Another long weekend

It's the Labour Day weekend, of course you guys know that, it's a 3 days long weekend. Bree was suppose to move in for the weekend but plans changed yesterday, so I've got no plans until Monday. Sad. Thought of taking day trips but I'm stretching 50 bucks for the next 2 weeks. So Perugia it will be, after all there many alleys I've yet to explore. I owe it to myself to know more bout Perugia.

Choir was fun, we sing hymns and it's the real old school choir you know.. Only 5 of us but we soudned like we could shatter windows. That's how powerful. Amazing.. Again my first time being part of the choir (other than in school where we sang contemporary songs).

Gone is my Thursday night date. Movie screening on Thursday ends about 8.30PM and I would be free after that, and always Martin waited for me outside the hall (I go watch movie alone) and after the movie we would grab a coffee or ice cream. On Thursday I made him attend a classical concert with me, beign Austrian he was bored to tears, so we left after 2 pieces were played, then we went into town to grab coffee. And at the small drinking water fountain I did what Denise showed me and what school kids do when they go to it. The water fountain is this 2.5feet bowl and it has water shooting out of it but goes up for about 5 inch. What you do is use your finger to shut the hole and build the pressure and let go after some minutes and let the water shoot up for 3-4 metres. So childish but I did it. HAHAHA Very happy bout it too. Of course then people who were making out at the park were staring at us. I'm so childish and I'm lovin' it!

Then on our way to get gelato we passed by a hall where people hold their wedding, they were having school concerts, so I made him sit through that with me. School orchestra/choir. Nothing great, so grabbed our gelato and hang out at the steps. The steps only fill up at midnight or so, so at 10.30 it was quiet. Then one guy decided to sit behind us and play his guitar. It's really hard for me to move my ass when people play guitar around me so we set there in the freezing cold till midnight. Bad enough it was freezing cold, I had gelato in my hand and my fingers went numb.

Suppose to meet Martin the next day after class to exchange emails, but didn't see him at all. He leaves this weekend for home. Oh well, I'm on my own come next Thursday night.

Come to think of it, I only have 2 months left. Scary thought cause I've yet to do Napoli, Milan, Venice and Cinque Terre. I'm screwed.

I'm hungry. I gotta say this.. When I'm hungry I crave for spaghetti. I have a bad habit of coming home from theatre workshop at midnight and then cooking dinner. Then I go sleep like 2am or later.

Asking my mum to send me more rendang mix. I had 3 packs which is saved for special occasions and used one when Priya came, now I need it for special dinners with my foreign friends. and 2 packs will only be enough to feed me and my housemates... hmm

Perugina chocolates

Priya was right, leave the chocolates to the Belgian. Although I personally prefer German chocs. I tried Italian, but I still prefer others. We went to the Perugina factory last week and I booked us a factory tour, of course as typical as it gets, when we got there, they said we can't visit the factory cause they finish operation for the day. But I made a reservation? Yes but you know, I have to understand where I am. So yes, just a taste of their samples and the little museum. Nothing all that great but I will go back again with my classmates.

When Priya was here we had busy nights, we were out every night with this friend or other, and it was mad. It was a typical student lifestyle in Perugia, something that I feel I'm too old to hang out every night not to mention that a few Euros a night on nightlife is a lot once you start putting them together.

So yes, will cut down nightlife to once a week or so. Whatever it is, must go dancing. Smoking and drinking isn't for me, so dancing is more like it. Soon... I better do something bout my plans or else before I know it I'm going home. After all in June theatre practice will be every night.

Do the beer in Italy taste different or is it just me? They come in plastic cups at night cause bottles are barred from the 'steps' where people hang out. I realise that Asians don't hang out at the steps, only Europeans do and mostly Italians. Not sure why but maybe I will know sooner or later.

Bree, my American friend from theatre is staying the weekend with me cause her housing contract is finishing this Saturday morning and as you all know May 1 is Labour Day, so we'll go visit some town together. Not sure where but somewhere near and cheap. After all there will also be celebrations going on in Perugia, and I have homework to do.

Me and Priya actually attended a bonfire at a vineyard in middle of Perugia hill. Isn't that cool? It's great fun. This is a great town. Small and compact. Everything is walking distance, up and down hills but still do-able in this great weather.

It's a great student life you know, spend half a day in school, get good food in the canteen (REALLY GOOD), hang out at the park, nap or play ball with my housemates or listen to people playing guitar.

Sorry if I sound like a village girl but I never had the opportunity to hang out in park after class back in Malaysia. It's like living a dream.

Gotta go, time to attend choir practice/singing lesson (my first time just to check it out). As usual it's Thursday, every evening I go watch free Italian movie in the university.

Ciao,
Angeline

I was dumbfounded..

My Afghani classmates asked me twice on 2 different occasions, "Do you know Afghanistan?"

