Halloween In Italy

        Hi everyone :) Sorry for not blogging in weeks! I have tried BUT my dads computer hates me . . . So Happy late Halloween to all those people out there that love Halloween!. Pumpkins, costumes, parties, candy of every sort, being scared to death, trick-or-treating... Yes this is my typical Halloween. But not in Italy, wonder why?

        ME TOO! At first I thought, of course they have Halloween like Americans do. Free candy and costumes, really we are all kids at heart right? Wrong to a sense.... I will explain....

        Halloween is kinda a new thing here, so they do not do trick-or-treating like in the USA. They do not go door to door begging for someone to give them candy. (I think mainly because the ways the houses are set up, like apartments are everywhere, and houses are strange to come by) On the bright side, Italians love to party! So I was invited to many parties, but I ended up just going to my friends party! Maya, she is the host sister of Noriko (Japanese) and Celestina (Australian) was also there!

        It was at her house. Weird thing is I have been to her house so many times but I never knew . . . It was haunted! The house is *about* 500-600 years old and had to be reformed once. Believe me after I heard that story, sleeping was not an option! In my freaked out Halloween mind I could either get attacked while awake or asleep. Which would you choose?

        The party was tons of fun! I got ready at her house ahead of time. I brought my black and was hoping that I would find something in her creepy arrangement of accessories. (Would not really call her punk, more of a free spirit) So I ended up putting fake blood on, and the clip on tiny hats, and went as a Witch/ Dead Vamp. I know what your thinking, could not do any better? Well, I just so happened to forget my costume for Halloween in America, with all the extra room I had in my suitcase of 50 lbs. ;-) Noriko though went as ...well I am not sure....So I will call it a sexy dead Japanese girl. And Celeste was a ...not really sure either....maybe a playboy with blood on her wrists. (Other outfits included; Batman, a Giant rabbit, and A dead Bow-peep?) I am so not good at guessing costumes, oh well ya know!

        We ended up eating, dancing and telling really lame horror stories! (They were trying to do it in English for us, how sweet!) OH I alomost forgot we also ate all of Noriko's Japanese candy. I am telling you that stuff is amazing! It was all in cute sizes too! (I secretly wanted to save some and bring it back to the US, but at last I thought it would be weird...) 

        Oh I did sleep in the house, but I am still alive! We begged Maya and her boyfriend to come and sleep on the couch near us! It was alittle creepy still!

-----Allora (ok),  So for what happened on the first of November:

        I went with my favorite Japanese exchange student and Maya and Marco (the boyfriend) to the mall. We watched Despicable Me 2 (Cattivissimo Me 2 in Italian) - There were no English subtitles but I saw the movie before in English so I was able to find what they were saying! Poor Noriko though, she was a lost puppy! After that we went and saw a 5D movie. (It is 3D with wind, water, and the seats moving) It was awesome! I was freaked out! I suggest doing this! Then we went bowling! Out of 4 people I came in third, guess I was a bit rusty? Even still Noriko killed us all, I think it is because Japanese people are good at everything -Stereotype!- But true! Then we went out to eat, I got pizza and I ate the entire pizza! So did Noriko! I love having my own pizza, greedy American I know :) But haven't you ever just wanted it all, but could not have it? YUM, it is worth the million calories!

        So that was my Halloween, but I heard from my school friends they did not dress up for Halloween!!! I mean you get to do it once! Well I guess Italians just have not gotten into that yet. ;-) But soon.....

Hope your Halloween made you shiver! Till next time Readers! 

| § | XOXO Brystal | § |

Lamezia at night behind me :)

Japanese Candy = The bomb!

Spooky!

Shivers yet?

Celeste <3

My favorite girls!

Must I say anymore? 

My Trip to Salerno

        This past week I did what all exchange students wanted to do from the get-go! I traveled! To where you may ask? Well I think my title explains I went to Salerno Italy! Such a beautiful place full of history and life!

