Tidbits

This past week was relatively low-key and I’m really feeling more settled in my routine. The big soccer news of the week is that Carpi beat Modena 3-2 in the big derby match (Modena is only 15 minutes from Carpi). Though Carpi currently sits 3 points behind Modena in the Serie B standings, winning the derby brings tremendous bragging rights. Simo, Luigi, and I were originally planning to go to Modena for the game, but because things could get heated between the fans, we decided it would be safer not to go. That decision ended-up being a smart one because we later heard that there was a group of Modena and Carpi fans that got into a fight after the game. The big win was probably the most exciting event of the week for the entire city of Carpi, but I had a personally exciting moment during the week too. It happened Saturday night when almost our entire class went out to celebrate a friend’s birthday at a pizzeria. I was having a conversation when I stopped and realized, “Wow, I didn’t even have to think about those last 3 sentences, the words just flew right out.”  It’s truly gratifying to realize you’re getting better at a language and that all of your hard work is paying off.  Another funny language side-note is that I found out that the Italian word “tipo” is the equivalent of the word “like” in English (when it’s like misused as like a filler). It would seem obvious that people of all languages would have “filler words” , but it surprised me nonetheless that there was an Italian version of the word “like”.  

I also had a great week in soccer last week. For the first time, I got to play in the midfield during scrimmages where I feel slightly more at home. I have only been at Carpi FC for a month, but I can already notice big improvements in my game. Probably one of the biggest changes is that my teammates are more confident in giving me the ball in scrimmages and drills, and I'm more confident in my ability to do something productive with the ball.

Making crostini with Simo and Cate

The following couple of weeks promise to be anything but low-key. Starting today, my family’s apartment is undergoing some pretty large-scale remodeling. One big wall is being completely knocked-down and I will be sleeping in Simo’s room for a couple of nights. My family actually owns two apartments (one is the grandparent's old apartment) and they want to make them into one.  And in less than two weeks, our family is heading to Rome for a long weekend. I can’t wait!

In Carpi with my family