Around the World : September 2013

Buon giorno! I hope you enjoyed my pictures from Venice and Santorini! I love taking pictures so all of you can see my adventures. So I arrived in Bologna almost three weeks ago and you are probably wondering what I have been doing! Well I currently live in an apartment with two doubles, a kitchen and a bathroom. My roommate is still not here yet (I don't know when she is going to arrive) and my housemates are named Simona and Lorena. Simona is 23 years old, studying political science and she just finished her degree. Now she is starting her masters program. Lorena is 25 years old studying art history and has one more year until finishing her masters degree. They both do not speak english (Simona knows some) and are very busy but we all get along. I actually had an hour long conversation with Simona yesterday and Lorena two nights ago so yes my italian has improved. Also during the first three weeks I took another intensive course through E.C.C.O. The course was taught by a lovely teacher named Barbara and throughout the three weeks we learned about the history, the university and the buildings in city of Bologna, the Resistenza and world war two, and about operas and melodramas. We also watched an opera called Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni and a movie called L'uomo che verrà by Giorgio Diritti. This movie is based on a true story and took place in Montesole during the resistenza. The resistenza is the italian resistance movement which took place between 1943-1945 and was the German occupation of northern Italy. Montesole is historical park forty-five minutes outside of the city of Bologna and the area was involved with the massacre of 1944, when the Nazi-Fascist killed hundreds of defenseless civilians, the elder and women and children. To read more information click here.
    Barbara was an amazing teacher because everyday she would lecture and write vocab words on the board. Our job was to know the vocab words and be able to define them. During this course my italian vocabulary and reading improved significantly. We had class everyday for three and half hours and had three exams in three weeks. I feel prepared for my program classes and university of bologna classes that start today and next week. We also went on two other guide (visits). The first week we went to the Archaginnassio which was once the main building of the University of Bologna and it currently houses the Archiginnasio Communal Library. The second week we visited two churches: the San Petronio Basilica and the Santo Stefano's Basilica. The San Petronio Basilica is the main church and is located in Piazza Maggiore. It is the fifteenth largest church in the world stretching 132 meters in length and 66 meters in width. The Santo Stefano's Basilica is a complex of religious edifices in Bologna and is also known as the Sette Chiese and Santa Gerusalemme (holy Jersualem). We also walked through town (since it was a Saturday) and passed an open market area, an outdoor thrift market, tons of fruit and vegetable stands, meat and cheese shops, and homemade pasta stores. The town was very busy on Saturday.
    Since arriving in Bologna I have been cooking for myself everyday. The super market is across the street from my apartment and there is two fruttivendolas a block away. It is so convenient. There are also tons of stores to buy clothes, makeup, hair product and you name it I have it. Yes there are two gellaterias close by as well and one of them called Stefanie Bio is completely organic. There is even an equivalent of a dollar store that sells items for less. I bough my school supplies, some cooking supplies, towels, toiletries at the dollar store. I have mostly been cooking in my apartment, but occasionally I will cook with a couple friends. I have been cooking huge stir frys with vegetables and noodles and then saving the leftovers in tupperware. Yes I bought the tupperware at the dollar store. I also have been making amazing salads with arugula for lunch and eggs with dates (try it). I also eat vegetable and fruit like it is my job and I still consider myself a little bunny. I went out to a sushi restaurant for my friends Ari's birthday. I never thought I would eat sushi in Italy but it was surprisingly delicious.
    The week I arrived in Bologna I scouted out the gym scene and discovered a dance and fitness studio very close to my apartment. It is the oldest dance studio in Bologna and they have fitness classes everyday as well. The classes are pilates, GAB (but, abs, and leg exercise) Ab killer, tonification, cardio sculpt, circuit training, step and tone, resistance training and core and balance. I decided that this would be the perfect place for me so I joined. I bought an unlimited class package for three months and I absolutely love it. There are classes at least three times a day and the classes are taught only in Italian. I never pictured myself taking exercise classes in Italian but I am so glad I joined. I even made a couple friends at the gym and one girl told me that my Italian is really good. I was so happy. I also emailed the tennis contact I received from my tennis coach at Vassar so hopefully by the end of the week I will be playing. The tennis courts are forty minutes away by walking which is not bad at all. I walk everywhere! especially because over half the people in my program live over forty minutes away from me.
