A few highlights of life in Italy as of late:
- This week, I have been working on logos for a new client. In part, that means I’m playing with fonts and combinations of fonts, which I love, so this gig is basically the best ever. When the internet was still new (and by new, I mean, you still heard ‘geeerrsh….ding-ding-ding…..geeerrsh‘ to connect), I began collecting themβ downloading them wherever I could find them online. I had them on diskettes.
- When Dave is gone, I don’t sleep well. He’s on a field trip to Tuscany at the moment, so last night sleep evaded me until about 2:30. Thirty minutes later, I was up again, thanks to a Comune (city) worker who came by with a leaf blower. They do that in the middle of the night here, about twice a week. So I sat up, wondering if my shower wand would be long enough to reach out the window and douse the leaf blower, as he made multiple passes up and down our street. Our street is very residential (apartment complexes abound) so I’m perplexed as to why the Comune di Udine thinks this is a smart plan, to clear leaves in the middle of the night. (This is why the Italian bureaucracy has a bad wrap. Because they’ve earned it) It’s not even hot during the day. Do it then. And take the street cleaner, who came thirty minutes later and “cleaned” just as long, with you.
- One of the things that made me panic the most in France was when I had to speak French. I would pray that the cashier at the grocery store wouldn’t ask me to tell someone behind me the line was closed after me. My palms would sweat and I would ultimately just sheepishly point to the red X that indicated the line was closed. Italian is easier for me, but it still doesn’t roll off the tongue. Still, at the grocery store yesterday, I made small talk with the cashier and even rattled off a joke when I couldn’t make change properly. The lady behind me laughed. Victory.
- For every victory, there is a comical misstep. Like at the gym earlier in the week when I was getting ready to leave. I was gathering my things from my locker and noticed a girl fiddling with her locker and key. Hers wouldn’t latch, so I tried to offer my locker key, since there is no rhyme or reason to them. Only, instead of offering, I showed her my key and literally asked her, “do I want this key?” Stupid conjugated verbs without pronouns.
- With summer approaching, the days are getting longer and the sunsets are pretty spectacular. We have a lovely view from our apartment window. Except that, between our window and the pretty, fiery-pink evening sky, is a building with about eight satellite dishes and twenty radio towers on it. Technology is killing my moment.
- Tomorrow, I’m going to watch Italy play in the World Cup at an Italian bar. I have VERY high hopes for soccer spirit from the patrons tomorrow. Normally, I’m not really into soccer, but I’m intrigued at the idea of watching a national team while living in said national team’s country.
Forza Azzurri!
Be careful about that soccer stuff
No, she rattled off something about getting another locker… I think.
Did the girl at the gym use your key??
I’m watching the game tonight too π but from the safety of our apartment. Last time I was out when Italy won a game in the European cup, the streets were full of cars with youths hanging out the windows and waving flags, people shouting and beeping horns and singing.. and that was in a small town in Puglia. Looking forward to seeing what happens in Milan.. xxx
Lucy @ La Lingua : Life in Italy
Lucy, we had the same thing happen when we were visiting Portugal last year! Lots of car horns and flags being waved in the streets…They sure do love their soccer victories! Let me know what Milan is like, especially if they win π