Wednesday, March 16, 2011
boys! boys! boys!
People keep asking me about boys. Its literally the first question they ask! Not... What have you seen? Where's your next trip? Etc. Its... So, how are the guys there, have you met any hot Italians? And not to sound completly bitchy or rude, but... Dudes, BASTA (that means "that's enough" in Italian)!!! To answer the question, yes. The Italian men are scrumptious and grimmy and I love it. They all smell like Aqua Di Gio (cologne), cigarettes, and greesy hair. They all dress really well and have amazing eyes. They all cat call every girl that walks by and stares you down as if they're about to pounce on you! I freaking LOVE them! BUUTTT!!! I purposely haven't written about them OR gotten involved with any of them because this trip isn't about guys. This trip is about me. The end.
The Simpsons???
They love the Simpsons! Its kind of humorous actually! When you walk through the markets, many of the souvenirs have something to do with The Simpsons... Simpsons t-shirts, Duff beer, posters, and whatever else you can think of!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
beginning of the end.
Its been a while since I've posted anything, and for that, I apologize. I've been rather distracted by the goings on of life the past week and a half trying to figure out what to do. Let me tell you all what's going on.....
The grandma of the family that I have been living with and working for is getting ready to "semi" retire. This coming April, she has decided that she doesn't want to work as much, and would rather spend her time helping out with the kiddos. As a result, the family has asked me to leave at my convenience in mid April when my visa expires (I was planning on overstaying my visa and being an illegal immigrant... and was kind of excited to call myself one too! haha)
So... It looks like I have about 5 weeks til I'm home.
Hopefully I can find a job... Anyone have any suggestions?!
b.
The grandma of the family that I have been living with and working for is getting ready to "semi" retire. This coming April, she has decided that she doesn't want to work as much, and would rather spend her time helping out with the kiddos. As a result, the family has asked me to leave at my convenience in mid April when my visa expires (I was planning on overstaying my visa and being an illegal immigrant... and was kind of excited to call myself one too! haha)
So... It looks like I have about 5 weeks til I'm home.
Hopefully I can find a job... Anyone have any suggestions?!
b.
Non capisco... my first day of Italian class
I had to take a placement test on the first day of my Italian class.
I get to the language school promply at 9am and some people are already taking the placement exam. So I sit down at an open desk and begin taking the exam as well. I thumb through the first few pages and kind of laugh to myself... its all in Italian! I look to my right, and the girl next to me is busy writing down all the answers, she knew everything! The only thing I understand is "name" and "nationality." So I write down the answers and raise my hand. The instructor calls on me and I say, "Ummm... Mi scusi. Non copisco!" Literally translated means, "Ummm... Excuse me. I don't understand," which I'm sure the Italian interpretation is somewhat similar to what we think of a dumb blonde from California sounds like. So... Now I'm a dumb blonde of America. Awesome. People are looking at me funny.
The instructor pulls me into the next room over, just the two of us, and we sit down next to each other at a desk. He does this motion with his hand where he points to his mouth and then points to my mouth, back and forth. OMG!! Does he wanna make out?!?! That's my first thought... but then I realize he just wants to talk. FEWFFF!!!! Then he says, "We do oral." Did he just say what I think he said?! I must have a really dirty mind, because now I'm thinking he wants to do more than make out. Anways, Bre, get your mind out of gutter... Please forgive me, its 9am, I'm tired.
We continue with our "oral" exam which took all of 3 minutes and I see him write on the paper, "Level 1. Beginner." AS IF I NEEDED TO BE PUT THROUGH THIS EMBARASSMENT IN ORDER TO TELL YOU THAT!!!!!!!!! Hello!
So much for my first day of Italian class. I didn't learn anything execpt for the fact that I'm a perv at 9am.
b.
I get to the language school promply at 9am and some people are already taking the placement exam. So I sit down at an open desk and begin taking the exam as well. I thumb through the first few pages and kind of laugh to myself... its all in Italian! I look to my right, and the girl next to me is busy writing down all the answers, she knew everything! The only thing I understand is "name" and "nationality." So I write down the answers and raise my hand. The instructor calls on me and I say, "Ummm... Mi scusi. Non copisco!" Literally translated means, "Ummm... Excuse me. I don't understand," which I'm sure the Italian interpretation is somewhat similar to what we think of a dumb blonde from California sounds like. So... Now I'm a dumb blonde of America. Awesome. People are looking at me funny.
