Today was my first experience in an Italian post office. The Umbra Institute staff posted some directions to give us some idea of what to expect. Therefore, I was prepared to wait, of course! All I needed to do was send some paperwork to Babson (waivers and such) – although I’m not sure why we (the students studying abroad) weren’t notified before departing to a foreign country where postage costs at least 4 times as much (I paid 3.50 euros). But anyway, I was immediately lost as to what I should do since the directions weren’t all-encompassing (it turns out I didn’t enter through the main door but instead a side door – the building is large). Luckily my roommate Gabby was there with me to help!

First, you need to buy the envelope or packaging in a separate store (in the same building) which was actually very nice and not so hectic. Then, you need to take a number (you receive a ticket by pressing a button) when you enter the main mailing area. I didn’t realize there would be three tickets to choose from… Therefore I asked a nice elderly woman which button to press to get a ticket to mail a letter. My Italian skills at this point completely fell apart and I found myself playing charades. Quite quickly she understood my predicament and she was a woman who got things done! She took my arm and went over to a booth, asking the worker which ticket to get, and luckily I had the right kind. Nice person #1 at the post office!

A half hour of waiting later, a nice young Italian named Micki (short for Michelangelo) approached me in Italian asking if I wanted to buy a phone service that involves paying for mail by phone or online. I said no thanks and he asked if I spoke English. Gabby and I then started to talk with him in English to practice his English skills – which were already much better than our Italian skills – because he wants to be a steward for RyanAir (they can only speak in English when training). After 5 or so minutes he went back to work – but I had met nice person #2 at the post office! When it was finally my turn, I practically ran to the booth to not miss my turn, which lasted all of 1 minute.

I suppose the post office experience is what you make of it. You can wait on your own for what seems like forever, or you can meet new friends in a welcoming fluorescent lit, crowded space!

Yesterday all of the students who went through Arcadia University’s program to study abroad at The Umbra Institute (which is the majority of students here) had an orientation day trip. We all went to a farm out in the countryside where we had a small breakfast, three sessions, and a lunch. The farm has a central ideology of slow food (opposite of fast food) – local ingredients and seasonality. All of the food prepared is made locally on their farm or with resources from local communities. Their ideology made it that much more enjoyable to share the experience with them!

The farm was beautiful! There are green rolling hills with a large lake and mountains far off – it all looks like a painting.

Is it not like a painting?

There is a large lake in the background you can barely see, but it’s there.

Their land – again you can just make out some mountains and the lake in the distance.

In the first session I learned how to weave baskets! There was an older gentleman, I believe the grandfather of the family who lives on the farm, that has a special weaving skill. He makes baskets that are then used to collect eggs, olives, etc. They are beautifully handcrafted, sometimes with different colored branches weaved into the baskets to give off different colors.

Learning to weave – that is Flavio, the patriarch of the family.

Learning from the master weaver himself!

In the second session I learned how to make egg pasta. Two women showed us how to make, roll out, cut, and arrange the pasta into specific types of pasta. For one person (1 serving size), it’s generally 1 egg and 1 etto (100 grams) of flour. You mix it together with your hands like clay, making sure not to waste any of it. Then you roll it out with a large rolling pin, using some different rolling methods. Finally, after the pasta dough has dried, you cut it into the kind of pasta desired.

La nonna, or grandmother – making the pasta dough.

A neighbor helps out at the farm as well – she is rolling out the pasta here.

The third session had to do with culture shock and adapting to a new country. Everyone experiences some form of culture shock it’s how we deal with it and learn to accept our new lifestyle that is important.

Finally – we had lunch! A lovely four course meal was prepared for us: bread with assorted spreads (olive paste, pâté paste, eggs, olive oil, fagiolini), pasta with a classic tomato meat sauce, meatballs and spinach with some bread, and finally a chocolate cream-filled cake like dessert.

Many people were involved in the preparation and serving of our lunch – a big thank you to them!

After lunch we gathered for a bit outside and it was just as beautiful on the hillside, with much of the fog having cleared since the morning. If I recall correctly the family volunteered their time and resources (at least in part) to show us a part of their lives and culture. It was an honor to be there and their generosity is very telling about their character.

