Paradiso Partenopeo....a Salerno

Salerno......

2012-01-27T01:48:00.000-08:00

Long over due for a blog entry! I got lazy what can I say? Anyway, as you can see I am not longer in Napoli, but in Salerno since Sept. Let me explain how this came about.

I went back to America in Aug after my awesome experience as an ESL teacher/summer camp staff in Reading, England in July. I didn't want to go back to making chicken feed in Napoli and paying nearly 400€ in rent for a tiny, yet modest and comfortable apt (Although living in the centro storico was fantastic!). I was paid by the hour at the British Institutes in Marano (NA) with no real certainty that they were gonna offer me in Sept the guaranteed monthly salary that I had been accustomed to when I was with Inlingua (like I real job dare I say!) Feast or famine in other words. Decent when there are students, horrible in the summer and slow periods.

So back at casa mia in Tolland, in my "beloved" CT, I decided to look at other possibilities and even the idea of leaving Napoli, a city that for as chaotic as it is, it was my version of Italy. I applied to various schools, mostly in the South, but also Rome which would have put me closer with a girl I was seeing last summer. Unfortunately it wasnt to be, but that is another story!

I saw an ad for a small school near Salerno and it seemed decent but what caught my eye was the fact that it was indeed Salerno, close enough to Napoli and it had the guaranteed salary which is such a mental cushion especially when you are getting paid per hour. So I applied not really thinking much about it. I get a response back a few days later asking me for a skype interview. I was a little hesistant to accept the first offer I got; murphies law, you accept one job and another paying double wants to hire you the next week. That wasn't the case fortunately. I thought about it and I decided I needed a break from the uncertainty, the trash, the smallness and solitude in my Napoli studio (more like a hotel room) apt.

I had been to Salerno 3-4 times prior so I had an idea of what the town was like and I always liked it here, thus my thought process when I applied. My now boss, Andrea was impressed with me and offered me the job right then and there. He liked a few things about me. 1. I spoke Italian 2. I had been in Napoli for 2 years so coming to Salerno would have been easy for me, and it really was when you compare it to my arrival in Napoli in Sept 2009. 3. I'm a straight forward person and I think he picked up on it. 4. This blog caught his attention, I dont hide anything on here so I don't mind if anyone looks at it. Ciao Andrea! mo sei famoso!!

Thought about the offer which was not an easy thing mind you, and I said, well why not? I was nervous though to start over again in a new city with no friends, and the idea of living with roommates again. So I came back to Napoli on Sept 6th and on the 15th I moved out with the help of Andrea and his gf. I now live in a house/apt in Torrione, a section of Salerno 1.5km from the center and a 5 min walk from the sea. It is a calm area with no trash or chaos, so it is nice rather nice. My only complaint is that it's hot in the warm months, and the walls are too thin where I can hear the germophobic mother above me every morning with her damn vacuum cleaner and her little brat son who runs marathons! My roommates are Pino from Calabria and Christian from NJ. We all get along, we're certaintly not buddies but there really isnt any friction between us, thank God. Everyone has their own private lives and we occasionaly go out on the town together.

The school is in San Cipriano Picentino in the province of Salerno, about 11 miles from my apt. There is one bus company that takes me out there, SITA, and the only thing good about them are their comfy buses. How I long for linea 1 of Napoli's metro!! I hate the bus! But I have no choice since I can't afford anything with a motor.......yet ;) I did buy a bike which is great for zooming around the area here but not feasable for going to work. (I trekked out there once for the hell of it on halloween night!)

I teach children and also adults, most who are looking to take the Cambridge exam eventually. I am certainly not rich by any means but with lower rent and the low cost of food in Campania I do alright. In fact next month I am returning to Firenze for a visit after 3 + years of not going there!

Andrea is by far the best added perk to my whole experience here. Contrary to so many napoletani who are sneaky and have ulterior intentions, especially with money, Andrea is a down to earth guy who does what he says he's going to do and can detect dishonesty in a person rather easily. As long as you are honest with him and humble, he does anything he can to help. So this has been a breath of fresh air considering the turbulent times I had in Napoli which where the following: the first landlady who was pissed that I left early and invented some fucked up excuse to not give me back my money, Inlingua giving me the ax bell'e buono (all of a sudden), and Wall street Institute closing for fraudulent bankruptcy. Ecco :)

I can honestly say that my life has improved since I came here. Here's why: I've learned to cook better and therefore eat out less 2. I bought a bike and that feeling of mobility is mental happiness after always being on foot in Napoli 3. I have a real bedroom again and place to hang my wet clothing 4. free gym as the owner is Andrea's brother and I feel great now that I work out 3 times a week 5. NO TRASH!!!

Also I've recently started hanging out with one of my students and his friends. Gianluigi. He's a great guy and an awesome person from which I have detected no deception or really anything negative when it comes to his friends. He's a dude with a big heart and someone I am happy to have in my life.

I am rather fortunate to be in this postion here in Italy as these are very turbulent times for the country. I speak English and I can always find work here. But if I didn't, getting a job, a decent one would be rather hard. There is a lot of unemployment here and this Euro debt crisis doesn't help. Italy in my opinion is in rather bad shape and many young people are frustrated here and I dont blame them. But it has potential and I think this is what people cling on to. I have no plans to go back to America but I would entertain the idea of living in Boston or NY if I had the chance. But that is on the backburner for now.

Sinta-se Bem!: A leitura de nossos pensamentos , do "Sinta-se Be...

2011-10-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sinta-se Bem!: A leitura de nossos pensamentos , do "Sinta-se Be...: A leitura de nossos pensamentos , do "Sinta-se Bem!" no Facebook , já o ajudou em algo em sua vida?

10 year anniversary of 9/11

2011-09-11T16:50:00.001-07:00

As I sit in my apt here in the center of ancient Napoli on this the 10 year anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the USA, and also having just watched a movie dedicated to the passengers who overtook flight 93, I feel somewhat the same as I did 10 years ago when it happened. I awoke at around 9:30 am perhaps even 10 to see the towers crumble. Perhaps it was better that I didn't see the planes crash live on national TV. I am sad, I am shocked, I am also angry. I suppose now I can take some small satisfaction that Bin Laden is dead, the brains of that whole operation. When he was killed a few months ago, I actually wasn't happy simply because I looked at it from a Christian point of view.....in other words I can't picture Jesus Christ pulling the trigger on anyone, not even Hitler. But when I learned however, that the US military took him out as Osama shot back and reportedly shielded himself with a woman, then I thought this is self-defense which is different than shooting someone defenseless. So in the end Bin Laden was a coward. Good ridance, may God have mercy on his soul....if that's at all possible.

