I guess now my blog is being featured on the AFS blog website...so here's the link! It's really a great tool and really interesting! (http://afsgoabroad.blogspot.com/)

studenti straneri (did you know that the translation for exchange students is "strange students"?!)

Hi everyone!

Can you believe that I only have 40 days left here in Italy? I'm sure my mom can...she happens too remind me too often=)) Sorry, Kyle, but that means I get my wonderful Queen size bed back, buddy. May's been alright for me...I was a bit bummed that I missed mother's day and I'll miss father's day too. But school finishes up this week, which will be wonderful. It is SO hot here! 38 degrees celsius (which is about....100 degrees) and there's no air conditioning at school. Really these Italian schools, especially in the South, don't have any money.

On Saturday I went to Rome with the other foreign exchange students who live in Naples or near Naples. It was really nice, because I don't really have friends here in Italy. There's Claudia's friends that I hang out with at school, but Ilze was the only other person I hung out with beisdes Claudia. I don't mind it...I don't realy connect with any of the other girls, and they don't really seem interesed in inviting me out, so it was nice to spend time with some other people. It's also easier for me to understand the exchange students because they speak a little slower. And you have a lot in common, being exchange students. So on Saturday I met 5 of them. I had to get up at 4.30AM and take the train to Naples at 5.12AM. I was late as usual and literally ran from my house, getting onto the train just as the doors were closeing. Oops=)) We all met at McDonalds in Naples at 6.30 and took the train to Rome (only about 2 hours from Naples.) Ok, let's see...there was Joaquin who's from Chile (I already knew him...he's been in my class since I arrived. He's really nice, but I got all of the dirt on him from the other girls. Apparantley Joaquin is a player. I knew a little bit about it because ALL of the girls flock around him at school, sitting on his lap, and such, but I didn't know to this extent. I think it's just the way he acts around all girls...it's hilarious to hear it from Maggie, though), Maggie from New York (she's awesome, we spent some time abusing a certain government official and she taught me bootlegging(sp?) techniques. Haha, kidding, mom) Oana from Romania (my nickname for her is Dracula. She's really nice, though) Linda from the Netherlands (again, awwesome. We spent a good portion of the trip to Rome watching the Eight Mile together. Nothing like bonding over Eminem=)) Aatt (male) and Putnim (female) from Turkey. Putnim is really sweet, and Aatt likes Green Day, so we got along. Ana from Finland taught me some helpful things about the Finnish, so that will help me with Hilla. And I found out that Hilla is actually pronounced "Ella." I'm glad because I felt really stupid saying Hilla, it sounds so weird. Kjersati (pronounced "Shasti") is really direct and of all of the studnets, I disliked her the most. She wasn't mean, but not exactly nice.We had a little disagreement on Martin Luther's theises. Thanks Ms. Munz for making our AP World class read and translate each one of them=)) We went to Piazza Spagna (nothing really to translate...Plaza Spain), saw the Trevi Fountain (yes, I threw coins in it...forgot to wish on the first one, so I added 10 more cents just to make sure) and we visited the VaticanCity. I'm glad I went before with AFS when we first arrived (that time Jessica, Kristen andI spent 1.30 hours in saint Peter's catherdral (sp?) because this time the AFS volunteer told us to meet back at the entrance 10 minutes later! 10 minutes to see Saint Peter's! It's impossible. We went to the Collsseum(sp?) but didn't go in. Basically spent afternoon at a fotball festival drinking beer (not really a festival, but the wrold cup was there, and it's like a Mecca for the Italian men. You have to visit it once in your lifetime=)) I didn't get home until 10PM, but it was a nice day.

On Sunday I stayed home because I was really tired! Camila, my AFS volunteer was a little mad that Joaquin and I didn't go to an orientation for Interculturà that day. But the orientation was for kids like Claudia who are leaving next year (they have about 10 pre-departure orientations like this.) I went to the one before and it was so boring! I really didn't understand why Camila was mad at me...a) I was tired b) it was an orientation for Claudia, so WHY did I have to be there? I'm already an exchange student...

