Day 29: Wednesday, June 4. I was asked to help with some more video subtitling/translation, so I got to the office before 9 to meet with a student. Class today was at 11 a.m. Yesterday it was at 12. The last two days this week it will be at 10. The erratic schedule has been to accommodate the University of Oregon students. Their 10 week term ends this week, just days before our 5 week term does. They had finals yesterday and today. They also had 12 credits (Italian, Art History and 2 food and sustainability classes) while the majority of my students were taking only 3 credits (about 1/3 of them are taking an additional 3 credits of individually-negotiated independent study). It was easier for us to work around their schedule. Surprisingly, not a single student has been late or missed a class with the excuse that the variable schedule was the cause. Overall they have been extremely responsible.

This note is for whichever of my colleagues takes the group to Italy next year: it is infinitely easier if we come at a time when no other groups are here. As I said the schedule has not been burdensome, but it is definitely easier if you are the only game in town. I remember a class last week where we had the main classroom and Oregon had scheduled class at the same time. There is another, smaller classroom with no projection capabilities that they were planning to use. I must've had 5 different Oregon students walk into my class before realizing it was not their class. Some of them arrived as much as 10 minutes late. I made some disparaging remark about how arriving to class on time must not matter in Oregon.

We struggled through class without projection capability today. I worry for Friday when we have to watch all the videos so they may grade each other.

After class I planned to meet with Kim and our Greek guests for lunch at Trattoria da Ezio. It was to be our last time eating there this trip. As usual it was a splendid meal and I'm glad that the Greeks thought so, too. My cousin and her husband went with us 6 years ago, and he wanted to return while he was here, but they just happened to be closed those days. I know I've mentioned them before. This time I got my picture taken with the chef. She is quite a character. I'll have to add the photo at another time as the laptops are all unavailable and my iPad doesn't accept an SD card. Sounds like a TV commercial. In any event, here's an article recently about a guy coming to Macerata to work with an learn from her for his latest book. He was a student in the program 13 years ago. He published a book about the coffee scene in Portland and his blog, "On the Marche" (clever title - wish I had thought of it) tells about what he's doing.

After lunch I helped a couple of students buy jewelry. A number of churches here have silver hearts that have been given in thanks "PGR" - Per Grazie Ricevute (For Graces Received). A couple of students wanted mementos. It took us a couple of tries but we found a shop that had very inexpensive ones. After that, I was off to another church to meet up with a student. This was the one who had sought the permission from the diocese. With permission in hand we went, and the priest was very cordial. All went fine. I had to leave at 6:15 to meet Kim to translate at a sort of pharmacy/orthopedics shop. They have a doctor who comes in to see people - free - to help them decide what sorts of orthopedics they need. She did a rather long exam/discussion with Kim (couldn't believe her medical history) and finally selected some inserts for her shoes (she came in complaining of foot pain). At one point the doctor asked Kim her weight. I had to turn around so that Kim could sign the answer. In 33 years of marriage I have never been allowed to know.

Not sure if other blog entries will happen now or next week. We leave early Sunday morning for Florence, then to catch our flight home out of Rome.