Back in the old country I was not much of a TV watcher. (brother and sisters, please refrain from commenting on my childhood years, I'm only talking about recently). On Wednesdays my mother I would sit down to Spicks&Specks, The Chaser, Summer Heights High and (if we weren't too exhausted) David&Margeret At The Movies. That was about it for the week and I felt rather superiour knowing that I wasn't wasting my life watching sitcoms, soaps, reality shows or anything else that might rot my brain.
But now, oh how my life has changed. I disliked Italian TV at first because it frustrated me to watch show that should be in English but had been badly dubbed and was without subtitles. Then... I discovered that Italians get the BBC! I was in love (and still am) and, not only this, but there are some shows that haven't been dubbed (or can having the dubbing taken off). I am now addicted to these: the Simposons, Family Guy, Will&Grace, My Hero, My Family, Desperate Housewives and Gilmore Girls (I love hearing English, even if it's mostly American).
Thursday, 20 December 2007
Thursday, 13 December 2007
School in Italy
Just so you know what angle I will be coming from with this post; I prefer school in Australia.
I like changing classrooms; you get to move around between lessons, you can talk to people in the corridor, you can breathe some fresh air, if you're really desperate you can buy food from the school vending machines and eat it in your next lesson, if you don't like the person you're sitting with you can sit with someone else and not appear rude. I could go on but, in short, I like changing rooms and I like being in different classes with different people. Italian schools don't work like that.
I like the Australian classrooms; they have carpet on the floors, not tiles, so chairs and tables don't scrape and echo, because one teacher stays in the same in classroom it becomes more personalised (they put up pictures, have the desks arranged a certain way, etc.) and it's not graffitied. I feel so much better about being in those rooms, you learn better I'm sure. Not having carpets also means that sound is amplified and the Italians (who are not exactly quiet to begin with) are even louder in these rooms.
Those are the main reasons, I know they sound silly and inconsiquential but they matter to me and, no doubt, if you were in a strange school it would be the little things that get to you too.
Oh, and in Australian schools the students don't smoke all the time. But smoking is all over Italy, you can't expect the schools to be any different.
I like changing classrooms; you get to move around between lessons, you can talk to people in the corridor, you can breathe some fresh air, if you're really desperate you can buy food from the school vending machines and eat it in your next lesson, if you don't like the person you're sitting with you can sit with someone else and not appear rude. I could go on but, in short, I like changing rooms and I like being in different classes with different people. Italian schools don't work like that.
I like the Australian classrooms; they have carpet on the floors, not tiles, so chairs and tables don't scrape and echo, because one teacher stays in the same in classroom it becomes more personalised (they put up pictures, have the desks arranged a certain way, etc.) and it's not graffitied. I feel so much better about being in those rooms, you learn better I'm sure. Not having carpets also means that sound is amplified and the Italians (who are not exactly quiet to begin with) are even louder in these rooms.
Those are the main reasons, I know they sound silly and inconsiquential but they matter to me and, no doubt, if you were in a strange school it would be the little things that get to you too.
Oh, and in Australian schools the students don't smoke all the time. But smoking is all over Italy, you can't expect the schools to be any different.
Sunday, 9 December 2007
I'm in Italy... why aren't I shopping?
This thought struck me about 5 minutes ago when i caught sight of myself in the bathroom mirror, looking ab fab in the new jumper my host mother bought me. It's the only item of clothing I have at the moment that's from Italy because, for the past 2 weeks, I've been wearing my Australian clothes (some of which, I'll admit, were bought for this trip but that was a warmth thing rather than a fashion thing).
I am in the country where the greatest sin you can commit is to make "una brutta figura" (a bad impression). If the Italians could lock people up for not being beautiful enough, they would. Why, oh why, aren't in these beautiful shops buying beautiful clothes?
This jumper isn't even that great, it's a simple pullover with stripes but it looks fan-bloody-tastic! How is that possible? Because it's Italian.
Tomorrow, I'm going shopping. I don't care that it's Sunday or that it might rain all day (like today) I want pretty clothes!
