1 More Sleep!

That's right folks, it's Christmas Eve!

Here are some of the things we have been doing to prepare:

I made this pinecone! Not, like, the chemical make-up, but I painted it and stuck it in the tree!

Micia!

Benedetta with what will be the top of the Christmas Tree.

So, here I have the parts:

The Tree

The decorations. So, with these, we have been working on them since I got here, I think. Alessandra made the dough, and the kids cut the shapes, and once they are dried, we painted them and glittered them and eventually we had these! These are the survivers.

The kids! (The one you don't recognize is the daughter of Alessandra's friends from the north)

The tree, and Christof wearing an apron because he was making pizza. Amazing.

Here we have all of the parts coming toghether:

Lights on the tree, and Sarah starting the decorating

Ha, so this one day, while they were making these decorations, the cat stepped one of them before they dried. Alessandra painted it and the kids think it's just dandy.

The tree, halfway done

Leo contemplating where to hang his next decoration, Benny untangling something, and Sarah in shock and awe at how shiny everything is.

Alessandra and Sarah, Oh, and Bella!

I love this one of Alessandra and the tree!

All done! Me and Benny and Leo

Benny and I with the tree

Leo putting on some finishing touches.

Cat in a tree!

This star is hanging on the door.

Alessandra and the kids, oh, and Bella!

Today Guido arrives for a whole week! He was here a month ago, also, for Sarah's birthday, and about two weeks ago for a weekend. The kids are pretty excited. Except, sometimes they are asking when Babbo (Dad) arrives, and sometimes they are asking when Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) arrives. He comes on over and leaves presents for the children tonight. Then, on the 6th of January, an old witch comes at fills their stockings. Coal if they are bad.

I went to a concert last night in the theatre here, which is amazingly stunning. There was a whole string orchestra with a choir for the first half, and a woodwind orchestra for the second half. All of the songs were a bit too classic for be to actually know. They weren't my idea of traditional Christmas music. But, I was so happy when they turned down the lights, put on Santa hats, and played We Wish You a Merry Christmas as they lowered a huge lit-up star from the ceiling. They do this show every year, here. Everyone was greeting each other and talking about how big kids had gotten and how their lives were. It was nice to be among the town this way. Also, listening to Italians sing in English is hilarious. I'll have more on that later. I'll also be looking up some info on the Theatre, because I love it and it's beautiful. After the show, I headed to a cafe and had a hot rum. It tasted like Christmas.

There has been lots to do, and I brought the girls to a fun "spettacolo" (show) the other day. It was for kids and it was all interactive and things. The girls loved it. Therefore I did, too. Leo also had a Boy Scout play, but it was at the same time as the concert at the theatre. I had to choose!

Alessandra dilligently made cookies and I dilligently ate them all. Then she got a package from a previous Au Pair with more cookies! And all sorts of goodies for the kids. This is an interesting thing: Presents don't wait until Christmas. They get their one from Babbo Natale, and they don't expect anything more. When they recieve parcels like this, with presents, which they have been, they open them up right away instead of waiting until Christmas morning. I'm excited to see how tomorrow morning goes. Wow. Christmas is tomorrow morning. I am going to be making French Toast! I'm pretty excited about it.

Also, today, we have been relaxing, mostly. The kids all had baths, because we found some lice on Leo. Fun!

At 5:30, there is another Spettacolo that takes a band playing all sorts of instuments all through Urbino. We are hitting up centrale with the kids. After this, Alessandra will be preparing dinner, which is always fish on Christmas Eve, and we've been playing Christmas Carols in the house everyday. Then there is a midnight mass at the huge Cathedral in town. The whole family may not go, because it may be too late for Sarah. I'm going for sure, even though it's not the Grace United church service. I've been slightly worried about this, actually, because this is a tradition I know I'll be missing wholeheartedly. I'll let you know if I run wailing from the church. I'm in good spirits, because I'm full of cookies and anticipating great food and a fun time with the kids and, well, it's Christmas.

However, the rain has come and washed away all of that beautiful snow from the pictures I have up. It's really strange not having a white Christmas, but it was +15 today and will be again tomorrow. No one can complain about that. I've come to terms with it. I am also quite tired, today. Sarah has not been sleeping through the night, and therefore neither has anyone else in Urbino. The kids have been a bit bad lately, and they are wearing my patience. But, I keep up with my calm and graceful attitude (which means threatening no Babbo Natale and yelling as loud as they are to show them how stupid they look) and hopefully good will prevail.

