A Russian Abroad: October 2013

Phoebe (another friend from Bristol who is also studying in Bologna) and I have decided that our key word in Bologna is shameless. This stemmed from our constant underlying fear to speak to italians in our lessons and our worries about not being able to produce a proper sentence when we actually did. We decided we had to be shameless to just start talking to people we sat next to in lessons and to ask for phone numbers/facebook profiles in the hope that it could develop into a friendship. It has worked and continues to work, and if at anytime one of us feels slightly apprehensive or would rather sit something out we remind each other of our word and we just go for it.

As a result, it's in this past week or so that I have suddenly felt a great improvement in my language. I speak english to only two people here (one of them being phoebe) and even when other friends are around we speak italian to each other and it seems to be helping. I'm starting to be able to convey more or less what I'm trying to say and there is a lot less stuttering and blubbering as I search for words and correct grammar! I'm also no longer terrified of going into a shop/post office/bank and not understanding what the person at the counter might ask me... So all in all, these are good signs! I had dinner last night with phoebe and a group of italians and I understand 99% of what was said - so happy!

Another plus to having a good group of italian friends, aside from improvements in my language is the amazing food which they enjoy cooking for me (they have promised that they do). The first meal together was an authentic southern italian lasagne which was honestly better than any I've ever tasted in the UK. Since then risottos and pastas have all been amazing including last night where I was treated to orecchiete e minchiareddit (types of pugliese pasta - more specifically from Salento) which my friend's mother had brought all the way from Salento for her as you can't get them in Bologna.

I do appreciate this was a while ago, however, the 4th of October was a holiday in Bologna to celebrate the day of San Petronio - the protector of Bologna. San Petronio was the bishop of Bologna during the 5th century and the Basilica of San Petronio was then built in 1390 in his owner and can be found on Piazza Maggiore in the centre of the city. On the day, the streets around my house felt strangely quiet, however, when I walked into the centre it was a completely different story and with the centre closed to cars there was music and dancing taking over the streets, not to mention the many cameras set up in the Basilica itself in order to televise the main service of the day.

I must mention how incredibly beautiful the classrooms are here. In the DAMS (Art, Music and Drama) department I am taken slightly a back when I enter the room - though of course I try to act normal as I do want to make friends - and each one has beautiful frescoes on the walls and ceiling. When the lecture becomes to much I sometimes find myself just looking around at all the beautiful artwork. It makes a welcome change to the dull, concrete, standardised classrooms you often find yourself in... and helps with the creativity of the students as well of course!

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to be able to spend three days in Florence visiting two friends from Bristol who are working there and another who came from Genoa. I've never been there before and it is an absolutely stunning city and very different to Verona (where I visited a couple weeks before) which was also absolutely beautiful but in a completely different way. The Duomo (or 'the dome thing' as a couple english boys which my friend has met the week before called it) really takes your breath away - the size and intricacy of the decoration more than anything. We also visited Giardino Bobeli and we decided we all wanted to get married there - the view of the city is stunning and yet the garden feels like you are in a world of your own! The Uffizi was a highlight for me. I was so excited to go and somehow my friend spoke to a man who worked there about how the ticket system worked and maybe because he appreciated an english girl's effort to speak italian, he let us straight in past a long ticket queue to buy our tickets. We then flashed our Bristol Uni student cards which conveniently say 'Faculty of Arts' on them which got us in for free. Incredible. One of my friends is even keener then I am and it felt like we had our own personal tour guide through the museum. The weekend was also great because it felt so refreshing to be able to speak english for a couple days and to be able to speak so freely! However, once again (like Verona) the city was far far too touristy for me and I was so happy to come back to Bologna...

Yesterday I had a little adventure slightly outside the city as I went to see San Luca (formally the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca) which is a small basilica church situated about 300m high just south west of the historical centre of the city. What should have been about an hour a half walk, including 666 arches spanning 3.5km forming the portico of San Luca, became an over three hour walk as it turns out one of my friends is completely useless with directions. It was also another friend's 'name day' as his name is Luca and yesterday was the day of San Luca so we felt it absolutely necessary to make it up there and to not give up! It was beautiful at the top, although it was a bit misty so the view wasn't crystal clear. It's such a calming, tranquil place and nicely removed from the main city so I will definitely will be visiting again (but doing the directions myself, of course).

A last (slightly embarrassing) story which occurred two days ago in my class of laboratorio di teatro yesterday. One exercise involved us shaking people's hand in certain ways and really thinking about how your mannerisms would change whether you are angry, happy, or meeting someone for the first time etc. The teacher then tells us to do it alla mafioso (so as if it was between two people working together in the mafia) and after doing mine the teacher commented about how I obviously had no idea as I'm a foreigner because my example wasn't even close and the whole class laughed at me - probably not the best start in my second practical class of only twenty people!

Anyway, a piano arrived in my room yesterday and I haven't played properly for a month and a half so I'm going to spend this afternoon playing lots of music (even though it hasn't been tuned and some notes actually sound like two and so it sounds like I'm making lots of mistakes!).

A presto ragazzi,

xxx