va bene... for days.

Piazza del Camp: Siena's Town Square

[Photo: Eliesa M.]

I've been in Siena for a week, yet it feels like 6 months.

GQ in the Colosseum

[Photo: Eliesa M]

The day we left Rome [last Saturday] I was quite nervous.

The trepidation had set in of living w/ a family who doesn't speak Inglese!

On the way to Siena, we stopped right inside Tuscany at Sar Teano to see early Etruscan catacombs.

Teaching James about Life! (haha) in Sar Teano

[Photo: Eliesa M]

Then we made it to the Siena bus stop. Standing around like Little Oprhan Annie's

waiting to be "picked out" by our 'parents'

..at this point, I could have thrown up.

Alas, all is “buono.” Marco, our Dad, picked us up.

We live in a separate apartment type setting from our family.

Mi famiglia is Marco, Titziana, and Niccolo [19], and their other son Matteo [27], who lives in Milan.

This last week in Siena we’ve had school: Italian everyday, Humanities/English every afternoon and a culinary class. We sit in the campo for what feels like in eternity because Siena is a freaking castle town, yet very beautiful and scenic. It’s a good walk into town from our house, but w/ the perfect playlist for the day, I’m solid.

Dinners have been an adventure in and of themselves. With no Italian under my belt, only Spanish, I try to speak in Spanish but it doesn’t work. Half the words I would think are the same in both languages, aren’t the same. So I sit, smile and say “mi piace” or “I like it” Several thumbs up are exchanged, and I like to say CHI-nay-say when they say Sienese (the Chinese and Siense confusion couldn’t be more opposite!)

Ridiculous.

[Photo: Eliesa M]

The very first day/dinner we had, I was pretty much a mime. No words, just hand gestures, My roommate on the other hand, who speaks some Italian [he already took Italian 101] said “va benne”(it’s good or very good) after EVERYTHING that Marco said, and w/ Asian bow at the same time…uhhh don’t mix'n'match your cultures! This isn’t a trail mix pack! Needless to say, “va benne” spins in my head on repeat.

They also make fun of me because one night Titziana was calling for Marco and it sounded just like you would say it if playing a rousing game of “Marco Polo” in the pool. So I just sat there repeating “Maaaaaarco, Maaaaarco” then walked down the hall to get something from the laundry room and passed Niccolo, naturally, “Niiiiiicolo” came out of my mouth.

Ever since, Titziana and Niccolo think I’m some sort of bird that repeats things and they laugh….at my expense. But, it’s all ‘buono

Surverying Tuscany.

{Great Job Eliesa![

A domani!