Lungomare

First view of the sea

It is nice to be on the coast, as who doesn't like to look out to sea, even on a day where there's no sun? It takes about 5 minutes, if that, to walk down to the lungomare, where everyone walks or jogs up and down. Couples strolling along, kids with families, dogs on their walks. I have tried to do some walking every day recently, to keep the endorphins hanging around and to keep cheerful. Couldn't the other day as we had a terrific storm with lots of hailstones that looked like snow on some roads, lightning and torrential rain, and thunderclaps that shook the doors.

Where is Etna? Hidden from view

But back to the lungomare, where you still have to tread carefully thanks to careless dog owners, and where you can walk alongside the sea until you reach a spectacular view of Etna. Last post you will see her rising above the city. Last weekend, however, she was nowhere to be seen, hidden behind grey cloud, as if she wasn't there at all. Yesterday you could only see some of her and there appears to be more snow, following the storm.

There is a little harbour area with boats: I even thought it looked nice yesterday so I must be feeling more cheerful this week. There is also a little building with a sign saying it was a Spanish defence post, or something, from a few hundred years ago. It doesn't look that old to me and has graffiti over it so I didn't take a picture.

Quite pretty for Catania

Last weekend the weather was grey and the sea was being blown by the wind. I stood and watched the waves hitting the rocks; always quite mesmerising. The surf was being blown up in tiny droplets, into my face. It is normally much calmer.

January blues? And how to buy shoes

I haven't blogged since I returned, because I have been finding it difficult since I came back: the inevitable result of two weeks back home with Christmas films, snack items and the family.  But I am back into the teaching rhythm now, and this week's lessons mostly went well. I was focussing on pronunciation with one level, which was rewarding, and another group made some nice comments. I have some new students this term which has changed the dynamic in some classes.

The sailing boats

Coming back to the sun is one good thing, although even that was missing when I first arrived. The last two weekends have been warm and sunny and so I have taken to walking along the lungomare, the sea front, and then sitting for half an hour or more to soak up some vitamin D and warmth. I took my coat off last weekend (it was way too hot) but many of the Italians still feel the need for an added layer and they can spot that I am foreign and ask if I am not cold. Today I walked up to the end and I think I saw two cormorants fishing in the sea. There were some boats on the water, as last Saturday; I think they are people having sailing lessons.  At the end of the lungomare Etna rises above the city - she really does have some strange hold over people. You can't help but stare. There is always wisps of smoke at the top (last week grey, today white) and a bit of snow on the side.

See what I mean? You can't take your eyes off her

The sea is about 12 feet or more below the road so don't get the wrong idea, there are no nice beach walks. The most we have is some scrappy bit of grey sand and these enormous boulders - you look in the sea and there are more round rocks there too. There's also some weird, huge concrete blocks in two places. Ella, Jo and I sat on one the other day and listened to the waves.

The round rocks

The sun on the sea is dazzling, and one night last week it was the moonlight that looked beautiful on the water.

It is harder than I ever expected to live somewhere else, specially not speaking Italian well. I am determined to improve - which is not helped by the fact the promised lessons have not materialised - but I have got books and people willing to help and I have been practising as much as I can. Today a really nice girl, one of my students, helped me; we talked about how to buy clothes and then mooched around some shops and she made me speak to the shop assistant...she'd make a good teacher!

I want to meet more people my age. My housemates/fellow teachers are all lovely, but I am not into the same things. There is a conversation group that meets when I'm teaching plus there are people who want to meet for conversation exchanges so I will see what happens.

Sun on the water

It being Sicily, you expect romance, what with all the dark, good looking men. But by their own admission, Sicilians are not the best choice. Too many jealousy issues, affairs and men living with their mothers. My January blues involved affairs of the heart. I really liked someone, he really liked me, but for simple reasons it's a no-go. One second it was yes, the next, no. And it has been hard because we can't communicate well. So I'm afraid I let it send me into a gloom. But that's life, I guess, and it is not a stupid film where love wins the day. But I have had some invaluable support from people back home and for that I am very grateful.

Perhaps it's because it's an island, but most Catanese love Catania and have no interest in venturing outside it. It feels a bit claustrophobic. I have just finished watching Sue Perkins's trip up the Mekong River - what a wonderfully interesting and thought provoking series. She really challenged her own and the viewers' perceptions and learned so much from visiting such different places. Totally recommended viewing and a welcome reminder that there is life outside Sicily.

Finally, I am hoping today won't be my last blog - I have a bureau in my room where the lid falls open if you don't lock it. I was bending to clean (of all things) when it fell open and whacked me hard on the head. There's a small bump there and it's still sore even now.

This week

We have a new flatmate, Beth, who is also a teacher - she's only 22 but she has done many things such as teaching in India. She is really lovely and has fitted in so quickly. It feels like she has been here for ages. Her first night was a bit crazy - she turned up at night, so we were there to welcome her with pizza and the other teachers. Later that night there was a loud crash and Darcy and I discovered that a large area of plaster had crashed to the floor from the ceiling in one of the bedrooms. It was all very weird. No fewer than 6 Sicilan men came to look at it the next day (god knows what they all do) but they fixed it the next day, so fingers crossed, everything is now fine.