I am sure God had a reason for all this to happen which will become clear when we meet Him, but wow it is sure hard to make sense of all it while we are still alive. What I simply can't and have never been able to fathom is why anyone thinks they can kill in the name of religion. I can't think of any faith that tolerates the taking of a human life. Islam is supposed to be a religion of peace and I am sure it does not condone violence if followed correctly. I understood the hijackers motives; reaction to American imperialism all over the world, which I have heard the US is a bully in other countires, but the taking of innocent lives is simply never the answer.

God Bless the 9/11 victims.

America 2011

2011-09-07T02:48:00.000-07:00

Ready to begin year 3 here in Southern Italy. I just got back 2 days ago from America and it is good to be back. Napoli is becoming more familiar to me as time drags on and by now it is my second home. Being back in America was not as strange as it was last year. For some reason last year America seemed foreign after passing a year in a city so diverse than that of my little town of Tolland, but this year it almost felt like routine. I dont live there anymore but it's still home.

Some of the highlights of my trip: having just came back from England where I worked at a summer camp, The hurricane which knocked out power for 2 days, water for 3 and the cable for 5, the earthquake which I didn't feel not even a tremor, the free Red Sox game with my cousin John and going to Boston with my sister Joanne. The trip def had a different feel to it than last year. Apart from the fact that it still felt like home, it didn't feel like this was an optional trip like last year, but more like a trip that I had to take because I had no cash as result of the Wall Street school closing and not being paid very well by the other school where I worked. I got cash from England but I didnt see that till the end of July. So, I felt kinda powerless in the USA where I had no car of my own, and I had to rely on my parents for many things. Not exaclty a self esteem booster but then again it wasn't shameful.

I got to see most of the friends that I wanted to see and the important ones I saw often enough to satisfy myself. Some of them I didn't see and for as much as I would have liked to have seem them, I don't sweat it because I made the effort to meet up but it also takes two to tango. I made the offer, gave out my temporary number, but if they don't respond, what more can I do? Technically I am the guest now in the USA, does it seem right for the guest to ask to be someone's guest?

My opinion of the USA has not changed at all since I came here 2 years ago. I still don't wanna live there and I see more advantages to living in Europe. There is still the possibility to earn more cash in the USA, but life is so much more complicated and exagerated there and I don't see things improving from an economic standpoint. One other big reason why I like being here is that the healthcare is universal and it's sad for me when I see people shelling out so much cash for medical care in the USA or worse friends who can't afford it. So they pray that they don't get sick. Pathetic. Despite all that, I still havent ruled out the possibility that I might go back to the USA, but only if I have a job waiting for me that pays well in the Boston or NY area. I never want to live in Connecticut again, it is a nothing state without a real identity.

I think the primary reason for me staying here is the people. From a psycological point of view Italy for me is healthier and I am less stressed out by the people here. I find too many Americans socially awkward and somewhat arrogant and ignorant of the world around them. As I always say, there are many great people in the USA, but not enough of them unfortunately. Both the USA and Italy seem jealous of each other; The Italians are convinced that life is automatically better in the USA and Americans are jealous of me being here! While back home I couldnt resist to ask my friends, " Is this still the land of opportunity?" Somewhat sad their response if u ask me.

But to sum it up, it wasn't a bad trip at all. I was happy to see family, friends and to be apart of Red Sox nation again. It was also nice to drive a car again and be in a house with central air.

Tom & Jerry - Topo di Napoli

2011-08-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

Air Action Vigorsol 2011

2011-08-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

Commercials/Pubblicità

2011-08-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

Before I moved to Italy, I had been observing commercials with my father for quite some time and for a rather specific purpose. We have seen that in about 60% of TV commercials that they are all dedicated to showing racial harmony and clearly present the idea that America is, or tries to be a country of racial harmony. Whether it is or isn't is another discussion. In short there is always a white person and a black.....or some other minority and the white guy is made to look like an idiot or is the brunt of something. Of course I think many American commercials follow this pattern anyway in which someone gets made fun of or made to look like an idiot.

Some people may say that what I am saying sounds kinda racy......i dont think so! Just watch commercials and you will see what I mean, the black guy always looks more intelligent, scorns the skinny white guy and at times ends the commericial with him looking at the white guy as if to say "what is he doing???" Course this is merely my opinion, take it for what it is worth. I swear there must be an advertising agency who has a general scheme in which they make sure there is a white and a black.

My question is this: why does anyone have to look like an idiot in a commericial?? And it's not often done even in a fun way like in Europe. In Italy, people in pubblicità arent ridiculed or look socially awkward like in the USA and often they make me laugh. Of course then we touch upon one of the vast differences between US and Italian culture, in this case being that in the USA, ridicule is much more common in contemporary culture than in Italy. BTW On my blog here u can see a commerical that made me laugh the first time I saw it.

There is some hope for US commericials and in the past there have been some that have been really funny. Those days however kinda seem far gone unless we're at Super Bowl time.

Some sad news

2011-05-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

This hasn't exactly been an easy month for me, this week no exception. I just found out my godfather, Jerry is near the end of his life. I regret that I will miss his funeral which is expected to take place shortly after his passing in about 2-4 weeks. He always treated me well and I regret not having spoken to him in a while. I don't know why I hadn't seen him before I came here to Napoli as he was part of our family and someone whom I was very comfortable with and considered him like an old uncle. Whoever says "I have no regrets in life", I don't believe it. To have no regrets means that you knew exactly what to say, feel, think, react etc etc in every moment of your life. Simply not possible.

What is perhaps most remarkable is that it has been Jerry's decision to be taken off dialysis and to be put on hospice. This is a very brave decision and I pray that he is ready to meet Christ and that He will welcome him with open arms and to alleviate Jerry from his suffering.

R.I.P. Gerald Knoblauch 1935-2011

America 2011

2011-05-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

So, I am going back home for my annual visit at the end of July and I am looking forward to it. I need a break from Napoli once in a while. I'll be back for 5 weeks then once again here at the beginning of September. Although I am having some money problems here and am not making as much as last year due to a change in schools and the fact that one of my 2 schools doesnt pay on time, I have not changed my mind about living here. I have no desire to return to America.

