Travel update!

Wow, so I am in Sicily! Where do I start to tell you about my adventure so far? It has only been a few days but it feels like so much has happened already, I will give you a quick synopsis of events! Today (Sunday 31.1.10) I am writing at home and will take this to school to post.

My journey here was very smooth; I flew on time from Newcastle and did not have to pay for the extra 8kgs of luggage I had, found out when I got on the plane that was probably because the other 10 or so passengers were all business people with only hand luggage! Arrived in Brussels and eventually found my way to the gate, the airport is like the metrocentre with loads of floors and shops and weird art and sculptures everywhere. I slept most of the way, only waking for food and a lovely view of the Alps and then as we were descending I woke and got a fantastic view of Mount Etna, covered in snow with wisps of smoke coming from a crater! So cool! I am looking forward to being able to see it again close up, you can get a train or a cable car up it and I really want to do that while I am here.

A lady in black came to collect me, she spoke no English but was being very friendly, her car temp said 16.5* so I was happy! Her driving was scary to say the least, my foot was on the brake the whole journey, but, as she was chatting on her phone and overtaking, I noticed that everyone else was worse, cutting each other up, driving over two lanes... but we made it to my new flat in one piece.
At the flat I met Helen, I was to replace Helen at the school and also in the room she was renting, so I was staying in the spare room until she left. The flat is very basic! Photos on Facebook asap! I have a room with two single beds together to make a double, a desk, sort of drawer thing and a wardrobe (a lot more than the flat in Devicka in Prague!) it also has a door out to a large balcony; then I share a bathroom and kitchen (they say kitchen....) with two women. The worst thing about the flat is that the road outside is very noisy, all day and all night with people tooting their horns at every possible opportunity! I am sure I will get used to it, or as Mam suggested, get earplugs!

I then went to the school to meet my colleagues and learnt that another new person was arriving the same day as me, two people are leaving and so two arriving! The school is nice, a lot of classrooms, a listening lab, a staff room and reception with two lovely Italian secretaries. I met a few classes I will be teaching and then headed back to the flat for a sleep! When I returned to the School I met Mark, the other new teacher and we all went out for drinks and food... there is Lisa, Jacqueline, Diana, Stuart, Luisa, Valeria and Tiziana who work at the school and Duncan and Helen who have now left and we met some students, former students, partners and brothers too! It was a great night, we went to a nice little bar which plays English music, serves nice, cheap, white wine and gives us lots of free snacks!!! Then we went to the restaurant next door which called Saloon and had food (more food I should say!).

On Friday Mark and I went to the state school where we will be teaching to meet the staff and get our timetable sorted, it is like any other secondary school except the kids all arrive on mopeds! And have fashion sense! Then we got our timetables and all of the info we need from the teachers who are leaving and then we went out for more drinks and free food! Oh yeah, somewhere in there I also went to get food, tea and a new SIM and number which I have if anyone wants it!

Saturday was a more relaxed day; I swapped rooms and unpacked then I went for lunch and a look around with Lisa - in the rain. We went to the market and we both bought some boots! Well, I was very sad that I couldn’t bring as many pairs of shoes as I wanted!!! Then I went to Lisa’s for a cup of tea! She is from ‘up north’ too, Cumbria, and is pleased to have a fellow Northerner with her at the school!

When I went home my house mate Tamara, who is Romanian but speaks Russian and Italian too (NO English!) tried to have a conversation with me, which, quite frankly, was hilarious! She showed me how to use the cooker and washing machine which I got but then we spent about 20 mins talking to each other and not having any clue what the other was saying! She tried again today and we established each other’s age; she is 47 and has two children, a son in the Military and a daughter in Moldova at university! She is religious and goes to Church! See my Italian is improving already!!! She is very sweet and hugged me lots! I am hoping to learn some Italian anyway and Luisa is going to give me lessons so hopefully by June we can have a conversation that we both understand!!! Maybe....

So, I am having a nice time settling in, I walked to the sea today and it was gorgeous, clear blue and surrounded by volcanic rock! I am looking forward to starting work at the school and the people I have met are all really nice.
I think that I will be ok here.