Crummy Weather / Good Day

Buona Serra!

Its 8:30 right now. I feel exhausted! Mentally and physically. Woke up today, immediately went to the computer to see if my SAT scores were posted, which they weren't. I thought maybe College Board was as jumpy as I was to get those scores posted. I guess not. Tomorrow they will be surely. Very excited, but nervous as well. 

Had an espresso and biscotti for breakfast, and raced off to school with Gerlando and mia mama Maria in their Fiat. School was really good today- my Italian teacher is a really nice lady, speaks little to no English, but always explains things to me when I don't understand something. Today's lesson was on the history of theater in Europe. I got most of it. Lots and lots of cognates in the Italian language, very helpful. School ended at 11:00, because there was an assembly for teachers. I walked to the plaza and learned how to play Italian card games with Kaja and Sergio. It was really fun. People crowded around us, asking questions in bits of English. "You like Favara?" If I answer yes, they say "WHHYY?" They all say its very ugly. Its new and different for me, and that's what makes it beautiful. Frequently I get questions about English swear words. I have yet to teach any. That cultural exchange will come in due time. Loved playing cards. 

Came home, ate a big Sicilian lunch, with fish and fried cakes and salad. Digested a little, then ran up the hill that is Favara, all the way up to the church and high plaza, ("Where the old men come to spit") and weaved around the narrow side streets. The light got very dramatic and dark- pretty creepy on the decrepit side streets. The temperature dropped dramatically. Just when I got onto my street it started to rain and sleet really hard. I was shivering by the time I got into the house. Took a warm shower, got dressed, and did some video work around the house. The light over the Mediterranean was unbelievable. Every second it got more beautiful, but the light only broke through over the ocean, avoiding Favara! Took some video of that. Gerlando and I met up with Kaja, Ditte (An AFS'er from Denmark), and Sergio to go to a bar to hang out and play some cards. I wanted to practice some Italian. We had hot chocolate because it was so cold- the hot chocolate here is totally different. Its more like a thick soup of melted chocolate than the liquid that I consider HC. Hung out for a while, then got picked up by Maria to go meet the Intercultura liaison at her house. She is my math teacher at Liceo MLK, and is a really nice lady. The reason I have been getting out of school so early is because she has been absent, tending he husband, who just had some sort of surgery. So don't worry Mom and Dad- I will be resuming normal school soon! We talked about what I should be doing in school and such- for now she said just listen to the Italian. Don't worry about the tests and assignments seriously now, just learn Italian. JUST. It was a good thing to hear. She also informed me of a trip that Intercultura organizses that I have the chance to take- a week in Verona, staying with a family. It sounds amazing. Just explore Verona and learn about another part of Italy. Pretty cool! Its all a matter of finding someone to host me there, because she said that its hard to find people who want to host boys. 

I meant to write before- I entered a photo contest that is announced on my birthday, March 8th. March 8th is the "Day of Women." I think its like mother's day or something of that sort. Anyway, I am photographing the four generations of living Scibetta's on Sunday, and I think I will enter that. Really excited. 

OK- I'm going to get to bed early tonight. A domani!

-Zander