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!
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. :)
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 politi
cs 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.
cs 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 TaylorCET Siena Student Correspondent
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