So it’s been a long time since I wrote a blog & it hasn’t been because nothing has been going on! A lot has been going on, I just haven’t found the time to write! Since I’ve moved into my apartment I find myself either cleaning/setting up the apartment, going for walks in the evenings, or going to all the places nearby that are in abundance now that I’m in the center of the city. When I was staying at the Residence near our office there was nothing to do at night, but around my apartment there always seems to be something to do!
I actually started writing this at work & probably should have been studying Italian or reading an annual report or studying up on the oil & gas industry or some accounting guidance…BUT instead I decided to blog. Even if I was going to do one of the others I would be thinking about what I will write in my blog since I’ve been meaning to do so for so long, so I figured might as well just write! Plus the office is SO empty now and SO quiet that if I read or study I probably will fall asleep. (To understand why it’s so empty, read my post “Ferragosto”.) Plus I’ll consider this as practicing my typing skills, since it has been so long since I’ve had to document at work! ;-) Oh and yes, still don’t know my clients yet at work, so really no change at work & nothing to write about there!
Oh where to begin…where to begin! My last blog I left off at me getting my apartment, so I will go from there. I have so much to talk about, so I what I will do is do them as several posts so that you don’t have to read them all at once. Hopefully that will help. I would just try to write less, but there are just so many things I want to type about…especially since I’m at the point where everything is an adventure and challenge. And I try my best not to be wordy, but I think it runs in my blood…so I can’t help it!
Also if any of you have questions for me or anything you’d like me to talk about, just let me know. I’m not sure how many of you actually read these or what you find interesting, but if you send me questions I’ll incorporate them in my blogs as best I can. I’m doing this to help me capture my memories, but also to let others experience & learn through my experiences since not everyone can come here. So ask away! If I don’t know the answer I’ll try to find out.
Settling In
So a common question I get is ‘So are you settled in yet?’ or ‘Sounds like you’re settling in okay.’ The response to those really depends on the day and what all has happened that day! For some odd reason I was thinking that once I got my apartment things would start getting easier & all of the sudden I would be “settled in” here. Man was I wrong! Moving into an apartment just took things to another level! And I’m at the point where I think maybe in half a year I can say I’m “settled in”. Don’t get me wrong – I’m definitely happy I moved into my apartment & it is nice to have a place to call ‘home’ and a place I know I won’t have to move out of soon. What I forgot about were all the little things about getting use to a new place, especially one so different than what you were use to.
For instance, it took me 2 days to figure out how to get hot water & that was only because on evening I had dinner with some girls from work and one told me that I probably need to keep the switch for the boiler on all the time. When I moved in they showed me the switch & said this is for the boiler so you have hot water. It’s a switch so I figured I didn’t need it on ALL the time, just turn it on a little bit before I take a shower. One cold shower too many (& I hate cold showers), and I do indeed keep it on all the time! Funny how a cold shower in the morning can make you crabby all day & a hot shower can make your day a little brighter!
Oh and then after the hot water it was the stovetop (mine is gas). For the first week or so I just ate salads & sandwiches, so I had no need to turn on the oven or the stove. But one weekend I went to the open market at Campo de’ Fiori and got all kinds of veggies, pasta, sun dried tomatoes, pasta seasoning, etc. and decided to make pasta for dinner. So I get out the big pot & put water in it, get out all my ingredients and start cutting the eggplant & zucchini. Then go to start boiling the water, turn the knob on the oven & nothing! Hmm…I’m not all that domesticated, but back home I at least knew how to turn on the stove! Okay so there were times the light went out on the gas stove in our house & Francie (my sister) would have to light it. But I at least knew how to get the gas to go. When I moved in they showed me the switch thing on the wall to turn on & off the gas (and I know enough Italian to know which is off & which is on), but I didn’t actually turn it on because I figured it couldn’t be that difficult. So there I was, trying to figure out how to get the stove to turn on! I looked for other buttons, looked all around & nothing. When I turned the knob I didn’t smell gas or hear anything like you usually do with a gas stove. I saw the landlady left a lighter close to it & was thinking maybe I had to light something, but I was to afraid to try for fear of catching the whole place on fire! I was even emailing friends I knew were online to try to get their advice on something I was doing wrong. Finally I gave up & just baked the veggies (since I knew how to work the oven) and completely gave up on making the pasta. The next day at work I asked a colleague and he said I might make sure that the gas switch is on at the main box. So that night I switched the gas switch off & on (it was in the on position originally), and turned every knob on the stovetop again…and FINALLY I figured out that you have to put the knob in a certain position and hold it down for several seconds and THEN it will light! I never thought I would be so happy to see a flame on a stove before! Now I still don’t really know how to control the temperature because if I move the knob too much in either direction the flame goes out. But at least I can heat stuff up now!
