January in Urbino!

Ciao!

So, nearing the end of January, I've decided to give you a recap of the first month of the year here in Urbino.
First of all, you've read about my trip. I spent a few days afterwards resting and taking hot baths, because it was a chilly phase and I wanted to get over my cold. Which I did! Yes!

I have no classes until the end of February and all of my friends had exams going on, so I decided I needed to find somethings to fill my time. The first thing I did was finally kit up Karaoke! I believe I wrote about it, but it was great, either way. I had fun, but it's hard jumping into a place where all the regulars are friends and you are the new one. I talked to some people though, and they were exceptionally hilarious.

The second time I went was pretty much awful. I don't know why it was so different from the first time, but I had the worst time ever. I sat alone all night, had to quit a song half way through because the words got screwed up and then, at the end of the night, the bartender started sweet talking me. By sweet talking I mean drunkenly and constantly forgetting the previous 10 seconds, "What? Why do you have to work at 7? Stick around a little longer... Oh, you have to work in the morning? What do you do?... So do you work tomorrow? Can you stay for a bit longer?"  No. But thank you for stumbling me to the door.

I took off for home. I must have been homesick or something, because usually I try to be more talkative with my Italian, but I remember just not feeling it. The next day I went to Canyon for a cup of tea. I felt much better there, and it was nice enough to sit outside. I had some chats. I've been there a few times since. Having a bad night out makes me enjoy my good nights out, though!

I had a great dinner with Val and Andy last Tuesday, because she has handed in her thesis! And she was ready to drink some lemon liquor. I was not complaining. I bought her a bottle of Spremuta and these chippy things she likes. I want Spremuta when I finish a thesis. There was another girl there, too, who lives down the hall. Her parents are from Greece and she is this crazy haired goddess type. I liked her.

Also, I've had two nights out with Giorgia and Lucia at the Caffe di Sole. I. Love. This. Cafe. It's small and cute and has different suns all over the walls. There is a great mural, too, of two people drinking wine. They have live music there a few times a month. The first time I went, there was a guitarist and an accordian player playing songs of Fabrizio De Andre. It was great. The lights were warm, the tables were full, people were lining the bar, listening to the music. It was pretty crowded, so we stood outside for the second set, and then headed to the dorms, where G and L live, when it got too cold. We had pasta, and the wine I had bought them for Christmas, and I met another girl who I taught how to play Crazy 8s! It was great. I always walk home after, since it's usually quite late and the buses don't run. It's about a 40 minute walk, and it's always so interesting to see Urbino by night.

The second time I went, Lucia stayed in to work on her thesis, and Giorgia braught two of the Spanish girls I'd met before Christmas and another Italian girl from her dorm. We got a table this time, which was great, and the waiter brought is chips with our beers. The band was two guys playing guitar, bongo drums, a flute, and another guitar. They were from Argentina and the music was brilliant. I love South American music. They even played some songs from Bueno Vista Social Club. It was chill, and I had good company and good beer.

Most afternoons I stay in to write and study. When I don't, I head to Canyon for tea, Mystic Pizza for tea, or, well, any cafe I feel like for tea. Ha, I still haven't gotten on the coffee wagon, but the right drink is just as important at the right people. I keep to my tea, and I keep to talking. I had a great conversation with two of the regulars at Canyon , who also frequent Karaoke, incidentally, the other day about beer, and one bought be a Budweiser, because it's the closest thing you can get to Canadian beer around here. Oh yea, I don't only drink tea. Beer, too.

I had a great outting to the farm of a friend of Alessandra's. She's the one we went to the Forest with so long ago. We all went for the birthday of Luoco, Katrin's son. They live on this great, amazing farm in a great, huge house with great lot of pigs. They raise pigs. And her husband cooks these pigs. And also flat bread, bean soup, other meats and cakes. We ate all of this. I shouldn't say we. What happened, was we all went together. However, I had been playing with Sarah earlier and pretending she was a bell. She said she had a sore arm after, but it didn't seem to bother her, so I forgot about it. She fell asleep on the way to the party. When she woke up, she was in epic pain. Alessandra took off with her to the hospital, and I stayed at the party with the other two kids. So, I sat around, ate well at a huge, great table with a huge, great amount of people, who are wonderfully warm, while Alessandra spent the night arguing with doctors who said there was nothing they could do. Turns out this has happened before, and Sarah's sockets are not so wondeful in her left arm. Anyways, the time before, she took her in, and the doctor did one quick move and she was fine again. This one messed around with her arm for a half hour. I don't know if he just wasn't an expert in that area or what, but Ales was pissed. She called a private doctor who came in and fixed Sarah up right.

Anways, Sarah is fine, the party was excellent, and they've invited me a concert at the farm. It's tomorrow! I am getting a ride from Lucia, a lady I met last time I was there. I also ran into her one night at the Caffe di Sole.

Anyways, this month, I've noticed how small this town is! I've been meeting people who know other people I know, or who enjoy the same places I do. I knew it was small, but everyday I seem to run into someone I know. Oh! Also, at the bus stop the other day, I saw the girl from CUST who I so very long ago forgot to get the number of. I plan to head out with her one night soon.

It's been a fun and rather down-to-earth month. Things have been chill. Not busy, not boring. That's usually what winter is about. Speaking of which, we got snow one more time!

Two days ago it started coming down and it snowed for a day and a half straight. Benni and I made a sweet snowman, like, a real one, and Leo has been going out with Bob, his sled, at the hill behind the building. Bella just loves it, and she goes nuts everytime I let her loose at the park. Generally Sarah has her nap afterschool, when it's light enough to play outside, so she hasn't been out. Which is alright with me, I suppose, except that she has been exceptionally whiny lately, and I find that when we do things outside or play an in-depth game, she is more herself and jolly. She just got over a bout of contipation, so I hope she's more agreeable in the coming month. All in all, the kids are great. Everyone in the house has a soat throat. Benni and I took the Christmas tree down a few weeks ago. This was a very symbolic moment, I suppose, since Christmas was a sort of feat for me to get over. And I did.

Oh, and Gordon, I am still awaiting your package! I assume it was stolen by some no gooder in Milan. If anything, I can write a story about it! And thanks to everyone who sent me cards and letters and packages! It felt so wonderul to have my name hand-written on envelopes containing messages of Christmas cheer and good wishes. I re-read them even now, whenever I miss home.

Speaking of which, I still have February to fill, which I might do with Tango lessons. What?! Yes. I found a month long lesson which I think I will start next week. Pretty excited. Then I restart Italian and Cinematography, and in March I leave for London! Alex and I are discussing an Easter trip in April. After that I'll have only just over a month left here. I know I won't be able to see every country or city that I want to, but I will see what I can, and I can always come back! I've seen so much already, so I'm pretty content.

I, for some odd reason, have not been taking so many pictures this month. I don't know if it's just that I've pretty much taken a picture of everything in Urbino, or if I feel too in people's faces, or what. But don't you worry. I'm getting over it. I plan to take some today of all the snow. There really is a lot, this time around. I'm just hoping my boots can stand another month of it.

Guido is coming today, and this means I will have a slack weekend. Yes! Looking forward to it. I've been working pretty hard all month, making up some hours from the vacation. I've pretty much caught up, so I'm going to take it easy, head to the concert tomorrow night, and get ready for February to start!

I hope you enjoyed the quick recap. I'll be posting more often now that I've finished my trip pictures. Ha, only 5 posts this month! I think that's a miracle considering how many I've had in the past.

Ciao for now!