Boomer sees a potpourri of interesting things!

Today Boomer and I just walked around town. We went to the park to sit in the grass! It is good to sit and relax. So then Boomer noticed some big black ants. So we started using blades of grass to poke them here and there. Did you know that ants use their antennas to touch and smell their environment? As we noticed more and more ants, we soon realized that there were ant piles everywhere! There homes were everywhere. Do you know where else ants live? We noticed some ants carrying huge blades of grass. This is quite impressive! They are carrying things that are near 10 times their own size.

Learn more about black ants here! http://www.bugfacts.net/common-black-ant.php#.U4n8ux4ayK0

Boomer and I left the park and we came noticed another interesting thing. Shields! Shields here. Shields there! Shields everywhere. They are actually called family crests or coats of arms. It was an art symbol that was used to identify the wearer. Coats of arms were primarily used by the military, originally knights during the medieval times. Then as time progressed, coats of arms were used by churchs, wealthy families, educational institutions and much more. To learn more about family crests or coats of arms go to this excellent website! http://www.internationalheraldry.com/

We went back to the park and noticed this amazing marble statue! How did Boomer and I miss this? But we got very excited about this statue because we recognized something! If you look at the top of the image you will notice a wolf. The mother wolf with the two children under her is the famous depiction of Romulus and Remus! Would like to hear about the legend of Romulus and Remus? Ok so Romulus and Remus were twin brothers who were abandoned by their parents at birth. Their parents put them into a basket and floated the basket down the Tiber River. A wolf came across them and nursed them until Romulus and Remus were founded by a shepherd. Once they were adults they decided to go back to the Tiber River and build a city where they were saved. Romulus and Remus fought over the location and Romulus killed Remus and thus the city of Rome was named after Romulus. If you would like to read about the details of Romulus and Remus go to the website http://www.ancient.eu.com/Romulus_and_Remus/

Boomer and I are exhausted from walking all over Arezzo. We are going to take a nap then watch Mean Girls. Ciao!

Boomer learns about Greco-Roman Architecture!

Today Boomer and I were walking around the Arezzo, and we noticed the columns that are found almost everywhere in town. Some were plain, classical, and basic looking. Others were detailed with circles. There were also a few that were decorated with a leafy style. After doing some research with Boomer on the internet and remembering what we learned in Latin Class back at OU, we learned that there are three different types of columns that the Greeks and the Roman designed. The three columns that Boomer pointed out actually fit the description of what we research.

We learned that the simple ones are called Doric Columns. The circular finished ones are called Ionic Columns, and the leafy ones are named Corinthian Columns. Can you pick out the column styles in the pictures?

What style is this?

And what about this one? Look closely at the top and bottom.

This one is a little more difficult because it is so old, and worn. But do you know what kind of column this is?

Another interesting thing that Boomer read about columns was that columns are used as a support for the ceiling. Columns allowed the ancient Greeks and Romans to build infrastructures without walls. That is a very unique style of architecture! Think about some land marks in the U.S. Can you think about any buildings in the U.S. that has columns similar to what Boomer has seen in the pictures? here is the link to a famous building in the U.S. that has been inspired by Greco-Roman architecture.

http://www.airvibez.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/white-house.jpeg

Go to these websites to learn more about Greco-Roman Architecture.

http://www.tribunesandtriumphs.org/roman-architecture/roman-columns.htm

http://www.ancient.eu.com/column/

Boomer runs errands in Arezzo

Boomer has a lot of fun going on weekend trips and guided tours, but Boomer also likes to explore Arezzo without a set schedule. After Boomer got out of class, he went to run some errands. First, Boomer stopped by the post office because he needed to send some post cards to his friends back in America! Boomer learned that Italian post offices can be different from the ones he has been to in the United States. When you first walk into the post office here, there is a machine where you have to select the section of the post office that you need to talk to based on what you are doing there. For example, Boomer needed stamps, so he selected “PO” from the menu because that is where he could add postage and send his cards. After he selected that option, Boomer had to take a number and wait for his number to be called. They would call his number and post it on the screen shown here below when it was his turn to be helped. Have you ever been to a post office in America? What was it like? Did you have to wait a long time?

If you want to learn more about the Italian postal system, visit this website and click on the button at the top of the page that says “English” (unless you know how to read in Italian J): http://www.poste.it

It took a long time for Boomer’s number to be called, but he waited patiently because he really wanted to send the postcards to his friends and family. While he waited, Boomer found ways to entertain himself because there were a lot of toys, cards, books, and movies to look at. Boomer recognized a lot of the characters on the cards and in the toy section, as well as books and movies that he had seen before. However, these items were a bit different from what Boomer is used to seeing in America because the writing was in Italian instead of English! See if you recognize some of the characters that Boomer saw at the post office in the pictures below.