While some people are planning on buying pizza or sandwiches everyday for lunch, and possibly again (or going out to restaurants) for dinner, my roommates and I knew that we would have to start cooking for ourselves.  Most of these days we’ve been hungry for a good portion of the day, we’re hoping that will change eventually. If you read my first post you saw that we had our first group dinner, but we’ll likely be making most of our meals on our own.  We each have makeshift sections of the refrigerator but still don’t quite have a routine.  I went to a few different shops to get food for the week (or at least some of the meals).

Note: Next to nothing is open Sunday and Monday (and possibly Wednesday)! We learned this the hard way…and were very hungry because of it, and out 1.50 euros. We took the Minimetrò to the supermarket called Coop (there’s also a small one in town) only to find it was closed. We did learn however that the main train station of Perugia is across the street.

My breakfasts this week so far (each day): apple/orange, rice cake with blueberry jelly, water

My lunches this week so far (each day): sandwich with mayo, salami, chicken, side of olives. One day I had an AMAZING sandwich from Ciao Ciaos (see below).

My dinners this week (different days): the first roommate dinner, something Irish (I know, not Italian) at a restaurant called Shamrock that really likes 80s music, pizza, spaghetti and salad (see below), fried eggs, pepper (see below) and pizza (not the best combination, it was at different times though the eggs were more of a pre-dinner). For that last dinner we were invited to a gathering through The Umbra Institute which included some food: something tasting similar to popcorn, pizza (cheese, then olives and mushrooms, then anchovies – and I liked it!).

Our first gelato! I got “stracciatella”

Un panino from Ciao Ciaos as everyone calls it – salami, pesto, mozzarella, and tomato (2.80 euros)

My first meal for myself (my family knows what I put on my spaghetti – my dad’s recipe)

First fried eggs meal (my mom knows how I feel about this meal!) – not quite as “clean” looking as at home, but delicious! And yes that is a Kung Fu Panda glass.

I’ve been here for a few days now so I’ve been able to explore my area of the city some.  I went on a tour run by the Umbra Institute of some of the city as well.  I now know where the local bus station and minimetrò are.  It’s important to know these because they can then transport me to a much larger supermarket than those in town (there are many small ones in town, but they are more expensive) and also the main train station of Perugia (from which I can travel to many other places in Italy and elsewhere).  I haven’t taken the bus yet but I have taken the minimetrò.  Each individual minimetrò is smaller than the size of one train car back in the states, but there are many of them and they are self run on a conveyer belt type of contraption – no driver!  On a clear day I will take some pictures because as it travels down and around the hill there really are some beautiful scenes.

For now though here are some pictures I’ve taken of my travels in the city so far:

Overlooking part of Perugia, the big building in the background is the University for Foreign Students.

Famous building we saw on our tour.

Overlooking another part of the city, as you can see there is a fair amount of fog below the mountains.

There are lights all around the center for Christmas time – I’m not sure when they’ll be taken down but I love them!

Piazza Danti – the square right outside of my apartment. The Umbra Institute where I take my classes is the building on the left.

A look down the main street.

Proof that I am here!

Benvenuti! I arrived in Italy this past Friday, January 4th around noon Italy time.  I flew Alitalia with several other students direct from JFK to Rome and the plane ride was around 8 hours long.  Surprisingly, the plane was very hot!  During the middle of the night I thought I could be feverish, and the uncomfortable bowl-like seat I was in did not help the experience.  At some points in the night though I saw other people fan themselves so I knew I wasn’t crazy.  However, the flight was on time and we arrived safely which is most important – but doesn’t mean I still wasn’t happy to be off that flight.  On the flight we were served two meals, a light dinner and breakfast, which was appreciated.

Road on the way to Perugia – not sure what mountains are in the background.

