Buon Giorno!

Ok, so I am back from Rome. I would have to rate it as my least favourite place thus far (well, not including Calais, which was merde). I think I did it the wrong way though, but there seem to be only 2 ways to do Rome as a backpacker. Make your own way around and look at the pretty things and have no idea what they are cos there are very few written notices for tourists, or you can pay for a tour, where you get WAY too much information because there is 5 years of history in the one spot, and you cannot process it all, you get bored with hearing all the dates and figures and your brain actually shuts down. I spoent the first 2 days in brain shut down mode, and the last 2 in wonder around mode, and I prefered the least information. I can always read about it later if I am that interested! There are LOADS of backpackers (almost all Australian) walking around Rome with maps and confused looks on their faces. The only people with smiles are the rich old people who are probably on their 50th trip and don't need the facts anymore, or the love sick honeymooners almost having sex everytime they see anything new (don't mind me, you carry on, I'll just squeeze past to get to look at that over there shall I?). The good thing was it was about 15-20'C every day and I didn't need my coat at all, and most days barely needed my jumper. I shouldn't say only good thing, as it was very pretty in parts, but there's just too much going on to appreciate all of it. It needed to be spread out over like 5 cities so you didn't get overwhelmed. Anyways.... here's my journey to Rome...
18/1- I left England on one of the windiest days ever (50-60mph winds) as there was a hurricane somewhere near by. On the way to the airport we passed 4 massive semi trailers that had just blown over. It was bad. Half the flights were delayed, some were cancelled, but even though we took off 45 mins late, due to what the captain called "a very strong tail wind" we only arrived 10 mins late. I got a transfer coach to the station and then walked to where I was sure the hostel was, going by the instructions on their website, however it was not on any maps. I found it fine, only 3 minutes from station. I was in a room that shoulod be the boys room first, cos there was a mixed group in the girl's room. It was ok though, apart from the world's smallest shower! I had a drama about what to do with my luggage cos everyone tells you muggings are high, yet there were no locks on the doors or safes for bags, so I would have to decide whether to take stuff with me or risk it in the hostel!
19/1- I got up fairly early, had my free breakfast and left for the open top bus, to get my bearings on where things were. This was over an hour of information on bits and pieces. I went on a loop and a bit as I needed to be at the Colosseum for a 2pm tour. I got there early so I sat in a cafe just opposite and had lasagne. Then when I was walking around a person asked me if I wanted to go on a tour inside, skip the queue and get a guide. There were only 2 others on it, so it was almost apersonal tour. I did that, as my walking tour I booked only did the outside. It was quite infomative,but not too much. Then when that finished I went and joined the walking tour. Our guide for this was a Roman archaeologist who was very passionate so we got WAY too much information and our 3 hours tour turned into over 4 hours! We went to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Wedding Cake building, Trevi fountain (where I threw in a coin), Pantheon and Piazza Navona. By the time we finished it was dark and noone was able to listen anymore. He was very knowledgeable, but it was just overload of information. Some interesting, some not. Then I got lost trying to get back to the hostel and was starving so I had maccas with one of the best views!
20/1- I was booked on a tour of the Vatican and Sistene Chapel so I went to catch the bus with the tour and off we went. The Vatican is massive and such an excessive place. It is very beautiful and full of loads of nice, expensive things that have been presented from other countries. Again, there are no labels for what everything is, and the guide was on a strict time schedule so we only saw what she showed us. On interesting fact was all the ceiling that looks like it is relief is all trompe l'oil and painted flat. The sistene chapel was nothing like I expected and was like being in primary school as you had a load of guards clapping their hands, shushing everyone and yelling "no photo!" (but I snuck one anyways!). Then when the tour ended I caught my open top bus again to the Spanish Steps, where I sat and ate Pizza. There were so many people around, locals out walking, shoppers from the sales, toursists. I had to catch the metro to the steps as I got lost, and that was an experience in itself. You have to shove onto an already crowded carriage before everyone has even gotten off, as the doors just close and off it goes. FUN!
21/1- Oh My God! I took the advice of my guide book and went on a walk. I walked for 9 hours! I was exhausted! On my adventures I went to the most confusing museum ever (Capitolini) which the only cool thing in was large fragments of statues from the excessive days of BC Roman times. Then I went to a church which has the 'mouth of truth' a marble disc outside that they used to put people's hands in to see if they had sinned and legend says it would sever the fingers of the hands of a sinner. Apparently a priest used to stand behind it and whack the fingers of those he knew had sinned. I survived so I must be a good girl! Then i went to Ponte Sant' Angelo and from there Castel Sant' Angelo, which you can walk to the top of and get an amazing view of Rome. It was a cloudy day though, otherwise it would have been perfect. I then went on my own adventures to the most expensive street in Rome down from the Spanish Steps again, where there are all the lahdidah shops, and found an amusing sign telling you the rules for the Spanish Steps. Then on to a park with another commanding view, and I somehow ended up back at the Trevi fountain where I had a Gelato.
22/1- My everything ached geting out of bed after my marathon the day before! I went to St Peter's Bascillica with my 2 roommates from the hostel, and then they went one way and I went to Circo Massimo which used to be a chariot arena, and is now a running track, and then back to the Pantheon as when I went before it was night time. I had a very nice (if not expensive) fettucini and hot chocolate in front of the Pantheon, and then I went to the market I tried the day before on my walk but was closed, to find I had just missed it and they were finishing up the packing away. GRRR. Then I gave up and went back to the hostel.
23/1- I got back to England and it was 3'C! COLD!!!!! I went to the pub quiz with Louise and her friends, then stayed the night at the rellies place.
24/1- I woke up thismorning to discover that last night it snowed! Not much, but is snowed!!!I am back in Bristol now and I don't think it snowed here. Noone is home yet for me to ask.
Anyways, that is my adventures in Rome.

