Personal thoughts on language

What I'm about to write/share is my thoughts on language, which since it's the only real experience I have, but get the feeling it reflects into many other languages too, my comparison's are only through English and Italian. Also, these thoughts may only be relateable to romance languages and english as romance languages are so specific. It would be interesting if I knew something about German or Mandarin to see how things may change between those. Also alot of things here I might leave unfinished because they tie into other beliefs and thoughts i've implaced in my stay here in Italy and I'd rather think them out more thoroughly so that I don't end up saying something offensive or ignorant as a result!

As I write about language between italian and english, i feel like a big part of the two cultures play a role that I can see in terms of relationship and how each country Italy and US live. however, that would take more time to type out and might be long and extensive so i'll save it for another time.

As both you parents know i think, i've always had an interest in languages. But i think there are a couple things you also don't know that has frustrated me in the past with things in terms of relationships and just generalistics. As a child, maybe towards the end of elementary school or middle school, I recall a time in school when I was thinking about how tired of english i was, that things are over-explained, and unnecessary words are used. How we could talk like cavemen and still get our ideas across, so why not? A good example in italian that I can easily think of is the word "strano". This directly translated means strange. Seems normal, we use that, not so different. However, in english, i might say someone is, odd, a little off, goofy, funny, strange, weird, crazy. All of these words in italian can be put under the single word "strano". It seems incredible that something so simple can be the main word used while in english, two words like goofy, versus weird in a negative sense are fairly distant in meanings. There is a sort of beauty in simplicity of life, art, language, that i think leaves room for interpretation, meditation, less stress. It is for this in a way that I honestly love italian.

First off, I was brought to italian because I fell in love with italy. After studying a bit, I fell in love with studying it, learning something so different, beautiful words. Upon studying more and reading translated texts in italian, like "The Moon and the Bonfires" (a neoclassical book about a small place in northern italy, neoclassicalism being that interest of the simplicity of life- if the italian way of this interests you, i reccommend reading on neoclassicalism, then reading a book or watching a movie, one really famous is "Bicycle Thieves". All simple storylines, but beautifully tranquil.), i began to fall in love for the poetry of the language. In general, the language is so simple, and the words they choose to use over and over again are also simple, but also more beautiful. This simplicity leaving interpretation is somewhat like in art, the interpretation is important, of course, but left to the interpreter. For instance, if you want to say something it really nice, or just in generally something positive, one would say "che bello" literally just meaning the simple phrase, how beautiful.

I am intrigued, and like this room for interpretation, because as i mentioned problems of english that I've been frustrated with tying into relationships, is with emotion. Emotion is no where near a concrete concept. However, in english we have done all we can to logically place emotion into words. I've often been frustrated how the words in english are too specific in this, that something so incredibly concrete as defined words can give exact impression of what emotion there is. How can one do so to such an abstract feeling as emotion?
However, at the same time I have felt torn. Growing up in this english where I have been taught so easily how to "express" myself there are definitely times, when i'm trying to think of something to say in italian, and i think "fuck, there's only one word i can use, but it really isn't what I would like to say.."
(i want to make a side note, this self-expression in words of everything in the US, for me has a strong connection with our sense of self-expression in all aspects, as in the US from outsiders view, we dress ridiculous, too expressively with just clothes, we do things about our beliefs instead of letting them at a stand-still which i see this alot more here, not in a negative sense, only in terms of creating less drama. Maybe for this the US is always in the midst of judgement, drama.)
I've had to learn in learning italian, essentially to "dumb-down" my english. However, if in english we didn't embrace so much only this concept of what we have decided is smart, the people who are well-written, well-spoken, well-educated. To me, the person who can express themself in a short phrase of simple words would be smarter than the person who steals advanced vocabulary created by god-knows-who to get a "better", more specific, concrete grab on thoughts and the sort. And so, this dumbing-down seems not so bad, and by learning italian could help me personally better. However, it is in fact a lot harder than one would think, and i think for this its really hard to go from mother-language as english to learn another language. However, considering the whole thing with italian's speaking much more simply in general, maybe this will help me better express myself later in english in easy words, and short thoughts.

BRESCIA and stuff

Hellooo
i have gotten back from a small town between Trieste and Milano called Brescia. its more like a series of little small small towns put together around a huge lake (lago d'iseo).
its an old town, so its really cute, with huge beautiful mountains, greenery, the lake is amazing, and the people are all REALLY nice. its the second time ive been and each time me and anto went out, the younger people were always really inviting and so nice as we were visitors!
while there we took a 10km (i think about 6 mile) walk around a mountain thats an island in the lake. its a beautiful island where cars are prohibited and lots of little towns and cute little houses and just beautiful scenery. it was one of the more beautiful days ive spent here in italy!

second semester is going alot easier, i understand how things work. im taking these classes:
semiologia delle arti visive
storia degli stati uniti
and
storia delle religioni

i really love the arti visive class, its really interesting. its about symbols and signs in art.
history of the US is alright, im more taking it cause i figure itd be a little easier, there are other exchange students in the class, and because this is my only option to get a real honest to god outsider opinion on things we are taught in the us about ourselves. so far nothing too different but its only been a couple weeks!
the last class is history of religions which i think will be really great when i get my textbooks and start reading the stuff there. the teacher is a little old italian lady who spits alot, shes really nice though. she talks a bit of a mess with a subject here and there. most of the time class is kinda boring but sometimes class is REALLY interesting when she hits on a subject i like. she also isnt only about catholicism kinda stuff. she seems interested in alot of primitive religion stuff, shamanism and whatnot and how polytheism vs monotheism has impacts on how we think.

weather is getting a little better and with that my mood better of course because i hate winter!! im spending almost all the time talking in italian now that manu and other exchange students are gone (although i do miss them alot! especially manu since we were a little family him me and anto) but im glad to be talking in only italian. i find more and more things interesting about language and what i like about english and what i dont, and vice versa with italian. in terms of that im not exactly sure which i prefer. perhaps italian but maybe thats just cause i like speaking a foreign language.
i kinda feel like my language is in a stand still with italian, i think i need to spend time with my textbook reviewing some grammatical structures but im just so busy always. i don't spend nearly as much time as im used to just being alone doing my own thing.
however thats soon to change cause ive learned how to knit and i just bought yummy incense and things to knit with so ill probably just lock myself up in my room when i have time now... :P

love
roxanne

ciao tutti

ciao
volevo scrivere qualcosa in italiano mostrarvi. forse non e' molto interessante perche' non capite voi, ma comunque. adesso anche devo studiare oggi. ce l'ho i miei appunti avanti a me, e poi il mio libro e sotto il computer sulle gambe adesso... allora si vede come troppo sto studiando. :P
oggi devo fare tante cose.. devo studiare fino alle 4.30, poi vado alla biblioteca perche oggi e' la scadenza del libro. dopo questo, andro' al supermercato. stasera acquistero' il libro nuovo per la biblioteca.. credo che arrivero' al fine di aprile.. un po male questo ma dai. dopo cena, devo fare la lavatrice... perche non ce l'ho piu' calzini.

la settimana prossima comincero' lezioni. non voglio cominciare lezioni perche quando li frequento, vado in centro. devo prendere il bus cui significa che devo alzarmi piu presto. credo che tutti sanno quello e' difficile per me.
ok mi metto a studiare adesso. a dopo!