The Colors of Europe

So, let's see...Fall has definitely arrived here in Italy. We've been having days of cool early mornings and warm afternoons, and really the weather has simply been fantastic. It is a challenge, however, to dress for such weather when you ride your bike in the morning and the wind and cool air is chapping your cheeks and then the sun is beating down on you as you ride home in the afternoon. I am always cold. Or hot. Haven't mastered the 'just right' yet.

One other important news of note from today...Italy issued my "Permisso di Soggiorno" today, which, I guess, means they have decided to let me stay. It translates to "Permission to Stay" and overrides any visas, so even when my visa expires, I'm still good to go. Of course, the school doesn't trust their teachers enough to let you hold such an important document...nope. But, they paid for it, so, okay.

Anyways, onto the blog I've been considering for the past week. Within the first 30 minutes of being on the train leaving Milano Centrale, I knew what I had to write about. And, no, Alison Glover, it wasn't a post on whether Italian men are hot or not. Maybe someday. Soon.

So, or I should say "allora", which means "so" or "then" in Italian. Allora, we were leaving Centrale on our way to France and it was early enough that the sun was just coming up over the horizon. Even through the dirty windows of the train the colors of the sunrise were unbelievable. I haven't seen anything like it. Ever. Or at least in my memory. There were shades of plum and magenta woven through the blue sky, and as another ten minutes passed, and the sun rose higher, tangerine and lemon were added to the mix. It was really something.

We knew the train ride had plenty of potential by this point. A good bit later, we cruised through Genoa and were off to Ventimiglia. This is the last stop along the sea in Italy, and we headed onto French trains from here. The good news- that a train trip along the south of France is something to behold. I am confident that Crayola sends their color people to this part of the world to develop the next box of 64 colors. The Mediterranean Sea was a variety of colors, but cerulean, turquoise, and midnight blue all come to mind. And, yes, I referred to Wikipedia's list of Crayola's colors to find the words for the colors in my head. At some points, the turquoise waters had a sense of opacity to it, with this milky white sheen all around, which was very cool.

And while you're looking at the sea on one side, to the other side is the deepest burnt orange and sienna colored mountains around. The grass seems greener too. But, perhaps, by this point, I was just on a color high.

The train trip took Kate and I through Cannes, Montecarlo, Nice, and all those other major riviera highlights.  For the most part though, I only saw the train station of those locations. We'd be gawking at the view ahead of us out the train window and try to guess what city we were coming upon, and then suddenly, we'd be in the blackest black of a mountain tunnel. And, the beautiful sight of the sea would be hidden and the gray of the train station would be the most exciting scenery around.

Saint Raphael, France was a beautiful location. Perhaps next time, the weather will be a bit more appropriate for beach going, but that didn't stop most people from busting out their Speedos in the cool October temperatures. We enjoyed plenty of Rose' wine from the Provence region of France, ate lots of cheese (and discovered one that I love) and baguettes, and took in the sites. It was a nice weekend getaway. I even bought some French goods to bring home at the holidays. And, then, of course, it was back to work on Tuesday.

Truffle Festival

Tomorrow, the school is providing a bus to a winery for a wine tasting and to a town called Alba, for the annual Truffle Festival. Should be a fun day!

So, when are you planning your trip to visit me?!?!?! : ) I have a bottle of French wine waiting.

Crayola picture from http://omgfacts.net/?p=886
Truffle festival picture from http://vintageholidays.co.uk/white-truffle-festival-italy-la-sagra-del-tartufo-bianco/

SSDD

One of my favorite sayings has always been the "SSDD" (same S%*$, different day) line because so much of life becomes rote and monotonous, and every day has the same basic elements. The same is true no matter where in the world you live. Even in Italy. Living here, a few things have changed: how I get to and from places, the people I spend most of my time with, the experiences I am afforded here, the process that is laundry without a dryer. But, all in all, things are still predominantly the same. You get up each day, of course, having preferred to stay in bed all day long, go to work, come home, cook dinner, go to bed, and get up the next day and do it all again. I find myself getting out of bed wishing every day was Saturday!!

