You can't find that in Italy...OR The United States

One Year Ago Today...I was VERY tired!!
http://dreaminginitalianthistime.blogspot.it/2011/11/stanchissima-sp.html

I started my day with the best breakfast there is: OATMEAL!! It is still surreal to me that I can have the best of both worlds for the moment (until I run out...); I live in Italy, and I can have oatmeal for breakfast.  So, I also started my day by reading back through some of the days of my bible study notes since I've been here! It is amazing what you can learn in the moment you do the study, but also when you go back regularly and reflect!!  It reminds you of the things you learned...are still learning...and sometimes how far you've come!! 

I then started working on blogs, emails, notes for my lessons this week, and watched some Youtube videos that Nick suggested.  I emailed his Italian professor who is from Cosenza, and also the guy and his wife who are untested in Montessori and attend Montessori conferences.  I emailed some in Italian and some in English.  I really need to study my Italian books and gain more confidence.  I talked to Nick for a good bit of time this morning.  Eventually I ate lunch and got ready to go to the grocery store to get a few things and to look for Oreos for the oreo balls I decided to make for the party tonight. 

I walked to the store that is further away and got some things I needed, but alas, there were no oreos.  I did not remember seeing them before, but they definitely did not have them.  The whole time I was on the phone with Nick getting his suggestions about what I should do.  We determined I should just go to another store...a few other stores.  So, then I checked out and paid...with my Italian debit card...this was a first, and I was nervous!  IT WORKED...smoothly and everything!! YAY!!!  I then stopped at the veggie place to get some carrots and they had broccoli.  I started talking to Nick again and when I was disappointed that two other stores had not had the oreos...OR my vanilla tea, which Nick did research on and it has NOT been discontinued here in Italy...just in the U.S. So as I was walking up the steps to my apartment, I was trying to figure out a plan for the oreos because now the stores were closed for a few hours.  Nick suggested making glob and I told him that it was impossible because I did not have all of the ingredients...only 1 egg, etc.  He said in a slight valley girl voice, "Umm HELLO...it's glob...you improvise!!" I was laughing so hard I could barely walk up the stairs!  He was so right...but I just could not bring myself to try it!! 

So, I had a small snack, talked to April on facebook, and worked on my lessons for next week.  I am learning about the election, the electoral college etc.  I am sure I've learned this stuff before, but I am having to refresh my memory because I know Virginia will ask questions, and I want to be prepared.  I am learning SO much about my own country and why we do things the way we do.  Living in Italy really does cause me to reflect so much on my own ways and comforts.  Devorah (in Rome) told us this would happen...and she was SO right...or maybe MariaGrazia told us that...either way, it is SO TRUE!!

So, as I was walking to the OTHER "far away" store, I text Nick to see if he was awake from his nap!  He called and said that I had perfect timing, that he had just woken up, so he "went to the store with me"!!  I told him that I felt like this would be "the store"!!  First thing I saw...LIKE 10 BOXES AND A SPECIFIC PLACE FOR MY TEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh..SO EXCITED...it does exist.  So, from now until my momma comes, I will have to buy a few boxes and send them home with her!! They did not have oreos though, even when I asked and they looked...no dice.  So, Nick and I decided that I should just use these Italian cookies that are chocolate and hazelnut.  So, I had to improvise.  Lilla called and said she would pick me up at 7:45 to go to her home/Alessandra's home (they live in the same building).  So, I talked to Nick on the way home from the store and then hung up to attempt the Oreoless Oreo balls. 

 

I also decided to make whipped cream...random...but man, that was hard without a second person to help!! Good arm workout I suppose, but hard. 
I also had to use a wine bottle to beat the cookies with to crush them...OOOH ITALIAN IMPROVISING! Only in Italy would I think to use the empty wine bottle sitting there as a rolling pin.  Once I set the mixture in the refrigerator I took a shower and then that is when I made the whipped cream and worked on blogs...the computer "crashed" a few times...scaring the crap out of me!!  I eventually rolled the mixture into balls and tasted it...it was okay...not the same as an oreo ball, and I did not have almond bark to dip them in, but they were decent!!  I got dressed and was ready to go a little early, so I worked on blogs and such. 

Lilla arrived right on time and we were off.  It amazes me that Italians do not pick a lane to drive in all of the time...they sometimes drive right down the middle of the lanes!  Scary.  So, we arrived and went upstairs to Alessandra's home.  Alessandra and her friend Natasha were making a Russian crepe appetizer, but it had lobster and stuff in it...so not for me! However, I did taste the crepe and it was good!  So, we sat and talked while they cooked and Lila talked to me some about the levels of English in the classes and their trips to Ireland and Paris with the students.  Lila mentioned that she would like for me to do a lesson about the election, etc.  I told her that was perfect because I was doing that on Monday in Virginia's class...so, this week I will do family, etc. with Lilla's class...then next week I will do Thanksgiving with EVERY ONE'S class...and then the next week I will get to reuse my hard work on the election stuff!! YAY!! 

