4
Urbino Dopo Sei Anni
Six years ago, I took my first trip to Italy.
Freshman year was a big year for me. Let's call it the year for relationships.
Enrolling in Italian was an unusual idea, even for me. Spanish was the language I studied in high school... with most everyone else in my grade. Why not take it again in college where it would be easier to get through the required 12 credit hours? I'm not exactly sure why I chose Italian, but I think it's because I wanted a clean slate with a foreign language. Sure, I studied Spanish, but I didn't actually learn Spanish. Maybe I was just embarrassed to enter a college level Spanish class.
I found myself in Italian 101 sitting next to an old friend, someone I've known since my earliest days in Knoxville... Matt Martland. As the hour approached, we heard a whistling coming from the now empty hallways. The sound was old. Something recognizable. Maybe an opera... There was no mistaking that this whistle was from someone who knew exactly what he was doing. Not a student. The whistling became louder and eventually the person responsible for it strolled into our classroom - casually dropping his books down on his desk... still whistling. This was Sal Di Maria, and he would be the only professor in my four years at UT to influence me personally.
As it turned out, Italian classes were generally the harder ones, but always the most fun. Sal's method of teaching was of comprehension through conversation. Regardless of our progress, he would insist that we speak Italian in class; to him and each other. Everyone felt like they were a part of something special. It was engaging, which was more than our Econ or Accounting professors could say.
Eventually, Sal gave his semesterly-lecture on studying abroad. He took a group of students to a small town called Urbino every summer where they would eat, sleep, drink, talk, walk, and whistle in Italian. There was never any question from Matt or myself that we would go to Italy with Sal. We would make it work. And to that point in my life, I had never anticipated something more than this trip. It was bigger than anything I had done before and would turn out to be much more than a summer exchange in Italy.
In April 2003, I found myself in a Starbucks; standing behind a staggeringly beautiful blonde girl named Jessica Presley. By this time, my long hair was already cut off, and I was wearing something ridiculous like a white buttoned up short sleeve work shirt, white polyester Puma pants, blue shoes, and my ears were pierced. When she turned around, I knew it was the same girl I had met 3 years ago at Kalamata Kitchen. We worked together for nearly two years, but never really talked to each other. That night in the library, I had my first conversation with my future wife.
The conversation started off something like this:
B: Hey!
J: Hey I know you...
B: Yeah, I know you too... (blushing already)
J: (Noticing my Italian book) Are you studying Italian?
B: Yeah, uh ... and i'm going there this summer.. to Italy
J: Me too! I'm going to study Opera
B: Really?!! wow... we should talk
J: Yeah, let's... excuse me ~ (to barista) I would like a double tall, nonfat, iced latte
B: (to barista) uh... I'd... uh... I'd like a Grande Chai thanks...
So, this is how the conversation started. We sat down and talked for 2 hours about everything: school, family, Italy, music, her coming birthday, and anything else I could think of to keep her from walking away. When I got back to the dorm room, I told my 'suite mate', Brad, that I was in love. To which he laughed, grabbed my arm, and with a straight face told me he was happy for me. And well... the rest of that story is history.
Two and half months later, Matt and I arrived in Italy for our first time. After three days in Rome, we met up with the group and traveled to Urbino, Italy. That summer was unforgettable.
The following year, Jessica took the same trip to Urbino. And she too had an unforgettable summer.
Urbino is sentinmental to us both. We have each spent hours roaming its streets, eating at the same cafes, studying in the same classrooms, and for the first time in 6 years, we came back... together.
We spent three nights in Urbino from July 16 - 19... and I am regrettably, just now getting around to typing the blog. We met Sal on the morning of the 17th when he was walking up the street with his hands behind his back - Jessica spotted him while we were doing laundry and I ran out and grabbed him... and true to Urbino fashion, within two hours we were sitting on a flowered terrace eating a picnic of fried anchovies and calamari from the market, farmer's cheese, bread, sliced tomatoes, grapes, apricots, plums, prosciutto, and some homemade wine given to Sal by the landlord of his rental apartment. We sat with Sal and Professore "Mike" Vena (who have collectively been running this program for umpteen years) and a friend/colleague of Sal's, Candace. Lunch lasted three hours. We talked, laughed, and all enjoyed what many people seem to find in Urbino - good company.
For the rest of our time there, we ate at the cafes and restaurants we remembered, went to the river with an old friend, Fosca, ate at the Mensa, walked around the town with cups full of gelato, and of course had many long conversations with Sal. It was the perfect weekend before heading back to the farm.
I have always wondered what my life would be like had I not taken Italian. I probably wouldn't have gone to the library that night to study for a test, nor would I have found such an immediate bond with Jess, and more than likely... probably wouldn't be here with her now.
Things are going very well for us. We just finished two weeks at Spannocchia Farm in Tuscany. We will post about it, but what I can tell you now is that we will be recommending this place to everyone - as a guest, intern, or volunteer.
Thanks for keeping up as always.
A new album is posted.
We're back to Viareggio for work.
