martedì 25 gennaio 2011

CET Student Correspondent News: The Real World. Florence.


Ciao!
I want to give you all a brief description of my roommates and my apartment! I live with three girls and two boys. Margaret is my roommate and she is wonderful! She is very funny and very neat. I always thought of myself as a clean person, but Marge is definitely more organized than I am. Hopefully she will rub off on me. My favorite thing about Marge is how well she tells stories. She can make anything funny and entertaining. We live in a double room.

Alexandra and Noelle live together in the other double room. Alex is from Washington D.C. and she is fiery and so much fun. She is also very nice and is a great friend. Noelle is more shy but she is so posh. She is from Baltimore. I always think that I look so stylish when we get ready to go out, and then Noelle comes prancing out of her room looking like a supermodel. Alex, Marge and Noelle were all friends before, but the four of us are becoming great friends now. I am really happy with all of my roommates.
Noelle and Alex

Noelle, Hannah, and Mark 

Mark lives in a single room and he is from Princeton, New Jersey. He transferred to Vandy after one year of playing baseball at a school in California. We have already become great friends and he is like our brother, although I think he is overwhelmed by living with four girls sometimes! He wants to become a professional chef so he makes us the most delicious meals. We lucked out with Mark.
Domenico is our Italian roommate and he is the best. He always wants to have our friends over and he is great at introducing us to his Italian friends too. We also love his girlfriend, Julia. He is very typical Italian and is excited to help us learn the language. Domenico speaks six languages fluently and he is from Sicily.
Our apartment is amazing and very big! We are only a 5 minute walk from the Duomo and a 15 minute walk to the CET center where we have class. Everything is within walking distance. Domenico said that the apartment was built in the 14th or 15th century but has been recently renovated. We have lots of windows with high ceilings and pretty crown molding. We are on the fourth floor with a beautiful staircase, and we also have an old fashioned elevator! The girls share a bathroom and the boys have a bathroom to share as well. Evidently Italians don’t use clothes dryers, so we only have a washer in our apartment. It is also very small, so you can only do a few pair of underwear and some jeans at a time, but I am glad that we don’t have to go to a laundromat. The best thing about our apartment is the terrace and we are excited to start using that when it gets warmer!

Mark, Hannah, Noelle, Alex and Margaret. 
Click here or here for a tour of our apartment! 
Love,
Hannah
By Hannah Rogers
CET Student Correspondent
Spring 2011

domenica 16 gennaio 2011

Welcome to Florence: Newsletter January 26 - February 9


January 26
Arrival Day! You will find a welcome packet in your room with your new set of keys. Please look through this when you get a chance and ask your Italian roommates if you have any questions! Pizza will be delivered to your apartment. 

January 27
Orientation begins at 11 AM at the CET Center and continues in Via Tornabuoni at the Volunteer orientation for "Flo 'n the go". The day will end with a welcome dinner at 7:30 pm. 

January 28
Orientation continues with waking tour of Florence and the British Library. Potluck with Italian roommates. 

January 29
Welcome Luncheon and Guest Lecture. 

January 30 
Free Day. Want to stay in Florence?: Explore the neighborhoods of Santo Spirito and S. Niccolo', take a walk to the Piazzale Michelangelo for a view of the city, or try out your new museum pass and check out one of the many exhibits going on in the city. Anxious to explore?: Hope on the bus to Siena  or S. Gimignano, or take the train to Pisa or Lucca, for a relaxing Sunday in another Tuscan town. Click here for more ideas! 

January 31 
Classes begin. Italian 100-150 students will meet the RD at the duomo at 9:30 AM to walk to the University of Florence for their first Italian class. Italian 300 students will meet their Italian professor at the CET Center. 
Cooking class group 1 will meet at 5:40. 

February 1 
Pizza-making class group 2

February 8 
Duomo climb and Italian Language exchange aperitivo. 

lunedì 6 dicembre 2010

Final Newsletter: Dec. 7-18

Announcements / CET Events






Wed. Dec. 8
Holiday! No Class. Christmas Market Trip. See Sign-up sheet for details









Thurs. Dec. 9
Green Prize Dinner
8 PM. Dinner for Green Prize winners (TBA tomorrow). All others are welcome to attend.






Friday, Dec. 10
Buon compleanno, Alex!





Dec. 13-15 Final Exams: CET Evening Hours
Monday Dec. 13 (6-9 PM) Chiara
Tuesday, Dec. 14 (6-9 PM) Denny
Wednesday, Dec. 15 (6-9 PM) Eleonora




Dec. 17 Final Housing Walk-Throughs
Cinque Giornate 4 PM
Belfiore 1 (Denny) 5 PM
Belfiore 2 (Eleonora) 5:30 pm


You will receive your housing deposits at this time ONLY if all trash and recycling as been taken out (glass bottles, paper, etc) and providing no damages are found. 10 euro will be deducted for lost house keys. If you are leaving Florence before Dec. 17th, please see me.


