my life is amazing. ha.
friday. train station. cremona. i see this kid with an old-man hat on. a paperboy hat. i find him reasonably adorable, minus the horrible backpack, and when he walks by me i look right at him instead of looking away. that's my new favorite game: italians stare, i stare right back. he seemed interesting and i really wanted to talk to him, but, ya know. then we are waiting for the same transfer at the fidenza station. he looks at me as i walk past and i don't look back, i just laugh. he's standing near me and i am trying so hard to not just laugh out loud. then i'm behind him as we're getting on the train, and he has trouble opening the door. i say: "sei capace?" (are you capable of opening the door?) then walk past him and choose a seat hoping he'll sit near me, but his friend has already gone ahead and scelto a seat. but as he walks past he looks at me again and i say "chi sei che mi guardi così?" who are you to be looking at me like that? he responds "sei tu che mi stai guardando!" it's YOU who's looking at ME! and i object, and he introduces himself as emanuele and calls his friend alessio over to sit with us. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. i'm a clever sly figliola. and the mission was worth it, he was one of the most interesting and spiritoso (witty/clever) and adorable italians i've met. instacrush. a few minutes later i pulled out the secret to my most recent social success: the old man hat ("coppola," after francis ford) that i'd stolen from shawna that morning. it looked like his. "ecco perché mi stavi guardando!" oh, so that's why you were watching me. the friendship begins. this kid is SO funny, he uses the latin word "ergo" in place of the italian word "quindi" (so, therefore) and anyway was just entertaining. then he tried to exchange coppolas with me--oh would i have wanted to if mine weren't actually shawna's. his argument: look, would you rather have this "made in sri lanka" one or this one, "originale italiano." he took mine and wore it, and put his on me, and announced that he would wear mine until they got off the train. shawna was glad i didn't trade. his friend studies in crema so guess what, i have new friends. they invited me to go to lecce, in puglia, the very heel of the italian boot, so i will probably go when alessio goes does to vote election weekend, 12 hours by night train, april 7-10. i LOVE southern italians. they are enchanting. there's a certain italian racism here... the northern italians, proud of their industrialized, wealthier society, call the southerners by the derogative "terrone", land worker with negative implications. it really frustrates me because all my favorite italians have been from the south. they're so friendly, funny, generous--and they have this rich accent and speak using the passato remoto (which until speaking with alessio i had only read in the libro di mormon, never heard someone use it in conversation).
i had a really good weekend. starting with above account. shawna went to vienna and i couldn't bear the thought of being in that one-room apartment alone, so i went to rimini, san marino, and ravenna. rimini is the legendary summer dirty beach getaway... the italians think i went during the wrong season but it was perfect for me--a dock, a place to sleep before going to the republic of san marino. san marino is, evidently, a separate country. you can get a passport stamp and visitor visas but i forgot because i was too busy climbing towers and exploring castles. and i met some guy who lives in taormina, one of the most coveted vacation destinations in italy--sicily--so shawna and i will probably go back to catania in may.
i'm coming into this whole speaking italian thing. i feel comfortable speaking and listening in casual conversation. especially when i am not with the drunk boys.
okay so my life isn't as amazing as i had hoped. last night new friend alessio (sadly emanuele stays at home to study) and his bergamasco friend angelo took me and shawna to a concert in milano. before meeting angelo's other friends, they pulled out--guess what--a little drug we call marijuana. so apparently i have to choose between drinking boys and pot-smoking boys. it was pretty weird. i didn't know people did that after the age of 15. i wanted to click my heels and say "there's no place like provo." i'm pretty sure my friends at byu don't smoke weed :) people are pretty respectful though, i think if i ask them not to they won't when i'm around. it really annoys me when smart, interesting people do stupid things and then use "we are young, we need to have fun" as their excuse. i think my life would be ruined if they got caught while i am with them... police...
anyway. paola's nice alice (say ah-LEE-chay) is active in volunteer/religious stuff so this weekend i might go with her to swim or play with disabled kids. yay, ha.
i don't have to teach today or tomorrow. i should do something fun. i had plans to shop for a friend's bday present and then read in the park until i woke up and it was raining. happy first day of spring.
io vado. ciao belli,
savanna
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