Ottobre 25, 2008
Yesterday, I went to the conservatory in Naples for an appointment to sing for a coach. I work for a wonderful lady, and she has been calling people nonstop trying to get this whole thing into motion. Mario's piano teacher, Maestro Biancardi, teaches at the conservatory and Cristina has been calling him, and Maestro Biancardi was the one who got me in touch with Maesto Florio.
After speaking with Biancardi at Mario's piano lesson, I was under the impression that he was a difficult man and didn't like foreigners. So as I was walking into the building, I was preparing myself for quite the public flogging. Finding the conservatory itself wouldn't have been fun had it not been for one of my neighbors, Beppe. I ran into him on the street the day before, and offered to walk with me to the conservatory. So it was really nice not having to worry about getting lost because there is nothing that stresses me out more than being late and getting lost. As for the late thing, I have to remind myself that I'm in Italy. The people here are not like Americans. If someone says, "The meeting starts at 11am." The meeting might start at 11:30 if you're lucky. So Beppe and I got the conservatory 15 minutes early, which made me feel quite at ease because I knew I wasn't going to insult anyone by being late. But in true Italian fashion, Maestro Biancardi showed up about 5 minutes late, and took me to a hallway where I would later meet Maestro Florio. I didn't even get to meet him until about 11:30.
I was under the impression that I would sing for him and that would be it. But this is how it really went. He invited me into a room with two other singers and a pianist. He said to the other singers that I was only there to listen so right then and there I was really confused. Although I can't say I minded all the much because it gave me and opportunity to see how he works with other singers. As the coaching was going on, numerous people kept on walking in and out, which is extremely strange to me because in America, no one interrupts a coaching. In America it's like sacred time or something. I was in complete culture shock as I was witnessing this. I was offered a coffee by a fellow who wandered in. And anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a coffee drinker at all, but I figured it would have been rude to refuse. And keep in mind that this is Napolitano coffee not American coffee. I've never seen coffee that moves like molasses and is served in what looks like a shot glass, but with enough sugar and milk it tasted alright. Eventually, they finished the coaching and I was given the opportunity to sing. I hadn't been in the best voice lately due to the season so I couldn't dazzle him with one of my extremely showy arias, but I sang something that wasn't too high, but still showed something of what I can do, Nanetta's Aria from Falstaff.
Maesto Florio later said that I could come and take a class with him beginning in November! YAYYYY! And after I exchanged email addresses with people, and I had a pretty good conversation in Italian with the pianist, I still had to figure out how to get to Mario's school in time to pick him up. Luckily, the pianist and a German girl that studies at the conservatory were able to tell me how to take the public transportation to get to his school. I had to take a subway train, and then get on a "funiculare" (which is a type train that goes up and down mountains and in the case very large hills). I was very used to taking public transit having lived in Boston for two years, but this time I had to find everything only I had to ask people in Italian. Fortunately, my Italian has improved over the past month so I can mostly understand what people are saying. WHEW! I felt extremely grown up and responsible for having found the school all be myself with only a slight amount of frustration. But now, I know how to get there no problem! HIGH FIVE FOR ME! And I was only about ten minutes late to pick up Mario, which in Italian time means still on time! WOOHOOOOO!
Ci vediamo a dopo!
PACE
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
aiutami! i pidocchi!
It's interesting how you inherit some of the wonderful critters of childhood. I PIDOCCHI! AHHHH!!! Or what we Americans call "lice." About two weeks ago, Mario came home with a note from school about an outbreak of lice. EEEEEK! As soon as Cristina got a look at the note she uttered a stunning word of the vernacular, "Cazzo!" (which in english means "*@!#"). Soon after I read the note, I felt a little tickle tickle on my head. So I thought, "uh oh." So I had to do the shampoo, and brush my hair with the really thin-toothed comb. It was really fun!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Since I got here....
I know it's been while, but now I have wireless! WOOHOOOO! So anyway....
Since I got here, I have been trying to adjust myself to the new scenery. Naples is an interesting place. It's full of history with many different things to see, but it is also extremely hectic, disorganized, corrupt, and loud. I haven't had any time to go out, and look because I haven't had a weekend off since the first weekend I was here (which I spent mostly getting over jet lag). Mario's dad didn't have time to take him this past weekend so I had to be around this weekend. Hopefully I'll have the next two weekends off because I REALLY need it! When I do get some time off, I need to make some friends soon. It's been over two years since I've moved to a new place where I didn't know anyone, and a few more weeks of this and will become extremely lonely and depressed.
