Roma,Roma.Roma

ON the 26th Caro ( Chile ) , Maria (Mexico ), Laura (France) and I got together and cooked a meal out of the food me and caro had at home ( since every place..was closed.. all the restaurant.. all the groceries stores.. there was no buses.. no trains.. no subways.. nothing..) and we played cards and talked all night.. it as fun! The next day..Caro, Maria and I woke up really early around 6 30 and…( after having gone to bed at 3 am.. ) and walked a few kilometers to the train station to go to Roma! We arrived at the train station at 7:24 and the guy selling tickets told us that we had just missed the strained .. it had apparently just left at 7:23 am… we couldn’t believe it…Devastated…We tried to call the bus company to see at what time they had a bus that was going to Roma.. but we couldn’t get through…so we decided to stick it out ant take the train to Rome that was leaving at 11:16 am. Exhausted we found a waiting room where we slept for a few hours.. We finally arrived at the Rome terminal at 2:45 pm.
Being the smart travelers that we are.. we asked around confident that we would find our way to the Coloseo. One Italian girl that worked at a small restaurant gave us a map and told us that we absolutely had to take the Subway , a bus, then a taxi and a horse to arrived there… it was unquestionably a distance that we mustn’t walk.. Maria who had been there stared at her like she was a complete idiot .. or that she was extremely lazy…(side note..Most Italian.. if you ask them for direction.. They tell you to take public transportation…just the other week.. an Italian asked me when the bus was coming to, that went to a theater which was a block away…. I told him it was just around the corner and that he’d arrived there before the bus even came by..and he gave me this look like I was crazy to suggest that he walked some where that was less than a half a kilometer away..) We followed the map ,we now had in hand.. and walked only a few blocks..before we could see the top of the Coloseo..






From the Coloseo we did the entire historical center of Rome and ended our day by visiting the church of the Vatican! I made a video for you guys… but I must warn you.. Im speaking in Italian-Spanish.. and its filmed upside-down depending.. on how I held the cam..

It was a lot of fun!!! Quite an adventure… The train back to Perugia was no exception..We had no idea what the schedule was going to be like due to the holidays.. and the fact that we went on a Sunday.. We ended up almost missing the last train… And there was also the fact that the last train on Sundays its a special train.. lol.. meaning.. we had to do a detour to Follino (which is further than Perugia.. ) to take a bus that would drop us of at the train station of Perugia.. And from there we had to take a city bus back to our neighborhood.. because honestly after walking all day there was no way we were going to back back from the station to our house at 12:45 in the morning… me and Caro got home around 1:15 am..It was quite a day !@
Pictures are in my photobucket under Italia < Roma

Exams & NATALE !

Ciao tutti!!
Adeso ho finito mi examenes , ( I’ve finished my exams..)
Out of the classes I took last semester, I only had to do exams for two of them.. a written exam that included grammar , oral comprehension, reading comprehension, and a written part.. I scored 25/30 (83% ) :) and I had to do an Oral exam a few days later which included a brieft presentation on a cultural aspect of Italy , and an interview ( which basicly ment my teachers could aske me any question.. in and tense.. and I had to answer on the spot.. in the proper tense.. using the proper grammar …) I scored 27/30 ( 90%) Thus.. I had a final average of 87 % … which is decent.. because its more than I needed to keep my GPA more of less the same back in the states… Accordingly I shall be doing C1 (which is the next level up ) next semester!

Per Natale...
I passed christmas eve with a few friends .. and some new people who didn’t want to celebrate Christmas alone… In total we were 6. We cooked a turkey and a mix of vegetables with sauce
..and for desert we had pandore ( which is a typical Italian treat for the holidays ) and of course vino, vino, vino..




I celebrated Christmas day which the same bunch of people, and one other friend of mine.. We did a type of potluck for “lunch” I made “Pâté chinois”
and “bonbon aux patate” and others prepared green salad and then a salad of mozzarella , tomatoes and basil, chocolate cake, chips, crepes ,pasta,and padore.. it was a nice little gathering.. Although I must be honest and say.. It didn’t feel much like Christmas.. None of the houses where we we’re , were decorated.. There was no Christmas caroling, and no one really mention that it was Christmas … it felt more like a gathering.. but nevertheless it was enjoyable.. it definitely beats spending Christmas all alone..

Pictures in my photobucket under italia < Natale

how were ya’ll Christmases???? Leave me a comment telling me how it went down..

Diciembre

So I I know I haven’t been blogging regulary , I apologies, I hope you guys are still checking the blog, and will continue reading it!

