Postcards From Italy

I've discovered that I depend on spell check too much! On my Italian computer the spell check is in Italian so everything is underlined in red. Just ignore the typos.

       Money doesn't mean better. My classroom has nothing in it. No teaching instruments like smart boards or elmos, no senteos, laptops, itouches... Not even white boards or colorful bulletin boards. America complains about the failing education and we think the resolution is funding. I beg to differ. The schools don't even have textbooks or science labs. I sit in a white-walled classroom for six hours with one teacher who knows what he/she is talking about and listen. The teacher switches with another teacher every hour and you continue to soak up all the information. Receiving a good education really only requires a good teacher and motivatation, not the best technology. 
We try so hard to figure out kids learning methods; movies, experiments, group work, reading out loud... No. That may help but if kids came to school prepared with a good work habit  (taught by parents) we wouldn't have to worry about how to get little Miss Suzy to pay attention. What America is lacking is good parenting. We need to hold the parents resonsible for not teaching their kids what hard work and determination is. If you are to thrive in America you have to be succesful, starting with education. We need to stop spending on technology and aim that money at good qualified teachers. As I've been learning here it just takes a 8 inch peice of wood with graphite in the middle, paper, and educated personel. 

It amazes me how one planet composed of 7 continents and 4 oceans can consist of so many different cultures. We all started with Adam and Eve crorrect? Well going from that to billions of people all with different ways of doing thing fasscintates me to such a deep level. A handshake, kissing, bowing are just small examples of this recognition. Here you walk up to your old historic school where a swarm of kids gather either by walking, bike, scooter or bus. The smell of ciggarette smoke overwhelmes your nostrils, your ears are filled with this gorgeous language, laughter, and a weak baby horn coming from the mini cars telling us to move off of the street. 
I have not only noticed physical differences but kids seem much more mature here. I believe this is so because they are more independent. Making choices for yourself matures you. There are no strict laws telling you what age you may do something as extreme as America. They are eduacated and then they make the decision they would like. Examples are what they want to study harder, if they want to smoke or drink.... If they make the wrong choice then they will later have to suffer the consequences. 
I love the freedom of walking where I choose and looking at all the designers new lines. Its wonderful. There is no phone glued to me or any other kid here. You don't normally text and it's nice to have someones full attention.

So today I had school for just two hours, not taught in Italian but French... I do not know Italian or French so it was a disaster! I was so lost, I have a few friends that know a little English that were able to help me, it was much appreciated. Tomorrow I have 4 hours of school and Spanish, English, and Biology. It should be a little easier. The French is very hard, like I don't know how to pronounce anything. The classroom also looks completly different than the well decorated American ones. In Italy you sit in a bare classroom with no pictures on the walls or pretty bulletin boards but flat white paint. It is ugly, looks like a prison, the complete opposite of the exterior as you can see.

Ciao, I got out a little yesterday and took a small tour through the crazy streets of Florence. I regret ever complaining about bad American drivers, they have nothing on these Italians. I am learning that a stop sign and cross walks do not mean a thing. Lets hope I don't get run over. I enjoy watching all the little cars squeeze into small parking spots and wedge themselves between two other tiny cars. I have not seen one SUV or van yet... The shops are all very small, no walmarts but they do have an IKEA and let me tell you, they adore it, if it were to burn down all of Florence would gather at a funeral procession. 
My room is wonderful, in the front of the house with these HUGE windows. They have pocket door screens that slide out and they are also blinds. Beautiful. Everything is some how different but carries the same core idea. Turning on light switches or opening doors, flushing the toilet... All new, but fun to figure out. At night when I'm laying in bed I don't hear busses or cars out my window but the foreign sound of many vespas and scooters passing by. Its wonderful! 
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Ciao

I finally arrived in Florence today at 2:15 after my long and hectic flights. The feeling of landing at your final destination is so powerful with such a deep sense of relief. 
The beauty of the city is overwhelming, pictures do no justice. As you drive through the stone, narrow streets you not only see the gorgeous and famoulsy known architecture but you feel it, you feel the warmth of the sun and just the excitement of the entire city. It was a miraculous day, one that I will never forget. I closed it up eating fresh mozzerella balls and the best tomatoes my tongue has ever tasted. On top of the cheese and tomatoe was the richest and most pure olive oil. I am usually not the type to eat tomatoes plain but with them coated in this outstanding oil it tasted like desert. I am so very tired but managed to stay awake to try to get on the time change quickly. I miss my family and friends and wish they were here indulging what I have practically on a platter for me.

If you happened to know me you would be aware of my bad luck/worst timing. When I got my itinerary I was soooo excited but that excitement was lessened a little bit when I read I will be flying out of Baltimore to Philadelphia then from Philadelphia to Rome on September 11th, one of the most remembered days in American history. I pray everything goes smoothly and I will not need to be going through extra security... From Rome I will fly to Florence when it would actually be shorter to just take the train because my layover is about 5 hours. Oh well, can't make any changes now.