the morning we were all awoken by loud banging on a door down the hall. A drunk guy lost his key and decided to banging on the door every five minutes for the next hour. Ricky and Danny were going to go yell at him but on the off chance that he was dangerous, they decided against it.

So after an awful night's sleep, we got up at 8:30 am and got ready for, again, another busy day. At the hostel we met a guy, Adam, from North Carolina and he was by himself, so we asked if he wanted to join us around Rome. He agreed and was really nice and chatty with us.

We started the day with the Vatican and that was really beautiful. There were so many different statues around it. We only stood in the outdoor part of it, but it was still impressive. I was amazed at how vast it is. All of these monuments are so large and amazing. It's a tragedy that buildings aren't made like that anymore.

After the Vatican, we went to the Colosseum, which was really impressive. It was so large and old, but really something. I went inside with Ashley, Adam, Danny, and Ricky and took a ton of pictures... of course. I was amazed at the maze at the bottom of it. We were all amazed at how many people would have fit inside of it. It was just so massive!

On the way over, we saw the Roman Forum, which was cool. It looked like a graveyard for Roman ruins. There were all these huge chunks of ornately carved pieces laying everywhere.

At 4:30pm we left to catch our train that was around 5:45 pm, only to learn that the direct train back to Perugia was not running on Saturdays. We ended up leaving at 6:43 pm on a train to Florence and then catching another that would take us to Assisi. The train to Florence took three hours and the Assisi train took just one. It was so exciting to see Assisi all lit up from the train and we all got up, ready to catch the bus that would be arriving one minute after the train stopped. So we booked it off the train and ran to the exit. But, the train stop looked different from the one from the day before... because we got off a stop early. We couldn't get back on in time and had to walk back to Assisi. It was quite the walk and a kind elderly woman gave us directions on how to get back as well as an address to a hostel, in case we couldn't walk anymore. We were told to walk to a large church and go left. While we walked there were tons of cars going by and honking and waving flags because the Italian soccer team won against Madrid in Madrid. We waved a t-shirt and yelled "coucho," which means "soccer" in Italian.

After the church we got to a tunnel that cars drove through and we were confused about what to do. We thought it was to unsafe to walk through so we went to find a different route, until Ricky stopped a taxi van. We were so thankful and we split into two taxi vans to go back to Assisi. We were so happy to have gotten in them and that we didn't have to walk anymore.

We got back to CEFID safely and happy about our successful trip. Through all the stress and multiple times we got lost, we still had a good time and saw a lot of Rome. I bonded a lot with my peers and we all enjoyed ourselves. We now have many great laughs and memories with each other, which is the most important thing.

Ciao!

Woopsie :)

So... I did the one thing that I was told not to do. I tried to resist... but I just couldn't stop. Everyone told me "no," but I snuck behind their backs.

Do you want to know what I did? It truly was horrible...

I bought a handbag...

Haha, no it's okay. My mother jokes with me about my habit of buying handbags wherever I go. Before this trip, she told me I couldn't get a bag, but it was a joke... I hope.

It is a really cute bag though. And it's so versatile! It's a blue floral with two leather handles and an across the body strap. It's so pretty and I'm really glad I got it. It's quite unique.

It was nice to go shopping with all the girls and getting to know them.

Overall it was a good day!

Artwork of Assisi #2

I just got back (not really, it was yesterday) from my interview with Massimo Cruciani and it went so well! He was great at answering all my questions and he gave me a great deal of information. I got to ask him all the questions from the interview as well as some extra questions. Most of the questions, Claire asked, which was good because I'm not very good at askig questions. Massimo was very interesting and I was really pleased with how easy it was to talk to him. He was certainly very Italian and he was originally from Rome. That was a really nice connection for me because of my Italian family being from Rome. He, at first, was a photographer when he was young, but the men he worked with or for stole all of his work. He lived in so many places and all for art. It was incredible being in his presence in such a relaxed way. He looked like an artist but he was very unassuming as a world known artist who has studios in six or seven places around the world. His work is incredible - all hand painted glass. They are so unique and of the most beautiful things. He ended up giving Claire and I two posters each of his work, which was so generous of him, since they were about eight euros a piece. Overall, we had a great interview and we made a new friend in Assisi!

Now I get to transcribe the interview and type out a rough draft. How exciting!