Lots of Love to you all
Brian and Jess
|
Freshman year was a big year for me. Let's call it the year for relationships.
Enrolling in Italian was an unusual idea, even for me. Spanish was the language I studied in high school... with most everyone else in my grade. Why not take it again in college where it would be easier to get through the required 12 credit hours? I'm not exactly sure why I chose Italian, but I think it's because I wanted a clean slate with a foreign language. Sure, I studied Spanish, but I didn't actually learn Spanish. Maybe I was just embarrassed to enter a college level Spanish class.
I found myself in Italian 101 sitting next to an old friend, someone I've known since my earliest days in Knoxville... Matt Martland. As the hour approached, we heard a whistling coming from the now empty hallways. The sound was old. Something recognizable. Maybe an opera... There was no mistaking that this whistle was from someone who knew exactly what he was doing. Not a student. The whistling became louder and eventually the person responsible for it strolled into our classroom - casually dropping his books down on his desk... still whistling. This was Sal Di Maria, and he would be the only professor in my four years at UT to influence me personally.
As it turned out, Italian classes were generally the harder ones, but always the most fun. Sal's method of teaching was of comprehension through conversation. Regardless of our progress, he would insist that we speak Italian in class; to him and each other. Everyone felt like they were a part of something special. It was engaging, which was more than our Econ or Accounting professors could say.
Eventually, Sal gave his semesterly-lecture on studying abroad. He took a group of students to a small town called Urbino every summer where they would eat, sleep, drink, talk, walk, and whistle in Italian. There was never any question from Matt or myself that we would go to Italy with Sal. We would make it work. And to that point in my life, I had never anticipated something more than this trip. It was bigger than anything I had done before and would turn out to be much more than a summer exchange in Italy.
In April 2003, I found myself in a Starbucks; standing behind a staggeringly beautiful blonde girl named Jessica Presley. By this time, my long hair was already cut off, and I was wearing something ridiculous like a white buttoned up short sleeve work shirt, white polyester Puma pants, blue shoes, and my ears were pierced. When she turned around, I knew it was the same girl I had met 3 years ago at Kalamata Kitchen. We worked together for nearly two years, but never really talked to each other. That night in the library, I had my first conversation with my future wife.
The conversation started off something like this:
B: Hey!
J: Hey I know you...
B: Yeah, I know you too... (blushing already)
J: (Noticing my Italian book) Are you studying Italian?
B: Yeah, uh ... and i'm going there this summer.. to Italy
J: Me too! I'm going to study Opera
B: Really?!! wow... we should talk
J: Yeah, let's... excuse me ~ (to barista) I would like a double tall, nonfat, iced latte
B: (to barista) uh... I'd... uh... I'd like a Grande Chai thanks...
So, this is how the conversation started. We sat down and talked for 2 hours about everything: school, family, Italy, music, her coming birthday, and anything else I could think of to keep her from walking away. When I got back to the dorm room, I told my 'suite mate', Brad, that I was in love. To which he laughed, grabbed my arm, and with a straight face told me he was happy for me. And well... the rest of that story is history.
Two and half months later, Matt and I arrived in Italy for our first time. After three days in Rome, we met up with the group and traveled to Urbino, Italy. That summer was unforgettable.
The following year, Jessica took the same trip to Urbino. And she too had an unforgettable summer.
Urbino is sentinmental to us both. We have each spent hours roaming its streets, eating at the same cafes, studying in the same classrooms, and for the first time in 6 years, we came back... together.
We spent three nights in Urbino from July 16 - 19... and I am regrettably, just now getting around to typing the blog. We met Sal on the morning of the 17th when he was walking up the street with his hands behind his back - Jessica spotted him while we were doing laundry and I ran out and grabbed him... and true to Urbino fashion, within two hours we were sitting on a flowered terrace eating a picnic of fried anchovies and calamari from the market, farmer's cheese, bread, sliced tomatoes, grapes, apricots, plums, prosciutto, and some homemade wine given to Sal by the landlord of his rental apartment. We sat with Sal and Professore "Mike" Vena (who have collectively been running this program for umpteen years) and a friend/colleague of Sal's, Candace. Lunch lasted three hours. We talked, laughed, and all enjoyed what many people seem to find in Urbino - good company.
For the rest of our time there, we ate at the cafes and restaurants we remembered, went to the river with an old friend, Fosca, ate at the Mensa, walked around the town with cups full of gelato, and of course had many long conversations with Sal. It was the perfect weekend before heading back to the farm.
I have always wondered what my life would be like had I not taken Italian. I probably wouldn't have gone to the library that night to study for a test, nor would I have found such an immediate bond with Jess, and more than likely... probably wouldn't be here with her now.
Things are going very well for us. We just finished two weeks at Spannocchia Farm in Tuscany. We will post about it, but what I can tell you now is that we will be recommending this place to everyone - as a guest, intern, or volunteer.
Thanks for keeping up as always.
A new album is posted.
We're back to Viareggio for work.
Lots of Love to you all
Brian and Jess
|