Oh another appliance to learn – the washer! Thank goodness for pictures, because I rely on that a lot. I’ve done several loads of laundry & by some miracle they come out the same size and at least smelling clean, so I guess I’m doing it okay. I’ve tried different settings, but still really don’t know what they all do. I pulled out the instruction book, but doesn’t do any good since it’s all in Italian. And I’m not really sure I’m putting the detergent and fabric softener into the right place, but all I know is my clothes seem clean & smell good. Oh yeah & when I put the detergent & softener in, I just guess how much to put in because I can’t really read how much I’m suppose to use. And now they are also a bit softer now that I finally found fabric softener - thanks to Cristina, one of my Italian teachers in Houston, who sent me names of some after I had to reach out to her for help on that one (you should have seen me in the supermarket with my blackberry looking at the names in the email and then trying to find them on the shelf!). Since I have to air dry my clothes they are still a bit stiff, but no where near as stiff as they were without fabric softener.
My first weekend in my apartment I needed to clean the place up, but first needed to find cleaning supplies. Now back home all I would need to do is find a Wal-Mart or Target & I’d be set, but unfortunately there are no Wal-Marts or Targets here. So I go out on Sat. afternoon on a mission to find a supermarket or some place with cleaning supplies. Not knowing where to going I just start walking…in the summer heat, I just start walking down my street figuring eventually I will find a place that has some. About 15 minutes into my walk I go past a shop that has some dresses I like in the window, and since the ‘saldi’ (sales) signs were up I somehow find myself in the store trying on dresses instead of buying cleaning supplies! I come out with a new dress I got on sale & before checking out I asked the sales lady (who spoke very good English) if she knew where I could buy cleaning supplies & electronic stuff. She told me she did not know about electronics, but pointed across the street & said that supermarket right there should have cleaning supplies. So I bought a dress, but also found the store I was originally looking for!
The supermarket was 2 floors (2 small floors I should say) & after I was worried I still wasn’t going to find what I was looking for I realized the cleaning stuff was in the bottom. Oh and I learned from prior experiences & this time was prepared with a bag for my stuff so I didn’t have to pay for one (used my big Ikea bag I bought). I’ve also figured out that if I use the bag to put the stuff in as I shop I won’t end up with more than I can carry! See I do learn! I found all the ‘basics’ I needed…laundry detergent, mop, Ajax for the bathroom, air fresheners, paper towels, etc. Then I check out & head out with my big, blue plastic Ikea bag loaded on my shoulder (and if any of you have been to Ikea, you know how big their bags!) and in one had I have a mop handle & the other the bright, red bucket! I couldn’t find my bus pass & didn’t think people would appreciate me bringing all that stuff on the bus so I just decide to walk home. Have you ever tried carrying all the goods you bought for at least 15 minutes in about 86F or so temperature? It’s a workout let me tell you! Plus I felt like everyone was looking at me walking down the sidewalk with this mop & bucket! But have to say that after I did some cleaning that weekend, I did feel a little more at ‘home’ in my apartment! It felt a little cleaner & a little fresher.
Of course I didn’t find everything I needed there & it’s taken weeks to find more stuff I need (and still searching for some).
A couple weeks ago during lunch I went to a shop close to our office & was able to buy an iron & blow dryer (Singer brand, so should be good!). Actually felt like a bit of an accomplishment since I talked to the guy a little in Italian (very little) when I bought it. I could talk to him in Italian enough to tell him what I did & understood that he use to do accounting but now forgot it all and he said maybe sometimes I can come teach him accounting! Again like me with all appliances, buying it was just half the battle. I got home & took the blow dryer out and can’t it to plug in. Apparently in Italy there are several difference size plugs and the ones on the blow dryer and iron are larger compared to most. I found that with a lot of force it will fit, but it is a workout to get it in & out. I just leave my blow dryer plugged in now & fight with it every time I want to iron until I figure out until there is a converter or something I need to buy.
This weekend I made it to the big mall Parco Leonardo, which is close to the airport. It’s taken me a while to figure out how to get there because it’s out of the center and I have to take a bus to one of the train stations & then take a train to the mall. It takes about an hour from my apartment to there (depending on how long I have to wait on a bus & then train). The train ticket costs less than €2 and is good for 6 hrs. It’s not that bad to get to…now that I know how to do it all. Their mall is pretty new & is much like ones in the US – 2 stories with different clothing stores, home stores, athletic stores, electronic stores, food court (mostly Italian food of course), cinema, etc. A couple things that I noticed that were different was that it had a place where you could buy fresh meats & cheeses and the stores aren’t as large in size compared to most in the US. The only real big store is Auchan’s, which was one of the best finds I’ve had so far because it’s the closest thing to a Wal-Mart or Target that they have here and it’s very big! I believe there are still some of these in the US, although I’ve never been to one. It has everything from electronics to cleaning & cooking supplies to groceries! I finally found some of the stuff I had been looking for like an ironing board cover, a phone & a lot of misc. stuff for the house. And I never thought I would be so happy to see Swiffer sweepers & dusters, but when I saw them there I was SO excited! I use those all the time back home & when trying to dust earlier was wishing I would have packed some, but now I have them here! Of course going to Auchan’s still my biggest problem is that I have to remember whatever I buy I have to carry for the next hour or so on my train/bus/walk route home!
But it is funny how the little things, things that at home you don’t even think twice about or just think of as a chore, when you are in a different place & everything is a challenge even those little things – like finding cleaning supplies, finally getting the stove to work, being able to wash clothes without having them coming out still soaking wet, finding an hair dryer, iron, ironing board cover, and Swiffers. Those little things all of the sudden become little bits of joy & little accomplishments!
