Coke = Sprite

One Year Ago Today I was dreading the 19th...but loving Florence
http://dreaminginitalianthistime.blogspot.it/2011/11/ooooh-how-diamonds-sparkle-and-shine.html

Today was a really good day!  I was so upset last night, but then I got a 2:45 a.m. wake up call from the ladies group party...Cecelia wanted to know about Nick and scolded me for not eating Italian food for breakfast; it cut us off before I could learn what I was supposed to be eating!  So, Cecelia, I need to know!!  I was so tired, but it was good to hear all of them having fun!  When I did wake up, I had my breakfast and checked email/facebook!  Then, I realized I had gotten up an hour earlier than needed, but I used this time to work on productive things for school.  I also gathered some of my things for this weekend!

I eventually left for school.  The first class today was actually boring.  They just did photocopied handouts and one of them was a grammar worksheet...I doodled on mine!  They had a P.E. coach come in and talk about permission slips to go to another school's gym because theirs is too small...or something to that effect.    I still do not feel that this is my purpose in being here, and we'll see what happens once Valeria addresses it.

My second class was AWESOME!!! This is the class that has asked me to go on break with them.  So, we started out with a review of the election lesson from yesterday, and I was SO proud of them for remembering SO much information, and they had not even taken notes!  I was so proud of all that they remembered, and there are quite a few of them who are willing to speak in class.  There are very few guys in this class, and they never talk.  Well, there is one who talks, but he usually gets one of the girls to translate first.  One of the guys said that Obama had legalized Marijuana, but I had to explain that this was just one state, Colorado I believe, and that some laws in America are made by the states and some are federal, or national, laws.  They seemed to grasp the concept and the majority of the class thought it was a bad idea to legalize it.  However, at the same time they thought that it should be offered to people who need it for medicinal purposes.  I was really proud of their insightfulness and maturity throughout the conversation about marijuana.  It was also a little odd to be the teacher in this situation.  It made me a little nervous when he first brought it up, but I was forced to think quickly about how to make it an "educational" and "reasonable" discussion.  I think it went well.

So then I asked them to tell me about American words that they knew.

This was their list of words, but I had to add ya'll...they did not think of that one on their own.  However, I told them that I thought ya'll was the best and they agreed by the end; you know, because it is Southern, and all of us in the room are Southerners, just from different countries!  They really really blown away by the concept that in The South we call all sodas, coke.  I said, "Someone asks you what kind of coke you would like, then you respond with, 'coke or sprite'!!"  They got so excited about this and agreed that pop was not a good term.  We did not get to talk about the use of the word "soda", but perhaps next time.  Other than ya'll, they came up with all of these on their own.  We talked about how you could use them with your friends or in random conversation, but never in a formal conversation, presentation, or written paper.  It was so much fun and they were so interactive and engaging.

Then, we started working on a thing that the teacher wanted me to use that had different American sentences and words.  For example, Elvis, American Pie, etc.  We had fun, but the American words conversation from above was the best part!!!  When class was over, they invited me to go on break with them, and naturally I accepted.  I did learn that one of the girls in that group smokes, so of course I discouraged that!!  Break was good though.  I talked to them and answered their questions.  A few of the guys came over and talked, and "taught me" Italian words...words I already knew, but the point was that they were talking to me!  Yay...I want my students to like me and enjoy our time together.

So, after this was all over with, I left school and they went back to class.  I walked straight to the grocery store to buy toilet paper because I had finally run out, and something for lunch.  When I got home, I discovered that the turkey I bought was no good...so cheese and mustard sandwich it was, with an apple and rice cake con nutella.  Ahh Nutella and I MUST break up!!

The rest of my day was spent working on stuff.  I finished my Thanksgiving presentation and had SO much fun finding Youtube videos of the Rockettes and of the beginning of a Macy's Parade to show them!  I am excited to do the Thanksgiving lesson.  Skype decided to work today, so I was able to see April and tell her Happy Birthday!!  I packed for the Amalfi Coast, and talked to my daddy on skype!  I talked to Nick on the phone...had dinner...and just tried to chill out a bit.

Nick says that I worry about things too much and he would like to help me relax.  I said, "Many have come before you my friend...many have tried...and I'm still me!!" Haha...no, Italy will relax me some.  I am reaching my breaking point of not having some stability in my routine for school and stuff.  I am happy to be flexible in some areas, but I still crave a bit of routine and order (we all do as humans).  If you think that you do not, just take a minute to look at your daily routine or how you handle certain situations and you'll find that you do need a certain degree of structure and order.

Overall it was a good day!!  Im excited for the Amalfi Coast tomorrow...DREAM COME TRUE!!!