San Valentino (AKA: On love and things)

Happy Valentines day, everyone! I took this picture before all the snow came again. But it was beautiful, no? Anyways, back to Valentine's day.

I hope none of you bought anything for anyone, but instead enjoyed a nice day together doing nothing.

I am spending time with the current love of my life today. We have the house to ourselves, because the family is off into the center for mass, and we are going to eat fresh bread, drink a bit of wine, watch a movie and maybe take a nap. This love of my life is, in fact, me.

I hope I didn't get you all in a huff.

There are a lot of things I am unsure of here, a lot of things that are unclear and a lot of things that ride the grey area in my life, but one thing is for sure: Being here, having spent so much time alone, I have become my own best friend. It's weird sometimes. I talk to myself quite a fair bit. I discuss with myself the things that are worrying me, things that make me happy, things that I want to do or don't want to do. I'm my own shoulder to cry on and my own critic and my own life coach.

Now, don't get me wrong, I've made friends, and in fact, Giorgia and I are pretty tight these days. Yesterday we discussed her coming to live in Canada with me for a summer where she could practice her English and I could drag her all over the Albertan countryside to music festivals and Rodeos. But there's something about myself that I quite like, and therefore enjoy talking to. Vanity? I can't deny.

Also, don't be thinking I replace my best friends in Canada iwth myself either. It's funny that with some people I've grown much closer being so far away, and with some people I've drifted apart. Such is life. Anyways, my other personalities are no match for the wonderful friends I have waiting for me back home. (Yes, I have an image of all of you talking about me every 5 minutes, just sitting around for 9 months, waiting for me to come home.)

Anyways, right now, I am enjoying some me time, which just so happens to include you guys, because I love blogging and reading emails from everyone.

So, Valentines day. Or San Valentino here. I have seen some stores carrying things like big red pillows that say, "I love you" instead of the Italian translated "Ti amo", and oversized candies, and slippers and other commercial gifts, but not too much.

This is the love I have seen around this wonderful holiday:

The cat is in heat again. She has no Valentine, though, and she is very vocal about it.

The dog is in love with me. She follows me all over the house, like, everywhere. Have I meantioned the fact that Bella is slightly... challenged? She was weened too early, and now she is stuck somewhere between acting like a 3 year old human and a 1 year old puppy, even though she is at an adult age. Anyways, she loves me, but alas, that is also unrequited. She has three kids who try to play with here all day, but she will only play tug of war with me. Absurd.

Giorgia has had this huge crush on a Greek boy who lives in the dorms. She has never spoken a word to him, but talks about him all the time, and then a couple days ago, he saw her inthe study hall and said, "You're always here!" and she, quite flabbergasted, kept her cool and said, "Yea, well, so are you."
That was that. I think I'll be invited to the wedding.

Benni, in a tizzy after dinner a few nights ago, was talking to Ales and I as if she hadn't said a word in weeks. She just kept talking and talking and talking, telling us stories from her kindergarten, even though I'm sure most, if not all, were complete fabrications. Including the one where a boy took off his pants, and then even his underwear, and peed right there in the classroom. (This part is believeable) Then the dad came, and he did the same thing, except his "pipi", as she called it, was much bigger. Haha, she makes me laugh. And then, of course, the mother came and did the same thing. She thought this was the funniest story she had ever told, and in fact, I did too, and we laughed and laughed, because she crachs herself up, and Benni has the sort of contagious laugh that you can't help but laugh along with her. Anyways, among these stories she told us, "Amo uno stupidino," which means, "I am in love with an idiot." Ha, who isn't. There is a boy in her kindergarten, and everyone said they were in love, so therefore they were. It lasted a whole afternoon, she said, but then she ended it, because he was such an idiot that she couldn't love him anymore. I told her that was a good call, because if it was real love, she's still love him no matter how much of an idiot he was. She concluded her stories by stating that she is never, ever, EVER going to get married. Good on ya, I said.