Another thing new to me now that I’m in my apartment – dealing with repair men & deliveries. It’s usually a bit weird for me back home to have repair men you don’t know in your house when you’re there (maybe just for me & especially because I’m female). But have you ever had one or more there when you have no idea a word of what they are saying!?!
Per my contract, I had 8 days to let my landlady know if there was anything that needed to be fixed in the apartment. Even when I was moving in she had said that they TV needed a new connection & that the vent in the bathroom was making a funny noise and if I wanted to have those fixed she would have it done. So I email her about those (and about the toilet seat lid being loose too, but I think something got lost in the translation of that one because that has not been fixed). That day she emails asking if I can be at the apartment for people to come fix them, which I was very surprised about it happening so quickly because I was told about how everything in Italy usually takes a long time to get arranged.
So I make arrangements to get home a little early to be there. In order to get into my apartment building, you have to push the buzzer outside the front door with my landlady’s name on it & then I have to push a button on this phone thing to let you in (it’s an intercom system). Problem is that when people call & say who they are and what they want I really don’t understand who they are or what they want. So as long as I’m expecting someone to come, I just buzz whoever calls to let them in. So I think I’m having one person come to do the repairs & I instead have 2 show up. So I have these 2 Italian men in my apartment doing stuff that at first I’m not exactly sure what they are doing & they are asking me questions & most of the time I have no clue what they are asking. Thank goodness for hand gestures & pointing! But they did get the stuff done & it went okay.
I also had a guy come to install the internet – again a case of where he was asking me all kinds of questions & I have no idea what he is asking or saying. And when he left all I knew was that he was going to do something for 20 minutes & asked if I was going to stay there that long. I said yes, so there I sat in the middle of the afternoon before going back to work just to have him call me with my telephone number about 20 minutes later (so I could have gone back to work after all!).
Oh and I had a delivery that needed to be made and a guy calls me on my cell talking in Italian and then English, but the only thing is I really couldn’t understand his English either. All I knew was that he said he was open from 8am until 7pm and wanted to know when I would be at my apartment so they could come by. I was trying to figure out what he needed to come by for & couldn’t understand. So I just told him I would be there by 6:30 the next day. So then I was trying to figure out what he was saying and what he needed to come by for. I thought he said something about flowers, but wasn’t sure. So the next day I looked up the phone number (thank goodness the call history is saved on cell phones) and verified it was a flower place. So at least when the delivery guy came, I knew what to expect! (Btw – thanks for the flowers Vernon…that was very thoughtful of you & definitely a great house…or I guess apartment…warming gift and definitely worth all the confusion on my part for!).
Another instance of confusion because of the language difference was me getting my shipment of goods from the US. I get a call from a lady yesterday asking me if I will be at my apartment today (Tuesday) morning…all in Italian of course. I verify with her that she means tomorrow & she says yes. I ask (this in English) if it’s for my things and she just keeps saying ‘Tuesday morning yes?’ in Italian. So this morning I stay home waiting for someone to come hoping that I understood her correctly & that I will be getting my stuff. I figured that was what it was for since I emailed my contact in Milan about when I should get my stuff and she said that someone should be contacting me because they came by with it last week, but since they did not call beforehand of course I was not home. (As a side note, my stuff got to Milan a couple weeks ago but for some reason took a while to get here…I’m not sure why it seems to take such a long time for stuff to get from Milan to Rome…money from bank to bank, my stuff, etc….I’m beginning to think there are a couple men riding bikes back & forth between the 2 places to deliver this stuff! LOL!)
So this morning, the delivery guy finally came around 10:30 & I buzzed to let him in...but he didn't come up. So then I watch from my balcony as he unloads my boxes fr the truck & I think oh he's going to unload them all & then bring them up. And I was so excited to see all my stuff...I could tell it was my boxes from the balcony (because of the name on the boxes).
So then about 5 minutes later he rings again & all I understood was something about by the elevator. So I say ‘ok I'll come down’. I go down & all of my boxes are there, but no guy. I look out & see the truck, but don't see him. Went back upstairs thinking maybe I missed him somehow, but as I look from my balcony I see that it looks like the truck is leaving. I hurry down & look out again & sure enough he took off. So there I was left to get all my boxes to my apt by myself! At least I have an elevator...very small, but it is an elevator!
It took me 3 trips to get it up & was able to get all the boxes but 1 thru just one side of the door. The other side is suppose to open up too but it has these latch things you have to pull up/down (one at top & one at bottom). And when I moved in they just said oh you just pull it & it will open - sounded easy enough! So I pull the top one down with no problem. Try to pull the bottom one up & can't get it. It has this screw knob thing on it so I figure maybe I need to loosen it. Problem is that I unscrewed it too much & the thing fell down into the shaft & now I can't get it out...I can see it under the door, but it's too big to get out that way! So the only way I figured I could get that box of stuff in was to unpack the box in the hallway & carry the stuff into my apt - so that's what I finally did! After I got everything in I felt like I had a workout!
