In response to Alli's comment/question, it got sunny in Venice on Tuesday.
Until today I have had mixed feelings about the ongoing experience. But I have realized and determined that any negative or apprehensive thoughts I may have had are now eliminated after a bit of adjusting and finally meeting new people. Let me recap everything (actually only some stuff) from the beginning.
I arrived in Venice on Thursday, January 30th. Basically that day I went immediately to sleep. But not before meeting my roommates. The way it works here is this program specializes in one month Italian language education. So, while I am here for four months, other students will come and go. Anyway, when I arrived there were two other students living in my apartment. Joan from Australia and Kiko from Japan. Both very nice women of approximately 50 years of age. Yes, I know. It is strange for me to be sharing an apartment and a bathroom with two middle aged women but imagine how strange it must be for them. When I arrived, Joan was just finishing her month at the school but she and I walked to school together on Friday because she has class and I had orientation. We stopped and she bought me breakfast at my new favorite place in the f*@%ing world. I don’t understand how a cookie can taste so good.
The orientation session was just me. *** That is my favorite aspect about this school as opposed to other study abroad programs. It is very personal and one-on-one. There are maximum 70 students in the entire school. Most of the staff already knows my name.*** My orientation was guided by one of the teachers who’s name I have forgotten. But I will soon remember it and then devote an entire post to this woman because she was incredible. She showed me around the school, Campo Santa Margherita (where the school is located), and other important stores and places in the neighborhood.
So that takes us to the weekend… The final weekend of Carnevale. It was pretty cool. The parties in Piazza San Marco were not terribly exciting; rather they were touristy and ended early. The parties in the smaller campi had better performances, lasted longer and were frequented by local Venetians and people from the surrounding towns on the mainland. Basically they were better parties because it wasn’t just a bunch of drunk American bitches. ***BTW there is only one piazza in Venice, Piazza San Marco. Every other square is a campo (plural = campi)***
I started class on Monday. I have two Italian classes every day. 9-11 with Elisa and 11:20-1 with Rosanna. Both are super nice and I like the other students. After class each day I go online because as of now, school is the only place I can access the internet. Many students stay after class to do the same thing and this is where and when one can socialize. This is how I met the few people who I’m sorta friendlier with at the moment. It’s good J.
Every afternoon, the school organizes an activity for the students in the city. Today was the first day I attended one. It was just a guided walk from school to the Rialto but a lot of the information was interesting and it was more time to get to know peeps. Also today I had to submit my “permit of stay” to the officials at the post office. What a mess that shit was. The Italians are, without question, the most beautifully disorganized people in the world. It seems to me that we are approaching the end of Kiko’s stay here because she just gave me a beautiful postcard from Japan as a gift. Oh, Joan was replaced by Jo. She is an author from Denmark and also very nice.
Ciao
P.S. everything I write is apx one day delayed because I write at night in my apartment and post in the morning at school.
1 comment:
very entertaining blog, thanks...we are glad to see that you are having a good time!!!
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