Even the kids and families are basically the same. I supervised on the playground and mediated a discussion where one little girl searched for the word in English to tell me the other little girl always had to be the boss. I have started tutoring after school now too. I met with the father last week and he was telling me about the divorce of the parents and how the girl goes from his house to her mom's and how hard that is on everyone. The issues and challenges all resonate the same.

Saint Raphael, France in the Riviera

But, of course, living in a new country does allow for some very evident differences. For example, this weekend, we have a three day weekend. Wahoo! It is our first long weekend of the year. Kate and I are headed out to Saint Raphael, France to visit the home of her boyfriend's family. It's a long train ride, but it is a free place to stay, so, of course, when someone asks you if you want to go to the French Riviera for a weekend, you say YES! And, this is what makes this country so great.

Before moving to Italy, I thought that Milan was the ideal location to travel Europe and that three years was more than enough time to see what this continent had to offer. I have come to realize that three years might not be enough to explore the country of Italy. There are so many small towns that are historic, picturesque, and worth taking a trip to, I'm not sure how you decide which ones you must get to!

Aperitivo at Le Biciclette

Another very fun difference, is the idea of aperitivo. I think Milan is the capital of this idea, as well! At most bars, cafes, etc. in the early evening hours, they offer a bevy of snacks and buffet items free with the purchase of a drink. This past weekend, a girl I met in Boston at the Cambridge Search Associates job fair, Elizabeth, came to visit from Munich, where she is a counselor at the Bavarian International School. We took her and her group of friends to Le Biciclette, a cute little bar in Milano that we discovered through the Lonely Planet travel guides. They offer a nice aperitivo and I was thrilled that everyone was happy with our choice! I have another Cambridge friend coming soon and hopefully we can find some more fun aperitivos to try out!

cappuccino con cioccolato

the coffee machine

One other difference to make note of here is the coffee. Thanks to my good friend, Becky Nease, I started drinking coffee a few years ago. Well, maybe I should rephrase that...I started drinking Starbucks vanilla lattes a few years ago. Only recently have I started exploring drinking regular coffee mixed with an assortment of milk and sugar. It's a good thing, too, since the Italian expectation is to have a coffee to top off every meal. The strange looks are a regular thing when you decline the end of meal beverage. Even here at school, coffee is available all day, every day. For only .35€. If you took your Starbucks beverage and asked for the amount you'd get for that price, you'd probably end up with the same size we do here. But, I have discovered the cappuccino con cioccolato (with maximum sugar, mind you) is pretty tasty! And it only takes a little to get you going when you are drinking Italian coffees!

So, while you sit at home, trying to live your life vicariously through me, just remember, I still get up and go to work every day and go through the "daily grind". The scenery is just a little different.

the view on the way to work 10/6/11...the sun
just starting to come up over the horizon amidst a ribbon of fog

An Italian vocabulary lesson...

While we wait anxiously for the promised Italian lessons of our contract, we've been learning a few vocabulary words of our own around here, and, now, you at home can learn a new language right in your living room. So, here goes...

vino bianco frizzante...sparkling white wine! I'm pretty sure that I'll be a wine snob when I come home. The cheap stuff around here is so good. No need for wine lists or types of wines, you just order a liter of the house wine and you're good to go!

un biglietto (bil-lee-yet-toe)...ticket! Do you like my use of phonetic pronunciations? Bus tickets seem to be a little tricky around here. I am constantly worried that the bus/train inspectors will declare that I have the wrong ticket for where ever I am. It is a fine on the spot of €25-35 or they remove you immediately from the bus to who knows where. I try and keep plenty of cash on hand. Yesterday on the train from Bergamo to Milano a nice, middle aged lady did something wrong and had to hand over a wad of Euros to escape the certain punishment from intimidating train inspectors. I don't think the dumb American card will work too often.

