Benvenuti in Italia

Rome, Italy is one of the most beautiful places in the entire world. The romantic restaurants, the historic attractions, and the calm atmosphere make for a perfect getaway. Picture walking through the cobblestone streets on a sunshine day and stopping to each lunch at the Piazza di Spagna, where you can catch a glimpse of the Spanish Steps. You should then go shopping because all of the shops in Rome are alluring and affordable. Once you have finished your day of strolling and shopping, your must take part in the siesta because everything closes down and who doesn't love a mid afternoon nap? However, once the siesta is over, you must get ready for a fabulous night life. The discotechs in Rome play the the best music in the greatest atmostpheres. The people are friendly and love to dance. These clubs stay open as long as you can stay up, but don't stay up too late because there is tons to see the next day. You have to see the Colosseum without a doubt. You can take the 3 hour extensive tour inside of its most fascinating sites. This tour really helps you learn about the Roman Empire. Once you have finished touring the Colosseum, you should most definately go check out the Pantheon, which contains the tombs of numerous Italian Kings, located in the Piazza della Rotonda. This Piazza is a lively square filled with bars, cafes, and restaurants. At night time, this Piazza is beautifully lit up and the crowds get wild. Save your energy for the next day though because you must go see The Vatican, the home of the Pope. The tour can be given in your own native language and it includes lunch. There are horse and carriage rides that take you around Vatican City. It's absolutly enchanting. Before you leave, make sure you save time for the Sistine Chapel. You can see the breathtaking art from Michaelangelo's Last Judgement. Make sure you stop at Campo di Fiori, the daily market, to pick up some fresh food in case you would like to make your own meal that night. The food is delectable and the vendors are extremely friendly. Don't hesitate to ask them what would be a good combination for dinner. Make sure you wake up nice and early the next day because you do not want to miss St. Peter's Basilica, with its incredible ornate decorations and 140 larger-than-life statues of saints, this place will leave you speechless.

These are just a few places to visit while in Rome. The possibilites are endless and are guaranteed to amaze you. So, come visit one of the most beautiful places on Earth and be prepared to never want to leave! Yes, it is that stunning!

Ciao!

Grammer Point - Sentence Types

Examples:

Simple - Rome, Italy is one of the most beautiful places in the entire world.

Compound - These clubs stay open as long as you can stay up, but don't stay up too late because there is tons to see the next day.

Complex - Before you leave, make sure you save time for the Sistine Chapel.

Compound/Complex - Make sure you wake up nice and early the next day because you do not want to miss St. Peter's Basilica, with its incredible ornate decorations and 140 larger-than-life statues of saints, this place will leave you speechless.

Questions

Where is your favorite place to go?

What is there to do there?

Why is this place so special?

Rosalia Turns 1 :)

My baby cousin Rosalia had her 1st birthday party and she couldn't have been more excited. The party theme was a tea party. There was tea cups everywhere, including a tea cup pinada, which all my little cousins were ecstatic about. Everything was pink because obviously that is Lia's favorite color. She started the party off in her beautiful party dress and then changed into her hot pink rockstar outfit. She loved being around all of her family and being the center of attention. She is always happy and loves posing for pictures. Her favorite part of the party was opening her gifts. She was clapping and laughing. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. I bought her baby Jordans (she is wearing them in the picture). They were so small and adorable. I had to get them! They were a bit hit! The rest of her gifts were things such as Uggs, a Burberry Jacket with matching rain boots, a Juicy sweatsuit, earrings, etc. I think she really got the best gifts a 1 year old could ask for.

Lia is the sweetest baby in the world. I love playing games with her and making her laugh. She is growing up so fast though. I want her to stay this way forever! I look forward to all the holidays coming up so that I can spend more time with her. I can't wait to see her holiday outfits and all the wonderful gifts she is going to get.

To think, I was once this small is mind boggling. My oh my does life go fast!

