Hey everyone,
It's Heather and Julia, writing to you after yet another eventful week of new experiences. We got many opportunities to break out of our routine and consistent agenda by attending classes with Italians.
On Wednesday, after school, we got the chance to speak with fifth year Italian students who recently started studying the English language. In Professoressa Dolce’s class, we were given prompt questions about our likes and dislikes of school subjects, to which most of us replied, “being in Italian class.” While laughing and finding common interests of music and movies, the Italian style proved to be much different than ours. A few of us even explained Canada’s geography with a chalkboard drawing, whereas the Italians drew a significantly better portrait of their home country. Some students were more capable of conversing in English, while others struggled with it, but everyone made a good effort. Though the incentive to get additional volunteer hours was the main motive, we all had a blast and hope to return.
Over the course of the week, we experienced a couple of other Italian cultural events. Thursday consisted of meeting with Professoressa Alici’s class, where we learned about items around the house. This was class both amusing and educational using common Italian words we use every day. Saturday’s sculpture class with Professore Donadario was with the Italians we know the best. It was interesting to compare the Italians’ remarkable artwork to our not-so-good sculptures.
Later that Saturday afternoon, most of us took the hour and a half train to Pescara, a city that made most of us nostalgic for Toronto’s busy and fast paced nature. While scavenging for good deals on expensive clothing, we came to the conclusion that most stores required a little more money than we expected.
As many of you may have already heard, we will be having an audience with the Pope, this coming Wednesday. Although, we are not all too thrilled about the strict dress code, we look forward to this once in a lifetime experience.
With less than a month left in PSG, we’re all both excited and saddened due to the fact that we will get to see our friends and families yet will have to leave our family behind here, at our home away from home.
This week’s interesting topic is: “what has been your funniest moment(s) on the trip?”
Alex: When Ricker punches Dylan in the stomach and Dylan replies, “Uhhhhhhh...YES!!”
Clarissa: i. When Mr.C visited
ii. The time on the 8th floor
iii. When we encountered Mr. Purple Sweater
Chelsea: i. When Heather thought the Titanic was in the movie The Day after Tomorrow.
ii. When we got steamy chestnuts at the Trevi fountain.
iii. Dinner with Claire’s entertainment.
Silvana: Lesson 37, taking webcam pictures of Michelle
Michelle: i. Angel with Claire
ii. At dinner when drinking tea, singing and making heart shapes out of orange peels.
Claire: i. General dinner nonsense
ii. When studying for Italian class
Taylor: While Sean was visiting our room, Mel and I put on some music and we began dancing when we tripped over my suitcases bursting into laughter, while Sean just looked up and shook his head.
Melissa: All our little movie nights where we squished as many people as possible onto the beds and Kasia barging in most of the time and us screaming at her while she jumps on us.
Julia: i. When Mr.C and Roshandra visited.
ii. Watching the Herbert the Pervert and Ollie Family Guy episodes.
Heather: Watching the reaction video to Scarlett takes a Tumble on Youtube.
Marisa: i. The time when I said “Mirko Bio” during the game “Things”
ii. When Buffy is whittles the stakes with Angel and Xander on Buffy the Vampire
Slayer.
Sam D: Aerobics class!! When the uncoordinated attempt to dance.
Natalia Z: When we played the game “Things”
Sam L: The times when we watched Supernatural.
Kasia: i. Natalia H’s laundry wipe-out.
ii. When Julia and I were playing slap sumo in the hallways.
iii. Doing the gangster walks.
iv. Michelle’s laugh at dinner.
Natalia H: i. Elevator ride with Annamaria.
ii. making the Katy Perry remix to “Waking up in Vegas”.
iii. Studying for Classical Civilization class.
Ricker: Dinner talk before watching The Secretary.
Peter: When we had movie nights.
Dylan: Any moment with the word “poetry”.
Sean: Listening to Mr. Tuohy’s lectures (e.g. #5 “Love, Sex and Gender in Ancient Greece”...it’s educational).
As always, please check out our new photos at: www.flickr.com/photos/tcdsbinitalia
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Week of Nov 9-15
Hey Y’all Michelle & Claire here.
