Boomer embarks on a 3-Day Weekend

Hi everybody! It's a gorgeous Thursday morning in Arezzo and this is our final day of class for the week before we enjoy our three day weekend! As you can see above, Boomer is working with the one and only Shauna Beach (aka Mom) to post our iMovie assignment over Galileo to YouTube! We are still recovering from all the pasta we ate yesterday so it's been a slow morning here in Arezzo! Below is the link to our video, which should go live by the end of the day!

Http://youtu.be/B9hwJXau1i0

Once we all get out of class, myself and few others are heading to Croatia! In Croatia, we will enjoy the beach, white water rafting, private boat/island tour on Saturday and great company from everyone who is going! As you can see, Boomer has his ticket printed and signed and is ready to check in later tonight in Florence to start our adventure!! Below are two links that will give details about where we are going, and the company we booked through. The Croatia visitors site will tell you about fun things to do all across the country, while the Bus2Alps site will show you the trip we are taking, our interary and many many more fun destinations that this company has! 

http://www.visit-croatia.co.uk

http://www.bus2alps.com/en/croatia

I hope this post finds you well and as always, BOOMER SOONER

-Kevin Adler

Boomer makes Pasta!

So, Boomer and I had such a great time with our friends from JRCoE today. After class we headed out past the medieval fortress in Arezzo to make pasta! The women who demonstrated were professionals; we all watched with awe at their ease. Had they been doing this their whole life? Something new I learned: pasta has very simple ingredients. We used flour, eggs, salt, and olive oil. First, you pour out the floor on a board. Next, you spin you fingers about to create a volcano shape. Then, crack the eggs and add a little olive oil and salt. Mix the dough, pressing it out with your palms and folding it back over. Presto! You're done. Now you can roll it out or cut it to make different kinds of pasta.

We tediously, but happily, created various pastas in Pomodoro sauce, Butter and Sage, and Ragu. (I think Boomer's favorite was butter and sage because he went back for seconds!) Our guide told us that making home-made pasta is especially important for special occassions (like family  dinners). If you would like a recipe for Pomodoro sauce (the most common sauce that Boomer has noticed) then follow this link!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/bloggers/viewtopic.php?id=76203

From observation, Boomer has noticed that cooking (and eating! Yum!) is especially important to the Italian culture. It not only is fun for you taste buds, but it is best went spent will people you care about. Boomer talked to all his college buddies and loved every moment. Many of them laughed as the dough ferociously stuck to our fingers. Did I mention that Boomer and I are novices at cooking pasta?

Back at the B&B, Boomer became curious. He got his research mind ready, and browsed the web to find articles about cooking secrets from famous Italian chefs. He found a quick article about the chef ranked "Best in Italy" in 2012. He wants to find more information on cooking the Italian way. A link to the article is below!

http://www.finedininglovers.com/blog/news-trends/massimo-bottura-best-chef-in-italy/

One thing fun about this experience is that the class was located in a gym in which members of the community play Bocce ball. We watched as a couple teams threw the balls, knocking others out of place. Boomer responded to the scene saying, "This game is strange! I've never even see someone play this before!"

If you'd like to see how to play Bocce ball, follow the link below!

http://www.life123.com/sports/outdoor-games/bocce/bocce-ball-instructions.shtml

All in all, Boomer had a wonderful day eating pasta and having a joyous time with friends!

Boomer in Class

Toady, while walking to class Boomer wanted a picture in the market that happens every morning in the Sant Augostino Piaza.

The market has fresh fruit, clothes, kitchen supplies, and many other things! Click here to see a map of Arezzo and where Sant Augostino Piaza is! http://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/arezzo-i-to-ar.htm

After getting the picture with the market, Boomer and I went to class at 8:30am. Did you know that is 1:30am in the United States? In Italy, we are 7 hours ahead of the United States. Click here to learn more about time change around the world. http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Once we got to class, Dr. Cullen and Patsy taught us about the common core in schools.

The common core is implemented by the states to create standard learning goals for all students to help prepare them for college, career, and life. States have to adopt the standards in order for them to be followed by all schools in the state. Most states have adopted them, but some still have not. Click on this link to see if your state has adopted the common core standards! http://www.corestandards.org/standards-in-your-state/

After Dr. Cullen's class, Boomer an I took a coffee break at 10:50am. Can you figure out what time the is in the United States? Also, check out my last blog to learn more about how coffee is made.

After our coffee break, Boomer and I got to listen to Dr. Gardner speak about students with exceptionalities.