Vocabulary Review

Theme: (noun) a unifying or dominant idea

Ecstatic: (adjective) in a state of ecstasy

Obviously: (adjective) easily seen, recognized, or understood

Attention: (noun) notice or awareness

Pose: (verb) to assume a particular attitude or stance

Mind Boggling: (adjective) intellectually overwhelming

Vocabulary Practice

1. The boy's cough caught his mother's ______________.

2. Megan was working on a ______________ puzzle.

3. The woman ____________ for the painter.

4. The _________ of the school dance was Disney movies.

5. The man was ____________ because he won the lottery.

6. Charlie was _____________ upset because he was pouting and sitting in the corner.

Grammar Point - Slang

Slang is a very informal usage in vocabulary and idiom that is characteristically more metaphorical, playful, and vivid than ordinary language.

For example: I used the term mind boggling.

Another example: Hit the road

Pratice: Can you think of any other slang terms and when you would use them? Try to come up with 5 ideas!

Questions

Do you have any young children in your family?

What is your relationship like with them?

Can you think back to when you were a child?

Fuerza Bruta

I just went to see the show Fuerza Bruta in New York City at the Daryl Roth Theater. Fuerza Bruta is a non-stop collision of dynamic music, kinetic aerial imagery, and a rollercoaster of emotions. The show features mind-blowing visual effects that must be seen to believe. For example, a man running at full throttle through a series of moving walls or women frolicking in water suspended just inches above the audience. This is a theatrical experience that uses all of your senses. It is a 360 degree experience.

The show is about an hour long and it is general admission. The audience stands the whole time and the show is above you, so the whole time you are looking up. There are dancers all around you, music blasting, and confetti falling on your head. It is truly a thrilling experience. This show is definitely a must see!!

Vocabulary Review

Collision: (noun) the act of colliding; crash

Dynamic: (adjective) pertaining to the range of volume of musical sound; energy; force

Imagery: (noun) the formation of mental images, figures, or things

At Full Throttle: (idiom) at maximum speed

Frolicking: (verb) to gambom merrily; to play in a frisky light-spirited manner

Thrilling: (adjective) producing sudden, strong deep emotions or excitement; stimulating

Vocabulary Practice

1. The children were ____________ in the snow.

2. He told the story using vivid _____________.

3. Things started to get really exciting when the band played ______________.

4. There was a ____________ of two airplanes in the sky.

5. Riding all of the rollercoasters was a ____________ experience.

6. The ___________ music was extremely loud and forceful.

Grammer Point - Idioms

An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements or from the general grammatical rules of a language.

Example: piece of cake, beat around the bush, couch potato

Practice: Can you think of any other idioms you have heard? Try to come up with 5!

Questions

Have you ever seen or heard of Fuerza Bruta?
Have you ever seen a play, musical or show?

What is your favorite that you have seen?

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Yesterday was game 6 of the World Series and the Yankees dominated over the Phillies 7-3. Everyone was anticipating this game, praying and hoping that the Yankees would win, since the Phillies made a come back in game 5. However, some people even thought the Yankees purposely lost game 5 in Philadelphia because they wanted to make their World Series win in their new Bronx stadium. Good call Yankees.

Matsui drove in 6 out of the 7 runs and was named Series MVP. This was the first time this title has gone to a Japanese-born player. However, Matsui is now a free agent and I am hoping that he plays for the Yankees again next year! Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera did a great job pitching the game, which kept the Phillies off balance and behind on the game.

The Yankees secured their 27th championship title, while ecstatic fans poured out of Yankee Stadium to celebrate. Once the Phillies got that last out, the stadium went wild. All the players on the team jumped up and down, screaming for joy, while fans roared with excitement.

I can not wait for the parade tomorrow and neither can Jeter, which he stated during a post-game interview. New York Yankee fans are crazy and true. This is going to be one heck of a celebration!