I must say looking at the boxes though 1) I'm actually impressed that I didn't have more boxes, 2) I'm glad I didn't pack more because that means I would have to carry more & 3) I'm glad I don't have more boxes because I don't think I'd have room for any more!
So now I do have all my belongings that I intended to have here (still have unpack them, but do have them). But still think it will take a while before I consider being ‘settled in’. It’s even the things like finding out where to get stamps (because who would have thought that you don’t get them at the post office, but no instead you get them at a tabaccheria), where to get clothes dry cleaned & tailored, the different markets/ stores to go for various things, figuring out the buses and bus stops without getting off 3 or 4 stops too early (one time it was 6 for me!) and all that type of stuff.
I have started to find a couple places that have helped me in settling in. I found out there is one nail place about a 3 minutes walk from my place and other about a 5 minutes bus ride. I went the one close for a manicure a couple weekends ago & it was nice, but small and the ladies that were there that day didn’t speak English. Thank goodness for other customers who spoke English, otherwise I would have not been able to get by in there! The other place, which I have an appointment at this weekend, is owned by people from Miami and they mainly speak English & cater to the English speaking people in Rome. When I went in it looked more like a nail place back home, so I’m excited to see how it goes. The one thing I’ve learned is that it’s not like back in Houston where if you just go in last minute you can usually get in then or within 30 minutes or so. No here they only have about 2 people working, so you basically have to have an appointment to get it.
The other place I’ve found that I really like is a great hair salon called Noi (http://www.noisalon.com/), which is another place that basically caters to English speaking expats. I found out about it from a discussion group that I joined that is for English speaking people in Rome. The place is owned by 2 Italians & an American who all worked in California for a while, but decided to come to Rome to set up a salon together. I made an appointment & went there 2 weekends ago and Giuseppe did my hair…and let me tell you it was like watching an artist at work! He washed my hair and asked how short I wanted it. I told him not too short, but was open to suggestions on the style. He asked if right above the shoulders was okay (showing me) & I said yes. The he went to town. Here I had this Italian guy with his shirt unbutton over half way down & gold cross around his neck working on my hair. He didn’t say a word, just had hair going everywhere – cutting here, cutting there…never using any clips to hold it up (except when blow drying later) & before I knew it in about 10 minutes he was done! Then he styled it and in total I was probably in & out in about 30 minutes. I really like it to – it’s not too different & I’m still getting use to how to style it, but I like it. I just wish I had a Giuseppe of my own that could do my hair every morning! That would the be ultimate! J And surprisingly, it didn’t cost all that much either ; it was €50 including tips & everything, which for a person with their level of experience in Houston would be as much if not more. Also I found out that in Italy usually they charge you additionally for any products they use on your hair (shampoo, conditioner, gel, etc.), but that don’t do that at Noi. I’ll definitely be going back there!
So back to the question on if I’m ‘settled in’ or ‘settling in okay’? Some days I feel like I’m adjusting okay, others I question why I’m even here and if I made a mistake thinking I would be able to live here for a couple years all by myself! I can usually take the little things & challenges, but some days it seems like I can’t go a day without being in a constant state of confusion…between the language and not knowing how to do things or where things are or what I’m suppose to do…those are the tough days. I was warned before I left that there were be good days & there would be bad days - but until you live through it you don’t understand what that really means. Before you are in it, it doesn’t seem like not being able to work the stove would be something that throws you into a state of ‘What am I doing here?!?’, but it’s the not being able to work the stove after a day at work where you don’t understand 95% of what’s being said around you and having repairmen in your apartment for an hour in which you don’t understand what they are saying… and then you realize you are missing important things back home like your mom’s birthday or you find out your uncle died and you of course won’t be able to go to his funeral…all of it together is what piles up to make one of those ‘though days’.
But on the other side, thank goodness I’m in a city that has many beautiful places and lots of things to do, so when I have times like that I can take about a 10 minute walk to St. Peter’s Square (which is gorgeous at night!) and sit there listening to the water fountains behind me and stare at St. Peter’s Basilica…and cry my eyes out if I want & have a heart-to-heart with the ‘Big Man’ asking him for strength and guidance. There I can’t help but to feel little…to feel like a little piece of something big…and just to sit in awe. In the ‘arms’ of St. Peter’s Square is where I find my comfort many times.
I can also go to Piazza Navona and people watch & stroll through the artists’ paintings and get lost in it all. Or go to the festival outside of Castle Sant’Angelo and listen to the bands playing. Doing those things and being able to turn to family and friends (mostly via email) for support & encouragement, those are the things that are helping me get past the though days.
It’s not really gotten to the point where I want to just pack up and go home, just makes me question whether or not I made the right decision thinking I can overcome all of these challenges. But in my heart I know if I wasn’t meant to be here, then I wouldn’t be here. I’m in this place, right now for a reason – the reason I may not know right now or understand, but I’m in this beautiful place…I’m LIVING in this beautiful place that I know many can only dream of doing…or because of fear or other responsibilities in their life they can not do. So I know I must seize this opportunity given to me and find the strength to make it through the tough days and to enjoy the moment and the opportunity. Sometimes on the tough days that’s hard to remember, but I try. Sometimes it’s hard to keep a smile all the time, but I try…and I do it as much as possible!
