General Update

Last week Fabri and I kept pretty busy.  We had 3 dinner parties at our house, went to one dinner at a friend's and I taught my class & worked at the museum 2 or 3 days.  Fabri was on call so he was working very long hours and had to work on the weekend.  Sunday we went to lunch at the Motta's house and then walked around a flea market in Racconigi.  The prices were way too high, but I did find one thing, a lime green piggy bank for 2 euros!  Soooo cute.  

I skipped ahead to Sunday, but I wanted to talk about Saturday too.  We had a fancy Melting Pot style dinner party with Fabri's cousins Gaetano & Giovanni, their significant others, Detta & Brunella & the baby Lulu.  We started with fondue with bread, apples, celery & cauliflower.  Then we had hot oil & hot broth to cook broccoli, beef, sausage, turkey, chicken, potatoes, cauliflower, and carrots in.  They do the oil (bourgionne) here often, but they had never tried the broth before and that went over really well.  In fact, everyone agreed next time we don't even need the oil.  So that's good and healthier.  

Fabri and I had some bad news yesterday.  I shipped all my stuff to Italy back in December.  The American company I chose was very friendly and helpful.  They responded instantly to emails and I felt comfortable handing my stuff to them.  Basically their Italian agent that accepted my stuff is horrible.  They are doing everything to draw this experience out and charging us more & more money every day.  First they never contacted me when my items arrived and they told us they didn't have to.  Then they sent us a bill which we did not understand and asked for some explanation and a reduction.  They never responded to any of my emails about that, but Fabri & I weren't in a huge rush because we were waiting for my items to clear customs.   They were supposed to contact us when my items cleared customs and of course they didn't, so we called several times yesterday and finally spoke to the right person who told us that they don't allow customs to begin their process until after we pay their bill!!  We're going to end up spending so much money and we're really upset that these people are such dubious assholes.  I wrote a strongly worded email to the American company I contracted with complaining about their Italian agents who are holding my items.  I reviewed the protocol that my company sent me and the Italian agent is doing anything how we were told they would.  I am waiting to get a response from them and am expecting it today.  Meanwhile Fabri contacted his friend who is a lawyer in Turin and after we get my stuff (on Monday hopefully) he's going to contact  the company and maybe we can recoup a little of our losses.  I'm not very optimistic about that, but it made Fabri feel better, so that's good.

Anyway, I'm trying not to think about the condition my stuff is in.  Just a few more days.  

Tomorrow I teach my third class.  I'm looking forward to it; I like the students.  Then we're having dinner with friends.  Fabri and I have been spending a lot more time with couples then his general group of friends.  I think that's a good & bad thing.  Fabri and I have never been over-drinking and clubbing people like a lot of his single friends.  The couples are more like us inviting people over for dinner or going to restaurants together.  It's a whole different life stage and we just have to make sure not to alienate Fabri's single friends.  We had a single girl dinner last Wednesday when 4 girlfriends came over for fajitas.  Next step is to have some boys over I guess.  Or more dating couples...  Whatever, these are the things we have to think about.  And of course how not to offend anyone.  Such is life. 

I think I've gotten to the random babbling stage of this post, so I'm going to sign off here.  Leave me comments or I will pout a lot!!

Mountain Climbing Practice

We had some seriously gorgeous days last week.  It was warm and sunny with a clear sky.  The mountains looked amazing and I got bit by the springtime bug.  Last Sunday Fabri and I went to this discount store I really like (sort of like Big Lots or Tuesday Morning) and bought a bunch of pots and dirt and gardening tools.  I am ready for spring gardening.  In fact, I am going to plant some daffodil bulbs this week!  

Then on Wednesday I just couldn't stand looking at the gorgeous mountains with the sunlight reflecting off the snow covered peaks and not get closer.  Fabri got home from work and was relaxing on the couch when I walked up to him and said I'm going for a walk.  He asked where too and I said further up the Saluzzo hill than I've been before.  We bundled up (it's still winter after all) and headed out on foot.  We began by walking up the hill of old Saluzzo passing Il Bichio on the way.  

