My Home Away from Home

On December 1st, Siena became a winter wonderland. Although the sun sets early here, this only means that our medieval city turns into a twinkling Christmas paradise that much sooner. Via Montanini, where I live, is now completely covered in lights. Piazza Salimbeni somehow grew a giant Christmas tree overnight, and the streets are always filled with bustling shoppers chattering away in Italian. Even the smell of chesnuts roasting adds to the perfect ambiance of this place I get to live in.

Stella, my home-stay hostess, aka mia madre italiana, even put up a tiny Christmas tree! She now knows that I am "matta per Natale," or crazy for Christmas! However, I don't just love Siena during the holiday season. This Tuscan city has felt like a dream world since September when I arrived. However, it recently hit me that the Sienese celebrate Christmas at the same time the Americans do. Unfortunately, this means I am going to be saying goodbye to Siena much sooner than I would have hoped. I am currently having a bit of trouble juggling my emotions regarding how I feel about leaving what has become my home away from home. Although I am so excited to see my family and friends back in the States, it is going to be a hard adjustment leaving my bella italia lifestyle.

It was summer when I arrived in Italy, and as the seasons have changed, so have I. It seems like yesterday that I excitedly arrived in Siena. I couldn't wait to begin my adventure! Little did I know how much this incredible semester would impact me. Not only did I learn the Italian language, what I think is one of the most beautiful languages in the world; I also have found myself slipping into the Italian culture. I remember it took me about the first full month to understand how to order an Italian coffee. If you order a caffe', you get a teeny espresso. If you order a latte, you are handed a glass of hot milk. If you ask for a macchiato, don't expect something similar to a beverage you'd receive at Starbucks. Finally, if you request your coffee to go, be ready for a cocked eyebrow, and don't expect a Venti sized take away cup!

I think it was once I mastered the art of ordering at an Italian coffee bar (note: "bar" in Italian refers to coffee, NOT alcohol, contradictory to the American connotation of the word), that I really started to feel like I was a part of Siena. The delicious cappuccinos that I frequently treated myself to have only been the icing on the cake to a wonderful semester. I sit here today happy, well travelled and full of almost four months worth of pasta. I am going to leave Siena in a few days knowing that I will definitely return. I could never really say goodbye to this place. The Italians have become my family, and I know some of the streets like the back of my hand. Yet there is still so much about this city that I want to be a part of! Although I will never be quite Sienese enough to get into an official Contrada, I at least need to come back for the Palio (the legendary horse race that takes place in the Piazza del Campo every summer)! Although I will be clear across the world back in Nashville, TN in just a few weeks, there will always be a magical place waiting for me in Italy. A presto Siena!

Kira Burke

CET Siena Student Correspondent

A Typical Day in Siena

Every morning I wake up around 9am. I immediately throw open my shutters and gaze out the window at a backdrop of medieval buildings and Tuscan countryside. I live in a 12th century building that used to be part of a palace, inhabited by some great noble family back from the Middle Ages. It is strange to imagine who stood looking out the very same window hundreds of years ago. After one quick glance at the flowers happily growing in their boxes on my windowsill, I quickly get ready for class. Erika (my roommate), Stella (our Italian "mother"), and I always sit down to breakfast together. Our meal times are some of my favorite parts of the day. Stella is so full of life and it is always a treat to get to spend time with her. Class generally flies by pretty quickly, especially since we always have a coffee break in the middle. I am considering trying to bring back this habit to Vanderbilt. I think students and professors alike would all be a lot happier if they got their midmorning caffe', caffe' latte, or cappuccino. Usually after class, we all head to the University of Siena Mensa (aka the student cafeteria) for lunch. Most often we run into some of our other Italian or European friends that we have met over the course of the semester. Although the mensa is just a cafeteria, it isn't every day you sit at a table speaking a mix of English and Italian with people from all over the world. Some of the other students here are people that I will definitely try to keep in touch with. It is so fun making friends with the French, Swiss, Spaniards, Germans, etc. Now I forever have more places and people to visit!
After lunch it is common here to have another coffee, so we often head to our favorite spot, Meet Life Cafe'. This gem of a coffee shop also happens to be a wonderful place to socialize and study. It is conveniently near La Universita' per Stranieri (University for Foreigners) where we take our Italian classes. The rest of my afternoons are always filled with a new and exciting avventura. Sometimes I will go running around the Fortezza (Siena's upscale version of a track). Actually, now it is going to be hard for me to ever run anywhere else. I am quite accustomed to jogging along the top of an ancient medieval fortress that overlooks much of Tuscany as well as the Siena skyline. Going back to running around the neighborhood is going to be less than exciting.