Valentina and Andrea are having a date tonight. I don't know what they are doing, but I'm sure it's cute. They're pretty sweet on each other. Oh! I completely forgot. She got her thesis published, and I was checking it out, because it's pretty cool that she wrote a book and she's a doctor now. Anyways, she told me to check out the dedications, and I was in it! She thanked her parents, and Andrea, and her cousin Samantha and then she had a list of friends, and there was Carrie! Afterwards she wrote "Mi insegnano qualcosa da tutti" which means "They have each taught me something." I was pretty touched. There's another love story! Val and I. She has her Doctor Party on Tuesday, which coinsides wonderfully with Carnavale (Which I will get to)

As for Alessandra and Guido, they have decided to get separated. Their lives really haven't changed, physically, because he still visits and still works in another city, and they are still friends, I have noticed. But she told me that when a marriage ends, something that you really believed in, it's like grieving a death. I don't think things will get messy or complicated, but I know it'll be hard for everyone.

As for me, I got my Valentines from Grandma today! It was perfect timing. Thanks <3 Yes, my love affair is not only with myself, but also you guys. My friends and family. I have been moping for a day or two because I had a strange dream about home, and it made me homesick. But a party with Giorgia, a snow day with the kids and fresh foccaccia has been curing me well.

Yes! More snow. The stuff from the weekend of the concert came and went, and it was quite nice for a few days. Then, last week came around, and it snowed for three days. THREE DAYS. That's unheard of here. They almost closed Leo's school, but then yesterday it was so beautiful, and so is today, so alot of the snow is melting and no dangerous ice has stayed on the roads. But, yesterday, we took to the park, where Bella ran her crazy head off and Benni climbed the hills and Sarah, well, I suppose you can guess where she was. Chilling on the swings, as per usual. But then she fell and got all muddy and wet and we went back inside. Which was perfect, because I was getting chilly. Everything but my feet, of course. I bought new boots! My old ones turned out to be quite the cheapies. They fell apart after only a month, and my feet were constantly wet and cold, which is why I bought them in the first place. Anyways, I made the brilliant decision to buy quality, and I even found a sale, so I got a beautiful pair of Marie Claire boots at 50% off, and I am ecstatic with them. (More love.)

My boots the days I got them! I was at the park with Bella

So as I vainly took a photo shoot of my boots, I took some of her, too. Partly because I need a rather exquisite shot for her For Sale poster that I swear I will make. She drives me a little nuts.

Ok, but, then they did this. The got wet, and the inner lining is black and it stained the outside. I think it just adds much needed character a bit sooner than expected.

Oh, and I had to add this to my list of things I love. Leila, the wonderful person that she is, sent me a great Christmas package! It included a journal (which she filled with inspirational quotes), a reading light, a carry bag, and a pen. BUT WAIT. It's not just any pen. It's this pen:

This thing is ergonomical and epic. I use it all the time and it makes my back hurt. I think it's fixing all these years of writing like a bell ringer at Notre Dame.
Ok, ok, ok so! This week is Carnavale! Which means that there is a party pretty much everyday for a week, ending at Mardi Gras! Or Martedi Grosso, in Italia. On Thursday I painted some sweet butterflies of the girls' faces and I was supposed to go to Fano for a concert, but the roads were too bad. Plus, Ales has a sort of stomach flu, so I needed to be here in the morning. If I had gone I would have stayed with Chiara, who I met at the concert. Anyways, I also painted Leo yesterday before school as Dracula, and he grabbed a cape and took off into the festivity. He didn't have to bring his school bag! He was amped.

Sarah in a classy pose

Benni with her face and hair did.

The two girls. They were ECSTATIC. And it was the first time Sarah had her makeup done, so she was actinglal strange whenever she looked in the mirror. It was pretty cute.

Me and the girls. Look how cool Sarah looks. She has the face of a butterfly, but the look of a greaser in her eyes.

Leo! He was actually pretty scary and kept freaking me out by jumping from behind doors.

