Day 24: Friday, May 30. I was frustrated by the projection system in class today. In this class I show a lot of videos. Usually we only watch 5-10 minutes of a documentary, but sometimes I will show as much as a half hour of some things. I try to use the videos as a way of getting students to think about style, approach voice, etc. I ask them to tell me what they like and don't like and try to get them in discussion. On a few occasions, we've actually had students disagree about what they like. For a teacher, that's the holy grail. I think a lot of learning goes on when that happens.

Today the internet worked fine but nothing I did could make the projection system work. I discussed the assigned reading with them, had them pair up to discuss their own projects, but we still finished a little short of the full two hours. I don't think they've missed out, though, given the number of unscheduled minutes of learning they've had (yesterday's visit to the basilica in Loreto, for example).

These church projects have all been different - most challenging. Today I went with a couple of students to Santa Maria della Pace. Kim came with me, as we have never been to this church. We got there just about the time it started pouring. The church has a covered porch (porticos) so we waited for the priest's arrival. The student had made an appointment to interview him. As we waited for the priest to arrive I noticed more people were arriving, then I saw that there was a funeral announcement. The student was not likely going to get an interview with the priest. When he did arrive, he said he didn't have a phone number to let the student know. In any event, he had arranged for a retiree, who was a lifelong member of the church, to meet the student for the interview. We went into a side room of the church and set up. Luigi was a very nice man who went into great detail. He even brought along some photos. The church we were in was built in 1956, but there had been a SM della Pace since 1325. It's named "della Pace" because the church was founded where the peace was agreed to between warring families from the hill towns of Macerata and Montelupone. The new church was built to accommodate the increasing number of parishioners, but it was a few years later when the 600+-year-old church was demolished to make room for a larger road to accommodate busses. That surprised me. I think of Italy as a place that preserves antiquity, but I guess there is a limit to what they will preserve. Luigi told the students that there was a historic marker only about 50 yards away. He offered to walk there with them, then drive them back to their hotel. He was extremely kind. His father had been custodian at the old church and I just think he appreciated being able to talk with someone about the old church of his youth that he obviously loved.

Kim and I walked back up the steep hill to town - not a long distance but a challenging walk. I had a little time before needing to meet the next couple of students at their church, so Kim and I engaged in one of my favorite Italy activities: we sat in a piazza and had a glass of wine. It was the first time we had done it in Macerata this trip!!

Met the next couple of students at Santa Maria della Porta. I went in to speak with the priest. This was the first time the priest said they could not record anything without first getting diocesan approval. I told him that I had students assigned to 15 different churches, and all of them were shooting without permission. He didn't care. He simply said that some people may look the other way, but the rules are the rules. He told us we could go to the diocesan office for permission, and that it shouldn't be a problem. But, it was Friday evening at 6:30 so the office would not open again until Tuesday (Monday is a holiday). Really a setback to the student, but there wasn't anything I could do.

Kim and I concluded the day by heading up to Santa Croce (Holy Cross), which has a celebration Wed - Sun. The road leading to the church as decorated.

There was a stage in front of the church and a whole area of carnival rides, stage, food, etc. behind. We arrived after 9 p.m. but they still hadn't started the rides. It was 10 p.m. before the rock band started, but this couple was performing when we arrived. 

Day 23: Thursday, May 29. Our final Marche excursion took us to three destinations - two really - one was more of just a brief stop.

We loaded up the bus at 8:15 to head first to Loreto, only about 20 miles away. Loreto is home to an important basilica, built around the house of the Virgin Mary. I know what you're thinking: she was from Nazareth, not Italy.

It seems that Christians about 800 years ago worried that the place might be destroyed by non-believers and so they moved it to a safer place. Legend said it was brought by angels, but it was the Angelli family that financed the Crusade to save relics. The structure is now protected by a marble enclosure inside the church. Inside the marble box is Mary's house (no pictures allowed).

The structure has been tested and is from the correct time and place.

After visiting the inside of the basilica, we went to see the outside - fortified to prevent invasions by pirates (only a couple of miles from the Adriatic). This is a favorite spot for a class photo each time I've been here. 

After we loaded up the bus we took another short drive, this time to Sirolo, a sea town. As we drove along we saw lots of places setting up umbrellas, chairs, etc. Monday is a holiday here, so lots of people will see this 3-day weekend as the start of summer. The stop was just so people could take pictures - a scenic park above the sea, with Mount Conero nearby. We can actually see Conero from Macerata, but this was a much closer view. 

Unfortunately we were delayed leaving because some in the group decided to try to descend from the terrace to the beach below - my wife among them. It is very steep, and much harder to do than they realized. Getting down was one thing, but getting back up was a real challenge. One of the students was really struggling and was rather embarrassed by it. Of course I was frustrated that because they chose to go down there, the others who stayed put were made to wait. 

Off to lunch. I remember this meal from six years ago. I told the students that the pasta would be a handmade pappardelle (wide egg pasta) with a pork sauce. I didn't tell them the pork was wild boar until after they ate it. They all liked it. A few were grateful that I didn't say anything until later, but most said they would have been open to trying it. 