il bagno...bathroom. You guessed it! The restrooms in Europe are worth discussing. No, not really. What's worth discussing is that if you imagine the worst gas station restroom you've ever seen in your entire life living in the US, it is nothing to compare to the handful of restrooms I've seen in just a few short weeks of living in Italy. I must wonder, with all the wine they drink here, how do they use these restrooms? Seriously, women's restrooms with windows where everyone can see in (the Questura...where you go to get permission to stay in Italy...perhaps they don't want you to stay) and restrooms that are only holes in the floor (now, I hear this is relatively common on this continent and it would be okay if perhaps these restrooms were even occasionally cleaned...this, too, you can find at the Questura and at the Bergamo train station. Here I decided I'd rather wait another 45 minutes to get to Milano to pay €1 to use the restroom at Centrale. It was so worth it.) I wonder, where are all the public bathrooms in Italy? I am pretty sure that any disgusting truck stop restroom will far exceed my expectations from now on.

A dance studio showing off their routines at Notte Bianca.

Notte Bianca...White Night...A celebration dreamed up by the city of Opera to celebrate the end of summer. Originally slated for last Saturday, a weather debacle caused a second go at the festival to happen this weekend. It was a dollar store bonanza- booths of junk everywhere! Plenty of games and what not for the kiddos and DJ music and karaoke for the adults-- club music, fist pumping music, American music- YMCA, macarena, and every other bad wedding reception song you could dream of-- right outside my window. Bless them...it went on past midnight...I think my brain was thumping all night long with the beat.

miei amici...my friends...I've always been blessed with amazing people around me and continue to feel the same about so many new people in my life. It's funny because as I meet and get to know each new person I find that they remind me in little ways of someone else. I've always been a big believer in knowing that everything happens for a reason, and so far, this journey has proven no different.

I've been uploading my pictures to Facebook, but for those still refusing to jump on the bandwagon (and lately I've thought about mutiny) I added my photos to a Flickr account. Here's the link:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/carriezimmer/  Hopefully, you can access them there. And, since FB is kind of sh*%$ty these days, maybe you should join Google + (you'd be ahead of the game then!)

Buona notte...Good night! How does such a short weekend seem so exhausting! Back to the grind tomorrow!

Living on the opposite side of the world...

I've been here almost a month now. There are days when it seems like that is almost impossible and there are days when it feels like it has been much longer. It actually humors me in a way. But, I look ahead to this time next year and think about how much I will have learned by then...and, it makes me happy!

It is odd having lived my entire life in the US to suddenly be cut off from almost everything cultural I've come to know. Entertainment websites from the US are blocked here and you must use odd and sometimes crazy looking sites to watch the shows you are familiar with. The USOpen streamed live in the US, but I had to use sites that were streaming it in undeterminable languages to see any of it here. When the anniversary of 9/11 rolled around this past weekend, it would've gone unnoticed if I hadn't been on Facebook. (Granted I don't watch any Italian news or see any of the papers to know if it received coverage here.) Trying to find a happy medium between having it all at your fingertips and being totally in the dark...

My shipment finally came this past Saturday. I delighted in the idea that I could wash my sheets, hang my clothes, and have some of my long lost belongings. Everything seemed to arrive safely, even if not in the best of condition. Note to self...even if the shippers insist they must pack things, make them pack a little better. It was really chaos trying to check to make sure everything had arrived in the end. I was so happy to have my things! But, what I didn't expect to arrive with my shipment was my first feelings of homesickness since I got here. Having my things added a sense of reality to this little adventure I am on and made me sad for some of the things I had to leave behind. Oh, the Ruby dog...

But, it's not in my nature to wallow in anything for too long, so Sunday Kate and I took off for the "city" to explore the castle and surrounding park. We had a great day people watching and finding parts of the city that we could indeed find beautiful. Much of Milan is covered in graffiti and it is distracting from all of the amazing architecture, but lo and behold, just turn a corner here or there and suddenly there is a spectacular sight in front of you.

So, on to some of my observations about Italians and the culture here that I have noted...