I may however decide to leave Napoli next year, not because I am sick of this city, quite the contrary, but simply because I need to make more money and there is probably more opportunity elsewhere in the boot. What I think needs to be explored is the social factor when deciding to live somewhere. Me at this point, I am getting attached to Napoli, the dialect, the people, my friends, my hang out places, my local shops, the overall feel of it and so I think it would be difficult to live somewhere else in Italy....let alone back to cold America. Nonetheless I think I could be happier in other regions of Italy if it came down to me leaving here. I didn't come here to get rich, but I am 31 and I wouldn't mind something semi-steady at this point in my life.....as do most people my age who are probably wishing the same thing. I'd be happy with steady hours in my current job or perhaps if it is at all possibile here, Id take a job as an English teacher in the public school systems. From what I hear, it is so steady that it would take a miracle to fire you.....like the post office. We'll see.

There is also a unique risk here in Napoli......Vesuvio. You never know when it could explode again. There is also another volcano which is the biggest in Europe called Marsili. Located all underwater and north of Sicilia, it has never exploded, but scientists believe that if it did, it could cause a Tsunami which could crush Southern Italy. Not that I am worried about it, nor would this be a factor to make me decide to leave Napoli, it has however a small factor to consider. For now I'd prefer to concentrate on the present and not think about it.

Rome trip

2011-04-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

I went to Rome yesterday as part of the extended holiday weekend here. The day after Easter is called Pasquetta which was and is a day to commemorate the day the angel met the women at the tomb of Christ to announce that he had risen from the dead. Although people use this day as an excuse to take a one day trip somewhere. Not wanting to hang around Napoli all day, I decided to take advantage of the free time and go to the Eternal City. I can see why people say most Romans dont live in the center of the city as much as in the past. It's overrun with tourists and what seemed to be mostly Americans and English speaking people!

This was my 4th time to Rome if I have kept track correctly. Perhaps the most reoccuring thought in my head was that I couldn't believe that my little apt here in Napoli is in the same country as all the wonders in Rome. With that said it was kinda nice to realize that I do in fact live in the same country as all those places and only 2 hours and 44€ round trip to get there. I must say, I prefer Napoli in the touristic sense simply because we dont get a ton of tourists like in the other Italian destinations like Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice, Milano, etc etc. Also, unlike Rome, napoletani still live at the center of the town which is what gives my experience living here quite an authentic feel to it. Too many tourists wouldnt make me feel as if I am in Italy.

So what did I see yesterday. The Colosseum even though I had seen it last year, the vatican, St Peter's cathedral, the trevi fountain and ciro massimo which was once a race track for chariots. I had one interesting encounter with an Indian who was selling umbrellas. It began to rain and as I was getting drenched, I decided to buy one. I can't believe that he wanted 15€ for a .50 cent umbrella!! I got a little mad and I said, 15?! Something like that costs FIVE euros in Napoli, 3 on a dry day! He then said he wanted only 5 for the small one, but as a matter of principle I walked away even though he chased me a bit to haggle the price. Why do I never see Italians selling umbrellas?!

Rome, overall seems cleaner than Napoli and the subway is the way it should run. I think the most I waited for a train was 3-5 mins. I would consider living in Rome and if I ever have to leave Napoli, or get tired of it here, I would def take it into consideration. Ma tiferei ancora Il Napoli.....TIè!!! XD (i'd still root for Napoli!)

Friendship

2011-03-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

I am somewhat black and white when it comes to friends. But not at first as I usually have a lot of patience with people. After a while though, I take into account all my interactions, nights out, phone calls, everything and I analyze where I stand with people. I suppose the tricky part is to be able to clearly take in all the elements and your perception of reality. Like, have we fully taken into consideration someone's lifestyle or what is going in their lives before we deem them a bad friend?

But this not exactly a happy post so I will get right to the point; I can't stand false friends. This is a tired argument but it is still true in that good friends are hard to find. It's at times hard here in Italy, a triple challenge in the USA. My friend Santos from Rio who lives in CT says I am his only US friend and that doesn't surprise me. What I have learned from having friends here in Italy and having dated a bit is how to look at people's behaviors from a different culture's point of view for which Italians are somewhat good at spotting selfishness, arrogance and insincerity. I was accused of being selfish by my last ex, but when you are already an insecure person who trusts no one, then I question your judgement's of others. But that is another post.....if it ever comes!

I don't wanna name names here but I do have a number of friends whom I thought were better friends than they actually are and ever since I came here to live, it's been interesting to see who has kept in contact with me and who hasn't. One thing is for sure, when I go back to CT in Aug for my annual visit, I am gonna make sure I see people who are worth seeing and not fair weather friends. Living here, I dont expect to be showered with contact every day or even often. But there are some people who after a while have made it clear to me that they just don't make the effort and it's really sad when you consider the lenghty time it takes to send a simple SMS or message on FB or email.

Now, if someone doesn't want to be friends with me or even a friendly aquaintance, that's fine at least they are honest with their intentions. What pisses me off is when people are all palsy palsy with me in person then in the cyber world, I am lucky to get a Hi. I suppose all this explains why I have such unique friends from around the world in the sense that I don't care what your lifestyle is, who u hang out with or if we are worlds apart (I draw the line with people who lead dangerous lifestyles). I'll be friends who anyone who treats me the way I want to be treated. To be friends with someone who only have toys, cars, money and other superficial things to me is bullshit.

This makes me think more of America. It is so hard to find meaningful friends who accept you for who you are without looking for some edge or something to gain from you. As I recall back in America, I rarely had friends who tried to help me find a gf or to meet girls for that matter. (Some did though). I recall once, I was in a bar in my horrible hometown and I saw a dude whom I went to high school with. He was talking to some hot girl and didn't bother to introduce me to her. I can understand getting first dibs on her, but c'mon it's not like we'll be making out 5 mins after I introduce myself!

To not sound hypocritical, I do have friends that I don't see that often or make an effort to see or call. But I'd like to think that I don't do this to my good friends. I try to make the effort to stay in contact with my "inner circle" but sometimes I guess we all have to analyze who is in that circle. In the end though, I dont give people grief or shit if they dont keep up contacts.....that would change though if I got accused of not being a good friend.

My role has been clear to me for a number of years now, and that is that I am usually the one who iniates contact, I am the one who calls first; for the record, I make the effort. I suppose this is at times why I have more female friends than male friends; women seem to be better communicators. To end this, I will quote my father who always says, "If something or someone is important enough, you find the time and you make the time" Parole sante.

I believe I have made my point.