My 1st Italian semester is ending-
This is a picture of my B2 class (Advance Intermediate level )
(( More pictures can be found in my photo bucket under Italy>my university )) lovely people! Most of them are leaving Perugia within the next few days.. so that’s a bit sad , but We’ve all traded contact information! I can now happily announce that I know people in Japan, China, Australian, England, Sweden, Poland, Mexico, Chile, Amsterdam, and Germany! Thus now I shall have a place to stay when I visit all these places! How exciting is that!
Exams are almost over, I have one left on Monday, which is an Oral exam, meaning I have to be interrogated in front of three professors, and I will be graded on my Italian but all thereof them… should be fun.. lol my exam is scheduled for 9:45 am Wish me luck, send me some love..! thanks !
Then once I pass Monday’s exam I done !!!! and I’ll be on Vacation until the 7th of January.

The holidays are coming- My roommate and I are trying to figure out where we want to spend Christmas, new years, and the time in between…. ( she’s going back to Chile Jan 2nd ) We were thinking about maybe visiting Bologna , Trevi , Siena , Pisa ( we still haven’t gone there… ) then, spending New year’s either in Rome, Florence, or Perugia … Our Christmas plan’s aren’t written in stone yet either.. we just know.. that a few other friends will be joining us to celebrate it ! ( you guys should comment bellow and let me know , where you think I should spend my holidays ! )

Oh and one other thing ! Today it snowed in Perugia for the first time this year ! More Pictures can be found in my photobucket under Italia>Bianca Perugia it’s gorgeous outside, its still snowing… and my roommate is sooo excited because this is the 2nd time in her life that she sees snow! Lol and im smiling from ear to ear because im reminded of all the times I’ve played in the snow throughout my life ! I miss you all dearest family & friends !
Hope all is well !

just a quick hello..

Hi readers.. sorry I haven't been blogging... I'm in my exam period... I'll blog after exams... here's the beginning of my Christmas decorations (in the mean time) I hope all is well with ya'll ! Lots of Holiday cheers !
smile, and the world will smile back at you!

(I DID NOT TAKE THIS PICTURE.. i found it.. and it made me smile ! )

Venezia

Hi readers .. long time no blogging huh ?
I don’t really know what to write… I was sick in bed for a week or so.. thankfully I have the internet in my new apartment :) so I spend most of my time in bed.. chatting and watching bootleg movies..
But.. then I eventually got better… it finally stopped raining in Perugia and then I WENT TO VENEZIA this weekend !! loads of fun! It was a group trip.. people from my university and other university in Perugia (we were all foreigners.. lol from japan,china,peru,Columbia,brazil,Belgium,france,chile,hungria,mexico,venezuela..I cant remember them all right now.. but.. all around the world! ) . We left at 6 am by bus on Saturday morning.. got to Venezia around 11:30 am the bus left us at the station and then we were free to roam around Venezia until 6pm . I went with some of my classmates , some new people and my roommate to discover the canals and streets of Venezia… We went to Piazza San Marco, where there’s the Basilica di San Marco( which is gorgeous.. its inside is covered in masacis from the marble floor to the gold ceiling) and a whole bunch of museums.. We walked along the Gran Canal , taking in all of the beauty…Its hard to describe how Venezia looks , so I urge you all to go to my photobucket under Italy and had a very short time to walk around.. At Burano ( which looks a lot like Venezuela with some canals..if you ask me..) we had some more time to walk around the town, visit the main church, and touristic boutiques. Then we headed back to Venezia where the boat drop us off in P.San Marco. From there we walked around Venezia some more.. to get to the Station where the bus was schedule to leave for Perugia at 5pm. It was a short visit… but it was amazing.. I had the chance to get to know lots of travelers , (and speak French with the ones from Belgium and france!) Due to the fact that the bus was very uncomfortable (NO one could sleep) we got into some interesting political discussions, comparing government and cultures.... PRICELESS.


Not the best written blog I know.. I'll work on it :)

Beginning of month II

It’s rain 3 times so far since I’ve been in Italy, the first time was pretty horrid, the rain was coming down pretty hard and with the wind.. kept opening and shutting my window panels.. Creating the soundtrack of an old horror film.. right before the monster finds its next victim.. ok well maybe I was just a little to imaginative.. the last two times was this past Saturday and yesterday .. Saturdays rain’s on Halloween night .. ( and no they don’t have Halloween in Italy.. I mean the clubs do.. for them it’s just another theme to make money..but there’s no house decorating.. or trick-a-treating..) is the reason I got sick..and then yesterday rain is caused me to be bedbound right now .. (it wouldn’t be so bad if every building wasn’t “over headed” (for my likings..) and the cold wind wasn’t so strong… grr.. I don’t know how long it’s going to last.. but.. the weather channel said it was going to rain a like every other day for the next two weeks.. so.. I guess ill have to get some orange juice and vitamin C .. and bundle up.

But.. wait that wasn’t the point of this post. I came to post about my weekend! Ready?

