What a wonderful world...

I am REALLY hoping that this video will load into my blog! Today was a MUCH better day than yesterday. If the video will load, you will understand my blog title right away. Okay, so today:

This morning I woke up and just kept praying on and off about today! I was praying that it would be a better day, that I would have patience (with myself and others), that I would not become discouraged, and that my stomach wouldn't hurt. I had two little toast thingys with jelly on it and I ate them "alone" because if I wait on them they'll make me eat more OR i'll be late for class. I got dressed, wearing my new brown boots, yellow scarf (almost put on purple gloves and then i scolded myself for doing so...first, that is NEVER acceptable...second, it DEFINITELY isn't acceptable this week), white top, jeans, and a smile! :)

The walk to school was nice. Let me just take this opportunity to say HOW GORGEOUS the weather has been. A coat is really only necessary in the morning and in the evening. The sun has been shining and it has just been PERFECT!!! 10 out of 10 for the weather.

Okay, so I got to school and sent one more email, and then it was time to face class. Maria, the teacher, and definitely NOT like my favorite Maria (Dr. Hernandez-Reif) was surprised to see me there. She was also surprised to find out that they said I have to stay in there. So then class started. Today wasn't too bad because we did grammar...so things I already knew/the part of Italian I am actually good at. I can learn the verbs and conjugate them...I can write in Italian...I can do some of the things that allow me more time to speak...it's when I have to think of it all on my own!!! So, class was better. She did start asking me questions at the end about my room in the apartment, and I didn't know the vocabulary for it! THAT was frustrating...I think she thinks I'm stupid (and I can't show her my transcript to prove otherwise... ;) ...ok so only a few people were around for that "joke" a few weeks ago...).

So what happened next was REALLY frustrating...because once again, no one tells you what the heck is going on around here, I just followed Fiona to the next class. Now, let me remind everyone that I am supposed to get out of class at 1. So, I am sitting in this class where they are talking about art history, something I know nothing about and care nothing about, and I am beginning to STARVE!!! Plus, I literally have NO IDEA what she is saying! How I made it through an hour and half of it...I'LL NEVER KNOW!!! So once the torture was over, I ran downstairs to find something to eat. Fiona pointed me towards a "bar" that sold sandwiches. Now, this was not a "bar" in the sense of the word for us in America. It sold coffee, sandwiches, convenient store type snacks, and drinks. I was in such a hurry and had NO clue what was on the sandwiches...oh, I was in a hurry because my individual lesson was at 2 and we didn't get out of the torture until 1:45. So I just picked the sandwich that had meat resembling ham...no clue what it was...saw that it was 2 euros, grabbed a bottle of water and paid. The sandwich was on some type of bread (good bread), had whatever meat that was, a piece of lettuce, a piece of tomato, a sliced up boiled egg, and something like mayonnaise. I literally shoveled it in as I went back to the building, and back upstairs. I ran to the bathroom, and then it was individual lesson time.

So she started out speaking in Italian that of course, I did NOT understand. FINALLY she realized that we weren't going to get anywhere unless she let me explain "what I needed" in English. After that, we started going over things that were helpful. Verbs, verb tenses, etc. etc. She gave me a review of key phrases and words I needed to know. Overall, it was VERY helpful. She was so understanding about how I was feeling and why i was feeling that way. She said that it was totally understandable that after two years I would have lost a lot of my Italian, and that it is SO different to be taught Italian using English than it is to be taught Italian using Italian. It makes me wish I had more time here because I feel like as soon as I leave, I will just be getting the hang of it (thus, Ill have to find some way to keep up with it...in Birmingham?!?!? and definitely in NYC...where I guess I have Nonna, Fran, and Anna!!!). So we left on a great note and she told me just to review as much as possible and practice when I could. She said not to be afraid to make mistakes. Also, I tried to explain to her that it was really bothering me to not be good at this...that I was a "type A" person...and apparently this is an American phrase because she had no clue what I meant! So, I had to explain that I like to do well in school, that I always have to make an "A", and that I rarely, if ever, fail at anything; I explained that I was feeling like I was failing at this. She reiterated the fact that it's hard to pick back up, especially when I learned Italian in America! So, I left there feeling MUCH BETTER than when I went in.

Okay, so the plan for today (3rd day in a row I tried to make this plan a reality) was to go to the Piazzale Michelangelo. Ashley told me I had to go here and I've been trying, but haven't felt well. It's a good thing I didn't go when I wasn't feeling well, because OMG at the number of stairs!! I mean...I looked at it as a good workout...but it would have been (to steal Erin's phrase) bad news bears if I had gone yesterday, or the day before. So as I was walking, I saw some of the most beautiful buildings and little nooks and crannies of Florence. Then, as I started ascending the stairs, I began to see the most beautiful things. Oh wait, first, apparently Florence is surrounded by a big wall...it was really cool and once I was at the top I could see more of it. I stopped first in this garden thing and here I got my first GORGEOUS view of Florence. It was breath taking, but nothing compared to what I was about to see. OOh wait...first, on my way I stopped and bought two of the most beautiful post cards (FINALLY!)...they were a little more expensive, but TOTALLY worth it!!


