Around the World : Boun Halloween e ho tagliato i miei capelli

            Hello everyone! So I know I still haven't talked about two of my trips, but I really want to give you a quick update on what I have been doing in Bologna. This past thursday I celebrated Halloween with all my friends. I first went to a Halloween dinner at my friend Sabrina's apartment. We had red wine, pasta with broccoli, bruschetta, tomato stuffed with gorgonzola, banana bread plain and chocolate, and ghost cookies. It was a lovely meal. Then I walked with some of my friends to meet up with everyone else in the other apartment complex. I had a great night and I ended up not getting back to my dorm until four in the morning. It was definitely the best Halloween I have ever celebrated. (way better than the time I got egged when I was eight years old dressed up as a cat) I met new friends, danced the night away, and saw some scary costumes. The next morning I woke up early to catch a train and went to Ferrara for the day. I will post more about that trip later.
However on Saturday I had a fabulous day with my friend Sabrina. We walked around the whole city and all the famous piazzas were filled with tourists. This weekend was a holiday for the Italians. Friday was all saints day and Saturday was the Day of the dead so many restaurants and stores were closed. But the streets and well known clothing stores were open and packed with people. Sabrina and I went to Sephora to buy some makeup that we needed. I bought some new eye shadow and foundation and Sabrina showed me how to use it. We also got gelato at this amazing gelateria in Bologna. It was definitely the best strawberry gelato I ever had. Then we walked around some more until it was time for my haircut appointment. Oh right I forgot to mention I was getting a haircut. I decided it was time to get a haircut because my hair felt like straw. It was brittle and dead every time I brushed it, tons of hair was left in the brush. It was time! I went to this really nice hair salon right next to my program's office. I got a keratin conditioner treatment, a haircut and a blow out. The man did an amazing job and I ended up cutting off 5 inches which is about 12 centimeters. I am so happy with the outcome. I hope you like it too.
    I have also been very busy with school and studying. So far I am finished with two midterms and I have two midterms this week for my writing workshop. Then I have my final for my University of Bologna class next Tuesday and then I am done with work until December. It is perfect timing because my family will be visiting for the rest of November when I have practically no work. Yes the date is coming up soon. I only have two more weeks until I see my mother. I also have been noticing that my English writing skills are getting worse. I am practicing so much Italian that I am forgetting how to write in english. It is crazy how much Italian I have learned in such a short period of time. I finished my book for my class the other day, and it only took me about a week to read a 120 page book all in Italian.
    My roommate situation has been okay. Sara is a really sweet girl but sometimes she is very annoying. She always wants the lights off (spendere la luce) even if it is the morning, because she claims studying gives her a headache. She also is constantly talking on the phone in the room either arguing with her boyfriend or telling her mom everything she does. She is obsessed with playing games on her phone and does not turn the volume off. This really bothers me. But it was nice having the room to myself for a couple of days this weekend when she was in Milan. I also only have a less than two months here. I actually only have less than 50 days here. Wow time really does fly by fast. I still have some fun trips planned and I can't wait to tell you all about them.
    I have to go now because Sara and I are going to watch Slumdog Millionaire in Italian (it is called Millionaire in Italian), but I will post again soon about another one of my trips. I look forward to hearing from everyone and Happy Halloween! I love and miss you all.
Con tanto amore,
Samantha