This week was exciting but also very relaxed. We’re almost half way through the month and, with exams approaching closer and closer, the stress is building up. We have a lot of work at the moment but the teachers are trying their hardest to make it better for us by scheduling fun things to do during or after school.
Tuesday after school we went to Fermo on a double-decker bus with the rest of the Italians at our school. Once there we went on a tour of the cisterns (how ancient Romans stored water) and also enjoyed a tour of the Fermo museum. The museum included priceless artworks as well as a library filled with historical books, one of the most valuable of these writings being the letter Christopher Columbus wrote to the queen of Spain after discovering North America. After visiting the museum, we walked up to the very top of Fermo to visit the Fermo Cathedral. The cathedral was beautiful and contained preserved mosaics and artwork. We then jumped back on the bus and drove back to P.S.G.
On Wednesday we shared some chestnuts with the rest of our school because the Italians were celebrating Festa di San Martino. Chestnuts, snacks, and drinkage were only 2 euros. Thanks to Mr.Tuohy and his generous wallet, we all had a taste of these scrumptious treats.
Thursday we had regular classes until third period when we were able to go to the market. Some of us found some nice buys with our new found bargaining skills.
We were all excited for Friday to come along because everyone was invited to a big dinner with Luciano, our gym instructor. It was very nice seeing Luciano and meeting his family. He took us to an amazing pizzeria where they served several types of pizzas, even the dessert was in pizza form. The teachers conversed with Luciano and his family until about 1:00 am while the rest of us talked with Luciano’s son and his friends outside. The next morning the teachers were generous and gave us a 10:00 a.m. wake-up call as well as a shortened schedule.
Saturday we all enjoyed the shorter day because it was a nice break from our typical long school days. The school day ended with us watching “The Day After Tomorrow” in Italian (thank god for English subtitles). Church was....well, church, and Saturday night some of us went out, while others enjoyed a cosy night in catching up on their favourite TV shows. In all we had an eventful yet stress-free week.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What’s your Favourite purchase so far?
Sam L – My Black Boots from Fermo (I wear them everywhere)
Melissa – My suede boots from Fermo
Kasia – Trumpet from Macerata
Nat H – Horse painting from Florence
Julia – Winter coat from PSG
Heather – Suede Jacket from Florence
Chelsea – Purple dress from Fermo
Silvana – Coat from Oviesse from PSG
Dylan – Leather wallet From Florence
Clarissa –Black boots from Rome
Marissa –Necklace from Venice
Alex – Leather jacket from Florence
Sam D – Gondola charm from Venice
Taylor – Hat from Fermo
Nat Z – Venetian Masks from Venice
Sean – Leather jacket from Florence
Ricker – Cross necklace from Rome
Peter – Winter coat from PSG
Michelle – Grey dress from PSG
Claire – Leather Purse from PSG
ACROSTIC POEM OF PORTO SAN GORGIO
Punto (our main grocery store)
Ocean (our front yard)
Rain (this month’s weather)
Tiramisu (the best dessert ever)
Oasi (the only mall within walking distance)
Sand (makes up the beautiful beach)
Anti-social (the kids at our school)
New experiences (we have every day)
Gelato (no explanation needed)
Over-priced shopping (too many designer shops)
Running on the tread mill at the gym (too much gelato)
Great friends (the 20 of us)
Italian cooking (pastapastapastapastapasta)
Outstanding views (they surround us)
This week was exciting but also very relaxed. We’re almost half way through the month and, with exams approaching closer and closer, the stress is building up. We have a lot of work at the moment but the teachers are trying their hardest to make it better for us by scheduling fun things to do during or after school.
Tuesday after school we went to Fermo on a double-decker bus with the rest of the Italians at our school. Once there we went on a tour of the cisterns (how ancient Romans stored water) and also enjoyed a tour of the Fermo museum. The museum included priceless artworks as well as a library filled with historical books, one of the most valuable of these writings being the letter Christopher Columbus wrote to the queen of Spain after discovering North America. After visiting the museum, we walked up to the very top of Fermo to visit the Fermo Cathedral. The cathedral was beautiful and contained preserved mosaics and artwork. We then jumped back on the bus and drove back to P.S.G.
