The night before Christmas...Dinner for 30

Every year the family meets the night before Christmas to play "catch up".
I have been to many family dinners here in Italy and thought then there was a lot of food prepared so I therefore of expected the same for the Christmas Eve dinner, how wrong was I? My BF repeated to me throughout the day that there would be a lot of food but I didn't believe there would be anymore than our usual family dinners. The menu included (what I could remember); piselli, patate al forno, verdura cotta, zuppa di funghi, pasta con ragù di lepre, polenta, anatra, costicine di maiale, pollo, zuppa inglese, panettone, pandoro, parampampoli (caffè con grappa, vino e spezie). From start to finish the dinner took about 5 hours and boy was I happy it was over. My poor belly after was about to explode but they say here once you drink parampampoli the digestion process is simpler.

Felice Anno Nuovo as I am off to Corvara to skii....here a few pics, enjoy!

Before the storm....lol

My first taste of parampampoli

The taste was really BAD....eeewwwww!!!!

Summertime Gospel Choir

The first time I heard this choir sing here in Padova I had goosebumps the entire time, you know that feeling when the music moves you? Well, these set of people do it each time. They are Italian and sing in English some of the most known gospel songs. I searched high and low for a link to post but I wasn't able to find anything. Check out their website www.summertimegospel.com .

Buon Natale!

Watch your step

You know those people who allow their dog to shit on the sidewalk? Well, that's what I am talking about. Here in Padova I see dog shit everywhere. I had to learn the hard way to watch my step after I stepped in some. What would it take for the owner to pick up after their dog? I see many dog walkers walking around without a plastic bag. Once I actually saw a dog owner neglect to pick up after her dog. I stood there in disgust and so badly wanted to say something but couldn't find the righ words. Anyway, just a little vent!

Smooch

HAIR today....HAIR tomorrow!

The first big question I had for my BF when we decided that I would move to Italy was "who is going to do my hair?". Back home I got my hair did every week at the hair salon. I was totally dependent on Cristos and the team at (http://www.urbantextures.com/) to make my hair look fabulous each week. So when I decided to move that was one thing that caused a lot of anxiety. Many suggestions came to my mind; go bald, go natural, wear a weave, wear braids, you name it I thought about it. I decided with the help of many consultations from my peeps to just go as is and deal with upon my arrival. So, that's what I did.
Four weeks into my arrival I was due for a "touch-up" and desperately needed to find someone to do that for me. With the help of my boss (god bless her soul) she helped me find a hair salon in the city that carried a product similar to what I was used to in Toronto. The days leading up to my hair appointment I was very nervous and was thinking only bad things. I thought for sure that my hair would fall off if not immediately shortly after.
One thing to remember that in Italy there is a hair salon or two on every street, there are no shortage of hair salons here. Woman in Italy love to pass time at the hair salon talking "ish" about their neighbours....lol. The problem I knew I would have is finding a hair salon that was capable of doing a black woman’s hair. Our hair is VERY different than white woman's hair, the care and the maintenance calls for different measures. So the fear, nervousness and anxiety leading up to the appointment day was all called for.
On the day of the appointment the BF accompanied me to the salon as the stylist spoke NO English and me very little Italian. I decided to go the salon with my hair air dried so that the stylist could see the natural texture of my hair. After 2hrs in the hair salon, I was SATISFIED with the end result. He was able to give me a good blow dry but when it came to using the flat iron he was not sure how to use it.
Since the visit two months ago I have not gone back and probably will not go back. I have been doing my hair myself and when it comes time for a "touch up" I will just let my hair grow out until I arrive back in Toronto.
Here are the before and after pics....enjoy!

Hair today, hair tomorrow
Ciao

The BIG 30 in Roma

Can someone tell me the difference between 29 and 30? Or, wait. how about the difference between 20 and 30?
Anyway, the BIG 30 came on the 19th and I must say I haven't noticed the difference. From about the age of 25, I always thought that 30 would be different than 20. I for sure thought my bones and mind would be weaker from everyone telling me that 30 was old. But I have realized now isn't so bad and as I have only lived 8 days into my 30 I believe all things get better from here. I am actually waiting for the day that I start to look 30. What does that look like? Everyone one says I look younger, which is a nice compliant, thank you. But what is a 30 year old woman supposed to look like? I guess as I live through my 30's I will find out the answer to that question.
For my 30th bday I was taken to Roma which was a pleasant surprise. My first trip to Roma a few years back I hated it. I felt like I was in tourist central no matter how I tried to get off the beaten path. So when I landed there this year I had only expected it would be better due to the fact I was traveling with an Italian who knew the city farely well. Our BWB (bed with breakfast) was nice, minus the small quarters. Don't be fooled people bed with breakfast is not the same as bed and breakfast....lol. We were very outside of the center which meant using the metro to communte each day. I actually enjoyed using the metro minus the fact that I had to watch the BF's back for the every so cleaver pocket pickers. The metro kinda reminded me of NYC's train system but I felt I had to keep my eyes open more often while riding the Roma metro. Since my BF was traveling with a black girl, caring a Nikon camera (professional one), we really looked like tourist. And for this reason a not so nice lady had the nerve to try and charge us 20euro's for two cappuccino. The restaurant owner thought we were American tourist eventhough, my BF ordered our drinks in his perfectly spoken Italian. When my BF approached the lady about her ridicoulsly over priced cappuccino, she said in Italian "oh, the prices are on the wall". BS, there were no prices on the wall and their wasn't even the prices in the menu. My BF mentioned to her that the couple sitting next to us, who were obviously Italian (from Roma) ordered much more than we did and were charged a lot less, she responded by saying "I don't know how that happened". Then my BF asked for the receipt and realized that on a Sunday in the early evening the restaurant had only produced 27 recipts for the day, he immediately knew what kind of restaurant we were in. Anyway, at the end of all this we paid for 2 cappuccinos and a tiramisu 16euros, which in my opinon is overpriced. Overall, I really enjoyed Roma. I was able to visit many places I did not visit on my first trip. On the way home we stopped in Firenze (which is my FAV place in Italy) and Orvieto. Here are some pics, enjoy!

Graduation & Condoms

I have been in the square many times when graduates have been celebrating their long and hard work over the years. What this means is that the graduates are greeted with loud cheers and chants by their friends and family in the streets near the University of Padova. It is a tradition here that when you graduate you dress up like a fool and walk around the city showing yourself off while everyone else makes fun of you. Once the graduate presents their thesis to the academics the are greeted with chants of "dottore, dottore" (the title means a lot in Italy). The graduate must read a long poster a loud which is written by their friends and family outlining all their flaws. Some are dressed distastefully however its very amusing to watch, here is a pic, enjoy.