UK vs American English

2011-02-07T15:26:00.000-08:00

This wasn't something I really thought about in America but here in Europe it is something that I have taken notice of. Last year I worked and lived with the English. Most of it was a good experience and I even enjoyed hearing their accents. But now 1.5 years into my experience here, that fascination has somewhat worn off. I suppose it depends on the type of English accent. Some of the CDs in my lessons however, offer the British accent and my honest impression, my rough impression is that it is a somewhat overly formal showoffish kinda language.

To say that one style of English is more correct than another is rather ignorant thinking and I would never say that, so when I do hear this it irritate me. To give specific examples from my experiences here, they involve two londonites who at times pissed me off. One was a guy I lived with, the other was an Indian-Brit who supposedly had a posh English accent (like I can tell the diff). While I don't have any ill will towards them they were somewhat of a culture shock for me and I am thus left to wonder if they were a true taste of what awaits me the next time I go to visit London. I've been there before but it's been 12 years.

They struck me as rather cold at times, pushy, arrogant and too anglo for my tastes. What really pissed me off was their attitude and reaction towards differences in the English language. I got a really constipated reaction when I wasnt aware of some of their slang or if I asked a question to which I genuinly did not know the answer to. I told them once...the whole English language does not revolve around what's popular in England! I speak the same language as them, but I am after all from a different country so it's normal to have differences in the language. Doesn't every language change constantly?

One aspect of UK English that I dont like is how they tell time. Their usage of the word, "past" at times confuses me like for 6:30 they'd say half past 6. I think the American way is more practical: hours and mins....that's it. Another is using the present perfect when we dont use it. Ex: I've had a shower this morning......vs. I had a shower this morning. Both are correct really so I can't discourage my students from saying it the UK way.

One thing I refuse to do is to go around saying that USA English is better than UK English. It's simply a different way of talking. As for personal preference, I do prefer to hear British accents when you compare them to certain American accents which at times get on my nerves. One particular American way of talking that makes me cringe is hearing young American girls talk. Not all of them are this way of course, but so many have this cutesy way of talking as if they are making a deliberate attempt to sound extra girly and in some instances, this affects the tone of their speech, meaning they at times sound like they're asking a question when it's really an affirmation. I remember once some girl came to my cell phone store and said, "My phone is broken?" Are you asking me or telling me??? And then there is the classic , " Like OMG. " Such a pleasure it is to never hear that over here !!

I dunno, the American way of talking to me just doesn't seem like an intelligent one. Let's face it, I got a problem with English....PERIOD!! heheheh. But it is a useful language and my lifeline here in Italy.

Smoking

2011-01-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

I hate smoking! I hate it and this is my area to rant about it; we all need a rant every now and then. Perhaps what I hate the most is not so much the cigarettes themselves, but how when and where people smoke them. If you want to smoke, fine go ahead and kill yourself, but why are you dragging me and every other healthy lung into your cancer quest? If you want to smoke, go off in some corner where there isnt the chance of another person to inhale it or better yet, dont smoke in public at all!

I can't stand it when I see someone light up in public, in places where it is nearly impossible to not inhale smoke, in particular while walking along the sidewalk. To me this a selfish act and a form of force, the fact that I am being forced to breath someone's poor choice in life. What is even more appalling is when I see parents smoking around their children (we're not even gonna touch women who smoke while pregnant) who otherwise seem like somewhat decent people. I understand it is an addiction, but it doesn't change the fact that you are still forcing others to inhale your addiction.

Since this is a blog dedicated to Napoli, I must mention that smoking here reminds me of how things were in America when I was child and probably resembles America back in the day when smoking was even fashiobable. I don't understand at all why napoletani smoke so much. Italians in general are people who pay a lot of attention to their health and know exactly what is good and what is bad for them. How they ignore all the modern day health warnings and dangers of nicotine is something that really illudes me. It's such a shame when I see young people with cigarettes in their mouths. One thing that seems to be the same all over the world are the anti-society people, metalheads, anarchists or just people who are against the grain; they all smoke. They try to be different from society yet the majority smoke!

Some people say they could never date a person who smokes. I'd like to say that's true in my case but it isnt. Giovanna, my gf, is a smoker unfortunately and for as much as hate her addiction, I can't bring myself to tell her "o smetti o ti lascio......either I quite or we break up". I put up with it because it doesn't ruin 100% the times we spend together but if she did anything more than smoke cigarettes then that is where I would draw the line.

I remember once, my Aunt's husband (he doesn't feel like an uncle to me) complaining about having to defend his smoking. Well he should! If you smoke these days, there is absolutely no logical argument that I can think of which justifies what you do and the health risk that you pose to the general public and furthermore every smoker should be held accountable for what they do. Typical smoker justifications are that it helps them relax or it helps to slow down their metabolism and the classic "it doesn't always cause cancer". I do believe that smoke causes a physical reaction which is what the main attraction must be to smoking (I dont feel anything except nausea), but there are many other ways to relax and lose weight. There is always an alternative to lighting up. As for cancer, it is not a guarantee that you will get cancer, but why risk it?

Aside from the risk of lung cancer, the immediate effects of smoking that I personally find revolting are these: the absurd cost for a pack of smokes, the yellowing of the teeth and the overall smell that remains on your breath and clothing.

I do my best to avoid smokers, and perhaps I did not come to the right part of the world to teach English. But I will never back down or feel guilty about expressing my opinons about smoking.

First post of 2011

2011-01-18T03:31:00.000-08:00

At the suggestion of a friend, I will keep this blog alive and attempt to add to it once in a while.

I find myself at a crossroad here, one I didn't really expect myself to be at, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. What brought about this fork in the road is due to the fact that Inlingua canned me and thus I had to re-evaluate my situation here in Naples. In summary, I was let go from Inlingua for 2 reasons, one being my own damn fault and the other I give to the school. I had become lax in my job and it showed when they observed one of my lessons. But what I don't like however about Inlingua is they have a policy of not telling the instructors when a complaint is made about them or any kind of negative feedback for that matter. So it's impossible to know if you are doing a bad job as they tell you nothing!

But life goes on. My last link to Inlingua is my last check which no no doubt will make me cry due to the shortened month in Dec because of the holidays and my working with the British in Marano. I also got hired by the Wallstreet Institute here in Napoli and I should start with them soon. I do offer private lessons and they should resume soon and hopefully with some new students.