Vocabulary Review

Dominate: (verb) to rule over; control

Anticipate: (verb) to expect; look forward to

Purposely: (adverb) intentionally

Ecstatic: (adjective) of or characterized by ecstasy

Roared: (verb) to utter a loud howl as in excitement, distress or anger

Celebration: (noun) the festivities engaged in to celebrate something

Vocabulary Practice

1. I wore that suit ____________ to make a good impression.

2. After the game, we went out to _____________ the victory.

3. Megan ___________ loudly to the funny joke.

4. A tall pine tree ____________ the landscape.

5. They were _____________ when they found out they got tickets to the game.

6. He ____________ each of my orders.

Grammar Point - Adverbs

An adverb modifies another type of speech. It can indicate manner, time, place, cause, or degree and answer questions such as how, when, where and how much.

Example: Purposely

Practice: Write 5 sentences using adverbs.

Questions

What is your favorite sport?

What is your favorite team?

Has that team ever won a big game?

Rain, Rain, Go Away

This morning my alarm clock went off, bright and early as usual. I hit the snooze button because I was just not quite ready to get out of bed yet. I laid there listening to the sound of the rain against my window and I curled up under my blankets. My room was cold and everything was dark and gloomy. The last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed. My ten minutes of snooze felt like 30 seconds and it was time to get out of bed. I'm pretty sure I slept walked through my morning routine. I left my house a half hour late for work and was stuck in traffic for about an hour. Most people forget how to drive when it is raining and I'm surely not happy about it. Now I am sitting here at my desk, eating soup and wearing a giant sweater. I am tired and yet for some reason sad today. Why is it that the rain does that to people? The only thing that I want to do today is stay in bed, but the show must go on. I just wish the sun was shining and I was smiling so that this day would go by a bit faster. I wish I was outside on a beautiful fall day pumpkin picking or riding my bike. That would really make the day enjoyable. So, rain, rain, please go away, come again some other day, all Jen wants to do is play!

Check out this silly YouTube clip I found. I think you might enjoy this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3v0rJqyCTM

Vocabulary Review

Gloomy: (adjective) dark or dim

Routine: (noun) a regular course of procedure

Traffic: (noun) the movement of vehicles, ships, persons, etc in an area

Reason: (noun) logic; premise of an argument

Shining: (adjective) radiant; gleaming; bright

Enjoyable: (adjective) capable of giving joy or pleasure

Vocabulary Practice

1. There was heavy __________ on the parkway this morning.

2. I would not talk to my brother for my own certain _________.

3. You could tell a storm was coming just by looking up at the _________ sky.

4. The sun was ________ in my eyes when I was driving.

5. The park was very ________ today because all of my friends were there.

6. My sister and I share a bathroom, therefore we set up a morning ________ so that we do not get in each other's way.

Grammar Point - Adjectives that describe the weather

An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or a pronoun. It is a word that provides more information about another word. This can be used to describe weather.

Example: gloomy and shining

Practice: Can you come up with 15 words that describe weather?

Questions

What is your favorite type of weather?

How do you feel when it rains?

What is your idea of a perfect day in the form of weather?

Ninjas

This past Saturday, I celebrated my friend Kristin's birthday at Ninja. Ninja is a Japanese restaurant in New York City located in the West Village. The restaurant is 2 floors and is decorated like a ninja castle, which they like to call the "rock garden." Once you walk in, a ninja greets you and takes you in an elevator to the next floor. Once you get out of the elevator, there are more ninjas waiting for you. They ask you if you want to go on the "ninja path" or the "safe path," so of course we went the ninja way. You walk through this dark, winding passageway and ninjas pop out of nowhere and scare you. This is absolutely hilarious. The safe path is just a walk to your table, which is definately not an exciting ninja experience. Once you make it through the "ninja path," you are escorted to your table. We had about 30 people with us, so you could just imagine how thrilled the ninjas were.

We were all settled into our seats and the ninjas brought out tons of ninja-like things like swords and nunchucks, which were fake of course. They brought out our food and drinks and put on a ninja show for us. I loved every minute of it. We got tons of saki and sushi, but the best part was when they brought out the salads. On the salad, there was a crisp cheesy like covering over the bowl and the ninjas came by and broke open your salad with chopsticks. These are extremely crafty ninjas might I add.

