Social lives and wrongly coloured lights

Today, I will update you on my social life. I have not done this yet, because I have not had one.

Once a week on Wednesday's I attend a sort of movie lover's night where Francesco, a shy young man whose ears go red evertime he talks, shows a film and afterwards about half of the people stick around and talk about it. I think sometime they go for drink afterwards, but I haven't seen it yet. I have been twice. The first time I told you about. The second time we watched Pierrot le Fou, in French with Italian subtitles. I stayed, because Alessandra told me that Frencesco stopped her in the street a few days before to ask why I had taken off so early the first time and that they had wanted to take me for a drink. It is very hard to guess these sorts of things when I have no idea what is going on. When you are in a new place with new people, english or not, you never know what they are thinking or what their plans are you're intruding or not. Anyways, now I know. There was a very nice girl names Valentina who I talked with before and after the film, in Italian. It has come to the point where I can have a decent conversation with someone about basic things. I can understand most things that people say, and if i don't, it's only a word or phrase, and I can work it out sometimes. Having said that, I still sometimes ask three or four times when Alessasandra says she is making supper. Learning another language is very up and down, and you cannot really have solid markers.

Just because I can have a conversation about what someone is studying or ask if they want to get a coffee in the future, does not mean I can always get honey at a coffee shop. It's all neat, but hard to congratulate yourself because as soon as I learn something new I realize there is 1000 more things to learn. It's almost worse knowing half a language than practically none of it. But, it is really flooding in now, because I am studying everyday and practicing with new people and learning a lot. I think I may make my goal of no English by Christmas.

Allora. After we all hung out and talked about the movie, where I did actually say something about the movie, which was neat, everyone was pretty tired, including myself, and we all went our seperate ways. It was about 2 by the time I got home. Next week I may ask them to head out for a beer afterwards. I think I will like it, because I am learning the language through something I am interested in and the whole group of people are young and interesting and nice.

Also, every Thursday afternoon for two hours, I am taking part in a cinematography course. It's a workshop where the professors show us some clips, talk to us about their ideas and thoughts and concepts and then there is some time for group discussion. I think that at second half of the course, in the spring, we make our own short film. It lasts until April. It's nice because I can just sit back and listen to people speak Italian and try to decipher what it is they are saying. I can understand one prof better than the other. I have also been here twice, and I feel very comfortable here. It's a grand classroom with an arched ceiling and marble accents and a bust in the corner. There is a soft light and modern wooden desks and there is a constant hum from the projector. I spoke here, too, about the difference between two clips. Neither of them had words, only music. I know I wasn't speaking proper Italian, and it was a little hard for people to understand (I know because they leaned in the way people do when they are listening to something foreign) but it sparked two responses from other people and the conversation carried on. One woman even agreed with me and a man in the back said something I didn't understand because he has a lisp. But, one must learn the language in all its forms.

What was interesting was that I never saw him, because I had to run after class to meet Alessandra and the girls in the Piazza. We had gelato and Alessandra left for work and the girls and I waited for the bus. At the stop, a guy started talking to me, and I recognized his voice from the class. We talked for some time, his name is Simone, and he speaks some English.

Also, after my Italian lesson, I went for lunch with the German girl, Uli, and she is really quite fun and seems to know a lot of things that go on with some other students on her block. She invited me to a party but she said later that she couldn't make it. It was ok. I have other things to do!

Like this concert with Alessandra. Another Alessandra. A coworker of Alessandra, who is Alessandra, is putting on a sort of show with readings and music. I think I have mentioned it. She has made the poster with my name on it and everything! Along with about 4 readers and a band and another two singers. I'm pretty excited about it. I may sing the Huron Christmas carol, thanks to the wise advice of my mother and Grandma.

