Back to the weekend!

Ciao everyone, and good Thursday to you all. It's now my weekend, isn't that lovely? I had an oral exam today and I feel like I did pretty well overall, I mean, it was awesome to feel like I could really speak Italian. She even gave me a bravissima, which means really good, which made me feel good about my current Italian. Chad and I definitely practiced pretty well yesterday and when I got to the exam, I was pretty ready and it showed. I love when that happens.

This also means it's my weekend. What a great feeling, to have a weekend starting on Thursday afternoon. Gotta love that.

Yesterday was pretty busy, with 6 hours of class and lots of reading to do, it was full of running around from class to class, reading, and eating, and finally having class again in the evening. I mean, I enjoy all of my classes over here for the most part and I feel like I am actually learning a few things in them since the subjects are all so different from what I'm used to studying. I mean, Medieval Art and Architecture in Rome, Culture and Identity in Italy, Science and Religion in the Catholic Church, and Italian. I mean, I wouldn't really be taking any of those classes back home, so I guess the diversity is what I'm enjoying most. It's nice to really learn about what's going on around you, too. In Medieval Rome, I learn about all of the churches and significance of the big monuments here in Roma, which I walk by every day. In Culture and Identity, I learn about how Italy functions as a country and all the little places here that make it whole. In Science and Religion, I learn a lot about Catholicism from the Catholic Priest who is our professor.

And Italian, too. I learn how to speak. Very helpful, trust me.

But yes, all in all, I can say I'm having loads of fun and learning about things that really enrich me as a human being in an international world, it's really pretty cool. Tonight I am going to make Spaghetti in Panna con Prosciutto, or Spaghetti in a ham and cream sauce. We got this book in Culture and Identity that has recipes and menus from tradition Tuscan families, which I am pretty much enthralled with at the moment. There are tons of recipes that don't look too tough in there and sound delicious, so I believe that I'll attempt to make something delicious and end up with something mediocre, but learn something from it, which is all I can really ask for I guess.

In semi-exiciting news, today I went to the open-air market near our place looking at some good meats and whatnot, and I've gotta say: food can really look different around the world. The butcher here doesn't just have chops, he's got Tripe and Liver and gall bladder, chickens that have been plucked everywhere but the head . . . it's definitely different to see. But some other things, like the cheeses and vegetables, look awesome and I could spend wayyyy too much money there if I wasn't careful. I just may have to at some point; I may be overwhelmed.

It's Chad's birthday this weekend, on Saturday, so I believe that we're going to have a big dinner celebration for him and maybe go somewhere cool for the day. He wants to go to the Zoo, so that may be it, but I gotta say: not too excited about going to the Zoo here, really. I can see animals back home too, and why spend money on that over here then?

On Sunday, I think we're going to go to Lago di Bracciano, or a lake up in Northern Lazio, or the area that includes Roma. Lazio is a pretty good sized area, and this is the biggest lake around. Supposedly there's a big castle there that you can have an awesome view of the lake from, and we were thinking it'd be pretty cool to see, especially since it's only a few euro to get to, as in potentially under ten. Gotta love that.

But yes, my weekend will also be filled with reading and studying, since I've got about 200 pages of reading to do and a paper to start, so I suppose that these days off are good times to get cracking. I hope you all have a great Tuesday and I'm sorry today's blog isn't all that riveting; sometimes life over here goes on without too much to report.

Until next time,

Ciao.