As for the condoms, I came across a machine selling condoms awhile back. While I was taking the pic everyone was looking at me, strangely. What I have never seen a vending machine that depenses condoms, so I decided to take a picture. I think they should have condoms accessible 24=7, why haven't they thought of this in Canada?

Italian 101, Part 2

Learning a new language can be a difficult thing to do expecially at my age. I started my language lessons prior to my arrival and I thought it would be beneficial to have a head start on the language. Shortly after I arrived and started to listen to people around me speak I soon realized that what I had learned in Toronto meant nothing here in Italy. Dialect is so widely spoken in this part of Italy, not sure why? maybe its because speaking dialect is easier. If the person I am listening to is not speaking dialect they are speaking super fast so I am not able to understand, how frustrating is that?
When I walked into my Italian class on the first day I wasn't too surprised. I was one of the many immigrants registered in the class. Many of the students in my class are from Eastern Europe. There are four English speaking students in the class, two from N.America and two from the UK. The four of us all sit together and speak to one another in English when we are not able to understand what the teacher is saying. The teacher often calls on us to translate a word into English when she doesn't know or when she finds that some of the students are not understanding her.
I am somewhat satisfied with how the lessons are being taught. I find it a little slow for me as I have already learned quite a bit grammatically when I was in Toronto however its a nice refresher at the moment. I wish the teacher was a little bit more vocal when the other students are talking during her lessons. I find myself being the one to tell the interrupters to shhhhhh or SHUT UP!
I am now one month and a bit into my lessons and have 8 more months to go......uuuggggghhhh.
Those of you here (Italy) learning the language, do you find it hard to build up your confidence to speak? This is my problem, I am afraid to make mistakes and be laughed at which always happens when I say something wrong.

alla prossima!

Anymore questions?

So, I have attended many social gatherings since I have been in Italy and realized one thing, I have and continue to be asked the same set of questions. The most common question is "what did you eat in Canada?" my response "the same thing you eat in Italy" of course minus the pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner....lol. Next question, "when are you having children?" what the bleep, since when is that question asked to someone you barely know. My BF answers this question because he knows that I will not. And for the second most commonly asked question "who does the cooking at home?", now really why is it so important for anyone to know the answer to this. So what if my BF cooks every night? what's the big deal, really? I realize that they are just trying to know me but I find the series of questions to be a little too much. I would be more comfortable if they asked other questions like "how is life in Italy" etc...etc.

Who wants Milk?

Literally. I had to blog this because I was amazed when I saw that you could buy fresh milk from a machine. Apparently some company thought it was a good idea to make milk available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It cost approx 1.00 euro per litre and you have the option of bringing her own bottle or using the bottle supplied by the machine. I never would have imagined purchasing milk from a machine and no its not like purchasing coke from the machine.
My BF purchased a bottle as I was curious as to how it would taste, mind you I did not taste it. He said it tasted like regularly milk, just a little more tasty, meaning "fat"....lol

Unexpected SMS....

and yes in deed it was unexpected. We got the SMS this morning from the Questura for my PdiS appointment. When my BF asked me to guess the date I laughinhly guessed November 19 (my birthday) and of course he laughed back and me. My appointment is for March 5 2008, yes you read correctly. I mailed out the kit on September 21, received the SMS on November 1 and will be interviewed on March 5 2008. If that ain't BS bureaucracy, I don't know what is. I am just happy I was not given an appointment after the expiration date of my VISA.
Further update on this topic, March 2008.

Ciao a tutti

Stop pushing....

Damn it! This are the words I spoke the day I visited the Questura and had to wait in line for 1 hour. I decided that I wanted to visit the Questura 2 weeks after my arrival as I wanted to get a head start on applying for my PdiS (Permesso di Soggiorno).
Well we arrived at 730 am to a decent line of about 20 ppl, we counted that we were 20th in line so we were happy. At the blink of an eye (no lie) swarms of people arrived. Families with all their children and belongings in tow. Woman who appeared to have just returned from a late night out and the men who looked like they had somewhere to go. I kept a close on the arrivals after us to make sure we did not loose our place in line. Well, low and behold, we did as few people managed to push their way in front of us. As time approached for the gates to open I felt my body being pushed forward and it wasn't a good feeling. Anyway, the feeling was nothing compared to when the gates actually opened and the police arrived to randomly pick only 20 people to enter. As he spoke in Italian, none of which I understood all I could see is people's hands raising to get his attention. My BF and I decided not to raise our hands and wait patiently and it worked out in our favour. The police officer spoke to my BF, took my passport and allowed us to enter. Once we arrived into the office with the rest of the immigrants we had to wait another 30minutes before they attended to us. The police officer was polite and answered all our questions and was also able to direct us to the right places; post office for the kit (which I already knew but my BF wanted to see if he could receive the kit for free) and the post office to send the payment for the insurance. Prior to being served I watched how other people were spoken to by some of the officers. I can tell by the facial expressions and the hand gestures of the officers that they were not being polite and this was later confirmed when I asked my BF to translate what they were saying. I think because my BF is Italian we were treated differently. So after a day or two of running around with the kit and filing out the many required pages we are patiently waiting for something, anything to arrive in the mail.

Stay tuned!

The JOB!

I can't say how much easier it is not having to find a job. As many of you know the BF found the job for me while I was in Toronto so there was no job hunting for me once I arrived. The week I arrived I met the mother (father was at work) and the two children; Marco who is four and Martina who is eight. . My first impression of the children was positive. They both were very polite and oh so cute with nothing but nice things to say while I was there meeting the family. My boyfriend did most of the talking while I played with the kids. We planned it that way so that the mother would see me interacting with the children. I was pleased that the children willing played with me and didn't lash on to their mother while I was there. Before I left the house both of the kids gave me a kiss, which surprised me as it was our first meeting. I decided at that time to start one week early as since it was four days into my arrival I was kinda bored at home.

Most of my time is spent with Marco teaching him English while Martina is at school. Now I am six weeks into the job and still loving it. Working with children has allowed me to find my creative side. At first, I found the job to be a little boring but once I became creative the time spent with the children goes by much faster. Because Marco's English is very limited and my Italian is also limited we sometimes have communication problems but we always seem to get our message across.

As for the parents, Monica and Giulio they are wonderful. They treat me with the respect and are open minded and free spirited. They have two other woman working from them as well, cleaning their not so big house. Monica is a Professor and Giulio is an Engineer so they are well educated and have no money problems. I rarely see Giulio, I met him once and saw him one other time when I decided to work a Saturday. He works 1.5hrs away from home so I imagine he gets home late, eats dinner and goes to sleep....lol. Anyway for now Monica and I get along great thankfully as there is nothing more than having a boss who is a bitch.