A couple of days after I arrived, I went for a short bike ride, and I had my first experience with an Italian guy. He drove by me in his car, parked it, and then ran to come talk to me. He didn't speak any English so it was quite refreshing to speak Italian again. Unfortunately, I was not in the slightest interested in talking to him. He kept on trying to get me to get in his car and have a coffee with him. Later I talked to Cristian about him, and she said that is the typical Neopolitan guy. I laughed when she said that.
Mario, my charge, is an interesting kid. It was pretty difficult the first two weeks I was here because he wasn't used to me, but now he's a little bit easier to deal with. He's very much attached to his mother. When we're together, he's always asking where mom is. I don't remember being that attached to my parents when I was five. When there was a babysitter around I remember being pretty excited because it was someone new to play with. Anyway, it's not important.
My typical day is like this:
7:00am-I get up, and make Mario's breakfast (which thankfully is not difficult)
After breakfast, I get him ready for school
8:00am-He leaves with his aunt and cousins for school
I have the morning to myself
1:30pm-I go pick him up at school (which is a pain because the typical American school isn't out until about 2:30 or 3:00)
2:00pm-We come back and have lunch at (the typical Italian lunch time)
7:00pm-Bath time
7:30pm-Dinner time
8:30ish-Bed time. I go in and sing him a song, and Cristina likes to tuck him in at night
Unfortunately, I haven't much of a chance to speak Italian here. Everyone in Cristina's family except of few people speak English. I try to speak Italian to them, and the respond in English. It's kind of annoying. I speak Italian with Guilia, one of Mario's cousins, when she comes to play (which pretty often). She is one of the few that doesn't already speak English. I'm always very excited to see her because I get to practice with her. I also speak Italian with Leti, one of Cristina's sisters, she speaks a little bit of English, but I think she prefers Italian and that is fine by me. She sometimes gives me a ride to Mario's school in the afternoon, and that's when we talk. It has helped me the most in my slow progression. I study my grammar book everyday, and make conversations on my own, but I'm never sure if the things I'm saying are correct.
Oreste, Cristina's boyfriend, says I need to find an Italian boyfriend, and I'll Italian very quickly that way. I don't think that would be very hard considering Italian men go nuts for American girls, but I have to have some time off to make these sort of connections!
In closing, I can say that everyone has been very kind and accepting. Cristina has told me that she really appreciates the work that I do, and that she's very glad that I'm here. That makes me feel very good. She has already mentioned that she'd like me to stay longer than a year, but I'll have to see how everything goes before I accept such an offer.
Ci vediamo!
Pace!
Since I got here, I have been trying to adjust myself to the new scenery. Naples is an interesting place. It's full of history with many different things to see, but it is also extremely hectic, disorganized, corrupt, and loud. I haven't had any time to go out, and look because I haven't had a weekend off since the first weekend I was here (which I spent mostly getting over jet lag). Mario's dad didn't have time to take him this past weekend so I had to be around this weekend. Hopefully I'll have the next two weekends off because I REALLY need it! When I do get some time off, I need to make some friends soon. It's been over two years since I've moved to a new place where I didn't know anyone, and a few more weeks of this and will become extremely lonely and depressed.
A couple of days after I arrived, I went for a short bike ride, and I had my first experience with an Italian guy. He drove by me in his car, parked it, and then ran to come talk to me. He didn't speak any English so it was quite refreshing to speak Italian again. Unfortunately, I was not in the slightest interested in talking to him. He kept on trying to get me to get in his car and have a coffee with him. Later I talked to Cristian about him, and she said that is the typical Neopolitan guy. I laughed when she said that.
Mario, my charge, is an interesting kid. It was pretty difficult the first two weeks I was here because he wasn't used to me, but now he's a little bit easier to deal with. He's very much attached to his mother. When we're together, he's always asking where mom is. I don't remember being that attached to my parents when I was five. When there was a babysitter around I remember being pretty excited because it was someone new to play with. Anyway, it's not important.