If a run isn't in my agenda for the afternoon, stopping for gelato might be! There are countless gelaterias in Siena, but the best spots are worth looking for. Make sure you get your gelato fill before winter hits though, because sometimes the tastiest gelato shops close when the cold weather hits.

As the sun sets, dinner quickly consumes my thoughts. If you want to truly feel like an Italian, you've got to learn to eat like an Italian. Stella, our host mother, has fostered our Italian eating habits with exceptional expertise. Her cooking has the potential to make me crazy, and I don't know that I will be ever satisfied by an American meal again. The good wine and the delicious pasta puts Italian food in the States to shame.

It is after dinner when Siena really comes alive. Young people are always out and about. We have a lot of favorite night destnations, but the Tea Room probably ranks most highly on my list. This place is definitely a spot worth finding, and is tucked away in one of the far corners of the city. I refuse to say too much about this local gem, because those who come to Siena should discover and experience its ambiance on their own.

During my time here, I have found that Italians like to have a good time, and they like foreigners to have a good time with them. The people here are so friendly and are so eager to know you. They don't mind if you butcher their language while attempting to speak, but are happy that you are trying. Italians also never see you as an American barging in on their fun, but treat you like a special guest. They are proud of their culture and are proud of being Italian. Nothing makes them happier than showing us why they love their country so much. All in all, Siena is an easy place to love. Even the most ordinary day is an exciting, magical and authentic experience.

Kira Burke

CET Siena Student Correspondent

Throughout this semester abroad I remained baffled by the idea of traveling for 21 out of the 30 days of November. I couldn't perceive such a prolonged absence from Siena, and I knew that it would only allow time to slip away more easily and undetected. Then it actually happened. Next thing I know I am standing underneath the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and following our Imagery and Public Space professor, Peter, around the streets of Rome as a part of the CET traveling seminar. Although I loved how Peter took us into the smaller churches around the city - each revealing a distinct beauty and history, having been to Rome twice in the past eight years, I wasn't as excited initially about having to do the touristy activities all over again. However, aside from what I would like to call my maturity over the course of this semester, there was a major impression made that allowed me to see Rome with fresh eyes and an open mind during my third trip. Thinking back to the first IPS class when Peter talked about the importance of knowledge when it comes to interpretating and appreciating art, I realized how meaningful it would be to really take in Raphael's "School of Athens" and Caravaggio's "The Calling of St. Matthew" now that I understand the subject matter - the story and implications behind it - and can recognize the artist's style, rather than simply admiring a pretty canvas. Thus, I discovered that some of my favorite places were actually ones I revisited. After spending so much of my time abroad being bombarded by new things, it was refreshing to form new memories on top of past experiences. I walked through the falling autumn leaves in the Villa Borghese and unwittingly stumbled across the Roman Forum at two in the morning - each moment unfolding a new chapter in a story that could have been predictable.

Directly after the traveling seminar, I ventured outside of this beautiful country for the first time in three months to Spain. After reluctantly leaving behind my Let's Go: Italy - which was deemed the "Book of Knowledge" after it got us through La Spezia (the group's first independent weekend trip) - I boarded my AirEuropa flight a little restless, but with high spirits. However, the second I landed in Madrid I knew I was in a different world: all of our baggage came to us right away, and everything was so, well, efficient. After so much time with the Italian standards of proficiency, it seemed almost eeire how the metro system was actually connceted to the airport (almost too convenient) - and was nearly spotless. Additionally, considering the several days I had just spent on Rome's virtually useless, graffiti covered metro and my whole semester with Italy's unpredictable buses and trains, I felt a little out of place amongst Madrid's pristine arrangement. However, once we met some of our good friends who are studying there, they first directed us to our hostel and then immediately brought us out for a night of La Vida Espana, making our integration into the Spanish culture and lifestyle a bit more manageable. The Prado was a dream - I was so impressed by the extent of the art collection there - and all over Madrid for that matter. I was blown away by Picasso's "Guernica" and fell in love with the incredibly soft impressionist works in La Casa Sorolla. Everything we came across in our tour was fascinating and made the trip so worthwhile, especially the surprise awaiting us outside of the Reina Sofia: Starbucks. I am a coffee fanatic so, needless to say, I was completely overcome with joy after a three month drought. We were all thrilled actually, and the vanilla lattes and blueberry muffins gave us sanity once again to venture on through the city, exploring and soaking it all up.

