Well it’s been about a week since my last update, but I can’t say I’ve really had any life changing experiences in the last seven days (such as avoiding more traumatic deaths by Italian dogs) so if you’re looking for stories of adventure and inspiration, I advise you to skip this post. It’s just a bit of an update for the faithful few readers out there.
The first momentous news item would have to be the historic change in weather. If anyone knows what Melbourne weather is like, imagine the complete opposite. Rather than changeable, never-know-what’s-coming-next weather, it is extremely constant and predicable. For my first month here, the weather was as perfect as my heart could have desired, with warm sunshine and blue skies all day every day. Less than a week ago, it turned and I am now living in the bleak midwinter (for evidence: check out the photos). Fortunately I brought enough winter clothes with me to survive, and even more fortunately I’m about to leave for Sardinia for the weekend, where the weather forecast is for beautiful sunshine, so I’m really looking forward to that!!!
This week I discovered the library in the department of law. You know how libraries are supposed to be quiet places? Well in Italy, they are not quiet, they are dead silent. If you whisper, you cop angry looks, everyone just has their head down and there is zero communication. I took one photo of the library, and I kid you not, the click of the shutter sounded like a gunshot! Every head within 50 metres snapped up to stare at me; it would have been funny if it weren’t so embarrassing!! So considering what the photo cost me, I thought I’d better post it here, even though it’s not that amazing from an artistic point of view.
One little story before I go, that illustrates the cultural divide between Italy and Australia. And this can serve as a warning to any Australians wishing to study in Italy: don’t do what I did! This morning I’d decided to go and see my lecturer for International Law, Paolo Palchetti, during his office hours, to ask him a number of questions on some of the subject matter. I walked into the building where his office was and approached the receptionist (a man maybe in his 50’s).
“Excuse me,” I said politely (in Italian). “I’m looking for Paolo.” If looks could kill, I would have been dead on the floor with a dagger through my heart.
“Do you mean Professor Palchetti???!!!!” he asked in an outraged tone of voice (there is no other word for it).
“Ummm, yes?” I squeaked in utter terror, looking around for an exit in case I should need to make a quick escape.
“He’s upstairs!” the receptionist informed me, and his tone of voice wasn’t getting any friendlier. I stammered a thank you and bolted.
The interesting thing is that when I told this to the other Italian students (I could see the funny side a couple of hours later) they didn’t think it was that strange at all. Apparently I had been totally rude to ask after a lecturer by his first name, this is just not done in Italy. Ah well, at least I know now, you live and learn! :)