We arrived in Rome and some staff from the Umbra Institute in Perugia (where I am taking my classes) were at the airport waiting for us.  We hopped on a bus and took a 2.5 hour drive through beautiful Italy to Perugia.  We stayed at Hotel Gio overnight for the first part of orientation and had a group dinner together.  The first plate was a pasta dish with a tomato sauce and bread.  Next was a salad served with olive oil and vinegar.  Finally, we ate a lemon chicken dinner with potatoes – it was very good! It was at this point I realized that carbonated water is common.  I’m happy tap water is safe for my own hydration/sanity (and wallet!).

The following morning we ate breakfast (buffet style) and at a designated time took a bus to our apartment in central Perugia.  I’m very happy I did not have to carry all of my luggage all over the cobblestone streets of Italy!  It’s not an easy task to pack for 4 months in only a few bags, it’s even harder to roll and carry them around.  When we arrived, we met our landlord Giuliano and his wife Luisa who were both very welcoming.  It was exciting to be able to practice my Italian with them (although it was almost necessary since they didn’t speak much English). I have 4 other lovely roommates and we share a spacious fully furnished apartment.  We were expecting a much smaller place but we have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living room areas (although one is technically a hallway with two couches and a table), and a kitchen. We only have to buy a few things to add to the already furnished apartment (soap, toilet paper, some cookware etc.).  There is no meal plan (which is what I’m used to at Babson) so this will be my first time buying and cooking all of my meals!

This is the kitchen – we’re lucky to have a space heater which helps make it a bit warmer.

My bedroom – I was lucky enough to get a single. There is a bathroom connected at the other side of the room.

Our living room – there are two couches, a table to the left (that you can’t see), a semi-functional TV, and several paintings, naturally.

Our central hallway (from right outside my room). There is a small living area, two bedrooms to either side, a bathroom, kitchen, and living room are all on the left.

As you can see the apartment is fully furnished but is very old so it does have its quirks.

Quirk 1: The tremendous amount of paintings covering the walls of the entire apartment. While one may think there would be a theme of sorts, there isn’t. It ranges from bloody war scenes to beautiful landscapes to portraits to religious themes. One of my personal favorites is a random scene of a hare, rooster, lobster, and salamander.
Quirk 2: The mysterious clicking sound coming from behind my bed – not sure what it is and not sure I want to know.
Quirk 3: The refrigerator door which requires a bear hug or body slam (depending on the preferred method) to close.
Quirk 4: Sub-zero temperatures. Not really, but it’s a lot colder than back home. My room in the morning and at night hovers around 15 degrees Celsius (around 59 degrees Fahrenheit). This is because the heat is regulated so that it can only be turned on 7 hours a day. However the apartment building is very old and there is little insulation. I wear my coat pretty much all of the time when I’m inside. But if you go into the kitchen, shut both doors, close the interior shutters to the windows, turn on the space heater, and cook something in the oven then leave the door open – you might just be warm enough to feel comfortable. Under all the blankets at night though it’s nice and cozy. In the morning once your feet hit the floor… it’s a different story.
Quirk 5: The couch cushions which are small mountains. The couches are potentially the lumpiest on record, but still comfortable!
Quirk 6: The single stream shower head. In the bathroom connected to my room the shower has an interesting water flow. Instead of a normal shower head which disperses water evenly, this shower head decides to converge the water all together for minimum surface area. This means that showering has become an aiming game, but luckily the shower head can be taken off as a handheld shower head. But hey, at least the water is warm (not everyone in the program can say that as of right now), even if only a quarter of my body can be warm during the shower.
Quirk 7: The orange slice shaped skylight that leads to… the attic?

Skylight to the semi-furnished attic. Unfortunately the door is locked so we can’t see all of what’s up there.

Quirk 8: Miniature appliances. Our oven is potentially easybake size, but at least it works!
Quirk 9: Potential ghost? While making our first dinner we set the table. A few minutes after pouring the wine into 5 glasses, but before eating (or drinking), only 4 glasses remained on the table…

Despite the quirks, we are happy with the apartment and especially its location. We also have WiFi which is a huge plus.  Our apartment is very close to where our classes are and considering Perugia is composed of large hills, we only have to walk out our front door to be in the center of town).

Our first homemade dinner at our apartment. To eat: Pasta with a red meat sauce with added garlic and onion. To drink: white wine. Cheers!