As you may know, I am absolutely HORRENDOUS at keeping this thing up to date. I am sorry!
Anyway, since my last post I've had a weird series of events that have led me on a strange and wonderful journey to a city called Bologna. And for the first time I'm going to try and create a home.
Basically, (getting a bit personal here, have a tissue. And no, not for that!) I made the major decision to leave university and I decided to move to Italy, permanently.
Why Bologna I hear you cry out? That I still don't know. However so far it seems that even though I may not know why I am here, Bologna does.
Italy has not been what I expected it to be. It's not the same as the "romantic" country I first encountered when I was just a wee little girl of 16. (Well to be fair I was over 6' back then too.) Do not get me wrong people here are absolutely wonderful and I have the best/craziest housemates in the world. The food here is great and do not get me started on the wine. (No really don't I will keep drinking. Less than 4 yoyo's for a bottle!)
However, there are some aspects of the culture here that I don't ever think that I'll fully ever come to grips with;
1). Passeggiata: There is this magical thing called a "passeggiata". A passeggiata is a weekend activity where after dinner you go around for a slow walk around to "relax". How as a fully functioning human being can you just ramble around the city without a predetermined destination without the aid of intense intoxication?! I. Just. Don't. Get. It.
2). Queuing: You may have heard me mention this one before. Basically queuing here is like taking part in the Hunger Games. There is no freaking system, you just push and shove and gouge out the cold dead eyes of your rivals to try and get a cappuccino. (There seems to be one cultural rule though - Elderly women are exempt and must be put before you, elderly men however are fair game.)
3). The postal system: Or lack thereof. To send a letter to anywhere it appears that you have to pay a ridiculous amount of money, wait for a waxing moon and promise to donate one of your kidneys. I had to send a letter to the South. 5 FREAKING EURO. For a piece of paper INSIDE A PIECE OF PAPER.
4). Last but not least bureaucracy: It just doesn't exist here. You want something done? It's more probable of happening if you physically climb over the help-desk yourself and find the forms you need. Essentially, no matter what is it 1- They don't know what you need. 2- You're at the wrong office they'll send you to another one. 3- You'll go back to the same office because it was the right one. 4- You'll basically have to pledge your soul and your army for them to do anything. 5 - Sometime between now and the next coming of the three horsemen of the Apocalypse whatever you wanted may or may not get done.
I will try my bestestest to update this on a semi regular basis. Really, I will try.
Ciao! x
Anyway, since my last post I've had a weird series of events that have led me on a strange and wonderful journey to a city called Bologna. And for the first time I'm going to try and create a home.
Basically, (getting a bit personal here, have a tissue. And no, not for that!) I made the major decision to leave university and I decided to move to Italy, permanently.
Why Bologna I hear you cry out? That I still don't know. However so far it seems that even though I may not know why I am here, Bologna does.
Italy has not been what I expected it to be. It's not the same as the "romantic" country I first encountered when I was just a wee little girl of 16. (Well to be fair I was over 6' back then too.) Do not get me wrong people here are absolutely wonderful and I have the best/craziest housemates in the world. The food here is great and do not get me started on the wine. (No really don't I will keep drinking. Less than 4 yoyo's for a bottle!)
However, there are some aspects of the culture here that I don't ever think that I'll fully ever come to grips with;
1). Passeggiata: There is this magical thing called a "passeggiata". A passeggiata is a weekend activity where after dinner you go around for a slow walk around to "relax". How as a fully functioning human being can you just ramble around the city without a predetermined destination without the aid of intense intoxication?! I. Just. Don't. Get. It.
2). Queuing: You may have heard me mention this one before. Basically queuing here is like taking part in the Hunger Games. There is no freaking system, you just push and shove and gouge out the cold dead eyes of your rivals to try and get a cappuccino. (There seems to be one cultural rule though - Elderly women are exempt and must be put before you, elderly men however are fair game.)
3). The postal system: Or lack thereof. To send a letter to anywhere it appears that you have to pay a ridiculous amount of money, wait for a waxing moon and promise to donate one of your kidneys. I had to send a letter to the South. 5 FREAKING EURO. For a piece of paper INSIDE A PIECE OF PAPER.
4). Last but not least bureaucracy: It just doesn't exist here. You want something done? It's more probable of happening if you physically climb over the help-desk yourself and find the forms you need. Essentially, no matter what is it 1- They don't know what you need. 2- You're at the wrong office they'll send you to another one. 3- You'll go back to the same office because it was the right one. 4- You'll basically have to pledge your soul and your army for them to do anything. 5 - Sometime between now and the next coming of the three horsemen of the Apocalypse whatever you wanted may or may not get done.
I will try my bestestest to update this on a semi regular basis. Really, I will try.
Ciao! x
