though a picture is worth a thousand words...

I haven't done much writing on the blog since the first post, so here are the latest updates:

Ian is into the full swing of his semester. Classes are going well & his head hasn't exploded yet, but check back in when we hit midterms in a few weeks ;). Kidding, he's doing a wonderful job keeping things balanced & seems (at least from a familiar observer's perspective) to be keeping his stress in check. He's taking/auditing: Public Sector Economics, Macro., Comparative National Systems, International Trade Theory, Intro to Development, and War & Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa. He's started a research assistant position with a professor at SAIS focused on Charles de Gaulle and perceptions of him during the war years, which he's finding interesting. He is playing soccer with a group from school & found a squash court in town and has challenged a few Bolognese. We are both taking Spanish class 3 times a week (in Italy...we know) and aren't quite at the point where we can practice at home, but talk to us again in a few months.

I am still a semi-leisurely lady. I have a smattering of odd jobs babysitting and "teaching" English. On Monday I started working with a small group of 11 & 12 year-olds that a friend of a friend, who is Italian & goes to school in Bologna, has been working with for a few years. She is too busy this year, so I am picking up where she left off. It's a pretty good gig; just 1.5-2 hours and we do a bit of conversation, play a game, or watch a movie in English. Every Wednesday, I babysit for a Dutch family I met at the international school where I have been subbing as a teacher's aide as needed. There are just 2 kids ages 6 & 8 and their English is great, so it's a pretty easy job. On Thursdays I have dinner with an older couple who have me over for dinner and we chat about current events for an hour and a half so they can keep up their English. Besides that, I joined the photography club that one of the students started. We've only met once, so I don't have much to report on that, but will keep you posted if we get a site going that's worth looking at. I also joined the International Women's Forum of Bologna, which is a group of English speaking women here that has various interest groups, professional networking, etc.

All in all, we are certainly staying busy. Miss you all--send us updates from home!

Buona giornata,

Laura (& Ian)

Paris

Paris

Cinque Terre

Another album...

On Saturday we did a quick day trip to Cinque Terre, the 5 towns along the Ligurian Sea on the northwest coast of Italy that are infamous for the gorgeous views from the trails connecting the towns, as well as the wine, seafood, & pesto from the region. The weather was gorgeous & water was also still warm (and not just from a Bostonian's perspective)...not a bad way to spend a day.

2009.10.03.Cinque Terre