enfinblue's Bluey (credit to Fifi for the nickname!) Diaryland Diary

"I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart." -Vinc3nt V@n Gogh

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Bang on!

Hi friends,

Well, I'm home. I'm rather impressed with my little wee self, as I've already unpacked, watered my plants and done my laundry. I've only been home for an hour and a half. I have French tomorrow and then work on Thursday, however, and so I like to be ready. Soon I'll head to the post office and to the grocery store, and then I'll come here and crash. I'd like to post some photos, but I'm not sure if I'll make it. :)

This trip was amazing, but I have to say that I really noticed a difference in my fatigue levels. I was seriously tired a lot of the time. This was in part because Andrea was dropping me off late - it's better to get to sleep in a hostel by 10 p.m., say, rather than midnight or 1 - but I think I also might be getting old! Next time I believe I will have to rent an apartment. That way I will be able to cook healthier meals and eat out only really top notch meals when I want to; also, I will be able to sleep in as much as I like. I think I need that. I will be very sorry to kiss my hostel goodbye though. How else would I be able to be in Italy for two weeks and spend only $200 a week on accommodation (with breakfast and internet included)?

Ah well. All things must come to an end. I'm going to think seriously about taking only a short trip this fall (hopefully I can do it on points!), or even skipping my trip, and saving for my longer "renting in Florence and studying art for a couple of months" thing next year. I'm really serious about that. If one great thing has come out of this trip it is a determination (which I know will be shaken when I get back into the office, but be strong, EB) to do what I WANT to do and not worry so much about staying on the straight and narrow career track. I need to work this out. There are some things about my office and work situation that remain quite unpleasant. I need to think seriously if I can do better. In any event, it is certain that I could get a job a level up in pay elsewhere in the government, because my skills are in demand at a couple of ministries, although the objective would be more to change the environment and the work.

ACK. I'm too tired to say anything of sense. Do you know, I realized that I've come to know Florence so well that I almost take it for granted. Last night, for example, in Fiesole, I was almost not noticing the beautiful houses and flowers and...well, everything...that would have had me dancing on air before. It all seems "normal" to me.

That said, coming back home is a shock. Even my apartment which I normally think is lovely looks ugly and bleak to me. It really needs that paint job. I MUST get on that within the next few weeks. Kick my ass if I don't do it. This yellow is heinous.

So I was sitting in the plane and begrudgingly thinking, "OK, so ITaly and I have a conflictual relationship. But one day I might just have to put up with communists, fascists and the bureacracy and black market processes that have fermented in that horrible stew and move there. ACK. ITaly, why can't you be more respectable?"

Anyway. Let's not go there. Funny story though. Last night at about 10 p.m. when Andrea and I were driving back from Fi3sole, we were stopped by the Caribini3ri. We weren't doing anything wrong. It was just a random spot check. I was sort of freaking out inside given that I had to get to the airport within 10 hours and I didn't want to get stuck out on the road somewhere. Andrea was very blase about it. And I quote: "It's just a normal spot check. They do this because this way maybe they find someone who happens to have broken out of prison, or someone who has done something bad, or even a maf!oso. Don't they do this in your country?"

Um, no.

Dude, in my country you only get stopped if you are caught massively speeding, are weaving in and out of traffic, or it's New Year's Eve and you happen to drive by the Raind33r patrol. Oh and we have a program of checking drivers for drinking periodically. But that's it. We are not EXPECTING to find escaped prisoners or maf!osi!

Well, anyhow. And whilst the Caribini3ri (very handsome and dapper dude, by the way) was checking Andrea's license and registration, Andrea was saying to me, "Caribini3ri are kind of stupid. They are military police and kind of block-headed."

Um, dude, could you be a little bit quiet? Dude might speak some English.

It's sort of like the conversation last week when we were driving through neighbourhood of beautiful villas. Villas in Florence always look like fortresses to me, because they have MASSIVE wooden or metal entry doors, a series of keys, and bars on lower windows. So I was a little bit shocked when Andrea was saying that these villas in the expensive part of town get broken into and that it's dangerous to stay there alone.

"People in the middle class often do a lot of work under the table and so they have a lot of cash around the house. They use this cash for buying groceries, going out, etc., etc. Theives know this and go after these houses."

I mean, I have known for ages that the Italian economy is much much bigger than the recorded economy, but I hadn't thought of this from this angle.

OK. I'm fading. Can't wait to show you my photos. Baci! Baci!

By the way, the one good thing I will say about Canadians is that they're so friendly! I felt like a got a big wet puppy kiss when I got back here. Everyone from the customs officer to the taxi drivers to the girls who helped me up the stairs with my bags were little rays of sunshine. And on the plane it looked like a Unit3d NAtions of people all getting along. Canada may be boring and have terrible architecture, but the people are nice. I'm appreciative of that. I can handle the Italians, but some of them are scary. More on that later. I was very impressed with myself though because I never once ordered a meal or spoke to anyone in service (ticket sellers, sales people) in anything but ITalian. Even if it was poor Italian and people were not polite to me (some weren't, but most were very nice), I always spoke Italian. THat was a big step for me because I am not known for my confidence. You have to have confidence around Italians. They like that. Well, really, they demand that.

OK. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ>

6:35 p.m. - 2010-05-25

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