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Location:Montepulciano
Friday, September 16, 2011
New Moon Pic
This picture is for my friend Joan. They do sell New Moon Tee Shirts here but they are pretty expensive. This will have to do. Someone took pictures of the actors when they were in Montepulciano and made this collage.
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Italian Homework and Class Work
I'm probably the only one in class who actually does their homework for hours every night. Most others seem to open their book at the beginning of class and just say the answers. I admit it, I am the slow one. I will be repeating this course starting again next week.
Just a little view into the work I have been doing - and this stuff is in piles.
In our last few days of class, we are having "fun" doing competitions. We are put into teams and have to do things like name all of the animals we know. Now, I have hundreds of pieces of paper and not one is related to animals. I know "cane" because I have one - not a cane, a dog with an accent. I want to know where everyone else learned the names like cow, bird or horse? Needless to say that whoever is stuck with me on their team pretty much ignores me. Yep, those are sure "fun" competitions.
Next week some of the students will graduate to the next level. I will be looking up animal names.
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Just a little view into the work I have been doing - and this stuff is in piles.
In our last few days of class, we are having "fun" doing competitions. We are put into teams and have to do things like name all of the animals we know. Now, I have hundreds of pieces of paper and not one is related to animals. I know "cane" because I have one - not a cane, a dog with an accent. I want to know where everyone else learned the names like cow, bird or horse? Needless to say that whoever is stuck with me on their team pretty much ignores me. Yep, those are sure "fun" competitions.
Next week some of the students will graduate to the next level. I will be looking up animal names.
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Thursday, September 15, 2011
Going to the Post Office in Montepulciano
I finally went to mail a few postcards yesterday and it was another interesting experience. First you go a machine where you take a ticket related to what you want to do, ie get stamps, mail a package (OK, I'm making up what each ticket means since I still can't read much Italian). But Paulina told me which ticket to take. It said:
"Posteitaliane standard Montepulciano Postamat E009". E009 had to do with the reason I was there and you had to watch a screen to tell you which window to go to.
Well, that didn't work because my number never came up but a person nudged me toward a window (I felt a little Italian disgust in the nudge) so I went to the window. I shoved the postcards into the slot and the woman behind the glass window counted out stamps, shoved the postcards back at me with the pile of stamps. It cost 1.6 euro to mail a postcard which is about $2.00. I wish I had something important to say on those expensive postcards!
I then took my stamps to an empty ledge in the post office and put them on each card. I could not figure out what to do with the cards when they were ready to mail so I went outside and found a slot that looked like a letter slot. Hopefully, it was. They have taught us nothing about how to use the post office in language class - not that I would have understand them.
Oh, and the post office is only open until 1 pm and our class isn't over until about 1:15 pm so I had to spend my one 30 minute break in line at the post office. Not that I mind but Seymour looks forward to his walk at that time!
I sure hope those postcards get somewhere beside the garbage dump!
"Posteitaliane standard Montepulciano Postamat E009". E009 had to do with the reason I was there and you had to watch a screen to tell you which window to go to.
Well, that didn't work because my number never came up but a person nudged me toward a window (I felt a little Italian disgust in the nudge) so I went to the window. I shoved the postcards into the slot and the woman behind the glass window counted out stamps, shoved the postcards back at me with the pile of stamps. It cost 1.6 euro to mail a postcard which is about $2.00. I wish I had something important to say on those expensive postcards!
I then took my stamps to an empty ledge in the post office and put them on each card. I could not figure out what to do with the cards when they were ready to mail so I went outside and found a slot that looked like a letter slot. Hopefully, it was. They have taught us nothing about how to use the post office in language class - not that I would have understand them.
Oh, and the post office is only open until 1 pm and our class isn't over until about 1:15 pm so I had to spend my one 30 minute break in line at the post office. Not that I mind but Seymour looks forward to his walk at that time!
I sure hope those postcards get somewhere beside the garbage dump!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Artist in Montepulciano
When I was at the market on Sunday I saw an artist who painted watercolors of local scenes. She had a beautiful one of the piazza grande but it was large and I wouldn't be able to carry it. I asked if she could make a small one for me of the well where use my computer to be able to get public wifi. She agreed and I gave her the money - 35 euro - and the address of my school. I saw that she had already started working on it when I went back later in the day.
Yesterday she dropped it off at the school. Her name is Ellena Contini. Here is a photo of her painting. It will be a perfect memory.