Then we made our way up a very steep hill to the old main square of medieval Saluzzo.  There we found the old town hall and the castle of Saluzzo.  It had been a prison which was recently moved and the castle is now being restored for visitors.  There are few different walking trails that leave from the castle so we decided to try out the shortest one to San Lorenzo church.  As I was panting and climbing and enjoying the views when Fabri mentioned that a nurse he works with goes hiking/climbing a lot.  The trail to the top of Mount Viso is a relatively easy one and we should ask her to take us sometime.  I thought that sounded pretty cool, but Fabri and I had started out on that trail before and did NOT get very far.  So we resolved to do a lot more walking and climbing and practice so we can go this summer and make it to the top!  By the way, Fabri doesn't remember this conversation, but I won't forget it.  

On our way to San Lorenzo we took a wrong turn and ended up walking through a small development of villas over looking the mountains and the valley.  They all had beautiful yards and gardens and Fabri and I discussed buying a villa on a hill someday.  I can't wait to have a big yard to turn into insect habitat!  When we got to the end of the neighborhood we knew we made a wrong turn and went back to climbing up, up, up!  When we reached San Lorenzo I was a little disappointed because it's not visitable.  It has been transformed into a vineyard, but that did offer some nice photo opportunities.  

Then we turned back and headed home stopping to take some photos of Saluzzo.  The duomo was very beautiful from up there and it was really interesting seeing it in relation to the rest of the city from that angle.  We took another route down which was less steep and therefore easier, but I was getting a cramp in my leg and was happy to stop for a tea and croissant at a bar at the bottom of the hill.  

Next time we're going to try the longer trail and go more prepared.  Bottle of water, comfy clothes, good shoes.  But it was great to get out in the sun and even though my legs were sore the next day, it was good to get the exercise.  

This week is not like last though.  It is back to being overcast and cold.  In fact on Monday I almost didn't get out of bed because it was so cold!  I probably wouldn't have if I hadn't said I would be at the museum on Monday.  Hopefully this weekend and next week will get better.  If it's not going to snow, then it should be spring!  That's what I think anyway.

Anywho, here's the slide show of our hike: Enjoy.

Professoressa

If you recall, last time I wrote I mentioned two interviews at English language schools.  The first one spent the first half of our interviewing trying to sell Fabri on this English in the Hospital class they have and she eventually mentioned that I would be teaching it if Fabri helped to drum up interest.  She said they don't really have anything for me now, but she would pass any translating work they get my way because they don't do that and then said if I'm still looking in September, I can take over their school in Saluzzo because the girl who runs it now will be going off to get married or something like that.  So that interview was a little strange.

There was a space of about 2 hours in between the two interviews, so Fabri and I walked around Cuneo.  We did a little shopping and a bit more window shopping which is always fun.  Then we went to a bar for a cappuccino and a hot chocolate.  

The second interview went very well.  Basically they told us about the job, complimented my CV and asked when I could start.  So that went pretty well.  I'm now teaching at the Wall Street Institute.  This past Friday I began my training and sat in on two lessons at the school.  Today I went for two more lessons with a different teacher.  Tomorrow evening I go for one more lesson and a big more training before I teach my first class on Thursday evening for 2 hours.  I'm going to teach at a company in Savigliano (I don't know which yet).  

Meanwhile, I'm still volunteering at the museum.  I go three days this week from ~9:30 to ~1:30.  That way I get plenty of insect time.  The weather has started warming up (though some people are predicting one last snow storm), so soon I can start collecting again and work on my own collection at the museum too.

Anyway, Fabri is very proud.  We started looking for a job for me in mid January and in less than a month I'm volunteering at a museum and teaching.  That's not bad.  I'm mostly happy to be teaching so that I can hopefully meet new people my age and make some friends of my own.