So, these were my encounters, but alas, I did not ask anyone to come with me to Pesaro. It would have been nice, because the day was a little drab. The fog has moved in again, and it generaly stays for a few days. Don't get me wrong, the day itself wasn't drab, just the weather. I went to the sea again and watched it for some time, checked out a museum that is full of paintings and ceramics from all around Italy, including Pesaro and Urbino, found some shops without 480 euro shoes and just walked as I like to do. It was good, Because I think now that I have some friendly prospects, I may not have such self-reflective chances.

Some pictures from my day in Pesaro:

A very nice building with great detail in the window sills. Who ever thought to decorate window sills?

The front of the building

A crazy cute frying pan that was just before a market I went to where I had raspberries. That was a strange thing. When you eat a raspberry for the first time in months, you remember everytime you've ever eaten a raspberry all at once. Did you know that?

My rubber boots on the beach! This have come in very handy. I had to leave a lot of stuff behind in order to back these suckers. It was worth it.

The resteraunt I ate at the first time I was in Pesaro.

The Adriatic Sea

Side view of the beach

My face!

A pretty random statue. No. I take that back. No statue here is random. They are everywhere. In fact, if you cannot see a statue, sculpture or architectural wonder, you are no longer in Italy.

Making friends is a process, and I have started a fire in many directions. I'm pretty much ready, too.

And now, a girl I met at Halloween, another Valentina, has asked me to pre-dinner drinks tonight.

Wow. Only now, having written this all down, have I realised how much I've been doing! It's nice to have my days filled and to know that I have some things to do and people to see again. This is what I like. I mean, I love my days when I do nothing, too. But, I prefer the company of people to that of laundry, television, hill-gazing and daydreams. I mean, I love these things too, but it's time for some social living.

In other, non-social news, the kids are good. Things are going quite well and the house seems a bit calmer than it was before. The weather really affects everyones mood, so when it's cold and foggy like this, everyone is pretty chill. We keep it fun though. I often dance with the kids in the kitchen to Madeleine Peyroux, or we do crafts to get ready for Natale! Speaking of which, the lights are up in the middle of town, and as I walked through during the day, they were just white strings and white tubes, and I thought, "White lights everywhere will be nice." But then the night came and they are blue.

What? I don't really like it. Everytime I walk through town after 6, when the lights go one, I get Blue Christmas stuck in my head. It's dreary enough with the weather, and the blue makes it all seem so sad. I mean, I'm happy because there is a new Christmas market and new foods to try all over the place. Maybe I will learn to love it. I saw them attaching something to the fountain today, so I'll go check it out on my way to Canyon tonight!
I hope everyone is keeping well and festive! As Diane said, 36 days to Christmas. This blows my mind.

Peppy Paris: Part II

Ciao! Here is part two of Paris:

After our first morning of tramping around, we started walking down a wonderful street called . It is apparently very famous for shopping and fashion. Naturally, I had never heard of it. In the above picture is some of the prices. In the picture below this is a wicked display. You can't see but there were strobe lights. Shoes need to dance, too.

The street leads to this square:

This is a hotel Pierre's friend works at. A lot of his friends work in hotels because he is going to school for said profession. He met many of his friends at school, and therefore, they also do said profession. It seems really cool. They work for some weeks, go to school for some weeks, work for some weeks, go to school for some weeks. Eventually, I think, they can run every part of a hotel from the management and budget to serving drinks and cleaning rooms.

Another view of the square. This pillar had the same style as the ones in Rome. I like it. It's for Napoleon. Of course.

After the lovely square, I saw this cute carousel. There was one in Pesaro, as well, and I saw about three in Paris. I think carousels should come back in a big way all over the world.

Allora, we then entered a wonderful garden. There were great statues everywhere and green grass and trimmed trees. The weather was nice and there were people milling about with no real cares. It was the copmlete meaning of the word "pleasant".

 

At the beginning of the park

We could see the Eiffel Tower from here!

A pretty complex solution to a problem I'm really not sure of. I think the tree was too weak to stand up. Therefore they cut down more trees to make a sort of leaning post. And, while they were at it, they built a fence around it. This tree is going nowhere. Don't you worry.

