The Old with the New and Foreign and Blu

I'm home, with my Italian family i Volpi: Elisabetta (la mamma), Piero (the dad), and Chiara (their daughter who's 22 years old)! My roommate, Laura, and I share the top floor of their apartment like a loft. We each have our own room and we share a bathroom. We moved in yesterday and so far dinners have been mmmmmmmmmm, good. The tv is usually on like white noise, but hardly noticeable because we're talking all the time--translating, me asking in Spanish or English for them to teach. We may make plans to go to a play or an operetta; I really think this family suits me because they're actually like my parents. The house is decorated with Victorian and 20s Deco style and the surrounding buildings are very typically European--tall buildings surrounded by trees and stone walls. All of Florence is decorated with Christmas lights, but they'll be going down soon. I have a window that looks out the a straight via (calle/street) where Asian people pass in their vespas and small smart cars drive by. I like it. I tried taking a picture but the reflection of the window's an unavoidable obstacle.
My parents, who've been nearby are leaving tomorrow, and they came to dinner tonight at the Volpi's. My two mammas got along really well as did my two papas who both play golf and enjoy wine. We talked about Puerto Rico and the differences ans similiraties of weather, culture, history, food, taxes, health care; then, I went with Piero to drive my parents back to their hotel. I got out of the car and hugged them; my smile didn't give away the teary eyes I got on the way back. I didn't cry, but I'll miss them. We've been going to the same trattoria everyday. A trattoria is like a family restaurant kind of.... it's cheaper and more local(as in, less tourist-y). I'm glad they came. These past few days have been sooo busy. I honestly don't know how homework can be a priority when it's hardly a possibility--today I had language class from 9-12:30 and after lunch my ACM group had a tour of San Minino. We went to the top of a hill which shows the whole panorama of Florence. Then we went to a Franciscan church and the San Minino church (which I think is Dominican...I should know...) We heard the Dominican monks chant at 5pm. I got home at about 7 and dinner's always at 8 (and lasts till 10:30 or 11 usually; well, at least 2 out of 2 times it has). Experiencing this city with locals, tourists and other students--and even annoying hustlers selling umbrellas on the street--is all I wanted.
I'm in the second level of beginner's Italian, and even though this may sound exaggerated; I find myself thinking in the mind set of Italian--as in, the syntax and cadence, the flow of it, even as I write in English. YAY! Sono piu Italiana--I'm more Italian day by day. Oh, and I've resolved the "stalker" problem, and by this I only mean guys approaching me when I haven't given the slightest permission--I look at the ground when I walk. I love watching people but it's better, for safety's sake, to ignore them. Eye contact with men--especially stranieri (the Volpis call them immigrants in English, but I think extrangeros sounds better) is never a good idea. So yea... I'm safer now. And I need to go do homework. Ciao