Kites, heaters, and dwarfs oh my!

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Ciao tutti! October 6, 2005
How are you all doing?
This week has started out much better for me, the weather is also warmer. I found out why my house is so cold. My family hasn’t turned on the heater! But, it’s not their fault. There is a law in Irsina that says you can only turn on the heater after a certain date, and I think that date is about a month from now! Aii! I’ll just have to layer shirts until my winter clothes come in the mail, and the heat is finally turned on.
Food is getting better, as I’m getting used to the pasta. We eat a lot of fruit, I’ve never eaten this much fruit. On the subject of food, I don’t think that I’ve ever eaten this healthy either. Its strange to not eat things that were frozen or are artificially flavored often. My family doesn’t keep snacks in the house, so I eat only three meals a day, not snacking at all.
Saturday was another AFS/Intercultura party in Matera. I got to see many of my exchange student buddies, and got to meet some italians who had been abroad. There was a show/play about immigration, I didn’t understand much of it, but it was very weird. I couldn’t figure out how a light-up breast fit into the story. The show was fifty minutes long, and we had to sit on the floor the whole time! Then we had a brief visit to the sassi, and then we went to lunch. Lunch was in this refurbished old farm house/pasture for sheep, I’m not exactly sure how to describe it. After lunch they launched a lot of kites. My favorites were these large round ones, they didn’t fly very well, but they were gorgeous. Then we went to see a church that was built into a cave. There were religious paintings directly on the rock walls. We kind of walked in on a bus groups tour, so I got to hear a little information, but none that stuck in my head. I had started reading a book in the morning called “The Rule of Four” by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. It is such an excellent book, I recommend it to everyone that loves to read. With good books like this one who needs things like drugs. Haha.
This week hasn’t been terribly exciting. I made a schedule for school, and I am going to have 12 hours of italian a week! Aggg. Today I got to go to my neighbors house and take a picture in my grumpy sweatshirt with Snow white and the seven dwarfs. The neighbors have 3 foot statues of Snow white and the seven dwarves on their back porch. Also, I got a chance to see the inside of their house, it was amazing! It reminded me of “The Great Gatsby.” They were nice enough to let me take pictures too! Anyways, that’s all for me now! Have a great week!
Ciao!
~Alyssa

P.S. I’m hoping to include some pictures in this blog, but if it doesn’t work I apoligize.

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Photos

Me and all the exchange students from nearby
Starting from me to the right: me, Steph(Australia),Pauline(Belgium), Harriet(New Zealand), Luciana(Brazil),Siripan (Thailand),Clara(Ohio,U.S.)

Comments

[Loreta]

Alyssa it's me!
Hi Alyssa! I hope you get my comment. I'm glad things are better this week. 12 hrs of Italian? WOW! You go girl! Write soon, Love Loreta

[Sarah]

yay!
I got your letter today! It made me very happy and I wrote you a long letter back!! I'm very excited! aw I miss you so much. Its just strange and mind blowing that you arnt here and are in a whole different country with a new life. I still cant believe it. Well anywho I just checked my email so I just got this so ignore in my letter the part where I ask you whats the site for your travel blog. ok I'm done. Heart, Sarah