Somewhere throughout the seemingly flawless day, I got to the point where I thought - if I had done it all over again - maybe I could have studied in Madrid. I mean, why not? I would still be in a home stay, could run in Retiro Park, be trendy and eat tapas, take lots of siestas - the workload wouldn't be a problem - and still have the time and energy to go out with some of my best friends every night. However, amongst all the glitter and hype I also realized that my experience in Madrid would be less authentic than the semester I am spending in Siena. Madrid is a wonderful place, but the appeal of its refreshing modernity was a little deceiving since it strongly coincided with my excited to be in a big city after such a long time. Barcelona, on the other hand, was far more chaotic than Madrid, with its outrageous nightlife and infamous pickpockets - it was all so foreign to me - and thus, I did not grow as attached to it. Although I will never forget dancing on the tabletops at Razzmatazz, a five-story discotheque, until the wee hours of the morning, in terms of growth and experience, I'm not sure I would get very much out of that lifestyle. Siena is a gem because it doesn't have to be over the top to be special. Although my semester in Siena is very different from my life back in America, it's still the place where I feel the most connection and comfort. It's the place I am dying to come back to after a stressful weekend of traveling. It's my city that I know and love, but more than anything else now, it's home, and that is always what brings me back.

CET Siena Student Correspondent
Erika Bush

Bella Toscana

After only a month in Siena, I had convinced myself that in another life I was Italian. All this time, I was meant to be Italian. I couldn't ignore the facts: my animations and expressive hand gestures while talking, my passion for the world's greatest game - calcio (or soccer for my American readers), the borderline scary caffeine intakes, my interest in fine red wine and genuine love for good food, and - with a little tweaking - my nearly obnoxious Texas pride and competitiveness could potentially translate into a steadfast devotion to a contrada of Siena. Now you can understand why it breaks my heart a little when the gelateria man flirtatiously asks, "Sei Americana?" By now I have trained myself to whip out my best Italian - which is always premeditated - and reply "Non ora" or "Not now," because right now, I truly want to believe that I'm breathing, eating, exercising (goodbye running), bargaining, dressing, and just living like an Italian. Of course, I now understand that this is a bit idealized - especially since Italy as a country is so diverse, but after three months I really do see the changes. I mean, when would I have ever found the time or courage to take a modern dance class back home? Or find a running buddy that is from Latvia (yes, I did have to ask where that was)? It's just my American upbringing that transformed me into a person who was always in a hurry or felt like I had to constantly be on a strict schedule. Here, you truly need to be ready for ANYTHING, but you don't necessarily need to be prepared for it - you just need to be flexible. Whether it's a train delay that makes you miss your next connection or shops closing in the middle of the afternoon right when you need stamps, at the end of the day, the most relevant and important thing is: I-am-in-Italy. And even though a semester seems like a long time, every moment counts.
In the beginning I spent so much of my time planning trips every weekend - some premeditation was actually necessary (you can't be spontaneous all the time when traveling in Europe) - that I forgot to really appreciate and explore the true gem of this abroad experience: Siena. Fortunately, the resources CET has provided have been so incredible, and have transformed my attachment to Siena into a genuine pride for and love of my hometown. On the one hand, PG, our Sienese Art and Architecture teacher, has opened my eyes to the history and many treasures of this medieval city - its stunning Cathedral, the legend of the She-wolf, Duccio's "Maesta" and the pivotal Francigena Road. On the other hand, Stella, my home-stay mom, is the one responsible for guiding me through present-day Siena by giving me a local perspective of the traditions and tastes of the community and keeping me up to date with current events and festitivities. So, when my parents visited me in the beginning of November, I felt that my hopes to utilize my study abroad experience were confirmed as I found myself unable to stop talking about Siena's fascinating history or how much it lit up my world when they were truly touched or in awe of the beauty of my new home. They, too, discovered what I have come to understand and love: that so much of Siena's past is its present. Time seems to stop here - possibly because so much of the city is still fueled by is fervor and prosperity from its "Golden Age" before the Black Death nearly wiped it out. Although some may think this makes the town too "medieval," I instead find that Siena's rich history is the very thing that brings it to life today. It's authentic without being archaic and magical without being overwhelming. Truthfully, I couldn't imagine myself being anywhere else right now.

