wow. fame, here I come!

If you go to Google and start typing "Sera Jane" it will automatically guess Sera Jane Goes to Firenze as the first thing.... and if you Google just plaid old "Sera Jane" my blog is halfway down the second page! Thanks guys!!!! Now I just need my dreams job and dream restaurant/bar - who's helping?

weekend thus far.

I feel the need to share with you that last night Breana and I went to this cute English pub called Kikuya (http://www.kikuyapub.it/) with some of our Italian guy-friends and a few of their girl-friends. These girls were evidently very displeased with our presence as they made many a rude comment and snide look our way. Then they decided that they wanted to play telefone.... in Italian....which naturally made Breana and I look like morons because we had no idea what they were saying because it was always some weird, long, complicated Italian phrase. Then we decided that we should get to choose one. At which point the girls panicked a little but Fiippo and Alessio said that of course we should pick one. So we did. Honkytonk Badonkadonk. Needless to say, we got them back. And then everyone started laughing and we all got over ourselves as I tried to explain in Italian what honkytonk badonkadonk means.... and then we played Jenga because for some reason it was set up on the table. Overall the night was a success, odd, but a success nonetheless.


BACIONE

UPDATE!

I was just informed today that I have an internship with the Florentine food magazine, Gola Gioconda (http://www.golagioconda.it/) helping them translate their website into English!!!!! I was daydreaming about it after and imagined myself working there after graduation as their token American who translates and writes pieces about food in the United States, and then they would let me start writing my own articles about Florence so I would get to go out and do field work and go to restaurants, and eventually I would open my own restaurant because I would have become part of the business scene in Italy..... Dreaming is great, isn't it?


P.S. Gola = throat, Gioconda = Monna Lisa

christmas is a comin'

Or rather, Natale is a comin'!

But first comes fall. Although not so much in Firenze.... There aren't a particularly large number of trees to turn beautiful colors and send their leaves twirling to the ground.... Fortunately for me, I got to go to Lucca on Friday and in Lucca there are plenty of stunning autumnal trees and even some beautifully decorated storefronts, all ready for Christmas! 


I have also learned that my Florentine family loves Christmas as much as I do. We have the Christmas tablecloth already in full use every night and at least once a day Lorenzo breaks into song. Christmas song that is!! Sometimes he sings on his own in Italian but other times he sings along to American Christmas songs such as Santa Baby and things by Bing Crosby, in English, and it is just about the cutest thing I have ever heard. 


The city of Florence is also gearing up for the holidays by stringing beautiful strings of lights all along every street, too bad they wait until a certain day much closer to Christmas to turn them all on!! 

As far as Thanksgiving goes, although I am extremely sad to not be spending it at home, Giovanna has invited all of us girls over to her house with our professors for the evening. Then either Friday, Saturday or Sunday night I am hoping that Silvia will make some delicious turkey breast and I can make my family's "Italian" stuffing and cranberry sauce that we make every year. Wish me luck!


More news coming soon!
Baci e abbracci a tutti!

a crazy, hectic week

As usual... apologies for the rareness of my blogs these days.... I really am planning on incorporating them into my schedule more frequently, but this week has been bonkers!


First of all, my parents came last Wednesday! They are renting this great little apartment along the Arno where I have been spending much time. Since they arrived, we have been going to dinner, cooking dinner, going to little museums, and checking out churches. And of course, this has been a wacky week for schoolwork and continues to be so given that next week I have two midterms and the following week two more plus a little presentation (plus the usual pages of reading and about 5-8 compositions per week..... mind you this is all in Italian so although it isn't tons of work objectively speaking, it takes much longer to do and requires much more attention.... ugh).


Sunday night we celebrated my mom's birthday just over one month late. I made pasta with a homemade zucca (squash) sauce (I cooked the squash, then sauteed onions, re-added the squash and cooked them until they were paste-like, added Italian cooking cream, lots of black pepper and ground red pepper mixed with garlic, and then tossed it with pasta), breaded chicken cutlets with lemon, and lentils served Italian-style (al dente with olive oil and salt). After dinner I made roasted chestnuts. A lovely dinner!!