Dec. 17 Final Dinner, 8 PM
La Casalinga (Piazza Santo Spirito)


Dec. 18 Departure Day 
Please leave your house keys and cellphones on your kitchen table.






This week in Florence
Through Dec. 19
German Christmas Market, Piazza Santa Croce
Traditional German sausages, strudel, mulled wine, Holiday gifts, crafts and more!


Through December 10
50 Days of Film – Festival at the Cinema Odeon
For schedule, see www.odeon.intoscana.it
Or http://www.festivaldeipopoli.org/en/festival/calendario/2010


Italian Phrase of the Week:


“Partire è un po’ morire”
(“Leaving is a bit like dying”)


Ci mancherete!! We will miss you!!! Have a safe trip home and happy holidays to all! 

lunedì 22 novembre 2010

Newsletter: November 22 - Dec. 6

Announcements / CET Events

Tuesday, Nov. 22
7 pm Meet & Greet with new Italian roommates candidates at Palazzo Giovane (Casa della Creatività) Language Tandem and Aperitivo to follow.












Nov. 25-28 Thanksgiving Break. Enjoy your holiday!
Staying in town and looking for a traditional meal? Check out:


Ristorante Accademia, Piazza San Marco 7r
Reserve: tel. 055217343, €30 euro (drinks not included)


Angels, Via del Proconsolo 29/31r,
Reserve: tel. 055/2398762 or 3287290848 €40


Café Deluxeé, Piazza Indipendenza (corner via XXVII Aprile),
Reserve: tel. 055485749, €19 per (drinks not included) info@cafedeluxee.com


Four Seasons Hotel Borgo Pinti €85 -100 See here for more info


This week in Florence

Tuesday, Nov. 23
La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi (music and costumes)
English Church of St. Mark's, www.concertoclassico.info










Wednesday, November 24, 6 pm 
British Library Lecture. Bronzino and Eleonora di Toledo: a painter and his patron. Scholarly thinking on the relationship between Agnolo Bronzino and Eleonora di Toledo has recently been radically revised. Initially thought of solely as the subject of one of the painter's best known portraits and the recipient of his most outstanding work, the Chapel of Eleonora in Palazzo Vecchio, the Duchess of Florence has emerged as one of Bronzino's most important and demanding patrons. Yet this relationship remains controversial and academic debate over it is intense.






Wednesday, December 1, 6 pm British Library
Modern Italian politics: a never-ending transition
One of the more puzzling phenomena of the Italian political scene in the last ten to fifteen years, at least from the British point of view, is its mix of discontinuity and instability. Almost two decades after the emergence of high expectations, many institutional mechanisms still remain uncertain and undefined.







Dec. 1-19. German Christmas Market, Piazza Santa Croce
Traditional German sausages, strudel, mulled wine, Holiday gifts, crafts and more!


Through December 10
50 Days of Film – Festival at the Cinema Odeon
For schedule, see www.odeon.intoscana.it
Or http://www.festivaldeipopoli.org/en/festival/calendario/2010



Anxious to explore? Suggestions in/around Florence:
Through December 7
“Firenze Insolita”: The city of Florence has created a program of guided tours and walks throughout the month of November. See the full schedule on the Activities bulletin board or online here: http://www.comune.fi.it/opencms/export/sites/retecivica/materiali/hp_citta/fileFirenzeInsolita.pdf

Italian Phrase of the Week:
“Prendere due piccioni con una fava”
(Kill two birds with one stone. Literally, “Catch two pigeons with one bean”)

venerdì 19 novembre 2010

Traveling Seminar in Venice: Nov. 12-14


Italian Cultural History Itinerary

Friday, November 12:
2-5 pm             Venetian Society in the Renaissance; the neighborhoods of Santa Croce and San Polo; different social classes and categories, immigration, Renaissance customs and fashion; the role of public and private in the Renaissance.


7:15                 Group Dinner.

Saturday, November 13:       
9 - 12:              Artisans in Venice, past and present.  Canareggio; the construction of the city; visit to the workshops of a printer and a glass blower; the significance of arts and crafts in Venice historically.
Gianni Basso shows us the art of printmaking 














Sunday, November 14: 
8 - 12               Guided tour of Jewish Ghetto and synagogues.