Next day Beth and I went for a walk along the seafront (lungomare) which was nice. The rocks are all black and volcanic. It is still warm-ish. Cooler at night. But you can still hang around without a coat. And usually without a jacket. (Sorry!)

It is finally Christmassy here - lights have gone up across the roads, from flat to flat - mostly plain white but it is still better. Some stars have gone up outside the school. There are many poinsettias everywhere. I think people were even Christmas shopping today.

I have ordered things online to arrive at home but I would still like to bring back small things from here if I can find anything I won't squash or eat before I get back. It is still two weeks before we finish and they seem like an eternity. Although I have got lots to do before then so they will go quickly. Or should that be they are going to go quickly. I don't know any more. The more you do grammar in class, the more you begin to question how you speak, yourself. I got in a right pickle with subjects and objects this week and had to make out that I did not want to confuse the students and would come back to it next week afresh. What I meant and what I am sure they knew I meant is that I did not really know what I was talking about :) Now I am beginning to understand when people say things get better after a year of teaching: it will take that long to go through all the various aspects of grammar and figure out what they all mean.

On Wednesday we had our first Italian lesson at the school - it turns out the teacher is Marina, who I had for 2 weeks at Taormina! So that was lovely, to see her again, and everyone enjoyed the class. It was much nicer to be a student again than a teacher. We had the lesson in my room so it was weird to be the other side of the desk - and I realised what a bare and horrible room I have! I really need to take back some lovely pictures.

I had my class observation: naturally it went so badly I laughed about it in the end. Mind you, my Director of Studies did not stay for more than 45 mins so I hope that means it wasn't as much of a disaster as I thought it was. The teenagers were all shy and actually hiding behind their hands, even the one I was counting on to speak up as he usually does. At least he was there, unlike his friend whom I was also hoping would be his usual cheery self. The CD started skipping. I was nervous and wooden. But I'm sure it will be ok.

The kids' class was actually quite fun: never mind learning, we did some Christmas words and then launched into making Christmas cards. Tree or snowman. I did one of each so they could choose. It was panning out fine until they asked for the glitter. I had envisaged gently sprinkling glitter on to each card for them. But in the end I let them do it themselves. You can probably imagine what the place looked like afterwards. Marika sprinkled glitter into Matteo's hair. Giorgia had glitter all over her face. Her glue ended up on the floor and she looked like she was going to cry. The parents were coming at the end of the lesson for 10 minutes to find out how the class is going. Thank god my room is too small for them so they went next door and did not see the glitter explosion that had happened over their children. Glitter was all over the table, all over everyone's hands, faces, etc. You had to laugh. Once they had gone, I tried to sweep it up off the floor, but it is still everywhere. It was all over the chairs. I went into the corridor. The floor was glittering back at me. I followed a trail of glitter down the stairs out of the school and there was even glitter on the pavement outside. Hahahah!

The teachers, plus a husband!

Last night we went out for an aperitivo (food and cocktails at lovely prices) in a nice bar with, I noticed, a rather nice looking owner. It was for our Australian workmate who is going home for good tomorrow. It is a shame, because she is nearer my age and I find her easy to get on with - she has been very helpful by suggesting many things to make me feel more at home. But it is very exciting for her, as she is going back after being here for 2 years, with I think not many trips home in that time. So we are out again tonight. I tried her favourite drink, a negrino - a campari based drink. Strong but very nice :) One is enough.

Then today I met up with my student with whom I tried to practise Italian last time. He'd missed the class so it was a good reason to sit in my local cafe and tell him all about the way we use "going to." It was very nice because he makes me laugh (not many things in Catania make me laugh) and he makes me speak Italian. He thinks I should set up my own school - all in good time. Maybe in Taormina, I said, but he said that was too far for him to travel to, which was sweet. He uses his English at work and was saying how difficult it was when English people send abrupt emails about sending the remittance and the payment window.  I told him I don't even know what all those words mean. I will look for a book with useful business jargon in. 

As it is nearly Christmas we have had to find our own Christmas music as there is hardly any around, so that is getting me in the festive spirit. I hope it does not snow before Xmas as I want nothing to stop my journey home!

I will take some pictures for the next post - I will take some before I come back to show everyone what things look like. (Now I have confused myself about when you use "will".) Anyway - it struck me that the whole place is covered in graffiti and dog mess - nice eh. There is a strange contradiction there that some Sicilians look at you if you are not dressed as stylishly as them, but they don't seem to respect the place they live in. My student was talking about how hard it is because of the high unemployment, so maybe this is reflected in how people treat the city - it's complicated here, that I can see.

This weekend we have a bank holiday weekend whoo hoo!

Maybe because it's nearly Christmas, and I'll nearly be home, but I think things are feeling better here :) And (although I don't like Elton John) here is my absolute favourite Christmas song.