A side note, for those who are planning to teach English in Italy please don't expect a high salary. I was aware that the salary wages were low and therefore settled for what was offered.
It was actually my BF who negotiated and successfully got me a higher salary.

Ciao a tutti

The apartment....

I really thought keeping up with this blog thing would be much easier once I moved to Italy.
It is actually much harder as I have less time. Anyway, here goes it; the apartment.

Prior to the move I was only shown the pictures, pictures I thought were poorly taken and therefore did the apartment no justice. When my BF told me we were moving into an attic my heart began to beat so fast. When I hear an attic, I think of a dark unkept room with spiders and cob webs. Because of this horrible thought in my mind I asked my BF that we stay at his mom's the first night as I did not want to enter the attic. He declined and said I would like the apartment and reassured me that an attic in Italy is not like an attic in N.America.
Well to my surprise the apartment is lovely with its "travi a vista" structure and open concept layout. Its probably the same size of my the apartment back home but with a different layout. The first days in the apartment we went crazy at Ikea and bought many things. The apartment came furnished so we just had to purchase the other things. I never thought I would like Ikea but Ikea Italy is not bad. Much of the same things I have seen at home but with better prices and nicer designs. The BF is a handy man so everything electronic or that requires fixing and placing he is good at. As of now our apartment is pretty much finished, we have bought more than we need and his mamma keeps giving us everything in her house. I am now used to saying "no grazie" when she placing items in my hands. I will take the pics and post soon....baci

btw, I rarely proof read these post so sorry for my bad grammar and sp mistakes....lol

The flight....

So we decided after packing many suitcases that we would each bring four pieces of luggage, seven of which were mine. We knew that we would be paying the extra dollars for additional luggage and weight so we were prepared for that. I was flying Lufthansa/Air Canada and he was flying Air France. Our flight left 4 hours apart his departing before mine and arriving 2 hours ahead of mine. As he approached the check-in counter my heart was beating quite fast as I feared the worse ie. no additional luggage allowed. Prior to him approaching the check out counter I tried to scoop out the nicest looking agent I could see but to no surprise they all looked miserable and underpaid....lol. So I told Chicco to flirt with the agent so that we wouldn't have any problems with our luggage. As he approached the agent I knew she was going to be a bitch but I figured with his charm things would be okay, wrong again. She was a bitch gave him hassle with the extra two pieces and billed him the full price for the extra pieces and the additional weight. Chicco was off to catch his flight and I only prayed that all pieces of luggage would arrive in Italy the next day.
Four hours later, it was my turn. The hours between Chicco leaving and me checking in I was nervous. As I imagined having a harder time with my luggage as it weighed more and was much bigger. Since I have travelled many times with Luftansa/Air Canada I felt confident that I wouldn't' get a bitchy agent. As I stood in line I saw the agent that checked me in the last time I had visited Italy. I remembered him being very funny and easy going, so I hoped when it was my turn to present myself, it would be him that would be checking me in. I had my mom with me to calm my nerves in the line which was a big help. To my surprise the agent that was ready to serve me was the same agent that served me 4 months earlier. First thing I said to him was "I remember you from four months ago" he said "really? this is my first time working here since about four months ago". We exchanged laughs and what nots before he it came down to the nitty gritty. He weighed my luggage and as expected they were over weight by some kilos. He asked that I take somethings out of one suitcase and put into the other, which I was happy to do. After some talking about my long stay in Italy, he kindly told me "I am letting you off easy" and I smiled and said "thank you, when you are in Italy I will make you dinner" and we laughed.
Apparently I missed the increase in additional baggage by 2 days, luckily. Now Air Canada charges $225.00 for additional luggage and increase of one hundred dollars....mama mia!
My advice to those moving overseas and don't want to pay the to ship your belongings, check with the airline prior to departure because sometimes its much cheaper to pay for additional luggage rather than shipping belongings. I also called the airline company to tell them that I would be having two pieces of additional suitcases with me which was a good idea as the agent when I arrived was aware that I had additional pieces.
When we arrived in Italy after a long boring flight we were happy to be together again and also happy that all eight pieces of luggage arrived in tow.

Ciao a tutti

Well....Well....Well

Ciao a tutti, I finally made it to civilization. We connected now to the Internet in our apartment so I can blog away. There is much to update everyone on but I will start with he most recent first; the Internet.
So the Internet was ordered in early August when my boyfriend signed the contract with our landlady. I should have known that the Internet would not be connected when we arrived. Anyway, most of our weeknights up until this point was spent at his mamma's checking my email. I felt so lost with out the Internet expecially when I was always connected in Toronto.
The strongest single I get on my lab top is when I am sitting on the toilet, ain't that funny? I refuse to sit on the toilet and write/check emails unless I am desperate for a connection. With wireless there is always something going wrong with the damn Internet. For now we just cross our fingers and pray that we stay connected.

Cheerios
R.

Leaving on a jet plane....BOOHYAH!!!!

Today is the day I have been planning for this last year. I am ready to go with my six suitcases and my oversized carry on bag. I am praying I won't have to pay too much for additional luggage.
Anyway, I will post again when I have settled into my new home with my lovely boyfriend.

See ya..kisses

The End is Near...LOL!

Hiya,

I really thought these last days i would be able to blog a little more. I guess I was sadly mistaken...uggghhh.

Anyway, the BF arrived and we have been having way too much fun. We went to the tennis match, drove 10hrs to New York and back and have had many brunches and dinners. If you haven't driven to NYC, don't do it unless you have a fun companion. We were wonderful company for one another so the drive was easy. I can't imagine doing that ride w/ someone the drove my crazy. Unfortunately, we were not able to enjoy NYC as we were staying in Long Island. Sorry to all my NYC peeps:).

We had a weekend with my family, where he was able to meet my mama (she loved him), eat some good food and relax in the fresh air.



As the end is near, this week has started off with a lot of running around. I am trying to tie up some loose ends before my departure. We have decided that we will not start the packing until Friday as I find its always better to pack a day or two before departure, especially a big departure such as this one. Until next time, hopefully not too long..haha!

~Cheerios~


Here is a pic of us in Long Island!

Countdown!

I have been MIA but you know sometimes when you have so much to do some things have to get put to the side.

Caribana weekend is over in Toronto so I am ready to get down to work. I was able to see many of my friends from New York which was exciting. I did not do too much partying but I was able to go out and catch the action. I haven't been to the Caribana parade in about 4 years so it was nice to see the customs and run into old friends. I figured that I probably would not be back in Toronto during the Caribana festivities for a few years to come so I got all the partying out of my system.

