Not Quite Italian: 27 November 2012, Tuesday in Arezzo

I'm on the 12.13 train toward Arezzo. I left school a few minutes early today. There's a light rain falling outside.

I had a sleepless night, after eating too too much at dinner. Really people should not pressure one to eat. Plus I gave in to keep some kind of peace. The atmosphere last night was a tiny bit combative. But then I am way too sensitive.

We spoke of being careful what one wishes for and of following one's dream. I commented that to follow one's dream meant to take responsibility for following that dream. Sometimes we don't realize where a dream will actually take us. My example was my dream of having a family. One thinks of the snuggling baby and not of the hard times of having a teenager...or doing the whole thing as a single parent. The dream we choose takes us down a path.

My goal is to be available without any strings attached.

"You cannot dream yourself into a character: you must hammer and forge yourself into one." Henry D. Thoreau

At 3am this morning, I reset my alarm to 10, resigned to missing class at 9. When I woke up at 8.30 I rushed to sponge bathe and get dressed. I was only 5 minutes late for school. I love love school. I was mortified when my alarm went off during class and I could not find my iPhone. I had to step out of class with both purse and book bag to locate it.

I decided the only way to get to Arezzo today would be to sacrifice the second class. I packed up and left during the 15 minute pause between classes. So cool...we have old fashioned school bells to keep everyone on schedule.

The jeweler was open so now I'm wearing my Florentine florin coin ring again. I felt naked without it. €15 to enlarge it two sizes. It felt a little loose when the jeweler slipped it onto my finger. I've never spoken English in that shop. No communication problems either.

Some of the younger commesse (shop clerk) have attitudes. Jobs here are so difficult for the young to find and they only have contracts to work for a limited run. Also the pay is low. After studying for a University degree, it's a blow to the ego to be waiting on tourists. Waiters on the other hand are well paid and long term. Those beautiful young women at Ferragamo or Gucci or Zara work for free to have the prestige of the brand name on their resumes. Even these internships have limited contracts but do include a discount on clothes or shoes.

Sara after two years of being available 24/7 at her prestigious position, is being let go on Friday. With the new economic laws in place, she cannot get a third contract at that place. She worked her heart out, event scheduling (including one involving the Pope), writing web articles and being available to help foreign participants in their world famous program. She still needs to live with her parents. She looks forward to the day both she and her fiancé can afford to be married and live independently.

It's a widespread problem amongst the 30 something group. Without paying jobs, they are stuck. Simone, her fiancé has three different jobs he juggles as he pursues his journalism dream. He free-lances in writing, photography and radio work. These young people are not lazy.

10.30 With my ring..oh no..slipping around on my right ring finger, I decided I needed to go back to the hotel and take a quick shower to wash my hair. Because of skin sensitivity, without clean un-worn clothes and freshly washed hair, I start to feel slightly crazed.

In clean clothes with wet hair, 11.30 I arrived at Santa Maria Novella Stazione and bought a 12.13 train ticket for Arezzo. Cost 7.30€, travel time: 1 hour. I used the automated ticket dispensers, which have gone quiet. The Russian accented woman attendant was in place last May. I wonder why she is gone.

The train is for Fologno, the name of the city at the end of the line or capolinea. It works just like our freeway signs. Use the posted schedule to determine which to find your train.

I asked a very cranky man in an assistance service booth for help when I couldn't find the binario (Platform). He responded to my Italian question in English: I don't KNOW.

With a little patience and research I found binario 14 and safely made the trip to Arezzo. 15 minutes before arrival I checked my last evening's chat with Sara. I was one hour early!! 1.13 was when I should have left, not 12.13. With wet hair in a pony tail, I had plenty of time to air dry in the waiting room in Arezzo.

I saw Sara and Laura arrive at 2. They were 15 minutes early and surprised to see me waiting for them. We walked through the rain to a small family restaurant. The girls both ordered spaghetti alla carbonara. It looked so good. Made with real pancetta and homemade pasta which was long like dried spaghetti but lighter looking.