Although, I'm not going to lie. There are some things I miss: my Grande Starbucks coffee or just being able to get in the car and drive somewhere. In fact, we used to spend time analyzing the differences between Italy and America. For instance, isn't it interesting how Americans take time over coffee to chat, but rush through meals, while Italian practically do shots of espresso, but spend hours preparing and eating meals? However, these differences are best kept forgotten - left in the back of my mind - because anyone who thinks they can generalize the region of Tuscany (more or less the country of Italy) is terribly mistaken. It still amazes me how incredibly unique every single town is and it really makes me thankful for this particular study abroad experience that takes me beyond the tourist venues. As Americans, I feel like we are taught to CRAM: fill in everything in all the time we have and then check it off our to-do list. That's why I was initially all about travelling constantly - and many times to several destinations in a weekend - but now I realize the importance of actually being somewhere, as opposed to just seeing it. Simply walking through the streets of Montepulciano to find a rainbow stretching across the Tuscan landscape, playing around in the autumn leaves in Arezzo's Fortezza, or merely stopping to stare at the beautifully lit up Piazza Salimbeni at night. These simple pleasures are the magical moments that I will remember, because sometimes the best way to spend your time is to actually take it.

Erika Bush

CET Siena Student Correspondent

Now about halfway through my semester in Italy, things have begun to slow down a bit and I have had more time to reflect on what I have seen and experienced, and what still lies ahead of me. With the winter weather upon us, I could not help but wish that I had spent more time outdoors while it was so gloriously warm in September and early October. I have never been a winter person, leaving my hometown of Boston for the more temperate weather of Nashville. Maybe it's the short walks to and from class that make the cold feel more bearable, but I have a feeling I might make it through this winter with a smile on my face.
I have come to appreciate the crisp, cold winter air and find a little hop in my step when I bury my nose into my winter scarf and dig my gloved fingers deep into my pockets. Despite the numerous rainy days Siena has seen, I have managed to see the positives in the dreary weather by the excitement of getting use out of the wellies I dragged all the way from United States, or the long black rain jacked my mother lent me for Italy and which now reminds me of her every time I put it on.

Before coming to Siena, I was told about a secret place where one could find refuge on cold winter nights, but also peace and new friends in the fall. Without giving away this place's identity, for it is best appreciated when one either hears about it from a friend or stumbles upon it independently, I will say that this hideaway, nestled sweetly in a corner of Siena, is on the city's most spectacular assets and truly embodies what is most special about Siena: it has the feeling of familiarity and comfort - even on your first visit - a social, friendly and energetic atmosphere, and tasty treats constantly awaiting your purchase. This magical place has also become my program-mates and my number one winter survival tactic.

There is still so much to see in Siena and Italy. Now that the warm days of fall are behind me, I must learn the importance of layering and perhaps giving in more frequently to a warm cappuccino between classes. I guess Joni Mitchell knew what she was talking about when she sang "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone." With still a month and a half left, my time in Italy is definitely not yet gone. But with a month and a half already past, I am realizing how important it is to make every day count.