Then it was time for Frasassi Caves. No photography is allowed inside the caves, so you'll just have to click on the website and see the pictures there. A few of the students asked me the reason for the restriction. I told them that my cynical view was that it made it so visitors would have to buy postcards, DVDs, etc. 

It was after 7 p.m. when  we got back to Macerata. Kim and I had a dinner appointment at 8:30. We were invited to go to our favorite Macerata restaurant by the visiting professor from U of Oregon and his family. Galen is here teaching for 10 weeks. His students are studying food and sustainability. We had a nice dinner and conversation. Galen, Karen and their two children had a complete meal while Kim and I weren't really hungry after our big lunch so we ate less. Of course I still had a homemade pasta :)

Day 22: Wednesday, May 28. After waking up and dealing with the student's medical issue the night before, Kim and I didn't wake up and get out as early as we would have liked this morning. Today's class was scheduled 11-1, which meant I needed to be in the office at 10 (I keep an hour of office hours before and after class). I wasn't able to spend time with Kim at the Wednesday market. Once again, this is an image from the web.

Inside the city walls there are vendors of all kinds. We always buy produce from the same guys. 

Two of the students asked me to go with them today to speak with people at their churches. At 3:30 I went with one student to Misericordia, one of the churches the class had visited the day before. I went and spoke first with the sacristan, a very friendly retired guy who took us to see the priest. The priest was a bit gruff but said she could record up until 5 p.m. and then would have to quit, as people would start arriving at 5:20 for the 5:30 rosary. Each church has been different. This priest wants no recording during services. At another church the priest invited the student to the front of the church during the mass. I was then off to another church to meet up with a couple of students. I encourage you to click the link for Santa Maria Delle Virgini. The church may have been built centuries ago but it is modern in many ways, including the fact that they stream their masses. I spoke to a couple of people who very kindly said recording was no problem, including mass, as long as the students didn't walk in front of people during services. Besides having been built almost 500 years ago, the church is notable for having a painting by Tintoreto, a well-known Renaissance painter.

What would have been a pretty successful afternoon for the student who was assigned the church was instead pretty awful. It seems he lost his iPhone on the bus going to the church. We contacted the bus company and the drivers on that route, but no one had found it. To be sure someone did find it - they just didn't turn it in. This same student had left an expensive pair of sunglasses on our excursion bus the previous week. He was able to get those back (it was a charter - no one else got on it before we notified the driver) and I told him he needed to put 50 cents in a poor box in church in thanksgiving. When he said he lost his phone I asked if he had made a donation and he said he hadn't. He was beginning to wonder if there might be a correlation. I told him that I thought if God punished everyone for not being thankful enough, we would all be in serious trouble. 

I neglected to mention in the post for Day 21 the short tour Filiberto did for the students in the afternoon. We spent about 3 1/2 hours walking in town at 4 sites. I didn't have a camera with me so the following four photos are from the web. We went to the main cathedral

the church of Santa Maria della Misericordia

The Sferisterio (the outdoor opera theatre, which was first constructed in the 19th century as an athletic venue for a game that was a kind of cross between tennis and handball)

but by far, the most popular stop of the day was to climb to the top of the city's clock tower to get a view of the town, and all the way to the Adriatic. The tower is accessible only by appointment. Filiberto had made the arrangements but got a call from them earlier in the day saying they would cancel because of the weather conditions. We had had some "iffy" weather earlier, but by the time we stopped at the tower at 5 p.m. it was no problem. Up we went. 

Besides my own fear of being up there, I was probably just as fearful of the way some of the students were not afraid, almost leaning over the rail. I tried not to watch them. 

Day 21: Tuesday, May 27. I think one or two of the students may have been a little startled today when I told them that we would be on a plane headed home in exactly two weeks. That, more than anything else, may have been the reason for the flurry of activity. All three cameras are checked out pretty much all week. I am "checked out," too. Students reserve my time if they want me to go with them to their churches, usually serving as a translator.

Kim and I were awakened at 12:30 a.m. (this is officially the next day, but I'm including it here) by a phone call from one of the students. It seems his roommate was having stomach pain, with episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. We both dressed quickly and headed for the hotel, a few blocks' walk from our apartment. We tried calling Filiberto's cell phone but gone no answer. The student and a few others were on the couches in the lobby. Kim went over to talk with them and get more info, while I went to the hotel desk to speak with the night manager. He was prepared to call an ambulance but I suggested we call Filiberto. He tried the office number (which I knew would do no good) and his cell number, finally getting an answer on his house phone. He had left his cell phone in the other room when he went to bed. Had I been clear-headed, I would've thought to call his home phone, too, but I don't have the number saved on my cell phone, like I do his number.

In any event, his advice was to call the on-call doctor. It seems there is always one available on rotation. The desk clerk called and about 10 minutes later a young woman with a black bag arrived. The clerk gave us a meeting room where she could examine him and I stayed to translate. She gave him a shot for the nausea, which seemed to work almost immediately, and a prescription for anti-diarrheal medicine, which she said he should fill only if he needs it after a night's sleep. She also gave him some pills for fever/pain (acetaminophen or something similar, I'm guessing). He went back to bed, and Kim and I walked back to our apartment to do the same.