Imagery and Public Space Itinerary
Friday, November 12:
1:30 – 5 pm                San Marco (Mascoli Chapel & museum) and Santa Maria della Salute.





7:15                             Group Dinner

Saturday, November 13:
9 AM                          S. Zaccaria, S. Giorgio degli Schiavoni, San Rocco.
Lunch break
2:00-3:15                    Frari




Sunday, November 14:
9:30 - 12                      Gallerie dell’Accademia. 


mercoledì 3 novembre 2010

Newsletter: November 8-21

Announcements / CET Events

Tuesday, Nov. 9
7 pm Language Tandem and Aperitivo at the Casa della Creatività.
Want a language partner? Register here more info here and for any questions contact info@aegeefirenze.it

8:30 pm Opera – The Marriage of Figaro
If you are not coming to the Language Tandem, you should meet us in front of the Teatro Comunale at 8:15 pm.



Nov. 12-14     Traveling Seminar to Venice
You will receive the full itinerary on Monday, Nov. 8 before class.

Nov. 12-15     Florens 2010
8 days of cultural events, exhibits, markets and more all over Florence. See the Full calendar here




This week in Florence

Wednesday, November 10, 6 pm British Library
Lecture: Pratibha Parmar
Using clips from her films, filmmaker and feminist activist Pratibha Parmar will discuss the role of art as a creative force for change. She will focus on her current feature documentary film about the author Alice Walker, who made history as the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her novel The Color Purple.


November 11, 5-7 pm 
Free Wine Tasting, Alessi Wine shop, Via delle Oche 27/31,
Fattoria Lavacchio – CChianti Rufina 06 selezione Cedro, Chianti Rufina 06 Riserva del Cedro,Oro del Cedro Gewurztraminer Aromatico 09 


November 19-21
Florence Wine Event, Palazzo Pitti
4 pm-9 PM on Friday November 19th (starts at 11 AM on Satruday and Sunday). Annual wine tasting fair and expo. 10 euro for the taste card.




Nov 20 
“Musei in Musica” 7 pm - 1 a.m. the next day


Special extra-hours at the Museum of Musical Instruments (inside the Accademia) and concert



8:45 pm, Galleria dell’Accademia  (via Ricasoli 60 - Firenze). Free entrance





Sunday, November 21 All day
Piazza Santo Spirito, Festa dell’Olio Nuovo. All day olive oil fair and market.


Through December 10
50 Days of Film – Festival at the Cinema Odeon
For schedule see here  or here for the schedule for the Festival dei Popoli (annual documentary film festival).



Avete fame? This week’s suggestions:


Panino: Salumeria Verdi, Via Verde, 36/R


Cioccolata calda: Chiaroscuro, Via del Corso, 36
Vestri, Borgo degli Albizi, 11

Aperitivo: Kitsch 2, Via San Gallo

Coffee bar/study area: Caffe’ degli Artigiani, Via dello Sprone, 16/R


Anxious to explore? Suggestions in/around Florence:


Through December 7
Firenze Insolita”: The city of Florence has created a program of guided tours and walks throughout the month of November. See the full schedule on the Activities bulletin board or online here:

Italian Phrase of the Week:
“O bere o affogare”
(Sink or swim. Literally, “drink or drown”)

martedì 2 novembre 2010

Student Correspondent News: Horseback Riding in Tuscany!



Fall 2010 Student Jennifer Maclean takes us off the beaten path (literally) on a horseback ride through Tuscany. Like what you read? Check out Jen's blog here





Last Thursday (my day off from classes) 2 friends and I decided to do one of those touristy things and go horseback riding in Tuscany. We signed up to do it with a group, but we were the only three who signed up so it ended up being our own private experience, which was nice! So we set off on our journey though it was not quite what we expected ...


I was the member of our group with the most horseback riding experience, which is not saying much, as mine is incredibly limited. This would have been fine except we were not given any instruction about the horses....who did not really like to behave.





Hayley's fell a lot, Kelsey's liked to kick. In general, mine didn't like any other living being (horse or animal) however it did like all trees, which it frequently ran me into. Thus our guide would start yelling in Italian when our horses veered off and we didn't know what to do

Did I mention our horse back riding guide spoke no English. Our overall tour guide (Sam) did, but he didn't come horseback riding with us so that was a bit of an experience (good thing we know destra e sinistra)








The views were absolutely beautiful and it feels so nice to be just riding across the country side! That itself made the whole cost worth it! So while not quite what we were expecting an adventure all the same! Overall, I would highly recommend it (just maybe in a bigger group, with people who've been horseback riding before!) It was so great to see the Tuscan countryside (Under the Tuscan Sun anyone?)



Ciao y'all!
Jen