On Wednesday we shared some chestnuts with the rest of our school because the Italians were celebrating Festa di San Martino. Chestnuts, snacks, and drinkage were only 2 euros. Thanks to Mr.Tuohy and his generous wallet, we all had a taste of these scrumptious treats.
Thursday we had regular classes until third period when we were able to go to the market. Some of us found some nice buys with our new found bargaining skills.
We were all excited for Friday to come along because everyone was invited to a big dinner with Luciano, our gym instructor. It was very nice seeing Luciano and meeting his family. He took us to an amazing pizzeria where they served several types of pizzas, even the dessert was in pizza form. The teachers conversed with Luciano and his family until about 1:00 am while the rest of us talked with Luciano’s son and his friends outside. The next morning the teachers were generous and gave us a 10:00 a.m. wake-up call as well as a shortened schedule.
Saturday we all enjoyed the shorter day because it was a nice break from our typical long school days. The school day ended with us watching “The Day After Tomorrow” in Italian (thank god for English subtitles). Church was....well, church, and Saturday night some of us went out, while others enjoyed a cosy night in catching up on their favourite TV shows. In all we had an eventful yet stress-free week.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What’s your Favourite purchase so far?
Sam L – My Black Boots from Fermo (I wear them everywhere)
Melissa – My suede boots from Fermo
Kasia – Trumpet from Macerata
Nat H – Horse painting from Florence
Julia – Winter coat from PSG
Heather – Suede Jacket from Florence
Chelsea – Purple dress from Fermo
Silvana – Coat from Oviesse from PSG
Dylan – Leather wallet From Florence
Clarissa –Black boots from Rome
Marissa –Necklace from Venice
Alex – Leather jacket from Florence
Sam D – Gondola charm from Venice
Taylor – Hat from Fermo
Nat Z – Venetian Masks from Venice
Sean – Leather jacket from Florence
Ricker – Cross necklace from Rome
Peter – Winter coat from PSG
Michelle – Grey dress from PSG
Claire – Leather Purse from PSG
ACROSTIC POEM OF PORTO SAN GORGIO
Punto (our main grocery store)
Ocean (our front yard)
Rain (this month’s weather)
Tiramisu (the best dessert ever)
Oasi (the only mall within walking distance)
Sand (makes up the beautiful beach)
Anti-social (the kids at our school)
New experiences (we have every day)
Gelato (no explanation needed)
Over-priced shopping (too many designer shops)
Running on the tread mill at the gym (too much gelato)
Great friends (the 20 of us)
Italian cooking (pastapastapastapastapasta)
Outstanding views (they surround us)
If you get a chance check out this week's photo postings at: www.flickr.com/photos/tcdsbinitalia
Monday, November 9, 2009
Week of November 1-8
Hey everyone,
This is Silvana N. and Alex G. and we’re writing about the fun times we’re having in Italy. It’s the start of a new month and time here in Italy is flying away! If we had to describe this week in just one word it would be: Midterms! Though we’re still having a blast, this week was hectic, with all the essays, projects and quizzes that were due. It was a busy week therefore an hour of study hall was instituted. We all gathered on the first floor each night and concentrated on completing our assignments. Initially we all rolled our eyes to the thought of having an extra hour of school. We all have to say that it was worth it in the end as we benefited from working productively.
On Wednesday November 4th, we all got dolled up and attended a play inspired by the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland. We were lucky enough to get free tickets, for great box seats (balcony seats), from Cesare, the cultural director of Porto San Giorgio. Though it was not what we had originally expected, it was definitely a memorable experience for us.