On Monday there was yet another AFS activity. All of the exchange students from around Naples was there. The ones from before and more...Danielle from California (San Louis Obispo(sp?) She was so nice and loved to speak English with me), Liliana from Oregon (Danielle was pretty happy that with me, the US was now the leading group. We beat the Chile people with 4 to 3=)) a girl from Chile (I feel horrible, I don't remember her name!), Juan from Chile (anothe cute Chile guy...we have to watch them...=)), Noi and Lia from Thailand (they were really nice, especially Lia whose about 4'8''=)), Li from China (he was hilarious!) and girl from Estonia and another girl from Argentina (again, I can't remember their names!=(( Giula from Germany (she was so funny! She had a crush on the Interculturà volunteer and kepting running around squealing=))We went to a presentation where this company was awarding students who were leaving next year with Interculturà. We all had to say where we were from, our names , where we live now and what school we go to in our native language. yay, English! It was cool though to hear the differences betwee Turkish, Finnish and Romanian...I always grouped them together before this. After this very boring presentation all of the exchange students went out to lunch which was fun. Danielle, Liliana, Maggie, Anna, Li and I had an "English Party." Then we just hung around in Naples before going home.

Hope you all liked my update! I swear things are more interesting than how I report them. I don't have my mother's story telling abilities! Miss you all!

April and Florence!

****Sorry! I've been really busy here, but I'm really am going to try and write more often. I'll finish up my wedding story and more of may in the next post, which will hopefully come soon! And pictures too! I felt I owed you all some of the blog...so, here's half. I started writing it back in the beginning of April!****


Hi everyone! Spring is here in Italy (well, most days) and school is almost out! April was pretty nice...in the beginning things were a bit rough with my host family. But I really don't like dwelling on it, and with some timely AFS intervention, things have worked out for the most part. Easter was fun, even though my family is prety laid back, so we didn't do much. I was able to talk to my Nana and Papa, along with Aunt Sherri, Jennifer, Aliesha, Reed, Kayla and Layla. Spent some time bonding with my brother during boring easter vacaton days...and Claudia dragged me off to the beach twice that week (I have now been to the beach 3 times this month for sun bathing!) And, no, I'm not any tanner. But I haven't gotten burnt once, yes! Sorry, that was a bit random....

Florence - April 21st - 24th

Well, 2 weeks ago, I went to Florence with another class of mine (not Claudia's, but a 2nd years!) It was a lot of fun...though unfortuantley I didn't learn much of the historical parts. The trip was basically based around haveing fun, not really going into depth about the history. We just shopped a lot, saw stautes and churches...and of course we walked the city a million times! It's such a beautiful city! I really enjoyed the company of the classes too...many didn't speak very much english, and so it forced me to use my Italian more, which was helpful. Except when they wanted English lessons! A lot of the guys would ask me to teach them bad words...except when they used used them out of context! (I taught them shit, so they would scream at randon intervals, "you shit!" to someone=)) In turn, they taught me how to say things in Italian (I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure they were variations of penis) then have me repeat them, and laugh. Haha, I did have fun...they were younger, around 14 and 15, but they seemed to enjoy life more, not worried about acting sophisticated all the time. I bought a nice shirt for my dad (not going to say what it looks like, because I would completely ruin the surprise. And i do that enough of the time!), bought some postcards with beautiful pictures of the city (Nana and papa, melissa and grandma, you will all be getting a postcard from Vico and Florence in the mail!!) and I bought a Godfather t-shirt for me....it's awesome and I couldn't resist it! I'm not wearing it in italy though; they are not to fond of the reputation the godfather has caused. But, i assure you, it's an awesome shirt=)) Florence is beautiful....it's really what you imagine an italian city to look like...the perfect italian city. The kids finally convinced the teachers to go to a disco while were here. i know the word "disco" sounds weird, but it's really a club. Most people don't go until they are older, like 17, 18 years old. it was alright...the music was bad, but it was fun being with the everyone. Unfortuantly the girls all thought I was a freak. I had NO idea when i was packing for the 4 day trip to Florence that I would need high heels or nicer clothing. But everyday when we went out for dinner the girls dressed up...Claudia assured me when i got back home that this is the way it always is. Oops. So i partied in my boots=)) That was all that happened in Florence...it was a lot of fun!!

Wedding in Rome - May 10th

Claudia, Antonio (her boyfriend of one year) and I went to Rome for her cousin's wedding. The train trips to Naples, and then to Rome, were long, but Claudia and Anotnio were fun to talk to. We stayed with Claudia's dad, who I've meet once before, and his wife. I was very nervous about meeting Claudia's family, but they were very sweet and really nice.*****