Friday week 2

Since my last post things have been looking up! I feel more at ease with whats going on both job wise and people, circumstance etc. I have started driving which is interesting - have't hurt anyone else yet which is always a blessing! It's been massively scary and still is but it gets a little easier every time I do it. I will get the hang of it eventually!
I have also caught the bus and other small things that are a bloody pain if you don't speak the language! When i do speak the language it'll be awesome! Went out for apertivi with Nick, Giulia and Sammie last night which was nice I'm slowly putting this city together in my mind. We're going out on Saturday I'm looking forward to it.

Inauguration Party

Last night was the school annual opening party because most people go away for 2 months in the summer, so the school begins a fresh in September. It went really well, Lots of people came and looked around. There was a story teller called Lorenza who read/acted out a story called 'The name jar' and then a workshop where the kids made their names using all kinds of stuff. It was good fun. I think quite alot of people signed up for lessons too. Julia- a friend of Kathryns and sometime teacher at the school was telling me about free Italian lesson at the local commune (town council) which is a good way to meet people- other ex-pats (apparently thats what i am now, hadn't occured to me!).
Today is Sunday and the town is pretty much shut untill the evening when the bars and cafes open up. Luke another new teacher, from england, arrives today and Kathryn is busy so i think i and maybe Nick are going to show him around the place- he will get the grand some of 1 weeks experience! It'll be a very short tour!

P.s

Maddelana and I went to the phone shop today to get an italian phone for me. We walk through the door and I kid you not the girl behind the counter shouts 'English!' , I know i dont really look Italian but seriously!

Thurday/Friday

Thursday went ok, spent most of the afternoon making my name from beads and materialss and stuff to use a model for the party on Saturday. Which is always fun. Had a couple of lessons yesterday too which were ok. Am feeling slightly apprehensive about the driving thing- think maybe i was overly ambitious with that thought I mean technically i can drive but the other side of the road too? hmmmm...

Wednesday

I felt quite pants yesterday morning- got all timid and didn't want to go out into the world just hide away for a bit. Not very useful. To make matters worse i then went on facebook and looked through photos of parties we had in the flat and other randomness- which only emphasized my meloncholy.
I went into school about lunchtime and found Nick at the computers, Kathryn arrived shortly and we went off to a place called Rimida- Wow, It's full off off cuts from manufacturing- vinyl, leather, thread, beads- even the insides of crash helmets (! really wished i could think of something to do with them) Kid=sweetshop. These are the materials for lessons and making stuff with kids over the coming months. So today we're going to look at all of it and see what we have in order to plan future projects. The opening party (they have one in sept every year like an open day at school) is on Saturday and thee is loads of stuff to do for that too- good to be busy!

Tuesday.

Well, no lessons this morning soi thought i'd better ring the bank and go to the supermarket. Bank-done tick, but being put on hold is no laughing matter when you're in Italy and being charged through the nose for the priviledge!
Supermarket done although some of the items bought now seem a little questionable in the cold hard light of day, however the lovely Maddelena has suggested we go to the supermarket (big slightly out of town job) on Friday hurrah! haven't plucked up the nerve to go to the bakers yet and buy good fresh bread- it's on my list.
Spent last night in the kitchen with Maddelena and showed her some of my friends from home we talked about language and family etc it was good. She has also begun to paint lately too! Hopefully when my stuff arrives I'll have my sketchbook and pencils to be able to record some of this place.
Found out last night that the window that looks into mine from across the street is in the vescovile, the bishop's palace. Not to self, close shutters, then get dressed. Ooops.

return of the first day!

So this would be my first day at work then, it went ok I think. I had three lessons with three different women, all very strong women.
I also met one of the other teachers, Nick who is from Manchester - not only English but another northerner to boot! (don't mention roses and all will be well) There is at least one other teacher to arrive -Luke, i think he's English too. There are some others already here but i have yet to meet them.
Tomorrow I'm going with Kathryn (boss) to a place that collect all the odds and ends from manufacturing and all kinds of odds and sods to do make and do with the kids which i'm looking forward to. I only have 1 lesson tomorrow evening because september is generally fairly slow but it's a nice gentle introduction.
Have about settled into the flat I think I'm getting on well with Maddelena and have been using italian today- hurrah! Confidence is starting to build hopefully.
Still no kettle.

Walk anyone?

My boss very kindly asked me if i wanted to go to the local park, there is a long walk lots of people jog and the like (not me obviously) and it opens out from woodlands into this. Ahhhh...

first day!

I arrived yesterday about lunch time - more than a slightly fluid concept where the Italians are concerned. My boss collected me at the train station and then spent most of the afternoon with me- luch with her family first and then she took me around the town, saw useful things like where the supermarket is etc.
Reggio Emilia is quite large but still has some interesting cutoms- anyone old enough to remember half-day closing on wednesday's? (Ok so, I guess the Stansted friends may not, being in the progressive south and all but when I was growing up oop norf- oh yes we did!) Sundays are also a total shutdown apparently, none of your Sunday opening times, niente! In fact the thing that open is the church. Quite.
I have just woken up to my first full day in Italy, the night before I left I was wreck, saying goodbye to people who are very important to me and have been the back bones in my life. Needless to say- didn't get a lot of sleep, so i thought a nice lie-in on Sunday morning, catch-up on my sleep. Hmmm, apart from the bells calling mass at 8.45. Yes, that's 8.45. ... in the morning. So now I'm awake. We don't have a kettle in the flat so I have to make tea with a saucepan......