so this last week has been pretty uneventful. Pretty much just me sitting and reading waiting for others to have some free time to show me what they are doing with their projects.
This weekend however was slightly different.
As most of you know italy was hit with a substantial earthquake about 3 weeks ago, which was not felt in my area of italy. Resulting from this has been a very large number of aftershocks. Aftershocks can be considered little earthquakes that really dont do damage unless they hit the same spot as the earthquake, which has already been weakened.
Yesterday around 2:57pm local time I felt one of these aftershocks. For any of you who have not been in a earthquake (nor have I, only this aftershock) it is weird. I was laying on the couch reading when all of a sudden the couch moves, and moves, and moves. This went on for what seemed like 30sec, I am sure it was about 4 seconds. I then sat there and stared out the window thinking that perhaps someone was just doing construction or maybe someone was doing laundry downstairs.
Today at the lab I asked someone if they felt anything odd yesterday and of course they had. The entire earth moved. How could someone not feel it.
HOLY CRAP where am I. The earth in saskatoon never moves. Why is the earth moving here. It reminds me of the episode of fresh prince of bel air when will and that "fake" girl gets trapped in the basement and will gets all scared because hes from philly where there are no earthquakes.
My aftershock was only between 3-4 rickterscale but still. It was weird.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
so today I have to send a letter to some place in italy to apply for the job that I already have, but dont have because of the whole work visa thing. So as long as no one else applies for a job that isint posted then I get that job. Its all messed up. So I go to the post office because apparently nobody trusts the post office here, so you have to go and hand deliver your mail to a person and tell them when you want it to get there and pay big bucks for it as well. I am sending about 8 pieces of paper that easily fit inside of a regular envelope. So I take all of this to the post office and there are 3 people in front of me waiting in line.
Actually first, to get in the post office you have to go through a double set of security doors that trap you between the two of them as they photograph you. You know those really nice jewelry stores where they have to buzz you in. Pretty much the same.
So we are waiting in line behind 3 people. The first person takes out about 10 packages to mail. They then took out 150 euros. what the hell is going on. Who mails 150euros worth of things at once. Next person, tons of cheques. Its almost as if no business has access to the mail unless they come down to the post office and wait in line to mail things, then pay stupid amounts of money. The best part of this story is the filling out of forms. I had to fill out forms to send a letter 3ookm away. The second best is the time it took for all of this to happen. It took over an hour for 4 of us to get through a line. The third best you ask, of course its the paying of 9 euros to send 1 letter 300km. I have no idea how this letter is getting there but it better be hand delivered to someone. My other option was for 4 euros and they dont guarantee that mail, at all. Maybe next week was the response. Maybe next week to send a letter down the road? I think it would have been easier for me to hop on a train and just go to the city.
So at my lab there is a security check at the door because of some of the stuff we have in there. So I dont have a badge yet to get through so I have to ask a guy to buzz me in. The first time I asked him he said he didnt speak english and walked away. Today was a bit better, seeing how he saw me everyday for a week go in with others. Today we discussed how I dont have a badge and how I still dont speak itlian. He then buzzed me in. I assume tomorrow either he just buzzes me in, or he talks to me again like anything will have changed in the last 24hrs. I think he will talk to me again.
dont go grocery shopping in italy. These people are oblivious to anyone other then themselves. Just standing, talking to their friends that they came with. blocking the isle, while the stock boy bumps into me trying to make me ram these old ladies with me cart.
anyway, still havent been kicked out, and I still dont technically have a job.
Actually first, to get in the post office you have to go through a double set of security doors that trap you between the two of them as they photograph you. You know those really nice jewelry stores where they have to buzz you in. Pretty much the same.
So we are waiting in line behind 3 people. The first person takes out about 10 packages to mail. They then took out 150 euros. what the hell is going on. Who mails 150euros worth of things at once. Next person, tons of cheques. Its almost as if no business has access to the mail unless they come down to the post office and wait in line to mail things, then pay stupid amounts of money. The best part of this story is the filling out of forms. I had to fill out forms to send a letter 3ookm away. The second best is the time it took for all of this to happen. It took over an hour for 4 of us to get through a line. The third best you ask, of course its the paying of 9 euros to send 1 letter 300km. I have no idea how this letter is getting there but it better be hand delivered to someone. My other option was for 4 euros and they dont guarantee that mail, at all. Maybe next week was the response. Maybe next week to send a letter down the road? I think it would have been easier for me to hop on a train and just go to the city.
