Barbershop, friends and death announcements

1. I expected sunny 72 degrees today. What I actually got: a cloudy 69 degrees.. 

It is okay though. I felt cold all morning, so I finally made a hot water bottle to put under my feet while studying. Scott decided to go and "sit in" at signore Nicola's shop. He is one of the local barbers/ hairdressers and one of the most popular ones might I add. He is also our landlord. And one of the handful of believers in town.

Scott had the chance to chat with him a lot as well as the costumers. One of which spoke a little English :)

2. We rode our bikes out a little to further explore our neighborhood. There are entire streets that seem completely uninhabited during the year. Our landlady told us that when the summer season starts up people from all over Europe fill up the beaches, hotels, our town... all the vacation houses open up and life in general pick up pace big time! Most of the tourists (or summer residents) are from Italy, then from Germany, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland... but from all over, really. That will be an interesting time for us (first summer in Italy). Scott suggested it might be a good time to set up my little stand and sell my handmade products to tourists on the walking street. :)

3. Death announcements.

We have noticed that the bulletin boards, or ad poles in town are always covered with these mysterious announcements. First we didnt know what they were about, then realized that they were death announcements! The dead is very well-remembered in Italy.

Traditionally, when someone dies in a village in Italy, he is kept in an open casket at home, and friends and neighbors will visit and pay their respects. The family will often decorate the door of their house and put up notices to tell people about the death and the funeral. In the city, where people are no so intertwined, death notices are put in the newspaper. 

4. Picking up Benjamin from school 

I haven't mustered enough courage to talk to the other moms yet, but I am definitely preparing for it.

On Saturday Benjamin is invited to one of his classmate's birthday party and I am totally planning to chat and mingle. As opposed to last time, when I just sat quietly and observed the other parents while gnawing on a piece of pizza. 

Totally doing it this time. 

I think.... Oh, dear...

5. Friends

This is Martha. She is originally from Cameroon, Africa, but she has lived in Italy with her Italian husband for twenty-some years now. They have four beautiful children. Now, Martha is really sweet and helpful, we go on walks a few mornings a week and she knows everything about anything, really... what is going on in town, which vendor sells the freshest eggplants at the market, or what is the passato remoto form of the verb credere.She also gave me some miraculous elixir the other day that cleared up my eye infection in a jiffy!

And this is Antonio!! :) He is our neighbors' 14 years old son. He and Benjamin get along really well, they always hi-5 each other above the fence. Benjamin always greets him with loud CIAO! every time he leaves or comes home.

6. Beautiful flowers I spotted while walking down the street. Anybody knows what kind they are?

7. Well, here is another interesting picture...it actually cracked me up. I tried taking a picture of it without being seen. I dont want to hurt anybody's feelings :)

So here it is, the CITY VAN! :) With a fan in the window! :) Love it!!