Merry Christmas - Buon Natale

I know I am a day late, but I hope you all had a Merry Christmas filled with family, friendship, and fun. I miss you all but I will be home faster than you know it. Only 6 months remain left in my exchange; the first four flew by!

Have a wonderful end to 2012 and a great start to 2013.

A presto!

AF

December 21, 2012

Ciao a tutti!

According to the Mayans, my current location in the world is going to come to an end in about an hour.

I'm going to stay up and see what really happens.

The countries east of me have shown no sign of any catastrophic events taking place, and I expect that to continue for Italy and all its inhabitants (including me).

If the world does come to an end, I just want to say thanks to everyone who has affected my life whether that might be good or bad because you have helped me get to where I am right now. I am here today and I'd say I'm content with life at the moment, so for this: I thank you all.

Have a nice day everyone.

AF

Lydia Banks

Post #50 goes to the coolest and kindest exchange student I've ever met: Lydia Banks.

Lydia is a fellow Rotary Youth Exchange Student from Canada. She is currently living in Corleone, Italy.

Lydia came to my host city along with the other Sicilian exchange students for the Santa Lucia festival but she stayed a few extra days so we could do some extra tourism around Siracusa since she did not come last month when the rest of the group did. We saw Ortigia, an Archaeological Museum, and ancient walls in Belevedere (a small city just outside Siracusa) that used to surround the entire area. We went out in the evenings with Mats and Poppaea (other exchange students in Sicily) to eat pizza, walk around, and talk with each other.

Lydia, thanks for being so kind to me and I hope I can come visit you at some point over the Christmas holiday break. I really enjoyed having you as company. See you soon.

Fall.

AF

Santa Lucia

Ciao a tutti,

I attached a video so you could truly see the great number of people were packed into Piazza Duomo (the avenue in the video), but I'll give a brief summary of the day.

It started when the other American who is also in Siracusa, Mats Hanson and I welcomed the other exchange students who are also in Sicily. We met all who were planning on attending, went to an archaeological museum, and then headed for a cafe where we ate lunch. After eating we all walked to the apartment of Siracusa's Rotary Club President's home (the place where I shot the video). We watched the procession, ate supper, and then most of the exchange students went back to their host cities.

Enjoy the video.

Until next time, ciao!

AF

I AM ALIVE!

Ciao a tutti!

Yes, I am in fact alive, I just haven't a whole lot to say since I've been on a pretty regular school schedule the past few weeks.

Happy birthday mom! I love you and I miss you!

There is less than three weeks until Christmas! I can't wait!

Have a beautiful December everyone.

Ciao for now!

AF

Thanksgiving Dinner and Weekend with Sicilian Exchange Students

Ciao a tutti!

It's been a while since I wrote on my blog so here I am.

This past Thursday, I celebrated Thanksgiving with my fellow Sicilian exchange students in the city I am residing in, Siracusa. My hosting Rotary Club planned this evening to celebrate the clashing of many cultures and helping us keep out Thanksgiving traditions alive.

At the dinner there was turkey, mashed potatoes, beans, a few other dishes that I have no clue what they were, and a variation of apple pie. While I was disappointed there was no pumpkin pie and turkey stuffing, it was a tasty meal and a night spent with some of the coolest and nicest people I have ever met.

At the dinner, each exchange student said what they were thankful for and what they missed most from home. After the dinner concluded, I returned to my hosting house and went to sleep around 12:30 AM, only to wake up at 2:30 AM to Skype my my father's side of the family for they were all together celebrating Thanksgiving. It was great getting to talk with them and see there faces once again, even if it was through a computer screen. Needless to say it was a short night, but a well spent night.

The next day I woke up around 8:00 AM and met the other exchange students and we went to the Archaeological Park in Siracusa. I hadn't been there until this past weekend so that was a very interesting thing to finally see. In the park there are many Greek ruins, but the two main highlights are a cave named Ear of Dionysius and an ancient 3000 year old Greek theater. To see a picture of these two highlights of the park, click the colored words. After the Archaeological Park, we headed to a few other museums and highlights of the city. During the evening we went to Ortigia where we ate pizza and spent the night as a group. On Saturday (yesterday), we spent the morning together before all the students went back to their host cities. It was sad to say goodbye but I know I will see them once again.

I thank Rotary for organizing this great weekend.

Until next time, ciao!

AF

Living the Italian Life

Ciao a tutti,

Before I start writing anything too juicy (NOT), I'll apologize for not writing posts as often as I have in the past. I'm been on a pretty basic day-to-day schedule, and nothing has popped into my head about what to write about.

Okay, so I'm still on a regular school schedule which is Monday - Saturday from 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM. After school I usually come home, eat lunch, relax for a few hours, and then go to either basketball or Italian lessons (depending on the day).

----------

I just thought of something to talk about: my first bike ride in Siracusa.

Mats Hanson (the other American boy who is also in Siracusa) and I decided on last Saturday that we wanted to do something fun after school on Saturday, so we chose to ride bikes to Ortigia. Before I continue with this story, let me say that Italian drivers are (really) crazy and they don't wait for anyone or anything. Back to the story. On the way to Ortigia, we were taking the busy streets because it's more fun. Mats and I were really pushing the limits of the bike riding craziness; burning through stop lights and swerving through traffic. It was a lot of fun! Anyway, we safely arrived in Ortigia to our favorite place to relax: an area which is seaside with many rocks. We had full intentions to swim (yes, on November 10), but it was about 5 PM and the sun had lowered below the buildings making it a bit too cold (about 60 degrees) to swim. So we relaxed there for about 30 minutes, rode around in Ortigia, stopped in a few shops, and then made our way to a basketball gym.