Now the packing starts. I have decided to carry extra luggage and pay for the additional weight as it works out cheaper than shipping boxes. Its hard to pack because you never know what to bring and what to leave behind. I have a collection of text books from University, will I need those hard cover, heavy weight books? probably not. I have toooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many pairs of shoes to count, will I need all of them? YES! And things I have collected over the years are so hard to part with. I was dreading the packing faze because I hate packaging and I don't like to leave things behind.

My contents sale is coming along good. I have sold many of the small things but still trying to sell my sofa, bed and dresser. If I can get these items sold I would be happy as a clam as the extra money could go to good use. I have advertised the items on facebook, kiiji and craiglist. Any other places you guys know of please let me know?

Chicco arrives in 7 days and I am VERY excited. Its been way too long so its pure excitement from here on. Maybe I should leave the packaging for when you gets here...lol. I won't do that to him.

Cheerios

Mini Wheats Commerical!

Never thought I liked mini wheats until this commerical. Every morning when I wake up I hear this commerical on the TV...good marketing job...Enjoy

So embarrassed!

Today I had my last night of Yoga as my instructor will be on vacation for the next two weeks. I go to yoga once a week and refuse to go else where because I really enjoy the teacher I have. I did not know it was going to be my last class before my departure or else I would have brought my camera. Any how, it was all good until…
Well there is this girl that has been in my yoga class since last year. She is quiet, still hasn’t purchased a yoga mat and always smiles when I say hello. Today I said to her “are you pregnant, your belly looks so cute”. I can clearly tell she was blushing under her brown skin. She then turns to me and says “no I am not pregnant, I have gained weight”. I was so embarrassed that she wasn’t pregnant but it looked like she was. She had the 3 month cute belly which I think is so cute on pregnant women. She was not happy with me as she did not say bye nor did she smile. I still believe she is pregnant and just didn’t want to tell me as it really isn't any of my business. Oh well, next time I will keep my mouth shut before I ask if someone if they are pregnant.

BTW, the youtube video I posted yesterday is no longer available. I wonder why B?

Cheers

Poor Beyonce!

Not much more to say here...lol

FACEBOOK aka CRACKBOOK

Well I finally cracked and joined facebook (http://www.facebook.com/). Many of my friends and work colleagues have been on facebook for many months but me, being the private person I am ;) I decided against it until recently. My reasoning, well I figured I am leaving Toronto and it COULD possible be nice way to meet up or connect with people I haven't spoken to in years. I have found old friends from grade school and high school on facebook. I also reconnected with people I met through my travels over the years. I don't know how someone can become addicted but I guess it's possible. There are people I know that are on the damn thing all day being noisy;). If you don't set your FB settings accordingly anyone can access your info and pics. I'm not sure if Crackbook is popular where you are but it sure is in Toronto and N.America. It's a more sophisticated version of myspace, which I never joined as I thought it was too complicated.

Anyway, if any of you join. Don't let the addiction get to you:)

Cheers

The people you meet!

I met this older man today while I was out. I was sitting by my lonesome when he decided to sit next to me. I was out enjoying the sun and he was doing the same. Because I live at the waterfront in Toronto its easy walk out and sit by the lake (one of the ugliest in my opinion). Any he began to talk to me about the recent changes of the years to Toronto's waterfront and he knew a whole lot of history about the waterfront. I found out later that he had lived at the waterfront for 30+yrs. It was nice to speak to him because he was very knowledgeable and educated me about my neighbourhood. Oh I will miss it...sniff...sniff...

What else is new? Well I had my "goodbye Roxy" party. It was so much fun and I enjoyed every moment of it. Here are some pics!
They didn't know how to say "good trip" in Italian so said it in French, close enough...lol.
The other pic is of the host (one of my bestest friends at work) and the Admin. Secretary and Colombian homey I could not do my work with out...














I am in the process of selling some furniture and stuff...I have sold a few items so far but still have the big things to sell. My bed (which I love too much), dresser and my sofa. I have posted my items on http://www.craiglist.org/ as well as internal postings at work and in my condo. Hopefully the remainder of things will see at the listed price.

My BF arrives in 3 weeks and a bit. We are excited as we know that there will be no more good-byes. I am excited about not having to say good-bye for 3 months and do the damn count down each time. Gosh, I hate the countdown.

I am going at the kick boxing classes (http://www.tkmt.ca/) full swing because I paid for the month membership, which allows for unlimited monthly classes. So yesterday I deiced to Rollerblade for 3 hours and deiced today to go to kick boxing for 3 hours. Bad idea Dan! I body is sore from head to toe, literally. I am back at it tomorrow again but hopefully the pain will wear off. I hope I can continue kick boxing in Italy. Its an amazing workout and its a lot of fun.

Peace and hair grease!

Italia, sto arrivando...wooooo hoooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You all know that today was the big day...here is how I did it!

While in Italy in April I visited "corso di lingua Italiana per gli stranieri" and inquired about there Italian lessons. After pondering for a day I went back and asked if I could register for the lessons beginning in October. They photocopied my passport and asked I come back in a few days. Unfortunately, I was leaving the next day so I therefore could not pick it up. A week later my BF picked up the letter and mailed me the original copy. I used a email copy to bring to the consulate just "to see" if what was written in the letter was sufficient for a student visa. I was told sadly that they letter only stated "I presented myself to register" and not that "I paid and registered". The lady at the consulate asked that I call the school and ask them to issue me a new letter stating that I paid for the course. Totally starting freaking out at this point because since its a "corso di lingua Italiana per gli stranieri" I did not have to pay. So I then asked my BF to go to the school and ask that they issue me a new letter. The school flat out said they would not do that for the reason I did not pay for the course. I waited about a month before I returned with the original letter (nothing changed), my flight itinerary (not an official booked ticket), bank statement for 3 months, my passport and one passport size picture. I was really nervous because it was the same lady I dealt with a month earlier who had told me that letter had to be changed. Anyway, I took a deep breath, presented her with my documents. Once she started to examine the letter I said to her "I asked the school to issue me a new letter but they would not" she smiled and said "no problem". She continued to shuffle the papers and said she will issue the visa for the duration of the course (Oct-July) but could not issue the visa beyond that time. I was asked to come back on June 26 to pick up my visa but was later called and asked to come on July 9 (visa's cannot be issued more than 90days of the visa start date).
I went back today and was all smiles when the gentlemen placed the visa in my brand new passport.
So that's my story of how I got my student visa. I paid nothing and got a whole lot in return.