Carey Spitzer

CET Siena Student Correspondent

Week 7: Eurochocolate Festival in Perugia and 350.org

CET Siena students enjoyed a busy schedule of activities during the weekend of October 16th - 18th; Saturday, October 17th brought the highly anticipated Eurochocolate Festival in Perugia. Set in the beautiful historic center of Perugia, this week-long event features a series of stands, shows, classes and tastings glorifying chocolate in all of its forms. Despite the unseasonably cold temperatures and the opening weekend crowds, the students were able to enjoy the city and, most importantly, eat A LOT of chocolate.
Sunday morning came quickly for those participating in the "ecopasseggiata" or "nature walk," but the 7am departure time did not deter us! We participated in the ecopasseggiata in recognition of the international campaign called 350.org, which seeks to address the disasterous effects of climate change (350 [parts per million] refers to the level that scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere) and invites groups around the world to organize onsite events as a sign of solidarity. Our brisk, breathtaking 10KM walk through the Tuscan countryside was a local event aimed at revealing some of the most beautiful hidden corners of the area and promoting appreciation and respect for Tuscany's natural wonders. After the walk, which we completed in just under two hours, we fed our appetites at the ecopasseggiata pasta party.

Also in recognition of the 350.org campaign, CET invited students and their Italian roommates to prepare a dinner together using only locally produced/organic products, and enjoy their healthy and environmentally conscientious meal by candlelight.

Students participating in study abroad have a fundamental role in reducing dramatic climate change and its effects. For more information on how to reduce your carbon footprint during your semester abroad, check out the following links:

www.350.org

www.middlebury.edu/academics/ump/sap/sustainable/default.htm

Five hour hike through Cinque Terre, wine tasting in Montalcino, Grape Fesitval in Impruneta, exploring the ruins of Pompeii, sailing along the coast of Capri, getting a gondola ride for free...a month of intensive Italian at the Unversita' per Stranieri di Siena, living with four Italian roommates, participating in contrada festivals and dinners, going to Firenze to see the Gates of Paradise standing proudly before you...I sporadically have these epiphanies that life is truly a wonderful thing, and the adventures that studying abroad in Siena have brought have been high on my life list of things to do before I die.
Study abroad has become so common among college juniors that I felt like I was applying to colleges again this summer when every conversation included, "and will you be going abroad this year?" When I first prepared for my arrival in Italy, therefore, I felt like one of many. However, being in Siena, I continue to be challenged every day and every challenge has its reward. It takes curiosity, strength and endurance to just pick up and move your life to another country for a semester. And then, once you have done so, to go out, take risks and go on adventures to explore your country and all of the manifestations it has worked so hard to create over the years.

At this moment I am currently perched in my apartment in the early evening looking out my bedroom window at the brick buildings and red roofs that scatter the skyline of Siena. Having just returned from a weekend in the southern part of Italy, where we ate "the world's best pizza" in Naples, swam in the Grotto Azzurra in Capri, took a choo-choo train ride through Sorrento and explored the ruins of Pompeii, I am comforted by the sounds of what has become my community. The bell tower rings fearlessly and I am reminded from time to that I am not looking out at just any view, but at the famous Tuscan countryside so well known for its wines and vineyards. Despite my favorite country song playing from my computer, the sound I hear the most prominently is that of the Sienes families living in my apartment area's contrada, Lupa ("she-wolf").
Each part of Siena's center is divided into seventeen different contradas and these family ties are not to be messed with. Upon announcing the contrada that we are each a part of to a few Sienese students that we met, we were abruptly corrected - we do not belong to those contradas, they informed us, for we are not from Siena. Despite this, my roommate, Frances, and I purchased contrada flags later that week and they now hang proudly from our bedroom walls. We will be here for four months, and we feel like we are a part of the contrada, so it will be our little secret.

Week 4: L'Abbazia di San Galgano

Saturday, September 26th dawned as a picture perfect day for CET Siena's excursion to the San Galgano Abbey; the sky was clear and the temperatures were unseasonably warm. The oldest of the two structures onsite, the Montesiepi Chapel, dates back to the 12th century and features an authentic "sword in the stone," which the abbey's founder, San Galgano, is said to have plunged into a rock in the year 1180 in order to have an altar on which to pray. Following the black plague of the 1300's, the abbey gradually lost inhabitants until the year 1474, when its remaining monks transferred to a different site in nearby Siena. In the centuries that followed the conditions of the abbey worsened, and over time both its roof and bell tower were completely lost. The Montesiepi Chapel remains in working condition to this day. The students spent the afternoon exploring the area around the abbey and the chapel and enjoying some time relaxing in the Tuscan countryside. It was truly the ideal activity for an Indian summer Saturday afternoon.