More statues. The hedges behing them used to be a sort of Labrynth, or so Pierre seemed to remember. He was sure there was a Labrynth here, and we did see a sign for it, but it seems that the hedges have been turned into, well, just hedges. They make no shape. They do make good beds though. There were many people just laying in the grass having a snooze between the hedges. This is when I realized they also had stashes of clothes and things hidden in the bushes and under benches.

Like this one. This is someones home. Pierre and I wondered where Paris got off cleaning the Notre Dame for three years when their homeless problem is quite serious. But, Paris does what Paris wants.

Another statue that I quite like. It's called Nuit.

 

Down the park and towards the big buildings!

But before the big buildings, there was a wonderful array of new art, old art, neat art, experimental art, classic art and gelato.

 

These nifty faces were among some very old marble statues around a fountain. Above is one of them alongside a closeup of the corner of the mouth. They were all hand molded. The fingerprints are right there. They were pretty Nightmare Before Christmasesque. They must have taken a lot of work and a lot of time. I quite enjoyed them. In the picture below there is about three of them.

My French gelato. My overpriced but still worth it French gelato.

Arguable my favourite sculpture in all of Paris. Bonhomme de neige.

Ciao, parco! Onto the big buildings!

This was a television and radio station. Pretty classy, if I do say so myself. It had a great park too, with wonderful flowers and big trees.

And this. Although, I'm not entirely sure the meaning, it seems silly to have a sculpture based on denial and/or ignorance at a media centre. Goes to show.

The following is three views of a fountain that I enjoyed thouroughly:

Walking towards it...

Being at it...

Walking away from it! Now it's like you were there!

Ha, L'Oreal Paris! It's real! And it has a nice door.

There is a Gucci and a Chanel store. However this picture does not quite get what I was looking at. I just thought it was pretty crazy to be a accross the street from a Chanel store in Paris.

And then...

Almost there...

Yes! Oh, Champs Elysees! La la la la. I sang the song as I walked down the street.

That is the next chapter in my trip to Paris. More to come soon!

As for the present in Urbino, I am about to have a nap! This week will be full of interest, because I am attending another of Francesco's movie screening in hopes of speaking with the nice girl again. I am also going to my second cinema cutting class! The first one was really great and it seems perfect for me to learn Italian and some basics about making films. Also, the people in the class seem nice, so I hope to get some contacts there. I also am continuing with Italian classes twice a week and I have decided to write a story in Italian! It will be a slow, tedious process, but it will help me learn the tenses and new vocabulary and such.

So, nap time, in order to prepare for said week. I am also heading to Pesaro on Friday becasue the weather has been amazing. It is 16 today and they've predicted 18 for tomorrow. Friday looks like 15, so I am planning a picnic at the beach and shopping in downtown.

My mission this week: to find someone to go with me. Whoa. I'll let you know how it goes.

Buses and Busyness

Ciao!
I am currently waiting to run for the bus to head to a workshop that Alessandra has heard about through her job. She hears about a lot of really neat things. Last night I went to a movie that was shown in a small room with about 25 students. There is a boy who shows movies every Wednesday at CUSP, a place for experimenting with arts that is run through the university. I am going to learn more about it, because it seems to be funded merely for people to meet and talk about theatre and art and projects. Seems neat. I talked to a very nice girl. I did not understand everything she said but we got our points across.
Well, almost. After the movie, she asked me to go with her and some friends, but I didn't get it and I said, No, I live this way, and took off to take the bus.
Gah. I don't really know what I was thinking, I was REALLY tired and truly wanted to skip the movie in the first place, but you don't make friends by skipping movies. You can quote that.
Allora, I felt really stupid as soon as I got on the bus, but I decided it is probably for the best, because I was so tired. It is much harder to speak and understand Italian when I am tired. I will stalk her down Wednesday at the movie again! Sucker.
This does, however, show me that I am pretty much not quite sort ot ready to go meet people. I can talk about my life and what I do and ask what they do. And that's a start. Because once I start talking with them I learn more. Although, everytime I have one of these quasi-conversations, it makes me want to study for 7 hours straight.
Anyways, today I am excited for this workshop. It is all about making and cutting films! I think it happens once a week, and you come out with a movie at the end of it. I'm really interested and excited and hope I learn a lot.
There is also someone in Alessandra's department who studies North American culture and is doing a show around Christmas. She wants me to sing in the choir and read a piece of my own work! I nearly fell on my head when she told me.
So, you can see how I have been busy. Which is good!
However, sometimes I get very tired and it can make me irate with the kids. But, such is life. ;)
The kids are good, speaking of which. The lantern day I told you about that was supposed to be yesterday was cancelled because the person who is doing has a sick kid. They are moving it to the next weeks, I think.

