Getting used to Italian disorganisation

Hello people! Here's my second post from Turin. Enjoy! 

I have a flat! It is small, but there's only me and one other girl, so it works out fine for us. She's Italian, but also knows English and French, so we've been speaking a mixture of all three languages. Hopefully, my Italian will actually get to the point that I won't need to fall back on the other 2 languages. We also share a bedroom - that's fairly common to do in Italy. I still have my own side of it, so I feel like I have a space of my own, and it's not as bad as people might think it to be - It just seems strange for us British folk - to be honest, it feels better in a way because there is a more social atmosphere. We've been having a lot of nights with Italian tv - and I have become a little bit addicted to CSI now =P

I have been trying out classes for the past two weeks. Last week though was… let’s just say… interesting…. I had been going to the right room and at the right time (apart from one Italian class), but there was no-one there…. My roommate says that changing room etc at the last minute is apparently fairly normal – and if you go and ask someone, they will have no idea. Fortunately, this has not happened this week, and I have been going to all (but one – I overslept…) of my classes. It is a bit strange to have them in Italian this time, rather than French or English, but like Lyon, I’m sure I will get used to it in a few weeks. I am so far taking French literature, Italian for foreign students and a geography class, which is about tourism, and is bringing me back to college days. All it would need is Mr Hanson singing some Lady Gaga ;)

My one regret in Lyon was that I didn't do more translation classes, so I might try out a class in French-Italian translation (or the other way around), which should be interesting. As you will probably be aware of now, the university is DISORGANISED!!! I'm so glad I have Alyssa and Gaia here because it has been them, and not the uni that has told me what I needed to do to get everything sorted. The university itself has told me pretty much nothing - only the times of various lectures on the website and who to contact - that's pretty much it... 

I have slowly been getting accustomed to the city and where everything is. I have found a market just down the street from me that sell fresh produce for incredibly cheap. There are also a lot of cheap Chinese shops next to it – I managed to find a big tub of custard powder for about 3 euros in one of them!! From there, you can walk for about 5 minutes, and you’ll hit one of the high streets with the shops that more people would recognise – and that are slightly more expensive. I might need to go boot shopping at some point - my amazing studded ones from Lyon are now broken. They now look like little black leather mouths instead of shoes....

On Tuesday, after Italian class, Alyssa invited me to an Erasmus party It wasn't anything big, just an opportunity to meet other people with food and cheap(er) drinks, and it was a great opportunity to practice both my Italian and French – I was so happy about that as I do not want my French to slip like my Italian did when I was in France. My Italian has been steadily improving, and I am getting a little more confidence in my listening and speaking – it helps that my roommate is Italian.  

I have also been getting more involved in the church here, and enjoying it more. I attended a couple of bible studies, and have also just joined the music group, and so sometimes will be singing, which is great as I miss choir in Bangor and haven’t had much opportunities to sing in a group since I left. I had my first try last Sunday, and apart from my voice starting to go on the last song, it went fine =) (I have to admit though, it feels weird doing something music-related and my violin isn't here with me to join in the fun…)

I have also had some amazing food here too!! There are so many pizza places, where you can get a slice (yes, that’s right – it’s more common to buy just one slice than a whole pizza) for about 2 euros. The best one I've had was with roasted tomatoes and courgettes. And also, ice cream – well, what can I say, it’s Italian ice cream! And hot chocolate…… well….. It certainly gives a new meaning to the term “drinking chocolate”!!! It’s essentially melted chocolate in a cup…. AMG!!!!! There’s an ice cream place that Alyssa and I go to quite often that sells Affocato – which is hot chocolate with a scoop of ice cream in it!!!!!! :O We couldn't decide whether to go for ice cream or chocolate so compromised ;) 

I will be having a visit from my parents, and possibly my brother too in April, which I am looking forward to. I am trying to get a list of things together in my head of things here that they can look at. There’s a museum on Ancient Egypt that sounds very interesting, and one on Juventus that’s just opened (that’ll be for my brother obviously). 

Ciao for now
Charlotte =)