Toscana e Pasqua

I came back almost two weeks ago from my settimana di scambio (exchange week). It was musically themed (we all played an instrument and did a piccolo concerto alla fine) and in Livorno. I wasn't expecting anything special, but it turned out to be something beautiful. I got to live with another family for a week, meet other awesome exchange students and hear a different Italian accent after seven months of only quello sardo (the Sardinian accent).

We practiced here!

A fratellino, little host brother! Finally! Che bellino!

Cliché but fun.

Pisa!

La pasta alla carbonara! One of my favorites here! Click here for a recipe!

La mia famiglia ospitante livornese ed anche qualcun'altro! My host family from Livorno and a few others!

Other awesome exchange students. From left to right, the Philippines, Chile, Indonesia! SO COOL!

Firenze!

AHH ITALY has so much culture and history...

Il ponte vecchio!

She's from Iceland and super nice!

The musicians of Intercultura (AFS Italy!)! I musicisti di intercultura!

The morning of Pasqua (Easter) in the town that I live in, there was this huge procession of priests from the local church and a bunch of people dressed in traditional sardo costumes. One group held a statue of the resurrected Christ and the other of the Madonna. The two groups started from different places in town at the sound of a gunshot. Then they walked until they met the resurrected Christ and the Madonna, and there was this explosion of shooting into the sky. I don't think I did a good enough job explaining it... here's an article about Easter in Sardegna: Click here!. It was super diverse and wonderful. Then we went to church and ate until I felt full enough for three days. The next day was pasquetta (which we don't celebrate in the USA), but that the Italians usually spend with friends.

My host father!

After the meeting between the Madonna and Christ

Before I left for Toscany, I also had the chance to go to the party 100 days before the exams with my class. The last year in Italian high school, everyone has to pass a set of really difficult tests near the end of June or beginning of July. There are oral and written parts that cover the entire five year program. My whole class has to study molto (very much)! I had a great time celebrating with them, though!

They're hilarious!

My class all together!

I'm really trying to enjoy my time here as much as possible. Only three months remain. I don't want to immagine when I have to leave this paradise of a life here! If you're in high school in America, take the chance and please go abroad.

Sa Sartiglia e Marzo!

Well, can I say I speak Italian now? Can I say I'm bilingual? I think I'm tipping over that point with all the rest of the exchange students here in Italy. It's awesome, just like the island of Sardegna. I find myself feeling a part of something a lot here, my class at school and this magnificent group of people who make up Intercultura this year. I think if I could do high school over again, I would go to Italy and start in prima (Freshman year) in the same course and with the same class. I don't think they know (non si rendono conto) how lucky they are to have a tie so strong with their classmates. This is their fifth year together, and when I was looking at all their photos from past years I realized that they've seen each other grow into adults.

SA SARTIGLIA
I spent my Carnevale this year in Oristano at Sa Sartiglia. Basically, there were a bunch of horses that took turns running super fast in order to put their swords through a star. That's not a very precise definition, but here's a youtube video and photos that show it better.

A video of Sa Sartiglia!

Juanma from Mexico, Nicole from the US, and Karoline from Norway!

Bella Karitas from Iceland! 

Also for the horses!

I wasn't expecting it to be so thrilling and fun, but it turned out absolutely spectacular. Probably one of the most culturally engaging things I have ever seen in my entire life. This tradizione sarda has been happening every year for hundreds of years.

My awesome Norwegian friend also came to my house and we went to Cagliari! Poetto, Cagliari's main beach, was absolutely beautiful (even if the exchange students from Thailand and the Philippines said it wasn't very much compared to their beaches): . We had so much fun together and I got to see Cagliari, the biggest city in Sardegna.

Karoline ed io!

Poetto...bellezza!

Il bravissimo Sun dalla Thailandi!

CAGLIARI, SARDEGNA

March has begun and Spring is coming! Even if the weather doesn't make it seem like it. The festa dei cento giorni, which is a party for all the quinteto mark 100 days until the exams, is this Saturday night. I'll go with my class, and we'll eat lunch and dinner and dance together! This will be the Senior Night I never had. Then this Sunday, parto per Pisa! I'm doing la settimana di scambio (exchange week) a Livorno (a city near Pisa). This exchange week is all musically themed and we get to go to un liceo musicale (a music high school). I hope it'll be fun! A presto!

I don't want to worry and just be happy here...