crea

It is very amusing that from this internet station near the top of montepulciano, even this blogsite has everything in Italian. So "crea" (create)is because this is the web button I puched to write this and because I guess my most prominent purpose here italy is to learn and create ancient Etruscan/italian style pottery. This is still going well although today I nearly cried with frustration at the wheel. Tropo dificile! Too dificult. The tools nearly cut my hand and I kept almost throwing the piece I was trimming (refining when nearly dry) off of its little pedastal centering it on the wheel. Gianfranco is a very quick, straightforward, and almost brutish man but he certainly has a good heart and playful spirit. When he shakes your hand, he will nearly crush it. And sometimes he also teaches this way.

While working at the wheel today, different tourists passed by and came into the store while I was at the wheel. They stood watching this Regazza (bad spelling job for a "young woman") sometimes speaking to me in Italian then being told that I am an American studying with him. I certainly enjoy when people think I might be Italian and start speaking to me...that is until I dont understand and stare back at them blankly.

The two things that have been on my mind lately are silence and grace. Silence because so often I dont have the italian words for what I want to say so I say nothing. Sometimes in the US I dont speak because Id rather hold in what I have to say maybe it is out of fear, sometimes Id like to think its out of wisdom. Here, its not this intrinsic silence but extrinsic and out of my control.

Maybe Ill write more about my thoughts on grace later because I am almost out of time at this computer station. so much to say....so little time.

ciao