Which leads me to my next point: my first watching an Italian basketball game

From watching warm ups, I could tell that most people's strength was outside shooting. When the game started, that wasn't necessarily the case. It's like the people aren't on teams, just individuals. Some people were decent at long-range shooting, while as most others were good at either 1) playing 1 on 5 and hoping for the best or 2) turning the ball over. The gym had a really neat atmosphere. The fans went insane on every 2-point basket that was scored; and obviously the same for every 3-point basket. Siracusa was playing Ragusa (another city on the island) and lost by 15. After the game, Mats and I rode back to his house and then headed out for the night.

----------

I'm really rambling on and on, for which I apologize , but I have nothing too interested to write about. I think I'm going to start picking a "hot topic" and giving me input on the subject, whether it has anything to do with my exchange. It will give me something to do and it will give you proof that I am in fact alive and all is well!

So I suppose this is where I'll call it a night.

Have a great week everyone!

Until next time, ciao!

AF

Taormina with the Sicilian Exchange Students

Ciao a tutti!

This past weekend, 11 exchange students (including myself), had a 4-day get-away. We stayed in a small resort in Taormina, Sicily. We took videos and pictures and jammed a lot of them into one video.

It was a great weekend.

Enjoy the video, we sure enjoyed making it!

Don't forget to vote! Romney 2012!

AF

It's Raining - It's Pouring

Ciao a tutti,

The video explains everything that I would put into words here.

Crazy rain storm!

AF

Let's Go On A Strike!

Ciao a tutti!

Today was a very interesting day at school.

1) I showed up to school on time for the first time since coming to Italy. (If you're wondering why this is the first time, it's because we drop off my host sister before going to my school.)
2) When I got to school, there were a lot of people just standing around; they weren't making an attempt to enter the school. I was suspicious that something might be happening.
3) I usually switch classes on Friday (a very strange thing to do in the Italian school system) so I can sit through a chemistry lesson, but not a single student was in the classroom. I'm like, "What?"
4) As I'm walking back to find my host mother, I'm noticing that about 85 percent of the classrooms are empty.
5) A lot of people (or at least the one who were actually at school) were dressed in white.
6) I was making some conclusions.
7) A lot of sticky notes (picture below) were posted all throughout the school with sayings like "+fondi -tasse" ("+funds -tax"), "scuola  libera" ("school liberty"), "formazione democratica" ("democratic formation"), etc.
8) I found my host mother.
9) Yes, after 15 minutes of wondering what was going on and why there were so many people camped outside the school gates, she confirmed my assumptions that there was in fact a school strike in session.
10) I camped out in the teacher's lounge with the other Rotary inbound to Siracusa, Mats Hanson.
11) The police showed up.
12) Some students entered the school, the majority just got on their scooters and rode away.
13) School was canceled for the rest of the day.

So this whole ordeal was certainly a change from Madison, South Dakota. All of this is part of the experience, right?

I got on Facebook and I had friends all over Italy telling me their school was also on a strike.

I'm being told the strike was for reasons like not enough funding for the schools, too many hours in the school, and some people want an entire school reformation.

What a day.

Have an excellent weekend everyone!

AF

Seven Weeks in Sicily

AF

The School System: USA vs Italy

Ciao a tutti,

I have been at school for a little less than two weeks, so here is my comparison between the Italian school system and the schools in America.


School Hours

America
In Gli Stati Uniti (The United States) we go to school from 8:00 - 3:00, Monday - Friday. We have a 45 minute break at about 11:30 to have lunch, socialize, etc. It is possible to eat lunch at school because we have a cafeteria that serves food.

Italy
In Italia (Italy) we go to school from 8:00 - 1:00, Monday - Saturday. There is a 30 minute break at 11:00 to do, well, whatever you want. I meet up with Mats Hanson (the other boy in Siracusa originally from Minnesota) everyday and speak in the one fluent English conversation I get the entire day. Everyone else, seriously, EVERYONE goes out to the parking lot to smoke. A lot of people here roll their own cigarettes (I've been told it saves money?) and so when I see it, I think they are smoking pot. But what do I know? It's definitely a change!

Getting out at 1:00 (and sometimes earlier) is nice, but I much prefer having two days on the weekends to do what you want, rather than one. America.

---

Classroom Setting

America
In America the classroom is pretty strict (compared to Italy anyway) where you get stunned if and when you speak over the teacher to your classmates, cell phone, or your imaginary friend. The teacher does the TEACHING (crazy, right?) and explains things from the book, Internet, or other interactive activities. Also in America, students switch classrooms at the end of each class period, allowing more interaction between multiple people. The teachers have their own room, desk, tables, chairs, etc. Students are equipped with their own personal computers provided generously by the school.

Italy
In Italy, the classroom setting is SO laid back (probably compared to any other country). The students talk to each other while the teacher is giving his/her lecture, they text, fan themselves (it's hot in the classroom), write on the desks, punch each other, and sleep. What really surprises me more than anything is the way the teachers, well, teach. The teacher, no lie, sits and lets a student write on the blackboard. The students could be rebellious and refuse to be the teacher, but something makes me think that wouldn't go over so well. Students stay in one class the entire day. The teachers move from class to class. Students don't have anything besides their notebook and pencil (along with their phone and fan) because the school doesn't provide a computer. There is one computer lab with (more or less) 15 computers.

While I'm sure there are statistics that show testing scores are better when ___(insert whatever information about a classroom setting you'd like)___, I like the idea of multiple interactions between students because while you need to improve your math and literature skills, you need to develop social skills too. I also think it is important for a teacher to have his/her own room to be organized and a place to store assignments. America.

---

The School

America
In Madison, the school is in good shape (even when it is under renovation), bathrooms are clean, the cafeteria is nice, the gym is in a good state, and there is air conditioning.

