Christmas!!!!

Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate Christmas!!! If you don't no worries, I hope your day was a good one. Christmas for me was really different and new. As I have mentioned before it didn't feel like Christmas, not even on Christmas Day, or opening presents or anything. Well it didn't feel like Christmas normally does for me, but for everyone else here it felt like Christmas. As you know we finally came back from Milan Christmas Eve morning, about 2am, from then we slept and got up around 11. I ate a small breakfast and later was lunch, pesto, one of my favorites. After lunch I was able to talk with my mom and then I took a nap. I woke up around 7 and then it was time to get ready and go to Nonna's house for Christmas Eve Dinner.

Before the first main dish there was this broccoli salad, then there was about 5 different types of seafood. There were two other types of broccoli salads, artichokes, shrimp (two kinds) fried, breaded meat, and something else to help digest all the food. And of yes there was bread and wine, I stuck to Coca Cola. After everyone finished eating we just sat around the table and watched a movie, Benvenuti al Sud. (I had seen this in the theatre when it first came out and talked more about it in another post) After dinner and the movie it was time for dessert. We had the classic Christmas cakes and there was another type of wine to go along with it.

Around 11:50pm, Christmas Eve we went back to the house to open presents. The tradition is to wait until midnight to open them. While we were waiting for midnight to come I went online and Skyped with my mom at my Aunts house so I got to see some of my family then. We talked for a few minutes, but then it was time to open presents. My host mom and dad were tired so they went to bed earlier so it was my host brother and sister, and my host sister's boyfriend. They had already opened their gifts because I was talking online with my parents. I passed out the presents I bought for them and opened the gifts from them. From my host family I received two purses, an Italia soccer jersey, an Italia hat, a box of my favorite pens :D and then from my host sisters boyfriend he gave me this little Vespa which had a snow globe on it of the Colosseum. From my host Nonna she gave all the grandkids a Chocolate Santa. From one host aunt and uncle perfume, and from another a mug with a cute little guy on it. My host sister's friend's family came over and gave us each presents too, mine was a pink backpack.

Once we were done with presents I taught my host siblings to play a card game I play with my cousins back in New York. When we had enough of that and they were eating I called back home to show everyone my gifts and just to talk some more. I finally got to bed around 3am and then we woke up around 9am to go to mass. When we got up we ate breakfast and just hung around the house, didn't get to mass. I then gave my host parents the gifts I bought for them and I am glad they liked them. We went out to see my other host nonna. From there we drove around for a little while and returned around 12 to go to my host nonna's for Christmas lunch. We ate with the family and I played cards with my host cousins. Around 5pm I went back to the house to Skype with my Aunt and Uncle for about two hours. When I was finishing up talking with them, my other Aunt came on skype. I called her and talked to the rest of my family; cousins, aunt, uncle, Grammie, Poppie, Grandma, brother, mom, dad, brother's girlfriend, I even got to see my cousin's cat Lucy. It was nice talking to them all and seeing everyone.

After this Skype session with my family I went back over to my host nonna's house where everyone was playing cards. The game was called In Morto and it used Napoletano cards, which are different then your average cards. They have different symbols and different values. I point of the game was to not have the lowest card so you didn't have to pay into the pot. If you made it to the end of all the rounds and still had money, you one the pot. After playing we went back home and I called home to talk for a few more minutes and then it was off to bed.

Now I have a stomach ache, not sure why, maybe because of all the different foods, and being run down nothing really agreeing with me. Tonight we might be going to the movies and tomorrow hopefully I can go the post office to see if my package is there. The packages from my aunts have been over a month, almost two, what the heck man!!!!!!!! I just hope I will get them before I leave.

Talk to you all and see you soon!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorpresa

Here is my next video on Youtube!!!! I hope you enjoy watching!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hethtr93YD0

Novmeber

November has been an interesting month. Ups and downs and everything in between. My emotions and feelings always changing, having a good time or a bad time. Something normal for exchange students I can imagine. Well October ended with a Halloween party with my friends, we played Wii Sports, watched Grande Fratello (Big Brother) and I shared my American Candy with them and they loved it!

I had the chance to go and spend the night at my friends house. She is an American also here with BEC and goes to my school. We went to her friends soccer game and just hung out at home with her host sisters and her friends. I brought some candy and shared with them, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and they loved them :D My host sister has a show coming up in December so she has had more dance classes in the evenings so I went out with our friends one or two nights. The first night we played billiards, which was fun, although my score was zero. The next night we just went to the park and talked, like we do on the other nights. It is still fun to be with them and talk.

Around November 22, my host sister's dance class went down to Naples to this theatre where they are putting on a show. While we still had some time before we could use the stage we walked to a Pizzeria and ate some delicious pizza. My favorite pizza would have to be Margarita with french fires. Because we came home late from the dance class in Naples we didn't go to school on Tuesday. Then my host sister was sick so we stayed home Wednesday and Thursday. That Thursday was Thanksgiving so I called home and spoke with my aunt and uncle and then later my family at my other aunts house. I was able to see my mom, cousins, aunt, uncle, and grandparents. The moment I saw my Grammie and Poppie I started to cry. It was the first time I saw them in almost 3 months!!!! It was wonderful so see their faces and talk with them. Later when it was time for them to eat Thanksgiving dinner they placed the laptop at the table and I was with them and watched them enjoy the wonderful thanksgiving feast.

I have moved to my friends house this past Monday, November 29th. I am so excited to be with her and her family is happy to have me. I am working on videos for youtube so check there every week or so. I love you all and miss you so much!! I hope you are enjoying your holiday season. Lots of Love- Aly