Filiz and I turned up to a little bar in Piazza Arnaldo, where a few people were outside socialising. As we walked in, a lady was walking out with a bright orange drink; Filiz commented that it was a local speciality and that I must try it. However, she’d forgotten the name of it. So after we aroused a few locals in the bar with our terrible Italian, we ended up using hand signals, until a local guy managed to work out what we wanted and talk to the bar lady for us! With our bright orange, speciality drinks, we sat down outside absorbing the night life and observing the skill of the girls in their high heeled shoes, how on earth they walk on cobble stone streets…it beats me!
Not long after we sat down, the guy that had rescued us with ordering our drinks and a group of Italians made conversation with us, by this point Jenna had arrived; a true New Yorker with a flair for Italian language after many hours of study at college. The night slowly delved into some crazy conversations and too many drinks! A suggestion was made to try out another bar, so jumping up and feeling the alcohol, five of us set off in search of another bar. Walking up a back street, passed the Lamborghini parked outside a fine looking bar, our Italian friends introduced us to a quirky little place with white washed walls and crazy furniture. As we walked in, the guys told us to go to the toilet. Jenna, Filiz and I gave them a strange look but went in like the three musketeers. At first, it didn’t seem out of the ordinary, just like the rest of the bar, the crazy furniture had continued into the toilets. We couldn’t understand what the fuss was about and by this time, the sound of running water and the talk of toilets, made me need to go. So, closing the girls out, I locked the door and the light popped on. Except, that wasn’t the only thing it switched on; out of a speaker to the left of the toilet came the most odd assortment of what sounded like eastern European men singing in a pub. I couldn’t hold back the giggles. In turn, we each had a go in the cubicle; until the guys then opened the door and reminded us how loud we were laughing and talking. I must say, that was probably the strangest toilet I’ve ever been too, one to remember I reckon.
One or two cocktails after the crazy toilet experience, we set off in search of food. With nowhere open at 1-2am, we were given the choice to go to the house of one of the friends we had met that evening. We all considered the situation, three English speaking girls with two Italian guys… ‘There are three of us, we’ll be alright’. So off we go in a car, to an apartment on the other side of town, all this time I was worried about my bicycle and if I was sober enough to ride home without taking the wrong road. Half an hour later, the five of us were gathered around a table with a dish so full, it was seeping down the sides and all over the table. A simple dish of tomato and pasta, but at that time in the morning, it did the trick!
The next day, I was teaching present simple tense to a friend of the children, when I had a text message from my Mum claiming that they were driving to Brescia. It came as a shock to me, knowing that the day before they were staying in France. As of Friday, my parents have been in the area, enjoying the sights and not enjoying the driving! On Saturday morning, Albi (11 y.o.) showed my parents and me around Brescia, returning after an hour for lunch with the whole family, both my real parents and host parents included. Was strange having them all there together, but it came as a shock to me just how much my host parents did not know about me. I hate to say it, but I am literally ‘just another worker’ in their household, what with the housekeeper and pool cleaner etc etc. The only difference is that I can eat with them! This whole upstairs downstairs thing did not shock me; friends from South America, China and some other European countries are familiar with having a housekeeper to tend to their every need. However, it doesn’t mean I like it. To be honest, I would much rather sit there and talk nonsense Italian with the housekeeper sometimes. She has taught me a lot!
Onwards…Saturday night I was at home feeling a little glum. My parents had left to go back to their campsite in Lago d’Iseo and I had the evening to myself. I had decided to settle down with a movie for the night and after having a shower, I received a phone call from the local friend we met at the bar, ‘Come to a BBQ at my friends house!’ How could I turn down the offer? I was soon picked up and whisked out of Brescia to the surrounding countryside, where we pulled into the driveway of a very nice looking house. I wondered at the time if I was underdressed, until I looked at my friend in his swimming shorts. The crowd of Italians invited me in with open arms and I began socialising with everyone almost immediately. I recognised a few faces from the night before and stuck to them a little while as I knew they spoke very good English. There is a positive and negative with the English language; everyone here wants to practice English, and I want to practice Italian. Although, I won’t complain!
Sunday rocked around and my friend Hope was due to arrive on a train to Brescia from Bergamo. Once we’d defeated the crowds in the station, including the man that was dressed as Britney Spears from her ‘Oh Baby baby…’ era, we hopped into the car and proceeded to follow the satellite navigation in my parents little Citroën C3 to Verona! A beautiful city with far too many tourists! We spent a few hours there and I was reminded just how exhausting site seeing was! We managed to see the town square and Juliet’s balcony. However, the queue to touch Juliet’s left breast was over crowed with Asian tourists so we thought we’d come back another time.
Monday, my parents kindly came and picked me up to take me to Bergamo where we met Hope. We went with the thought that we might be able to make some arrangements and have a good look around where we will be living in September. We found the college and got happily lost around Citta Alta which I hasten to add, is absolutely beautiful. Hope wanted to have a look at one of the convents where a lot of the students live while they do their course; mainly because it’s cheap and easy. We stood outside after ringing the bell, when one of the Sister’s came down and met us at the door. In turn, we introduced ourselves and conversed mainly in broken Italian, while she took our hands and kissed our cheeks. Immediately we could tell that we would be looked after very well here. The place was beautiful and so peaceful. It was very tempting to book in there and then, but we told her we’d think about it, as we’d like to consider all possible outcomes.
The rest of the afternoon we spent site seeing around the Citta Alta of Bergamo, with beautiful churches and cobble stone streets leading to fantastic little shops, we felt at home already! After such a busy weekend, I was thankful to return to reality today. However, it got off to a bad start and suddenly all the bottled up feelings I had about being an au pair, had been released. After one conversation in the morning, my mood went from a grade 10 to a 0 in a matter of a minute. I felt like a child being told off at primary school. The thing is, I was helpless. I couldn’t start an argument. I knew I had my own side, however, what would they care. The whole day, it lingered at the back of my mind, to then understand later on that, it had been a bad day for them and I think I was caught in the crossfire.
This evening, I was treated to dinner out in a little restaurant in Brescia. However the aperitif had gone slightly to my head, so we had a good ol’ giggle over me splashing my wine everywhere. Again, it was really nice to be rescued from the hum drum of the house, and however pleasant it can be, it has its flip side. Like being with your own family, it’s lovely to get away once in a while and I’m so thankful I’ve met people to enable me to do that!
