Rome again Rome again...

This morning I did not want to get up!  I had not been feeling GREAT last night, and it kept me from sleeping well.  However, I got up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and headed to school.  I knew that I probably would not get to teach in Valeria’s class this morning because there would be a church service at 11, and a lot of the students had to leave at 8:30 because they were singing at the service.  Plus, it was the day before a holiday, and I know my audience.  The substitute was still doing oral interrogations, and so I just sat down with two of my girls and started talking to them.  I ended up having conversation with almost all of the students in the class before the day was over.  That’s the thing, they CAN converse with me, and they WILL, but as soon as it means doing some work for class or something, they sometimes shut down.    Anyway, so I talked to them about Easter, boyfriends, etc. etc.  By the end of class, I had engaged in conversation with almost all of the students.  It was relaxed, fun, and insightful in some ways.  I learned that they do not find it acceptable that a couple (boyfriend and girlfriend) who are 13 (girl) and 16 (boy) know each other’s entire families (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.).  They call it in casa (in home).  They think it is too soon for them to know the families.  So I asked them about what was acceptable and they said that you do not meet the families.  You hang out with friends and outside of your house, etc.  This was definitely a new idea for me!  I would have thought that with the importance the Italians place on family, that they would insist on knowing the boyfriends and girlfriends of their children, especially their teenagers.  Class ended with a lot of kisses and wishes for a happy Easter, etc.  

I found Patrizia in the hallway, and she gave me the homemade…..that she made for me!  I am going to take it to Florence with me so that Nick can share it with me!  I am so excited about this!  She wished me a happy Easter and then we parted ways.  The teachers at this school are so incredibly good to me, that I can hardly stand it some days!  I am so grateful for them! 

I then went next door to Rosina’s class.  Rosina was a few minutes late, and I was frantically trying to think of a “lesson” because I had not really planned one.  I got out their postcard assignments and wrote the few common mistakes on the board, and then decided that they too needed to have a conversation about how Americans do not all eat unhealthy food, and we do not eat hamburgers, hotdogs, McDonald’s, etc. EVERY DAY, FOR EVERY MEAL. So I started by asking them what they think Americans eat.  The FIRST word out of their mouths was, “HAMBURGERS!!”, followed closely by hot dogs and McDonald’s.  I was already annoyed.  They went on to name cheesecake, chicken nuggets, Starbucks, KFC, Wendy’s, milkshakes, etc. etc.  Here, you can see the list.  

Then I asked them if they thought Americans ever ate vegetables.  One boy looked at me, and with the most serious tone of voice and facial expression said, “there are vegetables in the United States?!?!?”  I asked him, because I could not control myself, “are you serious?”  He was.  So then I asked if they all believed that.  There was silence for a second and someone said, “carrots!”  Then I was able to help them make a list of vegetables that Americans might eat, and a few fruits.  Then I pleaded with them to STOP believing that Americans only eat these things.  One girl spoke up and said, “Well, you are not obese, and you’re American.  You are a great example!”  Then I explained that McDonald’s makes more money in Europe than it does in the U.S. (or did last year).  We also talked about how hamburgers and hotdogs are a summer thing, and not eaten every day, and NOT for breakfast.  Then they said that they were appalled at the idea of sausage for breakfast.  I tried to explain that our sausage is different from their sausage.  It is such an uphill battle.  They HATE when Americans think that they only eat pizza and are all in the mafia, but they are happy to go on believing these things about Americans, despite the AMERICAN standing in front of them telling them that it is NOT true.  I was so frustrated.  Rosina had been going in and out of class, and at this point she came back to tell me I could leave a few minutes early because she could not take me to Castrolibero.  So,  I packed up my stuff, wished them all a happy Easter, and then headed out.  As I left the classroom, Rosina was there crying on another lady’s shoulder (the lady that is always helpful to me in the afternoon).  I knew it was because her son is moving to Northern Italy on Monday for a job, and she is VERY sad to see him go!  I gave her a couple of big hugs and then I had to go!  I felt so bad for her!  I know she is so sad and heartbroken.  She told me about it last week, and he is going for a really good job, but she is so sad.  

When I left, I practically ran home to put the treat in the refrigerator and then I had to go catch the bus.  I was still not feeling great, so I did not want to walk!  I want to save all of my energy for tomorrow in Florence.  I ran in the grocery store and bought a small piece of chocolate to make me feel better!!  I then waited at the bus stop, which is now an actual bench with a cover (woo hoo for Cosenza getting some real bus stops!!).  I was talking to Nick, and I talked to him all the way to school.  I did walk part of the way.  P.S. Glad the controllare men got off the bus as I got on, because I discovered that I did not have a 1 euro coin. 

I talked to Nick until I saw Francesca go into class, and I joined her.  We went upstairs to the lab, and I had them write about some things that they would want in their ideal school.  While they did that, Francesca was telling me about needing a website for a project with some people in the Netherlands.  The weird thing though was that she started out by asking me what the stereotypes had been that the students had discussed regarding Italians, or what Americans thought of Italians.  Anyway, I set her up on Wikispaces, which is the site I am using for my students and their NYC project.  Then she had them read their assignments.  She then gave them homework to write about their Easter trip, and then we left.  

