Fiki (sp?), really good foreign fruit I tried for the first time
Lucca duomo and bell tower
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Ciao and hello again!!!
First off, thanks for all the messages and thoughts you've sent these past couple weeks. It made the initial transistion much, much easier. Getting reacquainted to the langauge, bus system, mosquitos, schedule, etc. were a challenge but I am feeling more comfortable every day! I basically spent the first week sleeping and runing around trying to get my Permit of Stay sorted out, a document foreigners must fill out if they are staying for more than 3 months. However, policies in Italy change all the time and I ended up having to go to a labor union, the police station, and the post office several times to fill it out. Plus it doesn't make it easier when I don't understand most everything they say to me!
Recently the school where I work had 9 new spanish students arrive. I helped pick up 3 of the 5 girls from the airport (2 of whom were joining me at my apartment). Then the next morning I received a call from my boss Stefano saying that either I stay in my single room and live with 4 spanish guys and Ali, my current Algerian roommate, move into the school where 2 double rooms are currently being built, live with a 41 year old Danish woman, or live with 4 other spanish girls my age. I chose to live with other girls. The new apartment is much cleaner, nicer, and my single room overlooks a gorgeous church and the mountains. Pictures to come!!! The girls are fantastic, very clean/organized, and have let me try some traditional spanish food like crochettas (sp?). Our landlord, Romana, has become a second mom/grandmother figure, giving us her home-grown vegetables, baking us a cake, etc. She recently took us to a festa della pizza, a church fundraiser where we ate pizza and listened to live music. The band even played an American song dedicated to the one American in the crowd but I didn't recognize it, haha.
I recently started delving into my job, which starts at around 7 and ends at around 5 or 6. My tasks include the spanish students to Florence and Lucca, organizing transportation info, social events, filing papers, helping with random tasks, etc. We will repeat everything with each new group of students that comes to Centro Studi to work/learn a trade and study Italian language lessons. 3 Danish people are coming tomorrow and then 1 Finnish and 1 more Spanish student/worker in the following weeks. I also take italian class for 3 hours a day this week with the spaniards and then once a week for 4 hours after this week. The people I work with and my professoressa are extremely nice and busy people. The first week, we all went out to a pizzeria one night where I tried anchovies for the first, and last, time :)
I can't wait to start experimenting again with traveling around Italy, tasting different cuisine, meeting new people, the works...keep the updates coming.
Sending all my love...
Julie
First off, thanks for all the messages and thoughts you've sent these past couple weeks. It made the initial transistion much, much easier. Getting reacquainted to the langauge, bus system, mosquitos, schedule, etc. were a challenge but I am feeling more comfortable every day! I basically spent the first week sleeping and runing around trying to get my Permit of Stay sorted out, a document foreigners must fill out if they are staying for more than 3 months. However, policies in Italy change all the time and I ended up having to go to a labor union, the police station, and the post office several times to fill it out. Plus it doesn't make it easier when I don't understand most everything they say to me!
Recently the school where I work had 9 new spanish students arrive. I helped pick up 3 of the 5 girls from the airport (2 of whom were joining me at my apartment). Then the next morning I received a call from my boss Stefano saying that either I stay in my single room and live with 4 spanish guys and Ali, my current Algerian roommate, move into the school where 2 double rooms are currently being built, live with a 41 year old Danish woman, or live with 4 other spanish girls my age. I chose to live with other girls. The new apartment is much cleaner, nicer, and my single room overlooks a gorgeous church and the mountains. Pictures to come!!! The girls are fantastic, very clean/organized, and have let me try some traditional spanish food like crochettas (sp?). Our landlord, Romana, has become a second mom/grandmother figure, giving us her home-grown vegetables, baking us a cake, etc. She recently took us to a festa della pizza, a church fundraiser where we ate pizza and listened to live music. The band even played an American song dedicated to the one American in the crowd but I didn't recognize it, haha.
I recently started delving into my job, which starts at around 7 and ends at around 5 or 6. My tasks include the spanish students to Florence and Lucca, organizing transportation info, social events, filing papers, helping with random tasks, etc. We will repeat everything with each new group of students that comes to Centro Studi to work/learn a trade and study Italian language lessons. 3 Danish people are coming tomorrow and then 1 Finnish and 1 more Spanish student/worker in the following weeks. I also take italian class for 3 hours a day this week with the spaniards and then once a week for 4 hours after this week. The people I work with and my professoressa are extremely nice and busy people. The first week, we all went out to a pizzeria one night where I tried anchovies for the first, and last, time :)
I can't wait to start experimenting again with traveling around Italy, tasting different cuisine, meeting new people, the works...keep the updates coming.
Sending all my love...
Julie
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Sono qui!
Hi!
I made it safely to Pistoia last night but accidentally slept the day/jet lag away til 2 in the afternoon. Oops :) The rest of the day was spent figuring out my address, how to unlock the front gate (which I couldnt do so now I have to hop the fence to get to my apartment), buying food and a map, and figuring out the bus system. My neighbors were very friendly and helpful even though they dont speak any english. Two older gentlemen and I had a funny conversation on the street about their views of the relaxed Italian life, their hopes that America was like John Wayne and the wild west, and Obama vs. McCain.
It is surprisingly hot, probably around 85° and not at all like the MN weather I just left. Tomorrow I will meet everyone and start learning about work and classes. Otherwise, I have been exploring Pistoia and find it to be a very manageable and nice Italian town. Pictures will be coming soon! I think it was sensory overload today, speaking more italian today than probably in a month in Florence, so once I chew through my thoughts I will have more to report. Just wanted to let you all know Im here and doing well.
Bacini,
Julie
I made it safely to Pistoia last night but accidentally slept the day/jet lag away til 2 in the afternoon. Oops :) The rest of the day was spent figuring out my address, how to unlock the front gate (which I couldnt do so now I have to hop the fence to get to my apartment), buying food and a map, and figuring out the bus system. My neighbors were very friendly and helpful even though they dont speak any english. Two older gentlemen and I had a funny conversation on the street about their views of the relaxed Italian life, their hopes that America was like John Wayne and the wild west, and Obama vs. McCain.
It is surprisingly hot, probably around 85° and not at all like the MN weather I just left. Tomorrow I will meet everyone and start learning about work and classes. Otherwise, I have been exploring Pistoia and find it to be a very manageable and nice Italian town. Pictures will be coming soon! I think it was sensory overload today, speaking more italian today than probably in a month in Florence, so once I chew through my thoughts I will have more to report. Just wanted to let you all know Im here and doing well.
Bacini,
Julie
Saturday, September 6, 2008
It's Blog Time
Buon Giorno :)
Just wanted to give this a go and double check that everyone who might be checking this on occasion were successful. I still have 3 more full days here in the US but wanted to make communication easier sooner this time around. This blog site will be key for that!!! This is where I'll post pics and update you on life/work/studies in Italia. The company responsible for all this is Italy Mobility (italymobility.com)
My address is TBD. My cell is +39 3357746588. We can make phone calls as cheap and easy as possible by using Skype, the online phone network at 2c/minute! You can download it at skype.com- the minimum requirement will be a microphone via computer or headset. Otherwise, my email is jfalk@gac.edu if the 7 hour time difference doesn't work w/ schedules or you want to send something every now and again filling me in on what you're up to (which I REALLY hope you will do)!
That's all for now. My sincerest thank you for your support in this big move.
Love you and will miss you all!!!!!!!!!
Ciao,
Julie
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