02.08.06
Posted in Uncategorized
at 4:47 am
Heidi came home from the store last night with a huge bucket of oranges. Apparently there was some sale and since Chloe can’t eat enough of them, it was a good deal. As we tore into them last night, we discovered that some of the oranges were a kind of oranges they sell here called blood oranges. They have dark red flesh and red juice. The taste mostly the same - maybe a little less acidic - but it is kind of a shock when you open one. Apparently they’re normal oranges, but there’s something about the soil that they grow in that makes them come our red inside.
Our teammate, Josh, came over for dinner last night, and his face was priceless!
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02.07.06
Posted in Uncategorized
at 12:54 am
There’s this little movie machine about five minutes from my house. It scans my card, and then I can look and see what movies it has available. Then it spits out the DVD. It’s great language learning since we can listen in Italian but read the English subtitles if we get lost. And it only costs €1.00 (about $1.20) as long as I return the movie within six hours! Very cheap. But they’ve moved the machine farther away, and up the hill from us, so I doubt I’ll be watching anymore. Bummer!
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02.04.06
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at 1:31 am
The other night we were watching Striscia la notizia on TV (it means, skim the news). Italian TV is really just bizarre, but this show is one of the wierdest. It’s sort of like a comedy show where they make fun of current events. But there’s a St. Bernard puppy that sits on the desk and walks in front of the camera. I really can’t even put it into words… Anyway, right towards the end of the show Jesse McCartney (who is apparently popular with the Jr. Highers) comes out for a quick interview. Except he doesn’t speak Italian and the host only speaks a little English. So this kid is answering questions like “How long you stay in Italy?” and the host is translating his answers for the viewers. And Jesse McCartney is really unsure of what is going on since it’s such a weird show to begin with. Incredibly awkward, but a fun interview to watch!
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02.02.06
Posted in Uncategorized
at 3:39 am
Yesterday I had to make a quick train trip to Ancona to sign the paperwork for our offer on the apartment. My train left at 6:55 (way to early!) so I took an early bus down to the station. When I got on the bus, the driver greeted me with a chipper, Buon Giorno! I was a little surprised - usually no conversation is exchanged between the driver and the passengers. I was headed to my seat when he stopped me and asked me about my coffee mug. My awesome sister-in-law sent me one of those nice, stainless steel mugs with a lid. Perfect for early morning trains. But the driver was amazed. He asked me if I had coffee in it and if I bought the coffee in a bar or made it at home. He asked me how I made it and what I put in it. When Italians think of coffee they think of a thick shot of espresso. What we call American coffee they call caffe lungo - long coffee, or even acqua sporca - dirty water. A cup of coffee takes 30 seconds to drink here. So I guess my coffee mug was pretty amazing to him. I almost offered him a drink, to show him the deliciousness that is American coffee, but I thought that might be a little weird. I told him he should get a mug since he needs to stay awake as the driver!
Bonus challenge: the next time you go to a coffee place, order a plain shot of espresso. Most people only drink espresso when it’s diluted in a cappuccino or a latte. Try and straight and you’ll see how the Italians like it! Post your thoughts!
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Heidi came home from the store last night with a huge bucket of oranges. Apparently there was some sale and since Chloe can’t eat enough of them, it was a good deal. As we tore into them last night, we discovered that some of the oranges were a kind of oranges they sell here called blood oranges. They have dark red flesh and red juice. The taste mostly the same - maybe a little less acidic - but it is kind of a shock when you open one. Apparently they’re normal oranges, but there’s something about the soil that they grow in that makes them come our red inside.