Me with my Butterfly face! You can tell a kid took the photo, no? You can practically see up my nostrals. Leo isn't half bad with a camera, though, if I haven't mentioned it before.

Then I went out with Giorgia to a party at the dorms, which is put on by the student council. It was in one of the conference rooms, and everyone was dressed up. It was great! It's sort of like Halloween in Canada. Actually, it's a lot like Halloween in Canada. People dress up as whatever they want, party like mad, drink too much and dance like fools. It was fun! We had red wine from a plastic jug, that they were giving away free, and I met a group of people dressed up as the Simpsons, and also one guy as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. I was Cappucetto Rosso, or little red riding hood. People kept calling me over, saying, "Cappucetto Rosso!" and just that. They were pretty drunk.

Giorgia and I before heading out. Check out my freckles and her darm eyes. She was a recent Vampire victim, so we loaded on the makeup.

How fun is that?!

All the people at the classroom, listening to the DJ.

My bottle of wine in Little Red Riding hoods basket

Ha! This guy... He was surprisingly sober, actually, but crazy none the less.

More people chilling out

The mummies! There was toilet paper EVERYWHERE after they showed up.

Anyways, other than what I have pictured here, there have been things in the Piazza, and it's a pretty big deal, but the biggest deal is Tuesday, apparently. I have two things planned. First, the party for Valentina for her Thesis, and then there is a party at the bar that Giorgia frequents. I'm pretty excited!

Anyways, I am off to keep enjoying my day alone. Keep warm and wonderful!

Carrie

Cute boys, concerts, changes, and carnivors

So, on Saturday night, which was perfect because I have Sunday off, Lucia, who I met when I was at Katrin's house about a month ago for her son's birthday, picked me up and took me through the rain and the fog to just outside of a little town called Cavallino (Little Horse). We were going a few hours early to help set everything up.

When we arrived, Luoco, Katrin's son, was doing homework. I helped him read a passage in Italian, and he told me the words I didn't know, and I helped him sound out the letters. Here's hoping he isn't permanently messed up when it comes to pronunciation. Anyways, Katrin made tea, which was great, because it was a tad chilly. The way the house is set up, from the bottom up, is that there's a walk down, about 2 steps, into the basement. Half of it is an empty room, used for multi-purpose. Another half is this great huge kitchen. They raise pigs on their farm, and Nerone, her husband, is a most amazing and wonderful cook. They also make cheese that they bury in the ground for some time, wine that is just brilliant, and all sorts of delicious meats from the pigs. Anyways, there is another small part that houses the meat to be chilled. On the next floor up is a huge dining area, a play/study area for Luoco and Katrin (who works with Alessandra at the Univeristy as a language prof.), and a smaller kitchen for their everyday use. Up another floor are bedrooms and who knows what else. I haven't actually been up there. They just have sweet stairs that go up to them though. It's an old school farm house with wooden rafters and too much charm.

Anyways, Lucia and I went down to help Nerone and Alessandro, a friend of theirs who helps out. We moved some meat from the main room to the cooler, and then just drank wine while Nerone cooked. Which I was pretty fine with. Now, we were a little worried, because the weather was pretty bad. There was snow coming now and the roads would be slippery. Lucia assumed there would be less people than usual. You see, they put on a show every month! And it so happens that I'll be around for all of the ones they've planned until May. So, I'm pretty excited. She said usually there is about 30 + people. They cook dinner, invite a band to play, and BAM. A private concert in the Italian Countryside.

Eventually a few people arrived, including Massimo (Cute boy #1), Alberto (Cute boy #2), and Silvia and her bf, whose name I never got. They all come from another town in a camper everytime there is a concert here. Then the band called, and they had missed the turnoff. But eventually they made it. So. Cute boys #3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 were there, too. Also known as Akkura. I talked with the one who looked like Johnny Depp, whose real name is Marco. We were all piled into the kitchen drinking wine and eating pork fat. Yes! You can use all of a pig for deliciousness. Anyways, the band is from Sicily. So, they were dealing with the cold rather well by wearing about 4 layers and getting some wine in their system. Then, the wonderful women with the pizzas, Chiara and Pamela came. I love them and their baking goodness. Cute boys #9 and 10 then showed up and it was a party!