1. The fashion here is not what I expected. In the city, I expected to see the women "done" all the time. This has not been my experience. Some are dressed up, some are dressed down; it seems about the same as what you may find in the US, even if the trends are slightly different or more fashion forward. The men here love their bags, satchels, or, even, a fanny pack. Everyone seems to own one and carry it proudly.

2. Italians are not concerned with moving politely out of anyone's way. It's kind of like always playing chicken, whether you're in the car, on a bike, or just walking down the sidewalk. Don't expect anyone to move over for you. Or offer any sort of apology or sign of acknowledgement that you even happened to be there.

3. The wine here is amazing. I've never been a red wine fan, but told myself that while I am here I will learn to like it. Since they have this nice "frizzante" red wine, how can you resist! On the wine note, my roommates and I have discovered this nice little wine shop around the corner. Bring your own bottle and they fill it for €2.20 out of this little keg set up thing they have. Kate was even given a frequent shopper card...buy so much and get some wine for free. Now, somehow I did not qualify for this deal. I will have to rectify that situation soon.

Buona sera!

Waiting...

So, I've been in Italy for almost three weeks now. Some days it is hard to believe it has been that long and other days it feels like it has been much longer. And, even though I packed and shipped 700 lbs of my belongings on June 18th, I am still waiting for my stash of prized belongings. The Italian government is basically holding all our things hostage until paperwork upon paperwork is put in order. So, as it happens, the most commonly said phrase these days is, "I have it, BUT it's in my shipment!" If only I had a €1 every time I heard that statement.

In other waiting games, this past weekend eight of us took off to discover Colico, Italy, a small town on the north shore of Lake Como. Similar in style to Bellagio, where we visited the first weekend here, but quieter and less busy with tourists. To get to Lake Como, we took a bus from the town we live in, Opera, to the tram station. The tram took us into Milan, where we took the subway to the train station. At the train station we navigated buying train tickets and successfully boarded to make our way north.

The town was quaint, but lively. Surrounded by Alps, and nestled in the curves of the lake, it is quite picturesque. There was a small beach, and it was evident that this is a local spot used for many kite boarders and wind surfers on a regular basis. Of course, you can always count on the overexposing men's hot short bathing suits to leave little to the imagination! And, yes, they sell these suits in white too, though I haven't figured out why! The waiting came when we discovered we had misread the train station departure board and waited an extra hour for the next train back to Milano Centrale. Oh well, staring at the Alps and watching the cute little Italian lady bring her dry laundry in the window make up the difference.

Let's Talk Lunch.

No, seriously. Let's talk lunch. I have worked in US public schools for the past twelve years and never once eaten a single school lunch. Have you looked at what your kids are eating? And, not just on Thanksgiving when there is slightly more effort made to make it look like it didn't all come from a can. So, today I was awestruck when once again the school lunch served at ASM was beyond amazing. We've been eating in the school cafeteria since the day we arrived in Italy, and, at least at ASM, it's just what you do. The food is real stuff, not just slopped out of a can and into a chafing dish. There is pasta every day. (This is Italy- did you expect anything less?) There's also salad options, meat options, vegetarian options, fruit options...I could go on. It really has been something impressive. But, today was different. Today they rolled out a buffet lunch for the staff. It started with Prosecco and other assorted wines. In the school building. With the administration. Where am I again? Oh, that's right...Italia...the land of wine. And on to the food. Caprese salad, sauteed eggplant, zucchini, peppers, cantaloupe, thinly sliced tenderloin, prosciutto, stuffed squash blossoms, stuffed shells, seafood linguini (the seafood being giant prawns and lobster like things) and so many other things I've probably forgotten a few. Are you drooling yet? Then, of course, you must have room for dessert, yes? Homemade in the cafeteria by the little Italian ladies? Tiramisu, chocolate tortes, cherry tortes, and fruit-- but who eats fruit when you have those other options? Anyhow, now that I've had an apple for dinner (mangio una mela verde) I will let you salivate...Kate took a picture of her plate. When she uploads it, I'll add it here. Until then, imagine me doing that little Italian gesture where you put your fingers together by your mouth and move them away and say something like, "Delicioso!"