Italy
I'm no architect, but the school in Italy seems to be in decent shape structurally speaking, but the bathrooms, walls, classrooms are dirty and not cared for. The gymnasium is pretty run-down too. Lastly, no air conditioning. I remind you all once again that I am in Sicily where it is 80  90 degrees (yes, even in October) everyday. It is extremely hot in the classroom (hence the reason everyone brings fans, as mentioned before).

No description necessary besides two words: AIR CONDITIONING. America.

---

Substitute Teachers (or not)

America
In America, when a teacher is not present for that day at school, there is ALWAYS a substitute teacher. Whether a lesson is taught or not is up to the discretion  of the teacher.

Italy
In Italy, when a teacher is not present for the school day, students are free to leave. Like today, for example: I have English the last two hours of the school day but since the teacher is in England (like my trip to Paris) I am free to leave (which I take full advantage of).

Who would complain about a three hour school day? Italy.

---

Extracurricular Activities

America
In the States, the number of extracurricular activities is great. Anything from band, sports, oral interpretation, debate, etc. is offered. It's a good way to meet friends and to socialize.

Italy
There are no school sponsored extracurricular activities.

This one is pretty obvious too. I think the chances to interact with people while doing something you enjoy is one of the main things the Italian school system lacks. America.

---

That is my comparison for today. I'll let you form your own opinions on which you think is a better system; I think mine was fairly clear.

If you have any questions about either system for another comparison subtopic I'd be happy to answer. Just leave it in the comments.

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!

Until next time, Ciao!

AF

The Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side Of The Fence

Ciao a tutti,

I write this post to my blog followers in a current state of stress. Not stressed because the school work is too vigorous for me to handle, but because I cannot seem to make friends; this is a problem I have never experienced in the past. Italians always seem to stay in their one set of friends. The group of friends is usually 3-8 people per group. A majority of the groups consist of the same gender all throughout the group. I have multiple friends of the female gender thanks to the three-week trip in Paris. If you haven't figured out what I'm getting at, I don't really have a "group" in which I'm a part of. My best friends are Mats (the other exchange student in Siracusa), Rachele, Letizia, and Samantha.

The title of my post "The Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side Of The Fence" is a saying in which I didn't believe prior to my departure to Italy. I thought this year was going to be paradise from beginning to end. I sure do believe the saying now. I think I came to Europe expecting too much, instead of arriving with a completely open mind. Please don't be concerned that I'm regretting my decision to be an exchange student because never, ever will I regret my decision to study abroad for one year. Being an exchange student teaches you so much about yourself, gives you a new perspective on the world and people, and makes you look at everything in a new set of eyes. This is something a textbook, a teacher, or even a past, present, or future exchange student can't teach you; it is something that you have to be courageous enough to try and discover for yourself.

The struggles that are upon me will only take time. Maybe I need to just hang back and let others approach me, or maybe I need to approach them. I haven't quite figured that out yet. Worry not, my dear blog followers. I am not one to give up and I certainly am not one to give up this early. I will continue to try my best to meet new friends and hopefully feel included.

I miss my friends, family, my cat, my air conditioner, my school, my church, my hometown, my pogo stick, my liberties as an American, my Xbox 360, beating Elliot and Azmon in FIFA (NOT!), the English language, my strong internet connection, my purple blanket that keeps me warm each night, cheeseburgers, my sweat pants, my basketball team, going to Friday night football games, fluffy pillows, watching CNN everynight, Spotify, Netflix, the American school system, Dairy Queen blizzards, a cell phone that actually works, Best Buy, Charleston Chews, the Coldplay concert (still the most fun I've ever had in my life), getting to drive, American radio stations, big screen TV's, road trips, and everything else that I forgot to mention.

I put those in no specific order. I was just typing what came to my mind.

Italy is a great place but I'm just a little homesick so I had to reflect on what I miss.

I miss you America. See you in eight months.

AF

Wednesday Word #4

Once again I missed the Wednesday Word. I am sorry but I been quite busy.

Italian: Scuola
English: School

Why I chose this word: I started my first week of school on Monday. In Italy, students go to "scuola" on Monday - Saturday. My school goes from 8:00 - 1:00. I am having fun, but am having a somewhat tough time making friends. Sitting through class can get boring when I comprehend next to nothing. I'm not going to give up. I'll look back on this one day and be proud of myself for sticking it out.

My challenge to you:
1. Create a blogger account to comment on my posts
2. Comment of this post using the word "scuola" in a sentence.

Have a nice Wednesday everyone.

Ciao.

AF

Top 10 Paris

Ciao a tutti,

I will keep this post short because I have to pack for going back to Siracusa. I will my top 10 favorite things I did in my three weeks in Paris.

10. Cruise on the Seine River
9. Latin Square
8. Notre Dame/Sainte-Chapelle
7. Versailles
6. Arc de Triomphe
5. Eiffel Tower
4. Louvre
3. Musèe d'Orsay
2. Montmartre
1. Reuniting with the Toletti family

I am so thankful to be able to travel so early in my exchange year. This was an amazing three weeks spent in the most beautiful city on Earth.

Au Revoir Paris!

AF

Reunited

Ciao a tutti,

My French sister, Éléna and me with the ND Cathedral in the background.

I've been to the top of the Eiffel Tower, stood underneath the Arc de Triomphe, and gazed at the Mona Lisa from 5 feet away, but none of these events compare to what I did yesterday. Éléna, Elsa, Anne, and Fabrice Toletti came to Paris to see me and it was the best day I've had since coming to France, and even Europe.

We started the day at Europe's largest car showing for the 2013 model of cars, and then made out way to a Chinese restaurant where we ate lunch. 

My French sisters, Éléna and Elsa Toletti.

After eating we walked to the ND Cathedral, the Louvre, and Centre Pompidou. We made our way to the bridge over the Seine River that is most famous for the many locks on the railings. The picture on the bottom of this post is us on the bridge.

