Sunday, November 11, 2012
2012 review
Long long long overdue for a post! But I want to keep this blog alive, so I'll keep writing and more often. So I find myself still in Salerno and in the same house but today my new roommate arrived. A kid from Avellino named Antonio and compared to the slobs I had before this kid seems like he'll work out ok. He came with his parents today and they made us lunch and even cleaned the kitchen which was a lot more than what I expected out of a normal Sunday!
So it's gonna be nice to have some company. In the meantime I am still at the same school teaching English in San Cipriano Picentino and this year is a lot easier than last year as I know my boss Andrea much better, what he expects out of me, his work mentality and how he wants the school run. Seems I am bit busier than last year which is good, which means more experience, more business for the school and ....more €€ !!
I am prob in the best shape of my life thanks to my ongoing efforts at the gym and I love the results. It is very difficult to eat "clean" as the Italians say which is essential to staying in shape and maintaing a good shape. I try to eat well, no beer, no desserts, fried things but it's hard.
I went back to England this past summer and it was nice as usually. This time it was the same company but a different location, Malvern in the Midlands, near Birmingham. After, I went back to America for a month which was a mixture of good and terrible. Terrible because my father had some health problems which in the end was a simple operation thank God. It was also bad due to a crazy Polish girl I was seeing this summer who belongs in a rubber room with a straight jacket! I broke up with her and she took it really bad. In fact she soon moved back to Poland after to get some mental help. She put me through a terrible stressful situation for which I really dont want to talk to her again and I am glad it is finally over. On the bright side it was good to see family and friends again. Next summer however I think I want to work all summer and travel more and possibly not go back to America.
How long will I stay in Salerno/Italy? I have absolutely no idea. Some days I think about moving, and some days I am very happy here. But I do feel it deep down that I am not ready to go back to the USA if ever. If asked the question, my gut tells me, NO CAZZO don't go back, you'll regret it! But I would like to pursue a Master to further my career which I think is the next best and logical step in my life.
Still looking for my better half as well. It's a long and often frustrating search but I think with patience and help from God, it'll happen. I don't want a 3-4 month whirlwind romance this time, something a bit more serious I think I am ready for again.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Salerno......
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.
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.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Sinta-se Bem!: A leitura de nossos pensamentos , do "Sinta-se Be...
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?
Sunday, September 11, 2011
10 year anniversary of 9/11
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
America 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
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