Did you notice that there were a lot of Disney characters there? Before Boomer came to Italy, he did not realize that there was a Disney channel in Italy, similar to the one we can watch in the United States.

This is the link to the Italian Disney Channel website: http://www.disney.it/tv-disney/

On the website, do you recognize any of the characters or shows? Are there any shows on this website that aren’t on TV in America?

After Boomer’s number was called and a nice man helped him send his postcards, he just had one more errand to run. In Italy, there is a different kind of money than the kind we use in the United States. Do you know what the currency, or type of money, that Italy uses is called?

Go to the European Commission’s website to learn about what type of money Italy and other nations use: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/index_en.htm

Here is Boomer at the bancomat (that is the Italian word for bank):

Did you find what the name of this currency is called? Italy uses a type of money called the Euro! Since Boomer uses dollars when he is in the United States and he needs Euros when he is in Italy, he has to go to an ATM, which is like a bank, but instead of talking to a person to access your money, you go to a computer. Do you ever go to the bank with your parents? What do they do when they go there? To learn about other types of currency, maybe you could ask adults in your family or at school if they have ever had to use a type of money other than US dollars. Boomer got out the money he needed and went to start his homework since all of her errands were complete!

Flat Boomer at San Francesco Church in Arezzo

Flat Boomer visited the San Francesco Church today in Arezzo. There are some awesome paintings inside the church. Flat Boomer was a little upset that we were not able to take pictures inside the church, so he wanted to buy a book with pictures of all the paintings in the church. 

The man who painted the walls inside the San Francesco Church was Piero della Francesca. He was born in the early 1400s in Monterchi, Italy. He called the paintings on the walls, frescoes. A fresco is a method of painting using dry powder pigments in pure water which makes the painting or fresco a permanent part of the wall. Can you name some other famous painters in history? To read more about frescoes click on the link below.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/219703/fresco-painting 

Pierro della Francesca painted religious frescoes on the walls of the San Francesco Church. In the church he painted the story "The True Legend of the Cross." This story is about what happened to the actual wood of the cross in which Christ was crucified. The story starts with a man named Adam on his deathbed who sends his son Seth to see Archangel Michael who gives him some seedlings from the tree to be placed in his father's mouth at the moment of his death. The tree grows at Adam's grave and is chopped down by King Solomon to make a bridge. The Queen of Sheba on her way to see King Solomon was about the cross the bridge and when by a miracle she learns the Savior will be crucified on that wood. Eventually the wood is removed and buried. Then a man named Judas is forced to reveal where the wood is buried. For more information about this story click on the link below. 

http://www.wga.hu/html_m/p/piero/2/

Piero della Francesca is well known here in Arezzo, Italy. There is a restaurant next to the church named after him. Piero della Francesca is also famous for painting the Resurrection. The fresco shows Christ rising from the dead on the third day after his death. This fresco is a type of art from the Renaissance period. What are other famous Renaissance painters? To read more about the Resurrection fresco, click the link below. 

http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/piero-della-francescaa-resurrection.html 

Flat Boomer in Arezzo

Flat Boomer was enjoying the beautiful weather today in the park. While there, Flat Boomer decided he would play soccer, which is Italy's most popular sport. One of the major reasons why soccer is Italy's most popular sport is because Italy has had several successful campaigns on the global stage. Italy has won the World Cup multiple times with the most recent trophy being in 2006. 

If one is wanting learn more about the history of the World Cup, click the link below. 

http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/fifa/first-fifa-world-cup.html

Next, on the way home, Flat Boomer walked past an Italian Catholic Church. Religion is also an important aspect of Italian society. Catholicism has been around for thousands of years and is based in Vatican City. Catholicism is one of the biggest denominations for Christianity. Christianity differs from other religions because of the New Testament and Jesus being the son of God. 

To learn more about Catholicism and the teachings of Christianity, go to the official website of Catholicism attached below. 

http://mobile.vatican.va/content/francescomobile/en/speeches/2014/may/documents/papa-francesco_20140526_terra-santa-religiosi.html

Lastly, after a long day, Boomer decided to go eat at a local Italian restaurant. However, Boomer was craving an American burger because he was getting tired of eating Italian food. Flat Boomer went to the restaurant called Ristoburger, which serves the best burger in town. This restaurant allows OU students with their meal plans to get a bottle of water, a burger  and fries for just one meal plan! 