Getting to see the many tourist attractions that Paris has to offer is great, but getting to see my French sister and her family once again was much more rewarding than any building, museum, or tower will ever be.

I will end this post saying "thank you" once again to the Toletti family for coming on their Sunday to see me in Paris. It is the highlight of the entire trip.

My French family.
Anne, Fabrice, Éléna, Elsa, and myself.

Until next time, ciao.

AF

Paris is Paris

Ciao a tutti,

I love this city. Everywhere you turn you see something stunning and it makes you wonder if this is all a big dream, a sick joke someone is playing on you, or something else tragic that could ruin the moment of enjoying every blink of your eye.

I titled this post "Paris is Paris" because, well, Paris is Paris and there is no other city on Earth that is quite as beautiful. I think you could spend your entire life in this city and not discover everything it offers; it's just that big and that beautiful!

I have had a spectacular, fun-filled, wild, exciting, dramatic, and even educational two weeks in Paris and I still have one week remaining.

Tomorrow we take a full-day visit to Versailles and this was probably the third day I was most excited for. I promise I'll take as many pictures if they allow it.

I'm sorry I haven't been updating my blog lately, I've been so tired every night. We go to the school at 8:00 AM and don't return home until 9:00 PM. After a while, it takes its toll on you.

To all my blog readers, "Ti voglio bene!"
(Use Google Translate)

Buona notte!

AF

Wednesday Word #3

Mi dispiace, I completely forgot about last week's Wednesday Word. I will try not to forget again!

Italian: Ragazze
English: Girls

Why I chose this word: This may seem shallow for me to pick this word, but it's appropriate for me at this moment. I'm in Paris with 15 other "ragazze" and so I figured this would be a perfect for for the time being. They are all nice to me and patient despite the language barriers. My two best friends are the girls with my in the picture at the bottom of this post. Their names are Rachele (pronounced Rakela) and Letizia (pronounced Lateetsia).

My challenge to you:
1. Create a blogger account if you haven't so you are able to comment on my posts
2. Comment on this post using the word "ragazze" in a sentence by Friday.

I'm excited to see your sentences!

My best friends.
Left to Right: Rachele, me, and Letizia.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Ciao.

AF

The Comparison: Italy vs. France

Ciao a tutti,

I've been in France the same amount of days as I have Italy, so decided this would be an appropriate time to compare the two countries side-by-side and see which traits about each I like better than the other.

Please note: both countries are great; I suggest to you all to try to see them! If I come off disrespectful or biased one way it is completely unintentional. I love both France and Italy!

People
The people in Italy are extremely friendly! Whether you're best friends since diapers or it's the first time you've met them, they typically will be extremely kind and excited to meet you. Once I was standing alone waiting for my host mother and a group approached me and started a conversation. For someone who can be timid and isn't one to run up to a group and join in (like me), this is excellent.
The people in France are nice too, but not as nice and friendly as the Italian population. Or maybe that's just because I've only been here for 10 days in each country.
Italy gets the slight edge in the people comparison.

Tourist Attractions
I've only been in a few cities in Italy and their strength isn't necessarily the tourist attractions they offer.
I'm in Paris. Isn't this enough of an explanation? This is the most toured country and city for good reason; every corner you turn you can find something interesting to do.
France gets my definite vote for the tourist attractions comparison.

Architecture
Italian architecture is beautiful. I'm not educated even the slightest amount on this subject so I cannot go into detail of why I like or why I don't like it, all I can do is stare at its beauty. And it is full of beauty!
French architecture is great too. In fact, I love it! The design of the buildings and churches alongside the Seine River is just indescribable. If you are friends with me on Facebook, I've posted many pictures. If not, I plan on posting a few on my blog.
France gets my vote for the architecture comparison.

Natural Landscape
Italy is full of beautiful landscape. Flying into Catania on my first day of being in Italy was so beautiful. Mountains and valleys and the sea all amaze my eyes. These are three things the area I live in is full of.
France I'm quite sure has beautiful landscape too, just not necessarily in the region I'm currently in.
Italy gets my vote for the natural landscape comparison.

Clothing
This is a hard comparison. I jumped from 90 degree weather to 60 degree weather.
In Italy, people were always wearing warm weather clothing (shocking, isn't it?). Their dressing style includes tight fitting shirts, shorts, and pants.
In France, yes you guess correctly, people dress for colder weather. The girls all wear skinny jeans (of multiple colors) and a coat to keep them warm. I see a few boys who dress like an American boy (sweat pants, t-shirt) but the majority wear jeans (of multiple colors) and a light coat.
From the little I've seen, I give France the vote for the clothing comparison.

Food
This is the hardest comparison of them all. Italy and France have the greatest cuisines in the world. No questions asked.
Italy is most famous for pizza and pasta for good reason. My two meals in Italy were: 1. lasagna 2. pizza. After this, I knew I was set for a good year. But the Italians prepare good meat courses too.
The French are most known for their croissants, pastries, and other types of bread. The French bread is to die for! Crepes is also great. Every meal I've had in each country I have enjoyed!
Both of these countries are unique. For this reason, I must say it is a tie for the food comparison.

Language
Both are romance languages. Both are beautiful, but one is the most beautiful language in the world.
People in Italy speak Italian. If you ever listen to native Italian speakers communicate with each other, you'd fall in love with the language the same way I have. It flows from one word to the next so perfect.
People in France speak French. Again, another beautiful language but in my opinion, not as smooth sounding as Italian. French has been really difficult for me to pick up by just listening.
Italian gets my vote for the language comparison.

My Verdict
It is a tie.
These two cultures with both differences and similarities are too difficult and too close to give an edge on. I love both France and Italy.