~Cheerios~

Ticket purchased

Howdie folks, how goes things? For me things are slowly coming along. Booked my flight to Italy this week. It cost less than I was originally quoted which was nice and I was able to get an open ticket which is good for one year. Unfortuantely Chicco and I are not flying back together as it cost way too much to be on his flight. So I will be leaving four hours after him, it would have been nice to fly with him but saving money is more importan.
On Monday, I pick up my visa. Am I worried? oh hell yes because I fear that they might change there mind and decide not to grant me a visa. I will be the happiest person on earth once I have that visa in my hand.
My colleagues have decided to have a goodbye party for me. How sweet of my colleagues to do this. It's a pot luck style bbq/patio party at one of my colleagues homes and I know it will be a night to remember.
My BF arrives in 40 days and of course I am excited. It's been a long time coming and the days just seem to be pulling along.

Cheers

This day last year!

I remember this day last year like it was yesterday. You all shall know that this day last year my BF arrived in Toronto for our first stay together since we had met. The days prior to June 29 2006 I was so nervous and anxious awaiting his arrival. I did so much to prepare for his arrival that I smile today when I think about it. We call this day love @ first sight because it really felt like that. Here are some pics from that day last year.... I also got myself a tattoo today. The Chinese characters for the word "courage", that word just fits this entire experience.

















See you later aligator!

The pain & joy!

It's an emotional day for me as I handed in my resignation letter today. Acutally I did not end up giving my managers the letter as the whole ordeal was VERY emotional for all parties. I did tell them that I would be leaving but nothing can move forward until I had in the letter. Move forward I mean that HR cannot start the process until they receive a written letter. Here are the details of the meeting;
So I went into the meeting very nervous, heart beating a mile a minute, thinking that this would be easy and quick. Well the meeting lasted 35 minutes which I had expected it to only last 15minutes. I told my managers that I have decide to leave for personal reasons, I didn't feel like telling them the entire story. I don't think I got past the first word and I started to tear up. I think the reason for the teary eyes is that once I did this; quit my job, the move ahead would be official. From here forward the countdown begins, its not all talk anymore. I also teared up because I honestly can say that I love my job and most importantly I love the team that I work with we all get along so well. And of course the fact that I would be making hugh change in the next few months. After telling my managers I had to announce it to my team, which I thought would be the easier part because many of them knew what was coming. Well once again, I didn't even say a word and the tears started rolling down my face. I finally got it together and my colleagues, they were not surprised but realized that my move was the real deal.
As the day progressed it became a little easier to get my work done.
As soon as I was able to I called my BF to cry because I was sad and happy at the same time. He was so supportive and was successful at making me laugh, which helped a lot.
The joy comes from knowing that there will be many happy times when I am finally with my BF.

Oh and he went to the job interview today on my behalf and met with the family. He sorted out my work hours and my daily tasks and of course worked out the pay. He had a lot of good things to say about the family and the children as he was able to meet all while he was there. After discussing the nitty gritty, the woman asked if he had a picture of me. When he showed her my resume she saw that I was black. My BF asked her if that was okay and she said oh there is no problem, the kids have had an interaction with a black woman recently. Chicco did say she was surprised when she saw my picture. She also asked to speak with me on the phone, so I will update you all once I have that conversation with her. The family would like me to work 12:30-5:30 pm Monday to Friday. Those hours work for me and the salary worked out good as then family has money to spear, if you know what I mean.

See you later alligator

The letter

Well, I got down to it this evening and finally wrote my resignation letter. It's brief, short and sweet. Writing the letter was emotionless and I am happy the writing of it is over. Tomorrow is the day when I meet with my managers so I am have some anxieties about that meeting. I just want this taken off my shoulders, I want to be FREE!

Today was just another working day. It was VERY hot and humid but I got through the day with no problems. Saw my BF earlier in the day and it was a good start to my day. Seeing him is always a good start or a wonderful ending to my day. He will be in Toronto 49 days, we have a lot of plans for when we are together in Toronto. Tomorrow he will go to my job interview w/ the family that wants me to work for them. I don't know how I feel about being a nanny but I am willing to do anything to help out my BF and keep my sanity. I will drive me crazy if I become jobless after working and being independent for the last 5years. It will be a big adjustment making a lot less than what I am making now. When you make less you spend less and this adjustment will be a hard one. I have become used to making and spending my own money and adjusting to the change will be difficult for both myself and my BF. We are strong so I am confident we will work through whatever situation comes up.

See you later alligator.

Resignation Letter

Why am I having a hard time drafting a resignation letter? I don't know what to say, its hard writing this letter because I really love my job. I am also very anxious to meet with my managers on Thursday. I have a couple more days to formulate something so I am going to go ahead an procrastinate some more.
I read again today to my BF, he was very supportive w/ my butchering of his lovely language. Counting down the days until I pick up my visa, I am so nervous that the consulate will change their minds. Can you imagine I showed up there and I was denied after I was told I was approved and given a pick up date. I would be so sad but not for long because nothing will stop me from being w/ Chicco. I am staying positive as that's all I can do. My BF is going to a job interview for me on Thursday for a nanny position. He will meet with the family that wants me as their nanny and he will negotiate my salary and work hours with my input of course.
Still enjoying my new bb even though my right hand is killing me. I seriously need to get myself to the physiotherapist.

See you later alligator!

My new Blackberry!

Today is a good day as I got me a new toy. Like I stated in my previous post, my addiction to the blackberry is something else. The newest blackberry came out today w/ the cell company I am with and I was one of the first to have it. And am I totally lovin' it? oh yes I am.

Take a look...
















Besides the damn heat wave in Toronto nothing new is happening. I decided not to go to kickboxing tonight because I am tired as I did not sleep too well lastnight. I laid down to sleep at 930pm and was still awake at 130am, why you ask? well ANXIETY is the only word.
This week I am meeting w/ my manager to give my resignation letter. I was thinking lastnight what exactly I should say in the letter and tyring to figure out the perfect speech. I am feeling the pain at the moment in my eyes as I am VERY tired. I am trying to stay awake as late as possible so I can get a decent amount of sleep tonight.
My Italian tutor had to cancel today because her mama is sick. So I had my lesson today w/ my BF, which was funny because I am sure he was thinking "this girl reads so slow" and I really do.

