Girl on Tour: July 2009

Check out this marathon letter I got from my little sister K yesterday. I loved reading it! I first wrote about her here.

Hi All,

I am loving this new lifestyle and I’m trying desperately hard to stay in Italy as I don’t want to leave this ‘bella’ country!! I know some of you are aware that I arrived in Milan but I actually live on the coast of Italy at Santa Margherita (2hours by train to Milan) The coastline in Italy is amazing. Where I am staying is very close to France (Nice, the French Riviera), the mountains hit the sea and all the housing is built on the hills. From far away it looks like the buildings are going to roll off the mountain and into the sea. It’s a marvelous view surrounding you especially at night on a vespa.

Basicly my job role is to wake up, have breakfast with the two girls I tutor. Seeing they are nearly teenagers they sleep in till very late (until about 9:30am). That means I can have a sleep in too but my sleep in is until 8am as I get up to have a jog around the Italian beach or countryside. Once they have finished breakfast, we get ready for the beach (if the weather permits).Whilst we put on our sunscreen and wait 30mins for it to sink in, we read an English book. After we have done some English exercises it’s time to play in the water.

I’ve finally overcome my fear of swimming in the water, only because I’ve been assured there are no sharks in the ‘Mediterranean Sea’. I’ve forgotten how fun it can be a child and the games we play in the water are so simple. We are at the beach until 12:30pm because we need to be home in time to shower and have lunch at 1pm.

I am loving the Italian diet as lunch can be a simple rice dish with tomatoes, olives and of course olive oil. Once we have finished that the next course comes which is usually some meat and today brosscino. It is like proscitto but it is beef and it was served with shaved parmesan cheese on top. We always have fruit after each meal and a selection of stone fruits and cherries is what we’ve been used too. After lunch is my two hour break as I am not required to start again until 4pm.

At the moment I’ve been trying to find sufficient internet as Italy seems to be non existent when it comes to internet. I’ve finally found some wireless internet in the main park in Santa Margherita which is at the front of the beautiful coastline. Or I’ll sit in my room and keep practicing my Italian as I hope to have a real Italian conversation with a local in a couple of weeks.

Once I start back at 4pm the girls have just finished their school homework. Yes Italians get homework on their summer holidays because they get 3 months off for summer not like Australians with only 6 or 7 weeks off. So the girls are quite drained from that so we go outside for exercise. We usually just walk around town and they ask me about boys. I shouldn’t have said this but I mentioned that Robert Pattinson from ‘Twilight’ is attractive and now they keep telling me my heart is breaking for Robert or am I thinking about kissing Robert and so on. These girls are like the little sisters I’ve always wanted (as my family remembers, I wanted to swap my younger brother for a girl when I was 3 years old). The12 year old loves running so she forces me to jog with her which is really a good thing.
I finally made friends with the locals as there was a little hiccup to start with. I meet a boy called ‘M’ who asked me to go out with his friends. Being a little naive and with his broken English (Italian’s don’t speak very good English compared to other European countries) I thought we were going out with him and his friends. He thought it was a date as I was clearly not interested in him. I went out with him and he introduced me to basically everyone around our age in Santa Margerhita. It was a wonderful night though as he took me too my first discoteque which was overlooking the Italian coast. The sight was absolutely gorgeous and I can’t wait to go back!! After that evening he dropped me home and I texted him, ‘thanks for a great night’.

The next night I went out with a British Nanny I met and we get on really well. She had to leave at 12:30am and people don’t start going out in Italy until 11pm (so the night was very early). As she left I bumped into some people ‘M’ had introduced me to the night before. This time I met them they had a New Zealander with them who spoke fluent Italian and English. Perfecto!!! I hang out with them whilst A, (the New Zealander translated most of it). I found out that I had a lot I common with L as we were chatting about bands we like (with the help of A of course). He mentioned that ‘Mars Volta’ was his favourite band and I’m like ‘Oh My god they are mine too, I’ve seen them 3 times’. After we finished partying L asked if we could catch up tomorrow and I gave him my number.

The next day L called me and we arranged to meet at the Cinema. I thought he was going to take me ‘Transformers’ but we did was so much better. We went out for appertivi which is like drinks and antipasto before dinner. He had a notepad as he found it easier to understand some words and that if we wrote it down and my phrasebook was a lifesaver (the Italians find my phrasebook hilarious as there is a page about sex and the always try to say things in English when we’re out drinking). After appertivi we went to dinner at a restaurant and L bought me my first pizza. He was very happy about that. Although we couldn’t speak English it was surprising what we discussed. He asked about Australia and knew that we were all convicts (hehe) as he asked if that was true. He asked about the aboriginals and we discussed their suppression and he also knew about the hole in the ozone layer. The one thing I’ve noticed about Italians is education is very important and their schooling system is a lot harder than ours. L is studying psychology and communication at Milan but hopes to become a journalist as he loves writing.

After dinner we went for a walk along the coast still talking music and indie films as we big fans of films like ‘Donnie Darko’, ‘Lost in Translation’ etc. The funniest thing he said all night that ‘It was weird how he’s studying communication but he can’t communicate with me properly’. It was a good night and the most interesting time out I’ve ever had with someone. Who would have thought I’d be communicating with someone through a notepad.

The next night I met Lorenzo and his friends out for apperitivi and they had a friend there G who could speak fluent English and Italian. Due to my naivity once again and not realizing that Santa Margaherita was a small town. M had phoned up L angry that him and I had been out for dinner. They have known each other since they were 2 years old. They are not best friends but know each other. I didn’t realize I’d done anything wrong but they told me not to worry. The good thing is L has gone to Milan for the week so hopefully this all dies down. Everyone has told me to worry because M is strange.

I went out last night with L’s friends and have met more people and a lot of girls now. It’s great as everyone here is so welcoming so I’ve got a little crew I can hang out with. The best thing about it is it’s forcing me to learn Italian because most of the conversations I can’t participate in. I could have taken the easy way out and just found all the English people but I’m glad I’ve persevered and am hanging out with Italians. I don’t want to go to the UK and I’m really thinking of nannying in Milan. I could get a part-time nannying live in job and teach in English speaking schools as there is a need for them.

I miss you all and will let you know more interesting adventures as they occur!!

Ciao
K (lil Girl on Tour)

Look what I made the 3 Carnivorous Air Crew on board for lunch today....(and one for meeeee!)

They polished their plates clean before I even had a chance to finish munching on mine...perhaps it was because I was talking too much hehe.

Two of the guys still wanted Feta, but for mine and one other pilot's, we had 100% RAW & Vegan.

One pilot asked, "now when I want to order this for lunch again, what do I ask for?"

I told them to tell Becci (if she is their Flight Attendant next up) that Robyn makes the best salads. Knowing how competive Becci is with her food creations, it would guarantee them a wayyyy better lunch. Hee hee. Let the competition begin.

Oh and check out this Birthday Cake Becci slaved in my kitchen making yesterday and today. Her kitchen is still lacking a few Gourmet Raw tools and she fell in love with my (ahem, ok my man's) Vita Mix Blender. Seriously, this cake was the best thing to come home to after being away for work on my birthday night last night (boo hoo). Oh that and the animals oh and of course the man ;).

This cake was AMMAAAZZZING! Can you believe not one animal was hurt in the process and it is completely RAW. Becci and I have been giggling all night though after sharing just one slice. Hmmm Carob and Cacao must make you high!

Here you go! Try a slice?