I hope you all weren't too disappointed with me not naming a country as the winner; they are just too close to name a winner!

Have a great Sunday everyone.

Until next time, ciao.

AF

The Eiffel Tower

Ciao!

Bonjour!

Yesterday we went to the Eiffel Tower and it was sort of surreal. I've seen picture after picture of the Tower and then once it peaked over the trees and I was well within walking distance, it hit me that I was actually there. We went to the second highest viewing level (still once about halfway up) where we looked around for about 30 minutes. Once we finished looking at the city from a few hundred feet up, we made our way down and then to Champs de Mars where we relaxed for a bit. The picture below was taken here. This is where I will end my post because a picture is worth 1000 words, right?

Buona notte everyone.

Until next time, ciao.

AF

Bonjour De Paris!

Buongiorno!
Wait!
Bonjour!

I write this post to all followers of my blog from Paris, France.

What a beautiful place Paris is! Today is my third day and I love France. I've seen many attractions from street view like The Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Latin Square, Arc de Triomphe, and of course the Eiffel Tower. I'm in Paris because my host mother teaches French at the school I will attend. The school takes visits to countries to better learn the language and so she asked if I would like to come along. Who would say no?

The class is every morning excluding Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 - 11:30 and then we do tourist attractions. I am most excited for The Louvre, cruise on the Seine River, Disneyland, and Versailles. Everything will be fun!

I am in a house my one lady and three girls my age who are in the class too. Be not alarmed, we don't share the same room. I get one all to myself. :) Anyway, they are very nice and despite the language troubles we have a fun time. There names are Sonia, Sara, and Ylenia.

We haven't been to too many attractions, so I don't have much to say besides I'm having fun and French drivers are nowhere near as crazy as the Italians. I also miss the Sicilian weather. But Sicily can wait, I will enjoy Paris for the next three weeks!

More pictures for you!

Sonia!

Sara!

Ylenia!

Beautiful picture of the Alps.

The Eiffel Tower.

The entire group for the Paris trip.

No caption necessary. :) 

Me with the Notre Dame Cathedral in the background.

Beautiful.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. I'm sure I'll have plenty more to upload in the future.

Until next time, au revoir!

AF

Paris

Ciao ciao!

I'm writing this post to inform you all that for the next three weeks, I might not update my blog as often as I have been lately because I will be in Paris, France.

I'm going to Paris with my school for a three-week long French course.

Every morning we have French class for three hours and then in the afternoon we get to do tourist things.

The schedule goes something like this:

Thursday 13: Arrive in Paris and meet host family
Friday 14: Visit the Latin District
Saturday 15: Day with host family
Sunday 16: Day with host family
Monday 17: Eiffel Tower and Champs de Mars
Tuesday 18: Discovery of the Montmartre District
Wednesday 19: Free afternoon
Thursday 20: The Louvre Museum and visit of the Tuileries Gardens
Friday 21: Cruise on the Seine River
Saturday 22: Disneyland Paris
Sunday 23: Day with host family
Monday 24: Champs Elysees and Place Concorde
Tuesday 25: Discover Bercy Villiage
Wednesday 26: Free afternoon
Thursday 27: Visit the Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Friday 28: Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle
Saturday 29: Versailles
Sunday 30: Day with host family
Monday 1: Visit of the Marais District and Place des Vosges
Tuesday 2: Free afternoon
Wednesday 3: Shopping at the Galleries Lafayette
Thursday 4: Leave Paris 


So until next time, have a great weekend everyone!

AF

Wednesday Word #2

Italian: Andiamo
English: We go/ let's go/ I go

Why I chose this word: I chose the word "andiamo" for two main reasons:
1. I hear it everyday whether that is with my host family or out in the public.
2. "Andiamo" to Paris tomorrow! I will be in Paris for the next three weeks.

I think Italians use andiamo in the place where we would say "ready?" or "here we go" so this is why I chose it for my second Wednesday Word!

My challenge to you is to:
1. Create a blogger account to be able to comment on my posts.
2. Comment on this post and use the word "andiamo" in a sentence by Friday.

Have a great day everyone!

Until next time, ciao!

AF

9/11: A Day To Remember

Ciao,

I'm sorry that this post is one day late, but I feel as if I cannot pass up mentioning a word about this tragic day in American history only 11 years ago.

I remember this day like were yesterday. I was in Kindergarten at St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary and we had received news that something horrific had happened in NYC and Washington. When we out of school, I remember my father picking me up and saying, "Andrew, when you get home, turn on the news channel. There has been a terrorist attack again the USA." So, I did as my father instructed and turned it to CNN where I saw the breaking news that the Twin Towers in NYC had both been hit, and other commercial airplane plans had also been hijacked. This is all I remember, I wish I could remember more.

I thought about this for a long time over the past week or so, and I believe this was the saddest day in American history. Yes, the crash of the stock market was awful, the bay of pigs was a disaster, but 11 years ago, when America was attacked blindly by al-Qaeda and some of its members, the country was turned upside down. No one expected this dreadful event to happen.

Today is day #10 in Italy, and my love for America has grown more and more. Being away from your homeland and your country is tough, and I am proud I'm an American.



God Bless you all, and God Bless America.

AF

One Week in Italy

Buona sera a tutti,

One week it has been. I went out of my normal way of living; I took on a completely different lifestyle and hoped for the best. Exactly seven days ago I took my voyage to, what I consider to be, the most fascinating place and culture on this Earth. This has been an up-and-down seven days, but I'll let you know something: it's on the rise.

The first two, maybe three, or possibly four days were the hardest, no doubt. If you ever have or will travel to a foreign country (preferably non-English speaking), you will know what I mean by the term "culture shock". When you go from rolling hills, cornfields, a town of 6500 people where "everyone knows everyone" and people speak fluent English to a place that is seaside, has a volcano, a city twenty-times the amount of your hometown, and hardly anyone speaks a drop of English, you really get the feeling of being "out of your comfort zone" and very, very alone.