Speaking of yesterday, I hope everyone had a good Rememberance Day. I miss the ceremony in Grimshaw and the hot rum. I dreamt that I went to Grimshaw with the family last night. The welcome sign was spelled wrong.

Quiet walks by quiet streams

Ciao! Happy Sunday!

This is the day I sleep in. This is a good day.
I would like to point out that a miracle happened. And I owe it all to complaining. Blogger has changed their uploading format for pictures. I can now do it with much more ease and much less angst.

Dear Blogger,

Thanks.

Signed,
Carrie

Allora. Allesandra got home today from a four day conference in the northern Italy. Guido has been here to help. He works in Tuscany normally, and comes to visit when he can. It was a really great week for the kids to have time with their dad and to be together as a whole family before and after the conference.

I have not spend a lot of time with Guido, so it was nice for us to be able to talk and get to know each other. The first day he was here, he drove me to Pesaro, the neighbouring town, because I had an appointment for my Residence Permit. What I like to call a Ridiculous Permit. I think I have mentioned it, but they have passed an anti-terrorism law here some months ago, and it involves me having to check in everywhere I go. They take my passport at internet cafe's.  Anyways, it cost nearly 80 euros for the form, then the form informs is that we have to get three more documents to go with it, then we have to drive to Pesaro at a date and time that they choose and wait for three hours so they can check the papers and take my fingerprints. I mean, for me, not so bad. I get to see Pesaro and I feel like James Bond because of the sweet scanners they have these days for fingerprints. But, for Guido it was a whole half day thay he spent taking me there.

Anyways, now everyone in Italy knows I'm no terrorist and we are awaiting the permit. Sweet deal.

 I decided to stay in Pesaro for the day, since there are buses going to and from Urbinoall day, because I had only been to the bus station on my way to and from Paris. After a quick tea, I started looking around. There was a civic museum I wanted to see, but they had just closed for the day, so I just started walking. All of a sudden I realised there was a wonderful smell in the air and a distant haze to the east. Then it hit me.

I walked towards the beautiful, endless, tumultuous, careless Adriatic Sea.

It was amazing walking towards it. Part of the reason I chose Italy, was because it is almost surrounded by water. I love the ocean. I was getting more and more excited as I walked. I could hear birds and see brightly colored shops and beach huts. It was a place begging to be inhabited by sunshine and carefree people. However, being the time of year, I was truly the only one walking through this part of town. I walked through a sort of change area, and to a large fence that looked to span the whole beach. I opened the gate and there it was. The Sea meeting a sandy beach meeting me. Ah.

The wind and sand and sky and water. I thought about lighting a fire in the garbage can for a great elemental picture, but decided against it on grounds of wanting to stay in the country and not getting kicked out for arson.

The beach huts

Boardwalk

A fountain on the boardwalk. It was really flat and tranquil. The reflection was perfect.

An English style hotel called Victoria

The cutest caffe.

View of the Sea from the boardwalk

The man in the water...

The not so classic feet in the sand pose. In three months, barefoot!

View of the boarwalk from the sea.

A man walking the beach in a business suit.

Boardwalk

The beach and the hotels. That's all the street along the beach is. About 50 hotels.

My favourite sign in Pesaro. I can go to Urbino, the train station, or the sea from here. Or the hospital. But we'll leave that out.

