There has been a lot going on around here since the stomachache that was chocolate fest. As a result, today’s blog is going to be a fairly random amalgamation of things.
For starters, I’ll throw out my best attempt at making all of my American followers jealous. Yesterday--that would be Monday--was a holiday from school. Woo Hoo! Who doesn’t love a country that celebrates All Saint’s Day?! So while my host family was at the cemetery, leaving flowers and treats for their loved ones (Today is actually the Day of the Dead which, unbeknownst to me, they celebrate in Italy) I was using my rainy and dark, no-school-day as an opportunity to catch up on my American television. Last week’s Gossip Girl: top notch.
Sunday night--with the help of Kristen’s host family and their passion for partying--we attempted to celebrate Halloween. In Italy, Halloween is not a thing. In recent years, the commercial world has tried to force the holiday on Italy. Laughably, Italians do not understand or allow trick-or-treating and when they dress up--if they are among the few who do--they will only dress as scary things.
Holy Cross, your facebook photo albums are killing me right about now. When you’re surrounded by only witches, cats, and creepy masks you begin to seriously pine for some good, old, costume creativity.
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| RIP: Holy Cross Halloween, McCormick Spice Girls 2009 |
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| The Heisman Trophy & Cinnamon Spice last Halloween |
As Americans, we felt that we were entitled to screw Italian-Halloween and dress up as something hilarious as all, good Americans do...
Unfortunately, our first plan fell through because it’s too far into the academic year. Ideally, we would have gone as Italian school children. Fun fact: public elementary school students in Italy don ridiculous smocks over their normal clothing. Whenever I see Nina heading out to school, it takes all I have in me to contain my laughter. Too funny.
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| They seriously wear these... until they hit middle school. Absurd. |
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Pia, if you are reading this entry, please stop reading now... You will hate my Halloween costume with a burning passion. After last week’s fiasco with my vicious, Kebab-smackdown, I fear that this may strain our friendship.
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Plan A: Italian school children
Plan B: A perfect 180 degrees from Italian school children... Gypsies
Yes, gypsies...
No, not sexy gypsies with colorful scarves and gold bangle bracelets.
Real gypsies: the gangs of women that inundate the streets, banging their change cups, and groaning “Bambini” to innocent turisti while flashing them photographs of Italian children.
After two months here, the HC kids have become very familiar with the classic, gypsy mannerisms as well as the essential, gypsy “uniform”-- unattractive, calf length skirts, tall socks, and awkward pigtail braids? I think yes.
The costume was questionably-offensive, however, it did receive laughs from the party-goers...native Italians cannot stand gypsies. I’d say we mimic them pretty perfectly. See for yourself.
The rest of the weekend was spent on a beautiful day-trip to Assisi, a lovely Umbrian town and the birthplace of San Francesco (Saint Francis). Words cannot do Assisi any justice. How about some pictures?!
We ate lunch in an adorable, hole-in-the-wall restaurant located down a thin, cobblestoned alleyway. Lauren and I mix-and-matched a plate of ravioli doused in spices with a plate of bolognese penne.
To. Die. For.
Lucky for us--and our rapidly enlarging stomachs--Assisi is actually a hill. We spent the entire day walking upwards, to various churches and castles, and today my aching calves are still in distress. (Damn you, Holy-Cross-Stairs-Separation.)
Of course, the views were absolutely worth today's agony. A few more Assisi landscape shots...
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In other news, I cannot believe that it is November. It is unreal to me how quickly time is flying.
Other reasons for my excitement about the new month? Time for new, flavors-of-the-month at Grom: one of my favorite, Florentine gelaterie! I’ll give you one guess as to who will be checking that out first thing tomorrow.
Off to Rome on Thursday and I can hardly contain my excitement! Woo Hoo!
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