See you later alligator!

carpal tunnel syndrome

So do I not honestly believe I am suffering from CTS. Why? well I am addicted to my blackberry. I have had one for many years and have found over time my use has become excessive. Many of my friends have one so that must be the reason. It has allowed me to communicate with them w/out having to speak with them. Sometimes you don't want to talk but sending a quick PIN saying "hello" is all what's needed to keep in touch. I am currently waiting for my new bb which I will bring w/ me to Italy. My phone company is charging 500.00 to terminate my contract so the BF and I decided that taking it w/ me will be the best option. I will be able to use a local SIM card while I am there and send PIN/email messages. So back to the self diagnosis of CTS. I have cancelled 2 appointments with the physiotherapist due to scheduling conflicts. I will eventually make it there but until then I suffer w/ the pain and continue typing away on my crackberry.

Cheers

55 Days

I can't believe he will arrive in 55 days. Things are moving along as planned for the big move in September. My BF found us a lovely apartment which he will sign the contract for this weekend. I am excited to live outside of his mother's home and also not a stone throw away from his mother's home. We will be living in newly developed area w/ many new homes and apartments. I pick up my visa in 10days, a student visa is what I applied and have been approved for. I have to tell all about getting my student visa but I have to officially have it in my hand before I share the secret;). In a matter of 9 days I will officially provide my employer with my termination letter. Gosh what am I going to say in the letter? How will I present it to my team? (shouldn't be hard as the majority of the know). Leaving my job will be the hardest part as I truly love my job and the people I work with minus one person (keep that one the down low, just in case). Everything is coming into place, in just a matter of months I will be LEAVING ON A JET PLANE......can i get a A-Flickin-Men.....Don't know what else to tell you all but I will definitely post more.

Cheers

24

I am totally a hugh 24 fan. I missed a couple of episodes when I was in Italy so I have had to play catch-up. Jack Bauer is amazing he always seems to save the day, how unrealistic eh? There are a few more episodes until the season finally which I am looking forward to. I don't think they are showing 24 in Italy, what will I do? I guess I will have to search online or download episodes on itunes. One think I will miss when I am in Italy is all the unrealistic television series that we get this side of the ocean.

Another think, my Italian conversation tutor that I meet with weekly cancelled on me today because he uncle passed away. Since May 21 is a holiday in Canada, I will not meet with her next week either. Our next conversation will take place on May 28th, in the meantime I have to listen, speak and write in Italian. I will not be doing this on my blog as I don't want people to laugh at me.

Today I also got this weird feeling that people were ignoring me. I made phone calls to important people in my life and not one person had returned my phone call. I was actually quite sad about it as usually these people call or email me throughout the day. My BF told me I was reading into the situation too much. He is the only one, of course, who called/emailed me today...xoxo.


PEACE and hair grease

p.s. why do i keep closing my blogs with that line. We used to say that back in the day...yes i am old.

PAPARAZZI

When I saw these pics, the first thing that came to mind was...oh my gosh the PAPARAZZI. There is just something about them that makes me think that. Maybe I am reading too much of people magazine. Anyway, my BF's friend took these (totally unaware) and he is a photographer in Italy, so I guess that's why they turned out this way.

We were at the marathon in Padova watching the thousands of people who ran from somewhere far. His mamma also did a mini Padova run/walk so we were there to support her and the others. Enjoy!

Good Idea Dan!

My BF and I have adopted the phrase in this commerical. When he comes up with a brillant idea I say "good idea Dan". I didn't know where the phrase came from until he showed me this commerical. When I come up with a brilliant idea he says "good idea Sally". So we are Dan & Sally. Can't have Dan without Sally...lol

"I had the time of my life"

I am back from Italy and can truly say "I had the time of my life". Spending time w/ my BF and of course his mother made me realize how much I need to be with this man. My first days in Italy was all about business ie. job/visa inquires etc. I told my BF that I would not spend any more than 3 business days making those specific inquires. As I did not want my vacation spent in government line-ups. I will try to capture as much as possible about my trip in the next few blogs if I don't get through all of it in this post. First stop;

Immigration office-2days
As the office was only open on Tues/Thurs from 11am-1pm we didn't have much time. When we arrived there were a lot of people ahead of us as we got there at 1030amish. We took a number and didn't realize that many of the people came at 8am to collect their number. So we were basically looking at waiting the entire two hours and our chances of having to come back the next day were very high. Thank God my BF was with me because the lady in the office only spoke Italian. It also appeared that all of the immigrants also spoke Italian, which really surprised me. Anyway, at the end of it all we had no luck at the immigration office. We had a letter of job offer from a company that would provide me with work but were told that letter would not be accepted until the quotas were released. The staff had no idea when that would be. They advised us to apply for a student visa as that was the only way until the new immigration laws were passed. Here is a pics of me at the immigration office.

I realized on this trip that knowing the right people one can get things done. For the last 5 months I have been applying for a job with the American navy at their base in Vicenza. The position has been vacant since January, so you would think that they would at least provide me with an interview. We have a connection on the American base the hiring manager for the position that I have been applying for the last 5 months (what a coincidence). My BF was able to speak to her and she informed us that the only way to get a job on the base is if your Italian or American citizen. So there goes my chances of that job which was directly related to my present work in Toronto. In this case knowing the right person did not work for us. So moving right along. I then told my boyfriend that applying for a student visa would probably be the best bet. He searched on the internet for a reasonable priced non-private language school and found one not to far from his house. We then went to the school to apply and requested the letter of enrollment. The school told us that they had no problems with their students obtaining student visa to study, so we are very hopefully.

Apartment-1/2 day
Another one of those, if you know the right person things COULD work out. Once again we thought we did. Across the street from my BF's house lives this old man, a very wealthy old man. This old man owns all four units in his condo one of which he lives in and the other three he rents out. Before I arrived my BF ran into the old man who informed him that one of the units would be vacant effective May 2007. Wasn't that good news for us, of course it was. It meant we could live across the street from his mother (sniff, sniff..lol), live in a very big two bedroom apartment with two balconies, live 10mins from the centre and pay a lot less for rent. Each day I would look at our future apartment and was happy to know that in months it would be ours. I was also happy that our rent would be affordable and was happier to know that his mother's balcony/windows faced the opposite way, so there would be no peeping mamma thing happening.
Our dream for this apartment has currently been shattered because the wealthy old man has decided to keep the apartment vacant for tax purposes. He told my BF that he preferred to keep it vacant as he didn't want to pay too much taxes at the end of the year. You must understand that my BF has offered to buy this property from the wealthy old man many times but he refused to sell it now he is complaining about paying taxes. My BF believes because of his old age he might change his mind again just at the right time. In the meantime my BF will continue purposefully run into him as one of those run ins might solve our apartment issue.

Although I left without a visa, apartment, job or a hairdresser, I still had the time of my life. More to come on my trip....

A little message for my new friend, Paola. I know you read my blog and just wanted to say "get well soon".