That makes three students out of 17 now who have had to see doctors for medical issues (one of those three had to be seen twice). Study abroad teachers do more than just teach. Spouses of study abroad teachers, though not paid, also are part of the staff. I'm sure others may not be as good as Kim when it comes to helping with the students, but having her here is a tremendous help.

Day 20: Monday, May 26. Sleeping in the trullo was quite comfortable. As I mentioned previously, being below ground helped keep it cool, but the concrete is also naturally cool. In summer I suspect they become rather unpleasant from the heat.

Like so many places in Italy parking was a challenge, so we never moved the car until we were ready to leave town. We walked down the street to the cafe where our breakfast was provided, then some more walking around and taking of pictures. We had three sites in mind: the oldest of the existing trulli is Casa D'Amore, from 1797, the town's cathedral, and the largest authentic trullo - a two-story structure owned by a wealthy family.

The town is nothing if not one big photo op. The cathedral is a newer structure - for Italy - celebrating its bicentennial this year. 

The two-story trullo didn't necessarily look different from the outside, but the fact that there was an upstairs bedroom made it unique. We toured the inside, which certainly was not as nice as our hotel room, but interesting nonetheless. 

Kim had wanted to make one more stop in the nearby town of Locorotondo, known to be picturesque.  We found the town just fine thanks to the gps (great investment), but couldn't find the views we had seen online. I was getting nervous about the time, so we headed back. We made it to the car rental place in Macerata less than an hour before closing time. In fact, we were just 5 minutes away when we got a call from the rental place checking on us. Despite the fact that the car had no cruise control, it was a great deal. We took the bus back to town, stopped for a couple of groceries and had dinner in our apartment. Happy to be "home" after a long but enjoyable trip. 

Day 19: Sunday, May 25. We woke early. Breakfast at the B&B was 9-10 a.m. so we started out by walking around a little bit before. For 8 a.m. on a Sunday there appeared to be a lot of walkers, joggers, and fishermen along the walkway.

I saw lots of people fishing, from boats and from the shore, but didn't see many reeling anything in.

Breakfast at the B&B was a real treat. Italian breakfasts are not traditionally very much - often coffee and a pastry. The owner showed up at about 9 with a bag full of stuff. Everything was fresh, and most home made/grown. She had picked the strawberries and cherries from her garden this morning (not the pineapple or kiwi, though). Her husband, a pastry chef, made the assortment of pastries. 

After breakfast we went back to the historic center of town for more relaxing strolls (some shopping) and went to mass at the historic cathedral, dating back to 1295. We just happened to be there for First Communion Sunday. May is traditionally the month for first communions, but traditions vary widely. Our home church does them individually rather than in a group. Dress codes vary. This church did it the old fashioned way, with all the kids dressed in white. Some of the girls were even wearing the traditional "halo" of small flowers like my mom wore almost 90 years ago. After mass the kids and the priest joined hands in the piazza out front. 

We lucked out. This was the day in Italy that most wineries were open for visitors. We decided that we would visit the one located at our destination for the day, only about 30 minutes away. We visited Albea Winery where we sampled four different wines and toured their wine museum. 

The main point of this day was to visit Alberobello, a UNESCO-protected historic site. The main attraction there is the Trulli (singular - Trullo), concrete structures with conical roofs. Most of the structures are not terribly old by Italian standards - only 100 years or so. Sone of them are a couple of hundred years old, although the construction does date back a little before that. But because of their distinctiveness they draw people from all over the world.

We saw tourists from USA, UK, Germany, France, Japan and China. I'm sure there were others, too. The "experience" was actually being able to stay in a trullo. A number of them have been converted into B&Bs. We thought ours had been decorated quite nicely and had all the amenities of home.

Ours happened to be below ground. Not all are. We didn't mind, as the room was cool without even turning on the air conditioner. 

The town itself is a lesson for entrepreneurs. In the mid-20th century it was run down and falling apart. People were leaving the impractical structures behind and opting for modern places. One guy decided to buy up a bunch of them, fix them up, and rent them out as rooms to tourists. As a result, the whole town is one big tourist attraction. Frankly I liked it less than our day in Polignano al Mare. This place had more merchants inviting you into their shops, telling you they had the finest stuff, etc. None of that happened at Polignano al Mare. One woman whose shop we stopped in told us all kinds of bad things about the winery we had visited: they were not local people, but "northerners" who had bought the winery, and they bring wine in from other parts of Italy, making it not authentic (thus making it less quality than the wine she wanted to sell us). 

I'll conclude with a few more photos from the day. I'm glad we went, I'm glad we can say we stayed in a trullo, but I never feel the need to return. 

Kim's intent in taking this photo was to show the roofs, but I hope you can see the throng of tourists on this "main" street with all sorts of shops. 

Day 18: Saturday, May 24. This is the official halfway mark of our journey. We have completed 17 days, and we return home in 17 more days.

This was a huge day. Kim and I arose early to drive Jake to the Bologna airport so he could catch his flight back to Manchester. We had to leave about 5:30 a.m. I made sure to get him in the correct line for check in, then Kim and I were off (about 8:30 a.m.) headed down the east coast of Italy. It was a long drive, but fortunately there was not a lot of traffic or road construction, so it went pretty smoothly. We were able to arrive in Polignano al Mare at a decent hour. It's a great place located right on the coast, with big rock cliffs dropping into the sea.