Once dinner was over, the ninjas brought out dessert, which was up in flames. Awesome. They then handed out ninja stickers and snuck up on us to decorate us. Overall, this was an amazing time. It was very entertaining and very funny. I recommend everyone of all ages to go to this super ninja castle. I guarantee you won't regret it!

Vocabulary Review

Greet: (verb) to address with some form of salutation; welcome

Passageway: (noun) a way of passing into, through, or out of something, as within a building or between buildings; a corridor, hall, alley, or the like

Escorted: (verb) to attend or accompany as an escort

Crafty: (adjective) skillful in evil schemes; cunning; sly; deceitful

Recommend: (verb) to represent; urge; suggest

Guarantee: (verb) to ensure for another; promise

Vocabulary Practice

1. My friends and I walked through the dark ____________ to get to the parking lot.

2. The host of the party ___________ all of the guests at the front door.

3. I _____________ that you are going to love the cheesecake here.

4. The man ____________ the woman to the table at the restaurant.

5. My teacher ____________ this wonderful book.

6. The workers at the haunted house were so spooky and __________.

Grammar Point - Past Tense

The past tense is a verb tense expressing action, state, or being in the past of the current moment, or prior to some other event, whether that is past, present, or future.

Example: This past Saturday, I celebrated my friend Kristin's birthday at Ninja.

Practice: Can you write a short story of 10 sentences in the past tense?

Questions

Have you ever been to or heard of Ninja?

Do you like restaurant that are entertaining?

What is your favorite restaurant?

I Hate Being Sick

I believe that there is nothing worse than being sick. High Fever, sore throat, stuffy nose, bad cough, and achy body; what else could go wrong?

I've been in bed for the past 3 days and this simply is not getting any easier. I have made the couch my place of rest. I have been bundled up in sweatshirts, sweatpants, and big chunky socks with the tv remote in hand and my dog by my side. I've watched about 20 movies already and the tv is starting to bore me, but how many naps can one possibly take? I'm full of chicken soup and orange juice. I'm sick of it all.

No one wants to come near me because after all, who wants to get sick? My sister keeps disinfecting everything I touch. It's actually kind of funny. This weather does not help either. It's cold and gloomy outside, which makes me just want to curl up on the couch anyways. I just want to get better and go out continuing my days as I would. The stress does not help either. I keep thinking about the work I have to do at my job, the classes I am missing at school, and the hours I have to put in for my pre-professional phase. This silly germ could not have come at a more worse of a time.

I am determined to say goodbye to this germ. Adios, ciao, auf wiedersehen, au revoir, adeus! Wish me luck and stay healthy folks!

Vocabulary Review

Bundled up: (verb phrase) to dress warm or snugly

Bore: (verb) to weary by dullness, tedious repetition, unwelcome attentions

Possibly: (adverb) perhaps, maybe

Disinfecting: (verb) to cleanse of infection, destroy germs

Gloomy: (adjective) dark, dim, deeply shaded

Determined: (adjective) decided, settled, resolved

Vocabulary Practice

1. The long speech was starting to ____________ me.

2. A blizzard was raging but the children were all ____________.

3. The dark sky seemed cold and __________ this morning.

4. It may ____________ rain today.

5. Michelle was ____________ to pass her spelling test.

6. The doctor was _____________ his tools before seeing the next patient.

Grammar Point - Verb Phrase

A verb phrase is a syntactic structure composed of the predicative elements of a sentence and functions in providing information about the subject of the sentence. For example, I used the verb phrase "bundled up" to give more information about the subject "I."

Practice: Write 5 sentences using verb phrases.

Questions

Have you been sick lately?
What do you do when you are sick?

Can you describe how you feel when you are sick in 5 words?

NYC Wine & Food Festival

The New York City Wine and Food Festival is an annual event that has just recently moved to New York as of last year. I attended the event last year and had a fabulous time! The festival this year is this Sunday and I couldn't be more excited!