So I’m settling in & it will take a while, but I’m now okay with that now. I know that it’s a part of moving, especially to a different country that is so different, and it will just take time. So for now I’m settling in…but not settled in!
I actually started writing this at work & probably should have been studying Italian or reading an annual report or studying up on the oil & gas industry or some accounting guidance…BUT instead I decided to blog. Even if I was going to do one of the others I would be thinking about what I will write in my blog since I’ve been meaning to do so for so long, so I figured might as well just write! Plus the office is SO empty now and SO quiet that if I read or study I probably will fall asleep. (To understand why it’s so empty, read my post “Ferragosto”.) Plus I’ll consider this as practicing my typing skills, since it has been so long since I’ve had to document at work! ;-) Oh and yes, still don’t know my clients yet at work, so really no change at work & nothing to write about there!
Oh where to begin…where to begin! My last blog I left off at me getting my apartment, so I will go from there. I have so much to talk about, so I what I will do is do them as several posts so that you don’t have to read them all at once. Hopefully that will help. I would just try to write less, but there are just so many things I want to type about…especially since I’m at the point where everything is an adventure and challenge. And I try my best not to be wordy, but I think it runs in my blood…so I can’t help it!
Also if any of you have questions for me or anything you’d like me to talk about, just let me know. I’m not sure how many of you actually read these or what you find interesting, but if you send me questions I’ll incorporate them in my blogs as best I can. I’m doing this to help me capture my memories, but also to let others experience & learn through my experiences since not everyone can come here. So ask away! If I don’t know the answer I’ll try to find out.
Settling In
So a common question I get is ‘So are you settled in yet?’ or ‘Sounds like you’re settling in okay.’ The response to those really depends on the day and what all has happened that day! For some odd reason I was thinking that once I got my apartment things would start getting easier & all of the sudden I would be “settled in” here. Man was I wrong! Moving into an apartment just took things to another level! And I’m at the point where I think maybe in half a year I can say I’m “settled in”. Don’t get me wrong – I’m definitely happy I moved into my apartment & it is nice to have a place to call ‘home’ and a place I know I won’t have to move out of soon. What I forgot about were all the little things about getting use to a new place, especially one so different than what you were use to.
For instance, it took me 2 days to figure out how to get hot water & that was only because on evening I had dinner with some girls from work and one told me that I probably need to keep the switch for the boiler on all the time. When I moved in they showed me the switch & said this is for the boiler so you have hot water. It’s a switch so I figured I didn’t need it on ALL the time, just turn it on a little bit before I take a shower. One cold shower too many (& I hate cold showers), and I do indeed keep it on all the time! Funny how a cold shower in the morning can make you crabby all day & a hot shower can make your day a little brighter!
Oh and then after the hot water it was the stovetop (mine is gas). For the first week or so I just ate salads & sandwiches, so I had no need to turn on the oven or the stove. But one weekend I went to the open market at Campo de’ Fiori and got all kinds of veggies, pasta, sun dried tomatoes, pasta seasoning, etc. and decided to make pasta for dinner. So I get out the big pot & put water in it, get out all my ingredients and start cutting the eggplant & zucchini. Then go to start boiling the water, turn the knob on the oven & nothing! Hmm…I’m not all that domesticated, but back home I at least knew how to turn on the stove! Okay so there were times the light went out on the gas stove in our house & Francie (my sister) would have to light it. But I at least knew how to get the gas to go. When I moved in they showed me the switch thing on the wall to turn on & off the gas (and I know enough Italian to know which is off & which is on), but I didn’t actually turn it on because I figured it couldn’t be that difficult. So there I was, trying to figure out how to get the stove to turn on! I looked for other buttons, looked all around & nothing. When I turned the knob I didn’t smell gas or hear anything like you usually do with a gas stove. I saw the landlady left a lighter close to it & was thinking maybe I had to light something, but I was to afraid to try for fear of catching the whole place on fire! I was even emailing friends I knew were online to try to get their advice on something I was doing wrong. Finally I gave up & just baked the veggies (since I knew how to work the oven) and completely gave up on making the pasta. The next day at work I asked a colleague and he said I might make sure that the gas switch is on at the main box. So that night I switched the gas switch off & on (it was in the on position originally), and turned every knob on the stovetop again…and FINALLY I figured out that you have to put the knob in a certain position and hold it down for several seconds and THEN it will light! I never thought I would be so happy to see a flame on a stove before! Now I still don’t really know how to control the temperature because if I move the knob too much in either direction the flame goes out. But at least I can heat stuff up now!
Oh another appliance to learn – the washer! Thank goodness for pictures, because I rely on that a lot. I’ve done several loads of laundry & by some miracle they come out the same size and at least smelling clean, so I guess I’m doing it okay. I’ve tried different settings, but still really don’t know what they all do. I pulled out the instruction book, but doesn’t do any good since it’s all in Italian. And I’m not really sure I’m putting the detergent and fabric softener into the right place, but all I know is my clothes seem clean & smell good. Oh yeah & when I put the detergent & softener in, I just guess how much to put in because I can’t really read how much I’m suppose to use. And now they are also a bit softer now that I finally found fabric softener - thanks to Cristina, one of my Italian teachers in Houston, who sent me names of some after I had to reach out to her for help on that one (you should have seen me in the supermarket with my blackberry looking at the names in the email and then trying to find them on the shelf!). Since I have to air dry my clothes they are still a bit stiff, but no where near as stiff as they were without fabric softener.