Life observation: In the USA, I often saw immigrants and people from other countries, some were even my friends. I was used to them being in my house and me having the upperhand linguistically. Here, it's somewhat different. I see immigrants every day from all over the world, mostly Africans, Arabs and Asians and in a way we have something in common being that Italy is not our first and primary country. As I have mentioned in past blogs, I feel right in between both countries, the USA and Italy so my being here is not without some logic or reason. Why people from other countries choose Napoli I'll never know! Perhaps it's due to its rather pleasant climate and the fact that people here are lax on the rules.

Trip to America 2010

2010-09-11T02:55:00.000-07:00

Overall I’d say it went well. I had mixed feelings about going back, perhaps because I still have issues with the USA, but on the other hand I have a lot of wonderful memories and friends from there. Coming and leaving again was different in a good way this time around as last year was quite emotional. Last year I was “taking the plunge” into something very different and unknown and no one knew when or if I was ever coming back.

When I arrived in Napoli last year I had nothing and basically had to start from scratch. Coming back reaffirmed to me and to my parents that I am not so far away after all. But a month was just enough. Now I am happy to be back in Napoli.

It was a needed vacation as I was in need of a change of scenery and to see my parents again. Quite honestly, it was cool as hell coming to the USA as a half foreigner half local. It was nice to not be a foreigner, to hear English again and to not have to think about what I was saying like I do here at my job. One thing in particular that I missed was driving! I walk everywhere here which is fine as it keeps me in shape but at times, especially at night, I prefer to be in a car. Although my old car, the TC Scion is dearly missed. I was grateful to be able to use my parents cars but to be honest they bore me because they’re both automatics and I prefer a standard shift.

Last and certainly not least, it was nice to see my Brazilian friends again! I seem to have more of them than American friends. Whether that’s true or not I did see more of them on this trip. I dearly missed the churrasco (Brazilian BBQ) the rice, the beans, the pudding and other South American delicacies. Most importantly I missed the easy going spirit of the Brazilians who are culturally similar to Neapolitans.

My best friend Santos was a good friend as always. He even dropped what he was doing to come out and see me right after I called him to tell him that I was back! He then broke my bed (well actually we did!) just sitting on it! It’s very bittersweet to be such good friends with someone because when you’re back you feel like you’re back forever. But the painful reality is that you are just there for a visit. Still, I’d prefer that short stay as opposed to not seeing him for years which Brazilians and other immigrants are painfully used to. I am fortunate indeed that I can come and go between both countries as I please and that I am a citizen of such a vast amount of land.

Santos has not changed a bit and I wouldn’t change him at all really. He wouldn’t be him otherwise. This trip was unique as now I have a bit of immigrant experience and I am able to relate to immigrants a bit better in America now. I am happy to say that Santos was the last friend I saw on this trip just like before I left last year. We went to Elizabeth Park and just chatted for a while and had some deep discussions which if you can’t have these kinda chats, then in my opinion the caliber of your friendship is somewhat lacking.

Now for the ups and downs of the trip and I’ll start with the downs to end this whole thing on a positive note. As I mentioned above, just a month was all I wanted in the USA. I still don’t want to live there or work there again because all the reservations and criticism that I’ve always had are still true. What keeps me away is US society. For the most part, I still find it a cold place, immature, very informal, insecure of itself and above all……fake. Perhaps this is just New England, but I’ve met Americans from all over the USA and some have the temperament of a New Englander if not worse! Someone told me that if I were to move to Chicago, LA or other parts of the USA I’d be trading apples for apples. Sure, it would be a nice change but in the end it’s still the USA.

The Food: Italian food wins hands down here! It is hard to find decent fresh food in the USA and it was kinda disturbing to be at the mercy of American cuisine. The best places that I like to go to are ethnic specific restaurants: Indian, Brazilian, Asian and if they can get it right, Italian. But I still loathe all the major chain restaurants. The first thing I did when I got here in Napoli was get a real pizza and man was it buonissima! La pizza napoletana has a specific taste to it that I’ve never had in the USA.

Going to restaurants irritates me in the USA too. Wait staff are overly courteous as they are trying to get a good tip outta you, but some come off as just so fake. In fact I find it disturbing that you HAVE to tip in the USA. A tip is a sign of appreciation from a customer, not part of the bill. This ‘have to tip’ mentality to me just screams a hidden….GIMME!

Going out: Sadly, I am not surprised when I see fights break out in the bars and clubs. Almost every dude in there seems to walk around with a chip on his shoulder. U look at someone the wrong way, u bump into someone and it’s cause for a scuffle. This is something I rarely if ever experience in Napoli. Sure enough I saw a dude get thrown out of the Pour House in Hartford and then he tried wresting with 3 bouncers. Brilliant numbnuts.

One thing I that I have gotten used to here in Italy, is NOT being carded and it’s so nice to buy alcohol freely without being asked for documents and getting your hand stamped with some ink that takes forever to get off. I feel like a cow being branded! A few times last month, I had to go back home and get my license because I had forgotten how tightly controlled alcohol is the in the USA.

The weather: While we can’t control Mother Nature we can certainly control where we live. For as hot as Napoli gets, the weather is subtropical and not as extreme as CT. CT is anywhere from boiling to frostbite cold and quiet honestly it’s too extreme for me. It was such a blessing to not see snow last winter!

AC: The idea is to condition the air, not freeze it! I was so cold walking into grocery stores and getting hit with that blast of cold air. It could be 90 out and 50 in the stores. Mamma mia! That’s how one catches a cold! Or is it possible that there is some conspiracy with the pharmaceutical companies and retail stores across the nation in light of recent health care reforms?!

Americans: my opinion of too many of them is this…..Arrogant, ignorant, insecure, fake, cold, impatient hot headed, and socially strange. Here’s something I don’t understand. Twice on my trip there, my Brazilian friends were asked 2 questions. 1. Where are you from, which is an honest neutral question and God knows I get asked that here, which is absolutely fine. 2. Do you have a green card?........................................ What is the point in asking this question?! It’s rather intrusive really and none of our business. I felt bad for my friends but they took it with a grain of salt when really the salt needs to be thrown back into the face of those who ask and if applicable in a nice fresh cut!

No one asks me my legal status here in Italy unless they get to know me. Point being, I am not asked that on introduction. Rather I am asked if I am here for work or study which I find to be a very neutral fair question. Italian society is what keeps me in Italy. While I have some issues with Italians and Italian society, I prefer them over Americans.

