Wake up call

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Well, my wake up call was at 1 pm.  That's right, I woke up at 1 pm, and that was only because the hotel phone rang.  My immediate reaction, "WHO CALLS SOMEONE THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING?!?!??!" Answer phone.  Talk to Francesca; one of the teachers I met last night and she wanted to meet me at 6:15 pm to look at an apartment that the headmistress suggested.  Hang up.  "WHAT TIME IS IT?!?!?" Pick up phone.  Feels stupid because it is 1 in the afternoon.  I slept from 12:30 until 1 pm without getting out of the bed for any reason.  I vaguely remember waking up at some point and thinking, "ummmmm NO! Not waking up yet!"  However, I decided that 1 o'clock was too late, and though I could have easily gone back to sleep, I stayed awake.  I slowly got dressed and wrote down some addresses, etc.

Once I walked outside...it was starting to rain! Bleh! So I ran back upstairs and got my rain jacket.  I asked where the TIM store was so that I could go put euros on my cell.  They told me the direction and reminded me that it didn't open until 4pm.  Reopen I should say!  They also offered me a hotel umbrella (so nice of them), and I pretended to be on my way!  However, I made it like 15 steps and decided that in the rain and TIM store closed was NOT worth me walking.  So, i came back upstairs and laid down!  I didn't sleep.  I just ate a snack because I was beginning to get a little bit hungry and I talked to April and emailed people.  I finally drug myself out of the bed around 4 and headed out.

I found the TIM store and on the way there I practiced what I needed to say to them (and had also checked it on google translate to ensure that I was correct...did I mention that I'm type A and that it will be the death of me?!?!?).  However, the guy understood me...I understood him (okay, I understood 75% of him), and I got my cell phone worked out (for the moment at least!).  First thing I did was call my momma!! YAY!! Then I stopped to notice the beeeeeeaaaauuuuuutiful view of the mountains in the afternoon sun (pictures will be taken soon).  I also saw a Toyota Corolla...NOTHING like mine!  Then I walked just a bit more and made my way back to the main street in Cosenza.  Before I made it there hunger got the best of me and I stopped in this little cafe and had some "Pizza" and by that I mean bread with arugula and tomatoes and mozzarella on it...NOT heated!  It was good and only cost 2 euro! The guy understood my Italian...and I, his English!   Then I found the main street.  Here I found a Burberry store, a Swarovski store, ZARA (NYC thing...and other places, but not Bham), some other familiar things (familiar from US and Florence, IT), and then wait for it......WE HAVE AN H & M IN COSENZA!!!!!!!!!!! I walked in and found like 30 things I needed! Of course by need, I mean want!  I refrained, but for how long...how long can I NOT buy something cute?!?! 


After H & M I made my way back to the hotel to get directions (google maps) to the piazza where I was to meet Francesca.  It was the piazza that I saw the other night that has little "rides" and prize thingys like at a fair...and this looks like a permanent thing! I only had to wait a few minutes and then she was there.  So once we met up, she took me to meet the couple who was renting the apartment.  

The apartment:  It is behind a locked gate, on a relatively busy (main) street in Cosenza. The couple was very nice.  The wife was an English teacher with some of my teachers I am working with, and the husband  speaks a little bit of English, but mostly Italian and French.  This is an apartment they have in the city and rent to students.  However, they have no one in it right now so I got first pick of rooms.  This means that they suggested the largest room with a street view.  I had to get in one of those TINY Italian elevators to get to the 5th floor.   Once we arrived, the apartment was nice!  There are 3 bedrooms, but again, they dont have anyone there yet.  The kitchen is fully stocked...there is a washing machine...a bathroom...an extra room for a guest that has a balcony (they said that they sometimes rent that out, but rarely and only short term).  There is no tv and no internet (will explain this in a minute).  So it sounded great and the other good thing is that this couple receives the bills and they show them to me and I pay them.  The headmistress of one of my schools arranged this and was very nervous about me finding housing.  THey said that she kept telling them that she was worried about me and wanted me in a safe, quiet neighborhood.  She said that I was so pretty and young and she wanted me well taken care of!  HOW NICE!!!! So sweet!  I have met only nice people here and they are taking such good care of me, and for that I am beyond grateful.

I had this feeling before I even saw the apartment..this peace.  When I moved to NYC, the first apartment I looked at was the one I ended up choosing; something told me that Cosenza would be the same....and it was!  After I explained how important internet was to me, we went in search of a solution.  They were so kind to take me to three different stores, but in the end it just was not what I wanted or needed.  So, Lila (the lady who owns the apartment) asked her husband if they could get a contract for regular internet (like we have at home), if I was willing to pay.  I said, "YES! ABSOLUTELY!!"  They could have asked for the moon in return for internet, and I believe I would have said, "YES! ABSOLUTELY!!" So, for 40 euro a month, I will have internet. Some may think this is silly, but I have a need to be connected to my friends and family!  It will already be difficult enough to not have a television (though they said that they might work on this).  THe point is that I do NOT want to feel any more isolated than I already do!  I know it is just the first few days, but isolation and loneliness SUCK! So, for 40 euro a month I can eliminate that!  The catch is that it will take 3 weeks to have it set up, but when it is, I will have internet and an Italian phone (for Italian calls only!).  I should say that throughout the evening of them speaking rapid Italian all around me, there were a few times I wanted to cry! No, for real!  I kept thinking, "I just need someone here to help me know if I am making the right decision!"  I also didn't know what all they were saying, and I kept rubbing my fingers over my bracelet to remind myself that I am learning.  It worked for the most part, but I was still very overwhelmed and frustrated! 

After this whole ordeal, Francesca offered to take me to the hotel to cancel my nights.  I did NOT want to do this, but they kept insisting.  It worked out where I canceled it through booking.com and can just tell the hotel if I want to stay another night.  After we worked this out, Francesca offered to take me to her house for dinner.  We walked to her car and then drove to her house.  She lives in Castrolibero, which is like a suburb of Cosenza.  There were A LOT of hills and bumps in the road!  However, her house was very nice.  I flipped through the tv channels and almost had a freak out when I saw, "ESPN USA HD".  However, she doesn't actually have it!  This does mean that I need to figure out if anyone does have it and how I can watch the Alabama games!  Anyway, so for dinner she let me pick out my pasta, which I tried to pick out farfalle for April, but there wasn't enough.  She cooked some tomatoes & zucchini in the pan with oil and then cooked the pasta and mixed it together.  Simple, yet delicious.  She also took store bought pizza dough and put salt, oil, & freshly grated cheese on it and I think she put it in the broiler.  It was delicious!!  Then we finished it off with fruit because I did not want ice cream! Also, I think I drank like a gallon (liter) of water because I was SOOOO thirsty!  THe dinner was so simple, yet DELICIOUS!!!  I am so grateful for the hospitality that the teachers are showing me! 

She eventually brought me back to my hotel and the first thing I wanted to do was talk to someone!  Thankfully, April was there and could talk/skype!  I like getting to tell people about my experiences/what is happening because there isn't anyone here to share with!  THIS is why I need internet!  I need to be connected to the people I love!  So, once April had to go, I took a shower! Then I saw that my momma and daddy were on skype so I talked to them for a bit! :) It was so nice to see their faces..and my Chili, Bella, Coopy, Wicked, & Litta Girl!!!

After I stayed up waaayyy too late, I finally laid down and shut my eyes.

**Because I am finishing this today, I can tell you that it was NOT the most restful sleep I've had.  I woke up with anxiety about living alone...about being without internet...about how would I contact anyone...about how would Fulbright contact me?!?!  It was terrible! I did however get some sleep!