INTERNET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One Year Ago Today...I was annoyed with smokers...what's new!?!?! ;)
http://dreaminginitalianthistime.blogspot.it/2011/11/to-general-population-of-florence-italy.html

Today I did not have to be at work until 9, so I started the morning with breakfast, writing some of my blog, and doing my Bible study.  I eventually got dressed and headed to school. 

My first class was spent talking about the April 27th tornadoes in Alabama.  I did not have access to a lab or large screen, so I took the laptop with me and shared pictures from there.  Last night I found some pictures of the actual tornado, but then also shared facts (how wide, how far it went, etc.).  I also used pictures that I had taken of Tuscaloosa the day after the storm.  It was actually really hard and emotional to talk about it.  The students faces were what really got me!  They might not have understood every single word I said, but the looks on their faces when I told them how big it was, how far it traveled, and then the pictures of the damage...well, that said it all!  I explained how close it was to my apartment, and again used my map of Tuscaloosa, so that I could show them the path.  I explained that while Tuscaloosa is rebuilding, there is still a lot of work to do and a lot of things are still just flat land where buildings, businesses, and homes once were.  It was actually quite emotional to relive it.  They were also shocked that we were watching it on tv as it was happening and they were naming things that it was tearing up!  After we finished this, they worked on that sheet that Patrizia had copied for me the night before.  They told me that their equivalent of the spontaneous tornado is an earthquake!  Well, Patrizia told me that. 

In between classes I was stopped by some teachers who wanted to ask me questions, and I think practice their English!  This one particular lady keeps gravitating towards me, and she is so sweet!  Today a few students came out of their classroom to stop me and ask where I was from.  They were SO excited when I said, "The United States".  They kept saying, "che bella....che bella!"  Sweet students...sometimes it makes me feel like an animal in a zoo, but I know that they are just fascinated and so super sweet about it! 

My second class for today was wonderful.  This was a new class for me and they were fabulous.  THeir teacher, Linda, had them introduce each other to me and then ask questions.  They were all really good and respectful...only a few jokes cracked, but even then the class was still always under control!  They asked me questions about my education, dance, free time, sports (got to put in a plug for UA Football...woo hoo), facebook, animals at home, fashion (and the girl said something about Tiffany..so we instantly connected on that one!!), and they of course asked if I had a boyfriend...oooh and they asked about my favorite kind of music; Adele was VERY popular in this classroom and they wanted to know my favorite songs! I told them that all of my Adele music that I got from April was lost when my laptop crashed...they said, "YOUTUBE!!!!"  Haha...yes, I will when I have internet...is what I was thinking!!  The last question they asked me was whether or not I was happy with the election.  I explained to them that I thought there were good and bad things about each candidate; things that I agreed upon with each of them, and things I disagreed with.  I then explained that despite my personal feelings about either candidate, I believe that it is important to respect the position of the President and to thus respect the President himself.  They seemed to agree with this, and the teacher seemed to soften her annoyed expression once I said this!  This is the truth though, and while it may be hard for some to respect Obama, it was hard for others to respect Bush!  I am not here to choose a side, but I do at the end of the day think it is important to respect the job that this person has been given.  Will we always agree with that person?? Probably not!  Would we have liked everything Romney would have done...or do we currently agree with everything he stands for? NO.  Thus, we commit to praying for our President, our country, and our future.  God is still in control and Jesus is still King...no matter who is President.  These things are eternal...the President will change no matter what in 2016. 

When the bell rang for break, all of the girls wanted me to go on break with them! I said of course, and we went down to the bar area/outside patio area.  They were telling me about their dance studios, school, etc.  They wanted to ask me a million questions, and it was so much fun to just be with them!  When we were standing outside they were all just huddled around me asking me questions and hanging on my every word!  It is so bizarre and so sweet at the same time! It is so humbling to be paid so much attention, but I know it is because I am American.  One girl did say, "you have the most beautiful eyes!!"  Oh my gosh...I thought that was so sweet!! Some of the students are just so sweet and it makes me just want to get to know them better and love on them!! 

After break I told them that I had to go.  I went to the other part of the school and asked if someone could make copies and scan my stuff for the customs people.  THey said yes and so I used the computer to print stuff and fill it out.  I also just used my phone to take a clear picture of my passport.  Once I had everything filled out and stuff, I emailed the customs lady.  I was going to go straight to the Questura, but I skipped it thinking that I did not have the two pictures I needed and went home to eat.  It turned out that I DID actually have those pictures, but oh well.  I was able to eat and talk to Nick on the phone and part of the way to the Questura.