Public music: a small pet peeve albeit one worth mentioning. I have worked in many jobs that involved customer service and the music seems to be this satellite link fed to all chain stores in the USA. The music is recycled stuff from the past 30 years, some good, some just boring and overplayed. In Italy, the tendency is to put on the radio and often I hear dance/house kinda music.

Italians: aside from coming to a new country and changing their lives drastically, I don't fully understand Italians dieing love for the USA. Their perception of the USA and of Americans in my opinion make them seem very naive. I tell them all the time that the USA only bears a small resemblance to what they see in films and what they read about America. But it is possible to have a comfortable life in the USA if you are willing to work hard. One thing is for sure, the USA is not a cheap country by far.

Now the positives……

Americans: In some aspects we are laid back more than traditional ethnic countries and it create a somewhat relaxed mentality on certain things. My ex here in Italy used to tell me that I am always so calm in certain situations whereas I guess an Italian would make a big deal out similar situations.

For all my complaints about Americans and American society, it is like any other society in which people are people no matter where you go. I’ve always said that in every country there exists every kinda type of personality, the good the bad and the ugly. Just that when you go to a different country the culture changes and gives everything a whole new taste. Americans are definitely more independent and rely less on la mamma. But this is strictly on a case by case basis. It’s hard to generalize when you have a population of 310,216,000 people.

I know some absolutely wonderful people back home whom I would take any day over certain types of Italians here. My parent’s neighbors for example are two wonderful people who I was very happy to see again. There are plenty of people in the USA who made my trip even better just by talking to them. It was nice to not be a foreigner, to understand everyone around me and to just speak normally. (I don’t have major communication problems here in Italy, but at times I do get confused, especially when it comes to humor and logico napoletano).

More fundamentally, I suppose this trip back home gave me a better sense of identity. I am an American citizen because I was born and raised in the USA. But at the same time I am also Italian (legally and mentally). It’s impossible to ignore my last name, my family history and that we still have a few relatives who don’t speak English (we had more in the past few years). I love the fact that my last name is napoletano and that here it’s a normal last name that everyone can pronounce. It’s also cool to hear my father’s name Salvatore, used so commonly like John and Mike in the USA. More importantly, I don’t want to lose my heritage which I am proud of so what better way to preserve it than by going to where my ancestors came from? Now I have two different visions of Italy. The old country and Italy for what it is today; grown up and with their history, culture and traditions closely woven together.

So living here in Italy, it makes me feel right in between both countries and I suppose at times in a world all my own due to cultural confusion. Where does that leave me? I don’t care. The important thing is to be happy.

The highlights of my trip: Going to NY to see some friends. Going to Boston to see my sister and seeing here again at her salon (she’s an esthetician). Seeing Green Day when I didn’t know they were even in town! Seeing Slayer, Megadeth and Testament. Seeing friends and family that I didn’t think I was gonna see. Brian Morey for example was an unexpected surprise. Driving again. Living in a house with no bills or no responsibility, AMERICAN CABLE TV!! (I love the History channel!) And lot but not least, seeing my parents again as well as my two best friends, Tim and Santos. So yeah, I am glad I went back and I’ll go back again for another visit, but a month was enough. It was my first time going to the USA being 30 years old and it made me wonder what my life could be like if I had stayed and gotten a half way decent job. I may go back and it is nice to know that I always have that option.

Napoli-Parma 3-2 Parma

2010-04-21T01:45:00.000-07:00

I just had my first Euro soccer experience two Saturdays ago. Managgia!!! What an experience! I have never seen such an energy packed stadium and fans more passionate and enraged towards their team! I reserved my seats about a week ahead of time and for some reason only EU nationals were allowed to buy tickets. So needless to say I felt privileged. I went with my roommates, Alfonso, Isabel and her friend Ana who are both from Spain. I reserved tickets in the section called Curva B. Apparently this is a section reserved for the season ticket holders and also the fan clubs who go to the stadiums and light fireworks in the stands. They also chant pretty much the whole game.

I guess the first thought that comes to mind is how different this experience is compared to all the sporting events I went to in America. Here are the differences: the fans in Napoli sit everywhere including the walkways to the seats. Fireworks in the seats which I don’t know if they are legal or not. Fans smoke and some even smoke weed. You would be looked at like you were a mental patient if you told fans to calm down and to not swear which I think is a rule in many stadiums in America, possibly Fenway. They didn’t play their national anthem. There wasn’t a working scoreboard but all the fans seem to know the score. The music before hand was the same stuff I hear on my dance radio station. But probably the most notable difference is just how much fans get into the game. They are wild 85% of the game and they had about 20 different chants throughout the game. Also in the seats, there were occasional mosh pits but no one was hurt.
For half time I had to use the can. I thought everyone would get up in droves to go there but no one was getting up! I had to climb over I don’t know how many fans just t get to where I needed to go. At the start of the 2nd half, I decided to find somewhere else to go as going back to the same spot was out of the question. So I found spot right in front as soon as you enter the stadium.

The game went well and the score resembled more a hockey score. Napoli scored first. Then it was tied. Parma then went ahead to make it 2-1. Napoli tied again and at that point it definitely seemed possible to win also since Napoli seemed to be on the attack. Then the end they fell apart and gave up the winning goal. They had a lot of shots on goal but couldn’t seem to stuff it in.

This was hands down the most authentic esperienza napoletana that I had since I arrived here in Sept. There were only Napoletani around me (one black actually) and I go to hear their protests mostly in dialect. Given the lack of rules for the fans in the seats and their passion for their team, it made this a more exciting experience than a game at Fenway. Although Fenway is still cool.

2010-02-28T11:44:00.000-08:00

Almost 6 months
So I’ve almost been here in Napoli for about 6 months now. Quite an accomplishment really. It hasn’t been easy and all nor has it been a bed of roses. But for the most part I am doing fine here. The holidays sucked here really. I was bored outta my mind as my school didn’t re-open till Jan 11th and I returned here just before New Years. The last paycheck was not the full amount due to the school not being open the whole month of Jan. But I get an extra euro an hour raise so that helped and will help for the next check.

I still work an average of 10-20 hours a week which is a nice relaxing pace. I try not to compare my job to other teaching positions in America as it can be somewhat depressing. What keeps me sane, is that I consider being here an accomplishment which looks good, in my opinion on a CV and to other prospective jobs. That and I like being so far from home in a place that is never really dull in my opinion. But I want to expand other options here in the future. I’ve already decided to come back here for another year in September; I’ve worked too hard to just come here for a year stint. That and I really have no desire to go back to America.

