La Presentazione di Pubblicita, il femminismo, e i cambiamenti nell'appartamento

Today I begin writing my 15 minute presentation on advertising that I will give, all in Italian, next Wednesday to a small audience of a few instructors and peers.

I was given free reign over my topic and chose advertising because-
a) I thought, hey, here is an opportunity to review old concepts ive long forgotten/replaced with irregular trapassato verb conjugations
b) I would get to show advertising clips (Helloo Old Spice "The man your man could smell like" ad!)
c) I am still looking for a summer internship. Ok this is not a reason.

...

In class this morning, my conversation teacher brought up the idea of femminism. (il femminismo in Italian. Is anyone else curious why its masculine?)

Due to the widely diverse cultures represented by our class (Helloo Libya, Israel, Uganda and Pakistan!), the conversation was pretty interesting. Mariam from Uganda talked about gender roles in Uganda. Once a man marries he is not supposed to do anything in the kitchen or the house. That is the wife's terrain and its not to be touched. His job is to work outside, not inside.

According to Mariam, the women of Uganda are generally content with this role, and it is culturally understood that by serving the man in the home, she shows him respect. She said there are also married couples where both the wife and husband work outside of the home, but the household work still falls on the woman most of the time. I don't think there is anything wrong with the traditional roles, in fact I think the idea of respect (mutual respect) in a marraige is very important. However, I am still very happy to live in the US where more contemporary couples share housework and the work that goes along with raising kids.

Lastly, one of my roomates changed apartments (apparently she minds all of the noise at night that comes from the bar below us..shocking), and the agency was able to find her a quieter place. Her room will soon be filled by another student. We wonder, what nationality will she be? Will she speak Italian? English?

We shall see, (Vediamo!)
~Kaitlyn

"What Heaven will be like"

As I have been sick with a stomach flu the last couple of days, I have had alot of time to be on facebook, youtube, etc.

Today I listened to a podcast of an Austin Stone sermon called "What Heaven will be Like"

http://www.austinstone.org/resources/sermons/category/heaven_and_hell

Truly a beautiful, thought provoking, and inspiring sermon that focuses on many places in scripture such as Revelation 24:1-4, Luke 23:39, John 14:1, Rev 21:1-3 and Rev 19:11-16.

Thanks to a wonderful roomate, an Italian pharmacy, a couple of cab drivers, and God, I feel much better than I did on Friday and am looking forward to getting back to class tomorrow.

Coming up is my 15 min presentation (in italian) on Advertising trends in the US, as well as my trip with the student's travel agency to Venezia for the Carnivale on Saturday.

Shout outs: Thanks so much for the package and homemade granola Aunt Laura and Mom! Happy birthday to my Grandad, and thank you God for allowing modern medicine to make his hip better!

Ciao a tutti,
Kaitlyn

Firenze, la seconda volta.

Questo fine di settimana i miei compani di classe ed io abbiamo visitato Firenze. Il tempo era bellisimo, con sole e un cielo ciaro. Abbiamo preso il minimetro alla stazione del treno, e poi abbiamo preso il treno. Il viaggio ci e voluto quasi due ore e mezzo. Quando siamo arrivati abbiamo fatto un giro tra la bellissima citta, mentre molte persone caminavano con i suoi bambini, alcuni in costumi per il Carnivale. Abbiamo trovato L'Accademia e siamo entrati dopo abbiamo comprato i nostri biglietti. La Davide era meravigliosa, grande e splendida, meglio di tutte le foto avevo mai visto. Dopo L'Accademia abbiamo pranzato e ho mangiato un po di pane e una pera che ho portato con me. (tutto il cibo a Firenze e troppo costoso). Allora, le ragazze hanno lasciato i ragazzi e abbiamo separati per un po di tempo per fare lo shop in tutti i negozi carini, alcuni costosi, alcuni con molti saldi. Ho comprato due borse piccole per le mie sorrellestre, e un masca per il Carnivale. Quando siamo stati insieme di nuovo, abbiamo visitato Sante Croce. Nella piazza di Sante Croce c'era un piccolo spettacolo con puppets vecchissimi e due persone hanno fatto i movimenti a mano e i puppets bailavano alla musica. Alle sei, stanchi e contenti, finalmente abbiamo ritornato alla stazione e abbiamo preso il treno a Perugia. Era un giorno abastanza perfetto.

This weekend my classmates and I visited Florence. The weather was beautiful with sun and clear skies. We took the mini metro to the station, and then the train. The trip took about two and a half hours. When we arrived we took a walk around the beautiful city with many people walking around with their kids, some in costume for Carnival. We found the Accademia and entered after buying our tickets. The David was beautiful, big and splendid, better than all of the pictures I have ever seen. After the Accademia we ate lunch and I had some bread and a pear that I had brought with me. (All food in Florence is expensive.) The girls left the boys and we separated for a bit to do some shopping in the cute shops; some very expensive and some with many sales. I bought two little purses for my step sisters and a mask for Carnivale. When we returned together we visited Santa Croce. Nearby there was a puppet show with really old puppets. Two people made the puppets move to the music. At six we returned to the station, worn out and happy, and took the train to Perugia. It was an almost perfect day.

La frangetta

Today I had my hair cut and styled at a local salon in the historic center named 'Hair Up.' They give students discounts (stranger/foreigner discount, really) for 20% off.

I had them cut frangetta, bangs and straighten it to a glossy finish.

The conversation with the man who washed and styled my hair circled around the United States, Eminem (the rapper) and American cities. He said that he loved the United States and wanted to go there because the police in the US follow the rules. (Interesting perspective). He knew about Elvis, where Bruce Lee was buried, and that the Houston license plate has a rocket shooting into the sky.

I left 'Hair Up' with a smile on my face, a free espresso, and a new Italian hairstyle.