Artwork of Assisi

[Yesterday] I left to go interview Massimo Cruciani, a local glass artist in Assisi. I'm really excited to interview him and learn about the art of working with glass. It seems so intriguing. I had to find his studio today with Danny because Wendy had to go help someone else but she did not want me to go alone. At first we couldn't find it, but after asking for directions we did. We got a glimpse of his artwork and it was all so beautiful. So I am really excited to interview him and get some pictures of the studio.

[Yesterday's] weather has been dreary and rainy. I hope it clears up for tomorrow (aka today haha, and yes today it is sunny). [Two days ago] it was thundering and lightning.

A bunch of us are trying to figure out our plans for the weekend. We want to go to Rome and Florence, but we need to know train schedules and about the hostels. I'm nervous about staying in a hostel, but hopefully it will be fine. It will be a new experience for sure! I'm excited, and I'm going with a large group people. It should be safe and it will certainly be amazing to go and explore Italy. Hopefully I can get some cool souvenirs there. I heard that Florence has a lot of great shops and fun areas around there. I can't wait!

Molto Bella

Assisi still surprises me with all it's beauty. I am currently (I am just a huge liar today... I'm not in my room anymore) sitting in my windowsill looking (well, not now because I'm writing) at the beautiful landscape. The sun isn't even near setting and the sky is already a beautiful shade of periwinkle. The mountains just look like shadows in the background; like guardians to these little towns. There is a large cluster of buildings and homes a slight distance away and I am still unsure of what they are. All I know is that they can probably see Assisi in all it's grandeur up here on it's hill.
The weather is pleasantly beautiful (not anymore, it's thundering) and comfortable (well, now it's wet). And I have no allergies here! The birds always sing (haha, now they are crying) and the mood is always content... (it probably still is). It truly is lovely and I know I won't want to leave this paradise I stumbled upon.
It is amazing how at peace I feel here. After all the stress of school, I thought I would be even more stressed with a four credit class in two weeks. Maybe I already found my Italian-wear. If so, that was easy. This is such an enjoyable place. As I mentioned earlier, we got to see a few of the ancient documents kept in the Francescan library. It was amazing to see those old books, espeically since books were so precious back then. There was an entire collection of the books of the Bible, which was amazing. There were so many and they were so beautiful. The gentleman showing us the books had to wear gloves so as not to damage the paper with the sweat from his fingers. All of this history so close was so intriguing. I could not believe that I was in the presence of such artifacts. Especially an ancient copy of the Bible. I have certainly been getting some good use out of my Italian course! It's exciting to get to know a language and then visit the country and use what you've learned. I am so grateful. Some of the people in the group will ask me how to say certain things and that's always fun. I like helping them speak the language. I'm certainly not fluent, but I can get by.
This trip, so far, is very exciting and I am really glad that I came. I'm really enjoying learning about my culture and the history of Assisi. And I've only been here two days! Imagine what will happen over these next two weeks! I will become a true Italian! What a treasure chest I have come across. Who'd have thought that I would be here now. My eyes have been opened and they are still searching for more beauty, more excitement, and more Italy. I know I will find just that in the days to come and I truly cannot wait.
Buona Sera!
Ciao!

Check it out! I'm Blurbing!!

This is a blurb for my class' Assisi blog at http://ijsa.wordpress.com Check it out to learn more about what we are doing!

I am blown away by this place. Everywhere I look is a new photo, a nwe view, a new beauty. Assisi is gorgeous and so rich in culture and history. Today we got to see some of the ancient texts from the time of Francis. It was incredible to be face to face with a book so valuable and historic.
Yesterday alone I took 250 pictures... I will certainly be getting plenty of use out of my camera! Every turn brings a new picture and it is hard trying to get it all photographed. But I will certainly try!
Assisi is a treasure adn I am truly blessed to be here. It's been two days and I already know that I will come back. Everything here amazes me and I can't wait for the rest of this trip.

Ciao Ragazzi!