On Friday I went to the agency ( that finds.. and books apartments/Rooms/beds.. for students) and turned in my keys for the apartment I’ve been living in for the last month.. and got keys for my NEW living accommodation. I am currently sharing a room with a girl from Chile.. in an apartment where there’s a girl from Slovakia and a girl from china..( I haven’t seen here since I moved in.. but I heard here talking on Skype in her room.. lol.. according to my roommate she barely leaves her room.. ) It’s a nice little set up. I have the internet her… sometimes.. (that’s because there’s too many of us.. including the downstairs neighbors that are all on the same internet.. and apparently skyping takes a lot of the connection.. so.. if someone skyping.. only like two other people can get online.. the rest of us. Are out of luck..(if any of you guys know how to fix that.. leave a comment below! It’d be greatly appreciated) )lol.. Unlimited internet sounded too good to be true…

Moving on.. On Saturday About eleven of “us” ( some of the girls from the first weekend..and them some new people.. ) went to Assisi.

Assisi is a neighboring town that goes back… to 1208 It was a sunny day, a great day for adventuring out of “my” town.. ( well that is.. until it rain.. that night and got me sick..) We walked from the train station , through olive tree fields to the historical center, then to the Basilica di San Francesco d’Assisi. SIDE INFORMATION San Francesco D’Assisi was the guy who came from a wealthy family, who one day striped in the center of the town..declaring that he was abandoning it all to live a simple life…the one who took from his fortune and gave to the poor…( if you want to know more.. here’s the wiki link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi ) The rest of the day we walked around the town..went to a few more places like la Basilica di San Clara, the watch tower, we tried to go into the castle..but it was closed to the public.. I’m not sure why.. (I’ll have to go back some other time to visit it ) It was overall a good time.. lots of walking..

Saturday night we were all invited to someone in the other B2 group apartment.. I wasn’t sure what I was in for.. but it turned out to be this friendly Potluck… type of night.. There was Korean sushi, rice , soup, meat, etc.. and lots of Asians at the “gathering” ( my language class is like 70% Asian.. I think the other B2 is the same.. ) I meet some other people that were studying abroad, from Australia, France, Brazil, and Hungria .. I’m enjoying this whole clash of cultures… this way I get to learn a little bit of each cultures.. the only bad thing is.. that I thing that Perugia has a higher percentage of foreigners than Italian.. .So that’s kind of a problem.. I’m hoping I can get out of Perugia more often, or find out where the Italians are “hiding” in Perugia so that I can learn about the Italian culture as well… :) On my way there and back was when the rain caught me.. grr..
Sunday was pretty relaxed.. in the afternoon me and my roommate walk an hour and a half (there’s public transportation..But why spend €€€ when one can walk..) to go to “fiera del morti” which is a big fair/market where vendors come from all over … it’s an old Italian tradition I don’t really know what it has to do with the dead.. Besides the fact that it’s held from November 1 to the 5th.. And that November 1 is a day that Italian go visit the graves of their love ones.. The fair didn’t have any dead.. or sacred feel to it… it pretty much look like.. another outdoor fair.. With an amusement park next to it.. (Mostly games.. and a fairest wheel ) I bought my little Italian coffee machine there. (called a MOKA ) It makes.. like one.. shot of espresso.. but not as strong.. or maybe I’m getting use to Italian coffee…

Pictures are up under Italy>Assisi

what was your weekend like ? Leave a comment.. I miss you all xoxox

La Perugina

On Wednesday I went with my “class” to visit the Chocolate Factory “Perugina”. It was bought by Nestle a few years ago , due to the fact that the employees where asking for raises and the previous owner ( and founder) the Spagnoli family could not afford. So Nestle (the international sweets company) bought it. We all packed like sardines into a city bus and went to the Perugina, as we entered the factory we were given free baci and other Perugina chocolate.. Pictures were taken throughout the small “museum” ( I would call it a display room..) where the history of the baci was explain to us. Which was basically what I wrote in my previous blog.. Then we were shown a few old commercials for Baci. Such as this one

:-) We saw a gigantic Baci which won the Guinness World record in 2003, And then we were told that cameras or cell phones were not allowed within the actually factory… so I don’t have any more pictures … But I got to see the whole production of the baci ( La Perugina is the only factory in the world that produces the Baci, they produce something like 1200 baci per min. It’s ridiculous.. ) We also saw the production of the famous Easter eggs (that have a surprise inside :-) ) and then there was the Rossana, which is a chocolate with the flavor of rum ( I’m not sure if their actual rum liquid in it… I can’t remember.. But if you’re familiar with Rossana, please enlighten me by leaving a comment bellow.. ) There was also a whole bunch of other chocolate they make… like banana flavored, coffee flavored, baci with a cherry inside instead of a hazel nut , etc… It was a fun experience! Pictures are up in my photobucket under Italy> La Perugina
I finished Atlas Shrugged… so now I need another book… got any ideas ?