Finding Faith in Italy

Remember that Lite Rock smash hit sung by Faith Hill? You know the one; it goes something like: "It's the way you love me. It's a feeling like thi-is. It's centrifugal motion. It's blah-blah-dee-blah bli-iss." Well, so, I'm sitting somewhere the other day and I begin to hum the tune. Then my brain says to me, "Grace, you're in Italy." And I go, "Si, lo so (yeah, I know)." Ahhhhh, then it hits me: I'm humming an American country music song, in an Italian establishment. But, wait, I can't really sing along...Why not, you might be asking? Because they are singing this, now classic, Faith Hill song with Italian lyrics! Talk about strangely familiar:)

The people I have met...

Well, so, there's lots of people that I have met, and they are from all different walks of life.

I'll introduce you to a few of my favorite, via my personal descriptions a la blogger...

Eline: 21, spending six months in Perugia to study the language. In Holland, her home country, she has completed the equivalent of a bachelors in Pre-Law, and, upon her return in March, will complete an internship and embark on her last year of university to complete law-school. Her family has vacationed in Italy for years, and she just wants to learn the language. Lots of kids from Holland take some time off to study in another country. She can hear Italian better than some actual Italians. She wants to taste deep fried Turkey.

Miyuki: 35, spending 3 months in Perugia to study the language. Over the last 6 years Miyuki has lived in the UK and Spain, perfecting her English, becoming fluent in Spanish, holding various positions that have very little to do with her degree in Art History. She just loves to travel and learn languages. In Japan, her home country, she did clerical work in an office. From her description, you can surmise that it was just a job that paid her way to travel the world at this stage in her life. In January she will return to Japan, find work, and start back to life that seems to be just a little less interesting than her last few years. Every word she speaks in Italian sounds like a question?

Giulia: 24, spending 7 months or more in Perugia to study the language. She is originally from Latvia and does not want to return there, other than to visit family. She can speak Latvian, Russian, English, French, and, now, Italian. She wants to find work in Italy and live her for...ever, maybe. A job that would pay a certain salary in Latvia, can reap a much greater pay level in practically any other country in the world. Most of their friends have moved to the UK to seek a better life. The cost of living may be higher in other countries, but apparently the change in male to female ratio is worth the few hundred extra Euros. Also, she would love to come to America, but America will not permit these perfectly intelligent and hardworking women a work visa. Hell, America won't even offer them a travel visa allowing them to travel in our country for more than 30 days. She wants to study "things" for the rest of her life. Me too.

Roberto: 28, spending 6 months in Perugia to study the language before opening a 'boutique' in Milan. Now, what this boutique sells, he hasn't been able to clarify. Also, let's see...He is originally from Australia, born of an Italian mother and father. He works in advertising and television and film and he cooks. The cooking, I believe in it, because I've seen it, the other stuff, well, maybe he'll send me his keys to his Manhattan apartment for a weekend and then I'll believe in the rest. He speaks Italian quickly and with great mistakes, but he does get his point across.

I'll introduce you to more of the people from around here at a later date.

Yesterday, I went to Assisi with some girl friends and we went to St. Francis's church (Chiesa di San Francesco). It was beautiful. You should have seen the angels painted on the ceilings! I left my camera at home, so I don't have pics of the city, but it was blisteringly cold yesterday, so we sat in a caffe and drank tea and ate beautiful pastries most of the afternoon. And, I couldn't take pictures in the church. If you're lucky, you'll get a postcard!

I love you all! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Love,
Grace

I must confess...

...this blogging thing can become quite the burden when one thinks about all of the items they would like to include in their next post. So in preparation for todays post, I have been to my friend, who happens to have been an esthetician in a former life, for a pedicure and eyebrow shaping. The only problem is that, well, now I feel like a completely new woman. So, well, if I'm a completely new woman, then how can I tell you stories about my former life...I'll do my best for you all.

Well, so, lately I have been going to class, every day, like a good little student. But, now I need to start being an even better little student and commence to reviewing my notes after class, 'cause this stuff is hard! In english, we say we did stuff a long, long time ago to indicate that we did something in the past. Well, in other languages (like Italian), they amputate their verbs and attach a whole new limb so that the word you began with looks like something completely new by the time it has recovered from the operation. It's exhausting just to think about.

