Good morning, day or evening to whoever is reading this! This are going just wonderfully here and I want everyone to know that! It's been a little while since I've written so I'll try to catch up a bit, I believe I last wrote about Rome.
I've been getting a lot of questions about whether my school is still on strike and I'd like to make it clear that schools go on strike here for one day at a time, they are very organized about it. So yes, I have been going to school all the regular days for about that last month now, haven't missed a day! I'm really starting to get the hang of school here, I hardly even think of the fact that I go to school on Saturdays anymore, it's so normal. I'm just getting really into the groove:) I've stopped comparing the two cultures as much and am just accepting things a lot easier, however there are still things I don't think I will ever get used to.
The language is really coming along. I've discovered this really cool thing now, that when I think back on a conversation I had with someone I don't remember whether they were speaking English or Italian, even though they were obviously speaking Italian cause hardly anyone speaks English here. I'm pushing myself more and more and trying to find more efficient ways for my speaking to get better. Because even though I'm understanding most everything I am still uncomfortable with speaking when put on the spot. I find myself speaking too fast so my head can't keep up with the translation then I stumble on the words, get embarrassed and just stop. So I need to speak slower. Its better to be more correct then to sound more confident...right?
On the other hand, my English is getting worse! I'm forgetting words and having to speak slower to keep up. Everything is just so slow! Mom you'll probably be happy with it when I get home haha.
I had a spectacular day today cause my cousin Rashaad, the son of my dad's sister stopped by to visit me for a few hours! It was perfect! Most of our time we spend trying to get him on his next train but before he got some homemade Italian cooking from my host mom and I think he liked it:) It was great seeing some family and being able to speak English fluently, but again I noticed that my speaking ability was a little off. I also noticed the fact that I was using my hands A LOT! for the common mannerisms here and felt very Italian, which was kinda exciting! Haha. We took the train from Mesagne to Brindisi where he took a train to Rome and I went back home to Mesagne. I liked the feeling of being on my own and for once being the one who had the upper hand with the language. I liked the feeling of having the responsibility to take us around.
For Thanksgiving I made diner for my host family and some extended family, a total of about 17 people. At first I was really intimidated but my host mom helped me and we got all the cooking done with a few hours to spare! We made chicken (she made chicken), sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread, and I made a mighty delicious apple pie:) Then they added in a ton a cheese and meats, making it an Italian style Thanksgiving!
Tomorrow I have what is called the "Beep test" which everyone tells me is the worst possible thing is the world which scares me. People skip school on the days we have to do it. Two days ago I was in a class that had just done it and two girls were close to throwing up and were laying on the tables. Basically what we have to do is touch the opposite wall before the beep. We start off walking and end sprinting from wall to wall. I still don't completely understand but I'll tell you guys how it goes!
Okay well I have to leave you now!
Always peace and love everyone! And know that I love you all and appreciate your support this year greatly!
Love Kali
P.s. I like Noahs Idea of writing my posts partly in Italian now, so expect that next time. <3

थे अर्तिस्तिक मिन्ड्स ऑफ़ रोमा!

Ok if your wondering why the title is in Hindi I'll let you know I have no idea why. My computer just got a funny idea to write in Hindi from now on! Good luck trying to find out what this post will be about:)
The artistic minds of Roma! There! I gave it away!
Well as many of you know, I recently returned from Rome with my Italian family! It was very nice, raining and inspiring! The city part reminded me a lot of all the other big cities I've been too, New York, London, Paris, big, with a lot diversity of people (which I've missed a ton!) and pretty dirty haha. I'll tell you my favorite part right away, I ATE CHINESE FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the most exciting event since I've been here! You may think I'm insane for missing Chinese food while I'm in Italia! The country with the best food! But all I can say is that, coming from Seattle where there is every food you can think of, and I eat most of them, its been difficult for me to have a strict diet of only Italian food for the last 2 months and for the nest 8! So yea, it was really good Chinese food too:) Then my host mom was super sweet and saw how much I liked it and went out and bought me spring roles and Indian and Chinese rice making things, which were all really yummy!
Okay now here comes my rant of how beautiful the art was!
Oh my god! There is no way I could capture the feeling or the passion I saw in the bodies and faces of the statues, or the realty of the painted faces, the power in the horses muscles, and the brilliance of the architecture.. I was mesmerized every moment I walked through the streets, for there was history everywhere! Like the colleseo, it was just so grand and graceful, but at the same time rugged and strong, I loved picturing all the people who had been here to appreciate it, when it was first built for gladiators and the millions of tourists and movie makers, etc. who had come to see one of the most famous buildings in the world. And to think that most of this magic was all in dedication to God, all through history men, women, and children have done miraculous things for this man they have never seen, and I was able to see some of the results of this dedication! I might not completely agree with the motivation but all I know is that what I saw in Rome makes this world an even more beautiful place and I hope everyone could at least appreciate the mastery and history a fraction of how I feel about it!
This trip just made me even more interested in art history then I already was (close to obsessed).
Then there were the musicians, who actually made me think I was in Paris a little bit with their accordion music. At one piazza there was a jazz band that I was taking photos of and the man tipped his hat to me for the picture, which absolutely made my hour! Haha!

Well ciao for now!
Much love and thanks,
Kali!