We stayed in a very nice B&B just about a 10 minute walk outside the city center. A couple owned and operated a brand new place (open since January) with just 3 guest rooms. The place was clean, nice, and the hospitality was fantastic. I hate to admit that the who reason we went to P al M was an online photo we had seen of a restaurant in a cave looking out on the sea. 

Our hostess told us it was expensive, and the food used to be good but the quality has fallen off. We opted instead for good food. 

The town was a perfect place to celebrate our anniversary, even if it was a day late. We walked around enjoying the sights and sounds. I was really surprised to find so many English speakers in this part of Italy. I was told that in recent years, people from the UK and Ireland have begun to come now that there are daily flights to Bari (the provincial capital nearby). In spite of all the tourists, it really didn't feel bad. No shopkeepers trying to pull you into their shops, or restauranteurs trying to show you their menus. I'll just let a few pictures tell the story. 

We had to stop for an afternoon snack :)

Perhaps the most famous son of Polignano al Mare was Domenico Modugno, most famous for the song he sang in the late 1950s, Volare (in Italy it's called "Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu"). 

Day 17: Friday, May 23. Today was Kim and my 33rd wedding anniversary. Because today was a teaching day, we decided that the "real" celebration would occur over the 3-day Memorial Day weekend starting tomorrow. I taught my two hour class in the morning and met with a couple of students. At 12:30 Kim, Jake and I were meeting at my favorite restaurant, Trattoria Da Ezio, for our anniversary lunch. I made reservations ahead. When we got there at 12:30 it wasn't a problem, but by an hour later almost all the tables were filled. It's a small place so it doesn't take too much for that to happen. I explained to Jake that this was as authentic as he would ever find: hand made fresh pasta.

After a long Italian-style lunch (a couple of hours at least) I went back to the office. In addition to email, etc., I needed to meet with Angelica and Serena to discuss a situation (Fliberto was on an excision with the Oregon students for the day). It seems one of our students had complained to the hotel staff believing that the bed was infested. Of course this is always a possibility but this is not a dump of a hotel. We had a long conversation about how to handle it. As this is a public post and as there are certain student rights with regard to privacy I am choosing my words carefully. There is a lot I am not including here. Our conversation lasted more than an hour, which I have condensed to a couple of sentences. We concluded that the best solution was to make some changes. Getting a new room would not be an option. Having 17 students, one lucked out and had a single room. The decision was to trade the single room occupant, provided that student was willing. I volunteered to visit the hotel and have three conversations. First I asked the hotel whether it would be possible to make the change. It may sound simple but in this country, getting a hotel room requires a passport and they keep track of everything. Even if someone comes to the hotel just to go up to a room to visit a guest, that person should register at the desk. Fortunately the hotel was fine with it. Next I called the single room and asked the student to come talk with me. The student was extremely willing to trade. I was relieved and said that the student could think more about it, but the student was fine, only wanting to be sure that the bed linens would be changed. Finally I called the student who had complained to explain the switch The student was concerned that the one who changed places would now have problems. I asked what other alternatives existed. The student suggested being given a new room and I explained that that was not an available option.

Having dealt with that, I went back to the apartment for dinner with Kim and Jake. I felt bad having to leave after dinner on our anniversary to meet up with some students who were shooting a special event at one of the churches. Kim was very understanding and as I said above, we were celebrating big this weekend. We planned the big meal at noon Italian style on purpose, since we had to get up so early the next day to travel. More on that in the next post.

Day 16: Thursday, May 22. I taught class today. Kim and Jake headed off to the surrounding area for some tourism. 

In addition to teaching class, a couple of the students asked me to travel with them to their churches. First I went with the student assigned to St. George. 

It's a short walk from AHA. Good thing, too, because when we went at about 3:30 it was closed and no one was around. When we returned about 5:00 we found the pastor preparing the church for 6 p.m. mass. He was very kind and quite happy to let the student video anything she wanted, including during mass (one student has been told not to record during mass). She had me ask if he would be willing to be interviewed on camera about the church's history. He responded that he has only been here for a year (the long time pastor died a year ago) and didn't know very much. He apologized for not speaking English, saying that he has been a humble country preacher all his life and never had need to learn another language. 

When I got back to AHA, two other students were waiting for me to go with them to Sacro Cuore (Sacred Heart). The student who had been assigned to it had already visited but was unable to speak with the priest because her Italian and his English were not great. When we got there he recognized her and came over to talk with us. I explained the project and what she wanted. He was very kind and also told her she could shoot anytime she wanted. He advised her that she might want to be there for noon mass on Sunday as that is when the children's choir sings. He lent her a book on the church's history, published for the centennial in 2009 (a relatively new church. St. George was built centuries earlier). I told him that she may not make it this weekend, but next weekend for sure. Fortunately there was a lot going on that she could shoot today. Today was the Feast of St. Rita, and she is one of the patrons of this church, so lots of women came bearing roses and requesting a blessing in front of the little side altar. Mass started at 6:30 (well attended for a daily mass) celebrated not by our friendly pastor but by what appeared to be an African immigrant priest. I was surprised such a traditional church would have an immigrant priest, but most of the Catholic church's grown has been in the Southern hemisphere in the last few decades. 

