Midterms and the last week and a half

I think this is the longest I've gone without doing an entry!  Life here hasn't been all that exciting, as far as living abroad goes, so that's why I haven't written.  We had midterms this week and it was funny to see our school stressed out because it's such an unusual thing to see at our school. Sometimes individual students will be stressed out or the study lounge will have a few students in it who look like they're being productive but it was funny to see everyone stressed out and the student lounge packed with people!  I truly forgot what it was like to be stressed out and I found myself saying "I just want this week to be over!!" which I haven't said it ages.  It's also funny too because I had to keep everything in perspective -- yes I had 4 midterms and a few interviews within 3 days but it was only 3 days of exams... we don't have class Thursday because it was declared a national holiday by the Italian government to celebrate the 150th anniversary and we don't have class Friday as per the school calendar, which is when we leave for Paris!  Going to Paris got me through this week so far and it made midterms so much better knowing I'd be there in a few short days.  My roommates and I haven't traveled all together in a while, either, so we're definitely excited to get out.

Last week, I started my first tutoring lesson with my Italian professor's niece.  She's 14 and a really sweet girl!  I also met with my language partner -- a student from Cattolica who is trying to learn English (we speak in Italian for half the time and English for the other half).  She definitely knows more English than I know Italian but it's good practice.  It was funny speaking English to both of these girls because I realized how much of my day to day speaking isn't formal or technically correct, especially with all of the abbreviations and inside jokes I have with my friends.  I really had to "dumb" down my conversation as well and think about the right word to use so that they would understand what I was saying.  I also realized how much of communication is more than words.  There are so many cultural understandings and meanings associated with our words that we don't even have to think about except when the person we're talking to doesn't have all of that extra knowledge.   So much of conversation is just understood, not necessarily said, even down to our body language and that never occurred to me before now.

Last Tuesday, we were lucky enough to have Mardi Gras and the Festa Della Donne, which is International Women's Day, fall on the same day!  We all agreed international women's day was a great idea and we weren't sure why the U.S. has never celebrated it?  Definitely getting gypped back in the States ;)  Anyway, to celebrate the day, there were vendors selling mimosas, the yellow flower and symbol of the holiday, everyyywhere in the city.  Many a vendor offered them to us but we thought it odd to go ahead and purchase ones for ourselves haha there were also a lot of places around the city offering a reduced price or free entrance for women.  We of course had to go out that night- Mardi Gras and the festival of women, I can't think of a better combination!  We went to a club near us called Hollywood and had so much fun :)

Ann, Mere, me, and Kasia at Hollywood!

On Thursday night, there was a famous Italian DJ called Benny Benassi (his claim to fame is his remix of the song 'Satisfaction') coming to a club called Limelight in Milan so a bunch of students from our program got table service there.  Mere and I went in on a table with a group of some friends and it was our first experience getting a table at a club.  It was definitely cool to have a place of our own, especially with how crowded it was.  The club itself was pretty big and so loud, though, so I don't know if we'll go back there.  We had fun but it was a little much.  It also made our 3-hour Italian class the next morning pretty miserable but you're only young and in Milan once right?  Oh and the metro workers went on strike on Friday which is always super fun and convenient :)

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Part of our photography midterm was a photo project with certain requirements: it had to be between 10 and 20 pictures, it had to have a theme or story, and it had to have one or more of a certain types of picture (context picture, detail picture, relationship picture, portrait, etc).  We presented them in class yesterday and here is what I put together.  My story was about a girl going on a trip but in a broader sense, it was about studying abroad in general and making this experience your own and taking what you want from it.  When I was putting this project together, I had two quotes in mind which I've always liked which are "the race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself" and  "if it's to be it's up to me".  

Anne leaving our apartment; my "portrait" picture... this is the only picture where she 's actually facing the camera and I wanted it that way because I didn't want her to really connect with the camera because this experience was supposed to be hers, not anyone else's

This is one of our metro stations and the one that we use every day.  We pass this graffiti all the time and it has always struck me and it's what gave me the idea for my story

What you see when you first enter the metro station... Supposed to be a detail shot of the graffiti (if you could call it that) on the walls; these designs are actually all over our metro station and in other stations as well.

Action shot of Anne walking through our metro station

Detail shot; Metro is the newspaper they have in the metro stations and this is where you can pick one up

Context shot; Garibaldi station has 3 levels to it and I thought it was important to show this for two reasons: I saw the different levels as representing our different level of learning and understanding since being here.  When we first came here, we were on the bottom level and as the time has passed, we have been progressing upwards.  I also liked how everything is going in a different direction and there are so many possibilities because I saw it as a metaphor for all the decisions we have here and how it can be dizzying sometimes.

Relationship picture as she waits in line to buy a ticket

Establishing shot showing Anne waiting for her train and her in relationship to the station

Another action shot; heading down to her train

Another detail shot; I saw these chains as representing the internal struggle or resistance we have sometimes to trying something new or stepping out of our comfort zone

Anne walking to her train; I really like the perspective and depth you get from this picture

Getting on the train! (She didn't actually get on)

Telefoto (meaning I zoomed in); after the train left

More graffiti in the station, emphasizing the idea of not wasting any time here and making the most out of your experience

I hope you liked it!  I was happy with how it turned out and I'm hoping my professor was too.  I just finished my last midterm a few hours ago so just a few more things to do today and then we're celebrating being done with midterms tonight!