And then some

Things are happening. I have crocheted four hats and my hands are cramping. I have gone shopping -- despite my resolve not to do so. I have started reading my book. 30 pages down, 270 to go. That's really not so bad considering I'll be reading about Italy's history starting in the year 400 and ending with 'The Republic.' I have to admit, while it is not quite scintillating, it is also not as bad as it looked at first glance. I got an email from my host sister, and she sent me a picture of the family's dog, Jody. I have started to start packing, or at least am doing pre-packing gathering. Packing spreadsheets are soon to follow.
 


Today, I went on a small money saga that was a lot more stressful than I could possibly make it sound, and more stressful than it reasonably should have been. I went to a Capital One bank to ask about applying for a credit card, because they cover the international transaction fees levied by credit card companies. After waiting in line, I am told I can only apply for a credit card online, but if I want to talk to someone anyway I can sign in on the clipboard and wait some more. So, I wait for a banker to be available to meet with me. In the meantime, I listen to a woman who is meeting with a banker because she lost her card. I am thankful not to be in her shoes, which, incidentally, are a lethal-looking pair of black platform stilettos. Speaking of shoes, while I continue to wait, I watch another banker ask all the women where they got their shoes. Finally, it is my turn. Mario the banker correctly guesses my age, and when I tell him I'm surprised because people usually think I'm younger, he replies that I do indeed look young, but I am also very mature. I tell him I'm going to Italy, and he tells me a story about not believing his gangster-film-loving-brother's claim that they were part Italian, but then he went to Italy and it just so happened that the phone booth he used had his last name in it. I tell him I'm a linguist, and he asks if I know what 'ni hao' means. He is shocked when I correctly translate it as 'hello.' He tells me he impresses Chinese clients that way. He also tells me I kind of look like Angelina Jolie. Umm, thanks. Long story short, I leave the bank sans card, and head home to apply online. Well, not quite. After much mental tossing and turning, I realize that it's way too complicated and probably not that worth it. The odds of getting it in time, seeing as how I have one week left, are slim to none. Who even knows whether I'd get a useful limit. So, crossed off the list but not completed. Is that an accomplishment?


Vocabulary: Familial terms
famiglia - family
parenti - relatives
genitori - parents
figlio/figlia - son/daughter
fratello - brother
sorella - sister
madre - mother
padre - father
nonno/nonna - grandfather/grandmother
zio/zia - uncle/aunt
cugino/cugina - cousin (m./f.)

This is a good segue into the pluralizing process, which is a lot more complicated in Itaian than in English or Spanish.
For masculine words, usually ending with an o, the o becomes an i.
Fratello --> fratelli       zio --> zii
If the word is masculine but ends with an a, often the case with words of Greek origin, it still becomes an i.
Tema --> temi
For feminine words, which usually end with an a, the a becomes an e.
Sorella --> sorelle       zia --> zie


Articles and relatives are tricky. For blood relatives/nuclear family, you only use the possessive article:
mio fratello, mia sorella
For extended family, or if you're talking about multiple relatives, you use both the determinate article and the possessive article:
il mio cugino, le mie sorelle
Lastly, even though parents are part of the nuclear family, if you use the more affectionate/informal forms, you have to use both articles as well:
mio padre OR il mio papa         mia madre OR la mia mamma