Since the constant improve game of learning Italian requires me to "pick up" what Italians say and repeate it like a parrot, I usually come home with my pockets full of rocks and by rocks I mean phrases or words that I hear often. Then I go home, sit down at the computer and empty out my pockets. It's sometimes funny what I pick up but, I have begun to see a pattern forming in the majority of words I pick up. Yes, a lot of them are swear words and I probably know all the Saints names combined with various animals now but, this most recent list just goes to show how skeptical Italians are of the entire world around them:
Scamato-Scam
Sciopero-Strike (I actually learned this one a while ago but it is used more often than you would think)
Non mi frega niente-I don't give a damn but, if you take off the "niente", which means "nothing", then it just means "I don't care" (usually followed by some hand gestures because Italian is about 45% sign language)
Porca Troia-Holy Shit
Peggio-Worse
Furba-Crafty
Yet, at the same time their language has everday phrases and words that translate into the most beautiful things in English.
I'm going brag now and say that I can finally follow an entire lesson and give some input without falling asleep. I can also write down all the notes that my Italian/History teacher gives us for an hour but, even though he saw that I had been doing so and told me "bravissima, bravissima" (this is something very special and rare coming from a teacher that scares the crap out of my entire class and his very presence demands their upmost respect, even from the "bad-ass" kids in my class) he told me I was ready to have a notebook just for History since I could take notes. He said the notebook should perferably have a cat on it. Thats when almost everyone lifted up their notebooks for History, displaying cats on all of them. I don't know if it is a coincidence or this teacher has a weird cat fascination but, it this funny classroom story had to be recorded somewhere. It doesn't quite top "Super Babies!" but it comes close.
Ci Vediamo!
-Olive

Le Parolaccie Are The Best Of Words

I am convinced that although Italian is one of the most beautiful languages that ever existed, the fact that it is so close to Latin, it also holds primitive tendencies. It is a fairly young language and still is. But, it seems as though the language itself makes Italians part of the way they are. Love is obviously above many things in their culture. Therfore, you don't say or take lightly ti amo it is strictly reserved only for lovers and only when they are alone. That's it. You don't say it in public, you don't say it to your children, you don't say it to your friends and you most definitely don't say it to your cat.
Another example. Food (of course that would be next). Italian just sounds like food. Especially when you are hungry. Just listening to it I can hear: Tortellini con Prosciutto Cotto e panna, Spaghetti Carbonara, Tiramisu, the best olive oil on the planet, Nutella etc...
And lastly, just as much as Italian has the ability to make you swoon like you never have-especially when it's coming out of the mouth of a beautiful Italian boy-it has the ability to sound angry. No.
Down right frightening.
I don't know if it was scarier before when I didn't understand and it all just sounded like rapid gunfire over and over again, or if it's worse now that I can understand every cuss word, every threat and every (AND MANY) exasperation(s).
My host mom for example. Or, almost every Italian woman and a few men. Nothing sounds more threatening than a nice, long, growling cuss word thrown at the TV when a certain unfavored polition is speaking, or worse, on the phone or worse, to someones face. No, at that point it's just entertaining (as long you aren't the one being yelled at).
They can hold out those lovely words as long as they want. They roll the r's as if some sort of primitive side has taken over and this sound was built in to the language for emergencies such as these in order to make the user seem more animalistic, thereby frightening the oponent or...prey in some cases it feels like.
I'll have you all know i'm learning well. All you special people at East (you know who you are) thought I was a threat to the saftey of the school last year. Just wait, i've got some new tricks up my sleeves.

The New Year Speaks a New Language

An Italian New Year is one where you can find friends just by stepping outside into the little town where theres a glittering atmosphere of a new start on the horizon. Where the smell of fireworks are everywhere, and as soon as you countdown, tre, due, uno into the next year you're sprayed with hundreds of bottles of champagne and embraced by masses of Italians you don't even know. But who cares? You meet them once, and afterwards its like you've been friends forever.
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This is the year to expand the queens empire. The year to use those stored up bits of wisdom you've gathered from tea-tags, experience, others, and yourself. The time to sharpen your skills in what is already there, but must be utilized like another newly grown limb.
Just Be Yourself. You'll Be Fine.