Le settimane scorse alle parole

OK. So I feel I should write a brief blurb about my experiences here. Sorry it's been so long!

I've just been having the best experience here. Here are some of the things I've done in the past couple weeks:

-Saw Monteverdi's L'Orfero at La Scala
-Cooked an Italian meal with my friends at their apartment
-Went out for appertivo with some Italian friends
-Met with my Italian language partner for the first time
-Went to an Inter Game (Forza Inter!)
-Explored Cimitero Monumentale
-Got into Castello Sforzesco for free (home of ancient monuments, relics, and paintings from all over the world including Michelangelo's final, unfinished Pieta')
-Explored the Navigli district and went to a pretty interesting, cultural outside market (products ranged from cell phone chargers to angsty Italian T-Shirts to bongs)
-Organized a Bible study with some girls in the program
-Took a tango class at the Collegio
-Purchased the Italian book Con Tutto il Cuore, got it signed by the authors, and read the first chapter! It's good!
-Went to Bologna (and managed to eat a nutella pastry the size of my face, a plate of tagliatelle alla Bolognese, gelato alla fragola e yogurt, and a pizza all in one day!) - I also managed to go into an enoteca, communicate what kind of wine I wanted, and buy a bottle of Bolognese Barbera.
-Watched the final dress rehearsal of Idomeneo at La Scala with only ten other students allowed in the house. Oh, and we watched in box seats. No big.
-Set up connections with my psych professor about research/graduate school opportunities - just in case the road takes me back here again.
-Took some pretty sweet graffiti jumping pictures. If you haven't done so already, you should check them out on fb.

Reflections...
I really love it here, probably because the classes are easy, I don't have to work, and I'm in a a new and exciting place. However - I'm having a wonderful time learning the language, trying the food, interacting with Italians and slowly making friends with them too!

However, one thing I'm noticing more and more about Italy is the maschilismo that exists here. I mean, it isn't anything blatantly chauvinist or sexist and a good portion of the men here don't exhibit that quality. Every now and then when I have a conversation with a guy though, there's a bit of an undertone that they think they know more than I do, have more of a right to speak, or...just little comments about women not being in positions of power or leadership. I've also heard that most of the girls here tend to have a boyfriend just for the sake of having one, not because they genuinely care for them. If this is truly the case, then it might be another manifestation of this attribute in that women feel in order to have a sense of value and security, they need a man. There are plenty of women who do this in America, however, and maybe these are just ridiculous generalizations, but those are just a few things I've heard and observed. In any case, it makes me glad I was raised in a culture where I didn't feel I was any less valued or important because of my gender.

Things to accomplish in the near future:
-Get a trip organized for Nice next weekend, Switzerland another weekend, and Prague/Vienna for Winter Break.
-Take my first cooking class on Thursday
-Sing with an Italian gospel choir
-Help out with salsa lessons here at the Collegio.
-Practice guitar
-Check out an enoteca here in Milano (hopefully with the help of my Italian friend)
-Meet with language partner
-Apply to stay here for the full academic year...? : P