We moved in the table with a nice white table cloth while the band set up their instruments. I chatted and ate pizza, the cheese that had been burried and drank wine. (There is a reason I keep repeating this part about the wine). The people there were all really nice, so it was easy to get along with them. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have found the Italian Hippies! Ha, it was great to be with such a comfortable group of people, totally patient with me and interested in what I was doing, and I'm pretty interested in what these folk get up to, because I hope to see them all a lot more! They were always making jokes and it was just really relaxing to be in that moment. That one, where you're at a party, and it's fun and exciting, new and interesting.

Just before dinner, a few of us headed into the camper for some beer, a nice break from the wine. First, we had an epic snowfight.

Luoco in the snow

Silvia in an action shot!

The camper

An Italian towel

Chiara, Pamela, Me, Massimo, Silvia's bf.

A gift from Massimo! They were throwing it out of the way to find something else, and I was like, "Hey! Where can I buy one of those things!" So he gave it to me. I'm pretty excited. It's my first Italian Flag! 

Chiara and Pamela! They are pretty ecstatic people!

Silvia and her bf. Who is as drunk as he looks. Just wait. It gets better. Also in the photo, Peroni! The most wonderful beer in the world according to Alberto.

Then we headed back and helped set the table. The kitchen smelled amazing, I was already full from pizza, but just a sniff of what was cooking left me hungry again. I hung out with Nerone for a bit. He is a most wonderful person. He is very hospitable, hugging everyone full heartedly as they come in the door, greeting them with wine, always making sure they have more and making sure people are just generally having a good time. I mean, they put a concert on in their house for their friends. That's pretty much as hospitable (and awesome) as it gets.  

 Massimo at the table, setting mounds of the fresh bread. 

Akkura! The band was chilling out, having set up their instuments. The girl in the middle is Marco's girlfriend. Jerk. Ha, actually she was really nice, and she lives in Fano, not far from here, so we might head to the beach together in the spring. Anyways, they asked what I was doing here and it led to what I wanted to do when I got back. I told them that I was deciding between film and music, and so it came up that I sang. They told me I should sing a song! Ha, I said. I don't know anything off the top of my head like that. Then we talked about how hot Sicily is right now. I can't wait to plan a trip there.

Me with the band! See how Marco is leaning closer to me? That means he likes me.

The table of red wine, white wine, bread, and more red wine. Ha, there were 6 bottles of red, 3 of white, and 1 of water. I'm pretty sure the water was full by the end of the meal.

I asked Lucia to take a picture of me at the table, and she took it as free range. I was thrilled, actually.

The table from our end

Nerone! Just look at all that hair. (I think he also looks a lot like my Pa, which might have something to do with why I like him so much.)

The table from the band's end.

Nerone at work. Notice the paintings of him on the rafters. He has a sort of cult following.

Me with bread in my mouth and my flag over my shoulder! I Also love Pamela's forked sausage making an appearance. Which is what we ate first.

Yes, this sausage.

 With this salad of spinach and onion. It was amazing. Not too salty, not too meaty, just wonderful.

My empty plate. But never assume it will be empty for long. We then ate pork ribs, right off the bone, and then we ate pork something else. I don't know what part it was, but it was soft and melted in your mouth. It was a little too unlike meat for me, but it was good. I ate more sausage after.

Alberto, Massimo, and Cute boy #10, and Silvia and Pamela with their backs to the camera

Chiara! I love this picture. She's such a shining person, plus, it looks like she has an idea!

Massimo and Cute boy #10

Cute boy #10 eating Massimo's head as Alberto looks on in horror. I think they were starting to get used to my camera in their faces. Which is a good thing.

