January 15 2017

On Thursday Anna, Ana and I went out for sushi for one of Ana's last meals in Sicily.

Italians are very proud of their food, so they don't accept many foreign restaurants. Sushi and very brown greasy Chinese food is the only ethnic food available in Ragusa. It really makes me miss the wide variety of Minneapolis restaurants. 

Giogio and I went grocery shopping and I was able to get a few foods I had been missing from home. I did the best I could to replace a bagel with bread, but of course it's not the same. 

Letter from my dad and post card from my sister!

Friday night the classical high school hosted an Arts Open House. Different classrooms were dedicated to different arts. It was really fun and a nice idea.

This is a picture of the dance classroom. When the girls dance they usually choose American rap songs. The beat is much more important than the lyrics, but usually as the only native English speaker in the room, I catch a lot more of the vulgar lyrics that no one else notices.

The interesting aspect of the event is that the high school doesn't offer any artistic activities. All the arts are done on students own time, but the school displays it in a way to make the school look better.

Music classroom.

The visual art classroom was really fun with lots of different activities. 

I thought my girl in the green shirt turned out cute, but then I looked next to me and my friend Alessandro (who clearly goes to the arts high school) was putting everyone to shame.

The face Alessandro painted in less than a minute. 

Saturdays, at school, I have 4th hour with 5E. They are a really happy class and during the break between third and fourth hour they like to turn on music and dance. Every time I walk in they get scared that I am a teacher, and their relief alway leads to a very cheerful greeting.

On this particular day, a group of boys decided it was a brilliant idea to try and launch one of the smallest boys, Salvo, in the air. In a classroom full of desks, chairs and relatively low ceilings, each boy took a hold of Salvo and on the count of three through him in the air. His legs started going over his head, and only one out of the five boys was able to catch him and break his fall. After recovering it was concluded that the force at which each person launched him was uneven, so they had to try again. The second result was almost the same as the first and I involuntarily screamed out loud because I thought I was going to witness a death. Fortunately no one was hurt with in this process, though a few people defiantly had minor heart attacks. I have never experienced the full power of testosterone, but does anyone one have an explanation for how the male mind works???

Saturday night was Simonettas diciotssimo!

January 12 2017

Wednesday night was dance class number three. I'm really enjoying it. Most people started at the beginning of the year (or two or three years ago), so the teacher teaches the group, and the advanced students take turns helping teach Mati and I the basics.

A sunny day in Ragusa on the way to school.

Today at school, instead of classes there was a college fair. The classical high school came as well so I was able to see my friends.

Ana wanted to buy some souvenirs for her family back in Brazil so we took the beautiful walk down to Ibla.

Coming down the hill.

Looking back up.

By the time we got back it was dark. The lighting or weather doesn't matter. The view never gets old.

January 10 2017

The 8th was the last day of break, and one of our last dinners with our big group. They've come to seem like my extended family here in Ragusa. Sadly I forgot to take photos.

Over break, I finished my second book in Italian!

Two letters from my Grandma! Thank you Emareeny!

Monday was back to school. While everyone was gone for break all of the pitiful heating systems were turned off. They have been turned back on, but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. The temperature seems to be exactly the same inside as outside unless you are directly leaned up against one o the few tiny radiators (a very fought for spot). Most of us wear our jackets in class, I've seen a few people trying to write while wearing gloves, and in one of my classes two of the boys brought a blanket and were snuggled in a corner for warmth.

On the way to school, I found this tiny remain of snow.

Sadly, monday was Davide's last day in Ragusa before going back to university in Pisa. He has been one of my favorite people that I have met so far in Ragusa. I have been having a really hard time finding a group of friends and my place in school. I am really lucky to have a few friends, but it is not the same as feeling a part of a group. Davide helped me through some low moments during break, and is just an all around amazing host brother. Thankfully he'll be back on the 27th for Anna's 18th birthday. This is a picture from when Anna and Martina came upstairs to say goodbye. Even at home the radiators are the prime spot. 

Monday night I after coming back from dropping Davide off at the airport, Mati and I went to a Latin dance class. I went to one before break but then the lessons didn't start again until now. Two of my friends from school go, and they were great about taking us aside to teach us the basic steps. I sometimes get frustrated about how slowly I learn, but I had fun and am hoping to stick with it. The next lesson is tomorrow. I'll try to snap a quick photo!

January 8 2016

In Italy, December 6th is the day of the Befana. The befana is a witch who brings stockings of sweets to the good children in Italy. Santa now exists in Italy as well, but his role in Christmas is not as important as it is in the United States.

The 6th was also the first (and probably last) day of snow in Ragusa!

A little bit of snow on the cars. 

The past few days, we have had almost every meal with the same group of people. 

Wood fire stove! 

Some of the guys. 

If you read all my blogs, you may remember that one of my host dad's clients gave us a fruit market as a gift. For breakfast I have been making myself zucchini! It's really strange for the sicilians who eat chocolate milk and cookies for breakfast.

January 6 2017

On Wednesday a few friends came over to bake some chocolate chip cookies. I have a lot of time, so before people come over, I usually bake a batch or two of different types of cookies. Everyone always really likes them, so we had fun making a batch together and eating them hot.

Wednesday night was a birthday party for my friend Enrico. 

The party was in Comiso, a town over, so we did a little lap around the center.

Yesterday Valerio and his wife Vierna (Giogio and Pino's friends who are visiting with their family from Malta, but they are originally from Bologna, Italy) made Piada for dinner. It's pretty much an Italian quesadilla

 I had had a lot of time on my hands so I made a carrot cake for the party.

It turned out really well. 

No good party can end with out singing and dancing. (We also played a little around the world monopoly). 

January 4 2016

The past week we have been doing all kinds of different dinners and activities with the Malta group. On the 2nd we went to a donkey farm!

On the way to the farm, we had to cross over this tiny bridge. I couldn't believe it when we made it across,

We stopped to try to skip rocks in the creek.

The farm was beautiful!

This donkey foal was born the night before.

I got to ride a donkey!

And milk one!

Lunch with the group.

On the third I walked down to one of the little outdoor cafe's on the street. I saw they had chai tea and wanted to see if it was any good. I had been missing my breakfast dates with my grandma, cousin and sister, when we would always get chai. Sadly it wasn't very good.

The kids table at dinner.

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!