Right now, (not really now, because I'm now back at CEFID, but earlier today) we have been given some time to explore Assisi and pick a spot to go and observe an area of Assisi.
I am (was) sitting in one of the main piazzas near a rather large building that I believe is a church that Francis of Assisi preached in front of. It is quite beautiful, just like everything else here. There is a huge mob of people standing under two of it's arches all anxiuosly holding cameras, waiting for the perfect shot. A small water fountain sits in the center sputtering to the pigeons and wide-eyed explorers. Small shops adn cafès border the piazza with their open doors.
The view from this place is captivating with it's eyes set on the landscape and small towns. The mountains create a lovely backdrop to the sprinkled trees amongst the clusters of buildings. Assisi gazes on this treasure from it's hilly home. This truly is a precious place.
Assisi, and just Italy in general, is already so different from the United States. There is so much history here and the new blends in with the old. Each building compliments the next and accentuates the beauty of our ancestors. The use of cars has dwindled due to the narrow roadways that are lucky to fit a mini cooper. Wherever you want to go is within walking distance. The size of everything seems smaller than in America, even if it is more crowded.
This is such a beautiful place and I am so blessed to be here. America does not compare. The history is deep and rich and probing. For example, today we visited the library in town (Biblioteca Sacroconvento) and we were able to look at some ancient documents ranging from the 6th century to the 14th century. They were written in Latin and had gold embedded in some of the pages. We saw a book that was an ancient copy of the book of Maccabees. Then we saw the room that all the library's ancient manuscripts were held and it was incredible to be in the same room as all these extremely old and beautiful books. There was an entire collection of the copies of the books of the Bible!
Italy has so much to offer and so much history that it is hard to imagine all that has already taken place in this country. America really is incredibly young. This trip makes me feel more and more proud of being an Italian-American. My family is from a place of great importance and of great culture. My mind is still spinning at how amazing this trip already is and all that I still have yet to discover!

Oh Hey, I'm in Assisi, Italy!

May 17, 2010

Wow! I am finally in Assisi! There was quite a lot of travel to get here, but it was well worth it. The landscape from the plane was breath-taking and so different from America. On the bus that we took from Rome to Assisi, we saw all these beautiful hills and a few fields of sheep! It was incredible to see all the sweeping slopes of Italy. The houses on the way over looked a lot like the homes I saw in Arizona last summer, which was strange to me, and unexpected. Nonetheless, they are still molto bella!

Upon our arrival, we were greeted with, literally, a city on a hill. Assisi had all these levels and you can work your way up or down, depending on where you want to go. We had to take a bus to get to the top of the city so that we could take our luggage down the slopes instead of up them. And when we got to CEFID, the monastery we are staying at, I was welcomed to my room by a beautiful view of Assisi and the surrounding area. During the day you can see all of the activity down below and at night you can see all the tiny lights. This view is really something.

We got pranzo, (lunch), at a tiny restaurant in the piazza, (main square), and most of us got pizza. Italian pizza is definitely much better than American. (There is so much less grease!) And after pranzo, I got a cioccolato, which was like a hot chocolate... but not at all. It was more like hot pudding and it was great! I couldn't get over how different it was from American hot chocolate! But, regardless, it was good and some of my new friends had a taste of it as well. They enjoyed it too.

As we walked through the city, we were able to see some ancient buildings, such as buildings that were around at the time of Christ! There was even a building from before Christ! (Don't worry, I got pictures.) The buildings that Wendy showed us are from Francis' time, and many were buildings that he had preached in front of or lived in, or were just around during that time period. Many of the buildings, however, look as though they've been around for a while.

After pranzo, we had some free time to get to know the town. A big group of us did some wandering and we got to go up to an old tower. We walked through the back-roads of Assisi and saw some dogs that we barking at us from on top of a roof. At the end of the night we went to a cafe/bar in the main piazza and shared wine. I still don't know if I can get used to that taste, but I will appreciate the cultural aspect of it.

Well, that is all for tonight! Tomorrow we are hitting the ground running with our projects and interviews of the local townspeople. So until, tomorrow, arrevaderci! (sp?)

When Life Give You Lemons... Make Chili

When finals come around, there are two things that happen... freaking out or extreme procrastination. When crunching for an exam, usually people freak out and go into a frenzy that makes them seem more like a demon-child than a human being. Claws come out and it seems as though a steady stream of tears is always upon their faces. Others "chill-lax" and sit back, watching the world stress by. Bliss, some call it.

I have tried to learn to be in the middle, even though at this very moment I am certainly leaning more towards the procrastination end of things. I had a speech and a huge final today and my brain decided to take a mini vacation and peaced around 6:00 pm. And now at almost 9 pm, it is only slightly returning. Hopefully it will come back soon so I can better prepare for this exam tomorrow. I mean, come on, it's the last one! I have to finish strong!

Finals are hell. There is no way around it. Just hell. This campus is like a nervous bubble just waiting to explode all over the place. Once finals are done I will be mentally deteriorating... just kidding. Can't do that! I will be in Italy four days after returning home!

At least that will be fun learning!

So when life gives you lemons... make some freakin chili.