The Wine and Food Festival is hosted by and benefits the Food Bank for New York City and the Share Our Strength Foundation. One hundred percent of the proceeds directly benefit these foundations. There is also an auction held during the festival that give people a chance to bid on amazing dining packages, exciting getaways, and many other luxury items. Throughout the festival, there are over 80 events that are held throughout the Meatpacking District and beyond. The events range from walk-around tastings, to educational food and wine seminars hosted by Food Network stars, to interactive cooking experiences, and more.

Some of the people that I am most interested in meeting are Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Giada de Laurentis, and Guy Fieri. Last year I met Mario Batali and Alex Guarnaschelli. I love watching the Food Network. It is constantly on in my house, however I don't really cook. This may sound unusal, but I really enjoy the entertainment. I like to watch all the cooking shows and challenges. It's quite informational. I've learned some tips and tricks that I do use whenever I do cook.

If you love food and wine, this is the place to be! It's never too late to buy tickets! Maybe I'll see you there :)

Check it out! http://www.nycwineandfoodfestival.com/2009/

Vocabulary Review

Annual: (adjective) occurring or returning once a year; yearly

Host: (noun) a person, place, or company that provides services, resources, etc., as for an event

Proceeds: (noun) the profits or returns from a sale, investment, etc.

Benefit: (noun) something that is advantageous or good

Auction: (noun) a publicly held sale at which property or goods are sold to the highest bidder

Unusual: (adjective) not usual, common, or ordinary

Vocabulary Practice

1. We will be holding a special charity _________ hosted by eBay in order to sell all of our items.

2. Michelle was the _______ of the party, who coordinated all of the food and activities.

3. The ________ carnival happens every year and it is always a good time!

4. There was an ___________ looking cat outside with 5 legs and 3 eyes.

5. All of the __________ from the event go to a foundation that helps the homeless.

6. Mary would ___________ from eating healthier foods.

Grammar Point - Nouns

A noun is a word used to name a person, place, thing, or abstract idea. For example, I used a variety of nouns in my blog to do just this.

Practice: Can you find all the other nouns I used in the blog, besides the ones listed in the vocbulary review?

Questions

Do you like the Food Network?

Do you enjoy learning about food and wine?

Have you ever attended this event?

Music That Heals

This past Sunday, I attended the Music That Heals 5K race. My boyfriend's mother's friend, Kathy Lord, is the founder of this fund.

The Music That Heals is a fund set up by musicians in collaboration with Hospital Audiences Inc. (HAI), an organization that provides health and wellness through the arts. Music That Heals provides musical entertainment to seriously ill children and adults. Performances are adapted to the needs of various audiences and may take place in hospitals, schools for special children, AIDS care facilities, hospices, homeless shelters, or at the bedside of the patient.

This fund is in it's 11th year and the race is held every September. I attended the race last year as well. I go with my boyfriend's family to help set up and work the event. We also receive staff t-shirts that I love! Last year the shirts were red and this year the shirts were orange. This year, I was responsible for checking everyone's time with the stop watch so the time could be recorded and awards can be given. Once the race is over, there is an award ceremony, raffles, food, and live music.

Music That Heals provides joyful activities that help bring a little happiness to people's lives at an otherwise difficult time. Come join the race next year or you can donate any time!

Vocabulary Review

Collaborate: (verb) to work, one with another; cooperate

Organization: (noun) a group of persons organized for some end or work; association

Entertainment: (noun) something affording pleasure or amusement

Responsible: (adjective) answerable or accountable, as for something within one's control

Joyful: (adjective) showing or expressing joy; glad; delighted

Donate: (verb) to make a gift, grant, or contribution of something

Vocabulary Practice

1. I have never been so _________, free, and peaceful as I am now.

2. We are going out tonight to enjoy the nights ___________ in the West End.

3. Michael worked at the ___________ that raised money for a special cause.

4. I called the hotline and asked if I could _____________ money to the fund.

5. The two songwriters decided to _____________ on a song.

6. Who is ___________ for bringing the soda to the party?

Grammar Point - Adjectives

Adjectives are describing words; information about quality of something described in a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause. For example, I used the word joyful to describe the activities that Music That Heals provides.