A note for my colleagues who want to do this program in future years: I have told my students that  am not as good a production teacher as some of my colleagues who could lead this program, but I have the language that they don't. That's been a real benefit. Anyone taking this field study next year needs to think of projects that won't require a translator. I thought churches, as inanimate objects, wouldn't require much Italian language skill, but the students think differently. 

Kim and Jake returned to town and the three of us did a "pizza walk" for dinner. Traditionally Italians stroll in the center of town between 6 and 8 p.m., known as the "passeggiata." We have modified it by stopping for pizza and gelato along the way. Jake and I got pizza at 4 stops and 2 for gelato (Kim couldn't eat as much pizza as we did, although she was all over the gelato). We tried to catch part of a concert in the square that was supposed to start at 9 p.m. By 9:30 it still hadn't started so Kim and I left Jake in the square to wait and headed home. 

Day 15: Wednesday, May 21. Today was excursion Day. When I taught in the semester-long program here, Filiberto arranged excursions on most Fridays, starting with nearby locales and eventually finishing with long trips to Florence and Rome. With only 5 weeks, it was too much to try to include it all, but I did ask for one local excursion.

We boarded the bus at 8:30 and headed for nearby San Ginesio. It's a small town but located closer to the mountains, and quite picturesque. The town provided an opportunity for lessons about the etymology of hospital how ancient cities "hosted" travelers. We walked the length of the historic center and spent a long time examining the main church. I think the most excitement came when we stopped for a class photo.

The actual class photo includes Filiberto and me, but Kim took this one on her camera of Sarah setting up the photo. 

From there it was a short bus ride to an Abbey at Chiaravalle di Fiastra, a complex that was built in the 12th century by monks who used local Roman ruins. This was a real opportunity for Filiberto to shine. Without crowds of people like we had in Rome, he could take his time to explain art, architecture and history. Many of the students marvel at how much he knows. They are only getting a small sample. This program is what it is because of him. It was no coincidence that we just "happened" to be there at noon, so we were able to observe a small group of monks singing noon prayer. The Abbey of course contains the church but also a beautiful cloister, refectory (dining hall), storage cellars - all the pieces that make up a working monastery. When we stopped in a small chapel just off the cloister, the students insisted I sit in the Abbot's chair for a posed picture. 

I told them that in August I will use this picture on the first day of class to show my new students the appropriate level of deference I should be afforded. 

Our lunch stop was a roadside restaurant. Thirteen of the 17 decided to pay the 12 Euros (others packed their lunches). I assure you they were not disappointed. We had two different pastas, the best being pappardelle with a hare sauce. For the main course we had lightly breaded chicken cutlets, but the sides! We had Ascolani Olives (green olives stuffed with meat, breaded and fried), standard issue french fries, fried green pepper, salad, and a kind of fried cream squares. With each plate the waitress would return offering more to whoever wanted it, so by the time dessert arrived, most of us were not expecting it. 

After lunch we headed off to the day's final destination, the Basilica of San Nicola in Tolentino.  We stopped along the way for 10 minutes so students could take pictures of a 16th Century fortress. 

Everyone thinks of Rome, Florence and Venice when thinking of Italy, but gems like this are all over the countryside. Every time I promote this program, I tell students to see the real Italy, rather than programs that take them only to Rome and Florence. I taught in one of those programs once, and it doesn't hold a candle to the experience these students get. 

San Nicola of Tolentino is not the St. Nick we think of, but there are connections. 

This little church has many interesting features, but Filiberto probably spent the most time explaining the frescoes in the capellone. A point he has made repeatedly about the use of art as a way of teaching lessons to an illiterate society was brought to life in this colorful room. This is one wall: all four walls and the vaulted ceiling are frescoed this way. 

We got back to Macerata about 7 p.m. Kim, Jake and I were still full from lunch, so dinner consisted of walking down the street and having gelato. 

Day 14: Tuesday, May 20. Today was the first day I had a morning class. The other group that's here from the University of Oregon for 10 weeks has students taking a full load of classes, so the classroom already has a number of sessions booked. We work around their existing schedule. Many of the students prefer to sleep late but don't mind 10 a.m. They even say it motivates them to accomplish things during the day (like work on their projects). Officially day 14 means we're 40 percent of the way through the class, but we're certainly not 40 percent of the way through the work. When you consider that our arrival in Macerata was Day 5, and the first day of class was Day 7, it's easy to see why we're not 40 percent finished yet.

Study abroad programs have come under increased scrutiny in recent years, and Ball State is no exception. Because some programs have had very low academic requirements there has been an increased monitoring of contact minutes, learning outcomes, etc. Before getting approval I had to submit my planned class meetings: not exact times of classes, but exact length, so the university could make sure I was expecting enough. Well, these students have gotten more than the minutes listed. Yesterday Filiberto provided his second 75-minute session on churches, showing slides (yes, slides - not PowerPoint or anything like that) and explaining the architectural elements of churches, from Roman through Romanesque through Gothic through Renaissance. These sessions were not considered a part of their contact minutes. Those who are not quite as motivated might see it as an extra burden, but I see it as a "bonus" for them that they haven't had to pay for.