Let's see, what have I done...

Well, we have had a un grande fiera qui. Their was a huge fair for the All Saints weekend. At this fair (more like a huge flea market) you could purchase anything from kitchen accessories to sausage to the most beautiful scarves and candy you have ever laid eyes on. See the pictures?





Okay, so, well, after visiting that fair in Perugia last Friday, on Saturday, my girlfriends and I visited Citta di Castello for their Mostra di Tartufo (aka...Truffles exhibit). At this "exhibition," you can purchase all kinds of wonderful things, even these truffles, for exhorbitant prices. There was homemade honey and grappa and the most fragrant cheeses and sausages, limoncello, more candy, more pastries from Sicilia, freshhhhhhhh bread, and these truffles. I don't care for truffles.

Truffles are found by digging in the ground, like, when you go searching for mushrooms. Except these just look like, well, you let me know. They are considered a delicacy here, but the smell is enough to make me gag, so I won't be ordering pasta di tartufo anytime soon. You'll know the truffles when you have the urge to say, "Now what's that a picture of?"







So, all in all, we try to hit up festivals as often as we can, just because it's fun to have super fresh food. I need to get a few recipes that only require one to have stove top burners, I realize I used to bake a lot, and you can't do that without an oven...
Will and Nancy, did you see those peppers? And the olives? I don't even like olives, but geez, they were beautiful!

So, let's see, after the truffles, the girls and I went to the top of this mountain in Umbertide (Ooom-beeaarrrr-tea-duh) to visit our Dutch friend, Marga (Mar-k-ha) who cares for the gardens and keeps track of these three cottages for the American owners. Geez, I LOVE this place. So well, there are pics, and they are below. The Japanese girl is Miyuki (mee-you-kee), and then Marga is blonde, and Eline is the tall, skinny girl with the movie star sunglasses. I love these ladies!




Well, so, I've done other things, but geez, I've been in this cafe for a long time, so you'll have to wait a week or so for more pics.

I've had questions from several of you about my day to day living, and, well, it's not much different from being a student in America, except that I have to speak Italian and sometimes I have to prepare what I'm going to say to a store clerk before I actually go to the store. I have to buy food, or order food in a restaurant. If I go shopping for a new pair of boots, which I am scouring all of the stores for, I need to be able to tell them my Italian/ European size (about a 38). Then I need to be able to ask them if they have a pair with more support for my poor ankles trying to cope with these cobblestone streets. Communication is tough somedays, and there is always a new learning experience around the corner, so my brain doesn't get a lot of time to rest.

I'm also doing a lot of reading. So far I have finished Madeleine L'Engle's The Other Side of the Sun, and the book Eat, Pray, Love (really great). I am currently reading the original Dracula by Brahm Stoker to prepare for my Christmas in Romania, but I only read that during the day, because it's a bit too spooky to read at night, just before drifting off into dreamland...

Well, for those of you that have heard, and the rest of you that haven't, there was a murder of one of the students attending my university. She was killed a little over a week ago. I don't know exactly why she was killed, but it most definitely had something to do with her refusal to have an sex with some of her friends who had been using some hard drugs. She lived pretty close to where I live, but with roommates. One of her roommates, an American girl, confessed to having taken part in the cover up and they have three people in custody. My friend Eline knew the girl that was killed and one of the main suspects.

The thing that you don't learn about this city from the school is that it has a great deal of drugs swimming around. And I'm not talking marijuana, they use needles and snuff cocaine here. It's pretty intense, but I still have Arturo around most days, and I have good friends that would be looking for me if I hadn't been around for a few days. I've never felt unsafe, but it's a bit hectic with all of the news reporters looking for an interview (they are relentless). So, if you want to keep up with the news, you can go to msnbc.com and check out the frontpage of the Europe news, just search for "Italy" or "Perugia" or "Sex Murder" and you will find the latest. I'm just hoping it will calm down around here, soon.

So, as for me, I'm enjoying my time here. Drinking coffee everyday and adding to my collection of scarves each week.

Vi amo (I love you all)

Call me sometime:)

Ciao,
Grace