Office gossip, the Italian way. Marika and Anna dish about the boss, the boss's nephew, the boss's nephew with the wife of the old boss, a temp--all while pretending to work.

Whether or not you take stock in astrology, Marika gives you plenty of new vocabulary for talking about personality, while describing the characteristics attributed to the first three signs of the zodiac: Aries, Taurus and Gemini.

Marika explains the next three signs of the zodiac, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo. Learn plenty of adjectives that describe people's personalities.

This time Marika talks about Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. There's lots of good vocabulary having to do with personality!

Here are the last three signs of the Zodiac, with new expressions and new vocabulary. The signs Marika talks about are Capricorno (Capricorn), Acquario (Aquarius), and Pesci (Pisces).

Marika shows us the entryway of her apartment, from the intercom to the coat rack.

Marika shows us her children's cozy bedroom. You may notice that there is an emphasis on drawing and coloring. Italian students are graded on their drawings.

We continue getting acquainted with Marika's apartment. This time she shows us the hall with its furnishings.

It's time for the grand tour of a very important room in Marika's apartment, the bathroom! You'll notice she gets a little mixed up between hot and cold water faucets! Don't worry--the position is the same in Italy as in other countries!

Marika shows us her apartment's master bedroom.

Marika shows us around her kitchen, the heart of the household. We can bet it's her favorite room of all!

Marika gives us a tour of her living room, where the family is entertained, and where she has lunch and dinner parties for guests.

In many languages, animals are used to describe human characteristics, but not every language uses the same animal for the same characteristic! Marika shares with us the Italian point of view.

What in English is called a tongue-twister, in Italian is a scioglilingua, or tongue loosener. The Trentine one, with the alliterated Ts, is the most successful in English translation.

Marika shows us her balcony, highlighting its utilitarian and pleasure sides. Washing machines are often placed on balconies. This is because Rome's climate is mild and there is little danger of frozen pipes.