Regardless of how you look at it, this is just one of many examples of how the schedule originally designed when we were back in the U.S. only vaguely resembles our actual schedule. The students have been offered "survival" Italian lessons, just giving them basics. All the students attended the first hour, only about 2/3 came to the second lesson and only about 1/3 made it to the third hour. These are free lessons. They don't fit anywhere into their class schedule. I was asked by one of the students whether they were required to attend. I told him that I wouldn't take that into consideration when grading them. I'm sure that contributed to the declining enrollment. I think this meme currently circulating on Facebook is appropriate.

Our situation isn't about cheating, but the same applies - emphasis on grades rather than learning. 

In any event, administrators will never understand all the learning that occurs in all kinds of settings. If the only things students learn in Italy are the same things they would learn in a Muncie classroom, then what's the point? I know that they are learning so much more, but people several pay levels above me who make administrative decisions will probably never get it. Every administrator ought to do this once so they can see the value for themselves. 

Day 13: Monday, May 19. This was a rather uneventful day...for me. Kim and Jake took off in the morning and headed for Venice. I taught my class and watched a couple of Italian game shows on TV in the evening. Instead of a blow-by-blow of the day's events, I'll write some reflections.

My first trip to Italy was with my family in 1972, when I was just 16. We spent about a month with family in Bologna, and about a month with family in Messina. I was a bit of a jerk (more than I am now), critical of all the things that were not like the U.S. I missed peanut butter, breakfast cereal (only the largest stores had it, and usually only corn flakes and rice Krispies) and air conditioning. I have to remind myself that these students are only slightly older than I was then. This has been a good bunch of students. I have complimented them repeatedly on their punctuality. I have had no discipline issues with anyone. I just wish I could make them want to be more engaged in the culture. Some still stream their favorite TV shows from home rather than trying to watch ItalianTV, or listen to their American music on their earbuds rather than Italian radio (they don't listen to radio in the U.S. - it shouldn't surprise me they don't listen to it here). Some want to eat Chinese food (we have several restaurants) and Mexican (we have none). I have to remind myself that they have stepped out of their comfort zones already, so anything else they do is great. I am not complaining about the students: I really just want them to have the most amazing experience possible.

The Italy of today has much more American product than I found 42 years ago. In fact, it has much more than it had just 12 years ago, when I taught in Italy for the first time. When I taught in the semester-long program, Kim would bring spices to make barbecue sauce. It was a comfort food she could make for students that they couldn't find here. Now, you can buy it in grocery stores - even the porchetta vendor offers it as an option for sandwiches (panini).

Obviously the McDonald's influence has increased in 40 years. Not only have the number of locations increased (thankfully there is not (yet) a McDonald's in Macerata), but the one I saw on the highway had a drive through! That was something I thought was uniquely American but it seems to be increasing here, too. I don't want to blame McDonald's for the increasing obesity in Italy (never before a problem), but it is part of the lifestyle of convenience that seems to be increasing here. There are still people who shop almost daily for the freshest produce but an increasing number are stocking up on quick prepared meals. Not coincidentally I noticed someone at the grocery store offering samples of "diet foods" to help control weight.

Here was the dinner we had with Jake Sunday night: individual pizzas. He had pineapple, Kim had bacon, and I had four cheese.

Day 12: Sunday, May 18. I was foiled on two separate efforts to make it to mass this morning. We let Jake sleep in after his long day, so by the time he got up there were fewer options. Kim had been wanting to go to San Francesco (St. Francis), so off we went, not really knowing the way. Silly us - we brought a GPS to Italy but didn't take it to find the church. Anyway, after multiple turns Kim asked an older lady who told us we were in the wrong area (Kim's Italian is improving). So we headed back to the apartment. We checked the mass schedule and were just about to head out when I got a phone call from the hotel. It seems the student who had sprained her ankle was now having issues with some kind of insect bite. A week ago we had a student who needed to go to the doctor because of bites, so maybe people are a little more concerned than usual. Anyway she was complaining that these were itching. It turns out the desk clerk's father is a doctor and he took a look at them. He believes they may have been from dust mites but wasn't positive, suggesting that if they were causing her problems she needed to see a dermatologist. I told them we would walk down to the hotel and drop off a supply of Benadryl. If after a day she still was itching she could see the doc. Better to go on a Monday rather than Sunday.

With the rental car and a visiting nephew, Kim decided we ought to visit somewhere nearby. Cingoli is a nearby hill town known as being one of the more picturesque. When you're driving up to it, it seems like it's a lot higher than 2100 feet.

 We lucked into a beautiful day and as it happened, there was also a celebration going on. We stopped and had some pork sandwiches from a vendor.

Note the British flag rug hanging in the background, available for only 18 Euros! 