My reply always been "Yes... Yes of course...", but I always have that worried look on my face.. Thinking, what else should I say? There was this one time this friend of theirs asked me, "What do you think of Afghanistan?" Like how I always avoid answering, I said "It's a country. That's what I think it is".

May seem rude but I really don't know where to start or end. More so, I want to ask them what is the situation like over there, but with the little Italian they and I speak, it's hard, they hardly can speak English too.

I was telling my Swedish classmate this, and she said, 'just said you don't know what is Afghanistan, easier isn't it?'

Yes, that would have been the easiest way out. Atleast that's what the Japs did. They asked what/where is Afghanistan.

My thoughts for the day...

The Familiar Noise
I was in bed last night, cuddling myself so hard due to the freezing weather, then I heard the noise. The noise that I lived with for nearly 20 yrs. A family in the neighbourhood was arguing in Tamil. The same noise I get from my room in Malaysia. THIS FEELS LIKE HOME, I thought. Although, till today I've yet to bump into the Indian family.
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Where Am I Going To...
The first thing professors would ask when you attend the class for the first time is 'Your name, your country, why are you studying Italian and what will you do after this'. Easy I figured and yes it was easy. Then you hear people saying they are studying the language because.. 'I am going to do a degree in fashion designing in Milan, I'm going to study Philosophy in Florence, I want to promote batik to Italy, I .....'.

My reply was simply 'because I like the culture and the language. After completing the semester, I will go home.' And then, they ask me, 'what are you going to do when you go back to Malaysia?'.......... Hmm....
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Send In The Cute Guys

Most of my classmates are 19 or 20 yr olds, and even my housemates are about a year or two younger than me and same goes for their friends. So I don't look that way.. But, where are the cute guys?

Answer: They are the ones driving the latest BMW. I see them every morning when I go for class. Why? Because they send their little children to the pre-school every morning (which happens to be situated next to my school).
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Coping in Class

We're currently learning Conditional. Semplice e Composto. I still can't make out the Past Conditionals, the different usage of piacere, volere and when to use avera or essere or sarei or sarebbe, it's all so mixed up and I told my professor it's difficult. He said 'it's not difficult, it's extremely difficult. Take it slow Angeline'. Then why the rest of the class don't seem to ask questions other than me?

Anyhow, he remembers my name now because I asked tons of questions. See, when you're one of his big number of students and you're an Asian (where most of us look the same to Europeans), you have to create the connection. You can't just be 'one of the students' to your professor. You have to be 'Ahh Angeline from Malaysia. Yes how can I help you?'.

Certo? So yes, I'm feeling at ease with all my professors now, since I have many questions to ask. They are really nice, they have all the patience.

Anyhow, my professor told me I need an Italian boyfriend to improve my Conditional..? hmm Really funny guy. The class love him to bits.
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Speaking Italian

As usual, my housemates force me to speak Italian with them, they do the same. Tomasso speaks English only when I cannot understand (which is rather frequent). I'm still attempting Italian in class, my Austrian and Swedish classmates speak to me in English, my Polish classmate barked at us today 'SOLO ITALIANO NO INGLESE!!!'. Funny fella. Always laughing, sometimes with people, sometimes AT people, but I like sitting with him cause he improves my Italian.

I'm sounding so selfish these days. Whatever it takes to benefit me.
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How do they teach non Italians the Italian language without using a single word of English or any other language?

This is what I love. They use gesture, hand action or any kind of action at all to describe the meaning of the words. It's so funny most times. This is why I like Italy. The body language says it all.
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What's my schedule like?
Monday - Class in AM. Chill in PM. After 6.30PM - theatre workshop till late.
Tuesday - Class in AM - PM. Chill at night.
Wednesday - Class in AM-PM, theatre workshop thereafter till late
Thursday - Class till 1PM or so. Chill thereafter.
Friday - Class till 1PM. Chill in the afternoon. After 6.30PM - theatre workshop till late.

Yea actually I'm quite free. At least more free than those who are working.. tehehehe

Okay, time for pizza (since its 20 cent cheaper than gelato) across the street then walk to theatre workshop.

Ciao!

Attending 'Human Beings' Theatre Workshop..

Yes, I must have mentioned before that I'm joining the theatre club, I just realised last night that it is not just the uni's theatre club, it's the town's theatre club. Practice is every Mon, Wed n Friday evening from 7 - 10.30pm. It's great, I had so much fun last night and made more friends from all walks of life! The practice is frequent because we'll be staging a play by early July for the public, I AM SO EXCITED!! The workshop is in Italian but the director made sure I understood what he is saying before he proceeds any further. He's really nice to all of us (but as usual, you wait until rehearsal to see the true colours of a Director).

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The workshop is situated in another school hall about 30 mins walk away (down hill), isn't it great how much exercise I'm getting?