PEACE and hair grease....

Cinque Terre

Things are well in Italy, the weather is beautiful and the food is fabolous. Chicco and I had planned on visiting Germany and Austria in the next coming days but we have changed our mind. He will now take me to a romantic place, Cinque Terre. He tells me it's beautiful so I am looking forward to seeing the lovely area.
Today we went to Bassano where Chicco flys. He is into paragliding and is always talking about how much he enjoys that sport, is it a sport? I guess it is. Anyway, it was wonderful to see him fly and I was able to take some pictures. Take a look.Oh, and I am still enjoying my bike. As I have finally gotten over my jet lag, I hope to enjoy it more in the coming days. I also forgot I had allergies during this time of the year and for this reason did not pack any allergy medication. I have been able to take some medication given to me by Chicco's mother and because my Italian is VERY limited I am not sure what I am taking...lol, Chicco tells me it's for allergies...until next time...peace!

my new BIKE

Hello from Padova. I arrived safetly in Padova after a long flight and much unexpected delay from the German airport officials.

Anyway, when I arrived it was all good. Chicco and his family is lovely as ususal and greeted me very warmly. Chicco also suprised me with a gift, totally unexpected as I didn't think it would be so big, what do you think?

Bye.....Bye....

Leaving today for Italy....yippeee. I am no where ready for this trip but I got kick it up a notch and get myself together. I leave in 8 hours...oh my gosh!
See you when I see you.


PEACE!

Leaving on a Jet plane!

In two days I will be leaving for Italy, which mean in three days I will be in your arms.


PEACE!

For all of you!

LOVE Ya
One morning you will never wake up.
Do all your friends know you love them?
I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered
if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said.
Let everyone of your friends know you love them.
Even if you think they don't love you back,
you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do.
And just in case GOD calls me home before I see you again.......
I LOVE YA!!!
Live today to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised

Dinner w/ the ex

I was speaking w/ my BF today who informed me that his ex-girlfriend would be coming over to his house for dinner. She is close to his mother and sister so they decided to invite her over for dinner to celebrate her graduation. My reaction to this? well I questioned as to why he needed to be present for the dinner. And he said he felt he needed to be there for support because she is not close to her family and has had issues w/ an eating disorder, he felt if he was not there "she would have problems". So I thanked him for telling me even though my first reaction was not good. I am not at all threatened by her but I know he would have some questions if I had a dinner for my ex-boyfriend.
Is it a culture thing? here the parents would ask the son/daughter if it was okay to have their ex over for dinner. Once your an ex, in most situations, the parents respect that and would not invite their daughter/sons ex over for dinner if they said no.
Anyway, I love him all the same.

Happy Father's Day!

We never had the opportunity to meet but I know enough about you to dedicate this blog entry to you. From what I hear you were a great man, well liked by many and admired by the masses. A large number of people came out in your honour on that beautiful day in September. I was one week away from meeting you and was very sad the day I heard you had passed. Know that your missed by your son, wife, daughter & everyone else you touched while you were with us. As you continue to watch over your family, particularly your son, I send you this wish; HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

NYC departure!

leaving the airport after our NYC trip. Still haven't posted about the trip because there is just so much to tell, all good stuff of course.

Racism, Sexism, Ageism

I happened to send a message to my friend on MSN the other day letting him know how excited I was to be moving to Italy. He is Italian but is now living in NYC for work. He asked me where in Italy I would be living and I told him Padova. The next words he typed was "are you crazy". I of course wanted to know why he would ask me such a question. He said "the Italians in that area are closed minded", "you could have picked any where else in Italy to live Milan, Rome and I would have best wishes for you". I asked him to explain himself and he went on to say that I would have a hard time living there because of the Italian's view of black people, particularly those from Africa. After our brief exchange I of course a million and one thoughts started racing through my head.

So after speaking w/ my friend I shoot off an email to my boyfriend fearful of what is to come. I ask all these questions which I know the answer too but need to be reassured that he loves me

There are a lot of African immigrants living in Padova and I have read & heard how the African immigrants are treated by the Italian government/people. I have not had any bad experiences during my travels in Italy. Actually the reception has always been quite warm and welcoming. I know the Italian people don't see me as "an immigrant" I am more of a tourist in those situations. But what will happen when I have to look for a job, access services etc. I have come to realization that sexism & ageism is what I will have face as I have been obtaining information from some of the expats living in Italy. But one thing that I have placed aside is my race and how it will effect how I live in Italy whether I am there legally or not.
I often tell my BF that the African people do not live their country to come to Europe to be poor, unemployed, uneducated. It's the government that allows the immigrants to resort to working illegally & doing all means necessary to make a living. His view on the immigrants is much different now then it was before because I have shed some light on the situation. Educating him on the conditions in some of these countries, Sudan, Ethiopia etc.

In Canada there are laws protecting individuals from Racism, Sexism & Ageism, is there such laws in Italy? Something I guess that I need to research.

Is my friend right, as a black woman will I have a hard time?

My Boring Blog!

Someone sent an anonymous comment to my blog about how boring it is. I am not on this blog world to please anyone. It's just an outlet for me to express my feelings and the process of my venture to Italy. It also includes a lot of other things as well. I appreciate all the comments however please respect my blog space. If you have something to say, posting a comment anonymously does not allow me to reply to the comment. Read with pleasure not pain.

Cheers

wait....wait....wait!

My journey to Italy has included A LOT of waiting. My BF and I have been told once again that we must wait. We were told this week that we would have to wait until Wednesday. Our Italian connection really functions on a different time. Once the wait is over, we will have an idea of my status upon arriving to Italy. I will keep you all posted.

Cheers,

Holly"weird"

Honestly, is anyone else watching the Anna Nicole case unfold. The judge is having a field day in that court room. I happen to catch a bit of the trial today on FOXNews and I was amazed at some of the comments the judge was making. I have been in court many times and I have never heard a judge carry on the way this judge is carrying on. For some reason I don't by the mother's story. She was not believable to me today when she was on the stand. Especially when she was speaking about not receiving money from the media for her stories. I hope this story ends soon. I also thing this judge is interviewing for his own television show, what the hell is that? It has become a circus, a show only known to hollywood. Without a doubt this is bizarre case. It is funny that everyone is dancing around the word "drugs" they have been using the word "perscription". The judge is the fact finder in this case because there is no judge. I think the judge takes a liking to Vergie and Birkhead. This is a dead serious case, sorry no pun intented.