Practice: Which of these 10 words are NOT adjectives?

1. old

2. unhappy

3. carefully

4. drinking

5. determined

6. people

7. all

8. they

9. across

10. easy

Questions

Have you ever participated in a race for a cause?

Have you ever donated to an organization of any kind?

What are some other ways you can help an organization?

Autumn

Although I am sad to see the summer pass, I welcome Autumn with open arms. I will miss the beach and the ocean, the hot sun and the frozen cocktails, but mostly I will miss having the summer off! So, so long sweet summer. Bring on the fall!

School has now started and the work has begun. The cool air and the falling leaves just feel so comforting at this time of change. I personally love this season because I feel the temperate weather is just right! It is not too hot and it is not too cold. It is perfect! I love to see the leaves change colors. From green to red, orange, and brown. It is truly amazing.

Another word for Autumn is Fall and many people use these words interchangably. I like the Fall because it is a great time for holidays and activities. Football is back. Halloween and Thanksgiving are right around the corner, which means Christmas and the New Year are close behind! What is your favorite thing about the Fall? My favorite things to do in the Fall include pumpkin picking, apple picking, haunted houses, and football games. How wonderful does that sound? I went to the Giants opening game last week. I went with some friends and we had great seats. We tailgated before hand. We made some food and played some games. It was such a great time and the Giants won! I plan to go pumpkin/apple picking soon. I went last year with my boyfriend and we picked out the biggest pumpkins we found and then went home to carve them. It turns out that I am not a very good pumpkin carver. We also brought home apples and sweet treats. For Halloween last year, my boyfriend and I dressed up as Popeye and Olive Oyl. It was a big hit! I wonder what I am going to dress up as this year. Any good ideas? I didn't get to go to the haunted house last year. My sister went and said she had an amazing time. I plan to go this year. I love scary things, so hopefully it is as creepy as she described. As far as Thanksgiving goes, who doesn't love some turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and yams. Mmm I'm making myself hungry!

So as the cool winter breeze starts to sneak up on us and the hours of sunlight each day are slowly decreasing, I will be busy with school, work, and enjoying all these fantastic things I just described. Before we know it, we will all be surrounded by a winter wonderland, drinking hot chocolate, and indulging in a variety of pleasurable activities.

So breathe in the breeze, check out the leaves, and put on some sleeves because Autumn is here to make us all pleased! :)

Vocabulary Review

Temperate: (adjective) moderate in respect to temperature; not subject to prolonged extremes of hot and cold weather

Interchangably: (adjective) capable of being put or used in the place of each other

Haunted: (adjective) inhabited or frequented by ghosts

Creepy: (adjective) having or causing a spooky sensation of the skin, as from horror or fear

Indulge: (verb) to yield to, satisfy, or gratify

Pleasurable: (adjective) to give pleasure; enjoyable; agreeable; pleasant

Vocabulary Practice

1. The majority of the time, words that are ___________ in a sentence are known as synonyms.

2. Fall and Spring are two ____________ seasons of the year.

3. People tend to ___________ themselves with food at a buffet.

4. That pitch black streets were so ___________ that I got goosebumps all over my body and I was trembling.

5. Another stop in my journey through Italy would have made my trip even more _________.

6. That house had to be __________ because I could have sworn that I saw ghosts!

Grammar Point - Verbs in the Past Tense

I used some verbs in the past tense in my blog because I was talking about some of the things that I did last year. For example, started, went, and dressed up. These are all verbs describing what I have done in the past.

Practice: Put these words in the past tense.

• Plan
• Awake
• Study
• Come
• Dig
• Fight
• Mistake
• Seek
• Write
• Go

Questions

What is your favorite season?

What are some activities you like to do during that season?

What do you plan to dress up as for Halloween this year?