To learn more Ristoburger's menu, click the link below. This link was translated by Google Translate. 

http://translate.google.it/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.arezzonotizie.it/le-guide/ristoburger-by-crispis/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dristoburger%2Barezzo%2Bwebsite%26client%3Dsafari%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D672

Boomer's science at the park

Boomer had a killer time today at the park!!! The weather was perfect and the scenery was amazing.  While he was exploring, he saw a beautiful statue made of marble.  Do you know what kind of rock marble is?  Boomer could not resist climbing as high as he could on the enormous statue, thank goodness he didn't get into trouble! The marble was smooth and slippery in most places, but in other places it was rough.  Why do you think that is?

If you think you know what kind of rock marble is, or are curious about other types of rocks,

Click here

After risking his life on the statue, Boomer decided that it would be great fun to play some soccer. He is so excited about the World Cup that he couldn't resist playing with a Brazilian ball.  After running around in circles, he finaly figured out how to properly kick the ball.  He relized that if he kicked the ball at the center, it would go farther.  I told Boomer that that's called physics.  What do you know about physics?

To learn more about physics

Click here

When Boomer was done exhausting himself on the soccer pitch, he decided to look at the amzing view that the park offered.  He looked past the mountains and saw dark clouds, but on our side of the mounain it was just sunny.  Boomer wondered if the rain clouds would make it past the mountains.  Do you think that they did?  Boomer stared off into the beautiful scenery and got lost in his thoughts.  Before I knew it, we were both asleep!  Thank goodness it didn't start raining on us!

Are you interested in how the weather works?  

Click here

Boomer and his Italian Friends, Family, and Foooood

Today, Boomer had the chance to visit a wonderful restaurant in Arezzo today named "Antica Osteria l'Agania" for lunch. The little place is tucked away almost invisible to onlookers. As he walked in, he smelled the sweet aroma of home-cooked Italian meals. L'Agania's website says that the restaurant has been family-owned for over four generations. Boomer got to talk to two women living in Arezzo, one woman originally from the UK and another woman originally from Arkansas. Check out this link to see their website and learn about all the food offered.

http://agania.it/it/index.php

As mentioned below, Boomer got to visit some friends at the local private school, Aliotti, and learned about the importance of food and family in Italy. Families in Italy gather together on weekends, inviting friends and relatives, to join in on long home-made meals. Lunches can last hours! Italians stress the importance of community. Here Boomer is with his friend from the USA Air Force.

If you want to read about the importance of food in the Italian culture and the role it plays you can read this article!

http://www.discoveritalianfood.com/italian-food-culture.html

At Aliotti, Boomer got to here about all the activities that the students get to do to show their parents! The teachers stressed that many Italians learn to draw, paint, and play a musical instrument. At the close of every school year, the students get to perform a play for their parents. Aliotti is taking strides to become more modern in their educational approaches, but like most things in Italy, the school is full of traditional. It's been around since the 1800s!! Boomer admired how talented the kids were in their artistic skills, and he imagined how excited their parents would be to see their marvelous work!

To finish off the day, Boomer returned to l'Angania's (the food was just too tasty!). Boomer appreciates how families eat together, talk with one another, and stress quality time. Family is important to the people of Arezzo just like his family is important to him (Hi Mom!). Even if they do not speak the same language, Boomer recognizes that their are more things that are similar about the his new friends than are different. BUT if you or he want to learn some Italian words to help order your meals check out this link!

http://www.foodrepublic.com/2011/12/14/100-italian-fooddrink-words-and-phrases

School Days

Today Boomer had the opportunity to visit the Aliotti private school of Arezzo. He was so excited to see how the Italian school system and the American school system were similar and how they were different. Check out this link to see what the school has to offer and their mission.

http://www.liberidieducare.it/EDUCAREWEB/edu_presi01.asp

Boomer was so blown away by how well the kids spoke English that he had to lay down and take a nap. As he was napping, he dreamed about being a teacher. He thought about the importance of instilling in his children a desire to learn another language. The first way of teaching that came to his mind was through the use of song and dance. He was so inspired by the children's songs today that he found one of his own on YouTube. Maybe you can learn the song too!! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t29mS-w_E7o

Here is Boomer dreaming of American kids speaking perfect Italian! 

