lei sa che ora è

considering this piece has extremely high emotional value for me, it just had to be first in my graffiti series. i'm still in total shock that i just happened to randomly walk past this. sheer perfection. 

and considering the subject of this post, it is hereby dedicated to my amazing friend and partner in crime, amy. you are an incredible person, and you totally know what time it is.

this is stromboli.

can you guess what's in this van?

here there are those vans like the ones floating around north charleston (yes, i know that they have those in places outside of north charleston, but that's most relevant to my home) that are used as mobile taco stands. i saw one while in the car one day and was instantly on alert because from the depths of my soul i am totally yearning for some hispanic food. i understood that the likelihood of that van being able to provide me with anything resembling a taco was nonexistent, but still i asked nathalie what kind of food they sold.
and guess what it is. just guess.

papino

i know, i know… i got some splainin' to do. it's been a while since i've posted… but we all know my capacity to procrastinate is immense. and just thinking about everything i wanted to tell you about stromboli and all the writing and photo uploading that would entail was enough to TOTALLY put me off. but then i talked to my dad. it was the first time we've really talked since i've been here, so i was so excited. and he told me that he started checking my blog so immediately i started thinking "well i've got to post everything now so he can hear all about it!" (he's seen the pics on facebook already, so at least he knows a little bit). so, you can all leave nice thank you comments for my dad on this post :) also, in honor of my dad, here's what i got him for father's day! i was so proud of myself, i think it's all pretty perfect.

i know, i know.

i know i owe you guys a post about stromboli... but i realized today that i very rarely ever post just about my daily life... and today was a nice day, so i think it's a good day to start. and i don't feel TOO bad since the link to all of my stromboli pics is up on the photo links page (check it out. the place is simply heavenly).
the girls slept in pretty late today and just as they were really waking up and finishing breakfast, alessia came over to play! i didn't know she was coming, but the girls seemed to... oh well. then, before i knew it, it was time to go to the girls' grandmother's house for lunch. we've done this a few times now and i really enjoy it. it's a bit like dinners at my own grandparents' house. their "nona" always calls me "bella" and as soon as my fork hits my plate she is telling me to take more food ("prendi, bella, prendi"). and she always prepares traditional sicilian dishes, which is great! my favorite has been the spaghetti with zucchini- i plan on making that myself when i get back stateside.
at lunch we read the girls' end of year report cards. they each got excellent marks, of course. and to reward them renato and nathalie decided to let them get a wii! we had to go on a bit of a trek to get the wii, the extra wiimote, etc, but the girls were simply ECSTATIC. i wish i had video of their first round playing mario kart. they were literally jumping up and down as they played it, smiling ear to ear. there's not much beter than seeing two adorable kids enjoying a well-deserved present.
it was nice and cool out so we had a light dinner out on the terrace. i great end to a relaxed day. and even better- we're all going to taormina tomorrow! i can't wait to get some more great pictures and finally visit the ancient theatre!
on the downside though, i'm missing my fellas back home. tomorrow is hubby's birthday, and the day after is father's day. :(
well, until next time (which will hopefully be tomorrow or sunday), ciao cuppycakes!

to be or not to be? find out if you're cut out for the job.

hey cuppycakes! so you think you want to be an au pair, huh? you're thinkin' to yourself, "yeah, i'd love to travel around the world. this would just be like a long vacation... and i'd get paid!" well, you're wrong. while there are some obvious perks of being an au pair, it is still a job. and while working with kids is rewarding and wonderful and loads of fun, it can also be quite taxing. add that to the strain of being away from your friends and family, living in someone else's home, and not being able to speak the language of the area and you have a definite potential for trouble.
so, i looked at the areas of the experience that are difficult for me and those where certain qualities have been really elemental in keeping everything running along smoothly and i've come up with a little list for you guys. this "little list" ended up getting a bit lengthy, so this is going to be the first in a series of posts.

just so you know

this weekend i will be in stromboli... which means no internet. which means my day off will not be spent cranking out copious blog posts like i usually plan on... so you may be lacking in quality updates for a while.
and, in case you didn't know, stromboli is a beautiful volcanic island with black sand beaches... so you at least know you can count on some nice pics when i get back.
ciao cuppycakes!