An abandoned building. I see them here and they always make me daydream of owning it and building the best hostel ever.

One of my favourite pictures to date. This runs from the ocean into town. It is dry now, but I think in the summer they fill it for a nice little river.

I walked along the sand for some time until I saw a small resteraurant that sat on some land that stretched into the water. I went in for a salad and watched the water through the big windows and the people inside as they ate. There were two English guys, but I could not tell where they were from. I've decided eavesdropping is ok, apparently.

Allora. I walked back down to the sand. And I walked right up and touched the Sea. It was cold and elegant and I liked it. I cannot wait until summer when I can just hop a bus for 2 euros to the Adriatic Sea. There was a guy about waist deep in the water. Now, when I say chilly, I mean cold. I would not go in for fear of hypothermia. This guy was just chilling out. He was pretty far away and I don't know if he was catching something or doing Tai Chi. Either way, I think it was a little nuts.

After I had sufficiently stared down the water and looked around, I walked and got lost. That's always fun in a new town. I mean this for real. After about two hours I found myself back where I wanted to be. The centre square is really great. There is a truly wonderful fountain and the buildings surrounding it are magnificent.

In another square, there was a quaint fountain, a carousel and a theatre:

^ This picture belongs to the fountain below

There are some little shops on all adjoining roads, all of which are REALLY expensive. I'm talking 300 euro blouses and 4800 euro jackets and who knows how much for the shoes. They really do love their shoes here. I did, however, find a nice gelato shop. Alex was right when he said it was like Italian crack. I try to tell myself one a week, but, I mean, how can I deprive myself?

These pictures are from a museum I had wanted to see, but it was closed. This was the just the hall leading up to it.

I really liked these flowers! Partly because their beautiful, partly because it's November.

A tree which I think knows everything in the whole world.

A poster for November 4th, a sort of Rememberance Day in Italy.

Giuseppe Garibaldi! I see him everytime I walk to or from the bus station to centrale.

A winding way.

A church near centrale. These huge marvels tend to be hidden. I don't know how. But I always see them tucked away in corners or dark alleys.

A wedding dress. This whole building is filled with clothing stores. Usually pretty modern thing showing through ancient windows.

Building for employment, I believe.

The cutest door ever! I don't know if it's intentional, but I love this entrance.

A bicycle shop where I found a bike that I would like.

I also found a great music shop with both American and Italian and world music. There was a gallery I wanted to see, that was open at 5. It said so on the sign. However, at 5, the nice security guard told me it was closed. Generally, I believe signs before people. But when said people are guarding the entrance, it's hard to argue. It is also hard to argue when you do not know the word for sign.

I was raining by now, and if I caught the next bus I would be home in time for supper. So that's what I did.

Pesaro was very nice and I think it will be quite fun in the spring, and even the winter when events are going on, but it is very big and I prefer the quaintness of Urbino.

In other news, the german girl in my class asked me to go out on Thursday, but I ended up being very exhausted. I think we will plan again for this weekend and I will nap and everything in preparation.

Also, I had a dream that I took the kids to Canada with me and I met Leila in Peace River by taking a sweet foot bridge across a lake and afterwards I kept falling in the water when Sarah and I tried to get back across the bridge. It had become very icy and slippery. After this, I went to go back to work at Ascendant books and I had forgotten how to turn on the lights. Every one looked very worried.

There is a very interesting thing that is happening to me, being over here. I am truly very happy here and I feel great everyday and I know I will make friends and have a great time with the family and with my hobbies. However, one feels homesick quite often and I miss everyone everyday, and certain smells make me wish I was certain places and I wonder what I would be doing right now in Edmonton or Grimshaw. So, what happens, is that when I am homesick, I feel guilty for not being happier in such a great place, and when I am feeling so great here, I feel guilty for not missing home more.

This is why you should analyse your dreams, people. It leads to some great discoveries.

Alessandra thinks I want children. I prefer this version.