We spent much of the afternoon walking around, looking in the stalls, buying a couple of things, and taking some pictures. One diversion happened when we were in the main square. An elderly gentlemen heard us speaking English and asked, in English, if we were British. I told him we were American. He then proceeded to tell me all about his life, from WWII forward. He joined the army at 17 and was proud of himself, his family, his town, etc. He was 88 years old and wanted to tell us about everything. 

It was a very pleasant conversation. Digression: I can't believe my nephew didn't realize that I speak Italian!!! 

After we got back to town we finally made it to mass at the Cathedral in Macerata at 6 p.m. I was very surprised that mass only took half an hour. We've been to short masses, but this one was at the Cathedral so I expected longer. When there's no music, it moves a lot quicker. We walked back to the apartment, Kim made dinner and after I walked Jake to the hotel so he could hang out with the students. Better for him to be with people his age rather than a couple of old people. After calling my mom (it is Sunday, after all - the rules don't change when you're overseas) I was in bed just after 11 p.m., while he made it home "a little later than that." 

Day 11: Saturday, May 17. Kim and I parted company for the day. Her nephew Jake was flying into Bologna and she had to go pick him up (the reason it was so imperative to get the car yesterday, regardless of the rental agency's computer problems). I was going with the students by bus to Civitanova, the nearest town to Macerata on the coast. We were to meet at 9:10 a.m. at the inter-city bus station (different from the local bus station). I had been there before, but just to be sure, without anyone else to walk with me, I left ridiculously early and was there more than a half-hour ahead of time. I sat and had a coffee and roll. The students were also early. They were all there by 8:50. I told them how impressed I have been with their timely arrival. Filiberto arrived right about 9:10. Our bus pulled out at 9:20.

Unlike our Rome and Macerata walking tours, this one was not terribly steeped in history. Civitanova is a fairly new town, with most of the structures built since WWII. The prime reason for a Saturday visit was to go to the market. Theirs is larger than Macerata's. After pointing out a few landmarks (like where they needed to go to take the bus back to Macerata), Filiberto turned everyone loose to explore before he took us on a tour. Obviously their market has food, clothes, etc., but we even stopped at a stall selling live poultry. Filiberto asked the vendor whether the birds were for eating or egg production, and the answer was both. As for price, they varied dramatically. Some rarer breeds sold for ridiculously high amount while others were about the same you'd pay for whole chicken in the store. Our walk took us to the port with lots of fishing boats, then onto the beach for a short time. Interestingly, the beach to the south of the port is gravel while north of the port is sand. No camera today, so I just took this image from the web.

An option for students today was to pay 15 Euros for a complete lunch. Twelve of the 17 students decided to join us. The first course was a large serving of an egg pasta similar to a spaghetti noodle but square shape rather than round. The main course was fried calamari. Sides were either french fries or salad.

The students went to the beach for the remainder of the day. They had the bus schedule and knew when they could return, so it was up to them how long they wanted to stay. I was surprised how many of them actually went into the water. Angelica had driven her car, so Filiberto, she and I drove back to Macerata, along with one of the students who wanted to shoot video for his project. It just so happens his church had a festival tonight so he wanted to come back and get the gear. They drove us to the office, I got him a camera and glide cam and headed home. A while later he called to ask if he could get a tripod instead. None of our group has ever used the glide cam and I think they convinced him not to try but rather stick with a tripod.

Kim and Jake finally made it back to Macerata after a long day of touring around. We had dinner at the same nearby place we ate earlier this week. Everybody was pretty tired after a long day.

Day 10: Friday, May 16: This is the start of the first 3-day weekend for students. They all have decided to hang around Macerata. I think this was the plan before they left the US, partly as a way to save money and partly to see the nearby sights. When I taught twice before in the semester-long program, one of the destinations has always been the mall. Funny as that may sound, it's a practical thing for the students. It's a small mall but the anchor store is a Wal-Mart/Meier type store where they can buy anything they want at a reasonable price. It's about 6 miles away and requires a bus transfer, which none of them have had to do so far. Kim and I volunteered to take whoever wanted to go. At the bus stop by their hotel, we had 10 students at 10 a.m., which exceeded my prediction by two.

Italy has most definitely changed. When I taught my first class here in 2002 there were things that it was hard to find, but not anymore. Breakfast cereal was unheard of before (Italians generally have coffee and a roll) but there are plenty of choices today. I was astonished at the selection of chips. Italy has always had them, but never barbecue, or sour cream or...

We didn't stay too long. All of us wanted to get back to the city center to see the 1000 Miglia, a race of classic cars from Brescia to Rome and back. It's pretty exciting to have been on the route. First a bunch of modern Ferraris and other cars came through town starting about 2 p.m.

A couple of hours later, the classic cars that were part of the race started to arrive. There were about 450 cars, representing about 50 different countries. The news media touted the fact that Jeremy Irons and Jay Leno were racing. Kim and I didn't see either, as we had to leave before half the cars came through. 

Kim needed to pick up a rental car. She got a great deal online, but it required her to pick up the car back out of town. We had to hop a bus not really knowing where the place was, but we knew what area and the address, so we were hopeful. The bus driver didn't know the place or the address, so we got off where we thought it should be. I called the place and it seems we were about a mile away. The guy told us to wait where we were and he came and picked us up. 