So at my lab there is a security check at the door because of some of the stuff we have in there. So I dont have a badge yet to get through so I have to ask a guy to buzz me in. The first time I asked him he said he didnt speak english and walked away. Today was a bit better, seeing how he saw me everyday for a week go in with others. Today we discussed how I dont have a badge and how I still dont speak itlian. He then buzzed me in. I assume tomorrow either he just buzzes me in, or he talks to me again like anything will have changed in the last 24hrs. I think he will talk to me again.
dont go grocery shopping in italy. These people are oblivious to anyone other then themselves. Just standing, talking to their friends that they came with. blocking the isle, while the stock boy bumps into me trying to make me ram these old ladies with me cart.
anyway, still havent been kicked out, and I still dont technically have a job.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Italy almost bent me over
Holy crap what an ordeal. Apparently somehow I got into this country illegally. I had to get a stamp when I came in, but they just didnt give me one. So today I went to get a SIN number but I didnt have a stamp. So they told me to get a stamp. So to get a stamp they told me to go to the police station. We go around the coner to the police station and they tell us we have to go to the one in my area of my apartment. So we drive down there. They tell us we have to go to the immigration place. So we go there.
This was the WORST place ever. Hundreds of people, all with tickets that they got at 6am and they stopped giving out tickets at 7am. People were fighting, and they all looked depressed because they had been there since 6am. We just left because we didnt believe that this was right. We went back to the second police station and they tell us to go the first police station. We go back to the first station where they let us inside to meet with two women. We explained the sistuation and everything was cool, until we tried to fill out the form with studies instead of tourist.
HOLY CRAP. I dont speak itlian but I am pretty sure they were not happy with us. So about 30min of telling us we are stupid and they finally accept that I am a tourist.
Now the only problem is that I technically dont have a visa for working, because I cant be hired without a SIN number, but I cant get that with a tourist stamp, so I need a working visa, which of course requires a SIN.
Long story short I think I will work for 3 months here and apply for a working visa after a month working, which I will be granted. Then I will come home and accept the position that I had already worked. Then get paid for the time that I had already spent working.
I owe my new friend Walter (pronouced valta) some beer for this day.
This was the WORST place ever. Hundreds of people, all with tickets that they got at 6am and they stopped giving out tickets at 7am. People were fighting, and they all looked depressed because they had been there since 6am. We just left because we didnt believe that this was right. We went back to the second police station and they tell us to go the first police station. We go back to the first station where they let us inside to meet with two women. We explained the sistuation and everything was cool, until we tried to fill out the form with studies instead of tourist.
HOLY CRAP. I dont speak itlian but I am pretty sure they were not happy with us. So about 30min of telling us we are stupid and they finally accept that I am a tourist.
Now the only problem is that I technically dont have a visa for working, because I cant be hired without a SIN number, but I cant get that with a tourist stamp, so I need a working visa, which of course requires a SIN.
Long story short I think I will work for 3 months here and apply for a working visa after a month working, which I will be granted. Then I will come home and accept the position that I had already worked. Then get paid for the time that I had already spent working.
I owe my new friend Walter (pronouced valta) some beer for this day.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
My street
So where I live is classified as a trendy spot of town. I didnt know what the meant until I spent 2 days here. On my street there is a bar and not any bar. From what I can tell it is THE bar. It opens around 3ish and doesnt close. People stand outside the bar drinking and smoking all the time. Its 12:47 on sunday night right now and there are people out there listening to music loud enough that I can understand it. Why can I understand it? because its english, and not good english music either. I know that songs, but I cant remember why I know them. I am pretty sure they are from 1998. True that was a good year, but let it die.
You know in movies when there is a stereotypical italian area and there are windows that open and clothes are all hung out to dry. There is a reason why thats how the movies portrays itlians. People poking their heads out the window to yell at their kids as they play soccer is true.
I think my street has about 4 restaurants, not including the bar, withing 20 steps of my door. They are never open though. Just people sitting out side of them on chairs smoking. I dont know enough itlian to ask if I can eat food there, so I go to one of the 4 pizzaerias that are within 30seconds of my door.
The grocery store is obviously closed on sunday, and of course I couldnt find it on saturday. So I have been eating pizza and apples, which I bought at the open market. The place is huge, about 4 square city blocks of fruits, vegetables, meats, clothing and this goes on everyday. I am not sure if all the farmers have heard about pooling their resources and sending in only a few trucks into the city but each to their own.
Its about 1 am monday morning and people are still at the cafe and bar outside now. I think I will try to sleep before the others wake up and yell on the street.
I dont understand why they all yell, but they do. I can hear a conversation between a man and a woman right now. They are in their apartment across the street.
You know in movies when there is a stereotypical italian area and there are windows that open and clothes are all hung out to dry. There is a reason why thats how the movies portrays itlians. People poking their heads out the window to yell at their kids as they play soccer is true.
I think my street has about 4 restaurants, not including the bar, withing 20 steps of my door. They are never open though. Just people sitting out side of them on chairs smoking. I dont know enough itlian to ask if I can eat food there, so I go to one of the 4 pizzaerias that are within 30seconds of my door.
