I find it very weird that it doesn't feel like I'm across an entire ocean. I'm so happy that there is a thing called the Internet. I've been talking to my family and friends almost everyday on Skype or through an internet free calling service. I don't feel very disconnected which is strange I think. There was about two weeks in the beginning month when I felt frustrated and missing home but now I think I've gotten more used to it.

This week wasn't to busy for me. I started the week off (don't get mad at me) by paying a visit to the spa with Amanda and Paula. Renato went to Nice for the weekend to visit his parents so we thought it was a prime opportunity for us to have a girls day out. We went to a spa equipped with a big indoor pool including jacuzzi's on the side, a Finnish sauna, an aromatherapy sauna, a chromatherapy sauna that had changing coloured lights, a steam room an "emotional shower" and a relaxing room. I'm not sure why it was called an emotional shower, maybe because there was a big bucket filled with freezing water and if you stood under it after coming out of a burning hot sauna and pull the string... your emotions are suddenly alarmed and awaken? Who knows, but I do know that I really liked this spa occasion. I felt like jello for the rest of the day. That night we went out to a Japanese restaurant. There was a little conveyor belt type thing that had little plates of sushi on them. If you saw something that you wanted you could just take it off the belt and eat it. They charged you per plate. I tried my best to embrace the japanese culture and eat with chopsticks, but after almost flinging raw fish into the hair of a happy couple beside us I decided it was safer for everyone if i just used a fork. Our dessert was a doughy white ball made out of mashed up rice with mashed brown beans inside the center. It sounds weird, but was actually surprisingly really good!

I went to school except for Friday because there was a "manifestazioni." Which is basically a big protest held against the government. They're held almost on a weekly basic bacause the government system in Italy not the most exceptional one from what I've been told. Almost everyday at school one guy comes out during our twenty minute break and yells something into a giant speakerphone, followed by lots of people screaming and jumping. I don't know what he yells but something political. Everyone here is very political, even the high school kids talk about politics and choose between left wing and right wing opinions. I didn't go to the manifestazioni because my class didn't go but I didn't go to school either because there was no school. Instead I caught up on some much needed sleep and then went running in Villa Pomphili.

I went to the new gym for the first time this week and did a kickboxing class with Paula. It was very fun! I felt like i was in an old eighties workout video including music by Madonna and Abba as well as our foreign good looking teacher named Alessio. (actually I think i'm the foreign one in the equation here.. but the language was different from my Canadian kickboxing class so it felt foreign to me) I was happy I went to the class because a) We've eaten more pasta this week than usual and b) because the steam room reminded me of the spa I went to last weekend.

On the weekend I went to Annas house to sleep over because Renato and Paula went to Sicily for the weekend. Paula had to go there for work and brought Renato with her. Anna and I went out with a few friends from school. We went to an Indian place. I dont know what kind of place it was. Not a restaurant but not a bar. They served drinks and appetizers but the atmosphere was a lot different than the normal cafe or bar. Anyways that night was very funny!

I feel like this week wasn't very busy, but then every time I think I'm not busy something else comes up. In about a week and a half I'm going to Milan with my host family. This weekend I'm going to one of My new friends house and tomorrow I'm going to see Step Up 3D with some friends from school. One of them invited me to go with her to the Alps in December for a snowboarding trip. I feel like I just started to settle down but when I think about it, I still haven't even made it to the Vatican yet!