Ciao Italia!

So, I've arrived in Italy. It has not quite been a full week yet, but I think we've been busy enough for an entire year. The flight to Milan was rather uneventful. I had to rush to board after my Savannah connection's time was cut so close. Once on the flight, I got to meet Kate, another new ASM teacher. We were both sandwiched between multiple Italian men, and, no, they were not the ones you'd want to fall in love with, so all of you can stop that thought already. Kate and I arrived at one of the two Milanese airports, Malpensa, and made our way through the immigration section, which only involved waiting in line and getting a stamp in my passport. They had no forms, no questions, nothing, which was nice. Next time, I'll fill my suitcase with whatever American products I am desperately missing. So we collected our luggage, lots of it at that, and made it to where the other ASM teachers were waiting for us. We filed out to a large Kelly Tours size tour bus and loaded up our belongings. I'm pretty sure Kate and I won the prize for the most stuff.

That same day we were shown to our apartments and found that they were brand new construction. Needless to say, I am thrilled. There are only six apartments in the building, and four of the apartments are occupied by ASM teachers. The other two are filled by the family that owns the building. They also operate a cafe/bar/restaurant on the first level of the building that just reopened this week. I have been waking up to the smell of freshly baked brioche the last two days.

The top floor of my building has three apartments, filled by Kate, Simon, and me. Kate will be teaching 1st grade and was last teaching in D.C. Simon is from Brisbane, Australia, but has been living in London the last year and was recently married to Tegan, who is moving here to be with Simon mid-September. Simon will be teaching Math in the Upper School. We are jokingly called "Melrose Place" or "Three's Company" and as soon as we have Internet we'll have to have a group screening of some old episodes! But, we got along "straightaway" as Simon says so it is all working out well.

Since moving in we have been to the mall, gotten basic Italian cell phones, gone to Ikea, and done some "business" type things here at the school. Our apartments are not air conditioned and it is hot here like it is in Savannah, so I've been sweating a lot! I bought two fans at the "mall" and we happened upon our landlord that day who was nice enough to loan us a screwdriver or two and even help us put them together. At Ikea, I bought a small desk, two bookcases, a coffee table, and a chair. I managed the chair by myself and Simon was able to put the coffee table together with this most uncooperative tiny screwdriver. I've yet to tackle the other pieces-- we've just been too busy!

Sunday evening, after our Ikea trip, we had dinner at a restaurant called Lo Chalet with the school administrators and the new and some veteran teachers. I ordered Pizza Gitana...ham, onions, cheese...it was excellent. And, of course, plenty of wine was served with dinner, both red and white, and I drank some of both. I will find a love for red wine while here. The red we had was cold and frizzante, as they say, meaning it had some carbonation/bubbles to it. It was pretty good. The night ended with small glasses of limoncello, poured by the upper school principal, of course! And, who paid the bill you might ask? The director of the school, of course! Nice! I do love this perk of working in Italy!

Yesterday we took our first trip into the actual city of Milan. It was beautiful, but HOT! And, I can not underscore the HOT enough! We went and saw the Duomo and wandered around to the Navigli, a canal, and had aperitivo at a restaurant called Maya. When you purchase one drink you can eat from the appetizer buffet, and there is tons of food, and it is delicious. And, it's even better when the school pays for your first drink. Yes, really. We took a cab ride home and the school paid for that too.

So today we made our first visit to the Prefettura of Milano, where you go to get your Permisso di Soggiorno, or your Permission to Stay in Italy. I hear it is the first of many visits. A lawyer meets you there and does all the talking and you sign your life away. I probably committed to give them my first child on one of those pages. Now we are waiting for lunch at the school. It is part of our benefit package and you can eat in the cafeteria as much or as little as you want. They serve pasta in a couple varieties every day, and I'm wondering when the day will come when I've had enough pasta and I'm craving...Mexican!!

Ciao! I'll add some pictures that you haven't seen tomorrow, hopefully!