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Published: September 25th 2011
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Hello hello! It has been awhile, no, we have not disappeared. Since we are always busy at home in the states, running with our head’s chopped off…we thought it only fitting to start off our year in Italy in the same exact way. We REALLY hit the ground running…and haven’t quite stopped…
Let’s see. Ah, yes, we’ve MOVED! We are now living in our beautiful apartment with our dear, dear friends Kathy and Anna Banana…You might remember Anna’s debut as our lovely flower girl at our wedding AKA Blizzard Fest 2009. Anyway, we are settled and so happy in our new location. We are in the center of Florence, very close to museums such as the Uffici and Bargello…and beautiful churches such as the Duomo and Santa Croce. It’s amazing to step out of our door and meet hundreds of years of history and 15+ different languages all at once. Our heads are constantly spinning…and I am constantly getting lost! Too many one-ways!!! Worse than downtown Duluth…😉
Work. Well, Phil is working with two darling young women (middle school kiddos) to keep them up to speed in their studies while they enjoy themselves in Florence until December – must
be rough! They are amazing, and one of them is our very own Anna Banana. Ruby is his other student – and theyare both keeping Phil on his toes. Ruby read To Kill A Mockingbird in ONE weekend! Smart cookies he is dealing with…It’s fun to discuss the projects and methods he is teaching the girls each day. Today, he took them to the Baptistry by the Duomo, and told them all about the history of how/why it was built and why it is so special. Perhaps he should be writing about this because I’m definitely not the expert! It’s nice having a tour guide built right into my life…😉
My work in unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I’ve just finished the second week with the kiddos and I’m deeply, deeply in love. Students have always been the driving force behind my career, and it is no different in this case. I have students who are Italian, French, British, American, Scottish, Spanish, Chinese, Dutch, and I’m sure the list continues…It is an incredible change from teaching in the states and from teaching 6th grade. I will never, EVER forget my first lesson with CP (French for 1st
grade): What an INSANE hour and a half! These are students who are brand new to school and the concept of sitting in a chair, listening to someone speak in their third language, and having to produce something back to that teacher – they must have thought I was nuts?! I love them, for they are teaching me so much at an exponential rate.
For your lovely information, I am teaching the following groups: CP – 1st Grade – Beginner; CE1 – 2nd Grade – Beginner; CE2 – 3rd Grade – Advanced; CM1 – 4th Grade – Intermediate; CM2 – 5th Grade – Advanced. Each level will bring new and amazing challenges; I am so looking forward to watching these kids grow. They are polite, kind, eager, funny, and so darn cute! Just like all my previous students I’ve ever had…not that I’m biased or anything!
I also love the people I am working with! I have 2 team members, Rachel and Cassie, who have welcomed us like we could never have imagined! Rachel brought me PEANUT BUTTER as a welcome to Italy gift and instantly won my heart over. YUM! Gloria is our boss and quite possibly
full of the most knowledge about anything and everything of anyone I’ve ever met. I’m astonished at what she knows and ignited by how passionate she is…it is truly going to be an exceptional year.
One more quick note about my school life…the teachers all go by their first names. So, instead of Mrs. Mogen…I have all of my students calling me Gina…oh man, it is weird! Very interesting, I’m getting more and more used to it…it’s funny how those little things throw you for a loop, isn’t it? It’s actually quite nice to have them call me by my first name, and I haven’t felt a difference in respect as someone in authority…I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the matter.
…Yikes! Hello, Hello! I started this blog LAST WEEKENED and here I am on the FOLLOWING SUNDAY trying to finish! Jeepers, Gina! Well, I’ll finish now so I can stop being harassed by all of you who keep asking me…WHERE’S YOUR NEXT BLOG!?
Just a few more small things as we all know what I talker I am…
Phil and I started taking language classes at our language schools last week – SUPER AWESOME!
I am at the CLIC School and Phi is at Santa Reparata. In my class we are only speaking in Italian and answering a variety of questions. It’s like a conversation the entire time! It’s really funny to watch other people when they are under pressure – we talk with our hands and facial expressions!! And in Italy, everyone talks with their hands and facial expressions, so we blend right on in…
We’ve spent time with our Hannah Banana Mogen and that has been awesome. The three of us actually went out to an Irish Pub called Finnegans last night – quiet, chill, and wonderful accents…what could be better?! It is super cool to be sharing this experience with our seester Hannah, and we can see it pouring out of her how much of an amazing time she is having…I guess Minnesota has lost another resident due to the awesomeness of Florence…oops. 😊
Last weekend we went to the Bargello to see an exhibit by Bartolomeo Ammannati, sort of a hidden gem from the Renaissance. Several pieces of his work were influenced by MIchaelangelo, and in the informational writing next to the artwork displayed, it appeared to me
that they even were friends. Super cool! The Bargello houses incredibly famous artwork by Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, Michaelangelo, Donatello…and the list continues. Not sure if the rest of the turtles made it in that museum, however, sorry. We saw the competition pieces of Ghiberti and Brunelleschi for the creation of the doors of the Bapistry of the Duomo…Both of their panels called “The Sacrifice of Isaac” were so good that they were kept (usually pieces were melted so they could use the bronze again – thanks for the info, Phil!) to display. There was a HUGE debate around who was going to win the right to create the doors. In the end, Ghiberti, with his less controversial image of “The Sacrifice of Isaac” won, which turned out great for the rest of us because Brunelleschi had time to work on his incredible dome for the Duomo. Yes!
OK! I’m reaching my 2 page limit, SORRY PHIL!!! So, I will end with we went to an “American” restaurant called “The Diner” and had hamburgers, YES, saw our favorite church, San Miniato, with some of our favorite people, Boyd and Margo, YES, and are still in love with Florence! Until next time,
love, hugs, thoughts, and prayers to you all!!
P.S. (oops, I’m on the third page in my Word Document…)
We are accepting the following things: Wheat Thins; Kool-Aid Packets; Pop Tarts; PICTURES TO PUT UP OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY ON OUR BARE CORK BOARD PLEASE!!; MONEY (ha ha); a travel sized cribbage set; decks of cards; and any suggestions for books to read! If you don’t have our address, please e-mail me and I’ll give it to you – we LOVE mail!!!
And…you thought I forgot…muahahaha…FRIENDS COUNT:
Season TWO, Disk TWO, Episode TWELVE: The One After the Superbowl. YES YES YES! 😊
For our friends from Italy Group 2006: We’ve made white sauce –EXCEPTIONAL!; We’ve had Panini from The Oil Shoppe – DELICIOUS; We’re saving all of our wine bottles on display in our kitchen; and we miss you all so dearly! More updates for you later!
Also, if anyone’s counting…we’ve been here for ONE MONTH and A WEEK already! JEEPERS time flies! Ok, until next time…a presto! Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Oopsies, P. S. S. – I LOVE my bike and can dodge a TOURIST like no other! It’s super fun and
incredibly crazy all balled up into one! Woo!
Please write, e-mail, Skype, whatever to keep in touch – contact with friends and family is so special to us! Baci!
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Leslie Behaunek
non-member comment
Lookin' good!
I'm excited you're getting use out of your new camera! Hopefully we will be in Italy with you soon!! <3