In a Year's Time

Hello everybody, or nobody. I didn't like how this blog finished out; just a last post but no reflection or even a word of if I got back.

I enjoyed every bit of doing this blog, updating my photos and thoughts as they occurred, and, now as I look back on it, I can see the progression of my entire year in Italy. I started this blog nearly two years ago, and since last June, I haven't written a thing. I guess I thought that since I was back in the United States, my journey was over, but that hasn't been the case. Things are always changing, molting, and growing. Including myself.

This experience has stayed with me, and I think about it nearly every day. I thought that as soon as I said goodbye to my family, friends, and the city of Milan, I'd be done. But everything I do somehow still relates to those fantastic and challenging months abroad.

Many times, my sadness and loss of the friends and life I had get to me. I mourned for months. I had to adapt all over again, and the problem was: I liked who I was more in Italy than who I had to become in the United States. Obligations, expectations, and preconceived notions starting from the day I stepped back in Portland continue to haunt me today. What other people expect me to do, how to act, what I like, how to say my name even. All was predetermined without any of my opinions.

But this post isn't about my reverse culture shock struggles. It's more to give thanks.

Thank you so much to my host family. I know we had our differences and fights, but when I got on that train to go to Rome, on my way back to the US, I started bawling. Just totally CRYING my eyes out. You really are my family, you taught me so much, not just about your culture, but also about myself. I wish I had been mature enough at the time to be grateful for all that you were giving me. And it is one of my regrets that I never thanked you and instead, at times, took you for granted. You kept me safe, healthy, and helped me through challenges. As well as letting me grow and experience your wonderful country. Thank you for taking me to beautiful places and forgiving me for all my grammar mistakes. I really miss you and think of you all often. I hope to visit again soon,

Love Keyne

Old News

This would be the infamous discotec that I went to. 

I, embarrassingly enough, did not have to abilty to notice how nice it was last time. 

http://www.lebanque.it/locale.asp?sottosezione=Discoteca

Independence Day

Tomorrow, June 2nd, is Italy's Independence Day. As far as I know, it is not celebrated with fireworks or flags or champagne (though I doubt there's any holiday here in which they would exclude alcohol). It is celebrated by the release of any duties for anyone; all shops, offices and schools are closed. 

A little history about this day (what I found on Wikipedia):

Festa della Repubblica (literally Festival of the Republic) is celebrated in Italy on the second of June each year.

The day commemorates the institutional referendum held by universal suffrage in 1946, in which the Italian people were called to the polls to decide on the form of government, following the Second World War and the fall of Fascism. With 12,717,923 votes for a republic and 10,719,284 for the monarchy, the male descendants of the House of Savoy were sent into exile.

To commemorate it, a grand military parade is held in central Rome, presided by the President of the Republic in the role of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Prime Minister and other authorities attend too. Prior to the foundation of the Republic, the Italian national day was the first Sunday in June, anniversary of the granting of the Statuto Albertino.

So, there you go. I am celebrating this lovely day in my own way. Me and some friends are going  outside of the city to a foresty park area at about 10, I am in charge of bringing a few blankets, my guitar, sandwiches, and sunscreen.

It's going to be a blast. 

Hrm..hrm...

I have some free time today because I'm sick and staying home from school. I am probably the only person who can get sick in 90° weather. I ahev now been sick 5 times since I came to italy.
Lousy immune system.

So, let's see, what's new...
I'm SUPER excited that school will be ending in just a few weeks. I don't like school. Classmates, sure. A few teachers, alright. But school in general is really boring. And summer vacation is WAY better.

I'm so soo sooo excited for summer. Everything about it is just great.
Warm weather.
No school.
Hangin with friends.
Eating outside.
Sun tanning.
Parks.
Smoothies.

Things are going pretty good with Artiom (ukranian guy). He's so sweet. :)
I mean, we both kindof avoid talking about when I leave exactly. Trying to let my return date loom out there in the future.

I had an AFS Intercultura meeting the other day. We all had to go to talk about our experience, month by month. So, for EVERYONE it went like this:

August: Basically not thinking much about this exchange at all.
September: I arrived in Italy.
October: I didn't speak Italian. I had no friends.
November: I didn't speak Italian. I had no friends. I fought with my host family.
December: I didn't speak Italian. I had no friends.
January: I started to speak Italian.
February: I made friends.
March: I went on trips.
April: I went to discos.