My first weekend in my apartment I needed to clean the place up, but first needed to find cleaning supplies. Now back home all I would need to do is find a Wal-Mart or Target & I’d be set, but unfortunately there are no Wal-Marts or Targets here. So I go out on Sat. afternoon on a mission to find a supermarket or some place with cleaning supplies. Not knowing where to going I just start walking…in the summer heat, I just start walking down my street figuring eventually I will find a place that has some. About 15 minutes into my walk I go past a shop that has some dresses I like in the window, and since the ‘saldi’ (sales) signs were up I somehow find myself in the store trying on dresses instead of buying cleaning supplies! I come out with a new dress I got on sale & before checking out I asked the sales lady (who spoke very good English) if she knew where I could buy cleaning supplies & electronic stuff. She told me she did not know about electronics, but pointed across the street & said that supermarket right there should have cleaning supplies. So I bought a dress, but also found the store I was originally looking for!
The supermarket was 2 floors (2 small floors I should say) & after I was worried I still wasn’t going to find what I was looking for I realized the cleaning stuff was in the bottom. Oh and I learned from prior experiences & this time was prepared with a bag for my stuff so I didn’t have to pay for one (used my big Ikea bag I bought). I’ve also figured out that if I use the bag to put the stuff in as I shop I won’t end up with more than I can carry! See I do learn! I found all the ‘basics’ I needed…laundry detergent, mop, Ajax for the bathroom, air fresheners, paper towels, etc. Then I check out & head out with my big, blue plastic Ikea bag loaded on my shoulder (and if any of you have been to Ikea, you know how big their bags!) and in one had I have a mop handle & the other the bright, red bucket! I couldn’t find my bus pass & didn’t think people would appreciate me bringing all that stuff on the bus so I just decide to walk home. Have you ever tried carrying all the goods you bought for at least 15 minutes in about 86F or so temperature? It’s a workout let me tell you! Plus I felt like everyone was looking at me walking down the sidewalk with this mop & bucket! But have to say that after I did some cleaning that weekend, I did feel a little more at ‘home’ in my apartment! It felt a little cleaner & a little fresher.
Of course I didn’t find everything I needed there & it’s taken weeks to find more stuff I need (and still searching for some).
A couple weeks ago during lunch I went to a shop close to our office & was able to buy an iron & blow dryer (Singer brand, so should be good!). Actually felt like a bit of an accomplishment since I talked to the guy a little in Italian (very little) when I bought it. I could talk to him in Italian enough to tell him what I did & understood that he use to do accounting but now forgot it all and he said maybe sometimes I can come teach him accounting! Again like me with all appliances, buying it was just half the battle. I got home & took the blow dryer out and can’t it to plug in. Apparently in Italy there are several difference size plugs and the ones on the blow dryer and iron are larger compared to most. I found that with a lot of force it will fit, but it is a workout to get it in & out. I just leave my blow dryer plugged in now & fight with it every time I want to iron until I figure out until there is a converter or something I need to buy.
This weekend I made it to the big mall Parco Leonardo, which is close to the airport. It’s taken me a while to figure out how to get there because it’s out of the center and I have to take a bus to one of the train stations & then take a train to the mall. It takes about an hour from my apartment to there (depending on how long I have to wait on a bus & then train). The train ticket costs less than €2 and is good for 6 hrs. It’s not that bad to get to…now that I know how to do it all. Their mall is pretty new & is much like ones in the US – 2 stories with different clothing stores, home stores, athletic stores, electronic stores, food court (mostly Italian food of course), cinema, etc. A couple things that I noticed that were different was that it had a place where you could buy fresh meats & cheeses and the stores aren’t as large in size compared to most in the US. The only real big store is Auchan’s, which was one of the best finds I’ve had so far because it’s the closest thing to a Wal-Mart or Target that they have here and it’s very big! I believe there are still some of these in the US, although I’ve never been to one. It has everything from electronics to cleaning & cooking supplies to groceries! I finally found some of the stuff I had been looking for like an ironing board cover, a phone & a lot of misc. stuff for the house. And I never thought I would be so happy to see Swiffer sweepers & dusters, but when I saw them there I was SO excited! I use those all the time back home & when trying to dust earlier was wishing I would have packed some, but now I have them here! Of course going to Auchan’s still my biggest problem is that I have to remember whatever I buy I have to carry for the next hour or so on my train/bus/walk route home!
But it is funny how the little things, things that at home you don’t even think twice about or just think of as a chore, when you are in a different place & everything is a challenge even those little things – like finding cleaning supplies, finally getting the stove to work, being able to wash clothes without having them coming out still soaking wet, finding an hair dryer, iron, ironing board cover, and Swiffers. Those little things all of the sudden become little bits of joy & little accomplishments!
