An Adventure

So yesterday when Emanuela, Gregorio and I arrive at school and we are expecting everyone to be inside in class, as our bus was late to arrive yet again. Instead, everybody was outside. Confused, Emanuela asked a girl what was going on. She said that nobody was going to school today and we were all going to Catanzaro (as we were in Catanzaro Lido, Catanzaro is the main part) to protest the change in school hours (because now we have to go to school from 7:00 am and we get home at 3:00 pm). However, first we all gathered outside a cafe and someone jumped up on a car and gave a speech about how tomorrow we will go to class but we won't bring our books or anything and we will not do our work. The frustration and anger was obvious among everyone. And who wouldn't be? Starting school at 7:00 am and getting home at 3:00 pm! Ok seriously? That's rather ridiculous...especially if you don't get Saturday off. So then everyone cheered and honked and people started to depart to go to Catanzaro. Emanuela told me to go with Michelle and Chiara (some of my friends) and she would come to Catanzaro later with her boyfriend. I had no idea where Gregorio was. And so, since I had no idea really what was totally going on, I followed Michelle and Chiara where we ended up taking buses and trains, until we finally reached Catanzaro. We got off the train and suddenly we were in a huge square full of people, mostly students. In the middle of the square was a giant triangular looking thing which was actually steps leading to nowhere...it looked like it's only purpose was for sitting on and looking very random and strange.

weird triangle thing

Anyways, so then Michelle ran into her friend, Anna, who I seriously thought was a boy with a strangely delicate face. But nope, it was a girl. She seemed nice enough, not that we could communicate much. After that Chiara and I decided to get something to eat. So she took me to this little modern looking, and very Euro-style cafe where we had a slice of some delicious Italian pizza. Then we had planned on browsing some shops, but Michelle told us to come back. I have no idea why though, because all we did was sit there.

Then I find out that Gregorio and Emanuela had changed their minds and were not coming to Catanzaro, and that now I really should have stayed with Gregorio! So we had to go back to Catanzaro Lido so I could catch the school bus to Botricello in time. But the bus to Lido never showed up. And we waited, and waited, and waited. By that time I probably wouldn't make it to the school bus, so Emanuela called Michelle after I texted her and told Michelle to tell me to stay in Catanzaro where two of her friends would come and get me to take me back, while the others caught the extremely late bus back to Lido. Michelle told me this, but they decided they didn't want to leave me alone, so they took me on the bus (when it finally arrived) back to Lido. And, since I have no idea what else to do, I do as they tell me and I get on the bus. Emanuela is furious with Michelle and then says for me to get off in some random piazza where I would wait for Stefano and he would take me to a later bus stop where Emanuela was waiting. So I did. And by now, I was so frustrated. I tend to find myself in these situations a lot. Anyways, just as I was about to call Emanuela, Stefano zooms up on his scooter and hands me an extra helmet. He tells me to hurry and soon we are racing down the street weaving in and out of traffic so crazily I thought I was either going to get clipped by a side mirror or we were going to tip over. But finally we reached Emanuela and I just caught the bus back to Botricello.

Today, I had everyone apologizing  to me. But now I consider it quite a story. Yesterday, of course, when you're in the situation, all you want is for it to be over with. But I got some good pictures anyways.

walking to the bus to go to Catanzaro

Me and Silvia

Walking to protest

Catanzaro

A cool statue in the square

The square where everyone gathered

Naked dude with a pick-axe

Today, when we got to school, Emanuela, Gregorio and I gathered with our classmates and found a spot on the school grounds to get comfortable. About an hour later after just sitting around, some students climbed up onto some stairs outside and gave a speech in Italian. Of course, I couldn't understand it, but everyone cheered and chanted and people in cars honked their horns. Many seemed excited about protesting, but the people who gave speeches showed their anger towards the school.  And this morning on the bus, there was a flyer on everyone's seats talking about the protest and how ridiculous it all was and we needed to unite and stand up for our rights. It was quite well organized really. Although today had to be one of the most boring days of my entire life, as all we did was sit, then get up, move to a different spot, and sit back down. I was starving (as usual) and I was like "Hey, can we go and grab something to eat and come back?" and everyone was like nooo are you crazy we aren't allowed to leave blah blah blah......SERIOUSLY?! There were people blocking the gates and they stopped anyone who tried to leave. I was about ready to climb the fence I was so hungry, but nobody would go with me. It seems strange to me, because I'm used to being able to leave the school on free time, to go and get something or whatever. But here, you would have to be mental. So, I guess today I grew very impatient. In a way I felt trapped. I kept thinking, here I am, in ITALY, I need to go and do things....but I couldn't. And in my perspective, it was almost pointless to stay once the speech was done, but it was for a cause and that is understandable, so I stayed. Although today I was abnormally tired for no reason, because I slept quite well last night. And by the time we got home for lunch my head had a distant, threatening ache and I can now feel a sore throat coming on. Although I thought I was ok enough to go to my Italian lesson, Antonella sent me straight to bed again. She is being very careful with me right ow, she is afraid that maybe I will get a fever, but I understand where she is coming from. I mean, I was practically falling asleep into my bowl of tortellini (which was very delicious I'll have you all know) this afternoon at lunch time.

And now, after sleeping from about 2:30 until 5:15, here I sit, uploading pictures and blogging and answering emails, as well as eating a very yummy (and very small) piece of cake that Antonella has recently made.

It is dark out now and I should probably go, but I will catch up with you all later! 

Ciao,

-Mikeala