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Yesterday she dropped it off at the school. Her name is Ellena Contini. Here is a photo of her painting. It will be a perfect memory.
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Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Over-indulging in Montepulciano
I am feeling a little under the weather today - mostly due to too much food and wine last night! I found that you cannot buy "aspirini" in the supermarket here. You need to go to the "farmaci", so I will be heading there soon.
Yesterday was Fiorella's son's birthday so she make a great feast for everyone. Her son is (I think) 37. He and his girlfriend came over and Paulina and I were also there. So much food!! We started off with something that tasted like rice casserole, then went on to a rolled pork in onion dish, and cubed potatoes. I must say that their potatoes don't look like ours. They are more yellow, but maybe they aren't potatoes - I don't know how to ask!
The next course was a pear and cheese dish that I think we poured honey over. Then she made a custard that she said was a Spanish dish. On top of that, we had to have the local wine and I did have a few glasses. The wine here is called Nobile and there are MANY places that sell it and that you can taste it. My wine loving friends ( and I'm not calling you winos) would love it here. I am actually getting a bit tired of wine. I bought a beer at the supermarket that I have chilling in Fiorella's refrigerator - but my stomach is not quite ready for it yet.
This morning my head and stomach hurt and I only had coffee for breakfast. Luckily, she made me a grande coffee this time. It is now after class - about 1:30 and I still can't think of eating. I did purchase a ready made salad at the supermarket that I might eat later tonight. And I always have cookies in my bedroom . . . so I will not starve.
Staple food here is pasta, of course, cheese, prosciotto, bread and pizza. One of the students from Israel said they don't like the bread because it tastes like it is day old. I actually love it. I can buy a large piece of crusty bread for about 36 cents (which is about 50 cents in dollars) and about 4 pieces of some kind of cheese for about 1.9 euros and that makes most of a meal. Fiorella does make some kind of salad for dinner also, but I don't eat with them very often since I didn't pay for 2 meals a day.
There are little bars/cafes all over the city. Within one block, there are probably 6 or more. Most have outside seating but some only have tables inside so I probably have missed counting those. I have gotten friendly with staff at 2 restaurants at the piazza grande, so it is nice that they remember me - or at least remember Seymour.
Now that I am writing about food, I am starting to get hungry :) I have to say that I have not had better pasta than the dishes Fiorella makes. No restaurant has compared as yet. Maybe I should have paid for 2 meals a day!
Seymour is eating more than usual. He likes the Caesar brand dog food and has been eating about 1 1/2 cans a day. There is very little choice of food for him, though. And forget trying to find his favorite chicken chewies. I don't know if it is the exercise or boredom (he does have to sleep in class for 5 hours), but he is a hungry boy. I usually get 3 cans of his food at a time from the supermarket but may have to up it to 5 cans to keep up with him - and to save me from walking up the hills so often!
Yesterday was Fiorella's son's birthday so she make a great feast for everyone. Her son is (I think) 37. He and his girlfriend came over and Paulina and I were also there. So much food!! We started off with something that tasted like rice casserole, then went on to a rolled pork in onion dish, and cubed potatoes. I must say that their potatoes don't look like ours. They are more yellow, but maybe they aren't potatoes - I don't know how to ask!
The next course was a pear and cheese dish that I think we poured honey over. Then she made a custard that she said was a Spanish dish. On top of that, we had to have the local wine and I did have a few glasses. The wine here is called Nobile and there are MANY places that sell it and that you can taste it. My wine loving friends ( and I'm not calling you winos) would love it here. I am actually getting a bit tired of wine. I bought a beer at the supermarket that I have chilling in Fiorella's refrigerator - but my stomach is not quite ready for it yet.
This morning my head and stomach hurt and I only had coffee for breakfast. Luckily, she made me a grande coffee this time. It is now after class - about 1:30 and I still can't think of eating. I did purchase a ready made salad at the supermarket that I might eat later tonight. And I always have cookies in my bedroom . . . so I will not starve.
Staple food here is pasta, of course, cheese, prosciotto, bread and pizza. One of the students from Israel said they don't like the bread because it tastes like it is day old. I actually love it. I can buy a large piece of crusty bread for about 36 cents (which is about 50 cents in dollars) and about 4 pieces of some kind of cheese for about 1.9 euros and that makes most of a meal. Fiorella does make some kind of salad for dinner also, but I don't eat with them very often since I didn't pay for 2 meals a day.
