Class Act I

The weather turned hot and chilly during the past 3 weeks. The cheap 13euros ventilatore (fan) we bought and assembled had come in useful during the first few stuffy days and nights. Even on cool days, the clothes would dry in a couple of hours. My skin felt so dry and I could see the faint creases on my face more clearly. Per fortuna, I got 2 crema which L kept stealing. The first week of registrazione was crazy as every student was queueing up at the segretariat, banca and questura for documenti to be processed. Applying for the 'permesso di soggiorno' (resident permit) - which was bullshit secondo noi - was a freakin nightmare and testament of the exhausting Italian bureaucractic sistema.

Clean drinking water and security were another 2 issues that we probably take for granted in S'pore. In italia there's a bank robbery every odd month and last week a man was stabbed to death at Via del bacio near our stazione, the preferred hangout for various kinds of shady characters (mainly immigrants). That's why I always watch my own back (and behind in case someone pinches my arse). Initially to save money, we tried to boil the tap water but there's sempre chalky residue in the electric kettle. We resorted back to the bottled mineral acqua and sent them to the recycling bins every week.

Anyway I paid more than 100euros for the permesso and felt silly photocopying every single page of my passaporto to include in the applicazione. Ma fortunatamente I also got 700 euros from the scholarship allowance and a sconto on the course fee. Earlier I was also stressed about the entrance test which would assign me to the relevant livello. Infatti il mio italiano è un po 'rusty' ma provo dal mio meglio. Per fortuna, the written and orale test were easier than I imagined and I got B2, which I had applied for. Classes kicked into full gear clocking 23 hours a week which left me with enough time to chill and discover Perugia.

I've been having a ball of a time refreshing my italiano with the teachers and newfound amici del mondo. It certainly felt like 'Mind Your Language' - ma in italiano. The most important lezione so far was that learning is for life - no matter what age or background. Everyone was perky and inquisitive, save for a couple of lazy bags who were perpetually late for classes. We have all more or less studied all the grammar - but are refreshing the rules and delving into a deeper level of the language as well as various aspects della cultura italiana. Where else is better to live and breathe la lingua?

I wasn't my talkative self in the first 2 weeks perchè ci sono alcuni piu bravi studenti, come the ever ernest Kumar from India also on a scholarship who's seated up front next to me, and Michele, a gentlemanly retiree from Germany currently residing in Seychelles who keeps saying 'oui' and 'solamente'. There were also 3 ragazze from Georgia (its near Turkey) who speak quasi fluently, specialmente Tama chi parla come un bullet treno. But I picked up the pace and volunteer to read nowadays. Hehe. There were 3 Yukos among the 10-odd giapponesi, 2 cinesi boys (Fabio e Ciro), 2 taiwanesi gals (Paola e Margherita), Simona the German girl, Lisa the Aussie, and Olga from Khazanistan.

They were all pretty surprised that I speak fluent inglese (mamma mia!) and even impressed when I spoke cinese. Singaporeans should be proud of ourselves. As my officiale nome is L. K. Yen, I stuck to Yen to make it easier for them to remember. We were taught by 4 diversi teachers; Rita per lingua italiana, Daniela per cultura italiana, Giuseppe per pronuncia e grafia, e poi Teresa per esercitazioni orali. La mia preferita insegnante è Daniela, the witty, eccentric chain-smoking suspected-lesbian who's also a fierce feminist and published poeta-scrittrice. She amazed us with her profondo knowledge of filosofia and latino. I was inspired to write my prima poesia italian after one of her classes:

Sentimenti
Le piace il suo azzuro
di un cuore vero,
Ama anche la fresca rosa
delle sue parole parlate,
Contentissima sarà
di respirare la sua aria,
Si perderà lentamente
in un abbraccio forte.

- Carla 17.07.08