January...

Oh boy, I'm really sorry for leaving you hanging for so long. I've been posting lots of pictures to photobucket though...

So. January meant the initial of my reading frenzy. I finished about ten books... four of them being the first four of the Italian Harry Potter series. See, I used to write blogs in class, but now I just spend my days distracted with literature and therefore the blogs stopped. But on the bright side, my Italian reading skillz are pretty freakin' good. Now I'm just trying to power through the 804 pages of Harry Potter 5: L'ordine della Fenice.

Side note- the names are different in Italian Harry Potter. For example, there is no Dumbledore, but instead Albus Silente. McGonnagal becomes McGrannit. Snape becomes Piton. Longbottom becomes Paciock, etc. Lame.

January also marked the beginning of Baking Wednesdays, where a bunch of exchange students get together and, obviously, bake-- things like sugar cookies and fried apple pies-- because it was midterms and winter and we got bored. Our host parents love us. So does my class, when I bring in leftovers... heheh. :]

So, the first three weeks of January were midterms, meaning tests and interrogations in every subject, literally every day. And I actually participated in most of them! Some teachers don't really give exchange students grades though, so I just got things like "Very good" on my English test, or "satisfactory" instead of a number grade in Chemistry. But I actually got 8s in math and physics, and a seven in French, which is pretty dang good for here.

January, January... let's see. Well one Sunday morning I went on a walk with Hilary a bit outside of town and we stumbled upon this park called Monserrato, which is more or less amaaazing. So the next weekend we went back with a big group of exchange students from Sassari and Alghero and took crazy pictures on statues and stuff. I love the Alghero kids. We got to hang out with them a few times this month! :]

This Saturday I went to what was supposedly a Rotary event at a mission, and Rotarians and Rotaract kids were all supposedly going... but it turned out that there were only about five Rotarians and I was the only "youth," aside from the 8-year-old daughter of someone. Sooo, her and I were put to work for four hours sorting medicine based on expiration date, then sorting clothes from "child- winter" to "man- summer." Then there was a long presentation by the missionaries about their volunteer work in Brazil and Kenya. Then we had a big 'ole potluck dinner during which I gossiped with my school's ex-Principal. Then yesterday I went to Thiesi with Hilary's host family and hung out with her host cousin and all her friends all evening, which was super fun. I like those kids :] I hope to go back more often on Sundays!

On Wednesday the Rome kids are coming!!!! Fadwa is staying at my house, and Chris and Cory at Hilary and Tim's houses. Then this weekend is our first Exchange Student event! It's a big weekend in Alghero with all the kids from Sassari, Alghero, Rome and Cagliari (whom we haven't met yet), so I'm super excited! :D

Ha. So much for being smart. I just got my Chemistry written test back: 4. Ouch. Good thing my interrogation went well....

And it's back to Harry Potter for me!

Ciao!

(all three pictures taken in Monserrato)