So, the Questura was EMPTY!! It was amazing...and I went straight to it...did not get lost at all! Woo hoo!! When I arrived there was NO ONE there...yay!!  The two men I have been dealing with were standing in the waiting room, but there was also a Polizia man there too!  They started discussing that I was American and the Polizia was so impressed and kept saying how beautiful I was.  Italians (men and women) really know how to boost your self-esteem, though I think it is mostly that I just look different than them, so it is something new and novel.  So, we went back to the office area and the guy sat down and took my paperwork and then looked at me and said, "Did you vote?? Did you vote for Obama??"  Come on guys!!!  You just cannot ask people that...he is the first person that I gave a straight answer to in regards to how I voted and when I voted and how I felt about the election.  I did not think he would really speak to me again for the rest of my time there.  He looked at all of my stuff and then had me sign a few things.  Then, I hd to go back to the other side of the windows to do my finger prints.  The Polizia man started filling some things out and asking me how long I would be living here and what day I flew into the country, and what airport I flew in to.  During this time, the guy who had stopped speaking to me started asking where Alabama was.  Then, he started looking it up on GoogleMaps/Earth.  He looked at my paperwork for my hometown and started looking at this too.  At first I was like, "ooh come on I just want to leave!!"  Then, he started naming other cities and asking if I knew them and he named Tuscaloosa, and some others.  I epxlained that Tuscaloosa was where I went to school and stuff and he was warming up to me!!  **By the way, they do not speak ENglish (well, only a few words), so I was doing all of this in Italian**  Then, he wanted me to show him my house on google maps.  The thing is, they already have all of my information, so it was not a creeper thing.  He was so fascinated with looking at Birmingham on the map that it was kind of endearing (I like maps too...so I know the feeling!!).  SO, I showed him our house and he just kept saing "verde....verde...verde..."....which means, "green...green...green!!"  He asked me some questions about the area and I actually ended up having fun with them and laughing.  He then sent me around to get my fingerprints taken again, and we talked a little bit more.  As I was walking around to get my fingerprints done he said, "ho visto la casa Maria!!!" (I saw Maria's house!) He said it with this smile and seemed pleased that I had been willing to help him look at the map!!  So, I had just relaxed into the situation, and left there with a smile on my face because 1. It went so well 2. I swam in the language and really did NOT drown 3. How many people can say that they have had fun at the Questura?? I'm guessing not many! 

So, then I headed to the hotel and sat outside at first because it was not too terribly cold and I wanted to avoid Massimo.  I was able to talk to April a bit, write blogs, and do research for my lessons for next week!  Massimo left, and I went inside to get warmer.  THe lady that works there has really warmed up to me and I like her!!  She always offers to make me coffee, but I never take her up on it because after that one night...I do NOT need coffee to compromise my sleep pattern!!  While I was at the hotel, Lila (landlady) called and said that she would be at the apartment around 6:30 with her nephew to look at the internet situation before they called later.  So, I left around 6 and headed home. 

On my way home, I stopped to buy a stamp for a card and the guy took me for a fool.  I told him that I needed a first class stamp and then the stamp to send something to The United States.  He kept trying to sell me two first class stamps for Italy and telling me that it was going to get it to the US.  Umm, no sir!  I explained, in Italian, that it would not.  He kept taking me for a fool, and I would not fall for it.  I finally just told him that the stamps were not right and that I would try somewhere else.  He was nice about it and all, but sir, two wrongs do NOT make a right.  I was proud of myself though for standing up for what I KNOW is correct...and for doing so in Italian...not great Italian, but Italian nonetheless.  So, when I left, I called Nick back and was just talking to him as I made my way home. 

When I got home I had a small snack and then Lila and her nephew showed up.  They were not here long because he showed Lila that we need a converter type thing so that the wall plug matches the plug from the router.  So, then they left to go find one, and for her to take him back home.  I made dinner while they were gone, but had not finished eating when Lila came back.  We plugged it in and started the internet process. 

I will not bore you with all of the details, but essentially ....it worked...then it didn't...then we had to use a cd to install it...and it appeared to be working...but did not.  So, then she called the people and the lady got it working enough for me to plug directly into it with the ethernet cable, and on Monday they will help me set it up to do wireless.  I need to determine whether I am going to have to go through all of this with the new computer or not.  I know that all of you reading this are thinking, "of course not...it is just a computer and a router!!" Well my friends, nothing in Italy seems to be that simple!! So, I HAVE INTERNET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought Lila was going to laugh her head off at me because I was so excited!!  It was nice to have time to talk to Lila though.  We talked about schools and class (she too is an English teacher). She told me that some issues are not an Italian culture thing, but rather a teacher or individual school thing.  I also asked her about the teachers using the word stupid, and the students themselves.  She said that in Italian it does not have such a strong conotation, and it means more like silly or something.  However, she said that she would never say it to her students.  So, I now know that it is more of an American thing, but it still bothers me.  I just do not like it!! 

So, with SO MUCH EXCITEMENT...I started emailing, facebooking, and skype calling! I was able to talk to my momma and tell her how excited I was.  Then, I got to talk to Mrs. Malissa!!!!  Then I left a voicemail for my Erin!    I immediately turned on WDJC and just let the beautiful music and lyrics wash over me!  I am so excited to have consistent internet so that I can do more work on my lessons, and stay better connected!  I think the most exciting thing will be when I finally get to talk to Erin because that has been impossible with having to go to the hotel to get internet and not being able to stay late enough to talk to her!! So, I spent the rest of the night writing blogs, and enjoying an internet connection!!!