The grocery store is obviously closed on sunday, and of course I couldnt find it on saturday. So I have been eating pizza and apples, which I bought at the open market. The place is huge, about 4 square city blocks of fruits, vegetables, meats, clothing and this goes on everyday. I am not sure if all the farmers have heard about pooling their resources and sending in only a few trucks into the city but each to their own.
Its about 1 am monday morning and people are still at the cafe and bar outside now. I think I will try to sleep before the others wake up and yell on the street.
I dont understand why they all yell, but they do. I can hear a conversation between a man and a woman right now. They are in their apartment across the street.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
travel
So obviously day one would consist of traveling, otherwise I would still be at home and this would be the end. Its not the end, so lets continue.
So the plane ride going to toronto was full of people that are VERY IMPORTANT. Awhole crap load of them were on the gold or executive or super executive or get out of my way plan. For only a few more hundred dollars not only do you get to line up first you get to sit down first and wait longer for everyone else.
So sitting on the plane I fall asleep like I always do on planes only to be woken by the lady next to me hitting me with her ear phones as she gets up to go to the bathroom. She tried to get up while wearing them and they pulled out of her head and hit me. No apologizes. Then when she gets back I get to spend the rest of the flight with her pretending to read an accounting course manual in between her turning around to see who kicked her chair. AHHH how about anyone over 5'10" cant move their legs without kicking the chair infront of them.
So when I land in TO I have about an hour to get to the next plane, luckily its in the same terminal. Unlikely the same terminal has 2 security checkpoints and 10 moving sidewalks. I dont decide what is considered the same terminal of airports, but that was not.
For any of you that would like to know why air canada is bankrupt you should have been on my flight. First off we take off about 50min late. I would expect that from aircanada at TO. I am surprised we took off at all. There was some repair to make and I assumed we would all be left in TO for a few days. After that I am sitting on a plane that fits around 400 people, there was less then 90. I counted. Business class (50 seats) was pretty full and the rest of the plane (350 seats) had about 50 people in them. Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed it but they lost buckets of money on that flight.
Landing in frankfurt, this is where the story gets alittle fuzzy and rushed. I get off the plane only to see a pack of 20 waiting with some guy with a sign. Look at the sign, prague, nope push my way through. Get to the screen with departures. My flight is not up there, so I start to walk up the girls that are standing under the sign, while they yell "WE ARE ONLY FOR FLIGHTS LEAVING IN 30MIN!" Like anyone should know why else they would be standing near the departure sign. So I turned around and walked in the opposite direction of the plane, seeing how I know I am not getting back on that one. walk walk walk. See a sign for the airline that I am flying on and I stand behind a guy who is asking about his flights. Then the guy at the desk says, oh we are not that airline. WHY ARE YOU STANDING UNDER A SIGN THAT IS NOT YOURS AND EXPECT OTHERS TO KNOW THAT. Turn around and walk in the same direction I was going, following the blue arrows. BAM out of nowhere is 3 huge screen with all the departures of the next hour. There is literally over 100 leaving in the next hour. Find my gate, A5. Nice I can do that my planes gate was B36 and its the same terminal. That could only take 10min to walk there.
So I walk up the stairs and down a hall then another hall then get on the express sidewalk. Almost threw up on that because it was flying. Those crazy germans. The express sidewalk alone was 10 min. Walk around the corner and discover customs agents. Get in line, of course I dont have my bags because they were checked through to turin. Say hi to the girl and get a stamp. No questions. As I go past her the arrows point to a stairwell. I follow the people down 8 flights of stairs and down a few more halls only to get to an elevator that we all pack in only to go up one floor. At this floor is where they check EVERYONE again. Doesnt matter that you are in the same terminal. Hundreds of us pack into this line and of course nobody has flown before. "I have to take my coat off?" "You want to see my laptop?" Now I am through this and I assume, A5, that must be the 5th gate. Funny thing about frankfurt airport. The gates mean nothing. Of the 200 airplanes there right now, only 20 of them have gates. The rest have stairwells to buses to the tar mack where your plane is waiting for you right beside the plane you took to get there in the first place. Seriously I saw my plane at B36 as I was walking up the stairs to my plane.
Turin airport was alot smaller. Get off my plane and wait for my luggage. Only to watch people rent those little carts for their luggage and then slam them into the luggage carousel like they will get closer if they dent it. I grab my luggage and proceed to leave, only to read a sign that says EU citizens go this way, everyone else declare stuff go to red and dont declare go to green. I go to green only to find my self back at the luggage carousel. I tried again but this time I asked the guy with the drug dog if I can just leave. He said yes. I left. That was customs.