PS: I never used to be fashion obsessed, I visited op-shops and Jayjays fir my wardrobe or Target when I wanted something swanky. But now, I'm actually really excited by the idea of buying new outfits. Yesterday I even thought about painting my nails... I think something's taking me over. Oh well, it'll be fun.
I am in the country where the greatest sin you can commit is to make "una brutta figura" (a bad impression). If the Italians could lock people up for not being beautiful enough, they would. Why, oh why, aren't in these beautiful shops buying beautiful clothes?
This jumper isn't even that great, it's a simple pullover with stripes but it looks fan-bloody-tastic! How is that possible? Because it's Italian.
Tomorrow, I'm going shopping. I don't care that it's Sunday or that it might rain all day (like today) I want pretty clothes!
PS: I never used to be fashion obsessed, I visited op-shops and Jayjays fir my wardrobe or Target when I wanted something swanky. But now, I'm actually really excited by the idea of buying new outfits. Yesterday I even thought about painting my nails... I think something's taking me over. Oh well, it'll be fun.
Saturday, 8 December 2007
First blog in another country
Hi ho to my readers! (both of you)
Though i've been in Italy for almost 2 weeks now it has been absolutely impossible to get to a computer and when I finally did I couldn't sign in. i felt really bad too, leaving the blog with such a depressing entry as my latest contribution to world media.
Things are much better now, my grandpa is out of hospital and, apprently, walking on sunshine now that Labor are in government. I was so excited when I heard that news but, just my luck, I heard it when I was half asleep, in another country and surrounded by Liberal voters (darn exchange programme arranging flights on Election Day) so celebration was limited to a short dance in a Malaysian toilet cubicle.
Now, a lot has happened since I've been here and I'm a lazy blogger so I'm going to copy and paste bits of my emails for the rest of the post:
(sorry for lack of punctuation, etc)
8 hour flight to KL in which i watched a couple of movies and old episodes of simpsons
spent 2 or 3 hours in the airport feeling really tired. sampled the malaysian burger king fries and found that they're no different but the packet is blue (talk about a shock to the system)
12 hour flight to rome. watched more movies and malcom in the middle eps. slept on my tray table for a few hours and woke up really stiff and sore. plane food was really good and they served juice every 10 minutes.
arrived in rome (now a day later) 5am local time. it was cold! we saw the trevi fountain and i threw in an aussie coin. wandered around for a while until we could go back to the hotel and sleep.
i was in bed sick for the next 2 days with some weird cold/flu/throwing up thing. but the others had a good time
took the train to venice and OMG THAT PLACE IS BEAUTIFUL! our hotel was lovely too. spent the next 2 and a half days walking around venice, taking photos and buying presents and stuff.
took another train to florence. there wasn't as much to do there and the hotel was not as nice. saw the Duomo (the view from the top was breathtaking, David and the Ponte Vecchio.
Then I arrived in Messina (by plane this time) and I've started school here
italian school, what i've noticed:
.you have the same class all day, you stay in the same seat in the same room with the same people and the teachers move to different rooms.
.no one has lockers, they carry their bags to the lesson
.there isn't very much writing, the teacher talks most of the lesson and students make notes. even in maths we didn't do any exercises, i think it's all for homework.
.the classroom is very bare, the front wall has a blackboard and a calendar and that's it
.the italians speak english much better than we speak italian, they even have textbooks in english. (but only for that subject, the others are in italian)
.everyone brings little tissue packets to school because there is no toilet paper in the toilets
.school finishes at 1 or 1.30 and, literally, as soon as they are out of the door the students start smoking (i asked and it's very normal, they don't get into trouble for it)
That's about it so far. I'll be more informative next time but at least this blog is cheerful.
Ciao.
Though i've been in Italy for almost 2 weeks now it has been absolutely impossible to get to a computer and when I finally did I couldn't sign in. i felt really bad too, leaving the blog with such a depressing entry as my latest contribution to world media.