One student's ideal school

Angelino’s class was actually really fun/funny today!  We went to the other computer lab to finish the powerpoint about the differences between the high schools, and we had a good time.  One of my boys, who is sometimes really acting a fool, but sometimes is really good at English, and then sometimes he is just HILARIOUS, was in rare form today; thank goodness it was in the funny way!  We talked about extracurriculars, yearbooks, rules, Prom, and graduation.  He was making comments about going to Prom with the teacher, and how they have a wrestling club every day in class, etc.  The latter is TOTALLY true!!  It was funny though.  THEN, the principal came in the room.  The students all stood up, something that is expected of them, and IMMEDIATELY they turned to me and started making faces and gestures.  I should preface this story by telling you, or reminding anyone reading this, about the fact that they call her an arancina, and the other day they asked T. (American student) and I to translate this.  We told them that it would be a rice ball.  Well, she comes in and goes to the back to talk to Angelino, and never acknowledges me by the way, and they all started holding out their arms to indicate how “round” she is.  They were all laughing, and making me laugh.  It got quiet for a minute, and one of them blurted out, “rice ball!”  Oh my gosh, most of us lost it.  That combined with their facial expressions, etc. I was doubled over laughing and having to sit down to hide behind the computer.  They continued, and she never noticed, and would not have because she does not understand any English.  They continued even after she left, and only stopped when Angelino got on to them.  I could NOT help but laugh because it really was fuuny.  I suppose I should have been a bit more professional, but I just lost it when it had gotten completely silent and then someone blurted out, “rice ball!”  I should say too that they told this to Angelino the other day and he asked who told them that…they said T. and T. said that they asked us (me and him), and so we told them.  Anyway, it was hilarious!  When we finished the lesson, there were kisses and wishes for happy Easter all around!  T. noted how he thought that these were more wishes than there had been for Christmas.  I talked to some of them, and I was able to do some of it in Italian!  They get very excited when I do this!  Then, when class ended, I went downstairs and caught the bus.  

I talked to Nick all the way home, and then had to hang up to fix some eggs and eat something while I gathered the last of my things so that I could be at the bus stop by 2.  My train was at 2:50 and I could NOT risk missing it.  I grabbed all of my things and left.  I waited at the bus stop for about 10ish minutes and the bus came.  I had plenty of time to make it.  I talked to Nick all the way there and until I went through tunnels on the way to Paola.  

Paola was crazy today!  There were so many people!  I was talking to my momma and getting frustrated with the way people were just stopping in the middle of the walkway, etc.  So annoying.  The train ride was smooth and long as usual!  I cannot wait for April when I have Meagan and Erin WITH me on the train so that it will pass quickly!  Holy cow…Meagan and Erin will be in Italy…what is that even about?!?  I was able to talk to Nick some on the train, but it is difficult with the lack of signal most of the time.  So, I arrived in Rome safely, and went to find a taxi.  

It was the LONGEST taxi line I have seen; almost the entire length of the station.  Of course it was not being done efficiently, but whatever.  This one cabbie was making creepy faces at me and then he disappeared.  OOOOH, but as  got towards the front of the line, there he was, walking up to the line.  It was just me and the lady in front of me, and he did not like her destination apparently, and I had just told Nick, “if he wants me I’m running!”  Well, what was I actually supposed to do?  The guy was not in the actual taxi line, and I asked Nick if he thought it was okay…we agreed to just stay on the phone.  I asked the guy why he was not in the taxi line (in Italian) and he said that there was not a place for him.  First of all, that is a load of crap.  He seemed a bit shocked that I was even speaking to him in Italian, but then he heard me speaking in English to Nick on the phone.  He asked me if I spoke Italian and I said yes.  He then proceeded to take me on a slightly longer route, which made me annoyed, but then dropped me at the hotel.  From here, it was a whole other adventure. 

I went into the hotel and asked for Christy’s room.  The guy was immediately like, “you are not on this reservation and the room is for two people, and there are already two people in it.”  So, I asked if he could just call the room to see if they were there.  It was like 8:40ish, and they were going to be in the room by like 8 to wait on me.  The key was not at the front desk , and so we assumed that they were there.  Nobody answered the phone, so I asked if I could run upstairs and knock on the door.  He said yes, but as soon as I started going up the stairs he started saying, “madam, madam…you cannot go upstairs to the room if you are not on the reservation!”  Umm, then why did you JUST tell me that I could do it?  He checked at the hotel restaurant and then told me I could wait to see if they came back.  I waited for a few minutes, called Nick, and then asked the guy if one of them could go knock on the door.  He called the bell boy and he took me upstairs to knock on the door; he also opened the room and they were definitely not there.  So, I went back downstairs and the guy explained that I could not stay there that night because the hotel was completely booked, and there were no beds or different rooms.  He gave me the wireless password for free and said that this was all that he could do for me at the time.  So, I went to wait in the seating area and texted/called Andrea.  Thank goodness she called me back and said that I could stay with her.  She asked where I was, and we agreed to meet near Termini.  So, I thanked the man for the help, asked if I could leave them a note telling them where I was going and such, and then headed out to find Andrea.  We met near Termini and then started walking to her apartment!  I am so grateful that she 1. Had not already left for Verona  2. Has extra room to sleep  3. Has roommates that don’t care about these sort of things, and probably never even knew that I was there  4. Is amazing n general and let me stay with her!    Plus, it was just nice to see Andrea and spend some time with her.  I saw her tonight; we have plans to see Lindsay in Florence tomorrow, and then Mattea in Bologna on Sunday!  So, we got back to her apartment and she made pasta and salad for a late dinner, and we just had great conversation, showered, and went to bed!  God knows my every need and He definitely took care of this one for me!  I was able to send a facebook message or two to Christy and they were leaving by taxi in the morning to go to the airport for their flight home.  All’s well that ends well I suppose!  Andrea Leone was a life saver, and I am so grateful for her hospitality.