Sviluppato

Today marked the first day of my transition from elementare 4 to intermedie 1! I had a new grammar teacher who looked a bit intimidating with his buff physique and southern Italian accent (?), but was happy to see that my previous grammar teacher Patrizio, whom I really admired for his intellect and method of teaching, was now our conversation teacher. It makes a world of difference having someone who actually makes you talk and learn vs. someone who doesn't seem to put any effort into teaching (i.e. the ones I had previously).

We read an article about the regional differences in Italy, mostly due to climate, and then each discussed the differences in our own countries. I probably didn't do Canada justice but mentioned how it is a country of immigration, the provinces in the centre are more agricultural, the north is less inhabited, and how people on the east coast are generally perceived as more open than those on the west (I say this based on what my Montreal friends have told me and linked it to the different cultural concentrations found in BC vs. Quebec or Ontario). Then I reiterated that we don't really have a Canadian cuisine, but we're generally known for salmon and the Maritimes are famous for lobster.

The mention of salmon made me think of salmon sashimi. Sigh.

After school I went on a walking tour of Florence led by the art history teacher at my school (Numz, you would love her!). I had previously joined her gite to San Miniato al Monte and Chiesa di Ognissanti. She gives her tours entirely in Italian and is friendly and extremely informative. The best part is that they're free! Her art history courses, however, are not, so I'm still deciding if it's worth joining a session or two.

Today's word of the day is sviluppato, meaning "developed", as in "a developed nation". It is an adjective and past participle of the verb sviluppare (=to develop). Go impress your friends.