On Sunday, November 8th, we went on an excursion to a 1000 year old Monastery. Though it does not sound like the most exciting trip for a group of teenagers, we ended up having a blast! It incorporated what we are currently learning in class about the Romanesque and Gothic art period. We visited the church Abbadia Di Chiaravalle Di Fiastra. It was very plain and simple, but at the same time very beautiful even though it was not as ornate as most churches we have already seen. Luckily for us, we went on a great day. It happens to be there was a festival occurring. There were many stands, manned by local farmers and store owners, selling anything from fresh food to arts and crafts. We all munched on freshly roasted chestnuts and watched authentic Italian folk dancing, called Tarantella. Both Ricker and Silvana were volunteered to join in on the action and had tons of fun dancing with the locals. Silvana – it was a lot of fun and I most definitely can`t explain how much laughter Ricker and I and also the rest of our classmates had from all the excitement. It was kind of like you had to be there to see us dancing and what we had to do. Overall our day at the monastery was quite enjoyable.
On our way back home from the monastery, we stopped in the main piazza of Macerata. It`s a very big city with a nice market place and stores. We really enjoyed the free time we had to look around the market as we only had a very limited time in the city.
We surveyed or classmates and asked them what their favourite quote was from this trip so far:
Julia- “E lei, Signora? Posso avere una coca-cola, per piacere? Ah, ah, ah, ah, oh una coca-cola light, per la signora. Perche Giovanni? Hai ha ducia hai riducia”
Clarissa- “Mirko Boi”, “D&H scale”, The quirks of the emperors”
Chelsea- “That’s what she said”, “Dante’s so easy I can do him right now”
Heather- “That’s a whole lot of meat rollin’ around on that floor”
Kasia- “I’m not with you”
Natalia H.- “D and G. Di Giavani, hellooooo”, “What if your father was a bear keeper?” “9.5always room for improvement”, “What are you doing?”
Sean-Patrick- “Vroooom Vroooom from the back”
Peter- Peter does not have a quote
Ricker- “My mom made me come, so I came”
Dylan- “Duh HelloOoOoOoOoOo”
Claire- “Which one doesn’t fit?”
Michelle- “We are the winx!”, “The Thief Lord would!”
Sam L.- “The caveman”, “Don’t kiss any pigs; that includes piglets”
Melissa- “Should I go to the gym with Luciano and his spandex or get a haircut where someone might end up having to leave the dinner table?”
Taylor- “Sweetheart”
Natalia Z.-“Melissa we’ve got a problem! How am I gonna get this camel into my suitcase”
Sam D.- “It depends on what kind of butt you want to see”, “life’s a beach”
Marisa-“I feel stronger...I can hear the worms in the earth”, “Billy Rae”, “Poetry”
Silvana- “I still can’t believe we’re in Italy”
Alex-“I need a plug”, “Merlin’s pants”
Our adventures here in Italy keep expanding into more and more memories that we will never forget and treasure forever. We are lucky kids, thanks parents :)
Thanks for reading this week’s blog and stay tuned for next week’s!
Ciao!!!
The internet is super slow tonight so we are having trouble uploading photos but check soon (we hope!) at: www.flickr.com/photos/tcdsbinitalia
This is Silvana N. and Alex G. and we’re writing about the fun times we’re having in Italy. It’s the start of a new month and time here in Italy is flying away! If we had to describe this week in just one word it would be: Midterms! Though we’re still having a blast, this week was hectic, with all the essays, projects and quizzes that were due. It was a busy week therefore an hour of study hall was instituted. We all gathered on the first floor each night and concentrated on completing our assignments. Initially we all rolled our eyes to the thought of having an extra hour of school. We all have to say that it was worth it in the end as we benefited from working productively.
On Wednesday November 4th, we all got dolled up and attended a play inspired by the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland. We were lucky enough to get free tickets, for great box seats (balcony seats), from Cesare, the cultural director of Porto San Giorgio. Though it was not what we had originally expected, it was definitely a memorable experience for us.