Alberto and Massimo. They have a band! Albert Magique and the Crazy Drummer.

The bass.

AKKURA! Luoco had coloured the sign before the band came. I like it!

The drums and the really cool cow bell type things.

Ha, they were getting ready, and the drummer and the singer made up a song as they went along, and he even pulled out a kazoo solo while playing cowbells with maracas as drumsticks. Epic. Featured here:

They were still getting ready, so I snapped a few shots.

Once we all got settled, Silvia and I were sitting right in front of this guy. That was damn scary. We almost got hit in the face about 8 times as he played.

So, the concert began. The band was who you see here, and one more guy who is hidden somewhere in the back. The trombone and trumpet players were amazing. They were playing tag as they played, and all sorts of fun things. One time, Marco held his trombone and the other guy pumped it, and the other guy held his trumpet, and Marco pushed the buttons. (Technical terms? I think not.) But it was great! They were all always moving and had great amounts of energy. The singer was crisp and strong, the drummers worked all sorts of magic, and the bassist not only played bass, but also pulled out a Ukelele for a couple songs.

It was a sort of folk/swing/rock music that just made you want to dance. So that's what we did. We danced, and danced, and everyone was always smiling. They were really good entertainers, and had good jokes as well as amazing music. Once the trumpeter looked at me and said their next stop would be Canada! Mom, I told them they could all stay as long as they wanted in Grimshaw. Get the beds ready.

The room from my angle after I moved for the safety of my teeth. Just look at all the character. And all that table. We took out the tables in question as people started to dance.

Massimo's bum, Katrin and Nerone, Lucia's bum

Silvia singing along. Haha, she was, at this point, quite drunk. Sorry to say, not as drunk as her bf. No one in the history of humans was a drunk as her bf. He kept falling over, and he's a tall guy, so it was a long fall. At one point the band gave him a small instrument to play with, a sort of hollow block with a drumstick, and he was in awe for about a half hour. Anyways, he was stumbling everywhere, and he broke a bunch of glasses. The point of my story is this: No one did anything about it. No one was like, man, maybe we should take him to bed, or, Hey, need some water, big guy? Nope. Just let him stumble around until the end of the night. I mean, I wasn't bothered by it and it wasn't ruining anyones night, but it's something I've taken note of around here. People don't really consider what their friends do a reflection of them. You're actions are yours. Including when you headbang and scream to a swingband like you're at a rock concert with ten thousand people.

Lucia watching the band. And the pole. This pretty much ruined almost all of my photos of the band. Except one. But you have to wait for that.

Massimo, Silvia, Alberto, watching along

So we had been dancing and drinking for a few hours, I really had no idea how long, but anyways, the singer came to me and said, "So what are you going to sing?" (Except in Italian) and I was like, pft, yeah right. You guys are awesome, just keep doing what you're doing. What I really think I said, was, "Uh, what, ha, oh, really? No." Not quite as smooth. But he was like, do you know Summertime? And so I was just about to be like, no, not well enough to sing in front of people, when I stopped, took a breath, and just said ok. Ah! I was so nervous. I've only ever sang this song in the shower, but it's one of my favourites. So they'd played another song and then invited me up.

It was so amazing. I can't explain how great it was to sing with a full 6 person swing band behind me. They played to my voice, and when I went up, they played stronger, and when I wanted quiet, they played softer. And when I paused between choruses, they just let the music rip, and it gave me such energy, that when I started again, every chorus was better and better and I belted it out like I've never sang before. Really. I don't know if these guys know it, but they gave a nice Canadian girl the time her her life. And they made her want a swing band.

So then it was back to the boys, doing what they do best. And me, sitting trying to let my brain catch up with my surroundings.

Ha, Silvia holding up her bf, and the band starting a route outside!

