Sebastian Ciotti

Hi Nancy, <BR>I think the best advice you were given <BR>is " Lentamente ", as most Italians speak entirely to fast, and your mind is trying always to catch up, consequently you miss the first part and each succeeding part of a conversation. But the Italians are wonderful and aappreciative of your trying, unlike some other nearby countries. A tip on the currency, drop the last 3 digits, ( zeros ), and divide the remainder by 2 to get the approximate U. S. dollar value, ie; <BR>100,000 Lira = 50 U.S. dollars.

nancy

Audrey and Sebastian, <BR> <BR>Audrey, <BR>I "signed up" today on the agriturismo site for that newsletter you mentioned. <BR>Thanks for that piece of info. <BR>I can't imagine that I am really more advanced than you are. <BR>I may know alot of bits and pieces but you are getting a real understanding of the construction of the language. <BR>Luck you to live be at a school that offers italian! <BR>Thank you for that laugh, I too, am certainly glad you did not have to pantomime for the gentleman in the drugstore. <BR>Now that would have been something to be embarrassed about. <BR>I will make a note of your address, <BR>Grazie per il suo invito, mi la scrivo! <BR>(Talk about stinky language skills, I hope you got the basic point) <BR> <BR>Sebastian, <BR>thanks for the lira conversion tip. <BR>Someone else mentioned that elsewhere on this site, and I have been practicing doing numbers in my head. <BR>Knowing what one is paying for something is molto importante. <BR>Also for the encouragement to actually use what I am learning when I get to Italy. <BR>I do well by myself, but when my girlfriend , who is a spanish teacher asks me how I am doing, I "freeze' and my mind goes blank! <BR>Lentamente,Lentamente, <BR> Nancy

Rosemarie Garman

John's story (WAY back when)reminded me of a story our Adult School Italian teacher told our class.She had a friend who spoke "pretty good" Italian and was proud of it. She went to the harbor and said to the fishermen (pescadores? )in Italian "It is so pleasant to fish in the ocean". The men seemed to be shocked ! She later discovered that the verb "to fish" and "to p---" (urinate were VERY similar

Ann

I learned a few important phrases "I'm sorry, I don't speak much Italian", "thank you" and "where's the bathroom."!