Sfidarmi / Challenging times

Francesca insistito che avrei dovuto scrivere un po 'del mio blog in italiano, perché naturalmente io sono qui per imparare l'italiano! Mi scuso con chi non parla italiano, ma provare Google Translate - giusto Francesca? (haha uno scherzo - a lei odia Google Translate!)*

La settimana scorsa, ho cominciato a Centro Fiorenza, la mia scuola italiana per 4 settimane. Dopo il test, mi hanno messo nel livello B1, che è un po superiore al mio livello in Australia. La prima settimana passò molto velocemente, e ogni pomeriggio dopo le lezioni, ho bisogno di un pisolino. Questo livello è molto difficile perché gli altri studenti parlano meglio di me. Capisco e leggo bene, ma parlare è una lotta. Ma va bene, mi sfidano.

Basta, ora in inglese:

My second week in Florence has been all about settling in to classes. We start at 9.10 and finish at 12.50 with a 20 minute 'pausa' during which there is a rush down the stairs to get to the bar 'vicino alla scuola' for a coffee fix. Coffee costs the grand sum of 1 euro, and I'm always a bit embarassed to spend so little, so occasionally I stop by before class for a traditional breakfast of coffee and cornetto (croissant, not icecream, Aussies - that comes later) for which I pay un sacco - 2 euro! It certainly is possible for visitors to live relatively cheaply day-to-day here. 

Like every business in the centro storico, the school is in a very grand old building and faces on to the Arno, and the view is pretty stunning from my classroom window. 

I have found the classes a challenge (una sfida) because, while I can understand what is said and what I read, when I open my mouth all my efforts come to nought. There is a mismatch between what my brain decides I should say and the message it sends to my mouth. Because classes involve a lot of talking, it can be really frustrating. The teacher, Renata, is, as they say, molto simpatico e pazienza and I am certainly learning a lot. A part of my poor confused brain is telling me to drop down a level, which would be much easier, but I am sure still a challenge, but I am too proud (orgoglioso)! I will soldier on!

Although I occasionally go for a wander after class, my preference has been to return to my apartment for una pisolina (a nap) then do homework before either cooking a meal and then taking a stroll to the Passera for a gelato (1 euro!) or going out for an aperitivo. The area I am in is very lively, although with a lot of stranieri (foreigners, particularly students) it is hard to get in any language practice. That has been the biggest sfida - summoning up the courage to inflict my 'brutto' Italian on some poor unsuspecting Florentine, although ' in realta' they are mostly delighted that I am trying to learn their language. The rather sullen young woman in the mobile phone shop who served me last week, today was transformed when I told her I was studying and we engaged in an extended chiacchierarata (chat) about the diffiuclties of learning new languages. As I'll enlarge upon in a later blog, I don't envy the Florentines having to cope with the mass of humanity that descends on the bella citta, with their maleducato ways and their expectation that everyone should be able to speak THEIR language.

It is una sfida for tutti!

*My teacher Francesca has insisted that I should write at least some of my blog in Italian, after all, I'm here to learn Italian, right? Apologies to those who don't speak Italian, but you can try Google Translate  - right Francsca? (Joking - Francesca hates Google Translate)