A little update

So I'm actually updating in a week since my last update! I can't believe it!

I'm sick. This suuuucks. On Monday, I was walking home when there was just a torrential downpour. My umbrella broke and I got drenched. I made it home and crawled into my covers. My throat hurt a little bit but it was fine. I woke up yesterday and was feeling horrible but I trekked to class anyway. But when I came back I collapsed in bed for awhile.

I woke up around 4am this morning shivering, I put on two other comforters and went back to sleep. I woke up and tried to go to class but I just couldn't do it. I've been in bed, dozing, on and off all day. I didn't do anything too exciting the previous weekend, Eugenio came over, Alessia had dinner with some of her friends.

This coming weekend, though, I'm excited for. I hope I get to feeling better by Saturday. Do you guys remember Nancy? Well her daughter is still here in Naples and she invited me to Thanksgiving. I can't do Thanksgiving on the 25th because it's just difficult to move around, plus I'm leaving for London that weekend so it's just easier to do it another time. They have a newborn so if I'm still not feeling well, I won't go (although it would break my heart).

So I'm going to take advantage of this post that has no news to talk about a few Italian things.

1.) Italian light switches.
http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2010/03/26/swarovski_switches_UlWmp_12_360x125.jpg
They look like this. And are so annoying. Because I can never remember which one works for which lights. Or where they put them. They put them on the outside of the room instead of inside.

2.) The Italian "pausa" (pause)
This is really irritating for me. In Italy everyone has a lunchbreak, most of Italy has it for an hour. And when this happens, everything shuts down. Grocery stores, post offices, office supply stores (only restaurants stay open). But in Naples the pause lasts from 1:30 to about 4:30. This drives me crazy because I don't finish with class until 1, sometimes 2. So if I want to grocery shop...I have to wait around forever.

3.) Italian classrooms
It's the funniest thing. I have class at 12, with other Italian students. If I get to the classroom by 11:05 every seat, except maybe 2 or 3, are taken. Either they show up, put their stuff down and leave or they hang out there. There are 66 seats. There are 115 students. And yes, it is normal to sit on the ground in these classes. And then the professor shows up late. Like, 15 to 20 minutes late and then lets the class out early by 20 minutes. In America the general rule of thumb is 10 minutes for a professor, 15 for a doctor and if they don't show up, you leave.

4.) Italian airports
Once you get to your gate, you check in, you don't walk right to your plane like in America. Nooooo, that's too easy. Instead, you get on a bus that takes you to your plane. Even if you can see the plane from your gate.

5.) Italian traffic
Ok, so I know everyone already knows it is crazy. But I mean, I gotta tell you. As SOON as the light changes green if you aren't moving, they're honking. ZFor me, at least, I have about a 10 second tolerance. And crossing the street? You'd think cars would be the worst, but they actually slow down or stop. For me it's those damn motorbikes. They weave in and out of traffic and almost run me down everytime I cross the street (I'm talking about traffic because I can hear them honking).

6.) Dialect
From my experience, most foreigners don't have as hard a time as I do, because I'm in the south and everyone speaks in dialect. This is such a hard barrier to cross because most people are more comfortable in Neapolitan. Today an old woman stopped by and was asking me stuff in dialect and I couldn't understand her at all.

7.) The lack of carpets
Cold feet, lots of lint. Enough said

8.) No closets?
You would think a country obsessed with la bella figura would have closets. They have movable wardrobes or wardrobes that take up an entire wall but no closets.

9.) Desserts
They are not sweet, at all. And they're dry. For example, cakes have no icing. It's difficult to explain. Sometimes they'll put powdered sugar on something. They like to use liquor in a lot of their desserts. But I mean, it just doesn't have the same..."oomf" if you get what I'm saying?

10.) Electrical outlets
I knew when I first got here, this would be a problem for me, haha. Each outlet has only one plug-in, instead of two. Each room has only one outlet, generally. You're lucky to have two. It's a game of negotiating what electricity you need to use first, haha