Lilla eventually left to take care of her mom and we left for the party not too long after that!  Natasha drove us; Natasha was so funny, telling me the words she knew in English...her best ones were "very, very" and "surprise!!!" I really liked her!  The apartment we went to was beautiful.  Francesca lives there with her Aunt and Uncle and it was a really nice and large apartment.  It is the only Italian apartment that I have seen with such an open floor plan. Alessandra had warned me that her best friend, Luigi, was crazy!  I thought he was awesome!  I was immediately greeted with friendly, smiling faces, and a lot of names!  I know that there was two Francescas (one that lived there and the other speaks English REALLY well and has a beautiful singing voice!)...there was also a Francesco...there was a Serena (very outgoing and sweet and a great dancer).  As people arrived they were just so friendly and welcoming.  I had many translators and I was grateful that they were so thoughtful to make sure I understood what was going on around me!!  When they found out I was from Alabama they started singing, "Sweet Home Alabama".  It warmed my heart...and so appropriate given that kick.-off had just happened!!! 

So, we all gathered in the kitchen and because this was an international dinner, they all went around and introduced their dishes.  For the record, EVERYTHING looked amazing and tasted unbelievably good!!  The other funny thing was that when they introduced the dishes, they said what was in them and they would all shout out the word in English! It was funny...and so sweet!  THough I did understand it all in Italian!! 

So, we had a Brazillian dish made by (cannot remember her name), but she speaks like four different languages.  It had meat, carrots, and some other things...it was amazing!!!

Then, we had a Greek dish that Francesca (who lived there) made, that had cheese, potatoes (maybe), cheese, and some other things and had this amazing taste...it was different, but good! 

We had a french dish that reminded me of Shepards pie a little bit.  It had meat and potatoes in it and seemed simple, but was really good!!

Then there was a Filipino dish that Luigi made.  It was made of rice, ham, scrambled eggs, and peas.  Something gave it a creamy texture and it was so yummy!  I really liked it!! 

Then there were fajitas (Mexico), these Chinese wraps, and Alessandra's Russian dish (which I could not try due to the fish).  Then Francesca (English speaking/singer) made the most amazing sangria (Spain) I have ever had. There was something from Africa...but I am having trouble remembering which dish it was!  She said it was wine, sugar, fruit, and there was a huge cinnamon stick in there as well!  It was sweet and yummy!!  We ate in the kitchen and the food was just amazing and everyone was so incredibly nice! I wish I could have been a bit more of myself, but that is so hard when the language is lacking!! 

After we ate, we moved into the living room area and talked and they had everyone a proverb from a different country.  One of them was the thing that Virginia said to me the other day about going with a friend vs. going alone!  This was such a fun group of friends!  Luigi and Serena danced and every one laughed.  We eventually had dessert, and they seemed to like the Oreoless Oreo balls...there was a French cake that has an object in it that makes you the King/Queen of the party...like the concept of the King Cake...sort of... anyway, they cut it and the object was in the last piece left in the pan, so no one got it! There were also these twists that had honey and cinnamon...I think...anyway, it was all amazing!!  I was able to talk to many of them and they were all so sweet!  I love that the Italians are so affectionate, and it was sweet to see friends sitting with their heads on each other or hugging and just being affectionate with each other.  I love to love on my friends...hugging them...Ill hold their hands...Ill lay my head on them, and I love to just love on them....this made me miss my friends though!! It was the first moment that I have had an overwhelming need for a familiar person!! It did eventually pass, but it was sweet to see such loving friends, and it makes me grateful to know that I have these people too...even if they are far away at the moment!! 

My mom called me right as we were leaving and told me that we were losing at the moment and we were not looking tooo good...and it was almost 4th quarter.  So, we eventually left and they brought me home.  It was SOOOO COLD OUTSIDE!!!

I ran inside, ran up the stairs, and turned on my computer.  I immediately looked it up on ESPN.com and then I remembered telling Kelly that I would sign on skype when I got home to see if the girls were there.  So, I did that as quickly as I could and they were there!  So, 1. I was so excited to see my sweet Gracie's face 2. I was excited to see Kelly 3. I was excited to see the football game!  **Sarah Mason was not there at the moment**  So, we watched the game and watched it go down hill!  It was HEARTBREAKING!!!!!!!!!!!! THEN...just before it was over, my sweet Sarah Mason appeared!!!  So, while it SUCKED to lose the game...and it made me so mad...I was so excited to talk to my sweet girls, that it softened the blow...and reminded me about the important things in life!!  So, I spent a good bit of time talking to them and Gracie left us, so Sarah Mason, Kelly, and I talked for a bit!  I just love to talk to them!  Gracie had done part of her Christmas Carol dialogue for me, and Sarah Mason sang for me!!  What talented girls they are!! I am always amazed at their talent...not shocked because I KNOW that theyare amazing...but I just enjoy hearing them!  Sarah Mason gave me some instructions about life and I love that my girls are so protective of me...however, I am the one that wants to protect and love on them!! I miss them so much...I miss seeing my Tuscaloosa people, but it is so nice to know that we are all thinking of each other and have ways to connect!! 

Momma on phone, Avery family on skype, and football on skype...not a bad end to the night...even if we lost

I talked to my momma a few times and she said that campus was like being at a funeral...silent...and in mourning.   Ripped my heart out...Roll Tide though!!!!

So, around 2 am I hung up with them to go to bed.  Nick had just gotten home from being with his friends, but we never did talk because he fell asleep and I was talking to April on skype.  I love my April!  I contemplated calling Erin, but realized that she was probably still at work...tomorow maybe!! 

So, Roll Tide...we're still #1 in my heart...and we will still go to the SEC championship! I know that there could be a slim possibility of going to the National Championship, but I am thinking that they will not let us do that two years in a row!  I did have that feeling again this year though...so there is still hope!!!  MAREA DEL ROTOLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Oh, to explain the blog title...You can't seem to actually find oreos in Italy...and you cannot find the vanilla tea in the US**