I have started on City of Fallen Angels, by John Berendt, and it is a very interesting read. I think I like this book a little better because it relates directly to Venice. It is interesting to read that he chose to visit Venice during times when the city is less populated by tourists; this was interesting because we are going to Venice in the "low period" of tourists, so hopefully my experiences there can be more real and less touristic.

One interesting part of the book was the description of the burning Opera House. They weren't able to effectively fight the fire because of the canals and the response time. One of the past projects I reviewed was designing an ambulance system for Venice, since the current one was slow and depended entirely on the expertise of the boat drivers, and how well they knew the tide and the traffic conditions. It seems that they are still having problems with that kind of thing; I feel like that is something they should be, if they are not already, adressing.

Continuing with The Dark Heart of Italy, the author makes a point that the Catholic church has a lot to do with family dynamics. I heard from my friend, Sara, who spent the summer in Italy, that the families stay together. I looked it up, and children usually live in the same town as they grew up it, or very close. The author made an interesting correlation, saying that because of the church, and the Madonna in particular, this is what underlies all of the family values and traditions found in Italy. I wonder if it is true. It seems to make sense.

On a side note, I am very excited to see some of the churches in Venice. I also plan on going to Rome, to see the Vatican, which has some of the best religious and historical art in the world. Only 12 days left!

It is interesting how Italians see style and conversation...from what I can get from "The Dark Heart of Italy", Italians seem to be more "civilized". Certainly they dress more stylishly than Americans, that will be something to remember when we are over there. I have already begun to think about what would be appropriate to wear in Venice. The book discusses the fashion world of Italy, which is very sophisticated. But then, all of the best designers come from Italy. I will have to see what I can and cannot wear over in Venice.

The Dark Heart of Italy - review 1

"The Dark Heart of Italy" has been an interesting read because it delves into the culture and mannerisms of the Italian people. I've noticed some interesting things, some of which I have heard before, like "Italians like to hear themselves talk". But there are other interesting things, like the fact that Italians don't really move out of their hometown; they don't really start working until they are in their 30's. It was not too surprising to hear about the legal systems, Tobias talked about waiting in line at the bank for half the day, and the waiting was as much a cultural experience as anything. People would catch up with each other, discuss and complain about the "system".

What I found most surprising was the information about Italian soccer. As the author says, it is surprising that Italians would be more calculating than passionate in the game, because in real life it seems to be opposite. Of course, some of the feelings the author was having about the game was confusing, because I don't understand all of the intricacies of the game.

So far the book has been interesting; I am working through it and soon will start on "City of Falling Angels" as soon as I have finished "The Dark Heart of Italy".

So here are some things I think are important to know...

costare - to cost
assere - to be

un fornaio - bakery
un supermercato - supermarket
ottobre - October
novembre - November
dicembre - December
caldo - hot
freddo - cold
uscita - exit
antipasto - appetizer
ristorante - restaurant

Scusi - Excuse me
Parla inglese? - Do you speak english?
Quanto costa? - How much does it cost?
Che ora e? - What time is it?
Vorrei... - I'd like...

Hopefully there will be a class for Italian, because I don't think I'm learning much on my own. I can't wait to go, though...I spent yesterday with a tour guide book, trying to figure out what I want to see. Can't believe summer's almost over...

I wonder if this year we'll have a problem with flooding? I almost want there to be at least one day where it is flooded, just so I can walk around in those rubber boots.

So I watched the Italian Job the other day, and it made me think of Venice, as everyone can probably imagine, as it is first set in Venice. Apparently they actually filmed in Venice and got special permission to race their boats in the canals, most likely blowing up that dock as well. That's interesting. After I found that out I am now hoping that they want to make a second Italian Job, and happen to film while we are there. I wouldn't mind meeting Mark Wahlberg.

Well, have been continuing with the Rosetta Stone, although I'm not sure how much I have actually absorbed. But hopefully we will have some sort of class A term.

I booked my tickets the other day! It was so exciting, although my bank account is a lot slimmer now...but at least I have the ticket confirmations! I would recommend to anyone to go through Europe and take a connecting flight, because it seemed to be a lot cheaper that going straight to Venice.

Only four more months now!

Using the Rosetta Stone software to try and learn some of the basics...it would be better if I could find some kind of class over the summer, but have had no luck yet. Keep trying though...only 5 more months to go! (I hope plane ticket prices go down)

Summer...

School's out now, and I'll be looking for an Italian class over the summer. The tutor's were helpful, even telling us useful things about what to look out for in the cities. So apparently using cash is better, which is a good thing to know. Hopefully I'll find some kind of class; I want to be able to speak a little when I go to Venice.

I did get a tour book, and I've been going through that marking down places and things I want to see. It's exciting, now that I am one term closer to Venice!

First Thoughts

Last week we met with the students who had previously gone to Venice for IQP. They had a lot of interesting insights that I hadn't thought of before. Apparently flooding is an issue. Good thing they told me, or I would have had wet feet when I got there. Hearing from them actually made me even more excited about going. I want to eat at the local restaurants, and see the sights. But I am very excited about trying to speak with the Venetians. I already have a "short guide to Italy" book that I have flipped through.

I have been using the Rosetta Stone software, and that is actually a good program. It relies on immersion, so no English is used, but I can understand everything because they make use of pictures and repetition. I do wish there was a teacher though, because then I would know if I was making any progress. But I am planning on finding an Italian class over the summer, because I don't want to go over to Venice without knowing anything. The past Venice people said that you learn a lot when you are over there, but it never hurts to be prepared.

Below I have added pictures of Venice...hopefully I will eventually be able to replace them with pictures I have taken myself. I can't wait for that! I can't believe the year is almost over, so I suppose B term will come fast enough.

So for now, arrivederci!