Things are much better now, my grandpa is out of hospital and, apprently, walking on sunshine now that Labor are in government. I was so excited when I heard that news but, just my luck, I heard it when I was half asleep, in another country and surrounded by Liberal voters (darn exchange programme arranging flights on Election Day) so celebration was limited to a short dance in a Malaysian toilet cubicle.
Now, a lot has happened since I've been here and I'm a lazy blogger so I'm going to copy and paste bits of my emails for the rest of the post:
(sorry for lack of punctuation, etc)
8 hour flight to KL in which i watched a couple of movies and old episodes of simpsons
spent 2 or 3 hours in the airport feeling really tired. sampled the malaysian burger king fries and found that they're no different but the packet is blue (talk about a shock to the system)
12 hour flight to rome. watched more movies and malcom in the middle eps. slept on my tray table for a few hours and woke up really stiff and sore. plane food was really good and they served juice every 10 minutes.
arrived in rome (now a day later) 5am local time. it was cold! we saw the trevi fountain and i threw in an aussie coin. wandered around for a while until we could go back to the hotel and sleep.
i was in bed sick for the next 2 days with some weird cold/flu/throwing up thing. but the others had a good time
took the train to venice and OMG THAT PLACE IS BEAUTIFUL! our hotel was lovely too. spent the next 2 and a half days walking around venice, taking photos and buying presents and stuff.
took another train to florence. there wasn't as much to do there and the hotel was not as nice. saw the Duomo (the view from the top was breathtaking, David and the Ponte Vecchio.
Then I arrived in Messina (by plane this time) and I've started school here
italian school, what i've noticed:
.you have the same class all day, you stay in the same seat in the same room with the same people and the teachers move to different rooms.
.no one has lockers, they carry their bags to the lesson
.there isn't very much writing, the teacher talks most of the lesson and students make notes. even in maths we didn't do any exercises, i think it's all for homework.
.the classroom is very bare, the front wall has a blackboard and a calendar and that's it
.the italians speak english much better than we speak italian, they even have textbooks in english. (but only for that subject, the others are in italian)
.everyone brings little tissue packets to school because there is no toilet paper in the toilets
.school finishes at 1 or 1.30 and, literally, as soon as they are out of the door the students start smoking (i asked and it's very normal, they don't get into trouble for it)
That's about it so far. I'll be more informative next time but at least this blog is cheerful.
Ciao.
Thursday, 22 November 2007
...
Currently it is late. Just after 10pm (not that late for all you party-goers out there, people who, unlike myself, have a social life. But late enough for my sister to tell me off when she reads this post and sees the pulication time.)
Anyway, it's late, I have two exams tomorrow and the day after that I will leave the country for two months. I am tried as all hell.
I had a really lovely date with my boyfriend today, our last date before I go (we finally succumbed to stereotypes and saw a movie togethher) which lead to a kind of argument, which lead to Deep and Meanigful which, in turn, lead to me extremely tired and (not wanting to sound like an American soap, but doing it anyway) emotianlly vulnerable.
The date did continue and... Nerd Boy is an apropriate blog identity I suppose... Nerd Boy was a right gentleman to me for the rest of the day, helping me off the bus and being very understanding about our D&M and generally trying to cheer me up, I think he felt a bit responsible.
In truth I'm not entirely sure why I'm so upset, I think it was the coming together of various stresses in my life at the moment (exams, packing for Italy, preparing STUFF for Italy like paperwork that makes no sense, work, school, going to another country for two months where I don't anyone and don't speak the language that well, spending Christmas away from the family, having to buy presents for my host family in the span of a week because I didn't even know where I was going until last week... to name a few)
I JUST WANT ONE MORE WEEK IN AUSTRALIA!!!
Mum picked me up from my Italian exam today and we were going to go out to dinner but, instead, we went to see my grandpa who is very, very sick because Mum didn't want to leave him on his own (I don't blame her).
When we got there he was so pale, he wasn't walking properly and he barely spoke. I'm so scared, I was already feeling over sensitive and this just tipped me over the edge. I don't want him to die.
Anyway, it's late, I have two exams tomorrow and the day after that I will leave the country for two months. I am tried as all hell.