Another highlight of their visit thus far was when we ate dinner with my host family on Monday. I spent the entire day worrying and becoming more and more nervous because I am generally pretty shy around my host family and I was going to have to play translator all night. When we got to my house, the table was set beautifully, the boys were on their best behavior and there was the delicious scent of homemade lasagna coming from the oven.

I am happy to report that the night was a success. We laughed all night as my mom (with some help from me) tried to talk with the boys in Italian and Enrico and Silvia did their best to use some English words. It was just about the sweetest thing I have ever seen. The boys were chatty enough and at one point ran to get a photo album from when they were about 2 until they were 4 (SO CUTE!). Toward the end of the night, the boys went to bed and Enrico decided that my parents were not going to take a taxi but instead that he would drive them home so we piled in the car (Enrico, Silvia, my parents and I) and we started toward their apartment. But then Enrico remembered how nice Fiesole (a little town on a hill overlooking Florence) is at night because you can see the whole city. So Silvia, elbowing me in the ribs, says, "Oooohhh! We could go for a little drive!" And so we drove. Up the windy, windy roads alllll the way up to Fiesole. At 11pm. Mind you, I was exhausted... and full... and within minutes very, very, very carsick. Sheesh. Regardless, it was adorable! Enrico narrated the entire drive, telling my parents all about the streets, buildings, hotels, etc. (and I was forced to rapidly translate as best I could!) It was a very wonderful evening and although I thought I might die I was so nervous, I survived and the outcome was great! (Enrico and Silvia decided that my parents are adorable and very young at heart while my parents remained ever-so content that I live with such a sweet and loving family.)


Since then I have just been swimming in work, studying, reading, writing, visit museums, having double lessons of art history... it's exhausting!!


Tomorrow my parents and I are heading to Lucca and Pisa for a little day trip! Be prepared for photos! Then I will be spending the rest of the weekend writing four more compositions, visiting a little church, and relaxing with my parents and pals over here in Italia - hopefully we will find something exciting to do because its been quiet around here lately given that everyone has swine flu! Viva la suina! (Long live the swine.... terrible joke, not funny.... it just had a nice ring to it....)


That's all for now! I promise to update at least on Sunday!!!


Baci a tutti!!

Oink!

An orchestra of coughs.

Thats what my host dad says (he is now coughing a little bit too). Last night at dinner Lorenzo, Filippo and I were all coughing and Enrico started conducting us which made us all laugh more and then in turn, cough more. I also feel the need to share that host mamma peeled me an apple last night and cut it into chunks, it was just about the cutest thing ever. They also all seemed AMAZED that it was a Fiji apple.... I guess that seems cool?

This morning I am home from school again (I came home early yesterday), as are both of the twins. They both seem better, especially Filippo. They are currently running around the house throwing things at each other so I think they're okay!

My parents are leaving Vermont today! To come here! I will be seeing them tomorrow afternoon! Bravo!

Baci!

every good day ends with a good meal

For some reason, I just can't be down in the country no matter what happens. Okay, well maybe I was down when I had bedbugs for weeks on end.... but looking back on it I already don't feel any upset. As a matter of face, after finding out today that my lil' bro Filippo does indeed have swine flu..... (which in turn means that what I have is some form of swine flu.....) I actually just smiled and laughed about it because you know what? I am in Italy. And I am having a great time. And yes, I had bedbugs for a month. Yes, I had to move to a new house. Yes, my wallet was then stolen, and yes, I now seem to have some form of swine flu...... but regardless - I am here in Florence with a FANTASTIC family and everything somehow remains pretty gosh darn incredible.

Anyway. I had a good day. Read a book in Italian, read a fable in Italian, wrote a 2 page paper in Italian. Things are lookin' up. I didn't have a fever. My bros were super cute all day. Filippo seems to be better given that he and Lorenzo were chasing each other around all day. I drank lots of tea. I cleaned my room. I got to listen to adorable Lorenzo practice Spanish in an Italian accent all afternoon. I watched the soccer game and la Fiorentina won (3-1 against Catania..... oh yeahhhh!) And then, to top it off, we had a delicious dinner!

Ravioli filled with squash or pumpkin or something of the sort (same word in Italian so I am not totally sure which it really was....), followed by bread and cheese and those amazing brussels sprouts smothered in Béchamel sauce. Perfetto!

So thank you, Florence, for torturing me but allowing me to enjoy you just the same!

Baci e abbracci as usual!