Since we last spoke, the SportsCenter version:

• I attended a church service in the chapel built around the original sword in the stone.
• I watched a monk (in full monk garb, mind you) play soccer with a gaggle of ten-year-olds.
• I successfully hitchhiked home by faking a limp - twice.
• I shared tea with the great grand-nephew of Lord Alfred Douglas (a "colleague" of Oscar Wilde's).
• I served drinks at la festa (party) di contrada Tartuca.
• I became a painter.

Right, so art classes are in full shwang, and I find that our program's activities are scheduled, organized, graded events of what I would be (should be) doing anyway. This weekend we bused to Florence, visiting museums and painting from sculpture. I kept turning corners and being confronted with these masterpieces we had discussed in a different class a week earlier - "Oh, hi there. Weren't you carved by Michelangelo half a millenium ago?"

Two more weeks in Italy means two more weeks with Ilio and Maria; my nights consist of a mix of encouragement to eat ("Mangi! Mangi!") and to bring home "una bella ragazza Italiana." I often exit to the battle cry "20 anni!" as Ilio celebrates my youth. He became much more interesting last weekend - Maria was away visiting her family for the day and I had some solo time with the signor. He iterated the importance of only drinking wine with dinner, and then mixed with water; I also received kudos for skipping lunch. The next night he put on an excellent show for his wife, expressing his horror when I repeated such behavior and agreeing with his wife's concerns that my mother will think ill of them when I return underfed. I laughed. Hard. Oh, and Maria tried to sneak me a nightcap after dinner. Tricky!

Anna took us to San Galgano abbey as well, near the resting place of the original sword in the stone. Pictured here, the abbey is around 900 years old; it was strange to think that the trees around it are young compared to the structure. To see what those stones have seen...

I came to Siena to change - to change my geograpy, my society and myself. The decision was impulsive and without significant deliberation, therefore I realized why I came to Siena after I arrived. Stripped of all familiarities - friends, family, culture, home and language - I soon dedicated significant amounts of time to introspection. I used to inwardly scoff when I heard someone say they wanted to "find themselves," but I'm beginning to understand the extent to which the incessant noise of the American routine begins to deafen that which most needs to be heard. I was so affected by those I kept around me that I wasn't sure who I was when I left them. My study abroad experience shall be educational in much more significant ways than designed by any unversity. As I sign off, know that for me, December 19th will not be the end - it will be the beginning.

Week 3: Cooking Class at Trattoria Fonte Giusta

All 12 CET Siena students, Italian roommate Giusy and Resident Director Anna Di Biase participated in a cooking class hosted by the Trattoria Fonte Giusta on Thursday, September 17th and Thursday, September 24th. The menu for both evenings featured an array of handmade pasta dishes, including hand rolled gnocchi with bolognese sauce, two different kinds of homemade tortelloni - ricotta e melanzane con salso di pomodoro e basilico (ricotta cheese and eggplant with tomato basil sauce) and ricotta e spinaci con salsa di zucca (ricotta cheese and spianch with pumpkin sauce - pici con cacio e pepe (pici pasta is a Sienese specialty and resembles thick, crooked spaghetti, we ate it topped with cheese and black pepper), and pasta carbonara. The students also helped to make homemade, Tuscan style bread and cantunccini biscotti. The cooking class was followed each evening by a generous tasting of each of the dishes we had helped prepare, which left students stuffed to the brim. All in all, the class was a huge success! Above, Siena students Frances, Carey and Emily show off their hand rolled pasta making skills! To the right, students Kaitlyn, Margaret and Italian roommate Giusy (who was quickly promoted to sous chef of the kitchen, given her gentically predetermined cooking abilities), prepare tortelloni with ricotta and eggplant filling.

A toast: to learning things the hard way

Note to readers: When airport security asks what the holes in the soles of your shoes are for, do not say "the detonators." The intricacies of sarcasm are beyond them...

Alas! My airport exploits were a means to an end, and that end is the subject of this journal. Here I am in Siena, Italy! The city's beauty seems surreal - Siena's authenticity is pervasive. Ancient is commonplace, beauty banal. One can guage the time any given passerby has resided in Siena by the time they spend craning their neck to try and take in every inch of the city streets. Each corner sports an epic sculpture, fountain, or monument; I'm already beginning to share the Italian numbness to Siena's beauty. Pray I never fully do!