Lecce

Went to the little city in the southern heel of this country. A host family of mom, Maria, dad, Gianni, brothers, Alessio 30, Lorenzo 26, and Francesco 20, and sister, Stefania 14. The south is different from my area of polentoni . So, open, welcoming. I would walk into a supermarket 'Ah! Your the American girl! So nice to meet you, here take a biscotti. And cheese from my very own sheep. Here here! Free! So nice to meet you! Meet my whole family!'
We went to the coast cities Galipoli, Otranto, and Leuca. Which was beautiful, as the mediteranian should be.
One day we went to Alberobello, and I got completely soaked and slept on our hour long bus rides.

It's taken me a long time to get around to writing this, and I don't have much time to make it thorough; all the great people I've met, the nights out with my host brothers, camping outside the travel agency to get a ticket back home at the last minute.
But I did have a great time and would love to go back someday.

Favorite Picture

I'm leaving for Rome tomorrow, but I uploaded my pictures yesterday to make some room on my camera. And I found these picutres.
It was taken the day of Carnevale in Milano. It's sortof like their Halloween, kids dress up, tons of silly string. But also there was a huge parade inthe center which I went to. And these pictures of this little girl dressed as a bunny with her nonno sum up the entire event rather well.

Invisible Children

So, people have been telling me about the invisible children for a while now. But I've always been too lazy to really DO anything about it.
The basic info:
The war in northern Uganda has been called the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today. For the past 23 years, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda (GoU) have been waging a war that has left nearly two million innocent civilians caught in the middle. The GoU's attempt to protect its citizens from this rebel militia has largely failed, resulting in an entire generation of youth that has never known peace. Leader of the LRA is Joseph Kony, who is wanted for war crimes. It is estimated that more than 90% of the LRA’s troops were abducted as children.

In 1996, as a response to the LRA attacks in the villages, the Ugandan government forcibly evicted thousands from their homes, relocating them into overcrowded camps in hopes of providing protection. But over a decade later, about one millionpeople still live in these camps and struggle to survive among the effects of poverty, disease, and starvation.

Recently, more and more international attention has been focused on this crisis. In 2001, the US Patriot Act officially declared the LRA to be a terrorist organization - a huge step in drawing attention to the conflict and the atrocities committed by the LRA. In 2004, Congress passed the Northern Uganda Crisis Response Act, the first piece of American legislation to address this disaster. And in 2005, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Joseph Kony and four of his top commanders.

Pressure from the international community combined with a strong desire to secure peace has brought the Government of Uganda and the LRA to the negotiating table on numerous occasions, though they have yet to find a peaceful resolution.

In July 2007, in response to an increased concern for peace in northern Uganda by the American people, the US State Department appointed Tim Shortley to Senior Advisor for Conflict Resolution with his immediate focus on northern Uganda. This action solidified the US’s commitment to end this conflict peacefully.

At this point in time, the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement has expired and Joseph Kony has failed to sign the Final Peace Agreement for a fourth time, proving his promises to be futile and ultimately disabling the peace talks. This does not only effect the thousands displaced in northern Uganda but across the entire northeastern border region of DR Congo, South Sudan, and Central African Republic.

Since September 2008, hostility in the Orientale province in DR Congo and Western Equatoria in South Sudan has increased. LRA attacks have become more frequent and hostile, provoking military action against the rebel group.

December 24th, 2008, the LRA launched a retaliatory attack against the people of DR Congo. In apparent desperation and a renewed will to spread terror to DR Congo, the LRA murdered over six hundred and abducted more than one hundred and sixty children to fight amongst its ranks. More than 104,000 Congolese have been displaced since Christmas in attempts to escape the LRA forces.

As the motives of the LRA become more ambiguous and their crimes more horrific, Invisible Children remains committed to seeking sustainable solutions to foster an environment that encourages peace.

Invisible Children addresses the need for access to education and economic development through innovative programs on the ground.

Ok, yes, this is a lot of information, and I had to copy dates and some facts from the internet. But I tried to shorten it down a bit.

For a more visual effect you can always watch the movie. I suggest to go online to

http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/

So, with all these attemps of peace, no secure conclusion has come into place. So, this organization is hosting a 'rally' of sorts where people in 100 cities are going to 'abduct' themselves to raise awareness. I am a little late in the game getting involved, but I'm encourage as many people as I can to go, or at least inform themselves. Because while Africa may seem far away, and we as humans have a difficult time paying specific attention to something that isn't happening directly to us, if this experience has taught be anything it is that the world is NOT that big. And in some way or another, everyone knows each other.
In fact, it's estimated that, in a sequence of nine, you know everyone; a friend of a friend of a brother of a father of a lover of a friend. I beleive that. With all those 6 billion people out there, a large percentage is somehow tied to me. Perhaps even one of many children in Uganda.

WATCH:

http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/