Easy-Peasy Lemon Squeasy

      One week down....easy-peasy lemon squeasy (super corny). It is sometimes hard to explain something that I want to say, but I always get it done. After one week I really do feel that I've improved much. For example, I can always understand what the people are talking about now, but just have to guess who they are talking about and when the subject changes using context clues. I can also reply in broken Italian, which is better than jsut saying 'ciao' and 'pizza'. We have an unspoken rule in the house to only use English when I or they have no idea how to say what we want to. I want to use most of this post to describe my host-father though.

       I couldn't of been paired with a better host-father for me. I will describe him first. He is about 5"5' or 5"6' with black and grey hair. Kind of rough feature I guess you would say. His proffession is that of a criminal lawyer who also deals in civil suits but only when he has to, cause he prefers criminal cases. The first thing that he said about his job was that when he is training new interns he shows them the part of 'A Few Good Men' where Tom Cruise really goes down on Jack Nicholson during the code-red trial. I happily did my impression of 'I eat breakfast 300 yards from 4000 Cubans who are trained to kill me.....'  and made everybody laugh. He went on to say that his father was regarded as one of the best criminal lawyers in Sicily, and vividly described a few of his best cases.

       The best part is not the amazing stories from an interesting job, but that he is an intellectual who is basically a living, breathing, encyclopedia of knowledge about everything from music to 3000 year old stone theaters. My favorite thing that happened so far was when we sat down and had a discussion about the English translation of the Divine Comedy and how it doesn't keep the same pentameter as the original old Italian translation. Also we did a critical analysis of the first paragraph and of the title of the work itself. Then he gave me the happy news that during school this year we will be going through all of Inferno word by word. He has written two books that can be bought online. The first is a book that's named 'La Parola all'Accusa'. This is about his cases in work and I hope to read it when my proficiency in Italian is a bit better. Same with his other book named 'Casi Miei'. This is about the different stories and legends that go along with living in Siracusa, which I'm sure I've only scratched the top of.

        The book he is working on now is a thriller full of suspense, passion, music, and murder. I will go no further as to not ruin the story for those who may read it, though you have to learn Italian first. I am looking forward very much to reading that, for if he writes as well as he talks, then it will be good.
         Now I want you go on google right now and type in 'Valerio Vancheri' and you can find alot of articles with him and links to buy his books.


         Now I'm sitting here with Pier and listening to My Chemical Romance and finishing this blog right about.......wait for it.......now, CIAO!