I had a really lovely date with my boyfriend today, our last date before I go (we finally succumbed to stereotypes and saw a movie togethher) which lead to a kind of argument, which lead to Deep and Meanigful which, in turn, lead to me extremely tired and (not wanting to sound like an American soap, but doing it anyway) emotianlly vulnerable.
The date did continue and... Nerd Boy is an apropriate blog identity I suppose... Nerd Boy was a right gentleman to me for the rest of the day, helping me off the bus and being very understanding about our D&M and generally trying to cheer me up, I think he felt a bit responsible.
In truth I'm not entirely sure why I'm so upset, I think it was the coming together of various stresses in my life at the moment (exams, packing for Italy, preparing STUFF for Italy like paperwork that makes no sense, work, school, going to another country for two months where I don't anyone and don't speak the language that well, spending Christmas away from the family, having to buy presents for my host family in the span of a week because I didn't even know where I was going until last week... to name a few)
I JUST WANT ONE MORE WEEK IN AUSTRALIA!!!
Mum picked me up from my Italian exam today and we were going to go out to dinner but, instead, we went to see my grandpa who is very, very sick because Mum didn't want to leave him on his own (I don't blame her).
When we got there he was so pale, he wasn't walking properly and he barely spoke. I'm so scared, I was already feeling over sensitive and this just tipped me over the edge. I don't want him to die.
Friday, 9 November 2007
My Blogging Future
Well, I'm obviously very bad at spreading news about myself because for the last few weeks I have been having numerous conversations like this:
Friend: We should do that [activity we were just discussing] in the holidays together.
Me: But I won't be here.
Friend: What? Where are you going?
Me: Italy! You remember that exchange I've been talking about?
Friend: When did you say that?
So I will say, to my cyber friends at least, I am going to Italy the day after I finish exams and I will be there for two months. Hopefully, when I return I will be able to speak the language and this thought is what will be keeping me going when I think that I will be spending Christmas in a strange country without anyone I know, I will not have my two month (well earned) holiday because I still go to school in Italy and I am leaving on my boyfriend's and my anniversary. (I don't usually go in for that anniversary crap, it seems like an excuse to buy presents you don't need. But I'll miss him.)
However, I think I will be blogging rather a lot, for two reasons:
1. I will need an outlet to speak English.
2. It's faster than letters, allows for replies and is more reliable than the Italian postal service.
So, you can look forward to many more of my amusing stories. Hooray!
PS: Aside from the interruption I mentioned earlier, the drama performance went really well. We had fun and there's a cast party next week to blog about.
Friend: We should do that [activity we were just discussing] in the holidays together.
Me: But I won't be here.
Friend: What? Where are you going?
Me: Italy! You remember that exchange I've been talking about?
Friend: When did you say that?
So I will say, to my cyber friends at least, I am going to Italy the day after I finish exams and I will be there for two months. Hopefully, when I return I will be able to speak the language and this thought is what will be keeping me going when I think that I will be spending Christmas in a strange country without anyone I know, I will not have my two month (well earned) holiday because I still go to school in Italy and I am leaving on my boyfriend's and my anniversary. (I don't usually go in for that anniversary crap, it seems like an excuse to buy presents you don't need. But I'll miss him.)
However, I think I will be blogging rather a lot, for two reasons:
1. I will need an outlet to speak English.
2. It's faster than letters, allows for replies and is more reliable than the Italian postal service.
So, you can look forward to many more of my amusing stories. Hooray!
PS: Aside from the interruption I mentioned earlier, the drama performance went really well. We had fun and there's a cast party next week to blog about.
My Day
I was in the middle of a drama performance this afternoon and a guy from my English class came in (backstage) and told me that I needed to hand in our latest essay right away
it's worth 30% of our grade
I hadn't written a conclusion
if I didn't hand it in right then I would get a 0.
Ohhhhh.... SHIT!
it's worth 30% of our grade
I hadn't written a conclusion
if I didn't hand it in right then I would get a 0.
Ohhhhh.... SHIT!
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