On Sunday, November 8th, we went on an excursion to a 1000 year old Monastery. Though it does not sound like the most exciting trip for a group of teenagers, we ended up having a blast! It incorporated what we are currently learning in class about the Romanesque and Gothic art period. We visited the church Abbadia Di Chiaravalle Di Fiastra. It was very plain and simple, but at the same time very beautiful even though it was not as ornate as most churches we have already seen. Luckily for us, we went on a great day. It happens to be there was a festival occurring. There were many stands, manned by local farmers and store owners, selling anything from fresh food to arts and crafts. We all munched on freshly roasted chestnuts and watched authentic Italian folk dancing, called Tarantella. Both Ricker and Silvana were volunteered to join in on the action and had tons of fun dancing with the locals. Silvana – it was a lot of fun and I most definitely can`t explain how much laughter Ricker and I and also the rest of our classmates had from all the excitement. It was kind of like you had to be there to see us dancing and what we had to do. Overall our day at the monastery was quite enjoyable.
On our way back home from the monastery, we stopped in the main piazza of Macerata. It`s a very big city with a nice market place and stores. We really enjoyed the free time we had to look around the market as we only had a very limited time in the city.
We surveyed or classmates and asked them what their favourite quote was from this trip so far:
Julia- “E lei, Signora? Posso avere una coca-cola, per piacere? Ah, ah, ah, ah, oh una coca-cola light, per la signora. Perche Giovanni? Hai ha ducia hai riducia”
Clarissa- “Mirko Boi”, “D&H scale”, The quirks of the emperors”
Chelsea- “That’s what she said”, “Dante’s so easy I can do him right now”
Heather- “That’s a whole lot of meat rollin’ around on that floor”
Kasia- “I’m not with you”
Natalia H.- “D and G. Di Giavani, hellooooo”, “What if your father was a bear keeper?” “9.5always room for improvement”, “What are you doing?”
Sean-Patrick- “Vroooom Vroooom from the back”
Peter- Peter does not have a quote
Ricker- “My mom made me come, so I came”
Dylan- “Duh HelloOoOoOoOoOo”
Claire- “Which one doesn’t fit?”
Michelle- “We are the winx!”, “The Thief Lord would!”
Sam L.- “The caveman”, “Don’t kiss any pigs; that includes piglets”
Melissa- “Should I go to the gym with Luciano and his spandex or get a haircut where someone might end up having to leave the dinner table?”
Taylor- “Sweetheart”
Natalia Z.-“Melissa we’ve got a problem! How am I gonna get this camel into my suitcase”
Sam D.- “It depends on what kind of butt you want to see”, “life’s a beach”
Marisa-“I feel stronger...I can hear the worms in the earth”, “Billy Rae”, “Poetry”
Silvana- “I still can’t believe we’re in Italy”
Alex-“I need a plug”, “Merlin’s pants”
Our adventures here in Italy keep expanding into more and more memories that we will never forget and treasure forever. We are lucky kids, thanks parents :)
Thanks for reading this week’s blog and stay tuned for next week’s!
Ciao!!!
The internet is super slow tonight so we are having trouble uploading photos but check soon (we hope!) at: www.flickr.com/photos/tcdsbinitalia
Monday, November 2, 2009
Week of October 26-November 1
Hey, everyone, Happy Halloween!
This is Clarissa and Chelsea blogging from October 27-November 1.
This week was full of exchanges with the Italian students. Our first class was a sketching class on Wednesday with Professoressa Mignini. In this class we learned how to sketch with shadows and light. There were tables with various items and we had to pick one that we could sketch…to the best of our ability of courseJ.
The second exchange was a sculpture class with Professore Donadario on Thursday. We were each given tasks to recreate a previously made sculpture using clay. These included faces, abstract structures, and even a pikachu. During this time we were also able to get our creations from the previous class and sand them down as well as paint them with beautiful colours. This class really helped us get in touch with our artsy sides and everyone had a great time. After we were finished with this two hour class, we headed to the market. A lot of people found some great things at great prices, and were very happy with their final purchases.
Our final exchange for the week was on Friday with Professoressa Alici. In this class we were asked to bring a prepared booklet of worksheets to help improve our Italian language skills. We then dispersed ourselves amongst the Italian students, and talked about our favourite bands, TV shows, movies, etc. We moved among different groups, and definitely started to feel more comfortable with the language, even if we did make a couple mistakes.
