Ciao!

Ciao!!
So its been a few days since i've written, i've been quite busy!
So...We navigated the train station in Milan with slightly higher confidence then before. We printed/paid for our ticket at a electronic ticket booth in the Stazione Centrale, then grabbed a cappuccino, checked outta our hotel, and headed to the station. We finally figured out what platform we were on, then once again entertained the locals as we attempted to drag our numerous pieces of luggage onto the last car of the train. The trip lasted about 3 1/2 hours, moving through many other cities. We arrived in Pesaro and met the rest of the Si Parla, Si Canta group. We took the hour and a half bus ride to Urbania, and witnessed some of the most beautiful country side i've ever seen!
Finally we get to Urbania. As we get off the bus we are paired up with the people who will house us during our stay. A very handsome Italian guy (Andrea..Andrew for Americans) comes up to me and my room-mates (3 other girls from my school; Kassie, Bonnie, and Megan), and takes us to his families complex where our apartment is. He tries talking to me since i happen to be in the front seat but to no avail...i just smile and nod my head; i don't understand a word, haha. The complex is beautiful and we are loving it. It is split up into two different houses with a courtyard in the middle. We live by ourselves on the top floor of one of the houses. Its perfect. There's a breezy sitting room leading into a cute kitchen which contains a washer (Hallelujah!!), and also a nice bathroom and two bedrooms. The stove has to be lit by matches, there's no air-conditioning, and the shower is not always hot..but who cares! Adrew's grandparents live under us and some other students are doing home-stays with the other members of the family within the complex. They took so many of us in! The Nona and Nono (grandma/pa) are precious. The first time nona (Elenor) met me she through up her hand and was like "AHHH!! Che bella!", i love her.
Later that evening we all went to dinner at La Loggia, and it was SO delicious! 5 courses of YUM...and lots of free wine. (=
We all got to know each other and it was good clean fun.
On Sunday we had orientation. We toured the city, went grocery shopping, and got our schedules. Today, Monday, we were placed in our class, im in beginner...duh! The class was great, i can tell i'll learn alot. We also had a italian diction class with Bob Cowart, who's been the diction coach at The Met (a famous opera house in NYC, for those who haven't heard of it) for around 28 years!! Well, needless to say, he was full of brilliance. Later today i'll do a coaching on one of my scenes (the Romeo and Juliet duet), and around 9 a welcome party!!
Im having fun! Arrivederci!!
love,
Maren

Its the details that get you there...

So. I got up at 6:30am on the 27th of May and the travel craziness began. Boarded my British Airway flight at 4:30ish pm and was on my way to London Heathrow airport. It was a 10ish hour flight....yuck! It was cramped, the food was awful, and i had to crawl over to other passengers multiple times to go to the restroom (those of you who know me well, know that i can NOT hold it!). BUT i made a friend, like i always do, with a nice british bloke named Alex, he was courteous enough to not be super annoyed at my constant up and down to the bathroom... (= Oh, and i just have to say how DAZZLING clouds can be. Yes, i've flown countless times, but it just struck me today as we were up in the clouds before reaching England what an artist God is. White vapors conform into a mountain shape that casts its long shadows on a whole field of smaller tufts of could. Then the sun, as it sets, casts a bright yellow silhouette behind the mountain of cloud and you can see streamers of red, orange, and pink fingers of sun breaking through the hollow spots....*sigh*...it was breath taking. BUT on a more gloomy note...i didnt sleep almost at ALL. i think i've only gotten 4 hours of sleep in the last 20 hours of my travels. Finally i arrived in London and waited for four hours to board my next flight to Milan, Linate airport. Its strange how foreign i felt in a ENGLISH speaking country, haha. I expected to not feel out of place among the British but...even though we were speaking the same language, i often had NO idea what they were saying to me, haha. But they sure were nice! Anyway, i got me a snack and a Starbucks (they didnt have half and half, i was appalled), and settled down to wait along with everyone else in the vast terminal 5 (its strange there, they dont let you know/post your departure gate until 50 MINUTES before you board! I swear every American there was freaking out that they couldn't go and wait at their designated gate, haha, oh Americans...we are so used to SPEED, i think Europeans have it right..just relax!).
Anywho, so i get to Milan and a REAL european experience begins..
I felt like a Martian. A complete alien. Everyone i asked about the buss to take to get to central station looked SO annoyed that i was speaking to them in English..people look different, act WAY different..i am the odd one out. But i was loving it, so fascinating. I take my buss, then i find i am completely turned around and dont know which direction to find the street where my hotel was. After many rude looks and many "Non parla inglese!"'s from locals who i had attempted to ask for help, i hailed a taxi. The cab driver was EXTREMELY amused at my "American-ness" and kept laughing at my confused antics and my smiles that were an attempt to be adorable enough that he'd take pity on me...well..it worked. (= 5 euros later, i made it to the hotel! Later that evening after meeting up with some other girls who were in my hotel and in my program, we went lookin' for dinner. We found this odd cafeteria, self serve deal, and once again were the subject for the entertainment and amusement of the employees, they were very nice though. While at the restaurant i had a very VERY new european discovery....squat-toilets. Its basically a porcelain hole in the ground and in order to relieve yourself..you squat over it.......needless to say, i did NOT attempt the squat-toilet.
Thus ends my first leg of travels, tomorrow begins the second...on to Urbania!!!!
Love,
Maren

Let the Journey BEGIN!

Hello friends and family and...anyone else out there!
Basically i created this blog so that i can keep everyone back home updated on my Europe trip. There is only ONE internet cafe in Urbania so...i may not get the chance to post alot but we'll see. (=
SO, the first leg of my Europe adventure starts here, in Houston. I take off for London at 4:20, then land in London and wait 4 hours, then fly to Milan, Italy. There i'll stay the night with some other girls who are in my program (Si Parla, Si Canta) with me. next morning we take a train to Pesaro (3 and a half hour ride), then on to Urbania on a bus (a few more hours i believe..). Whew! Im exhausted already!
As you can see from my description above, this is a program for opera AND language. I am very excited. I will have Italian language classes as the premiere language school in Italy, "Centro Studi", and perform scenes from certain Italian operas on, i believe, 6 different occasions for the locals. Also joining the 30 students accepted to the program are esteemed faculty! Some people from the Metropolitan opera are coming, a few outstanding coaches (some from Julliard, Curtis, and my very own school Oklahoma City University). Well, as you can see there are ALOT of opportunities for me to learn, explore, and just have fun!
After the program ends (June 26th), i will go back to Milan and HOPEFULLY see an opera at the famous La Scala opera house before i leave for London, England to meet up with my best friend Greta...for the NEXT part of my adventure. I turn 21 while over in Europe..so, after much pleading and rationalizing, persuaded my parents to make my London and Paris trip my birthday present. (=
I am so excited to get started!!! Let the adventure BEGIN!!!
Love,
Maren