About 8.8%  of students in the schools have a disability that is treated by Special education. Learning disabilities are the most common which include anything that affects ones ability to speak, listen, think, read, write, spell, or commute. As future teachers, our class is very excited to learn about how we can help and accommodate these students in our classrooms. Click here to learn more about Learning Disabilities. http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/what-is-ld/learning-disability-fast-facts

Class ended by 1:30 (What time is that in the US?) and we were all off to grab some lunch, do some homework, or go take a nap. The trip is going by so fast and Boomer and I do not want it to end! Keep checking the blog to see what we do in our last two weeks in Italy. Boomer!

Boomer Travels to Milan

This weekend Boomer went to Milan. He had a blast! Do you know where Milan is located? Do you know which country it is close to?

Click this link to see if you can find out!

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/italy/

While in Milan, Boomer got to see the Duomo, which is a cathedral.

Bishop Antonio da Saluzzo commissioned the construction of the cathedral in 1385. Construction of the Duomo finished in 1813, but final finishes were applied as late as 1965. The Duomo is decorated with 3,159 statues- this is the more than any other building in the world! 2,245 of those statues are on the exterior. Exterior means that it is on the outside. Can you figure out what interior means?

It is said that if the statues were placed on top of each other, they would reach a height of about 5300 meters or 3.3 miles. The interior of the Duomo has five large areas, which are divided by 52 pillars- one for every week of the year. These pillars support the weight of the ceiling.

Duomos are located all over Europe and are known for their massive sizes and gothic architecture. Click the link below to learn about the top ten Duomos!

http://historylists.org/architecture/list-of-top-10-most-spectacular-gothic-buildings.html

On Saturday, Boomer took a day trip to Lake Como, or Lago di Como in Italian. Lake Como is the silk capital of the world. Seta means silk in Italian. Click the link below to learn how silk is made.

http://www.silkpaintinggallery.com/silk.htm

Boomer got to shop around and take a two-hour boat ride across the lake. Lake Como is around 30 miles long and is Europe’s deepest lake, reaching over 400 meters deep. Here is a picture of Boomer on the boat ride in front of the beautiful scenery!

The lake is in the shape of an inverted “Y” which was caused when glaciers moved through the valley. This “Y” shape gives it the largest perimeter of all lakes.

There is even a Duomo in Lake Como!

Boomer had such a great time this weekend. Now he is working to catch up on homework.

Ciao!

A Typical Day in Arezzo

Ciao from Arezzo, Italy! Here I am with my best friend Juanito and some other friends in class today! We are all learning a lot of new things at OUA and I really want my friends back home to consider applying to study abroad in the future! I've attached the link to "The University of Oklahoma's Signature Study Abroad Program" in which interested students can see the program description for studying abroad in Arezzo, Italy!

"Greetings Earthlings!"

https://oklahoma.studioabroad.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=10127

 BOOMER! SOONER! Wow this penne pasta sure does hit the spot! This 4 Cheese Pasta can be found at a local voucher restaurant in Arezzo called Miva. The food is absolutely delicious, the wait staff is super respectful, and did I mention the food is incredible? I learned to order this plate in Italian and I believe it goes something like, "Penne di cuatro formaggi, per favore?" Learning a new language is a bit daunting but eating this pasta is way too easy! If you're interested in finding recipes for making delectable penne dishes follow the link below and grab your chef's hat and apron! Crank up the radio and get your cook on in your kitchen or at a friends. Looks like we're having Italian for dinner tonight!

"What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta!"

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/pasta/pasta-by-shape/penne/

OK, so the Italian gelato... where do I begin? First off, there are a million places to find incredibly delicious gelato in all of Italy! I've decided that my favorite flavors are chocolate, Nutella mousse, cheesecake, and Ferrero Rocher gelato, but honestly you can never go wrong with any type of gelato. My favorite place to get gelato in Arezzo is at Cremí. Words do not do this place justice and I can only tell you that Cremí is THE place to get the best gelato. Oh, and did I mention they also sell crepes!? If you've ever wondered what the difference between gelato and ice cream is I've attached a link to an article by the Huffington Post that perfectly compares the two. Ciao!

"I'll start my diet... tomorrow..."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/ice-cream-vs-gelato_n_3333016.html

Boomer Celebrates Italian Style!

Ciao Everybody! From the food to the people, to the music- Boomer is having an absolute blast in Italy! In case you haven't seen his latest posts, Boomer has been everywhere and is learning so much! However, this morning he woke up to something that was unfamiliar. Generally every morning at 7:00 in the morning, Boomer is greeted to a market outside of his window that sells anything from clothes to fruit and veggies. However, this morning Boomer found it strange that the market outside was not being set up! Sometimes, too, Boomer will even see kids being escorted to class by their mom or dad, who carry their backpacks or other personal items. Yet, there wasn't a sign of anyone anywhere!

