Well, if I was sad on Halloween, what are Thanksgiving and Christmas going to be like?? Well, I suppose I will be heading to Palermo, Sicily most likely for Thanksgiving, and I will be with my Italian mothers for Christmas. It won’t be the same, but better than being alone! Breakfast was amazing…oatmeal of course! Surreal…oatmeal in Italy…doesn’t get better than that my friends; not for breakfast anyway! I did not have to be at school until 11, so I did my Bible study this morning; again I will say that if you are looking for a good Bible study, I highly suggest David by Beth Moore.
I then got dressed and ventured out to the home store just on the corner to look for laundry detergent. I had planned to take my dictionary with me, but of course I forgot it. So, I did as our friend Devorah said in Rome, I swam in the language. After about 10 minutes, the girl helping me and I settled on a detergent that Lilla told me about. This was after a broken language debate about having fabric softener and was that bottle for ALL of your clothes. I eventually paid, and left there feeling good about the fact that I survived! I came home and washed clothes, mopped floors, cleaned counters/tables, and cleaned up some of my room.
I left to catch the 10:20 bus, which was late, but still got me there with 15 minutes to spare! While I was waiting on the bus this creeper drove by, honked at me, then blew a kiss. Really?!?!? While on the bus, I decided to look back over some of the vocabulary I have been learning since I have been here. I came up with this sentence: Questa vita è una bella sfida!! (This life is a beautiful challenge).
When I arrived at school, I hiked it up the hill and went in search of Francesca. I had to wait a bit, and then found myself surrounded by about 6 or 7 high school boys, some from my classes, others just talking. They were asking me questions and their English isn’t great, but between their English and my Italian, we were able to communicate. They wanted to know if I was going dancing tonight for Halloween, their tradition. I told them that I did not have anyone to go with because I do not know anyone my age here in Cosenza. Angelino (teacher) came up to make sure that they were not bothering me, which they were not! He seems to be watching out for me, and I appreciate that!! He is the teacher that lived in Chicago, so his English is great, but he says it is slipping!
Francesca’s class was up first. I was really nervous because this was the class from yesterday where they were rowdy and were walking out and rolling their eyes (which, this same girl did not participate AT ALL today and looked at me for 1 hour like I was from outer space). However, most seemed to “participate”. There is of course a spokesperson, and then there are the class clowns (to my surprise they are girls). These are 4th years and their English is not quite as good as the 3rd years…Ill have to see how we can truly work on this!! Perhaps if they are approached in a different manner, then they will be more willing to become involved.
Figuring out what each teacher wants their students to get out of the lesson is difficult as well. I am nervous to start at the other school, and add 4 more sets of expectations onto the ones I already have.
Angelino’s class was immediately after Francesca’s. They were a bit more engaged, but their habit of talking over each other is something I am going to have to…umm..explain to them that I cannot hear them NOR understand them when they are all talking. They do seem to love him though; one boy was sitting next to him the whole time hugging on him; it was really sweet. I learned from them that the movie 101 Dalamatians is called something like, “The charge of 101” in Italian; something to do with the time in the movie when the dogs are all running. Also, because they did not understand who the Rockettes were, I was able to show them a video of the Rockettes in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade on Youtube. I had chills and wanted to get up and dance, and I realized how much I DO miss Rockette stuff. As they were leaving, they were all telling me that they enjoyed class; that made me feel good! They had been telling Angelino that in Italian and he translated, then as they were leaving they told it to me in English. Made me happy!
My Halloween funk was made worse by having to do this lesson twice. Quite a few of the pictures are from The Children’s Program Halloween celebrations, and it made me miss it so much more. I missed it last year of course, because…HOLY COW…I was in Italy this time last year!! Crazy! Anyway, it just made me miss the people in Tuscaloosa, and I am wondering what they all dressed up like this year!!
When class was out, I went to find Virginia, just to say hi! It was time to leave school, and she looped her arm through mine and we started walking out. She apologized for not being able to take me home, but I explained that I was just wanting to say hello! She just smiled and said, “ooh Elyse, my American daughter; I love having an American daughter!” She is so sweet to me. She told me that Lilla was coming to pick me up, to then go pick Nick up from the train station. She said that Lilla would bring me to the party, or one of her sons would come for us. Of course no one can replace my real mother, and Mrs. Malissa reminded me that these Italian mothers could not love me nearly as much as my Tuscaloosa mothers. I have mothers everywhere…I feel so loved, and I hope that they all know how much I love them!!! Anyway, Virginia got to her car and was going to take me to the bus stop because it was raining, but then I spotted the bus up by the school. It was pulling away, so I had to run to catch it! It was sitting in school traffic, but I did not want to miss it. I tried to pay with a 2€ coin, but it did not work. The bus driver was trying to tell me something, and I finally understood that it did not take them. However, I had nothing else, and when he saw me searching, he told me not to bother with it! So, free bus ride!!
The rain had settled in for the long haul at this point. I was glad I thought to grab my rain jacket this morning. I ate lunch (sandwich, yogurt, & boiled egg!!), worked on my next lesson I have planned, talked to my momma for a bit, put my clothes out to dry, got annoyed with someone buzzing my apartment about the elevator and had to tell him like 5 times I could NOT understand him (he finally got annoyed and hung up), and did not answer like 6 phone calls from Luca. Poor Luca, but I just do not know what to say, no literally. I don’t understand Italian men…if you call once, leave a voicemail. Do not call my phone so many times…he did also send a text…and later 2 facebook messages…feeling smothered and overwhelmed, and still UNINTERESTED!!!
Around 4:30 I headed to the hotel. My goal was to have patience with the computer, and GET ROME POSTED!! I got Rome posted, plus the 3 after that (I am all caught up), talked to April on facebook, talked to Nick for a while on facebook, and most importantly, I talked to Erin!!! Words cannot describe how my heart hurts when I do not get to talk to my Erin. I was so excited and it immediately turned my gloomy day around 100%. We actually were able to talk longer than I had anticipated, but I think that is because God knew I needed some time with her…so I think He worked that out!! I ended up staying at the hotel for a bit longer than I had anticipated. I called Mrs. Malissa to see how her Halloween was going and she told me that the babies were so adorable this morning! So sad I missed it! Then when our phone call dropped, I left Kelly a voicemail, and called Maria to see if she could make sure Mrs. Malissa was still in her office because something funky was happening with the phones. I talked to Maria for a minute, always a nice thing, but then I was able to get Mrs. Malissa back!! Yay! Ms. Horton said hello…and then I heard Maria in the background again…I LOVE hearing familiar, loving voices!!
By this time I was starving and wanted to come home to eat, watch Gilmore Girls, and write.
Flipping channels I saw Halloween, the movie on tv…thought of Kimber and Jason! Rocky Horror Picture Show was also coming on. The end.
I also have to say what a blessing it was to drop my Italian phone in the sink, thus rendering it useless. It forced me to try my American cell, which WORKED...which means I now have caller ID, and I dont have to buy another Italian phone (saved me money), and it means I was able to get a plan that allows for some internet on my phone!!! yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, and Rocky Horror in English, but with Italian subtitles...HILARIOUS!!!
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