Say what? Yea, so after their awesome set, they started a parade out the kitchen door into the snow. Everyone followed and sang along, clapping and dancing around in the snow as the band played. It was so much fun! Then we headed back inside for one more song. They were a really fun, and extremely talented, band and I was pretty sad to see them stop. But, then I realized it was three in the morning, so I figured they deserved a rest.

The line up for the next four shows. One for each of my remaining months!

Marco and the bassist

Ha, the bassist asleep on the benches! 

 Oh, this is the one photo that pole didn't ruin. I actually quite like it. Three of the band members, chilling after the show. 

So after the show, no one was able to leave, because the snow was falling too hard, and the roads were all mushy and Katrin would have to tow them all out. Plus, did I mention all the wine we drank? However, there was no reason that we couldn't all find a place to sleep with a huge farm house and a camper. Which is where I headed for more beer!

Massimo, Pamela and Alberto. Ha, this is posed, I can't lie. I took a bad one from this angle, so they all decided to make it look like they had something imoprtant to say. I think it worked well.

We chilled out in the camper, talking about Albert's band, Canada, when they were all in Urbino next, and a multitude of other things I cannot remember, until 6 in the morning before finally getting some sleep.

We awoke to Luoco hitting the camper with snowballs. He thought it was all very funny. We headed into the house for tea, coffee, and a bit of breakfast. The band was up, and we all gathered upstairs. Everyone talking about sleeping well and enjoying the evening before. It was so cozy!

Then people decided it was time to take off. Katrin had to pull everyone out, one at a time, with her van, because the road leading out was steep, muddy and gross. First to go was the band.

Silvia and Pamela looking from the outside steps, down to the lawn.

The band stuffing everything in their van.

The band walking behind as Katrin towed the van; they were just turning back to wave. Nerone in the bottom left corner, Alessandro making a snowball...

Lucia and I made it out in her Rav-4 all on our lonesome, and as I waved back at the folks waving from the house, I was ready for my house, ready for my bed, and excited for the next concert! Plus, Massimo wants to take me on a date next time he's in town. Yes! Mom, read as: a free dinner. Friends, read as: a free dinner with a sexy Italian.

A few FYIs. This is a lot of snow for here. This is what we had for about a week, up until two days ago when it started to rain. There is a thunderstorm happening right now, and all of the snow is gone. We enjoyed it while it lasted, including sledding and snowball fights and playing with Bella who goes nuts for the snow. I have no idea if we'll get more, but it's around zero now, with lots of rain. I'll keep you posted. I plan to be hitting the beach by the time I get back from London, if not before. I leave for London March 19th for 5 days.

Also, seriously. If anyone knows a swing band just waiting for a singer, pass me on.

Ha, however, after an evening of playing in the snow, singing my lungs out and sleeping in a cold camper, I was unable to talk for about 2 days. I have happily returned to my normal, loud state. I think I missed talking though, because now I just can't stop. I think it might have to do with me studying a lot more lately, too. I've been running my mouth like crazy these past two days. It's just weird, because I remember when I first got here, I hardly spoke. Even in English, because I hadn't a phone for 3 weeks. Oh when I first got here! This concert, as a matter of fact, marked my half way point.

I'll let that blow your mind for a second.

Things have really changed. Everything from my relationship with the kids, to how I feel about Italy in general, to my knowledge of Urbino, to my language skills, to my friendmaking capabilities, to my daily routine, to my wildest dreams. Those change a lot, though. And a lot has stayed the same. Like how much I miss home, how my dreams are still almost always in Canada, how I can't wait for summer in Alberta!

It looks like these next four months will be molded into a wonderful, fun, exciting time! Less stress and homsesickness than the first half, because I am so close to being home that it's a joy to think about and not a big worry I have about waiting so long, and also I've pretty much got things figured around here. Not that I'm not surprised everyday with something new. 

I've had the best time sharing the first half of my trip with you, and I hope you enjoy the second! Also, I hear you guys have 6 more weeks of winter. Thanks Mr. Groundhog for keeping us posted.

Keep warm and well!