"Hey! Where is everyone?!"

He found this to be very strange so he grabbed me to do some early morning exploring. Traveling a little further down the road, Boomer and I noticed that everywhere we looked shops were closed, along with all of our favorite food stops in Arezzo. Typically we have noticed that most places do not open until later in the day, unless they are coffee shops or places to grab breakfast. However, even some of our breakfast spots were sporting a closed sign on their door. Here he is outside of one of his favorite stops in Arezzo that was closed down for the day. Boomer and I decided to take to the internet as well as ask around as to why the streets were deserted and the shops were closed.

"Maybe they'll be open later!"

What do you know! Today is a national holiday! An important one in fact. Every year on June 2nd, Italy celebrates what is called the Festa della Repubblica (in English, this translates to Republic Day). Festa della Republicca symbolizes the day in 1946, which the Italian people were called to the polls to decide on the type of the government that would follow the Second World War and the fall of fasicm. After 85 years under a monarchy, the people of Italy were asked to vote between keeping a monarchy as their form of government or changing it to a republic. By a vote of 12,717,923, republic won and has been standing strong to this day! Click here for more information!

To celebrate the new republic, there was a new parade held on the Via dei Fori Imperiali, Rome's main road, in 1946. Since then more and more parades are held within Italy to commemorate the historical day!

 "Let's go to Rome to see this!"

To put this into an American perspective, Festa della Republicca is to Italians as the Fourth of July is to Americans! With that said, the big festivities such as parades and other events are held in the bigger cities such as Rome, whereas towns such as Arezzo us this national holiday to be with friends and family and celebrate by coming together and growing as a family and community! Find out all of the events going on in Italy here!

Boomer and I can't wait to see what else Arezzo and Italy have in store for us!

"These streets are empty, but that flag is pretty!"

Ciao for now

Boomer Hat Learns About Italian Anarchism

     We're half way through our trip, and how time has flown! This entire adventure has been a whirlwind of beautiful sights, lots of activities, and some of the best memories I've ever made. From hiking in Cinque Terre, to wandering through the booths of the antique's fair, last week was simply incredible. It also offered several great learning experiences, one of which I will write about today.
     While Boomer Hat and I were walking down Corso Italia, we noticed graffiti dotting the walls of several shops. The graffiti just so happened to be the symbol for anarchy: The letter A within the letter O.

This symbol stands for some of the main values which Anarchists profess. The A stands for Anarchy, and it is surrounded by an O that stands for Order, which put together stands for the belief that "Anarchy is the Mother of Order". This symbol actually originated in Spain, but it was initiated by Giuseppe Fanelli, a revolutionary Italian Anarchist. The symbol was then adopted by a youth group in Milan in 1968, and has spread across Italy since then. For more information on the symbol and its history, check out the Wikipedia article here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchist_symbol#Circle-A

     Anarchism has been popular in Italy for quite some time, but it's currently making a resurgence amongst the Italian youth. Although widely held to be a movement of rebelliousness and free-for-all disorder, it is actually rather elegant in it's tenets. Because of the many different variations that can be found within Anarchy, it is best to be viewed as a philosophy rather than a set form of rules. Anarchists tend to champion a stateless society, arguing for a system without any form of aggression.

     Boomer Hat and I have noticed that every school we have visited so far has mentioned something negative about the amount of bureaucracy which runs rampant within Italy. Teachers, administrators, and other people we have gotten to speak with have all discussed how difficult it is to make changes when every attempt comes with a long, drawn-out process. To better understand the heart of the issues that many Italians are facing, and why they might turn to Anarchy as a viable option, Boomer Hat and I decided to read Bastiat's "The Law", which is commonly held to be a great starting point for those interested in Anarchy. A link to the work can be found here:

http://www.constitution.org/cmt/bastiat/the_law.html

In it, Bastiat claims that the only role of the government should be to defend man's right to life, liberty, and property. He also makes the point that laws should only take the "negative form".  He says, "this negative concept of law is so true that the statement, 'the purpose of the law is to cause justice to reign,' is not a rigorously accurate statement. It ought to be stated that the purpose of the law is to prevent injustice from reigning" (Bastiat). Judging by the hands-off, individual centered system which Bastiat lays out, Boomer Hat and I could better understand why Anarchism might be gaining in popularity where it seems like many people feel stifled by their government.

     We are loving getting to not only experience more of Italy everyday but also to learn about the inner workings as well as the popular attitudes of the people. This has been a great opportunity to get to know more about a different culture in a very different part of the world, and can't wait to see what the rest of the trip brings!
 
        Love,
              Adrienne and Boomer Hat

Straight Edge + Sooner Pride