Update

I haven’t written a blog in a while I know. For Christmas I went to my boyfriend’s house in Calabria in the south of Italy. I had a great time like always except that, even though people always joke around about how much food southern Italians will pile on your plate until you can’t take it anymore, I actually lost my battle with my Christmas dinner. I think that last piece of Pandoro (a type of cake, which you slather Nutella onto before eating it) was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I only got to stay for two weeks because when you’re a teacher you have to be back fresh as a daisy at the beginning of January. I miss college where we got that extra week. Side note: Some Italian universities don’t start courses until MARCH. 

Since the new year started, I’ve discovered some new places. Nadaba Theatre is a bar that has really talented bands for live music. Ostello Bello is a hostel where you can basically come and go as you please- not in the rooms obviously- but in the bar area and the lounge. I guess it is one of the top hostels in the world. Top 10 I think. They’ve got a ping pong table, foosball, guitars for people that can play, board games, and lots of couches/seats. The other day I went with my friend and he played guitar while I sang with a partner who was equally as enthusiastic about singing even though we don’t know how. There was also a group of drunken Italians singing/screaming with their own guitar on the other side of the room but we managed to hear ourselves somehow. The place is packed every night of the week. We went on a Tuesday and it was ready to burst.  Going there is a nice reminder of the fact that although at first it was lonely working here on my own without the built-in support group that I had on a college campus or studying abroad in class every day with Italians my age- I AM IN EUROPE and there are all kinds of characters out there to meet and exchange stories with. The other night for instance I talked to a Dutch male model here for work, a girl- also Dutch- here with no agenda exactly except that she is traveling the world and this is one of the stops, and a Canadian guy and Brazilian girl here for study abroad. Another place I have heard about but haven’t seen is Corso Como. It is apparently an entirely pedestrian street near the Garibaldi metro station I believe. With the chaos and business that characterizes the rest of the city, that street must be a gem. I have to go! 

P.S. I am now doing 4 private lessons per week and finally making decent money. Word of mouth seems to be the best way to get these gigs but it just takes some time. Anyway, I'm happy about it!