Obviously, I have been pretty M.I.A. on this blog lately. My mind feels fragmented and all over the place ... except in Italian class and figure drawing. I've only made it to figure drawing 3 times since it started up in September but it is definitely wonderful to let my mind focus in a very relaxed way ... in meditation, letting things happen naturally.
Italian however ... reading, writing, listening, going to study group, making flash cards and studying them in weird places, is taking up the working part of my brain. By the end of class I feel like I can actually feel my brain trying to expand in my skull and it's not pretty. Sometimes by the end of class I think, no don't tell us anything else tonight! Nothing else will fit in there! In these moments I realize how "brain lazy" I have been! It's good to know I am opening up or connecting neural pathways (or something like that) but frankly it's overwhelming to think of how little of the Italian language I actually know. I have such a long long way to go.
Anyway, I have been unable to focus on my blog. My brain is fried, but in a good way. ;) I feel really lucky that I am able to take the time to do this in my life. My teacher, or should I say "professore" is fantastically hilarious and we have a ball in class. It's fun to occasionally look around the class and see gales of laughter from 18 to 60 year olds ... all wracking our brains together, learning Italian and laughing out loud. It's pretty amazing.
Oh, and have I mentioned when Professore Flavio asks "Quanti anni hai?" (how old are you?) No one is aloud to say anything over "ho ventinove anni." That's "I'm 29" by the way.
Funny how it just rolls off the tongue!
conte and white pencil on Fabriano paper October 2010
I want to be doing this (above) but with my p.j.s and my tivo'd Dancing with the Stars, but for now I am off to my little 2 x 3 inch flash cards and the Italian short film evening at the Egyptian Theatre.
The brain is wider than the sky.
~Emily Dickinson
Hope you are having and amazing week
and using your brain in new and wonderful ways! ;)
7 comments:
I wish I lived close enough that I could join your class. I've been learning Italian on Rosetta Stone, but would really enjoy an actual classroom setting.
Beautiful art..I love when you show your work..! Gorgeous! and enjoy your classes and adventures.!
lovely drawing...I love life drawing...it really sharpens your eye....languages exhaust me too!
I love learning new languages. Italian is my favourite but we learnt t school from the age of 9 and had access to Italian TV stations all my life. So it comes pretty easy to most people here.
You lost me at 'quiz'! How brave of you to try to learn a language...as you know it's always harder the older and lazier our brains get. I think your drawing is bellisimo! (that's about all of the Italian I know, but I will try to remember the age 29 phrase!)
That's funny...I'm 29 too!
molto divertente ... 60 !!! in bucca al lupo ..learning with my 6 year old here lucinda ..you're lucky to go to life dwg ..beautiful
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