But this was what I signed up for. I didn't expect it to be easy. I expected it to be a challenge, and yes, it has been a real challenge.

But this is good. I am getting more used to the people, the culture, and yes, even the language.

Each day gets easier for me. Not that I don't miss my friends and family, it's just that I meet new people who help me along this journey, making it easier to keep going.

These past four days have been a lot of fun.

On Thursday I met my group of people that I will go to Paris with. A total of 17 people; 16 girls and 1 boy. By the way, I'm the one boy. I will get a host family and learn French for the next three weeks. I'm excited to compare the cultures and see which I prefer in certain aspects.

On Friday I played basketball with some friends. Please don't let me come off as being boastful, but I did well because basketball is not their first sport. Enough said on the subject; I'm sure you get the point.

On Saturday I read an English paper for my host mother's, friend's, daughter's English class for college. I like to read and review so it was nice to be able to do that in English once again. After this, we all went beach side and swam for about an hour. Later that night we ate pizza. Yum!

Today, on Sunday we went snorkeling in water that was of 25 feet depth; this was one of my favorite things I've done thus far. To see life underwater and knowing this is their home is a beautiful thing. I want to go again, and soon! After snorkeling we went to Noto, a stunning city South of Siracusa. I took pictures,  (which I will upload on a later date) of this beautiful city.

It was a good first seven days. Both ups and downs, the way I see this entire year being. Through the hard times and good times I know that I can always turn to my friends, my family, and of course my God and my Savior Jesus Christ. So I thank you all for supporting me in the past, present, and future.

Thank you so much for reading my blog. I love to read and write and it's nice to know that someone out there cares enough to read it. Grazie mille!

Until next time, ciao.

AF

Pictures For You

Buona sera!

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to upload pictures! Blogger has a weird way of uploading pictures; instead of just uploading them, you have to take it through their Internet server. If that makes no sense, I am sorry. But no worries, I found a way around the system.

Okay, I'll put the pictures in chronological order, from the time I boarded the plane on Saturday morning, until earlier today at Plemmirio.

Some last-minute studying!

Sicily!

My final destination: Catania!
Mt. Etna in the background of Catania

My little sister for the next nine months, Elena.

My first meal in Italia: lasagna!

The view from my room!
Yes, that is the Mediterranean Sea

Beautiful Catholic Church.

Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. :)

What a beautiful picture.
Nature in its purest form is stunning.

2000 year old Greek ruins.
The history is so rich in this city.

A picture in my room of my Confirmation Saint, Padre Pio.
Irony? I think not.
A gift from God? I think so.
No, I know so.

Me, seaside with Ortigia in the background.
Wearing my SDSU apparel in Siracusa!

Probably my favorite thing thus far, visiting Plemmirio.
I wanted to cliff jump so bad but I didn't bring my swimming suit!

About a 40 or 50 foot drop.

Plemmirio again.
Cliff jumping would be so fun!

That's all the pictures I will post for now. Be sure to write me your sentence using the word "pazzo" by tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Until next time, ciao!

AF

Wednesday Word #1

Italian: Pazzo
English: Crazy

Why I chose this word: I was at the school today for the first time today where I took a preliminary test for the Paris trip in 8 days. When the class was over, I was standing alone looking at the posters of Siracusa while my host mother, Maria Grazia finished a few things. A group of five girls approached me and said, "Andrew, why are you alone?" So we started to talk (in English) and then one of the girls fell against the wall. Her friend said "Tu sei pazzo!" which translates to "You are crazy!" So I made note of that, making it my first Wednesday Word.

My challenge to you is to:
1. Create a blogger account to be able to comment on my posts.
2. Comment on this post and use the word "pazzo" in a sentence by Friday.

Have a great day everyone!

Until next time, ciao!

AF

First Post in Italia

Buongiorno!

This is my first post when I'm not in the USA. Today is day #3 in Siracusa and I am getting more and more used to it everyday. The language is tough, yes; the sudden switch of cultures is a change, yes; and the weird looks I get when walking through the streets of Siracusa are unwelcoming at times, yes. But I will say that I am having a great time thus far and I am very excited to see what this year has in-store for me. So now I'll give you a (somewhat) brief summary of days 1, 2, and 3.

Day zero: I am going to call Saturday "day zero" since I wasn't technically in Siracusa, therefore my exchange hadn't officially started. So on day zero I woke up at 3:30 AM, got dressed, made sure everything was in order, and then left the house at 4:30 AM for Sioux Falls, SD. Once I got the Sioux Falls, I said goodbye to my family and friends who went to the airport to send me away, and boarded plane number 1 of 4. Once I reached Minneapolis, I went to Caribou Coffee to get something to eat and drink. While at a table, I saw my travel partner, Mats Hansen so I called his name at we met for the first time. We boarded plane number 2 of 4 and we went to Toronto. In Toronto we ate at a small place called "Toast" and then found our gate. 3 hours of waiting really is boring.

Day one: We boarded plane number 3 of 4 for Rome, a massive airplane! Once in Rome, we rechecked security and went to our gate. On plane 4 of 4, the anxiety was building and we were both ready to get off the planes at land in Catania. 30 hours of travel is very tiring! Once in Catania, we waited for about an hour for our bags, some people never got theirs. After the bags were collected, I found my new host family. Giovanni and Elena picked me up from the airport. We loaded the car, went to Siracusa and there my host mother, Maria Grazia, was waiting at the door. We ate lasagna for lunch at the flat and then went to Ortigia where we had pizza for supper. I laid down that night exhausted.

Day two: I stayed at home and played Monopoly with Elena. I am very, very bad and she is very, very good! I think she ended with 75 million dollars and I had -45 million. We took Perla for a walk and relaxed for the day.

