All work and no play

Double post for today!

It has been a crazy week, with assessments and exams beginning and ending all in the space of a few days. With both of them out of the way I have time to do some updating, as well as prepare for travelling (and meeting the 'rents tomorrow!). 

The week began with the completion of my Methodology Module assignment. Don't ask me what it is, as even though I have completed and submitted it, I am still not sure what the assignment actually was meant to be about. What was cool about the topic and module I chose was the subject and way I got to put it all together. There is this area in Milano called "Colonne di San Lorenzo" where in summer the young'uns like myself head to and chill out at night with a few drinks, and during the day it is a beautiful area in front of a church. I chose this area and spoke about the changing uses during the day and night, transforming the area from quiet and peaceful during the day to a night hotspot. With this assignment I got to try out my creative side (which definitely does not need to come out more often) and made a video with pictures describing my walk-through of the area. Check it out below if you feel like it, although no judgements if you don't. 

 

By day

By (warm) night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUslHpeMyug

After eventually finishing that assignment, I had to cram for my Italian exams. Yes- two. One oral and one written. Both of them were today, one in the morning and the other this afternoon, so a very long and tiring day for me! I managed to get my studying done, and hopefully was able to pass both of them, in which case I should be able to move up a language level next semester and continue classes. Yay for me :D. Exams have always stressed me out so I am glad to be done with them for now at least, and have about another month and a bit before I need to worry about my next one, for my advertising subject. 

With all the important work under my belt for now, I am off tomorrow to meet the parents- over the next two weeks we will be in Monte Carlo, Sestri Levante, Florence, Lake Garda and Milan, so if I have time I will update but it might be another long break before some more updates. Keep watch of facebook for more regular postings! Having been in Milan for so long without leaving feels weird, so will try to keep my travels more regular now.

Chag Sameach and Buona Pasqua

Sorry for the long absence people- have been busy sorting out travels, celebrating festivals and attempting to, for once, get assignments finished early. I think I may have finally got most things under control and can therefore begin to update you all once again.

First off- Happy Easter and Pesach/Passover to everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend and week. Being in Italy has given me the chance to experience not only Easter celebrated in another country, but also to have my very first Pesach away from the family- but more on that later!

We have been lucky enough that for all major celebrations that occur in Italy, our lovely Italian teacher Silvia brings a food for us to try. We have had chiacchiere, which I can describe sort of like kichel (or dried pastry) with lots and lots of icing sugar on them for Carnevale, and last week for Easter we had colombo, which is sort of like a cake with almonds and orange peels in it. What is really interesting about the colombo is that it is shaped like a dove, which although I am not sure of the reasoning behind this, every cake available in the shops was in the same shape. I found out that this is a traditional delicacy from Lombardy (the region I am living in), but around Easter they are available all around the country. Pretty cool! The pics aren't very good as I took them on my phone, but its worth a shot.

Pesach this year was very different to what I am normally used to. While at home (and when we head to South Africa to join the family there) the seder and the whole celebration is generally very loud and all about family and singing/spending time together. This year I joined up with Chabad for the seder, on both nights, and there definitely felt like something was missing! Aside from the fact that I was stuck with shmurrah matzah (blurghh) for the weekend, and no kneidels to go in chicken soup, I really missed the loudness that comes with the giant sederim that I am used to. Even though there were over 100 people at the dinners each night, the fact that the story was read in a mixture of Italian and Hebrew, most of which I did not understand, and there was little to no singing- or if there was singing it was in Italian (very cute, but still not the same) made me begin to miss home a little. Not saying that I am homesick, but I am beginning to think that celebrating the many many festivals away from home are going to be difficult. I was however taken in by a lovely family for the weekend, and will hopefully be able to celebrate more festivals with them throughout the year.

Not as good as real pizza, for but 8 days it will work