My typical day is like this:
7:00am-I get up, and make Mario's breakfast (which thankfully is not difficult)
After breakfast, I get him ready for school
8:00am-He leaves with his aunt and cousins for school
I have the morning to myself
1:30pm-I go pick him up at school (which is a pain because the typical American school isn't out until about 2:30 or 3:00)
2:00pm-We come back and have lunch at (the typical Italian lunch time)
7:00pm-Bath time
7:30pm-Dinner time
8:30ish-Bed time. I go in and sing him a song, and Cristina likes to tuck him in at night
Unfortunately, I haven't much of a chance to speak Italian here. Everyone in Cristina's family except of few people speak English. I try to speak Italian to them, and the respond in English. It's kind of annoying. I speak Italian with Guilia, one of Mario's cousins, when she comes to play (which pretty often). She is one of the few that doesn't already speak English. I'm always very excited to see her because I get to practice with her. I also speak Italian with Leti, one of Cristina's sisters, she speaks a little bit of English, but I think she prefers Italian and that is fine by me. She sometimes gives me a ride to Mario's school in the afternoon, and that's when we talk. It has helped me the most in my slow progression. I study my grammar book everyday, and make conversations on my own, but I'm never sure if the things I'm saying are correct.
Oreste, Cristina's boyfriend, says I need to find an Italian boyfriend, and I'll Italian very quickly that way. I don't think that would be very hard considering Italian men go nuts for American girls, but I have to have some time off to make these sort of connections!
In closing, I can say that everyone has been very kind and accepting. Cristina has told me that she really appreciates the work that I do, and that she's very glad that I'm here. That makes me feel very good. She has already mentioned that she'd like me to stay longer than a year, but I'll have to see how everything goes before I accept such an offer.
Ci vediamo!
Pace!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Bring it on world!!!
I've never been much of a blogger, but since I'm moving half way around the world, I figured this would be a good reason to start.
This wonderful opportunity to live in Italy for year just fell into my lap after a rehearsal of The Magic Flute. My friend Elizabeth had been working for an Italian women as a babysitter for a couple of years, and she told me that the woman was moving back to Italy. Cristina, the lovely Italian lady, decided that she wanted to bring an American with her to help raise her son, Mario, and to help keep his already perfect English going. When Elizabeth decided she didn't want to go, I was more than happy to inquire about the job. Since last summer, I was dying to find a way to get back to Europe after I had spent the June and July of 2007 in Lucca, Italy. But being a recent graduate with a Master's degree and quite an amount of debt built up from going to school, finding the money to fund my second European experience was next to impossible. But look at me now! My departure is less than a week away, and I'm dealing with the usual hectic life of moving.
Yesterday I stopped by the Alumni Office at the New England Conservatory to get an alumni ID card. While I was there, I got to talking to the boss lady of the alumni organization. She got me hooked up with the alumni website, and now I can go online and find other NEC graduates who live in Italy as well. I think it will be a great opportunity to make some connections, and make some friends too. After all, I am going to a completely new place where I don't speak the language very well, and plus I won't know anyone. I've always found myself to be a very adaptable person, and I can see myself through just about anything. It's not going to easy. I'm expecting my journey to be a bumpy road. But I am sooooo up for the challenge! So bring it on world!
Now is the time to come up with a clever sign off, but I'll have to come up with something later. For now, I'll just say something in Italian.
Pace!
This wonderful opportunity to live in Italy for year just fell into my lap after a rehearsal of The Magic Flute. My friend Elizabeth had been working for an Italian women as a babysitter for a couple of years, and she told me that the woman was moving back to Italy. Cristina, the lovely Italian lady, decided that she wanted to bring an American with her to help raise her son, Mario, and to help keep his already perfect English going. When Elizabeth decided she didn't want to go, I was more than happy to inquire about the job. Since last summer, I was dying to find a way to get back to Europe after I had spent the June and July of 2007 in Lucca, Italy. But being a recent graduate with a Master's degree and quite an amount of debt built up from going to school, finding the money to fund my second European experience was next to impossible. But look at me now! My departure is less than a week away, and I'm dealing with the usual hectic life of moving.
Yesterday I stopped by the Alumni Office at the New England Conservatory to get an alumni ID card. While I was there, I got to talking to the boss lady of the alumni organization. She got me hooked up with the alumni website, and now I can go online and find other NEC graduates who live in Italy as well. I think it will be a great opportunity to make some connections, and make some friends too. After all, I am going to a completely new place where I don't speak the language very well, and plus I won't know anyone. I've always found myself to be a very adaptable person, and I can see myself through just about anything. It's not going to easy. I'm expecting my journey to be a bumpy road. But I am sooooo up for the challenge! So bring it on world!
Now is the time to come up with a clever sign off, but I'll have to come up with something later. For now, I'll just say something in Italian.
Pace!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