Day three: It's only 3:00 PM here so I haven't done much. We're going to the beach soon!

Sorry this post was so short, once school starts I'm sure I'll have a lot to write about.

Come back tomorrow for the "Wednesday Word of the Week"

Thanks for reading my blog! I miss everyone at home but I am enjoying Siracusa so I'm not too homesick thus far.

Until tomorrow, grazie, e ciao a tutti!

AF

P.S. The Internet is slow so I'm not able to upload pictures at this time. We'll fix it soon so you can see this beautiful place too! Arrivederci!

My Last Day In America

Hello everyone,

When I woke up an approximately 7:45 this morning, I said to myself, "Wow, 24 hours from now I'm going to be flying to my new adventure." It's insane when I think about it. I saw one of my best friends, Elliot, for the last time in ten months today, how sad. :( He's been so much help to me.

My mom joked with me and said, "Geesh, Andrew, you're sure driving a lot today. I suppose because it's your last day you are able to drive for the next ten months."

So this is my last post in America, thank you once again to anyone & everyone who's helped me get to this point now. Because of you, I get to live my dream. Thank you all, so very much.

From the USA to Italy I go.

Wish me luck.

AF

Buon Appetito!

Ciao a tutti!

Today once I got home from church, I returned to my place of relaxation and fell back asleep. I really wanted to get rid of this illness! When I woke up at 3:00 PM to a light flicked on and my mother who came down to see how I was feeling (thanks mom), I said I was feeling a little better and that I wanted to make a homemade Italian spaghetti recipe. So, we went to the grocery store and then came home and started to prepare the masterpiece (not really) American-Italian tomato sauce. I took pictures, I figured it'd be more fun for you to look at pictures compared to reading text. Thanks for the help, Mom.

blanching the tomatoes

straight from the boiling water

skinless tomato

quartering the tomatoes

dicing the tomatoes and onions, washing the basil

adding the onions to the olive oil - smells delicious!

pomodoro e cipolla
(tomato & onion)

adding the noodles to the sauce
to soak up the flavor!

preparing the noodles to "al dente"
al dente is a little less tender (more firm)
the Italians love it this way
(and so do I)

the finished product!
of course I had to stage a photo
buon appetito!

It was delicious! Thank you Mom for your help!
This is where this post ends. Until next time, ciao.
AF

One Week

Hello to all my beautiful followers and blog readers,

I sit here tonight in my comfortable purple chair on the lowest level of the house writing my second post of the night. I am ill at the moment (better today than a week from today) so if I have any spelling mistakes, I apologize.

In exactly one week from now, I will be somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean heading for Italy, or at least I hope. Words can't describe the anxiety that I am experiencing and my excitement to get to Italy.

Now this upcoming week, I'll more than likely be searching the house top-to-bottom for things I think I'll need to take with me to Italy. Here is what I think I'll do on a day-to-day basis this week.

Monday: Start packing my second checked bag. Possibly make a tasty Italian dish for myself since everyone will be at school.

Tuesday: Continue and finish with packing my checked bag. Hopefully I'll hang out with Logan Goldhorn, the other Rotary outbound who's going to Italy. Cagliari, to be exact.

Wednesday: Hang low. Finish up a few final things. Maybe buy a few things I noticed I don't have when I was packing.

Thursday: Nothing. Just relax and finalize everything. Maybe go out to lunch with some people in my grade, if they're feeling up for it.

Friday: Try not to get too anxious and nervous. Hopefully see some friends for the last time. And then in the PM, go to Brookings with Elliot and meet Azmon to hang out with my two best friends on my last day in America.

Saturday: Wake up (if I can sleep at all) at about 3:30 AM, get everything in order, and then head for the airport at 4:15 AM to be in Sioux Falls in plenty of time for my 6:45 AM flight. Say goodbye to my family and other friends who might go for one last time. Board the plane, Italia bound.

Sunday: Land and meet my host family. Who knows what will happen from there but I am excited to find out!

This might be one of the last posts before I leave. I'll try to write at least one more before Saturday.

Thank you for reading my blog, everyone! Until next time, ciao.
AF

Going Away Party, Many Thanks

Sorry that I didn't post about this earlier, I've been procrastinating.

So first of all, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who came to my going away/welcoming party for the Madison inbound exchange students. It was a lot of fun and it was nice to be able to spend time with a group of people as a whole one last time before I embark on my trip to Italy for my junior year.

I have so many people to thank for helping me get to this point. I cannot believe that in just a little over a week I'll be landing in Catania, Italy and my exchange officially will start.

Mom & Dad: You two are the greatest parents I could ever ask for. You are always encouraging me and challenging me to pursue my dreams. And, thanks to you, I get to start my dream in about a week. I'll be living in most beautiful country on the Earth, filled with culture and history. Thanks for all the financial support you've been to me because this wouldn't be happening if it weren't from you.

Both sets of G'ma's & G'pa's (Higgins and Fiegen): Thank you for always being there for me and being so kind to me whenever we're together as a family. You are four people that I will miss so much while I'm in Italy and be assured, I'll write to you often. You are all so kind to me and have been so supportive ever since I said "I want to be an exchange student" about 11 months ago.

Azmon & Elliot: You two are my best friends and I would not be doing this upcoming exchange if it weren't for the help of you two. Thanks for answering all the questions I had for you both (there were many).You are two people that I can always count on when I need something whether it is pertaining to the exchange or just something random. I will be spending my last night in the USA with you two. What a sad night that will be. Thank you both; I am forever grateful of all you've done for me!