Once Boomer left the school feeling very inspired, he saw a vespa sitting by itself just asking for him to ride it. He has noticed that the main mode of transportation is by Vespa and has been dying to ride on one. By walking everywhere, Boomer hasn't had to worry about all those carbs from the pasta and calories from gelato going to his hips. He decided to embrace his inner Lizzie McGuire and hop on! Luckily I didn't catch him because he did not have a helmet on! 

Map of Arezzo

Here is a map of Arezzo just in case you decide to explore the city on a Vespa one day, too! 

http://www.visitarezzo.com/map-arezzo-visit-arezzo-tourism

Thanks for spending the day with us!!! Ciao!! 

Lazy Day

Today was just a normal day in Arezzo, Italy for Boomer. Arezzo is a province located in the region of Toscana, or Tuscany. There are no states in Italy like America, rather there are 20 regions that have multiple provinces located in each one. Do you know which region has the most provinces? Click on the link to find out! http://www.inforoma.it/provinces.php

Boomer and I started our day off at Coffee O'Clock where we both got a cappuccino. Coffee O'Clock is like the Starbucks of Italy. While drinking it, we were wondering what the difference was between regular coffee and a cappuccino. We found that regular coffee is just grinding up the coffee bean and steeping it in water for the flavor to soak. Where as a cappuccino is mixed with frothed milk and espresso, which is a finer ground and more concentrated version of the coffee bean. The coffee bean usually comes from the Southern hemisphere. If you would like to know more about how coffee is made, click this link that will show you and interactive website for making coffee. http://www.bizbrain.org/coffee/

After having some coffee, boomer and I walked down Corso Italia, which is the main street in Arezzo, and saw the Italian flag. We researched about the flag and found that is was adopted in 1861 and was modeled after the french flag. The country became a republic after World War II and has seen nearly 60 different types of government. Right now there is a position for a Prime Minister, which is head of the government, and also a President. The voting age is the same as the The United States, which is 18 and there is over 58 million people that live in Italy making it the fifth largest economy in the world. We found all this information at http://www.lifeinitaly.com/culture/italy.asp if you would like to know more.

While in class, we learned that a lot of people are getting sick and went with them to get some medicine at the farmacia. Here in Italy, some medicine can be bought without having to get a prescription from the doctor. A lot of people are getting allergies because they are not use to the Italian air and some are getting sick from lack of sleep. Lack of sleep can cause many symptoms and cause you to become ill. It can cause your immune system to lessen and therefore not be able to fight off diseases. So make sure to get your 8-9 hours of sleep each night! To learn more about causes of lack of sleep, go to http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences

After taking a nap and working on some homework, Boomer and I are going to meet some teachers from Italy tonight. We are very excited to learn more about their education program! Ciao!

Boomer's feeling under the weather

Bongiorno from Arezzo. Boomer woke up feeling under the weather this morning. Luckily, there are farmacias in Arezzo where he could go to get some medicine. After he got out of bed, he walked over to the farmacia before class to see if he could buy some medicine to help him feel better. The pharmasists in Italy are very nice and helpful. They found some medicine that would help Boomer feel better.  

Does anyone here want to be a doctor? If so, Milan, Italy has an International medical school, Universita Degli Studi Milano, that you might think to apply to when it's time to go to college. Click the following link to learn more about the International medical school:

http://www.mimed.it/admissions.shtml

Today was a rainy day so Boomer was not able to go outside, which was probably for the best because he needs to rest since he is sick. He enjoyed staring out the window and watching the rain storm. 

Does anyone know why it rains? The earth has a limited amount of water. That water keeps going around and around in what we call the "Water Cycle." The Water Cycle is made up of 4 main parts: evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection. Click the link below to learn more about the Water Cycle. 

http://www.kidzone.ws/water/

Once it stopped raining, Boomer decided that he needed to go for a walk and get some fresh air. Boomer walked to the local nail salon where he was able to get a manicure and pedicure. Boomer loves getting his nails done because it is very relaxing. His favorite part is when they massage his feet!

After he was finished at the salon he made his way over to the local grocery store. Boomer needed to pick up some foods that would be good for him to eat while he was feeling under the weather. 

Click the link below to learn about foods that are good to eat when you are not feeling well:

http://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/food-strength

Hopefully Boomer will feel better tomorrow! Ciao!