One option that I want to pursue is working for the US military. Like, I wouldn’t be enlisted, rather a civilian working for them. Or if I can, I’d like to pursue the idea of being an English teacher in the public school systems. I am told this is extremely difficult, but what the hell, I’ve made it this far. We’ll see.

Linda and I broke up last month. We just had too many differences, most of them personal I think and some cultural. But it is for the best really. She is a difficult girl to deal with at times and we just see life differently I guess. We just had a lot of misunderstandings to the point where it got on both of our nerves.

Logically, this isn’t the best time for her to be in a relationship as she wants to get out of Italy and work abroad. Kinda like what I wanted to do before I came here. But I don’t miss the arguments, that’s for sure. We had a lot of good times however. We had a lot of laughs and happy simple times. She is a generous person, is very self-less and like I told her once, she is good wife material. I won’t see her for a while as she is going to Belgium for 3 parts to do that Erasmus thing.

Almost 30 in Italy!

2010-01-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

SPAESATO
Sometimes I really feel out of my element here in Italy, simply because I didn’t grow up here. My father’s grandparents and half his aunts and uncles left here almost a century ago and as far as I know we don’t have much family here apart from some distant cousins that I met in 2005. But we always retained some of our Italian identity. For this I really feel in between both countries. Not Italian like the ones that were born and raised here, yet not a typical American back home. To add to the confusion, I look Italian and I blend in here rather well, people all the time ask me things while walking around. As for the language, I have good days and bad days with it. Some days I can’t seem to get the words out with stuttering or getting blocked as it’s said in Italian, other days I am more relaxed and can speak better. There is also the issue of the local dialect, napoletano. It is somewhat difficult as it has a distinct pronunciation and the different usage of certain words. I know some of it thanks to my father and other sources but it is real challenge to understand at times. Strict dialect speakers to me are a mystery.

Having studied Italian both here and in America, I am in a good position to be able to communicate and make myself understood, but my challenge still is to speak it without getting blocked, and to sound more like a local. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to sound or resemble a napoletano or just an italiano, but I can damn well try and the worst that can happen is I greatly improve my Italian. If I don’t hear Italian however in a clear and slow enough manner, I can’t follow what is being said. At times for it is like trying to talk to someone in an airplane who is 2 rows ahead of you, or a cell phone call with static.

For the first time in my life I am experiencing what it is like to live outside of my own country and it is an indescribable experience. It isn’t like school where you spend 90 mins in class then when you go home and go out with your friends it’s America and English. Now it’s the opposite, English at home and at work, but then outside it’s all Italian. I handle it pretty well usually, although some days I wouldn’t mind being back in American for a week, then it passes and I am glad to be here!

MI MANCATE!!
What do I miss in America……
First and foremost it has to be my parents and my friends. I had a lot of Brazilian friends (and an ex) back home and I miss being around them, Portuguese and going to mass in the Brazilian Catholic church. Being here helps me understand how it is for them to be immigrants in America, even though I am not the same type of immigrants as they are, I am still not in the country that I was born and raised like them. One friend in particular is Santos! Anyone who knows him can understand why I’d miss him! I miss also the following: Hockey, baseball, my car, central air, Boston and my father. I am my father’s son and for as much as I like talking to him every Friday, it isn’t the same as when he is in front of me.

STRONZATE AMERICANE!!
I don’t miss the following in America: Arrogant impatient people, subpar food, winter weather, snow, having everything so far from you (for all I need in life I can see it from my window here) overly defensive drivers of CT and probably the most is the overall fakeness that I come to find in American society. I think I will be able to form a more objective opinion about America more time I spend away from it. I need a real comparison via living in another country to form a more objective opinion the USA. So far though, I don’t really feel homesick and there are other little things that I could put here that annoy the hell outta me in America that makes me happy to be in Italy.

Many Italians here love my country and that’s fine, I have a fascination with Brazil which could be compared to their desire to visit NY, LA, Boston, Miami etc etc. I don’t burst their bubble but when we get into specifics I tell them what I was always told about here in Italy; being here to live is not like being on vacation. It seems like I live in a world where it is taboo anywhere to say anything bad about the USA, in particular in the USA. Well this is my blog and I don’t intend to hide anything. Quite honestly, I find much to not be proud of being an American and America itself. I thank God for such an ethnic identity, appearance and last name.

LA VITA BUONA
What I perhaps like most about being in Italy is the change of life that it brought. It was a much needed change as I spent the bulk of 2009 unemployed and just existing in my parent’s house in a small town where nothing happens. You can have your peaceful living; I say it’s too easy a catalyst for boredom which does nothing for stimulation. Here I am around a lot of people every day. This is basically city living and I don’t feel so alone here. When I am bored I go for a walk and simply observe what is around me. What is also nice here is that I don’t use any form of credit card, I have no debt, no type of insurance at all, free medical care, and no car expenses, just house expenditures and the everyday needs. Yes this is indeed a nice way to ring in my 30th birthday in a few weeks!

2010-01-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

Full Circle……la mia vita a Napoli.

Here it is! The long awaited Italy blog of David Carmosino! I have created this for a number of reasons; 1. I have many experiences here in Italy and I’d like to document them 2. Instead of writing long emails to 20 different people, you can all just read it here. 3. Why not??! 4. for whoever else wants to read this. The title Full Circle is in reference to my great-grandparents who left this country in 1915 and I who came to live in September 2009. This is in essence a full circle as we (my family via me), have come back to Italy 96 years later.
Since I don’t like to do a ton of reading, I will try to keep these short enough and to leave out unimportant details. This first one might be somewhat long as it is the intro.

COME SONO ARRIVATO IN ITALIA

The first thing I want to address is how I arrived here in Italy, in Naples of all places. I am not sure where to begin, but perhaps the most relevant place is Jan 21st 2009. This was the date I was let go from my previous job, which was working in a call center for Mass Mutual answering questions about life insurance and taking calls 8 hours a day. By far the most stressful job I ever had and probably the one type of job I should never have done, that is a financial/corporate job. But the pay and benefits were great. It wasn’t to be however and I was given the ax. That day I even told HR in their face that I was in the wrong profession and that I belong in something Italian if not Italy. “This today is opening the red white and green door” I told them! As a result I was unemployed for the bulk of 2009 from Jan to Sept. In Feb/March I decided to take a TEFL course in Boston (teaching English as a foreign language) which is required to teach English in many schools across the world.

