Things here have taken a strange turn over the last week, as if the whole island is out to test us. I don't know why but everything certainly feels like a struggle.

Unfortunately it seems as if our fun trips out to wilder parts of Sicily will not be continuing. This is for reasons that don't belong in a blog but needless to say it is all a bit dramatic, like something out of a soap opera. I did not come here for drama; given that it's Sicily, maybe this was short-sighted. Funny that where Sicilian men seem to be involved, things take dramatic turns, whether it's our housemate, whose fiance got jealous of her talking to her mother's boyfriend, or another girl's Sicilian partner, who flounced off in a jealous sulk one night when she looked at someone else male. I don't think Montalbano is like this, but then again he is not real and he is not exactly faithful to the awful Livia.

Plus, this is only Catania, the noisiest, smelliest city on this side of the island. Taormina it is not and I will not forget the four weeks I had there, which were among the best in my life. No, Catania will not spoil the rest of Sicily for me, with its endless car horns and dogs barking!

Jo and I have plans to visit the Botanical Gardens - we found where they are (naturally, they were shut when we went, I mean it was inevitable), but they look rather nice. It has turned colder here and I have been suffering with a cold and cough - I could really have done without it as who needs to feel even lower when everything feels rubbish anyway. But I am taking it easy and have not been in to teach for the past 2 days. I should be okay tomorrow maybe.

We went out on Friday for a Halloween club night outside Catania somewhere. We both needed a bit of a blow-out to clear the cobwebs away and were quite pleased that the club seemed to be full of handsome young men (mostly they know it but who cares). They really are nicer looking than in the UK, despite other failings. I met a nice young man with blue eyes and he was keen to tell me how unusual this was in Sicily, as if I hadn't noticed for myself. Funnily enough my Italian seemed to suddenly improve after a drink or two (or so I recall).

I am without my phone, which is really very frustrating. It would be nice to be able to contact people. Trying to get a replacement is both time-consuming and far from straightforward, especially being here. But hopefully it can be done. It has just been one thing after another recently and we are beginning to think things would be better elsewhere. Who knows, perhaps the grass isn't greener but it is certainly easier when you can communicate - perhaps the school might sort out some Italian lessons for us finally after being here 6 weeks already. Oh we had the most farcical Health & Safety meeting the other day - what to do if there is an earthquake (drop, cover, hold on) and fire. The boss seemed apologetic that we had to sit through it, saying they had to do it because of legal reasons and there had never been a fire before. I said "so it's not because you don't want your staff to die in a fire." Everyone laughed but I wasn't joking, I was being serious. No one ever took Health & Safety seriously in the UK either, so why I am surprised I don't know.

Anyway, we can only try to make the best of it and keep finding nice things to eat and nice places to go.  I can't post any photos :(