Favara in the Rain

Favara is a sad place in the rain. However, I am making the most of my time cooped up inside the house. Here is what I have been doing:

I woke up this morning to a rainy sky, grey and dirty-looking. I fell asleep last night listening to Brendan Benson (Mom you would love its music made for you), and the iPod cord was wrapped around my body when I woke up. I found that pretty funny. So today was supposed to be my first day of school after vacation for Carnevale, so I got dressed, washed up, had some break fast, and raced out to school. We arrived at school and the first thing I noticed was that their was no one standing outside of the café nearby like usual. The whole area was deserted. I thought maybe we were a little late.

Then we pulled into the parking lot. Not ONE scooter parked in the parking lot. Only the teachers lot was filled. Not one student in sight. We stalled for a little while laughing. Gerlando asked me if I wanted to go to school still. I told him I really thought I should, even though I was surely going to be the only one in the class. I would have felt guilty not going! So I walked into school with Maria, my host mother, and was met by some smiling teachers at the front. They laughed when Maria told them that I wanted to go to school. No students had showed up, everyone had been out dancing again for Carnevale. It was funny, but Gerlando was a little ticked that I made him get up to go to school for nothing.

So we drove around for a little while in the rain, bought bread and groceries. Returned home, and I sulked the couch with my book. To tell you the truth I really wanted to go to school because I haven’t gone to school in a while. I read for a while, cleaned up my room, studied my Italian work for about an hour. Gerlando and I watched a hilarious horror movie called “Shrooms” about these American kids who go to Ireland to take shrooms but guess what THE TRIP IS REAL! AHHHHH! It was really entertaining. After that I got a little homesick so I wrote for a while to get my mind off of it until lunch, which was a pasta kind of thang.

After that I hung out until I was digested enough to work out. I did pushups, sit ups, and this arm work out thing that I can do in my room. Then I stretched and set off for a long run. I ran up the hill, past the church and castle, then all the way around Favara, and up a hill that I always challenge, steep and slippery. I pushed myself really hard today, and it felt great, even in the light drizzle. I returned home, took a long, hot shower, and went for a walk with Gerlando, taking advantage of the break in the rain. We returned “Shrooms” and rented “Saw”, a film I have never seen. We are enjoying these horror movies, really funny and entertaining.

Came home, then went for a little while to a jam session of my friends. Great guys and great musicians. This time they were dressed up in their Carnevale costumes which was hilarious: a hippy, Bon Jovi, an old woman, a rocker. It was great, and I got some funny pictures which I will post.

Then we went to the mall, which was an experience. I bought a poster of Audrey Hepburn for my room, its beautiful and makes the room MINE. I also bought myself a birthday present, a pair of Adidas sneakers that I have been eying.

So now I am back home, warm, enjoying the softness of Dad’s cashmere sweater, which I live in, and about to make some popcorn and watch “Saw.” Tomorrow I am hoping to spend most of the day at the beach, just hanging out. I love being by the ocean.

OK- Will post some pictures now.

Miss you all,

Zander