I'm Going to China?? No Way!

Last night Manola had a Christmas Party for us here at the Pensione. She is so great to us and we all love her! It’s the closest thing to a parent or anything like that we get. (Mom and Dad you are going to love it when you meet her! Since you are coming a day earlier, I think you should be able to eat lunch in the Pensione on Thursday the 17^th)

All the rooms here got a Christmas present for Manola, but since most of the rooms are triples and quads, Sayuri and I teamed up with the other boys double (it’s also an attic) to get a gift. Meaning, I did the shopping and the boys just signed the card and gave me money. Sayuri was frantically trying to get ready to home yesterday and barely had time to breathe so I was alone in the gift getting.

I went to Vestri’s and bought €10 worth of chocolate. Vestri’s is an amazing chocolate shop! They have the best gelato, and you can get the gelato with hot chocolate over it, which is good and bad. Good because it is freaking delicious, but bad because the gelato melts and the texture of gelato is one its many fine qualities.

After I bought the chocolates I went to a wine store (I think it’s called Zanobini and they also do a wine appertivo) to buy a €10 bottle. I really didn’t have any idea what to get, so I picked one that was missing a lot from the shelf and assumed it was good. When Manola opened it she turned to Brady (one of the guys in on our present) and was like “Someone must have told you! How did you know? This is like heaven in a bottle!” So I guess I picked a good one! I hope I can find that same bottle again at the store, because now I want some for myself!

The boys’ quad downstairs got Manola a Santa suit AND we got her to put it on! We also took our Pensione picture, but one of the guys was late, so he’s not in my picture. We are losing seven people at semester and only getting five new people.

My room mate left at 5:40 this morning, I got up with her and helped get her suitcases and stuff downstairs to her taxi. Then she left. I started crying, of course and have been crying on and off ever since. She was just a great room mate. She made me laugh so much! We are also both heavy sleepers and we both kind of snore, so it worked out perfectly for us! (I hope my new room mate is a heavy sleeper!) Sayuri left me a card and I opened it a cried. Later after I took a shower I went to do my hair and I saw that she left me her hairspray and I cried.

Ionly have today and tomorrow to get all ready for China! I haven’t even done laundry or though about what to bring. I live such a different lifestyle over here. Because we travel so much, there isn’t a lot of anticipation and build up for trips, it’s just something we do. If I was in the U.S. about to go to China for 10 days I would be flipping out completely! Instead, it just seems natural to go on a trip. I think next semester I will be traveling less often, but going further away on trips.

But here’s the plan for China:

Dec. 22: (aka my 21^st birthday!) leave from school at noon for the airport, layover in Frankfurt

Dec. 23: Arrive in Beijing at 9:25am (so I guess my birthday doesn’t really exist

Afternoon: orientation of the city, Temple of Heaven

Dec 24: Full day tour, Tian An Men Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace. Christmas Eve Mass, Beijing duck for dinner.

Dec 25: Visit with University students, including volleyball match. Free afternoon.

Dec 26: All day at the Great Wall and Holy Road including a Ming Tomb. In the evening we are going to a discotheque.

Dec 27: Fly to Shanghai. Visit Nanjing Road, The Bund

Dec 28: Meet with University students, play basketball. Free afternoon, discotheque in the evening

Dec 29: More of Shanghai, Yu Garderns, Jade Buddha Monastery, Old City, in the evening we have an Acrobatic Show

Dec 30: Free time in the morning, visit tallest building in Asia, fly to Honk Kong

Dec 31: tour of Hong Kong Island, Aberdeen fishing village, Victory Peak

Jan 1: free day! (ANGELA AND NAOMI WHAT SHOULD I DO???)

Jan 2: go back to Italy, again with a layover in Frankfurt

So that’s my birthday, Christmas, and New Years. This will be the first year Dad doesn’t wake me up on my birthday, no Honey baked Ham, no family gift exchange, no Christmas tree, no Christmas lights, none of that. It makes me really homesick to think about. But this semester has gone by do fast and I know next semester will be even faster and Mom and Dad will be here before I know it and then I’ll be back home.

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! I miss you all so much! You guys should get skype on your computers so we can call for free! Ok? (I got my Mom to use it, you can do it too!!)

My Pensione (minus one, and that's Manola and her Mom Bruna in the front.)
Manola dressed up like Santa posing with Sayuri and I.