Friday, January 30, 2009

Workin' in a coal mine goin' down down down

In Italy the IDs have everyone's occupation as well as height, weight and eye color.  Mine currently says looking for work, but I told the woman who made it that wasn't correct, that I'm a princepessa.  Well, my days as a princess are numbered because Fabri's making me look for work.  He claims it's because I sit at home complaining about being bored.  

I have already started volunteering at a natural history museum near here.  (Storia Naturale Museo di Carmagnola)  I emailed an entomology professor at the University of Turin about 5 years ago when I was finishing up at SMC to see if there was a chance of my doing a master's in Italy.  That obviously didn't work out, but he was very nice and we emailed again a few months ago to see about possible opportunities for me when I moved here.  He hooked me up with Gianfranco, the entomologist at the museum.  We all met 2 Fridays ago.  We went around the museum, discussed research, and looked at the insect collection.  Then we went to lunch and took a field trip to a green house near the museum where Massimo, the university professor keeps and propagates his cactus collection.  Afterwards Gianfranco invited me to come to the museum as often as I like and curate the lepidoptera (butterfly & moth) collection.  So I've been going 3 days a week for 4 hours in the morning. 

In addition to looking for entomology work, Fabri and I have gone to several language schools in the area and inquired about work there.  In-fact I have 2 interviews tomorrow in Cuneo!  Fabri is going to come with me and then we're going to go out to dinner at this restaurant we liked up there.  

Speaking of Fabri, he had a hellish week this past one.  He had a night shift on Wednesday and bad cases for the hospice.  Then this weekend he worked even more than he does during the week!  He worked a boxing match with his dad for 13 hours on Saturday and 10 hours Sunday.  Tonight is his last night shift because he quit that job.  So we will be celebrating that and making sure this week is nicer than last in every way!  

1 comment:

Carolyn said...

Hooray for curating butterflies! These sound like lovely opportunities. I'm watching "Sense and Sensibility" on Masterpiece Theater. Thank goodness the 5 of us cousins didn't have to find husbands back in that day. Now THAT would have been a sticky situation!! Still, lots of pretty ribbons to fiddle around with.