Head full of snot

Yes, I still have my cold, and still going through roughly a box of tissues a day, with the odd arrival of an excruciating headache to go along with the fun! I worked Monday and then took yesterday off because I woke up, felt like crap, rang and said i was unavailable, and went back to sleep for another 3 hours, making a grand sumof 12 hours sleep, which i obviously needed. I was in 2 minds about whether to do the same today, as I really need to shift this cold, because i don't want it lingering around for weeks and ruining the next few weekends of stuff for me, yet I also am desperate for the money. So which is more important? my health of my money? I decided today I would not ring and make myself unavailable, but I would leave it up to them to ring me if they have work, that way it's out of my hands. It is 7.51am now and so far nothing. But sometimes they don't ring until 8.30am.
I am slightly annoyed because I typed a whole blog entry yesterday and was almost finished when the screen dissappeared and said the site was under maintenance until 9.30am (10.30pm) and I have lost everything I typed :( Not Happy Jan! I will now try and recall what I wrote...
Monday, at work, I worked in a school that I have only worked at once before, back in my 2nd week of teaching here, 4 months ago. I taught a year 6 class then, and once they learnt I was Australian we ended up having an impromptu lesson on spiders. Monday I taught the other yr 6 class at the school, and when I took them down to assembly the class I had 4 months ago waved at me and a couple go "its the spider lady!". Later they came up to me and were telling me some of the facts I had told them about spiders, 4 months earlier! I was quite impressed that they took in so much, as the class I was teaching that day didn't seem to retain information for longer than 2 minutes! So it is true, you only rememeber what interests you! The class I had on Monday were ... um ... noisy! I had to raise my voice a couple of times to get them to stop talking while I was talking, but generally they weren't too bad, compared to some classes I have had. I am not quite sure why I get given year 6 classes, as I was not very good at yr 6 maths myself, so teaching them is a bit of a joke! They were doing subtracting decimals and I had to look at their work to see how they worked it out so I could help the ones who didn't understand it! Tee hee hee! Then in the afternoon we were doing revision on the sun, moon and earth and orbits and gravitational pull etc. After we had talked about it, drawn diagrams on the board, had kids come up and be the moon, earth and sun, and answered the worksheet I got them up to play celebrity head, but with the words we had just been discussing. Like 'orbit' and they had to guess what it was by asking yes/no questions. Then we moved on to 'things in the classroom' then the kids wanted me to have a go and they chose an actual celebrity. I was guessing away and they said they would give me a clue cos 'i would never get it'. The clue was 'she's going out with Jay-Z (if you know who that is)' so I said 'Beyonce' and you should have seen how shocked they were! Once girl said, in typical Bristol style "you're well young miss to know that"! So I think I got some fans in that class! One of the boys who had been horrible all day and I had been on his case all day actually asked if I was back in the next day, and when I said no, he said that I should ask to be back in. Which I thought was odd, cos if anyone was going to not like me, it would be him!
Hmm, what else? I have some housemate changes coming up... the 'small room' as we refer to it, yes, it is smaller than mine, is being filled on Monday by Ashley... which we discovered if a boy Ashley. Then I think next wed Frenchy is leaving to go back to school in France, so we will be getting a replacement for his room at some time too. The smallroom was empty for about 3 months tho, so who knows. Gavin is talking about buying his own house somewhere, so he might leave, but no date yet. I think if I was here any longer than 5 months I would consider getting a different place, just because it has become quite blokey in here, with the level of blokey conversation and blokey comments slowly rising, and its like i dont exist when they say them, whereas before they would appologise when they got too blokey and I was in the room! There is also the issue of the one who plays techno doof doof stuff rather loudly ALL the freaking time! It's only 5 more months here, then a month with the rellies, and of those 5 months, I worked out 43 days i have booked in different places, so its really only 4 months, not including weekends at the rellies, so I think I can cope!
Hmm... what else? Oh, if anyone finds $1000000 lying around anywhere, send it my way, cos I could really do with it! I don't understand HOW people come to live in London, in a flat with 8 or 9 other Aussies and do supply teaching and go to different countries only to look at the ouside of buildings cos they can't affordto go in, and don't buy guidebooks cos thwy cost too much etc, but I now understand WHY they do it! But if i have to go back to Australia with no money left in my pockets, yet the experience of having lived in England like and English person and really experienced the culture and history of different countries, rather than ticking them off a list, then that to me seems so much better than the alternative. Surely you would go to England to see English people? Not to hang out with as any Aussies as you possibly can in the Aussie part of London where is isn't really England anyway. *end rant*
Ok, so, looks like I will not be working today, which I am kind of glad about, except not I am showered and dressed for no reason. But I will definately ring them thisafternoon and ask about work for tomorrow and Friday. Keep the comments coming, as I love to read them, and I probably wont blog again until I get back from Rome.
Oh, and it wouldn't be English of me if I didn't mention the weather! It has rained on and off for about 10 days straight now, so I will be sending some of it you way as soon asI work out how to control the weather. I shouldn't complain about the rain, because I might not ever see it again when I get back to Oz! Anyways, just thought I'd rub that in! I actually get excited at the number of different shades of green lush grass there are in the countryside here, which is quite sad, because its all pale green- brown in Australia, and from what I hear, just getting browner! So, I will head off now, and try and get my weather controlling powers working, and blog again when I get back from Rome on the 23rd.
Ammendment: I just got home from work, as soon as I clicked Publish the fone rang and i spent the day with feral 4 yr olds at the worst school in Bristol (where i worked in my 1st 3 days teaching) and I'm back again on Friday! Huzzah! I'm eating mickey mouse pasta bake with the micket mouse pasta I bought in Pisa! (just thought I'd throw that in!)

