This week marked our first days of class. We are currently taking two classes and then in a few weeks we will switch to two other courses. We currently have Consumer Behavior everyday and Italian every other day, so on Mondays and Wednesday we get out a little after noon, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays we have an hour break in the middle for lunch then we stay in class until around 4. Fridays we have both, but hopefully more often then not they will be canceled so that we can travel!
Basically the school day goes like this:
We all meet downstairs and leave the Montarina together about 30 minutes before class starts. The walk takes about 20 minutes and everyone looks at us like we're nuts, but honestly it's a great way to start the day. The walk is mainly downhill and 85% of the time I wake up too late to eat breakfast so I'm stuffing my mouth with a pop tart or a special k bar or something. When we get to class, we start with consumer behavior which is very discussion based. Then, we either go home or break for lunch. The university, USI for short, has a great cafeteria just a few yards from our class that we can go to for quick macchiato or focaccia sandwich (YUM!) Unfortunately, everything is really expensive so we usually just make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and grab a yogurt or something to eat in the classroom.
On Tuesday we met our italian teacher, a local woman in her fifties with the biggest smile and the funniest accent. Sometimes our pronunciation is so bad that she can't help but giggle and the same goes for us (sometimes she asks us how we say certain italian words and she bends over laughing like crazy while we all look around at each other with blank faces wondering what she is laughing about). She not only taught us the basics (which may or may not help us from looking and sounding so american all of the time) but she also teaches a culture segment. We learned all about the region and its history as well as the best places to grab cheap food in town. It is already obvious that she wants to help us as much as possible because when people ask her Lugano questions or questions about weekend trips to nearby towns she answers thoroughly and often researches and asks her friends in those towns about the best places to go. She has already taken on a sort of motherly role and I think everyone really appreciates it.. even though she says our names weirdly.
After classes we usually head home to nap and then go back into town to explore some more. The nap is a pretty crucial part of the day, especially because we are always completely zonked when we finally hike up all of the steps and make it home. In town, 99% of the things we need can be found at Mirgos, a giant superstore that is basically a cleaner, more european Walmart.
There was also a bit of down time for us to hang out at the Montarina and get to know each other even better. We've been playing cards and other games like catch phrase. Mary said it perfectly during one of our conversations earlier this week- being here is a lot like being at camp! That being said, I really need to brush up on my egyptian rat screw skills... my slap reaction time to doubles is at an all time low and I haven't won a game yet.
Dinner is served at 7:30 in the main hotel building next to ours. The owner gave us a presentation this week that explained the history of our buildings and the land that it sits on. We learned all about the winery and our buildings and when and how they were restored. The outside facades have to be preserved, so the buildings almost as beautiful as the sights around us. He explained that there are few places in the world where you can enjoy palm trees and giant snow capped mountains in the same view.
There was also a bit of down time for us to hang out at the Montarina and get to know each other even better. We've been playing cards and other games like catch phrase. Mary said it perfectly during one of our conversations earlier this week- being here is a lot like being at camp! That being said, I really need to brush up on my egyptian rat screw skills... my slap reaction time to doubles is at an all time low and I haven't won a game yet.
Dinner is served at 7:30 in the main hotel building next to ours. The owner gave us a presentation this week that explained the history of our buildings and the land that it sits on. We learned all about the winery and our buildings and when and how they were restored. The outside facades have to be preserved, so the buildings almost as beautiful as the sights around us. He explained that there are few places in the world where you can enjoy palm trees and giant snow capped mountains in the same view.
That basically covers it as far as the school week routine goes. I'll now write a separate post about my trip to Interlaken (or as my sister says it, EEENTAYARLAAAAKENNN!!!!)
Linds
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