    Also during these past three weeks, the jewish high holidays were celebrated. I have two friends on my program that are Jewish, and one of them named Lucy always celebrates both the holidays like me. For Rosh Hashanah Lucy and I did not attend class and went to synagogue. The synagogue is very close to the center of town and when we arrived to services we saw two army cars and a man standing in the entrance of the synagogue. The man asked to see ID (passport or drivers license) and also thoroughly checked our belongings. We were then asked to sit upstairs. The synagogue was very orthodox and the women and children sat upstairs while the men sat downstairs. Also for a minyan the women were not counted. I wish I could of taken pictures of the synagogue but here are some pictures I found online.
           We arrived very early and heard the whole service for Rosh Hashanah including the Shofar. I loved listening to the shofar but I was confused why the congregation did not yell out the shofar comands (tekiah, shevarim, teruah) when the shofar was blown. After spending over three hours in synagogue Lucy and I went out to a nice lunch and I had this amazing Florentina pizza with egg and spinach. A couple days later Lucy made challah in her apartment and we ate the challah and celebrated the new year in Italy. During Yom Kippur Lucy and I went to the Kol Nidre service. The shofar was not blown because it was shabbat (friday night). The next morning the program took everyone to see Modena. Modena is a quick train ride away from Bologna and is known for their balsamic vinegar. However no one told me this fact so I was unable to try it. Our program director Ivan, grew up in Modena so he gave us a short tour of the city. We spent most of our time in the Piazza Grande, and toured the inside of the Cathedral of Modena. I found it very strange being in a church on Yom Kippur but I focused on the art and how beautiful the church was on the inside and outside. There also is a beautiful synagogue in Modena that I did not known about till afterwards. But it looks like this. After two hours of touring the city of Modena we were free to go. Lucy and I decided to shop for a bit and discovered this great store called Scout. I bought a pair of really nice socks. Then we took the train back home. I had four more hours left of fasting, and I decided to do my laundry and relax. The laundry machines are downstairs in the basement and there is a dryer! I went to synagogue by myself at 7:30 to listen to the last service on Yom Kippur. All the torahs were taken out and walked throughout the congregation. It was strange that I could not touch the torahs because I was upstairs. Then the shofar was blown signifying the end of the fast. I made it! twenty-four hours without eating. I decided I was going to break my fast with pizza because what better way is there to break a fast in Italy? I walked very quickly to this pizzeria close to my programs office. They make individual thin crust pies. I ordered a pizza with artichokes, mushroom, peppers, egg, and onion. Then I raced home to my apartment and devoured the pizza. I was full to the max. By the time I finished my pizza my family broke there fast at 3:30 p.m. Even though I missed my family on the high holidays, I had an amazing experience in Italy during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. An experience that I will never forget.
    The last thing I want to talk about is shopping! So since being here I have been shopping quite a bit. My friend Sabrina is really into fashion and she has helped me modify my look. She told me my style is sporty tribal and we went shopping at some stores near my apartment and bought some basics as well as some statement pieces. I bought tribal pants and a belt at H & M, and black cords and an army green sweater at benetton. I also bought a really comfy sweat shirt and maroon leggings at this new store I discovered called Scout. I am pretty much done shopping for the next couple of months unless I see a piece of clothing I really love. I do want to buy a new pair of shoes before I leave and a leather purse from the leather factory in Florence. I am really happy with my purchases and I am excited for the cool fall season to arrive. Let me know if you notice my new outfits in any of the pictures.
    So here you have it! That is my update in Bologna so far. Sorry if it is long but I want to keep everyone in the loop! I will be posting about my trip to Verona, my future travel schedule and about my classes at the university of Bologna (start 9/30) and my program courses. I miss everyone so much! I am excited that I will have more free time now that my intense course is over and I don't have class on Friday for the first time ever!
Con tanto amore,
Samantha