Italian

The above diagram illustrates why I must learn Italian, and I how I plan to do so. Trip to Italy is planned for the Spring - I've even started paying for it. Knowledge of Italian is optional, but would make things far more fun. Then, Christy is getting an Italian. A real live Italian girl. Well, if she's learning, I must as well. And between Latin and Spanish, it'd be a shame if I didn't at least learn a little. So. The Plan.

I woke up this morning at 8:00. I cleaned my room and the kitchen. I showered. I dressed. I walked Tidbit. I painted my nails. I addressed post cards. I did the first five chapters of a French CD I had lying around. Then I decided Christy had better be awake. I called her and woke her up. We went to Borders. These things aren't free.

Teach Yourself Italian was the first and main purchase. It always helps to have an old friend. Two pronunciation Cd's to go with it. Eurotalk would get us started, I already owned that. Italian Dictionary? I've already got one good enough to serve for now. Thus only the last purchase remained: A workbook, mostly, with enough aspects of a textbook to stand alone except pronunciation, which is mercifully easy. Italian Now! L'Italiano D'oggi! The Italian Doggy? We had a ways to go.

We broke our impoverished banks to buy them. She was saving money, my purse is at the lake, and I just put down 500$ for the Italy trip.

Home. We opened everything, flipped through to see what we would be dealing with. We wasted a little time preparing Ravioli, Margherita Pizza, and Garlic Bread, but we needed the mood that created. Then we cracked the books and attacked the soul killing bit: pronunciation. Not as easy as, say, Norwegian, but not bad, really. The G's and Gh's and C's and Ch's and Gl's and Gn's seemed a little... random, but they all followed rules.

So full speed ahead. We beat the first three chapters of Eurotalk. A shade easier for me, after Spanish. And so I was a shade better. But it's nice to have someone as quick as Christy to work with, I didn't feel like she was dragging me down. Swimming for a break, then we got onto the workbook and did the first chapter in that. Now we will be meeting twice a week. We only have a year, after all. And we want to be well underway when the Italian arrives.

Six Hours Later.

Italian! It tastes just like the food! Creamy and smooth and crunchy all in one! With a hint of garlic, Christy added as I began to suspect she thought me as nutty as all of you do. Is it my favourite language ever? No. Not like English my native tongue, nor like Norwegian my beloved, nor even Spanish with it's effortless grace. But it beats French hands down, Japanese by a bit, and is about tied with German and Elvish. Tasty. Delicious. I admit, I'm excited.