Hippo Gnu Ear!

Hello! Yes, I know it's been a while but oh... the dramas!!! I don't know whether I mentioned the fact that my old laptop commited suicide (merry xmas to me!) btu I had to order a new laptop and get it delivered up at my Aunt's place where I have been since a few days before xmas. It is a reconditioned IBM and thus far I have noticed a few small problems, the most obvious of which is the space bar is temperamental, so I blend words together! So yes, new laptop, and wasn't at home, so didn't have my cable to download photos so I thought I would save it until i got home and could do that.
So.. xmas eve I went with my Aunt and Uncle to the village hall for an xmas carols event which I played 2 pieces on my clarinet at, and also participated in general sing-a-long-ness. It was different, but good, a nice community turnout. There was also this little boy who sang 'in the bleak midwinter' (a real uplifting carol) in proper church boy high pitch stuff. Was pretty good.
Then xmas day we had pressies ( i got the coolest monkey slipper socks that when u move ur feet they eat the bananas!) and croissants and then a proper xmas dinner (lunch) at one Aunts, then in the evening joined the other and all the family to play charades (family tradition) and open more pressies and other such family xmas-ness. It was young vs old in charades, and of course we won! HUZZAH!
Then on boxing day Marion and Linda (both aunts) and I went to see 'the holiday' at the movies which was a real tear jerker rom-com (apparently what we now must call romantic comedies). Then I headed back to Marion's as the grown ups (i know, i know) were going out to a neighbours for drinks.
I had an excursion to a local castle and the home of the porkpie at Melton Mewbray and Stamford, for a look around.
On the weekend I went back to Linda's and we went to Oxford (but the rain had been hanging around for a couple of days and came back to make our open top bus experience rather foggy and impossible to see, but at least I got a sense of what there is that I could go back and see). And on the way there we went to a little pub called the Turnpike and I had my very friest toad in the hole! Very Exciting!! That night though I developed the dreaded lurgy, which my cousin got on xmas day, and I have been sick since, with a rather bad head cold. Joy!
I got 12 hours sleep sat night so wasn't too bad for NYE! I spent it back at Marion's (even though they went over to Linda's) cos Louise and Dom's friends were coming over, and I have met them a couple of times now, and they are some of the nicest people in the world, as they welcome everyone in and are very warm! Oh yeah, i forgot to say when I first got up to Marion's I went out with them twice, once to a pub where they meet up with an old teacher from time to time, and the next night to one of their houses to experience their new Nintendo Wii (i won bowling, yes, thankyou! new record!). So I knew most of them. In the one room, with 12 people on NYE there was only 5 girls and 3 of us were called Rachel (Rachael)! How odd is that! It was a nice night!
Then yesterday i did NOTHING other than use a whole box of tissues, and I drove back down today to Bristol. My new years resolution is to try and spendless money on crap i don't need! I conquered last years! It was no maccas! I was having issues with a new years resolution for this year as some of the bigger goals i have had for myself I realised that I have actually come a good way to achieving in the last 5months of being here, like improved confidence and taking more risks, and improved ability to handle new social environments. I think I have had to tackle these head on being over here, especially with different schools and different countries and different housemates and different hostel dormmates, I have had to talk to more strangers than ever before and not be so scared of them, or take the attitude I wont see them again so why make the effort, which I can normally get away with. Maybe i'm becoming a grown up! EEEEEK! No! not gonna happen!