Le Lezioni Sono Finite!

Classes are over. I'm right now in the process of finishing all my work for each of my courses. Papers are all done actually, I only have a single exam next Tuesday (not counting my Italian and One World, One Language presentations on Monday and Wednesday.

That stuff is boring though. I was actually kind of frustrated at my lessons this week because I had prepared all my information for the papers due next week... that means I had no real reason to go to class other than to sign attendance. However, the past couple days have been really nice, I should say.

Thursday, I had literally no idea what I would do. I had heard from Elena that there was going to be a reading and question session with the author Salman Rushdie. He recently wrote a book called The Enchantress of Florence and I guess the Italian connection warranted an appearance somewhere in Italy! So Ca' Foscari was a part-sponsor of this bigger program called "Incroci di Civilta'" (Cultural Intersections).

So I ran into Shereen, a literature student from England (University of Kent) and she convinced me that it would be really cool (which didn't take much, let's be honest). We didn't know if we would be able to get tickets, but we did! This event took place in the Teatro Malibran, not far from the Ponte Rialto. We were up in the top balcony. But I could see perfectly. The program opened with Rushdie reading a passage from the new book, with the words translated on a screen behind him. After that, there was a discussion moderator and a professor who asked him questions. Everyone on stage had headphones, and there were live translators working. Actually a lot of people in the audience had headphones too, if they didn't know the English. It was cool for me because I could get both sides of the dialogue.

After the reading session and the questions, I found Elena outside the theater. She was with her friend from childhood Maura, and the three of us went to get a spritz before they were going to the bus station to return to Montebelluna (about one and a half hours away). We picked this trendy little bar near the Erbaria of Rialto, where we met the German girl Sarah and the American Vanessa. Also Judith (German) showed up with her family. They were all heading in different directions. We got in touch with Anthony and he came to meet me, Elena and Maura. After a nice typical plate of Venetian cichetti that we shared, we all walked through San Polo and Santa Croce to Piazzale Roma, the bus station. Then Maura and Elena would go to Mestre, where Elena parked her Vespa. Haha... isn't that typical that they drove on a Vespa? But we don't see that much around here since there aren't any motor vehicles in Venice.

So I was going to go to Campo Santa Margherita to meet with some other VIU students, but Anthony invited me instead to go to the train station to meet up with Anna and Juliana, two other Italian VIU friends. Anna is from Trentino-Alto Adige but has an apartment for school in San Giobbe, in the sestiere of Canareggio of Venice. Juliana is from the same region but she said she's staying in Mestre for the scholastic year. They both go home during breaks. But anyway, they wanted to show me and Anthony one of their favorite places in Canareggio which has a really good white wine. So we took the glasses outside... it was a relatively nice night compared to how humid it's been recently. Although then the bar closed, and we couldn't return the glasses! So they were a present. I now am the proud owner of a wine glass from Vecia Carboneria.

So then we were off to get a gelato, but first Anna wanted to stop by her apartment to ask her housemate if she wanted to come along. Her name was Anastazia, and Anna introduced both me and Anthony. We were really impressed by how large the place was. It was the first time I really saw the inside of a Venetian house. So anyway, on the way to the gelateria (which Anna claims is the best in Canareggio, maybe in Venice) I talked with Anna and Anastazia, and I was flattered and maybe a little embarassed when Anastazia said that when Anthony and I came upstairs and were introduced, she thought Anthony seemed more "straniero" and I seemed more Italian. Which I don't really get because Anthony and I have the same level of Italian, I'd say... although he's more extroverted than I am, I think, and has a more "California" air about him, I mean, that's where he's from. So in a lot of ways, maybe he seems more "American" in that sense (although you can't feel more American than me when Thanksgiving rolls around!!! WOW the countdown is always on). But anyway, I explained the Italian heritage that both Anthony and I have, actually both from Sicily, from Palermo. Although of course Anthony's cognome Dragotto is a little more obvious still today than LaMonica which is there, you just don't see it.

The gelato was amazing. It would be a waste of time searching for the perfect words to describe how good it was. Anthony and I walked back to the vaporetto station with our glasses (from the bar, of course) and it was SO humid! That's another problem. It's hard to sleep now because of the oppressive humidity every night. But whatever. The two of us just love going out and hanging out with the Italians, communicating in another language, and one that's important to both of us at that. I really think that both Anthony and I were looking for the same kind of experience when we came over here. And so I'm glad that we were able to work toward that goal together -- it'd be interesting still by myself, but I like having another American with me. And the Italians think it's really funny that the two of us spend more time speaking Italian than the others, especially since we speak to each other sometimes in Italian.

I'll keep this post short. Next time, I'll tell about the tour of the Laguna di Venezia, which included stops at Torcello, Burano, Mazzorbo, and San Francesco del Deserto. Also, I have to say that I've possibly been hit by some kind of bug, but whatever, I hope I get over it soon.

A piu' tardi,
Andrew