Another thing new to me now that I’m in my apartment – dealing with repair men & deliveries. It’s usually a bit weird for me back home to have repair men you don’t know in your house when you’re there (maybe just for me & especially because I’m female). But have you ever had one or more there when you have no idea a word of what they are saying!?!
Per my contract, I had 8 days to let my landlady know if there was anything that needed to be fixed in the apartment. Even when I was moving in she had said that they TV needed a new connection & that the vent in the bathroom was making a funny noise and if I wanted to have those fixed she would have it done. So I email her about those (and about the toilet seat lid being loose too, but I think something got lost in the translation of that one because that has not been fixed). That day she emails asking if I can be at the apartment for people to come fix them, which I was very surprised about it happening so quickly because I was told about how everything in Italy usually takes a long time to get arranged.
So I make arrangements to get home a little early to be there. In order to get into my apartment building, you have to push the buzzer outside the front door with my landlady’s name on it & then I have to push a button on this phone thing to let you in (it’s an intercom system). Problem is that when people call & say who they are and what they want I really don’t understand who they are or what they want. So as long as I’m expecting someone to come, I just buzz whoever calls to let them in. So I think I’m having one person come to do the repairs & I instead have 2 show up. So I have these 2 Italian men in my apartment doing stuff that at first I’m not exactly sure what they are doing & they are asking me questions & most of the time I have no clue what they are asking. Thank goodness for hand gestures & pointing! But they did get the stuff done & it went okay.
I also had a guy come to install the internet – again a case of where he was asking me all kinds of questions & I have no idea what he is asking or saying. And when he left all I knew was that he was going to do something for 20 minutes & asked if I was going to stay there that long. I said yes, so there I sat in the middle of the afternoon before going back to work just to have him call me with my telephone number about 20 minutes later (so I could have gone back to work after all!).
Oh and I had a delivery that needed to be made and a guy calls me on my cell talking in Italian and then English, but the only thing is I really couldn’t understand his English either. All I knew was that he said he was open from 8am until 7pm and wanted to know when I would be at my apartment so they could come by. I was trying to figure out what he needed to come by for & couldn’t understand. So I just told him I would be there by 6:30 the next day. So then I was trying to figure out what he was saying and what he needed to come by for. I thought he said something about flowers, but wasn’t sure. So the next day I looked up the phone number (thank goodness the call history is saved on cell phones) and verified it was a flower place. So at least when the delivery guy came, I knew what to expect! (Btw – thanks for the flowers Vernon…that was very thoughtful of you & definitely a great house…or I guess apartment…warming gift and definitely worth all the confusion on my part for!).
Another instance of confusion because of the language difference was me getting my shipment of goods from the US. I get a call from a lady yesterday asking me if I will be at my apartment today (Tuesday) morning…all in Italian of course. I verify with her that she means tomorrow & she says yes. I ask (this in English) if it’s for my things and she just keeps saying ‘Tuesday morning yes?’ in Italian. So this morning I stay home waiting for someone to come hoping that I understood her correctly & that I will be getting my stuff. I figured that was what it was for since I emailed my contact in Milan about when I should get my stuff and she said that someone should be contacting me because they came by with it last week, but since they did not call beforehand of course I was not home. (As a side note, my stuff got to Milan a couple weeks ago but for some reason took a while to get here…I’m not sure why it seems to take such a long time for stuff to get from Milan to Rome…money from bank to bank, my stuff, etc….I’m beginning to think there are a couple men riding bikes back & forth between the 2 places to deliver this stuff! LOL!)
So this morning, the delivery guy finally came around 10:30 & I buzzed to let him in...but he didn't come up. So then I watch from my balcony as he unloads my boxes fr the truck & I think oh he's going to unload them all & then bring them up. And I was so excited to see all my stuff...I could tell it was my boxes from the balcony (because of the name on the boxes).
So then about 5 minutes later he rings again & all I understood was something about by the elevator. So I say ‘ok I'll come down’. I go down & all of my boxes are there, but no guy. I look out & see the truck, but don't see him. Went back upstairs thinking maybe I missed him somehow, but as I look from my balcony I see that it looks like the truck is leaving. I hurry down & look out again & sure enough he took off. So there I was left to get all my boxes to my apt by myself! At least I have an elevator...very small, but it is an elevator!
It took me 3 trips to get it up & was able to get all the boxes but 1 thru just one side of the door. The other side is suppose to open up too but it has these latch things you have to pull up/down (one at top & one at bottom). And when I moved in they just said oh you just pull it & it will open - sounded easy enough! So I pull the top one down with no problem. Try to pull the bottom one up & can't get it. It has this screw knob thing on it so I figure maybe I need to loosen it. Problem is that I unscrewed it too much & the thing fell down into the shaft & now I can't get it out...I can see it under the door, but it's too big to get out that way! So the only way I figured I could get that box of stuff in was to unpack the box in the hallway & carry the stuff into my apt - so that's what I finally did! After I got everything in I felt like I had a workout!
I must say looking at the boxes though 1) I'm actually impressed that I didn't have more boxes, 2) I'm glad I didn't pack more because that means I would have to carry more & 3) I'm glad I don't have more boxes because I don't think I'd have room for any more!
