Maria Giovanna.

Doesn't that sound (or since you are reading this, look) like the most beautiful name. Turns out it is the equivalent of Mary Jane in the slang sense, like Marijuana.

One last chance for Maria Giovanna. One last time to kill the pai-ai-ain

I was looking up a girl I volunteer with and she goes by Mari, short for Maria, and I heard someone else call her Maria Giovanna, so I thought Giovanna must be her middle name and I entered both names onto the facebook search engine, and all that came up were pictures of cannabis.

It seems way too pretty to be slang for Marijuana. Even though, Marijuana is sort of a pretty word itself; it has all those long vowel sounds.

My little old man

To make up for the lack of posting, I will do two posts back-to-back, because just as I hit "Publish Post" on my Baaria entry, I remembered my little old man. It is a short, little Italian anecdote that might be a welcome diversion.

So, every Saturday, I see this old Italian man as I walk to my volontario. He sits outside of Tabaccheria in a lawn chair and basically says, "Buongiorno" to all who pass the scarcely frequented street. Anyway, for several weeks I just uttered my customary, "Buongiorno," in response to his salutation. Then he asked, "Da dove vieni?" and I responded, "America." Then he said, "You are very cute." I swear, in Italy a girl can get enough compliments to last a lifetime. Anyway, when I saw him today he said, "I am happier when I see you." It was just nice and sweet and, I guess, one of those silly, little, simple things that pick your day up just a smidgeon.

So, I am wildly enamored with this film. Maybe because it has been dictated that it is a good film, it was nominated for an Oscar, and the buzz is that it will win (in the Foreign Language Films category, of course). I actually went and saw it at the end of October (they were showing it with English subtitles so I jumped on the chance to see it AND understand it). I could give you the summary, but it kind of eludes summary. It's one of those multi-generational epics that traces the life and family of one character from childhood to adulthood. It incorporates how the city Bagheria (Baaria in Sicilian slang, maybe like Spanish Fork is Spanish Fark in Utah Valley slang) changes in the course of those years, and has some very folkloric elements.

I really want to see it again.

But, why did I all the sudden decide to share this new film obsession with you? Well, I was just youtubing (yes, I believe youtube has become a verb) bits of it because I was trying to find a clip in the original Sicilian dialect that the film was shot in (which most Northerners and all foreigners who learned Italian in school CANNOT understand) and the standard Italian it was dubbed in. Anyway, I was watching the trailers (set to the stunning music of soundtrack god Ennio Morricone) and I seriously almost started crying because I remembered how beautiful the film was.

My film professor, ol' Vito, or I suppose out of respect I should say Professor Zagarrio, thought the film was good, but just a little too much. Too much melodrama emphasized by unnecessarily grandiose camera movements. So, there's a little criticism to kill the hype, so when you see it, you won't be devastatingly disappointed if it doesn't change your life.

But it changed mine, at least a little bit.

I guess lacksadaisical is not a word.

That is all. It is the one thing I learned today.

(Well, I also watched a lot of reruns of "Friends" on the internet, so I also learned that Rachel still has feelings for Ross. You see, I am very lackadaisical--notice "LACK"adaisical not "LACKS"adaisical--and that is how I came to know the one real thing I learned today.)

I think my problem is that not working and being in a foreign country put me under the false impression that I am on a vacation. I need to say, "No internet, Roni!" But the internet can also be used for good (research) as well as evil (online Boggle/"Friends"). My resolution for this coming Monday will be to be a better student...I will come up with ways to quantify that after I see what happens after Ross said Rachel when he was marrying Emily!

Deliciously tacky tile

In the bathroom we have some real stunning decor.
I also am mildly obsessed with taking pictures of my reflection.

La stagione della pioggia

Welcome November! The season of the rain.

I certainly don't miss the sweltering, humid heat of August.

Although, I would like my clothes to dry.

And I do worry about reckless scooter drivers going too fast on slick, wet roads and skidding into something. Sometimes, I'm a little bit like a mom.

And it would be nice if the bottom of my pants could stay dry so I don't get too cold in class. But I could buy myself some boots to remedy that situation. I finally get that tucking your pants into boots is not just a fashion statement (loathed by some of my acquaitances...you know who you are), but also a practical way to keep the flared part of your jeans from getting soaked.

But I love the rain.

It makes going outside an adventure.

I could totally handle life in Seattle.

I love weather.

But I miss the snow. I'm hoping for a hearty storm the day AFTER I fly in for Christmas. I will be building a snowman, lying in wait with ready-made snowballs in my mittened hands to launch a pre-emptive assault on my brother, and challenging whoever will brave it to run around my yard barefoot with me.

Then I will go inside drink hot chocolate and sit by the fire until I can feel my feet.

rainy sunday morning

it is a rainy sunday morning and church starts far too early.

i let myself get distracted by the internet so now i am going to be late.

i should take the bus, but i'm not sure which buses travel in the vicinity of church because i almost always walk.

well, i really need stop blogging if i am going to make it.