DISCOVERING ITALY with GMC: Life in Brescia

This past Monday, I officially began my courses in Italian language and culture here in Brescia, while still adjusting to my new life here. I, along with everyone in the group, attended our language course at a local high school nearby. From the moment we first arrived, many of the Italian students showed immediate fascination by us, not a single person walked by without staring. Elisa taught us along with Mattia in a small classroom. I learned quite a lot of the Italian language that I had not previously known prior.

I am also becomming more skilled in communicating with the people in Brecia, especially while shopping and asking for directions. I am glad to be able to communicate more with them and enough without too many language barriers.

Of course I did not have courses without some fun activities in between. On Tuesday, after class, we all took a trip to the Santa Giuliaa Museum. It was a fantastic museum full of history of Brescia during ancient times. I saw many pieces and artifacts from the temples and churches! There were even remains of ancient Brescia homes! I had previouslly known that Brescia was the "Lioness" of ancient Roman times, but today I witnessed the reasons why.

Everything at the museum was so well-preserved for being over a thousand years old. I even had the chance to the church and its painted murals. It was a taste of the Vatican since there were wonderous paintings all around the walls and the ceiling of Jesus on the cross, and other religious images.

I really enjoyed my visit to the Santa Giula museum because I learned so much about Brescia's history.

Today we all paid a visit to the Pastori high school. We were to speak to the students about the school systems in America, and them to tell us about school systems in Italy. Like the other school, the students were fascinated by us, but they were actusally cheering for us when we arrived! I felt very welcomed and special. After the meeting, we bought some snacks at the cafeteria, and began our tour of the farm next to the school. That was when I learned the Pastori school was a tech. school for the studnets to learn skills for life. The farm was absolutely beautiful! There were lots of flowers and plants growing in the fields all around. We toured several sections of the farm. First, the wine factory, in which there were huge tanks that stored the wine. Next was the floral gardens, and finallythe farm animals! I got pictures of cows, goats, pigs, horses, even an ostrich which was a big surprise! I wish I could have pet all of them.