BOSTON LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

So the course lasted 2.5 months and it was somewhat grueling but def worth it. From May till late Aug I dedicated myself night and day to applying for different schools mainly in Italy but also entertained the idea of teaching in Spain, Mexico, Brazil and other parts of Europe. I didn’t care where I taught, as long as it got me out of my house, but Italy was the preferred choice as it would have been the easiest of transitions. But it was a frustrating process as it is hard to be hired from overseas and the summer months are not the best time to be hired. I must have applied to over 70 schools. I thought I had a few genuine offers from a few schools in Italy and some in Spain, but the trail went cold with all of them except one, which is the current one that I am working in, Inlingua Napoli.

VENIRE O NO?

It was strange to tell people that I am probably leaving for Italy in September, but not really knowing 100% myself when and where I was going. I was determined to leave anyway as this has been a goal of mine since 2001. I applied to Inlingua in Early Aug and I got a response back later in the month when the summer holidays were over. After a phone interview, submitting a language proficiency test and positive remarks from my then supervisor at the Berlitz Language School, I was hired! Ecstatic is putting it lightly how I felt! My patience had paid off and I had a job in Italy.

INLINGUA NAPOLI

I wasn’t expecting to work in Naples and it certainly wasn’t my first choice in Italian cities, but I couldn’t say no and I’m glad I didn’t as I never heard from the other schools again. I had some reservations both about Napoli and the school. If you google in my school it has some bad reviews. I decided though that they were submitted by disgruntled teachers who couldn’t handle Italy or the Italians. So I decided to to just come and experience the city and the school for myself. Napoli I already knew was a chaotic city, but I felt better after talking to Robyn my then Director of Studies (DOS) who assured me that the city gets a bad rap and there are parts that are quite nice. Having been here since Sept 13th, I found out that she was right. Napoli is chaotic, disorganized, dirty, trashy but also exciting, interesting and a place you could become attached to. To sum it up, it has real character. It’s also been assuring to meet other teachers who have been with Inlingua for over a year. They must like something about the school, Napoli and Italy.

I MIEI STUDENTI

Overall I like the students that I teach. They are positive, involved in the lesson, more or less eager to learn and we have a good relationship. I’ve had a very few problems with my students/. I mostly teach adults and they anywhere from 20-60, most have their lessons paid for by their jobs who send them to our school to improve their English. So far I don’t have a ton of lessons and the most I do is three lessons a day. I was hired as freelance teacher and thus I am guaranteed a min 80 hours a month worth of pay whether I work those 80 hours or not. Anything over 80 they pay us accordingly. As I have always said, I didn’t come here to get rich and I have to watch my money every month, but luckily Napoli is one of the more cheaper cities in Italy which is a big saving. For example I can get a generous sized pizza for 2.50euros. I just got a raise so my paycheck should be a bit more next month.

QUALCOSA NON VA?

Some of my co-workers don’t care for the school and I’ll admit it has its problems, but what job doesn’t? I’m not gonna list all their complaints, but I have none really. I am happy to have a job considering how I spent most of 2009 and most importantly to be in Italy. One of the biggest complaints is the pay. It is true that it is somewhat tough to live on what they pay us (at the start that is), but not impossible. If you wanna buy designer clothes, go out every night and spend a fortune then you’ll be broke in 2 weeks. It is true that the pay is generally more up North, but you also need to consider that the cost of living is higher especially in Firenze and Milano. But I am not a complainer and so far everything here is do-able. I have patience that things will work out and we’ll see how things pan out in the next couple of months. My contract ends in July, but already I am thinking of next year and I want to see if they will extend my contract to 2011. I want to stay here in Italy for a while, but I don’t want to be poor forever.

CLANDESTINO NO!

My quest to make active steps to live here actually started back in 2005. Per the advice of a professor at my college, I found out that I might be eligible to acquire dual citizenship via my paternal great-grandfather. According to Italian law, this is something that you are born with but you need to prove your lineage. You basically inherit this providing you can prove that whoever you intend to acquire it from, had never renounced being an Italian citizen. This is done by becoming a citizen of another country. Fortunately, we knew that my father’s grandfather never did this and I had a hunch that I had a green light to Italian citizenship. I started this whole ordeal ironically in Napoli in 2005 arriving from NY and staying at a hotel which is right down the street from where I work now. I had to go to Torre Del Greco, my ggf’s town which is right next to the famous towns of Pompei and Herculaneum 10 mins south of Napoli. From there I needed birth and marriage documents as the consulates in America, who ultimately acknowledge you as a dual citizen, require these documents. I never thought I’d come back to this town again, much less for a job, especially after my adventure down here 5 years ago! (It has to be destiny that I ended up getting a job in my ancestral home!)

From there I needed alike documents in America which were harder to obtain ironically because they weren’t free like in Italy. I needed: birth, marriage, divorce and death documents from my ggf, grandfather, father and myself (obviously where applicable). Once I had those in order I needed to present them to the NY Italian consulate which took a few visits to make sure everything was in order. Once it was I was sent a letter saying I could apply for a passport. One of the happiest days of my life was getting that Italian passport in the mail!

I wanted it for a few reasons. 1. Because I am fiercely proud of my heritage 2. Why not? And 3. It allows me to live and work in Italy as long as I want with the same rights as any normal Italian citizen. I am told the process to obtain a Visa or to get a permesso di soggiorno is somewhat difficult, in particular the Visa. In fact my school would not have hired me if I didn’t have a legal way to stay here. Schools here in Italy for some reason are unable to help you get a work Visa. So I am fortunate to have a bisnonno, who never became an American citizen which thus enables me to live here in Italy as an Italian citizen and avoid a lot of legal hassle.

DOVE ABITO

Where I live……….Despite all the negative press about this town, I live in a fairly decent section. I live in the Arenella (Via Suarez, Piazzetta Immacolata) section of Napoli which is right on the border with Vomero, one of the more wealthier sections. I work in Centro Direzionale which is the business district of Napoli although sometimes I travel to companies to teach. I live in an apt with 5 bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen a balcony, with 2 other teachers and two Spanish students.

Luca and Alfonso are the other two teachers who work at the same school as me. Luca is from London and Alfonso is from Perth, Australia. All three of us are of Italian background. Isabella and Miguel are Erasmus Spanish students. More or less things are ok here. Some are a bit sloppier than others but more or less we all get along. I am told some of the other teachers don’t have such great living arrangements! The apt is just ok, it is seems made for students and it sucks not having a living room or a TV for that matter. But I don’t complain too much.