        I took a 2 hour long train from the bottom of Italy to the middle near Napels with the other 2 exchange students in my area. Celestina and Noriko! I had the window seat and I cannot even express in words what the Italian coast is like. But I will try ;-) For one, the train took the route next to the sea the entire time! The shore was very calm and extremly blue! For awhile the edge of the beach was made of rocks. They formed a shape. One after another there were GIANT "T's" .....Like this: T_T_T_T_T_T_ (Be a little creative with your mind, I only have the keyboard to work with, and you have the world inside of you) At the edge of the T's people where fishing, but why on rocks I do not know. I wonder if these were man-made? They seemed so perfectly perfect they had to be.....

        Got to Salerno finally! I had to walk what felt like forever to the building we would stay at. (from Wednesday-Saterday) So I dragged my heavy suitcase, you know how girls pack (way to much), up hill after hill. Streets in Italy seem to be mainly handmade. Almost all of the streets were cobble-stone or laid bricks. Which make walking with weights not easy. - Anyway, this place we were staying at was creepy. No one wanted to be alone, we all stayed in groups together! What was the creepest part about this place you ask? Well there was a huge CHURCH inside! Like for what reason would that be needed? Also each room was made to fit 3 or more people. One room where the guys stayed had 10 beds! Think Harry Potter style here, how weird would that be, thank goodness that was not my room! ( we all ended up switching rooms anyway because we had to be with people that spoke our language! ) And the all night parties because no one wanted to go to sleep without someone else! Gosh one night I went to bed early and I slept with the light on!

        Well most of the days were spent inside this large room, we called it a prison to go with the creepy hotel theme. So I won't get much into that, just know it was boring! BUT I will get into the talent show part! Each country had to do an act. So the Americans/Australian team sang "Star Spangled Banner". (Celestina did not know it, and we had a different song planed-Hey Soul Sister- till we saw everyone else was doing things related to their culture) Lazy Americans right? We just wanted to make it easy. Its ok thou, we went up there and kinda bombed it anyway..... There is a video that I must find because we look so funny! You could tell we did not plan it! BUT the other countries were amazing! A few that stock out: The 2 kids from Turkey did a rap from Turkey. The 3 kids from Japan (Noriko!!) did origami to a song! They each finished a swan in under 3 minutes and it was timed perfectly! They also handed out origami after! CUTE! Then the people who all spoke spanish from (pretty-much all of South America, and Spain) did a cool dance! Then the Hong Kong girls sang a song in their language! Also a girl from India sang a song. Then the guy from Finland, the girl from France, the boy from (I forget) and another girl from Poland did a really funny act! They were all speaking in their language so no one understood but it was so funny!
 -Thats all I remember -

        LASTLY (maybe) We toured Salerno! For only like 3 hours but still we got out of our prison and saw the light again! So warm and inviting! Gosh I love the sun after having been a vampire for a few days! So we toured the city as a large group. Visiting the outside of our building (We did talk about the outside for like 30 minutes...NON LO SO!) Then we went to a Church! It was stunning! I have a few pictures at the bottom! This Church was gorgeous, it was like seeing part of god himself! That building must have taken years to build! After the Chruch we went to the sea and ate ice cream! Yum! Then we finished after a few pictures of course! Dont want to forget this do we now?.?.?

          NVM Lately again! The train home. Yea so my group was first and we ended up being late. We had ran and I do mean ran through Salerno. Dragging our heavy luggage behind us just in time to see mine, Celestina's, and Noriko's train leave without us. We took a different one, but seriously what a leg workout! I think I am set for the entire year! Do not need to do any more running till June! (gosh I hate running so much!)

Picture time!!!! 

Till next time Readers! (Remember I gave up spelling, so I did not check this!) 

| § | XOXO Brystal | § | 

Moto bikes are everywhere is Italy!!! This picture is Italy!

The ceiling, do you see that ceiling?!?!?

The Church! And the huge pipe organ! 