So now I do have all my belongings that I intended to have here (still have unpack them, but do have them). But still think it will take a while before I consider being ‘settled in’. It’s even the things like finding out where to get stamps (because who would have thought that you don’t get them at the post office, but no instead you get them at a tabaccheria), where to get clothes dry cleaned & tailored, the different markets/ stores to go for various things, figuring out the buses and bus stops without getting off 3 or 4 stops too early (one time it was 6 for me!) and all that type of stuff.
I have started to find a couple places that have helped me in settling in. I found out there is one nail place about a 3 minutes walk from my place and other about a 5 minutes bus ride. I went the one close for a manicure a couple weekends ago & it was nice, but small and the ladies that were there that day didn’t speak English. Thank goodness for other customers who spoke English, otherwise I would have not been able to get by in there! The other place, which I have an appointment at this weekend, is owned by people from Miami and they mainly speak English & cater to the English speaking people in Rome. When I went in it looked more like a nail place back home, so I’m excited to see how it goes. The one thing I’ve learned is that it’s not like back in Houston where if you just go in last minute you can usually get in then or within 30 minutes or so. No here they only have about 2 people working, so you basically have to have an appointment to get it.
The other place I’ve found that I really like is a great hair salon called Noi (http://www.noisalon.com/), which is another place that basically caters to English speaking expats. I found out about it from a discussion group that I joined that is for English speaking people in Rome. The place is owned by 2 Italians & an American who all worked in California for a while, but decided to come to Rome to set up a salon together. I made an appointment & went there 2 weekends ago and Giuseppe did my hair…and let me tell you it was like watching an artist at work! He washed my hair and asked how short I wanted it. I told him not too short, but was open to suggestions on the style. He asked if right above the shoulders was okay (showing me) & I said yes. The he went to town. Here I had this Italian guy with his shirt unbutton over half way down & gold cross around his neck working on my hair. He didn’t say a word, just had hair going everywhere – cutting here, cutting there…never using any clips to hold it up (except when blow drying later) & before I knew it in about 10 minutes he was done! Then he styled it and in total I was probably in & out in about 30 minutes. I really like it to – it’s not too different & I’m still getting use to how to style it, but I like it. I just wish I had a Giuseppe of my own that could do my hair every morning! That would the be ultimate! J And surprisingly, it didn’t cost all that much either ; it was €50 including tips & everything, which for a person with their level of experience in Houston would be as much if not more. Also I found out that in Italy usually they charge you additionally for any products they use on your hair (shampoo, conditioner, gel, etc.), but that don’t do that at Noi. I’ll definitely be going back there!
So back to the question on if I’m ‘settled in’ or ‘settling in okay’? Some days I feel like I’m adjusting okay, others I question why I’m even here and if I made a mistake thinking I would be able to live here for a couple years all by myself! I can usually take the little things & challenges, but some days it seems like I can’t go a day without being in a constant state of confusion…between the language and not knowing how to do things or where things are or what I’m suppose to do…those are the tough days. I was warned before I left that there were be good days & there would be bad days - but until you live through it you don’t understand what that really means. Before you are in it, it doesn’t seem like not being able to work the stove would be something that throws you into a state of ‘What am I doing here?!?’, but it’s the not being able to work the stove after a day at work where you don’t understand 95% of what’s being said around you and having repairmen in your apartment for an hour in which you don’t understand what they are saying… and then you realize you are missing important things back home like your mom’s birthday or you find out your uncle died and you of course won’t be able to go to his funeral…all of it together is what piles up to make one of those ‘though days’.
But on the other side, thank goodness I’m in a city that has many beautiful places and lots of things to do, so when I have times like that I can take about a 10 minute walk to St. Peter’s Square (which is gorgeous at night!) and sit there listening to the water fountains behind me and stare at St. Peter’s Basilica…and cry my eyes out if I want & have a heart-to-heart with the ‘Big Man’ asking him for strength and guidance. There I can’t help but to feel little…to feel like a little piece of something big…and just to sit in awe. In the ‘arms’ of St. Peter’s Square is where I find my comfort many times.
I can also go to Piazza Navona and people watch & stroll through the artists’ paintings and get lost in it all. Or go to the festival outside of Castle Sant’Angelo and listen to the bands playing. Doing those things and being able to turn to family and friends (mostly via email) for support & encouragement, those are the things that are helping me get past the though days.
It’s not really gotten to the point where I want to just pack up and go home, just makes me question whether or not I made the right decision thinking I can overcome all of these challenges. But in my heart I know if I wasn’t meant to be here, then I wouldn’t be here. I’m in this place, right now for a reason – the reason I may not know right now or understand, but I’m in this beautiful place…I’m LIVING in this beautiful place that I know many can only dream of doing…or because of fear or other responsibilities in their life they can not do. So I know I must seize this opportunity given to me and find the strength to make it through the tough days and to enjoy the moment and the opportunity. Sometimes on the tough days that’s hard to remember, but I try. Sometimes it’s hard to keep a smile all the time, but I try…and I do it as much as possible!
So I’m settling in & it will take a while, but I’m now okay with that now. I know that it’s a part of moving, especially to a different country that is so different, and it will just take time. So for now I’m settling in…but not settled in!
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