Three cheers for full immersion!

Tonight, dinner at il ristorante Argentino with international friends, e poi, (then) domani vado a Firenze.

Italian Art = Advertising inspiration

Hooray for times when completely separate interests collide!

Advertising + Italian inspiration = I'm interested.

Here is an example of the Austin based T3 (The Think Tank) ad company in Austin using Bottecelli's Primavera as inspiration for interactive ads.

Marriott: Reveal Renaissance

http://t-3.com/work/view/marriott/reveal_renaissance

Le Cose che abbiamo in comune.

Here is a song my professor had us listen to and then fill in the missing words. (listening comprehension).

I have been listening to it on repeat all morning, its so cute.

Its called Le cose che abbiamo in comune/The things we have in common by Daniele Silvestri.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGdKLPTW0KI

Perfect valentines day song:)

Perugian chocolate factory

Here in Italy there are chocolates called Baci (kisses) which are made up of dark chocolate and hazlenuts mixed together with a single whole hazlenut on top and covered with a coating of dark chocolate. They are covered in foil and in each Baci is a love saying stamped on a slip of wax paper. These chocolates are made in factory just outside of Perugia.

Yesterday my roomates and I took a bus to the factory and got a free tour of the inside of the factory. We walked through a hallway overlooking all of the moving belts transporting the chocolates to and from the silver cases where the magic of transformation happens step by step. We were able to observe the making of the chocolate Pasqua (Easter) eggs which (according to local Italians I had dinner with that night) every candy company in Italy produces. According to them, the best ones are from a brand called Kinder. Inside each football sized chocolate easter egg is a surprise; a small stuffed animal (pulush), a toy, legos, or puzzle. Each child receives on average, from various family members, about 10 of these giant eggs during Easter!

Before the tour, we viewed a short film about the history of the factory and were shown advertisements for Perugina from the 50's until today. The target audience historically ranges from couples in love, to young people, to families, and now couples in love again.
Here is an example of an old print ad for Baci.
http://melissamuldoon.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/baci-perugina-7.jpg
Example of a Baci
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOnkfBvx8OLlK9XbmT5jn3jlP3oS5X6I5E1cl2L16LC-0nOeKVIK5onJ4bMmaQWvXKCvKk7-XmjNj1rkvwMn5WxRvjZ6nsqURznS4GaYsLZnf95LpBbLj1HEdfjxcueg8jWg8gU_I-e0/s1600/bacio2.jpg

At the end of the tour and after looking at a model of the record breaking worlds largest Baci we were able to taste test almost every Baci product. Yea!

A presto,
kaitlyn

What a weekend. Just like the biscotti di marmalata (jam cookies) that a friend and I attempted to bake in a toaster oven Saturday afternoon/evening while watching L'Amore, Davvero/Love Actually, in the sunniness of the weekend, all of the details have baked together into one lumpy torta (cake) in my head.

Starting with Friday, international party followed by Caffe Morlacchi, followed by Saturday: lots of adventuring, Perugian outdoor market, jam cookie making, pizzeria, and finally Sunday: day trip to see the Basilica of San Francesco/Saint Francis in Assisi.

The international party Friday night was really cool. Each person was supposed to bring/make qualcosa (something) from their native country. Consequently there was food from all over the world: crepes with pear, sushi, fruit cake, spinach pie, rice, chocolate cake, wine, etc. My plate was as diverse as the people who made up the party.

The TexMex guacomole and tortilla chips my Mexican roomate and I made were a hit and were gone by the end of the evening (the tortillas fried in olive oil turned out well by the way; cripsy and bubbled up a bit. I cut them into triangles). We were very pleased with ourselves and our diplomatic efforts.. I got to practice Italian alot that night and only had to answer a question about an American celebrity once. Success!

The next day I went to the Saturday market with Francesca and Candice and got a Italia shirt, leather skirt, and sparkly dress for 3 euro. Yea! Saturday night Francesca and I made biscotti and then split a veggie pizza at local pizzeria. (3 euro each, yea!). We left a paper oragami bird on the table as a tip.

Today I went to Assisi and visited beautiful churches, oh the churches. When I saw one by the train station that was a church within a church, I felt like I had seen everything that there was to see as far as religious buildings go. So, so beautiful, all of them, but maybe this goes without saying.

Beautiful weather, beautiful weekend, grazie a Dio.
A presto,
Kaitlyn

Permesso di Soggiorno, moving along.

I had the pleasure of visiting the police headquarters here in Perugia yesterday morning,
but not for reasons you are now probably thinking. No the reason is much more boring.

In order to obtain the 'permesso di soggiorno' (permit to stay), an immigrant (that's me) must visit the police station and get his/her fingerprints taken and placed on record. This is just one of the many hoops one must jump through. Not that im complaining.. (does the Italian government read foreign student blogs?). My current understanding is that after 25-31 days I will be able to obtain the date that I am able to pick up the 'permesso' after logging on to the website that was provided to me and filling out more information. Super!

On another note, one of my sweet roommates, Despoina (from Crete) moved to Milan this weekend to complete her program at the University there. We sent her on her way early Saturday morning with a box of Perugian chocolate (its the best in Italy) and a hand rendered goodbye card.

This weekend I made delicious hot chocolate for my roomates, Francesca, and a couple of my friends in the full immersion program. After brief speculation we concluded it was the best hot chocolate ever made in the history of mankind.

It included:

1 cup of Vanilla soy milk
1 big square of melted down 56% cocoa chocolate (with extra fondant)
A sprinkle of Perugian bitter cocoa powder
A pinch of salt.
*cooked on the stove.

As a result of our current inspired state, my friend Francesca and I have decided to open an Italian chocolate shop upon our return to the US. So we all have that to look forward to..

Yea!