Things I've learned as of late.

-Money and banking is so much more interesting when you know you have a good grade in it! (I got an 98 on my first problem set!!!! ugh so happy!!!). Usually, i'm not one to ever talk about my grades, but Wow, i thought I did way worse than that. I had calculated a 75 when I turned it in on what I thought i'd get. I almost cried. Such a relief to know I'm doing okay. And I followed lecture perfectly today. It was all about expected interest rates over time, liquidity premiums for parting with your money longer, and how a change in money supply, income, inflation (price level) affects money demanded. For the first time in a class other than a history or theater class, i thought to myself, "Yeah I got this." I think I feel most alive when i'm on top of and in love with my classes. It's almost the same feeling as performing on stage.

-yesterday we had to interview actual italian students. We had a list of questions to ask them. I got a guy named Filippo who's 23 and from Prato. he was super cool and laughed a lot. I was nervous at first, but then I found out he has a girlfriend "Hai la ragazza?" "Si, si chiama Beneditto." and I felt a lot better. haha. Anyway, I had to ask him what he likes and doesn't like about italy "Che cosa ti piace dell'italia? che cosa non ti piace dell'italia?" I expected: "Italy is so beautiful, has great museums, i dont like how many tourists there are." What i got was a really genuine response. He told him about how he loves the history of italy and being a part of that and the beauty of it of course. but he said started telling me about how frustrating it is being a citizen here. He told me about how he doesnt like the government. That is actually extremely difficult to geta job here, to get married, to have children. He said it's una citta' per persone vecchi. (a city for for old people, but not literally, more of the idea of it being run by a specific elite). I could hardly contain myself. What could i say? I'm sorry, Us americans talk about how bad it would suck to live anywhere else. That no one has it as good as in America. That other countries aren't as fortunate as we are. Things aren't as great anywhere else. But hearing it from an Italian. His frustration. He said he actually likes to travel so that he can get out of the country. and more and more young people upon moving out of their parents' house, which is a much later age of course, are starting to just go study somewhere else in europe and stay there. I was speechless. I managed to make it back to my apartment before i let my emotions get the best of me. but at the time, im sure i handled it poorly. I had no idea what to say except "Mi dispiace" (i'm sorry, literally 'it displeases me.'" Anyway, i was really taken aback by that.

-I talked to someone doing the program here who's getting an arranged marriage. I didn't even know that still happened. She goes to cornell, and is really cool (one of the few cool girls who live in my apartment). Anyway, i was like "are you serious?" and she told me she wasn't too worried about it because her parents would make sure he had a good personality and was a good guy, someone she liked, so whatever. Another situation where i wasn't sure what to say, but we changed the topic to honeymoons and talked about going to Greece for our honeymoons since neither one of us are going this semester. It bothers me how easy it is to think that my life is the way everyone else's is. Next to that, I feel blessed and lucky to be able to choose my own husband, even who i date (she can't). But to her, she is blessed and honored to be a part of something larger than herself.

-We talked about mein kampf today. our conversation was actually cool....pretty much because everyone had read it, haha. Anyway we talked about how we were looking for rationalizations and reasonings for Hitler's actions, beliefs, etc, but couldn't find anything. There were literal times where he was like the main point is:and then changed the subject. We wanted explanations and they werent there. Just crazy statements about Jews, race being attached to blood, not language, and repeated it all 1000 times. Then our professor hit us with: What was the first chapter about? Propaganda. What did he say about propaganda: that the masses are stupid, and that propaganda has to be simple, brief, and repeated a million times. And then it all hit us: Mein Kampf was propaganda for us. And we just took it. That's exactly what it was. So Ironic how he says directly what propaganda is and should be (since Germany had failed at that up tot aht point, at least in world war one), and led us straight through the door where he could offer his propaganda with no evidence or reasoning behind in it. My brain spun.

-I think my inability to sleep may be causedby my diet consisting mostly of caffeine in the form of coffee or coke. I had crazy dreams the past few nights. I think this is causing me to be tired, which is making me need caffeine, which is causing me to not be able to sleep, which is causing me to be tired, which is making me need caffeine......

[Other news, not necessarily related to things i've learned.]

My brain is also spinning about the next two weeks: another problem set for econ, two 8-10 page papers (I'm doing The Genderization of Space in RenaissanceFlorence [which i'm excited about, though i know it sounds boring.] and then one for fascism that can be whatever we want. BUT, discussing what Fascism is [OMG what IS fascism really??? like think about it....] in comparison to Germany and Italy. BLEH. vague.), econ midterm (everything), and reading the Tin Drum and one other book I think, plus readings for everything. I don't know much about Tin Drum but I've heard it's the most difficult and longest reading we have.

Our Italian task today to was to sit in front of the class and be interviewed. We couldn't have anything in front of us, but the rest of the class had a list of questions to ask us. Most people got "What is your favorite color?" "do you like to travel?" "do you have a lucky number?" "Do you cook?" Becca got:

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"What are you afraid of?"

"What's the first thing you think of in the morning?"

"Do you have brothers or sisters?" (A little more difficult for me, being the youngest of six)

"Do you go out at night?" (uhh.... no... im a loser, unlike the rest of you.)

It was a bit flustering, but I got through it and Domenico said I did well.

no news on the cruise front. my minds been pretty absorbed with what Hnh is doing for the spring show. and school here. BUT, housing is all taken care of. I applied for a first choice of a three bedroom apartment with catherine, nicole and their friend Bri. All my other choices were singles on west. But im hoping for the apartment. kitcheeennnnnn. and i want to decorate it (or at least my own room). :D

tuesdays and thursdays are really long, arduous days for me. Like emotionally, physically, academically. I realized that I think school would be a lot easier here if all of my academics didnt occur only tuesdays and thursdays. All readings, all exams, all papers, all quizzes, all orals, all discussions, all presentations....occur on tuesdays and thursdays. bleh.

This weekend: tomorrow we have rehearsal all day and then ill work all night. and then saturday catherine and i are going to cinque terre which im really excited about. :) and then sunday all day i work.

next week is going to be very busy. In additionto preparing for midterm week (see all assignments above), we have hardcore rehearsals and dress rehearsals every night. Show wednesday, and then thursday catherine and i are going to the opera, friday we're going to a Perugia Pregame and then Saturday is Perugia. AH MY LIFE!

But I love it. :) .... then again im also in a good mood. Im drinking a famous italian hot chocolate chillin with fernando (the barrista) because everyoen else is gone in the cafe. i asked him today if he likes to work here (meaning putting up with stupid american college students) he said yes and that hes been here seven years. all i could think was, dang, what patience.

Aight, Rehearsal.

con amore,

becca

edit: every academic thing i have to get done before fall break (oct 21), excluding Italian, because i dont have those assignments yet. thats wicked.