Following the advice of a friend, I elected to participate in a home stay with an Italian family rather than live in an apartment during my study abroad semester. My family (Maria and Ilio Cresti, both 79 years old) lives in Acqua Calda, a residential area a few kilometers outside the city center. The season's first adventure, therefore, constituted getting hopelessly lost in the Siena bus system. A combination of explanations given in Italian to one who speaks no Italian (oh yes, my family speaks no English) and a disparity between bus paths on the program board and on each bus left me riding in circles for two hours and eventually walking home. Have no fear, lessons learned such are most frequently learned best, and I am proud to boast that not only am I now a bus pro, but I also managed to get a lost oriental couple to the train station today. :)

September's first weeks were full of such adventures, often following the same formula of miscommunication, mistake, and lots of walking. Rest assured that although I have enjoyed my share of misfortunes, so far I am still having the time of my life. Anna, our resident director, coped with my episodes brilliantly - any other student will be a piece of cake after this master of disaster. A program trip to a local palio (competition between contradas, or subcommunities within a city. This one featured a donkey race!) in beautiful Asciano went off without a hitch. I should ask her how she does it...I guess speaking Italian helps!

Thankfully the advent of classes limited my opportunities for mishap this past week. While most of our classes are taught by English speaking teachers employed by CET, out Italian language classes are taken at the University of Siena for Foreigners. This means that not only are our classmates not American, but our teacher does not speak English. Needless to say, they have been interesting. Experiences with my new European friends include a party in an old monastery, discussions of politics and philosophy, and getting Jan kicked out of his apartment by having an impromptu rave in his staircase. Siena's aesthetic qualities certainly enrich the study abroad experience, but it is the people that inhabit it that truly constitute its essence. Therefore, the students I have met in Italy are the highlight of my trip so far, and I look forward to more of the same.

ex amino,

Westley Taylor
CET Siena Student Correspondent

Feelin' froggy? Check out my blog at: http://www.mysesquipedalian.wordpress.com/

Week 1: Picnic in Orto dei Pecci and Contrada Caccia al Tesoro

Students and CET Siena staff gathered on Saturday, September 5th for a picnic in Siena's Orto dei Pecci as part of their program orientation activities. After two days packed with orientation meetings, the picnic gave students and staff the chance to relax and get to know one another in a much more relaxed setting.

L'Orto dei Pecci is a true Sienese treasure; located within the city walls, this "Orto" or "garden" is open to the public and offers a small restaurant, as well as a covered pavillion and picnic tables for public use, all of which are situated on a large open field. The property also features vineyards, a small farm, organic gardens, a walking path and ample space for lounging and enjoying a bit of fresh air - all at a mere 5 minutes walking distance from Piazza del Campo.

Following the group picnic, the students participated in a Contrada Scavenger Hunt. In groups of four the students made their way from one end of the city to the other in search of the official headquarters of the city's 17 contradas. The first group to photograph themselves in front of the fountain or horse stall of each of their assigned contradas and send the pictures to the Resident Director won! (Bonus points were given if students imitated the animal/symbol representing the contrada; check out CET Siena students Carey, Kaitlyn and Margaret as they imitate they imitate the "Onda" or "Wave" contrada; below, Chahni, Westley and Michelle imitate la "Pantera" or "Panther").

As newfound Siena residents, the students are quickly catching on to the importance of the contradas in local Sienese cultures. The original contradas were born between the 12th and 13th centuries and they initially served a military function. At the heart of the contrada culture is the annual Palio festival and horse race, which takes place each July and August in Piazza del Campo, Siena's famed central piazza. One horse and rider represents each of the 17 Contradas, and the winning contradas of these two, minute and a half long races around the Piazza bear the honor of their victories throughout the following year. Each of the contradas is represented by a symbolic animal or object, which gives the contrada its name and is depicted in the unique contrada flag. Today, the contrads no longer serve any military or administrative functions, however, Siena residents have a deeply rooted sense of local identity and patriotism that is based in the contrada into which they were born.