Week 1...almost done!
It feels like ages since we've been in Rome! Early Orientation is starting to become a distant memory...and I'm pretty sure I've forgotten every name of a guy who didn't go to language school in Siena. I didn't mention it before, but one of my favorite parts of EO was this thing I've heard before... but it reminds me of the "God is good...All the time!" call/response. Every so often, when a person finished speaking he would say "Praised be Jesus Christ" and we would all respond "Now and Forever!"...so if I ever sign an entry "Praised be Jesus Christ" I want you to say in your head, "Now and Forever!"
Anyways, back to Siena...Tomorrow is Friday, which completes the first week of language school, though it feels like I've been here for a month at least.
I really like one of the ways in which they teach Italian as a foreign language, and that is the one on one sessions in the afternoon. You get SO much attention from your individual teacher, and you can discuss pretty much whatever you want!
My favorite part of the program, however, is the 12:30-1:30 slot when Don Enrico (diocesan priest of Siena, professor of Liturgy at the seminary in Siena and secretary to the Archbishop) does our liturgical lesson. Today we went on a tour of the Cathedral of Siena, and he explained to us SO much that you wouldn't get on a typical tour---he didn't just describe the artwork, he explained the theology behind it...the symbolism of the artwork, statues, placement of certain objects in the cathedral, etc... He speaks to us in Italian and English...Italian liturgical language is easy enough to understand, as it's either cognates to English words, or derived from Latin words!
This weekend looks like it's shaping up to be a good one! Laura, the teacher from BU that came and did Italian lessons for us from January-June, has a house on Lago Maggiore in Norther Italy...so Mike and I will go to Milano on Saturday, meet up with her, see a bit of Milan then stay with her and her family on Saturday night, and hang out most of the day on Sunday until it's time to come back to Siena...
Just a short quick update---off for a SHORT run before dinner...
Praised be Jesus Christ... ;-)
--KPL
Anyways, back to Siena...Tomorrow is Friday, which completes the first week of language school, though it feels like I've been here for a month at least.
I really like one of the ways in which they teach Italian as a foreign language, and that is the one on one sessions in the afternoon. You get SO much attention from your individual teacher, and you can discuss pretty much whatever you want!
My favorite part of the program, however, is the 12:30-1:30 slot when Don Enrico (diocesan priest of Siena, professor of Liturgy at the seminary in Siena and secretary to the Archbishop) does our liturgical lesson. Today we went on a tour of the Cathedral of Siena, and he explained to us SO much that you wouldn't get on a typical tour---he didn't just describe the artwork, he explained the theology behind it...the symbolism of the artwork, statues, placement of certain objects in the cathedral, etc... He speaks to us in Italian and English...Italian liturgical language is easy enough to understand, as it's either cognates to English words, or derived from Latin words!
This weekend looks like it's shaping up to be a good one! Laura, the teacher from BU that came and did Italian lessons for us from January-June, has a house on Lago Maggiore in Norther Italy...so Mike and I will go to Milano on Saturday, meet up with her, see a bit of Milan then stay with her and her family on Saturday night, and hang out most of the day on Sunday until it's time to come back to Siena...
Just a short quick update---off for a SHORT run before dinner...
Praised be Jesus Christ... ;-)
--KPL
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