Lil old man!

Today I had my first Italian lesson and I can tell already that my courses are going to be difficult. My professor, Morena, cannot pronounce my name. Most Italians can’t, which is okay since I cannot pronounce anything in Italian.  The language is so fascinating and soooo beautiful! Right now I am sitting in a café called Blitz where I can practically get an entire meal for only the cost of one drink. So I have just finished my caffeelatte, costing me 90 euro cents, and they are beginning to lay out the different plates that here are served on the bars like peanuts are in the States. Last night, one of my roommates bought Strawberry wine, which smells like the candy Pez to me. Delicioso! It is very, very sweet but since I am not that much of a wine drinker I think I might buy a bottle so that when we have Italians over for dinner, I do not feel like a total foreigner.

This morning we stopped in at Café Leonardo, which has become my favorite little café to stop in. Two brothers own the café and it seems that they are the only ones who work there, and they are there all day long. I am grateful that they are there so much because I cannot live without their food now. I think I might have to send some back to California just so everyone will understand how it is possible that I spent all of my money in one café, because right now I can see that happening very easily. Here is a picture of my favorite little pastry (which Italians eat for breakfast, not for dessert) and the sandwich I gobbled down with enthusiasm.

Leaving school last night I snapped the below pictures. The first two are looking out from the entrance of my school and then the sidewalk going back to the city of Viterbo (the school itself is half on the outside of Viterbo’s walls and half on the inside). To my left I spotted a McDonalds. Yep, even in beautiful Italia. So I had to take a picture. I definitely will not be eating there while I have the chance to eat delicious Italian food. Plus, one student ate there the first night we were in Viterbo (stupido) and said they gave him chicken hearts when he tried to order a hamburger. No thank you. 

This the Porta della Romana, which I walk through multiple times a day, especially when walking to and from school:

Today we spent many hours waiting in the post office while we applied for temporary citizenship. Sitting in the post office gave me the opportunity to observe the locals. The women here walk with determination and if you happen to be in their way, especially when it comes to the lil old ladies, you better watch out. Italians also pace. Never standing in one spot, they give everyone the chance to admire their clothing and personal appearance.  When one man walked by wearing a wife beater and camo pants he was instantly labeled as an American or German by the majority of our group because an Italian would never dare to walk in public in sweatpants, much less a wifebeater and camo! An elderly gentlemen approached myself and another girl while we were sitting down in the post office. When he began talking very quickly we explained we did not speak Italian. This did not dissuade him however and he continued on, motioning at the benches where we were sitting. We began to get up thinking perhaps he was complaining that all of these young Americans had taken up the benches while he had to stand, but as we did so he moved away. Soon thereafter he approached the counter where one of our advisers was helping a student fill out his papers. He stood with them at the counter for a long time talking to them and the teller, but according to the facial expressions my adviser and fellow student exchanged, neither of them knew what was going on. When I finally got up to the counter (after a two and a half hour wait) I asked our adviser, Marco, what the elderly man had been saying and he said that he was tired and didn’t want to wait in line. He wanted to sit down but he knew that if he did he wouldn’t be able to get back up. This man was so incredibly cute I just had to take a picture of him and so here he is:

I couldn’t resist and thus bought some yarn today. This was my first solo shopping adventure and even though I could barely communicate with the store owners, I managed. I bought 100% wool, three skeins of it, for only 4.50 euros, which is about 5.50 U.S. dollars. The same amount of wool would have cost me well into twenty dollars back home. I am going to make another hat because somehow when packing I only packed a bright purple hat which I can only use to cover my unruly hair ever so often. I also bought a scarf because this is an essential element of the everyday Italian fashion. I love scarves!

Here's the view from my bedroom:

And here I am trying to cook on the heater because I could not figure out how our Italian oven worked:

They were delicious! Ciao!