I get dropped off my apartment on a street that only fits three fiats across. How do I know that, well there are 2 fiats parked and one driving and no room for me. Ring the buzzer. Nothing, ring some more. Nothing. Luckily a guy was walking into the apartment and he called my landlord for me. So then his son can and let me into my place.
Looking out my window I have a bar, 2 restaurants an antique shop, a few cafes and all the streets are not square with closed streets all over the place. I will be lost in 1 day.
Thats all for now.
So the plane ride going to toronto was full of people that are VERY IMPORTANT. Awhole crap load of them were on the gold or executive or super executive or get out of my way plan. For only a few more hundred dollars not only do you get to line up first you get to sit down first and wait longer for everyone else.
So sitting on the plane I fall asleep like I always do on planes only to be woken by the lady next to me hitting me with her ear phones as she gets up to go to the bathroom. She tried to get up while wearing them and they pulled out of her head and hit me. No apologizes. Then when she gets back I get to spend the rest of the flight with her pretending to read an accounting course manual in between her turning around to see who kicked her chair. AHHH how about anyone over 5'10" cant move their legs without kicking the chair infront of them.
So when I land in TO I have about an hour to get to the next plane, luckily its in the same terminal. Unlikely the same terminal has 2 security checkpoints and 10 moving sidewalks. I dont decide what is considered the same terminal of airports, but that was not.
For any of you that would like to know why air canada is bankrupt you should have been on my flight. First off we take off about 50min late. I would expect that from aircanada at TO. I am surprised we took off at all. There was some repair to make and I assumed we would all be left in TO for a few days. After that I am sitting on a plane that fits around 400 people, there was less then 90. I counted. Business class (50 seats) was pretty full and the rest of the plane (350 seats) had about 50 people in them. Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed it but they lost buckets of money on that flight.
Landing in frankfurt, this is where the story gets alittle fuzzy and rushed. I get off the plane only to see a pack of 20 waiting with some guy with a sign. Look at the sign, prague, nope push my way through. Get to the screen with departures. My flight is not up there, so I start to walk up the girls that are standing under the sign, while they yell "WE ARE ONLY FOR FLIGHTS LEAVING IN 30MIN!" Like anyone should know why else they would be standing near the departure sign. So I turned around and walked in the opposite direction of the plane, seeing how I know I am not getting back on that one. walk walk walk. See a sign for the airline that I am flying on and I stand behind a guy who is asking about his flights. Then the guy at the desk says, oh we are not that airline. WHY ARE YOU STANDING UNDER A SIGN THAT IS NOT YOURS AND EXPECT OTHERS TO KNOW THAT. Turn around and walk in the same direction I was going, following the blue arrows. BAM out of nowhere is 3 huge screen with all the departures of the next hour. There is literally over 100 leaving in the next hour. Find my gate, A5. Nice I can do that my planes gate was B36 and its the same terminal. That could only take 10min to walk there.
So I walk up the stairs and down a hall then another hall then get on the express sidewalk. Almost threw up on that because it was flying. Those crazy germans. The express sidewalk alone was 10 min. Walk around the corner and discover customs agents. Get in line, of course I dont have my bags because they were checked through to turin. Say hi to the girl and get a stamp. No questions. As I go past her the arrows point to a stairwell. I follow the people down 8 flights of stairs and down a few more halls only to get to an elevator that we all pack in only to go up one floor. At this floor is where they check EVERYONE again. Doesnt matter that you are in the same terminal. Hundreds of us pack into this line and of course nobody has flown before. "I have to take my coat off?" "You want to see my laptop?" Now I am through this and I assume, A5, that must be the 5th gate. Funny thing about frankfurt airport. The gates mean nothing. Of the 200 airplanes there right now, only 20 of them have gates. The rest have stairwells to buses to the tar mack where your plane is waiting for you right beside the plane you took to get there in the first place. Seriously I saw my plane at B36 as I was walking up the stairs to my plane.
Turin airport was alot smaller. Get off my plane and wait for my luggage. Only to watch people rent those little carts for their luggage and then slam them into the luggage carousel like they will get closer if they dent it. I grab my luggage and proceed to leave, only to read a sign that says EU citizens go this way, everyone else declare stuff go to red and dont declare go to green. I go to green only to find my self back at the luggage carousel. I tried again but this time I asked the guy with the drug dog if I can just leave. He said yes. I left. That was customs.
I get dropped off my apartment on a street that only fits three fiats across. How do I know that, well there are 2 fiats parked and one driving and no room for me. Ring the buzzer. Nothing, ring some more. Nothing. Luckily a guy was walking into the apartment and he called my landlord for me. So then his son can and let me into my place.
Looking out my window I have a bar, 2 restaurants an antique shop, a few cafes and all the streets are not square with closed streets all over the place. I will be lost in 1 day.
Thats all for now.
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