The instructor pulls me into the next room over, just the two of us, and we sit down next to each other at a desk. He does this motion with his hand where he points to his mouth and then points to my mouth, back and forth. OMG!! Does he wanna make out?!?! That's my first thought... but then I realize he just wants to talk. FEWFFF!!!! Then he says, "We do oral." Did he just say what I think he said?! I must have a really dirty mind, because now I'm thinking he wants to do more than make out. Anways, Bre, get your mind out of gutter... Please forgive me, its 9am, I'm tired.
We continue with our "oral" exam which took all of 3 minutes and I see him write on the paper, "Level 1. Beginner." AS IF I NEEDED TO BE PUT THROUGH THIS EMBARASSMENT IN ORDER TO TELL YOU THAT!!!!!!!!! Hello!
So much for my first day of Italian class. I didn't learn anything execpt for the fact that I'm a perv at 9am.
b.
a little ear candy.
For those of you who are like me and like to listen to music while you read...
Nina Simone - I shall be released
enjoy.
Nina Simone - I shall be released
enjoy.
special.
I feel like I can't even write this posting because I'm so excited to tell you all about it! I think I've tried writing the first sentence 3 or 4 times before I decided to just start like this! HAHA
I'm not really sure what else to say, other than my trip was really special. It was one of those trips that, before I even got there I had an amazing time. One of those trips that brings tears to my eyes, and I can't really explain why.
This weekend I had the absolute pleasure of meeting my cousin, Germana, and her husband, Marco, in Torino. Germana's side of the family didn't immigrate to America and they're the only relatives that I know of that are still in Italy. I posted a bunch of pictures from our visit on my facebook page along with little discriptions of everything, so you can kind of get a sense of everything we did together.
The night before I went to Torino I met up with friends and was supposed to just hang out, "have a glass of wine," and go to bed early because I hadn't packed yet and my train left at 11am. PFFFFF!!! Yeah right... A few bottles of wine later, I got home around 3am. I figured I would just get up with the kids, pack, and sleep on the train. I was so gitty and anxious to meet Germana and Marco that I didn't sleep at all, it was a 3 hour train ride.
I got off the train and Germana recognized me immediately. With a huge smile on our faces and open arms, we hugged as if we had known each other our entire lives. We walked back to her incredible apartment in downtown Torino and chatted the whole way. We were greeted by her two dogs, Nouvela and Ortellia. Both of her "babies" were adopted from shelters and have physical problems. Germana has a very nurturing heart and takes care of them with such patients and compassion, all the while with a beautiful smile on her face. Germana and I spent the rest of the day walking around the city and getting acquainted with each other. That night, all three of us (along with one of Marco's best friends AND Nouvela) went to a pizzeria for dinner. The pizza was fantastic, of course!
What an incredible feeling to be loved so much by someone who you've never met, but share a common name, therefore a common ground and a common history. Two completely different worlds brought together by nothing more than "Gastaldi." It was like we had always known each other.
CIAO!
b.
p.s. Marco is a riot!
I'm not really sure what else to say, other than my trip was really special. It was one of those trips that, before I even got there I had an amazing time. One of those trips that brings tears to my eyes, and I can't really explain why.
This weekend I had the absolute pleasure of meeting my cousin, Germana, and her husband, Marco, in Torino. Germana's side of the family didn't immigrate to America and they're the only relatives that I know of that are still in Italy. I posted a bunch of pictures from our visit on my facebook page along with little discriptions of everything, so you can kind of get a sense of everything we did together.
The night before I went to Torino I met up with friends and was supposed to just hang out, "have a glass of wine," and go to bed early because I hadn't packed yet and my train left at 11am. PFFFFF!!! Yeah right... A few bottles of wine later, I got home around 3am. I figured I would just get up with the kids, pack, and sleep on the train. I was so gitty and anxious to meet Germana and Marco that I didn't sleep at all, it was a 3 hour train ride.
I got off the train and Germana recognized me immediately. With a huge smile on our faces and open arms, we hugged as if we had known each other our entire lives. We walked back to her incredible apartment in downtown Torino and chatted the whole way. We were greeted by her two dogs, Nouvela and Ortellia. Both of her "babies" were adopted from shelters and have physical problems. Germana has a very nurturing heart and takes care of them with such patients and compassion, all the while with a beautiful smile on her face. Germana and I spent the rest of the day walking around the city and getting acquainted with each other. That night, all three of us (along with one of Marco's best friends AND Nouvela) went to a pizzeria for dinner. The pizza was fantastic, of course!
What an incredible feeling to be loved so much by someone who you've never met, but share a common name, therefore a common ground and a common history. Two completely different worlds brought together by nothing more than "Gastaldi." It was like we had always known each other.
CIAO!
b.
p.s. Marco is a riot!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)