DIOR COUTURE 1 in black and tortoise shell. Pity the poor variety of Testudinidae that went into the making of them. Lovely sunglasses - pity it's been overcast since I got here and has now started raining. Sods Law, eh? I hasten to add, I will not be wearing the featured sunglasses as I'd look stupid. Moving on...
As some of you will know, earlier on in the year I started Italian lessons in the hope that they would help me when I came across to do the very job I'm now doing, and
I think there was progress. Yesterday morning when I went down to breakfast I didn't worry that the waiter simply ignored me but called out 'espresso' to him, as I'd noticed the locals do, as he walked by. Moments later he dropped an espresso on my table, which I set to with my chocolate brioche, feeling quite the local sort about town ('feeling' as in internal emotion rather than the external action - but who knows what might happen later). As I left and continued to be ignored I realised that I'd struck up some rapport with the waiter - yes, this is how he treats local people and with my stunning pronunciation of 'espresso', practised several times moments before, I'd fooled him into thinking I wasn't from the UK.
I think there was progress. Yesterday morning when I went down to breakfast I didn't worry that the waiter simply ignored me but called out 'espresso' to him, as I'd noticed the locals do, as he walked by. Moments later he dropped an espresso on my table, which I set to with my chocolate brioche, feeling quite the local sort about town ('feeling' as in internal emotion rather than the external action - but who knows what might happen later). As I left and continued to be ignored I realised that I'd struck up some rapport with the waiter - yes, this is how he treats local people and with my stunning pronunciation of 'espresso', practised several times moments before, I'd fooled him into thinking I wasn't from the UK.Such success was mirrored at school when I met the school El Presidente. Offering a 'Buongiorno' and then the formal 'Come Sta?' (he was El Presidente, after all), the local teacher accompanying me said "Oh, you speak Italian?". Rather than simply reply only with, "Si", thereby giving away I didn't (the truth), I opted for polite mumbling and "Oh, just a few words here and there...", hoping to give off the impression of being able to speak but wishing to be quite modest about it.
Not knowing whether or not it worked, the only thing for me to judge by was 
the fact that I kept being offered espressos all day - either because I was such a normalised Italian that the teacher thought it natural to pump me full of caffeine or because I looked awful after a bad night's sleep and having had to get up at early to get to the school. Either way, not being a coffee drinker (one a year, usually at Christmas) I turned the espressos down until one was forced on me, making it the second I'd had in a morning. The double caffeine hit certainly got me going with the only drawback of a bit of a shaky hand to fill in the grade report forms.
the fact that I kept being offered espressos all day - either because I was such a normalised Italian that the teacher thought it natural to pump me full of caffeine or because I looked awful after a bad night's sleep and having had to get up at early to get to the school. Either way, not being a coffee drinker (one a year, usually at Christmas) I turned the espressos down until one was forced on me, making it the second I'd had in a morning. The double caffeine hit certainly got me going with the only drawback of a bit of a shaky hand to fill in the grade report forms.The problem came when, later in the day, the caffeine left me, leaving my unaccustomed body in a state of deep shock and crash after the hits. It felt like my arms where going to fall off because I felt so tired and run down and it took a good bottle of wine with dinner before I could get going again.
Resolving for this not to happen again, back at breakfast this morning, I skipped the espresso and ordered "te con latte" (tea with milk). This time, I wasn't ignored, but given a scornful look by Mr Waiter. "Te con whaaa?" replied Waiter-man, looking both petulant and askance. "Con latte", I replied, any trace of pretend Italian accent having fallen by the wayside. 5 minutes later, after I'd all but finished my small breakfast and before dashing to get the train, a cup of hot water was dropped down on my table. It was then that I noticed the teabags and milk at the buffet. Tea was had and with it, the realisation that any rapport I'd struck up by being ignored the previous day had been met by barely concealed contempt today. I'm still not sure if that's progress or not.
I'll leave you with a picture of the main street of Sparanise at busy lunchtime today. This was the town I was examining in - quite the buzz about the place I'm sure you'll agree.
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