From left to right: Me, Hong Kong girl (cant spell the name!) Kelly, Celestina, Rutuja (India), Kristina, Shayla (USA Ohio)

Poland Girl Agnieszka, Celestina, Kat, Me, and Kelly! 

Me-Celestina-Katie (america from PA too!) 

Beautiful Mountains

        Its about time where I can say I have been in Italy for a month and a half! Like when did this happen guys? I heard for months leading up to this that time flys! Yes, I am fully a believer now! I am witnessing my life run at full speed! While I also sit and wait for my italian language to click! I hope soon, I am getting bored of not speaking much at all. When I have so much to say!

        So what has happened to me so far? Well first with school! I have been helping in all of my English class(es) -4 maybe -for my graduation project in America. If I do not do this project I can not graduate . . . bummer . . . So I am helping Italians PROPERLY learn English. They all need a helping hand! Mostly with speaking it in one fluid sentence! My english must be getting worse when all I hear are sentences like, "I go America when finish school. I no speak English, sorry"  :) Its sooo adorable! So Yes this must be fixed!

        Also with school, some of my classmates left for Belgium today! They are going for a one week exchange! GOOD LUCK! Also with Interculteral I am leaving for Salerno tomorrow morning for 4 days for an orientation with Celestina (Australian) and Noriko (Japenese). We are all excited to see more of this GORGOUS place!!!

        Speaking of gorgous, I went to get my residence permit so I wont be kicked out of Europe! The place I had to go was in Catanzaro! It is a city of 100,000+ people and it is split in half.  Yea, what? I really mean this city is on 2 mountains and bridges connect the city together! In between the mountains I hear is a form of water. (river, lack, ocean I do not know) BUT I do know the ocean is so close, it could be that! I wish I got pictures but I did not think I would need my camera! Stupid, stupid, stupid! I really should bring that every where! I really can not even dojustice to this city without a picture!

        Well I have also gone and had a picnic with my host family! The place was in the mountains and it was nice to get out! The place was oddly almost infested with dogs, they were everywhere! I felt a little bad thou being a dog lover and having to ignore them all! I wanted to pet them, but my host family practically tackled me screaming that they are wild vicious animals that will bite your (insert body part) off! While I sat there like, "Their just dogs and so cute and tame!"

        Well I think thats all that was note-worthy! Now I can finish with - my American family is doing great though! It is weird it seems like now all of my sister have boyfriends while I sit in Italy dreaming! ;-) Well I do understand why, I dont speak their language! But a girl can hope right?

        I also will be getting my phone back soon! Long story short, the day before my exchange started I dropped it on the street. The screen broke miserably, so I have had to wait to let it get fixed! I also will have less boring posts then because I LOVE PICTURES! They do speak 1000 words for me! Also less time typing and you the reader gets to see some color! Win - Win!

I have got to go pack now! So till next time, thanks for reading this! Ciao! 

| § | XOXO Brystal | § |

Lets Switch Things Up Now!

        Ciao! I hope your having a great day because well we are all breathing, shouldn't that be enough? Yesterday I finally got to switch my classes around! To bad really, I liked my history teacher not teaching anything! Which in Italy I hear you can not fire a teacher even if they are so bad you just want to cry! In Italy you have to wait till they retire or quit! SOOO... Now I take a different history class! 2 really, my schedule is different I would say... I got to meet tons of new people today! Like so many, I cannot remember names at this point. Would it be weird if I start writing them down? Does not really matter, they find me on facebook anyway :-).... I have noticed also that sometimes it is good I am American, they always have to many questions about America! So there is no silence only the feeling of being new and different! I have felt that enough!

        I also have grown to love listening to Italians speak! In Italian or English! They get so into what they are saying, I can easily follow a conversation just by the hand gestures and face movements! It is so adorable! It is like watching a puppy -  you always know what they want or need just because the way they act! They also mess words up so badly! Like in class the difference between "sheep" and "ship" Yea I taught them that they are completely different words! Just adorable!