The rental did not go smoothly. After several calls it seems the network was down. He ended up finally copying Kim's license, passport and credit card and printing out a rental agreement by hand. All in all we were there probably an hour, but the guy was extremely nice. After getting the car, we ran back to the mall grocery. Now that we had a car, it was a lot easier to stock up on heavier items rather than trying to negotiate two busses and a walk. The final hurdle was parking. The area around our apartment is all permit parking. The students' hotel is just a few blocks away. We went there and asked whether we could park for the night and the desk clerk was very kind. Problem solved - at least for one day. 

Day 9: Thursday, May 15. The students were given another Italian lesson at 10 a.m., but only about 10 of the 17 attended. I was asked by one student if they were required to attend. I told them that I would not grade them off in their video class for not attending, but that the lessons were being offered "free" and it was in their own best interest. I think the fact that the class was scheduled at 10 a.m. may have had some influence on their decision. Many of them have a tendency to stay up/out very late, so even 10 a.m. presents a challenge. Next week, 3 of our 4 class days we will meet at 10. I'm confident they will be there - let's see how awake they are.

I jinxed myself yesterday by saying that the ethernet solved all the problems. Today, even with a hardwire connection, we had several instances of the video stream stopping. We made it through, but it was frustrating. I was a little surprised to hear how many of the students wanted to spend class time going over the camera. I know they've probably never used this specific model, but it's not like it's their first camera.

Our injured student returned to class today. She was able to rent a cane for the low price of 10 cents per day. Between the brace and the cane she was able to get around.

Filiberto ran a 90 minute session for the class (another "free" benefit) providing background about churches. I know many of them were not as interested as I was, but it was all pretty interesting stuff. This was "extra" class time, above and beyond the minimum class contact minutes that the bean counters worry about. Mini rant here: because some study abroad programs have been abusive in the past (by awarding credit for little more than tourism), universities have had to closely monitor class meeting times to be sure that classes are academically rigorous enough. In theory I completely agree. In practice it's a little harder to regulate. If I propose that I will meet class X days for Y minutes, there's no guarantee that I will, or if we meet that we will do anything educational. It still remains the obligation of a professional that the experience is worthwhile and demanding.

I haven't taken many pictures, so I just took this one of Macerata from the web.

Day 8: Wednesday, May 14. Today was grocery day. It was our first "real" trip (other than to pick up a few items) so I knew it would take a long time. My main goal was getting beer and wine but somehow Kim didn't seem to think that was enough. With no car we took our bags and rolling shopping cart to a local grocery store about a 10 minute walk away. Shopping took us the better part of two hours. After dumping our stuff at home we set out again, this time to get Kim's phone. We knew to bring her passport this time. The guy remembered us and the process went smoothly (any of you wanting Kim's cell number just let me know). It's hard to be sure, but it seems cell service in Italy is cheaper than the U.S. We then headed into the city center. Even though we had already been shopping Kim purposely left some produce purchases until we got to the Wednesday market.

Most towns in Italy have a market day once per week. In Macerata it's Wednesday. The streets inside the walls are lined with vendors who rent space to sell anything and everything. Food is probably dominant but they also sell clothes, housewares, etc. We purposely went back to the guy who we bought produce from in 2002 and 2008. He remembered us. He had a different partner this time, and they both were very attentive to us. As per usual, when we said we were finished and asked for the bill, they then stuffed a few more items in the bags as gifts. Not premium stuff like the apricots and strawberries (both fantastic) but parsley, garlic, etc. - stuff every kitchen needs.

Class today ran smoother than yesterday. No hospital visits were required (although one student still didn't attend due to her injury). Yesterday when trying to show videos in class from the internet we kept having issues. Today I was connected via ethernet cable instead of wifi, and the videos ran with no hesitation. Very important, as a major part of my class is showing nonfiction videos to get my class to discuss the things they liked and didn't like.

In addition to the class that everyone is involved in, six of the students are doing independent study projects. I meet individually with each of them weekly to keep them on track. A couple involve content analysis research (one newspapers, one films), but the majority are taking on additional video projects. One of the students is doing a video blog (vlog) about her experience. If you're so inclined, you can see her videos here.

Kim is not a staff member (i.e., is not paid) but her assistance in this venture is priceless. Our injured student was wanting someone to bring food to her. She has distanced herself from the other students, so none of them has volunteered. She called to ask how she could get food. Filiberto has far too much to do to deal with this. Kim kindly stopped at a shop to pick up bread, cheese and meat for her that should keep her for a couple of days (they have mini-fridges in the hotel rooms). If she's not able to get out and about soon, it's probably best that she just return to the U.S.

On the way home Kim and I stopped at a wine shop operated by Colli Repani, a local winery. We had a long chat with the man working there who suggested that we visit the winery, about an hour's drive away. We may do that when Kim rents a car.

If you haven't yet seen this six minute video someone shot of Macerata, it's worth watching.

I'll conclude today with a couple of pictures Kim took of our apartment. It's not the same place we stayed in in 2002 or 2008. That apartment is currently occupied by the Oregon professor. This one is a little smaller (no problem for just 2 people) but very nice.