January 2 2017

On the 29th I was invited to a pool party at a classmates house! I think it's the first indoor pool party I have ever been to. I didn't risk taking any pictures, but  have a few screenshots from a video my friend took.

The boys figured out the pavement was wet enough that they could penguin slide into the pool.

 At one point one of the girls turned to me and asked if boys in the United States are more mature. I think boys across the world are exactly the same. 

This is the exact moment when the boys realized that maybe it wasn't the best idea. One of them had run pretty hard into the wall head first. 

The 30th, Silvia and I spent most of the morning attempting to make doughnut batter. Doughnuts are a really typical hanukkah dessert. Despite our best efforts we eventually had to accept that it wasn't going to happen. Matzo ball soup was also a no-go, for the obvious reason that Matzo Meal doesn't exist in Ragusa. Thankfully I was able to pull together brisket and latkes for a Hanukkah dinner with family, and some family friends that evening.

Brisket

Latkes

Lighting the menorah

My package from my family also came!
While Davide and I were waiting at the post office a woman came up and asked if she could budge in front of us for a moment to say hi to her friend that worked there. We said yes and then she looked at us and simply said "You are from Italy..."pointing at Davide "and you are not. Where are you from? The Ukraine?". I was so shocked because my mom was born in the Ukraine. When I told her that, she nodded and said "And your dad is American?". She was right again. She also new Davide was from Ragusa and not some other part of Italy. She said she had studied being able a persons nationality or heritage by looking at their facial features. It was so cool.

New Years Eve, I got ready with Anna's friends and then went to a private party bhosted at a club by some of the people from my school.

All of Anna's friends are really nice, but they are all a little younger than me. It's really thoughtful of them to invite me along with them, but I don't really connect with them as a group. At the party I ran into a few of my classmates, but as always there wasn't much of an interaction. It was a little hard to spend New Years with people that don't really feel like 'my people'. I love Anna, and we have really connected as cousins and friends, but it's still not the same as having a group of friends. Everyday I keep a positive attitude and keep trying, hoping that it will be a day in the right direction. 

Ana, Anna and I freezing waiting outside for our ride home to come.

Tonight, we went out to dinner with Giogio and Pino's friends who are visiting from Malta. 

It was a karaoke restaurant.

Sicilian's also always love to dance!