My Friends: Whether it's past, present, or future friends, thanks for getting me to the point I've at in my life. There is something special about each of you that I will never forget. Thanks for the support you've been to me in my life and in my exchange process. And to my future friends, I'm excited to meet you. I hope I can develop solid, ever-lasting relationships in Italy so I can always have someone to talk to and people to visit.


Everyone who helped at the going away/welcoming party: You're the reason the party was a success! It was a very enjoyable evening and so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.


Roger & Nancy Moose: Again, without the support of you two, I would not be leaving for my Rotary exchange in a week. You're both so kind to me and you're always willing to help me with questions. Whenever I email or call either of you, you're always cheery and ready to help.

Madison Rotary Club: I feel as if I'm repeating myself. Thank you for being my sponsoring club and being willing to accept me into the program. I'll be sure to send a lot of pictures and write to the Club as a whole often!

Rotary District 5610: Thank you so much for sponsoring me as an outbound exchange student for the 2012/2013 exchange year. You are the reason this is happening and I will not every be able to repay you for this opportunity you've presented to me. I promise to keep up on my monthly reports. Thanks to the interview committee for selecting me, thanks to all the exchange officer who are in-charge of the paperwork and making sure everything gets set up. So many people to thank!

Rotary District 2110: Grazie mille! You are my host district and I cannot thank you enough for the chance of a lifetime that I am about to start on. I'm very excited to get to Italy so I can thank you in person for this opportunity.

My Host Family: Giovanni, Maria Grazia, Caterina, and Elena. Thank you so much for accepting me into your family. It is a great challenge for me to leave my family in the USA but I know you will take good care of me. I am so excited to meet you all. Words cannot express my gratitude for you four. I know that we'll develop lifelong relationships that cannot be separated, no matter how far away from each other we might be. Grazie, grazie, grazie.

To everyone I forgot to mention: I am sorry! I'm not one to typically make excuses, but I am ill at the moment and I can tell that I'm not thinking straight (even ask spell-check). Thanks to you all.

Me (USA), Kimberley (Australia), Sarah (Germany), Rasmus (Denmark), Moritz  (Germany)

Thanks for reading my blog! Ciao.

AF

Whichever Way You Look At It

Whichever way you look at it, I leave in:

2 Weeks,

14 Days,

336 Hours,

20160 Minutes, or

1209600 Seconds

The big day gets closer and close each and every day. I've been counting down the days since we bought my tickets (about 60 days ago) and I cannot believe it's this close. Thank you to everyone who's helped me get to this point. I am forever in your debt because without you, I wouldn't be taking on this new adventure in Italy.

Grazie mille!

AF

500 Page Views!

Hello to all you beautiful people out there who read my!
I would like to thank you for reading my blog, it actually means a lot to me to know there are people out there who care about me and want to see what I'm up to over the course of this next year.

Close-up of the glowing bracelet from the greatest night of my life.

I will see Coldplay live in concert once again.
Thanks again everyone. I'm currently working on my song-by-song breakdown of the Coldplay concert.
Until time time, ciao.
AF

The Greatest Night Of My Life

WARNING: The man behind this blog has yet to jump off cloud 9; he is recovering from a Coldplay concert.

Hello to everyone,
Last night was everything I expected Coldplay to be, plus a million times more.
I'll give you a little rundown of how yesterday (the greatest day of my life) went down.

So the day started out with my mom taking me to my friend Greg's house. Greg made a delicious Italian pasta dish that we enjoyed and then hit the road. Twin cities bound!
The ride up to the cities was a fairly slow ride for it only being a 3 & 1/2. I think this was probably because I was so anxious to see Coldplay live!

Once we got into the cities, we had some extra time so Greg gave me a mini-tour of the university he attends.

This is the venue that the Coldplay concert was held. It was very nice outside so Greg and I waited outside for some of his friends that were also going to be at the concert.

These are two pictures I took of the opening band, Charli XCX. They were a decent band. You could tell they're new to performing and don't have much of their own material. The lead singer is quite the entertainer. I don't think the crowd overall was pleased by their performance (or at least I wouldn't think so considering all the laughter going on once they finished).

Here are two pictures that I took of the second opening band, Marina & The Diamonds. They were decent as well. I had heard a few of there songs before I had come to the concert: Primadonna, I Am Not A Robot, and How To Be A Heartbreaker. This band has one goofy drummer!

They were right when they said the wristbands are "a part of the show"!

The shirt I bought before the concert!

The stadium was super full.

Getting the stage ready for Coldplay!

So by this time, I was really anxious for them to come out and perform!

The preparation time is killing me! 

This place is alive! Show time!

All the colorful lights down there are the wristbands like I had on.

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OPENING SONG MYLO XYLOTO! AMAZING!

Beautiful picture of the crowd.
"We'll run wild, we'll be glowing in the dark."

Here is the set list in the order the songs were played. Yes, I kept track.

1. Mylo Xyloto
2. Hurts Like Heaven
3. In My Place
4. Major Minus
5. The Scientist
6. Yellow
7. Don't Let It Break Your Heart
8. Violet Hill
9. God Put A Smile On Your Face
10. Lovers In Japan
11. Princess Of China
12. Up In Flames
13. Warning Sign
14. Viva La Vida
15. Charlie Brown
16. Paradise
(encores)
17. Us Against The World
18. Speed Of Sound
19. Clocks
20. Fix You
21. Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall


The concert was absolute madness. We had great seats to see both the stage and the crowd. I want to go back to a Coldplay concert if I ever get the chance. It was so great. Cloud 9.

So I guess this post does have something to do with my exchange.
As a Rotary Youth Exchange Student, I have to both collect and give out pins to others I meet.
This is a pin of Coldplay's new album, Mylo Xyloto, which is definitely going on my blazer.
20 days.

I'm going to post a video that I took last night of the song "The Scientist" which is my favorite.

Thanks for reading my blog. Until next time, ciao.

AF