On Saturday, during Italian class, we watched the classic Walt Disney movie, Alice in Wonderland, in Italian. The reason for this is that we will be viewing the Alice in Wonderland play on November 4th together as a class. All of us are super excited for this play and will now understand most of the character’s names and intentions.
As for Halloween night, almost every student dressed up as a different high school stereotype. The list of costumes is below. After dinner, we went out into the piazza and had a fun night hanging out and taking some great pictures. It definitely proved to be a great Halloween.
Getting to sleep in on Sunday was also a great treat! At 3:00 pm some of us walked over to a sports centre for a celebration of the start of the local team’s basketball season, where we got some freebies and such. We took a group picture and even had some refreshments.
This year’s Halloween Costumes (which were all pretty awesome):
Alex-The Hardcore Rebel
Julia-The FOB kid
Clarissa-The Scene Kid
Chelsea-The Emo Kid
Heather-Herself
Silvana-The Gina Kid
Kasia-The Smartie Pants (literally!)
Natalia H.- DaGangster
Sean-Patrick-Himself
Peter- Our very own….Lucas Scott!!!
Ricker-The Kid Who Stuck His Finger In An Electrical Socket
Dylan-Himself
Claire-Rocker Chick
Michelle-Nerd
Sam L.-Alice Cullen
Melissa-Queen Bee
Taylor-Cheerleader/Prep
Natalia Z.-Herself
Sam D.-Sport Jock
Marisa-Artsy Kid
Be sure to check out this week's photos at: www.flickr.com/photos/tcdsbinitalia
This is Clarissa and Chelsea blogging from October 27-November 1.
This week was full of exchanges with the Italian students. Our first class was a sketching class on Wednesday with Professoressa Mignini. In this class we learned how to sketch with shadows and light. There were tables with various items and we had to pick one that we could sketch…to the best of our ability of courseJ.
The second exchange was a sculpture class with Professore Donadario on Thursday. We were each given tasks to recreate a previously made sculpture using clay. These included faces, abstract structures, and even a pikachu. During this time we were also able to get our creations from the previous class and sand them down as well as paint them with beautiful colours. This class really helped us get in touch with our artsy sides and everyone had a great time. After we were finished with this two hour class, we headed to the market. A lot of people found some great things at great prices, and were very happy with their final purchases.
Our final exchange for the week was on Friday with Professoressa Alici. In this class we were asked to bring a prepared booklet of worksheets to help improve our Italian language skills. We then dispersed ourselves amongst the Italian students, and talked about our favourite bands, TV shows, movies, etc. We moved among different groups, and definitely started to feel more comfortable with the language, even if we did make a couple mistakes.
On Saturday, during Italian class, we watched the classic Walt Disney movie, Alice in Wonderland, in Italian. The reason for this is that we will be viewing the Alice in Wonderland play on November 4th together as a class. All of us are super excited for this play and will now understand most of the character’s names and intentions.
As for Halloween night, almost every student dressed up as a different high school stereotype. The list of costumes is below. After dinner, we went out into the piazza and had a fun night hanging out and taking some great pictures. It definitely proved to be a great Halloween.
Getting to sleep in on Sunday was also a great treat! At 3:00 pm some of us walked over to a sports centre for a celebration of the start of the local team’s basketball season, where we got some freebies and such. We took a group picture and even had some refreshments.
This year’s Halloween Costumes (which were all pretty awesome):
Alex-The Hardcore Rebel
Julia-The FOB kid
Clarissa-The Scene Kid
Chelsea-The Emo Kid
Heather-Herself
Silvana-The Gina Kid
Kasia-The Smartie Pants (literally!)
Natalia H.- DaGangster
Sean-Patrick-Himself
Peter- Our very own….Lucas Scott!!!
Ricker-The Kid Who Stuck His Finger In An Electrical Socket
Dylan-Himself
Claire-Rocker Chick
Michelle-Nerd
Sam L.-Alice Cullen
Melissa-Queen Bee
Taylor-Cheerleader/Prep
Natalia Z.-Herself
Sam D.-Sport Jock
Marisa-Artsy Kid
Be sure to check out this week's photos at: www.flickr.com/photos/tcdsbinitalia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)