:: When all else fails, join the circus ::
So I just wanted to let everyone know that I've updated my photos page. I haven't added any new photos so don't get too excited. All I've done is rotated all of the pictures that needed to be vertical, and I've added captions to the first 4 pages of my Europe 2004 gallery. This way, you sort of know what's going on! yay!
And I guess since I'm here, I may as well let you know what's going on here in Italy. The whole service thing is going really well. I really enjoy just spending time with these people and I really want to continue some form of service when I get home. I'm not sure if I'll work with the elderly, handicapped, homeless, or what. Heck, maybe I'll do it all! Either way though, it needs to be done. I just enjoy this too much not to do it.
Some fun little stories, several of the handicapped here seem to have fallen in love with me...or at least have a crush on me. Sergio, an older man who seems to have a memory problem and that's it, asked me out on a date and occasionally strokes my face. He keeps forgetting that Keith is not my boyfriend. He points to him and says in English, "your boyfriend?" and I always say, "No, he's just my friend." "Where is your boyfriend?" "In America."
Then there's Constantino. He just likes to give you big sloppy kisses on the cheek every now and then. I got two of those today. Alessandro also likes to kiss you, but he doesn't know how to kiss so he just touches you with your nose.
Giorgio seems to like me quite a bit too. He's the only black man here and he's originally from Ethiopia. He speaks pretty good English. He has muscular dystrophy and that's about it. He bought me candies and when he was practicing writing in English he wrote about how he needed to buy me a present. He's a really nice guy and his affection for me seems pretty pure. I feel sorta bad for him! Oh well. He'll just have to be my buddy.
Then...there's Pietro. Pietro is the 264 lbs. man that I wash and dress every morning. For the longest time he was really grumpy in the mornings and he would give me a hard time. He'd try to lay back down in his bed, which was usually saturated in urine, and he'd say "cinque minuti, cinque minuti" over and over and over again. Or he'd keep running back and forth into his room to drink water, only to pee in the pants that I had just put on him. Quite the frustrating experience. Now things have improved in that area of my work, but I have to fight him off now! He is constantly saying to me "un baccino, un baccino" or in English "a little kiss, a little kiss!" The first day he did it I think I let him kiss me 6 times, but the second, I couldn't let that stand. So, I've limited him to one a day as best I can. I tell him that once he's all dressed and ready for breakfast he can have a kiss. And that tends to work. Today though, he tried to go in for the lips and I had to start yelling at him, "Non a boca! Non a boca! Cuando sei pronto per colazione, un baccino, ma adesso no!" (Not on the lips! Not on the lips! When you are ready for breakfast, a little kiss, but now, no!). It's quite the fun little adventure with Pietro.
I really do love all of the handicapped here though. It's so awesome working with them. I just wish I could take them all home with me!
And I guess since I'm here, I may as well let you know what's going on here in Italy. The whole service thing is going really well. I really enjoy just spending time with these people and I really want to continue some form of service when I get home. I'm not sure if I'll work with the elderly, handicapped, homeless, or what. Heck, maybe I'll do it all! Either way though, it needs to be done. I just enjoy this too much not to do it.
Some fun little stories, several of the handicapped here seem to have fallen in love with me...or at least have a crush on me. Sergio, an older man who seems to have a memory problem and that's it, asked me out on a date and occasionally strokes my face. He keeps forgetting that Keith is not my boyfriend. He points to him and says in English, "your boyfriend?" and I always say, "No, he's just my friend." "Where is your boyfriend?" "In America."
Then there's Constantino. He just likes to give you big sloppy kisses on the cheek every now and then. I got two of those today. Alessandro also likes to kiss you, but he doesn't know how to kiss so he just touches you with your nose.
Giorgio seems to like me quite a bit too. He's the only black man here and he's originally from Ethiopia. He speaks pretty good English. He has muscular dystrophy and that's about it. He bought me candies and when he was practicing writing in English he wrote about how he needed to buy me a present. He's a really nice guy and his affection for me seems pretty pure. I feel sorta bad for him! Oh well. He'll just have to be my buddy.
Then...there's Pietro. Pietro is the 264 lbs. man that I wash and dress every morning. For the longest time he was really grumpy in the mornings and he would give me a hard time. He'd try to lay back down in his bed, which was usually saturated in urine, and he'd say "cinque minuti, cinque minuti" over and over and over again. Or he'd keep running back and forth into his room to drink water, only to pee in the pants that I had just put on him. Quite the frustrating experience. Now things have improved in that area of my work, but I have to fight him off now! He is constantly saying to me "un baccino, un baccino" or in English "a little kiss, a little kiss!" The first day he did it I think I let him kiss me 6 times, but the second, I couldn't let that stand. So, I've limited him to one a day as best I can. I tell him that once he's all dressed and ready for breakfast he can have a kiss. And that tends to work. Today though, he tried to go in for the lips and I had to start yelling at him, "Non a boca! Non a boca! Cuando sei pronto per colazione, un baccino, ma adesso no!" (Not on the lips! Not on the lips! When you are ready for breakfast, a little kiss, but now, no!). It's quite the fun little adventure with Pietro.
I really do love all of the handicapped here though. It's so awesome working with them. I just wish I could take them all home with me!