this weekend has been so relaxing yet productive at the same time. the weather has been gray (but no rain!) so it was perfect for just hanging out at home and checking things off of my to-do list (which had grown very long).
grades are due at school next tuesday so last week was hectic for 2 reasons. 1. coming back from break was rough, getting all the students back into the swing of things and getting myself back into a routine and 2. scrambling to make sure assignments have been completed and graded and recorded and all of that. phew!
so i spent friday night and saturday doing a little wandering in the city (see pictures of the chocolate festival below) but mostly catching up with my family, reading, planning (only a little bit), cleaning, etc.
[note: these pictures are only to make all of you jealous. since i don't like chocolate, i didn't particularly enjoy the chocolate festival.]
ALSO! i joined a gym! wooooo endorphins! the gym in italy is a really funny place -- the one by near my apartment (about a 10 minute walk away) is one of the nicer ones i have seen/experienced in italy yet it is pretty tiny and ill-equipped compared to anything in the states (oh and it costs a fortune). italians don't really seem to understand why anyone needs to exercise and not many of them do at all (they just eat tons of pasta and drink tons of wine and life is good?). they were very surprised that i wanted to join without a personal instructor (they typically are included in the membership) and were highly skeptical that i knew what i was doing when i got on a treadmill. the guy came to ask me if i needed help like 3 times during my workout, hahaha. anyway, i joined and endorphins are incredible.
then, today, after a delicious brunch at our favorite spot, we played tourist and went to visit il museo della risiera di san sabba here in trieste. the risiera was italy's only extermination camp during wwII. the history there was really interesting, especially following my visit to the anne frank house in amsterdam 2 weeks ago.
the risiera was originally a rice-husking factory built in 1898. in september 1943, it became a temporary detention camp and within a few months was converted into a transition camp for deportees bound for germany and poland and for the internment and execution of hostages, partisans, political prisoners, and jews. during this time, venezia giulia (this region of italy) wasn't part of the italian state. it became part of the region "litorale adriatico" and was the last territory in europe to be conquered by nazi imperialism. (thank you 1euro museum pamphlet)
the detention cells
the outline of the building housing the oven in which the bodies were cremated (the area of the building is represented by a metal plate on the ground -- the actual oven was under ground and could only be accessed by a staircase within the building)
opposite the building with the oven is an underground passage leading to a symbolic sculpture representing the chimney stack with smoke spiraling out
letter found in the camp written by a slovene prisoner
learning about all this history (here and in amsterdam at the anne frank house) is so interesting -- especially since so much italian history is ANCIENT. the transition to learning about history that took place so (comparatively) recently is crazy. yes, the museum was a bit depressing (as was the anne frank house), but i was just dumbfounded the whole time thinking about how such horrible things happened right here! where i live! not long ago! i mean, my grandmother was my age when it was all happening! it just blows my mind.
at the anne frank house, at the end of the museum, they had an exhibit set up that presented modern-day discrimination issues and asked questions to guests about their opinions on the topic. the point of it was "yeah, all these terrible things happened just a little bit ago and it's horrible and all of that but there's nothing you can do about what has already happened. now let's not let it happen again!! look at these issues that could get so much worse if we're not careful." i really liked how that was set up so that you went through learning about how horrible things really were for those who suffered during wwII and then at the end, right when everyone was most susceptible to soak in as much as possible, they present all these issues we're dealing with today -- i thought it was a really great way to raise awareness.
anyway, history is interesting. i wish i had thought that when i was in high school -- i probably would remember more of it (or would have learned more in the first place..?). and now i'm going to reread the diary of anne frank and watch la vita e bella.
xx
PS! i made applesauce and it is to-die-for-amazing (yes, applesauce is fairly easy to make but i am a novice in the kitchen, this is a big step -- be proud!)
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