Liberal Arts

For over a thousand years, students have had the option of a liberal arts education.  The seven liberal arts include grammar, logic, rhetoric, geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and music.  Today's universities might call themselves liberal arts, but students get by without practicing each of the seven arts.  Here in Italy, I am taking courses that are very different from ones that I would take at Tufts, but they are not fulfilling the seven medieval arts.  Let's see how I am doing outside the classroom:
Grammar: I am looking at Italian grammar on my own since my conversational class focuses on vocab.
Logic: I plan to barter at the leather market...
Rhetoric: Communicating to one person clearly in a foreign language can be just as nerve wracking as public speaking.
Geometry: I have to do sketches in my daily life for my fresco painting class.  Shapes are really difficult to produce let alone study mathematically.
Arithmetic:  The Euro is very confusing to count out change.  The have two cent pieces that make things very complicated!
Astronomy:  Galileo's museum is really close to my apartment, so I will be going there soon. And the zodiac is present in a lot of the art I have seen.
Music: Live music is played in a lot of piazzas and street corners.  In terms of producing my own music, I am getting pretty skilled at karaoke.

My actual classes are teaching me other arts and I am so excited to learn more!
History of the Italian Renaissance: I can relate so much of what I learn to this city.
History of Christianity: I have an adorable old British nun teaching me, she is brilliant.
Florence Food and Culture Experience: Olive oil, cheese, and ham tasting on the first day of class.  I am going to come back a chef!
Conversational Italian: Parlo italiano.
Fresco Painting: This will be hard for me, but I will get to take home my frescos (which are on tiles) and get to see pretty paintings all the time.

Off to class!