Cheers

Teaching

So today I decided to put some of my teaching skills to work. I have a client who speaks very little English so I decided to start practicing my teaching with him. It was actually very rewarding to teach and I enjoyed the joy that he got out of learning the English language. I will continue to meet with him once a week as that is all the time I can give at this moment.
I guess teaching English might not be so bad after all:)

Anna Nicole Smith

Why am I so hooked on this story? Her story is very sad to me. She died under such horrific circumstances. Whether she died of a drug overdose, was addictive to drugs, lived a promiscuous lifestyle she is still a human being. I am appalled by all the media attention her death is receiving. The question as to where she should be laid to rest should not have gone on for this long. There are so many parties who through this long drawn out process is making a shit load of money. The longer the proceedings go on the more ching, ching, individuals are collecting. Let the woman rest in peace already!

A dream!

Last night I had a very interesting dream, a dream that included my father. As you all know it is always hard to recall your dreams. I don't know the exact details but I know someone identified as "daddy" was in my dream. BTW, I don't know who my father is and I have no memory of him:( It has always been a goal of mine to locate my father so that my children would know there grandfather. So what I decided to do this morning, I called the JA consulate in Toronto and asked for direction in obtaining my birth certificate. By requesting my BC I would be able to get my father's name, as I do not know it. Once I get his name then I can start my search in JA and where ever else I have to go. I have some family and other contacts in JA so I am asking that they start the search with me. All we know is his last name which is no longer my last name as my mother went to JA in the early 90's to change my last name. I felt very compelled to start the process now. I had originally decided to put it off until I move over seas but something in that dream made me start the process sooner. I could ask my mamma for his name but I just don't want to go there with her. We talk about everything else but HIM, you know what I mean?

Salmon!

Yesterday I told you guys about salmon Sundays. I have to report that the salmon did not taste too good last night, it was eatable but it was just not the same as other Sundays. And I am not able to figure out why the salmon taste different......i have to ask the expert, my mamma.

Salmon Sundays!

Since my late teens, early adulthood my mother always made salmon on Sundays. She has a special way of making the salmon in the oven and then tops it off with the best made white rice. I love white rice and I love salmon. So since, I have been living on my own, I have adopted "salmon Sundays". Which means, every Sunday I make salmon w/ white rice. Each Sunday the salmon taste different. It depends on how long I cook the salmon, usually no more than 12-15mins, where I purchased the salmon and how much I paid for it. I try to purchase the best salmon how I do that? well I ask the guy behind the counter. I expect that he will sell me a good one. The rice usually cooks the same as I have had the same bag of rice since I moved here in 2005. That's not a bad thing is it? I eat a lot of rice but not that much.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well Valentine's day is about to end in a few hours and really I am not feeling any different than I was feeling yesterday. I know that every day is a special day for my BF and I so this day is no more special than every other day he has been in my life.
I remember when I was younger I always wanted to have the perfect Valentine's day with whom ever I was with, if anybody. I wanted the roses, the chocolates, the diamonds etc, now as I have gotten older the meaning is different. Today I witnessed many men buying million dollar roses for their partners/mistress and thought to myself, why? Why must woman get roses on Valentine's day? why not just every day a woman/man could be appreciated for loving and being loved. We all know the answer to that.

Toronto had its first big snow fall today. It was wonderful, I would have taken some pics but I was too busy at work today. And now the snow is all brown from the slush and dirt so it is no longer pretty. Will I miss the snow when I am in Italy? probably, as I have become so used to it.

Cheers

30 days....uggghhhhh

Well Chicco will not have his high speed for another 30 days. He called the company today and they said it would take an additional 30 days for his Internet to be back in full swing. I guess we have to tolerate the dial-up for now. It could be worse he could have no Internet at all...
I explained to him that if the internet company did to me what they have done to him here in Canada I would switch to anther company. His response was "it would be longer if I was to switch companies". Do they not know about customer service? My internet provider get's a mouth full when my internet is down for more than 1minute. Yes i know, I am a bitch. But I am hugh on customer service. How will I navigate the customer service gals and fellows if I cannot speak the language? Oh I will find a way....lol

burrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Howdie, nothing new to report on this end. Actually the only thing is that it is VERY cold in Toronto. We are apparently getting a big snow storm from America (damn Americans) tomorrow night. I love the snow as long as its not too cold.
Chicco is good. I love him more and more each day. His high speed connection is down, so he is currently using dial up. Dial-up in Italy is awful, I wish that on no one. So our communication is not the same, the images on messenger freezes and we have to talk as our speech is chopped up. It's like not talking to him, that's how I feel when we are speaking. I miss you baby.

ti amo

GOOD NEWS

How is everyone? Chicco surprised me today with a lot of good news and I thought I would share with the world.
1) a package I sent to him a few weeks ago for valentines day has arrived. The funny thing is that the card arrived two days after I posted it but the box was missing. However today he received it and he will open the box on Valentine's day.
and....
2) It really is who you know in Italy....that is all I can say as I don't want to jinx anything.

Super Bowl

So I managed to watch the super bowl with my family last night. My mamma prepared chili, drum sticks, fish cakes and lovely desserts. It was a wonderful time with family watching the game. I lost 50.00 dollars as I was hoping for Chicago to win...damn it! and how upset was I that in Canada we did not see any of the American commercials.
What will it be like this time next year when I am not able to watch the super bowl. It's been part of my life as long as I can remember...I guess next year I will know...

cheers

CERTIFIED!

Well, I have finally finished the TEFL/TESOL course. I am not certified to teach English and eagerly looking forward to see what opportunities this brings Chicco and I. Wish me luck!

Booked for Italy!

Well guess what? I just booked another trip to Italy. It's not the BIG trip but it is in preparation for the BIG move:). Enrico and I have not decided on the big move day but we have had a lot of discussion about it. Definitely by the end of summer.....

TEFL Day 2

I have completed day 2 of this TEFL course that I am taking. This day was much better, I actually enjoyed what I learned. I am staying motivated by thinking about the end. And remembering WHY I am doing this; for US. Hang in there!

TEFL

BORING...BORING...BORING.....today I completed my first class of TEFL. It was a very boring class. I am really eager to learn how to teach but it just seemed boring to me. I wonder if it's the way the teacher was delivering the material? or was it because I was VERY tired? I will continue along and keep you all posted. I hope it gets better:)

YOGA!

oh my......do I say my body is in tremendous pain. I went to Yoga today and if I knew I would be in this much pain, I would have opted out. I do feel good and was very relaxed during the class. I will be attending weekly with the hope that my body will become much more flexible....

I will post shortly about holidays w/ Chicco...sooooooo much to tell so little time.

Cheers,

My Christmas Gift

My gift from Enrico. I could not have asked for more...actually being together will be the ultimate gift...