This has been my Christmas Season. It's been really fun and interesting. I've learned quite a bit and now I know more about Italy that I ever would have. I've had a great time with the kids, when they are good, and Alessandra has been slightly more relaxed than usual, considering she doesn't have classes to teach. What'll happen is, I'll be having a great time, eating cookies or drawing pictures of princesses and Christmas trees, and suddenly I'll stop to think what everyone at home is doing right now. Makes me sad that I'm not there, as you know, but then I snap out of it and realize that I am here with good people and doing interesting things. Yes, I am missing Christmas at home, but this is the only time I'll be able to experience Christmas in Italy for the first time.

So, wishing you all a Merry Christmas Eve! I hope the service goes well in Grimshaw and the roads are great for everyone! I also hope everyone else in other parts of the country, or the world for that matter, are enjoying their own traditions and preparations for the big day!

I'll have some new ones for when I get back!

Ho Comprato Stivali

So, standing at the mike, I decided that since I was in Italy, I would sing something I wrote in Italy. I had written a sort of song/poem, and had been singing it for some weeks with the kids. It's called Warm Milk and Honey, because I really love warm milk and honey.
So I sang it. A cappello. Scared out of what wits I have left.
But once I was done, they clapped and all were cheery. I know that usually doing something crazy while abroad includes a bunjee rope, or a airplane, or too much beer, or all of the above, (and I'm not discounting these ideas from my plans) but this was pretty crazy for the moment. Afterwards, we all helped the boys carry their equipment to the car and one nice lady gave me a ride home.
These are all the pictures I got. Cherish them.

Alessandra, the organizer, and coworker of hers, reading a very hilarious skit that I understood nothing of. Don't worry, I laughed anyways.

One of the singers of the night. Not the one who sang Hallelujah, but he was just as great.

Now, the moment you've all really been waiting for....
SNOW! Ah! I was SO excited on Wedneday, when after cineforum, I walked out of the building to a nice skiff of snow on the ground and cars! It was so great! And in the morning Leo came banging on my door to show me! I pretended I hadn't seen it already.
And then, two days later, it snowed again! Like a lot, and big huge flakes, too. There is about 3 inches of snow, which by the sounds of it is A LOT for here. Like, too much. I say, not enough. But, there are chains on the tires of the buses and cars and there are snowplows out and about. There were only 4 people in Leo's class yesterday. Yes, I said yesterday. They have school on Saturdays here, if I hadn't already mentioned that.
Anways, here are some pictures from the snow in the last week:

Walking from Cineforum

A piazza with lights and snow and everything!

A car with Buono! (Good) written on the windsheild. There was a different word on every car parked on the street. Someone else was pretty excited, too!

The day after, walking Bella! She thinks the snow is just nifty.

My bus stop and my bus! With snow!

Bella drinking from a puddle that has been here for over a month. Gross. It was turning kind of slushy at this point, though!

The park... with, you guessed it, snow!

I think I have some of these same pictures withough snow, too. It's fun to compare!

Mine and Bella's footprints

A rose with snow. This is why I love Italy. There will be flowers all year, whether is snows or not. It's just that furtile and just not that cold. People are still putting out fresh flowers in their pots.

Benny at Leo's schoolyard. There was a sort of festival where Leo sang, "So This is Christmas" (Is that the actual name of it? I don't think so, but you all know what I'm talking about) with his class.

Leo at the school

Waiting for the bus the day that it snowed more! I had two shots of them here, Benny looked the same in both. She thought it was hilarious.

The street where I live.

The girls experimenting with the snow.

Across the street from the bus stop. Not the same one as from the other picture, just incase you were confused.

More snow!

Then, today, after the snow had time to settle and the clouds headed out, leaving only the sun and happy thoughts, I took the kids out to play! Here you have it:

My first Italian Snow Angel!

Me and the girls. Leo is pretty good with the camera.

Someone had gone and written TI AMO (I love you) in the snow in big letters.

Benny and Leo on the hill, ready to Bob, as they call it, and Sarah chilling out on the hill behind them. The yellow building behind them is ours.

Bella! Look at her short little coat of hair!

This kids!

Me and Bella and Bob and Leo's glove. I said he was pretty good, not really good.

My new boots! Yes! Sadly to say, my rubber boots have failed me horribly and broke in three places. My feet have been pretty wet up til Saturday when I hit up the market. (This is also where the title of my post comes in. I have boughten boots. I really just wanted to show off that I've been studying the past perfect tense and I'm acing it.)

While Leo and Benny rode with Bob, Sarah and I made heart patterns in the snow. She kept saying over and over again, "Uno grandissimo, grandissimo, grandissimo.... (and so one) cuore." (A really big, really big, really big... (and so on) heart.)

More of the landscape

Our building and Sarah at the table and Leo by the tree. I don't really know where Benny was at this point. In the snow? Definately. (Also, in case you didn't know, you can click on the pictures and they should open in a new window much bigger and more wonderful)

The sun! And the snow! My perfect winter day!

Me and the landscape. And a new touque from the market. I also got real wool socks. Knee highs.