I was hungry for salad and had a Greek salad very similar in taste and look as we make it. Butter lettuce, fresh feta, tomatoes, Greek olives, olive oil and lots of oregano. Very delicious. We each ate every morsel off our plates. We shared a bottle of mineral water, natural.

In Italy, one comes to the table hungry. There is no grazing and snacking throughout the day.

The owner of the restaurant came out front to sit, as we were the last customers of the day for lunch. She was a very heavyset woman. Her son, who waited on us, was thin as a rail. Apparently they are in transition. The son is taking over as she begins to retire. They received a bad write up on-line and she was talking about that. The food is wonderful, but the unsmiling face of the son caused someone to complain. Sara said 'we want to see a smiling friendly face when we're eating'.

All three of us are working in fields where customer satisfaction is important and it's important to look friendly, even if you 're having a bad day. We need to go talk to that stocking commessa I met yesterday!

They both commented that my Italian has improved since last November. I also have noticed I just seem to understand now...it's a very strange sensation to be relaxed and listening with comprehension. But it doesn't happened every time. Often, I'm finding it best to ignore or rather act like I don't understand, any words spoken to me in English. The speakers switch right back to Italian. I see puzzlement as they try to determine my nationality.

We walked up up to the hill top of Arezzo to the Piazza where the bicycle scene was filmed. La Bella Vita film sites

Walking back down I wanted to purchase Riso con Tartufo (Rice with truffle) but the shop door was locked. Outside on the sidewalk, pasta and cookies were neatly displayed in baskets. We waited 5 minutes for the shop keeper to return. Just a few feet away we had been asked repeatedly for spare change by a man, who Sara said, approaches her everyday. This is Italy.

I bought cookies, Brutti ma Buoni (ugly but yummy) for breakfast. They're made only of crushed hazel nuts, egg whites and sugar. Just one is perfect with milk and a tangerine.

While walking, I switched my ring to my middle right finger. I must have unconsciously seen Sara's ring in the same location. My ring fits perfectly there and is comfortable. I'm going to try it this way.

Laura took a phone call. She's scheduled for minor surgery on Friday. Now it seems Friday will be a day of strikes everywhere. Her doctor called to say the surgery is still on for Friday. I need to make sure I have my shopping list items all done before then.

Sara decided we should take a break from the rain. We entered the Arezzo Public Library. It obviously once was a huge castle. High ceilings, brick walls, leaded windows, thick shutters of wood. The rooms were bright. the entry room upstairs contained wooden lockers, available to leave personal items. I saw a room filled with scholarly looking people studying old old bound books. Near the librarian, computers and some American films on DVDs for checkout. What contrasts.

As we left, I again heard music, but this time I stopped. I asked the girls if this felt magical or normal. Magical they agreed. We're standing in the rain, at the top of a hill town, surrounded by medieval buildings and through an upstairs window high above us, delicate music drops down over us. We heard them stop and restart. It wasn't a recording but a group practicing. A violin or two and a piano playing renaissance music. I did not want to leave. I need a stronger word than magical. Time travel?

Music flowed from this window

It was close to 5pm. Time for a tea break. Sara had caffè, Laura orange juice and for me a cup of hot chocolate. I love trying hot chocolate wherever I am. It's never the same.

A little room off to the side contains tiny tables each, with four velvet cushioned chairs. This is relaxing as Italians are good at doing. The stress is released with a little break.

I saw Sara take a phone call. A few minutes later we were joined by Simone her fidanzata. We had had an earlier discussion of this word. It tends to be translated by Americans to fiancé. But Sara explained it's really intending to be engaged. There is a difference shown by the lack of a RING on the correct finger. Hers she points out is on the middle finger.

The many meanings of "fidanzata"

We had been talking off and on all afternoon about Alessandro. He had a gift to match people together for friendship and research...and here we three sit, strong in friendship. We agreed FaceBook is very much responsible for our ability to stay in touch. As we talked someone carried a tray of hot Bombalone (creme filled raised donut) from the kitchen. They all agreed I needed one. I think Simone bought it. Alessandro loved those pastries. Grazie amore!