Mwwh, mwwh

Hey, I made to back to the UK in one piece and I'm now safely ensconced in the loving bosom of my parents. I've spent the last couple of days agonising over what to buy people for christmas, buying christmas presents, worrying that I haven't bought the right thing/what is wanted/an appropriate present/etc. etc. but now I've reached the stage of 'what the heck, I've done my best on the scanty information available and if you don't like it then give me better information next time!'.

We spent this afternoon putting up the decorations (all of us putting off the actual wrapping of presents - such a tedious process for such little reward) and now I'm longing for bed as I'm one tired Shiralee.

Merry Christmas everyone and I hope you have a Very Happy New Year.

All my love and mwwh, mwwh kisses.

Bits and Pieces

Hey people, it's time for my weekly update of things that have happened since I last posted...

Breaking news, I've bought a printer. How did I ever cope before without one? Ok, there's been a few problems with me only having four USB ports and having to buy powered hubs which work but owning an external hard drive which insists on being directly connected to my laptop in two of those ports (what ever happened to keeping it simple and make it work with anything?) but I've sorted it out now.

It has snowed again but that hasn't been a problem.

I'm getting used to the 6am starts (so much so that I still wake up that early even when I'm not working).

I get the keys to the new house on Friday and can start moving my things in. There's still some damp-proofing work to be done but that should be finished before I return in January (and, hopefully, the mess cleared up).

I think that's about it.

This time next week I'll be in the UK (all things being equal) so if I don't post before, HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

White Christmas redux

It's snowing again here but, surprise, surprise, that hasn't had any major effect on the train (yet, fingers crossed). It was still late this morning but that's not unusual. What did amaze me was just how high the heating was on the train. I had to take my coat and my fleece off or expire in a puddle of sweat. Around me were all these Italian women dressed to the nines in their fur coats, acting as if we were actually in a freezer. I wonder how much was psychological (it's snowing outside so it must be cold) and how much was showing off (look at my lovely coat) but none of them seemed to be glowing let alone breaking into a sweat.

Another development of these early starts is that I've developed a latte makiato (forgive my spelling Mr Jam) habit. This is a large, hot milk with a shot of coffee. I'm not much of a coffee drinker but this sets me up nicely for the rest of the day and, such is my timetable, I usually have time for one before I start teaching. I'll never be Italian but I'm starting to make baby steps into embracing the culture.

Random stuff...

In other news from freezing Italy...

I've been rewatching Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The woman whose flat I'm staying in has all series one to six. I'm halfway through series three and plan to finish them all before Christmas. That will only leave series seven - how the world was really saved - which I'll probably borrow from a video club, just so I can say I've completed them all.

I do not understand the Italian obsession with blankets. How can they not understand the undeniable advantages of duvets? They have quilts (like thick bedspreads) but duvets?!?

How come there is no public transport to the big supermarkets here? It isn't even as if the stores are really out of town, merely on the edges but relatively inaccessible if you don't have a car. Why is this? Are non-car owners not welcome? Guess I'll have to depend on the goodwill of some friends.

Right, that's about all that's been wittering through my mind.

Working nine to five...

My first full week of work is topped off by a long weekend due to a national holiday. So, instead of working on Saturday, I'm in an internet cafe, skyping with a friend about the work I'm supposed to be doing next week and sending emails to the company letting them know what I expect of them. It's work, Jim, but not that I'm getting paid for!

Having said that, this past week has been fun. There have been frustrations but the students are an interesting bunch of people and I've learned a fair amount from them (this is how it should be, everyone has something to share but a good teacher gets them to do it while learning something) I think this contract is only to Christmas and a lot of what I've been doing has been damage control after the previous teacher, however, I am quietly confident that the company will want to continue employing me in the new year.

Aside from work? well, it has been perishing here, snow, fog, freezing fog, wind and rain, but, as one of my students said "It is winter time."

I'm looking forward to being back in the UK for Christmas and I've started buying presents already. In the new year, I move into my new home which will free up a lot of my time. It will mean the Vigevano students will be coming to me rather then the other way round, so it should sort out those (parents) who are having classes for their kids in their homes because a) it's convenient and b) there's some sort of status involved.

Me, a status symbol. Who'd have thought it.

Homeward bound....

Since Tuesday I've been working in Milan during the day and in Vigevano at night. On the surface this should be an ideal arrangement but, as with all things, there is a fly in the ointment.

In this case the fly is big, made of metal and often disinclined to do it's job. I'm talking about the train service to Milan. There are only about three trains during the peak hours and outside that they run once an hour. In the morning, when being on time is really important, they seem to be regularly cancelled or late, and in the afternoon, when it really doesn't matter as much they usually leave smack on time. Also, even once the train has left the station, there is no guarantee that it will arrive at the other end on time (in fact, you can almost guarantee it will arrive late).

The people of Vigevano have been complaining about the poor service for many, many years and for an almost equal number of years, the train company has promised to put in a second line. I've been told they are actually building this line now but no-one has any hopes of it being operational soon.

One interesting incident which I think illustrates just how annoyed the passengers have become is that about three weeks ago, the passengers went on strike! A train had left Vigevano approximately on time but had stopped at Abiategrasso for some reason. The passengers on that day had had enough. They got off the train, and congregated on the line, stopping the trains in both directios from going any where. I don't know if the passengers achieved anything but it certain relieved some of the tensions.

Dream, dream, dream...

I keep having the most weird dreams about teeth. I know I've spent a fair amount of time and money on trying to sort mine out but these dreams are just weird.

In the latest one, my silver crown (I don't actually have a silver crown) had fallen out and I asked my mum to put it back in, she tried to put it in the wrong way round so I had to show her how - it was like a bulldog clip - and when I looked at the crown close up it was like a cross-section of brain (all wrinkled) framed in metal. To make matters worse, the tooth part was filled with chewed food, even though I protested that I'd spent five minutes cleaning my teeth since last eating.

In addition, one of my front teeth has turned around (it was like a metal plate) so that the grey side was showing and I had to twist it back into position.

See what I mean - a really creepy dream.

I'm sure dream interpretation has specific meanings for teeth but I don't know what it is and I'm obsessing about the damned dream!

I'm dreaming of a...

OK, tomorrow the big push starts. It's 6:30am starts and (up to) 10pm finishes. I can see I'll be doing nothing but working, sleeping and eating for the next three weeks!

I'm looking forward to christmas already.