So, may my newly winterized face be a Ciao and Happy Holidays to you! As for the holidays here, I had a hard few in this week. I was very deperately wondering why on Earth I was here for Christmas and not at home with my wonderful family and amazing friends.

Then it snowed, and you know when you're at a party, and you hardly know anyone, and you really just feel like leaving, but maybe something fun or interesting will happen, so you stick around, and then, all of a sudden, your best friend shows up and you have a lighter heart and a really gret time? That's how I felt when it snowed. I know that Canadians know best of all that weather affects mood drastically, but this was a slap in the face reminder for me.

After I felt better, I had the best day with the kids I think I have ever had, and I head out tonight to Valentina and Andrea's for our last dinner before Christmas and my trip. I just need to remember, that even when it's rainy and cold here, I have a home and family and friends here. And even when I am lonely, when it is rainy and cold, I have the most amazing home and the most wonderful people in Canada who I cannot wait to see in June. I truly, honestly wish I could hop on home, even if just for Christmas day to sit in front of the tree with my family and watch the snow from the front window and the fake fire on TV and sing carols and eat oranges and make cookies with Lisa and go skidooing with Rollie and make nuts and bolts with Mom and serve brunch with Dad (Apparently I'm missing the food a lot right now), but I know that being here is going to be wonderful and fun, if I want it to be. And I do, so I am going to make it that way.

Also, I have been smartly reminded by Peter that I really haven't told you much about the traditions going on here. I am going to take some pictures today and tomorrow and post them along with what I have learned about how the Christmas season is celebrated here. I think I never really thought of it, because so far it's been pretty much the same, or so I thought. When he brought it up, I realised it really is quite different, in the little things, and few big ones.

I also think my newly found lightheartedness comes from the fact that I have finally finished all of my shopping. For the kids and everything. Sigh of relief. I also have boots and everything I need for winter, as well as train tickets for Swizeraland a week from Tuesday. I feel relaxed, festive, and I have gelato as a Christmas Present for Val and Andy, as I will now be referring to them. She is making pizza tonght and I am bringing the wine, as always. Looking forward to tonight and the next week.

I hope you all are, too. I know many of you are either awaiting a trip home, making a trip home or finished a trip home. I'm wishing you all safe roads and warm weather, this week before Christmas! And trust me, coming from someone whose heart has gone from feeling like a lump of that cold, slimy gunk in a forgotten slew, to a balloon full of sunshine, if you need some help getting into the spirit, but up some decorations, play some good ol' Christmas tunes, make some cookies, talk to the people you love and play with kids in the snow. That's about all you need. Ever.

Auguri!

Transitions and Traditions

It has been about a week since I last wrote you, I think. I've been so busy! This week was full of transition.

Firstly, my lessons are over. Both my Italian and cinematography classes, until the end of February. (Exams for the whole University are in Jan. and Feb. so classes don't start again until they are over.) So, therefore, I had to start thinking about what I'll be doing during the days. It also meant that it was my last chance to contact with some of the people I have met. I ended up getting another number from a guy in the cinema lesson and one from a sweet girl from Slovakia who is in my Italian lesson. Also, it was the last night in Cineforum (I finally figured out the name of it), and I went to the movie, but was quite tired after, and so was everyone else, so we all headed home instead of out to the bar. But it's ok! Because I got another girl's number. I have been collected these number because in Jan. and Feb. I will be wanting to go out and meet with folk, and since there are no longer any organized functions to do that for me, I have to do it myself. Fun!

Not that I haven't been. Because in this last week I had a great and wonderful transition. I've been hanging out wiht Giorgia and Lucia very much. We had lunch at their place on Saturday, at the college, will lots of sweets, because it was the holiday of St. Lucia. This means sweets, apparently. Then, we decided on dinner the next night as well, because it was the holiday of another Saint (Now, techinichally speaking, everyday is in honour of a Saint, here in Italy. But I suppose some are more important, and more sweet-toothed than others.) Anyways, the dinner turned into a party, because they invited all the girls in their dorm. Who are all Spanish. And I love them and their sangria! Yes! They  are so much fun. We played music from a laptop in the kitchen and G. and L. made pasta with romanian cheese and black pepper and I brought bread and pesto and another girl had pickled eggplant with hot peppers. I know, that last one sounds questionable, but wow. Like, really, wow. See? It makes me talk like a Valley girl and everything. Anyways, here are some pictures:

The lovely Spanish clan! The girl second from the right is in my Italian class! Small towns make for fun surprises. I tend to run into people I know all the time now.

Maria, Giorgia(obviously enjoying my pesto) and Lucia

The egglant delciousness with fresh tomatoes and oil. (Drooling a little...)

Maria! They live in Bloc 700 of the Tridente Building. This was rice krispies with Marzo. I could have taken the whole thing and ran.