Okay, so after the garden I began climbing the billions of stairs...okay so that's a bit dramatic, but I will say that I am glad I had on BOTH of my knee things. THey were a life saver...but no matter how much work I did to get up there, IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!!!!!! THe view was gorgeous and so I just sat down on some steps and gawked at the gorgeousness that is ITALY!! OMG I'M IN ITALY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm in Italy!?!??!!? What?!?! When did that happen??? When did I get SO lucky as to go to my two most desired places: New York City and Italy!?!?!? Technically I guess I can say I "lived" in Italy...followed of course by the explanation that it was only a month...but hey...that's just a technicality (and who knows...maybe I'll be back for like 9 months...hmm, ok let's not think about that right now). Anyway, so the view was GORGEOUS!! I found some Americans and they took my picture, but I didn't like it. So then i walked around some more and as I was deciding to leave, I found a group of American tourists all taking each others' pictures and I decided that they should take mine too! ;) So, I asked this really nice lady and she was so kind and took my picture. I was SO excited to have a good picture of me in Italy! I am definitely going to have to go back there with my big camera because the little one didn't do it justice!! I saw some beautiful hill sides, all of the terracotta looking roofs you always see in pictures of Florence, and so much more!! IT WAS GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Erin enjoyed the view as well! :)
However, it was starting to get late, and I knew it was going to take me about an hour to walk home. So I started walking, and decided that I should treat myself to some gelato because I had walked/climbed stairs so much and I was about to do it all again. This time they had my FAVORITE mint chocolate chip. In Italy, even in the smallest cup, you get two little scoops of gelato and they seem to expect you to want to flavors...so I got the panna cotta again (which this time had some caramel in it). It was a nice (& small) treat...plus i knew dinner wouldn't be for another 3 to 3 1/2 hours and i would be STARVING by then!! Anyway, so it was a nice walk back! A lot of people were out and it was just nice! Not too cold either; in fact, I had to take my coat off.














So when i got back I could NOT get my key to work in the apartment door AGAIN!! So, I had to ring the buzzer, AGAIN!! This makes the record: apartment door, 4 to Elyse, 0. Hate that door. However, Guenda came and helped me and helped me figure out what I was doing wrong. Then I just sat down to my computer and started sending emails/checking facebook/starting my blog. I saw Guenda and her sister (and Matilde), then I noticed that Guenda looked like she was going out. I started to get nervous because this meant that Signora Gabriella and I would be alone at dinner. I was SO NERVOUS!! However, I spent some time talking to April and that was fun...always is! :) Then, it was dinner time.

BEST PART OF THE DAY: It went so well. I was able to speak to her some and understand some of what she said. I wasn't too nervous and I think it helped that there were only two of us and she can't speak English so she couldn't really tell me if I was wrong; though most of what I said was "correct"...I may have missed a few words or screwed up the tense, but the important this is that she understood me!! :) YAY FOR THAT!!! It was great! The food was really good too!! :) I started with some penne con pesto (never really had it before...it was good!). Thankfully, it was a really small portion. Then, the meat was AMAZING...TO DIE FOR!!! It was like beef (thin steak or thick roast beef) with this really good cheese inside (cooked in a frying pan type thing) and it was just simply amazing. We had a little bit of salad with it and then i had about half of a banana. I left the table very full, but it was just sooo good!! It might have been better than last night's meat, which I was able to compliment her on!! I was so excited to be able to speak to her and even though it wasn't great...it got the point across!! yay!! Italian language, 1 billion to Elyse, 1....but a VERY EXCITING "1"

SO now I am going to go do my homework, review, and study...hmmm I thought I was finished with school...I thought I was a "master" now...oh well...I do love school...this is just a different version of school!

Speaking of school: ROLLLLLLL TIIIIIDDDDEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG I'm getting nervous!!! We HAVE to win this game! To lose is UNACCEPTABLE!!! Anyone that is going, yell extra loud for me...OKAY!?!?!?!? ALso, facebook updates will be MUCH appreciated as I will set alarms to wake up and check the score!!! :)

Okay, off to study and go to sleep!!! Ciao!!

Saw this on my way home...is this for real?!?!? Has anyone seen these at home?!?!? Also, i was able to add the picture from my window in the blog from November 1st!! :) yay!!! And I added pictures for November 2nd as well.