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Did I mention that the main building of my university is an old palace, so we have ceiling of drawings/painting like the churches and lecture halls and classes are lit by chandeliers and the study desk and chairs are sort of like those you see in church, I don't know how to describe but yea will show pictures one fine day.

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Maybe some of you are use to universities like that if you went to school in UK but, this is very special to me, it's so beautiful!!!!!!!! It's amazing!!!! I don't care for bird's eye view for a lot of places but I am right here on top of a hill looking down around the region. It's lovely...

I did my first grocery shopping today at Todi's, I was quite reluctant to buy much stuff cause I know it will be a long walk home even after taking the bus, but I forced myself to do it cause it's the way of life here and I can't be going back and forth to the supermarket (cost me 2 Euro to take the bus to and fro) too many times.

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Anyway, I think I got my week's meals all at home including my oranges with red flesh (What Cynthia said is true! The pulps are red!!!).

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I absolutely love it here!

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Baci,

Angeline

I've settled in...

So I did settle into my room last night. However, my documentations (to stay in Italy) has not been done yet, only can be done today or tmrw and thereafter, I've to settle my scholarship matters. It really can be cumbersome especially when you have classes back to back most days. For me, I just want to get all the documentation stuff out of the way.

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Anyway, my housemates are Marco and Tomasso, both Italians, about a year or two younger than me, students in the 'university for locals' (I am in the university for foreigners). Marco is doing sculpture art and Tomasso is doing Political Science. Extremely nice people, always offerred to lend a hand even before I can ask.

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After I settled in last night, Tomasso took me to meet Marco and Francesco who were watching live game between Juventus & Arsenal in their uni's bar, it was funny but Juventus lost, so Italians were upset.

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Then we walked or rather climbed the hill to go to the city centre to meet more friends. At this point, I don't remember the names, there were so many of them, got introduce to one after another, and all were nice. Tomasso walked me around the city showing me where to get what and etc. Marco don't really talk to me cause each time he speaks to me, I go 'scusa?' and he don't speak English, so it's a bit difficult, but I will learn in time I guess.

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They are so great! I cannot tell you how lucky I am to find Italian housemates, what more nice people! I was even offered dinner last night. I gotta tell you, I get my slice of pizza here for Euro1.30, it's so good!

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I don't exactly have friends from class to hang out with yet, it was either the Chinese clan or the European clan or the Korean clan. I'm stuck nowhere. The one guy I speak most to in class is Jay, used to be a Halloween costume designer in Taiwan, now here to study fashion design, that too I struggle cause my Italian is bad, and same goes for my Mandarin. No help at all.

I joined the theatre workshop, there I met my apt neighbor, Connika, told me to ring her if I need any kind of help at all.

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Isn't life great?

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Anyway, I have about 3 days of half day classes, and 2 days of full day class. And theatre workshop meeting in some far side of town on Tuesday & Friday. Don't sound too exciting cause if it's anything more than 100m walk away, be sure it's more than one hill to climb - but I will still go cause this is my one chance to get involve in Italian theatre! Yesterday Tomasso took me on the best route to get to the city centre from our apartment, it's half of Batu Caves stairs and this.. I have to get use to.. Because that is where the gelateria is. They have more flavours than Baskin Robbins, the gelato you can find here is CRAZY and they taste sooo good!

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In Perugia, people hang out at the staircase in the city centre, so I was introduced to that and the etc that comes with it (drinking, gossiping), I'm so glad I'm sharing an apt with Italians, cause otherwise in other apts, its usually 3 different floors comprising of 5-6 bedroom share a kitchen and that's it. You don't hang out with your housemates cause there's no living room. But where I am, allows me to do everything with them and this guys are in full-force to make sure I pick up Italian fast. (the language)

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By the way, my phone is down, I can't hear callers but I can receive SMS. Anyhow, email me if you want my phone number. Not sure if it works with Digi but I think it works with Maxis.

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Will get my new phone when Tomasso comes back from hometown on Monday. Going to some big supermarket or wherever that has cheap mobile phones. It's the election weekend, and people get to vote from age 18 onwards, so most students are going home to cast their vote.

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Will post some pictures on Sunday or so...

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Ciao!

22 hours to my flight...

So guess what I was doing:

• I realise I don't have my passport cum money holder - Crap. I SMS pratically everyone I know who may have an extra. Finally, getting it 11 hours to my flight later.
• I just finished packing my backpack - It weighed 19.5kg. Looks like Bax Global will come in handy when I return
• Attempting my "Teach yourself Italian in 7 weeks" CD set in 30 mins. I would have couple more hours to spare but I got sleepy.
• Trying to get my grammar together cause one of the day next week in class, I'm bound to be ask to talk about myself in Italian in front of the whole class.
• Surfing for info on traveling in Croatia. More places to see.