Sangria! Freshly mixed! In a big pot we had just used to make all the pasta! Oh, the college dorm life.

More sweets. This was something I cannot remember, but I know the ingredients were cream and sugar. That's about it.

Then you add some caramel on top.

Then Italian boys show up! And smoke inside like everyone does! But more importantly they stand around and look cute.

Some of the art on the walls. The kitchens are all brick walled, and there is art from ten years ago and onward.

A rough translations of this is:

Professional Killer:

To you the money of players, with spoons you dig. (I think.)

Anyways, I've been spending a lot of time with the two ladies and I quite like them. I bought them a bottle of wine and some bracelets from one of my favourite shops for Christmas.

This about brings me to last night. Last night was Nero Natale! The concert I was apart of! Apparently I was also in the local paper along with the advertisement for it. I would like to get my hands on that.

So, what had happened, was nothing. I had no idea what was going to happen, or if I had accompaniment or how the night was laid out. So, I emailed Alessandra, the organizer, and she just told me not to worry about it and show up at 5. Done.

Except not, because the first set, at 5, was readings from some authors, which I would have liked to attend, sure, but I was working and they were reading again at 8, which is when I actually had to be there. So, worked out well. I dressed briskly in a nice red flowing tanktop (I mention this for more than only fashion reasons) and jeans. When I got there, the first set was just over and they were starting to mingle in another room for wine and a light take-from-the-table dinner. Perfect timing, really. There was a girl there I had met some time ago, and we had a great talk, because I only knew about ten words when I met her the first time. We made vague notions for coffee after Christmas. This is the talk of the people these days, "Where are you going for Christmas, when will you be back?" At least, that's what I ask everyone. Everyone is leaving in the next few days for their respective homes. Pretty much really jealous but I'll talk about that later.

Anyways, this fancy night was hosted in the building Alessandra works in, and therfore it is part of the University. They all have great high ceilings with artwork and sculptures and antique bookshelves with antique books. This is the lingusitics department we're talking about here. Anyways, I was chilling out in my tanktop, and suddenly I realized everyone was bundled up. I'm not just talking a sweater. I'm talking sweater, jacket, scarf. People started asking me if I was cold. Uh, no. Which leads me to my next point.

-5 is cold here. People are flipping about how cold it is. It might be -7 in a couple days. AH!

Then maybe for Christmas it looks to be about 13. There goes my dream of a white Christmas.

Anways, while mingling and things (I knew about 5 of the people there through Alessandra), a man approached me about playing guitar for me. We heading into another room and worked out a key and a plan and off we were!

Wow. I missed singing muchly, mostly for the way it brings people together and how nice it is when people collaborate and work together to make something fun and beautiful. (Christmas is bringing out the corny in me.) Also, at this time, G. and L. showed up! I had told them about it, but figured they'd be busy with studying, as everyone is. And in fact, they could not stay the whole time, but Lucia was able to stay for my song and it was so great to see them before they both leave for home for Christmas.

Now, you have to understand that I had made a point to myself when I found out about this concert, when I had no friends, to make them. I figured, if I can have close enough friends to invite them to the concert, I'll be happy.

And I am.

Also, the song went really well, the wonderful gentleman, Sergio, playing guitar for the verses, and me a cappella (which means From the Choir, in Italian) for the chorus. It was "Twas in the Moon on Wintertime", the only Canadian Christmas Carol. After me, the concert went on. There were two young guys, each playing guitar and three people doing readings from their newly published works. Eventually, it turned into a nice mash of Sergio and the other two guys playing Beatles songs and things. There were about 30 chairs set up in one of the rooms (about 20 occupied) with mikes and guitars and things. There was a nice soft light and all of the people there work together and have known each other for years. They were often laughing and the lineup sort of just happened, with no real plan. It was a great atmosphere, a little too reminiscent of home.

People were going with the flow, and Alessandra asked me if I had anything else, and I said no. If I had thought about it, I would have brought another song or maybe a poem or something.

Then, one of the young guys headed up to the mike, and he looked at me and said, "Questo e Canadese" (This is Canadian) and he started to play and sing Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.

Well, there is nothing like a surprise attack of tears in a room full of people who just don't get it.

I stuck around for a few more songs, and before I was about to leave, a gentleman asked me what else I had to sing, and I said nothing. He said, no no no, you must have something. And everyone was looking at me and waiting. So, I took off my jacket and headed to the mike with absolutely nothing prepared but my red tanktop and my Christmas spirit.

Here you get another cliffhanger. Enjoy! Sorry for the sudden drop-off, but I've got important things to do, don't you know?

I hope you are all keeping warm and enjoying the holidays! I really, truly, desperately wish I was there to celebrate, but I will talk more on that when I stop being a jerk and give you the rest of this story.