        So I am also in the process of remembering exactly how to say the ABC's in Italian, my Latin/Italian teacher is going to quiz me on them tomorrow. I do know them already, but she wants to start back at the beginning! So that means I will have to remember how to say W X Y Z which are weird in Italian! They keep throwing me off.....

        Today is also important because it is my step fathers birthday! Happy Birthday TOM BEAR! It is weird not being able to tell him this in person! Oh I wish!

        Well that is it for now! But seriously learning Physics and Chemisty here is not easy. Help me! :) And do ignore all mistakes, I am getting bored of English, while I am switching over to Italian! What language next? Maybe German! .....

P.S. Grazie, Thanks for reading this! I have over 1000 page views already!
     

Till next time | § | XOXO Brystal | § | 

1 Month In

Looking out of my window this morning, towards the sea, it reminded me that my life has forever been changed by this. I have been away from my family for 1 month now. I left them on September 4th, and now it is October 4th. My Exchange offically started then, but I did not arrive in Italy till the 6th. Now to me, it feels like I have been here a few days, not 1 month! I mean, now I only have 9 left! Funny how time works, no matter what, it still goes forward! Soon it will be Christmas and then Easter, then Forth of July! (Which I mark as my time to return to America)

So I have a few things I miss about the States, and I thought I would share it with you!

1. I miss my family, but I have not felt homesick yet! Thank goodness for that, I never liked crying, it always seemed pointless! Do you know what I mean? 

2. I MISS FRENCH FRIES! :-) I know! All this amazing Italian food, but seriously anything to do with a potatos I miss! - I still have potatos here, but like with Pasta, so its not the same! Also there are french fries on the pizza, but that does not count either! My step-father Tom always made the most amazing french fries from scratch!- With the food I miss my Moms Roast with gravey (Practically another food group in my house); My sisters popcorn! I have not had popcorn in a month, I am seriously considering her shipping it to me!; Also my fathers chili! 

3. I Miss my kitties! I had 2 but a few days ago one passed . . .  Babes I love you! :( 

Yea and thats about it. I do miss like little things, but they are not that important. I can live without them! I mean I am Italy, things will replace those small useless items! :) 

So far in Italy I have a few things I LOVE! Want to hear a few?... Of course you do silly!

1. The soft cheeses here are to die for! I am going to get so fat eating them though! YUM! - The pasta is so much better here, I think it is because I eat it every single day! (Everytime I think of pasta I think of my friend Maddy who would just love it here! Her favorite food is pasta!) - The grapes, oh my gosh, they are unexplainable! 

2. I love my host family, they are soooo sweet! They try so hard to communicate with me!

3. Italian music is so cool! I want to listen to only that, but somehow they always put back on American songs... Which they do not understand..?!? 

4. The view of the mountains, sea, city, and windmills each day is SO GORGOUS! 

5. The students in my class I love! Even just this school! They are all so animated I can always guess what they are talking about! They are also so nice! Even when they have to repeat what they said 8 times! 

6. I love shopping here! Expensive, but worth it! 

7.I love how all Italian older woman wear heels! I have seen like 80 year olds wearing higher heels then I do! I do not know how they do it! 

8.The pizza gets its own slot! I have had my host mother write a real Italian recipe for pizza I can not wait to make for my America family! 

Now I can probably go on forever with the food I like here. BUT I won't! I will seriously miss Italy when I leave <3 

OH! I almost forgot, today all Italian students are protesting Italian schools! I am told one reason is because of high priced books! (which they all have to buy, crazy!) So I am at home enjoying my day off! Thinking how much I would rather be in school to see the guy I like, who I have never talked to btw! But he has got to be the most handome guy I have seen here. (If he actually reads this then, your welcome!) Anyway, He speaks Italian, what am I suppose to say.?. (I was never good with guys anyway, I will leave that job to my sister Yvette - well really any of my 3 sisters!) Ok I am done being sappy ^_^ But really Italian guys are good-looking!

Till next time readers | § | XOXO Brystal | § |