January 15, 2010

Today i went to my first real Italian class. The teacher does not speak the best English, but i didn't have too much trouble understanding her, and i feel like she has a good grasp on how difficult it can be to learn a new language. She broke us into groups and had a competition in which the teams had to try and read a paragraph with a perfect Italian accent all the way through. (No one was able to do it). After class, i went out to an Italian Restaurant with my friends John, Kyle, Chi, and Laura. We sat at the table for like 40 minutes after we finished because we did not realize that it is rude to bring the customers their check without them asking for it first. Although their are a number of cultural difference between Americans and Italians, the most obvious is the advertisements. The advertisements in Italy can be pornographic and if they are not pornographic then they are borderline pornographic.
We got Gellato at this giant mall nearby, and then we went home.

January 14, 2010

So i attended my first class today, Elementary Italian. It is very intensive because the class is 5 days a week for three hours a day. For lunch i went down to a small restaurant and had like a grilled ham and cheese quesidilla. Depending on where you go food can be extremely cheap or extremely expensive. For example, a pizza of the same size could be priced anywhere from 1$ to 10$ depending on the area. After lunch, we finished some orientation things, and we went back to my friend kyle's apartment where we made pasta with a really "diverse" group of people. Diversity has never been my "big thing," but i think there may have been like 7 countries represented in the room.
I have elected not to drink while i'm over here, which limits my possibilities as far as venues, but i still go and spend time with my friends in pubs, bars, and cafes without drinking. After finishing dinner at Kyle's apartment, we went out to an Irish pub and watched a Soccer game. We have gone to an Irish pub every night that we have been here. I have no idea why i would fly to Italy to go to Irish pubs, but it has kinda worked out that way.
This weekend i'm taking the train to Milan to visit John's Dad and see the city.

January 12, 2010

So it has become increasingly difficult to find internet here. My apartment has internet but its so sporadic that it rarely functions at a usable level. The first night we went out to a pizza buffet with some of the group members. John and I walked around town for a bit and kind of checked out what was going on. We found this giant cathedral next to our apartment, which has these enormous works of art that correspond with past saints. I went to the supermarket to pick up some food but unfortunately their was very little selection. I got some authentic stuff and headed home. There are a lot of Irish pubs in our area so we have been spending time there to meet people.
We headed uptown the next day and went to orientation at the new school. The city itself looks a little like Soviet Russia, but its definitely got a lot of things to offer. On our way back from the school we got lost, but we used human ingenuity and my gigantic brain to figure our way back

January 10, 2010 (1st Day)

After an intensive 3 hour flight to Philadelphia and a 7 hour flight to Frankfurt, i found myself stuck in a snowstorm that delayed my last connecting flight to
Torino. On the way over to Europe i sat next to a German exchange student who told me in detail about the differences between German Politics and American Politics. He liked Obama and so therefore he hated America and lost all credibility (Just kidding). The snowstorm lasted about an hour and then they took us out on a bus to the plane. On the way over to the plane i sat staring at all the "Europeans" and i started being overly critical of them.
Differences
- Colorful Flamboyant clothing
- Pleather Galore
- Long Hair on a man is a crown of glory


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January 7, 2010 (3 Days before Leaving)

If you have not met me, or you do not spend too much time with me here is a run down on what is going on.

What's Going On
- I'm going abroad to Torino Italy with the USAC program.
- I will be sharing a room somewhere in Torino with my Grove City College roommate John Cain and up to 3 other people
- I decided on this program because USAC gives you a lot of academic flexibility so that you can travel and have fun
My Goals
- My goal for Europe is to travel too at least 6 different countries and experience 6 different cultures
- Another one of my goals is to not pay for a single hotel. I will stay in hostels or with other students across Europe
- Finally, I want to eat an authentic meal in each country i visit
Pictures
I will post pictures everywhere i go and i will try to add at least one entry per week