Boomer Visits the San Francesco Church

Good afternoon from Arezzo everyone! Boomer has had a very busy Monday so far. He started his day at class. Poor Boomer had a quiz today. He then headed over to a pizzeria for lunch and got margarita pizza. Boomer loves pizza! Next, Boomer went to a local shop to buy postcards for his family. He misses his family a lot and thought that this would be a great way to share his experiences with them. Here is Boomer with the postcard he bought!

He then bought stamps and mailed his postcards at the post office. Boomer was surprised at how easy it was to send mail all the way from Italy. The only difference was that he had to include the country the letter was going to in the address. Each postcard requires two stamps to be sent to America. Look at the link below to see mailing tips from UPS.

https://www.usps.com/send/international-addressing-tips.htm

After that, Boomer went to visit the San Francesco Church located here in Arezzo. In order to visit this church, you have to schedule a visit in advance and also buy tickets. The website to buy tickets is only in Italian but here is a link that can tell you more about this church and can also provide a link to the Italian site to buy tickets.

http://goitaly.about.com/od/arezzo/qt/piero-della-francesca-frescoes-arezzo.htm

This is a picture of Boomer and some of his friends waiting for the tour to start.

Unfortunately, the church did not allow pictures to be taken inside the church. Boomer was very sad, but here is a picture of Boomer in front of the church.

The outside facade of the church is made of simple brick and stone, but on the inside lies the incredible paintings of the Legend of the True Cross.

Once inside the church, Boomer got to learn about the Legend of the True Cross. This painting was started by Bicci di Lorenzo, but he grew ill and died in 1452 before he could finish it. It was assumed to be finished around 1466 by a man named Piero della Francesca, which is who the church is named after. The paintings are on three walls. Each wall is separated into three different sections that tell different stories. The ceiling is painted with the four people who wrote the Bible and has a dark sky, compared to the walls, which have a light sky. Also, the paintings' lighting looks like it is actually coming from the window that is directly in the middle of the main wall. The paintings even have shadows to represent this lighting. Boomer thought that the detail of the paintings were so beautiful. Click the link below to take a virtual tour of the church and learn more about the history of the paintings! Boomer highly recommends visiting this church if you are ever in Arezzo!

http://projects.ias.edu/pierotruecross/


Boomer has had a great day filled with lots of learning! Now it is time for him to get back to homework before he goes to dinner!

Boomer goes to the beach

Buon giorno from Italy (buon giorno means good morning in Italian, but it is also used as a general greeting)! Boomer and I went to a place called Cinque Terre yesterday on a day trip. Cinque Terre means “five lands” in Italian and this place is named that because there are five lands in the Cinque Terre region. The names of these lands are: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. Boomer arrived by bus in La Spezia and from there he took a train to the fourth and fifth lands, Vernazza and Monterosso. To learn more about Cinque Terre, visit Rick Steves’ travel website and read this article he wrote about the five lands. http://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/the-enchanting-cinque-terre-fiatfree-italy?extras=true

In October of 2011, Cinque Terre was hit with a devastating flood and mudslide. Mudslides are triggered by a large amount of water coming in contact with dirt, which causes mud to rapidly rush through land. When this happens, buildings can be moved from their foundation and the quickly moving mud can injure people.

Vernazza was hit most significantly and it destroyed a lot of pre-existing structures and businesses. Since then, the town of Vernazza has been rebuilt and Boomer got to see how far they have come since the flood and mudslide. To learn more about the Cinque Terre flood, visit this link to read a Travel and Leisure article and watch a video of the flood coverage: http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-blog/carry-on/topic/news/cinque-terre-news-flood-devastates-vernazza-italy

 Vernazza has a lot of seafood restaurants because since it is right next to the water, there is plentiful fresh fish available. This is Boomer enjoying the revived town of Vernazza:

After Boomer finished exploring Vernazza, he took a train to Monterosso. Monterosso is the town in Cinque Terre where people can go to the beach. Boomer was excited to relax by the water and he was glad that he brought a towel because the beach at Monterosso has a lot of small, smooth rocks, also known as pebbles, instead of all soft sand like many beaches in America. The body of water that Boomer saw when he was at the beach is called the Mediterranean Sea. Do you know what the difference between an ocean and a sea is? Boomer wondered this while we were at the beach, so he went to http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanorsea.html and learned that oceans are larger than seas and seas are part of the ocean, usually enclosed by land. Which two oceans are on west and east of America? Look on a map and see if you can find them!

Boomer was glad he remembered to put on his sunscreen so he didn't get burned while he was laying on the beach. He was so tired from the adventure filled day that he went back to his hotel and fell asleep right away, dreaming of what adventures this week will have in store. Ciao!