There are little bars/cafes all over the city. Within one block, there are probably 6 or more. Most have outside seating but some only have tables inside so I probably have missed counting those. I have gotten friendly with staff at 2 restaurants at the piazza grande, so it is nice that they remember me - or at least remember Seymour.
Now that I am writing about food, I am starting to get hungry :) I have to say that I have not had better pasta than the dishes Fiorella makes. No restaurant has compared as yet. Maybe I should have paid for 2 meals a day!
Seymour is eating more than usual. He likes the Caesar brand dog food and has been eating about 1 1/2 cans a day. There is very little choice of food for him, though. And forget trying to find his favorite chicken chewies. I don't know if it is the exercise or boredom (he does have to sleep in class for 5 hours), but he is a hungry boy. I usually get 3 cans of his food at a time from the supermarket but may have to up it to 5 cans to keep up with him - and to save me from walking up the hills so often!
Monday, September 12, 2011
My Free Italian Lesson for You
After a week of Italian, here are some pointers I have learned:
1. Although it seems that all men are named "Louie", "lui" actually means "he".
2. Don't ask me who thought this up, but "she" is pronounced "lay" but spelled "lei".
3. When people try to speak Italian and end most of their words with an "o" - "I-o need the bathroom -o", just about all verbs (at least the ones I've learned so far) do end in "o" if you are taking about yourself. So, I is "Io" which is pronounced "ee-oo" (like in the Farmer in the Dell) and the verbs would be "telefono", "parlo" (talk), or "domo" (sleep).
4. All nouns are masculine or feminine, like in Spanish (not that I knew them in Spanish, either). If the noun ends in "e" or "o" it is usually masculine, so you have to know if you should use "il", "l'" or "lo" and if the noun ends in an "a", it is usually feminine and you add "la" or "l'". Then there are lots of exceptions and that is where I usually glaze over.
5. Pronouncing Italian words is harder than it looks. It is physically impossible for my tongue to get into some of the positions for certain words. I try to write them phonetically and my tongue still won't cooperate especially if I have to say another word after it. "Io ho voglia de una caffe" is pronounced "ee-o o vwa -yah dee un-a caf-faa".
6. Even if you learn to pronounce the basic words, you will not recognize them when an Italian says them to you. You will hear "yoowavdeeunacafa" and you just say "si".
7. To say, nicely, that someone is older, they say "piu grande" and don't even think of asking me to pronounce "piu". I just know that my mouth contorts into a strange shape when I try to say it. It might be "poo-ey", "pwee", or even pyee-oo". I haven't remembered it from one day to the next.
8 Conjugating verbs isn't too hard if you have a cheat sheet. The problem comes when you try to remember what each of those verbs mean. I can conjugate all day but don't make me say something meaningful.
OK, so that's lesson number one - stay tuned next week for more exciting information about the Italian language as I know it.
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1. Although it seems that all men are named "Louie", "lui" actually means "he".
2. Don't ask me who thought this up, but "she" is pronounced "lay" but spelled "lei".
3. When people try to speak Italian and end most of their words with an "o" - "I-o need the bathroom -o", just about all verbs (at least the ones I've learned so far) do end in "o" if you are taking about yourself. So, I is "Io" which is pronounced "ee-oo" (like in the Farmer in the Dell) and the verbs would be "telefono", "parlo" (talk), or "domo" (sleep).
4. All nouns are masculine or feminine, like in Spanish (not that I knew them in Spanish, either). If the noun ends in "e" or "o" it is usually masculine, so you have to know if you should use "il", "l'" or "lo" and if the noun ends in an "a", it is usually feminine and you add "la" or "l'". Then there are lots of exceptions and that is where I usually glaze over.
5. Pronouncing Italian words is harder than it looks. It is physically impossible for my tongue to get into some of the positions for certain words. I try to write them phonetically and my tongue still won't cooperate especially if I have to say another word after it. "Io ho voglia de una caffe" is pronounced "ee-o o vwa -yah dee un-a caf-faa".
6. Even if you learn to pronounce the basic words, you will not recognize them when an Italian says them to you. You will hear "yoowavdeeunacafa" and you just say "si".
7. To say, nicely, that someone is older, they say "piu grande" and don't even think of asking me to pronounce "piu". I just know that my mouth contorts into a strange shape when I try to say it. It might be "poo-ey", "pwee", or even pyee-oo". I haven't remembered it from one day to the next.
