La vita bolognese

Hello everyone,

I haven't traveled much lately because I have been reminded of the fact that I am actually here for school, but I have experienced some new things about Italian life.

Lo sciopero (strike)

For one, today there is a strike going on around the city for public schools (elementary, middle and high school.) Students and teachers are walking around the entire city and chanting things I can't quite make out. Of course, I have been in Italy for almost three months and I have finally experienced a demonstration. There have been train strikes that have affected travel, but that I knew I'd experience frequentlly. I was warned.

For the most part, Italy has been quite good to me, even when I decide to stay in Bologna for the weekend. For one, I have finally visited the Bologna History Museum on via Castiglione, which was breathtaking and I would love to visit the Museum of the Risorgimento soon. (Il Risorgimento was the Italian Unification of 1861) Bologna also is having a chocolate festival this week and weekend. Italy loves me. I heard it can be costly, but I'd love to see the treats and maybe I'll spoil myself and splurge. I'll be sure to take pictures and blog about this chocolate-filled weekend.

Also, this country has gotten even better by providing me with movies in English every monday in a theater called Cinema Chaplin. I was able to watch Skyfall and Argo these past two weeks -- both great films, by the way.

Something that I still have not gotten used to, but I suppose I must is how UNIBO (University of Bologna) professors always arrive to class very late. My Italian literature course supposedly begins at 9am, but the prof definitely arrives at 9:25am or later. I suppose it is expected, thank you Italian stereotypes, but being slightly (very) anal retentive, I still arrive to class on time and wish I had slept in a bit more.

For the most part, these past two weeks and the following ones have and will be quite academic, but I am loving every minute of it. I am going home in about 5 weeks, so I am trying to take it all in as much as I can.

I am going to Palermo next weekend (Sicily) and I do plan on going to Rome and maybe some other city before my flight, so you'll get a little more of Italy before I go home.

Baci e abbracci <3