8 Conjugating verbs isn't too hard if you have a cheat sheet. The problem comes when you try to remember what each of those verbs mean. I can conjugate all day but don't make me say something meaningful.
OK, so that's lesson number one - stay tuned next week for more exciting information about the Italian language as I know it.
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Week 2 at Il Sasso - Italy
I need to buy more aspirins! The good news is that there are some words in Italian are the same as in English,like:
computer
yogurt
cappiciano
pizza
So, I know those words :)
The rest are all jumbled in my head. I hope something comes together by the end of the month. I did hear that a few women from my class went out together this weekend and made a mistake like I usually do. They were telling someone that they were taking a class at Il Sasso,and pronounced Sasso wrong - so they ended up saying they were taking a sex class instead of a language class. Thank goodness that wasn't a mistake I made! Of course now that it is in my head, it will probably come out my mouth one of these days here.
Back to our daily life here, when Seyour and I take our walk at 7:30 am, there are always workers sweeping the road and a truck picking up trash. I usually bring my trash out to the street and drop it in one of the bins along the street because I don't know how to ask Fiorella where to put the trash.
Seymour has learned that when he has to go to the bathroom, he will find very few trees or bushes so he actually has just used the street. I have already gone through a roll of poop bags here. Seymour is getting to dislike some of our walks and I will post pictures by tomorrow of his typical morning. Even with his complaining, he is a great travel companion.
Tonight Fiorella is having a dinner party for her son. I don't know if I am invited or not since I can't understand what she is saying, so Paulina said she will ask.
Yesterday Fiorella let me do laundry at her house. (I may have already said this, I'm forgetting what I'm writing) Anyway, I got to see what was behind the door on the first floor - the washer room. It is interesting that the room was cut out of rock, so it is a little like a cave. She does not have a dryer, so she gave me a large drying rack to dry my clothes. Since I almost always hang my clothes out at home, this was fine. It was great having clean clothes!
Seymour and I are done with class for the day so I'm going to drop off my books and computer and walk to the supermarket to get him more dog food. I wish they also sold doggie toothpaste because I can hardly stand Seymour's breath!
Even though I've been walking up and down these hills for over a week, I am still tired by the time I get from the supermarket to our house. Paulina did show us that there is actually 2 elevators in the park that will save us some walking on the hills. Siena had 3 escalaters to get from the bus part way up the hill to town. I guess I'm not the only one complaining about the hills!
computer
yogurt
cappiciano
pizza
So, I know those words :)
The rest are all jumbled in my head. I hope something comes together by the end of the month. I did hear that a few women from my class went out together this weekend and made a mistake like I usually do. They were telling someone that they were taking a class at Il Sasso,and pronounced Sasso wrong - so they ended up saying they were taking a sex class instead of a language class. Thank goodness that wasn't a mistake I made! Of course now that it is in my head, it will probably come out my mouth one of these days here.
Back to our daily life here, when Seyour and I take our walk at 7:30 am, there are always workers sweeping the road and a truck picking up trash. I usually bring my trash out to the street and drop it in one of the bins along the street because I don't know how to ask Fiorella where to put the trash.
Seymour has learned that when he has to go to the bathroom, he will find very few trees or bushes so he actually has just used the street. I have already gone through a roll of poop bags here. Seymour is getting to dislike some of our walks and I will post pictures by tomorrow of his typical morning. Even with his complaining, he is a great travel companion.
Tonight Fiorella is having a dinner party for her son. I don't know if I am invited or not since I can't understand what she is saying, so Paulina said she will ask.
Yesterday Fiorella let me do laundry at her house. (I may have already said this, I'm forgetting what I'm writing) Anyway, I got to see what was behind the door on the first floor - the washer room. It is interesting that the room was cut out of rock, so it is a little like a cave. She does not have a dryer, so she gave me a large drying rack to dry my clothes. Since I almost always hang my clothes out at home, this was fine. It was great having clean clothes!
Seymour and I are done with class for the day so I'm going to drop off my books and computer and walk to the supermarket to get him more dog food. I wish they also sold doggie toothpaste because I can hardly stand Seymour's breath!
Even though I've been walking up and down these hills for over a week, I am still tired by the time I get from the supermarket to our house. Paulina did show us that there is actually 2 elevators in the park that will save us some walking on the hills. Siena had 3 escalaters to get from the bus part way up the hill to town. I guess I'm not the only one complaining about the hills!
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