The orange battle

Yesterday was a true adventure.

My pupils at schools have told me about a place about an hour from Turin which is famous for its orange battle. It is held only once per year (during the carnival) and so I’ve found it a must to go ;)
Together with 2 friends we went in search of new experience. The place is called Ivrea and it can easily be reached by train. The whole experience itself has really been something special. Before going there, people had warned me about it, saying it might even be dangerous (you can get hit by an orange). I can see what they meant ;) However, there are two ways of how to protect yourself. First- wear something red (this is a sign you’re a friend and not an enemy ;) and second, do not stand in “the ring”, but rather find a safe place behind the net. This is what we’ve done and it sure proved to be a good technique. We found a pleasant spot with a good view over the battlefield and waited impatiently for the battle to start.



Main weapon in this “war” are- oranges. Loads and loads of oranges, which you throw at the opponents. For those who’d like to learn more, I’m adding a bit more information (taken from the official webpage- http://news.carnevalediivrea.it/).

Around the thirties and sixties of last century, girls started to throw some oranges from their balconies onto the parade carriages together with confetti, lupins and flowers. The targets of these were the boys by whom the girls wanted to be noticed. From the carriages the boys started to answer in kind and little by little, the gesture of homage became first a duel and then a real fight between the throwers on the balconies and those in the streets. Only after the Second World War did the battle become the present contest following fixed rules.
Today the contest is still enacted in the main squares of the town where teams in carriages (symbolising the tyrant’s guards) battle against the orange thrower teams on foot (the rebellious commoners) which consist of hundreds of throwers.



The way back was no less exciting. There was one particular reason for this; instead of returning to Turin, we took the wrong train and ended up in Aosta which is found close to the French border.. Yeah, these things happen ;) But at the end, things turned to our benefit; a kind employer offered us a free train ride back to Turin an hour later. Which meant we had exactly an hour to discover the city. I was trully amazed!



And so instead of one trip, we had two. I guess it was a sign I should get lost more often ;)

For me, this assistantship has been much more than just teaching abroad. It is a way of getting to know one’s culture, language and habits in depth. And through all this, you get to understand the most important- yourself. That’s why I would really recommend all of those who are still thinking of whether to go or not, to just do it and apply for Comenius Assistansthip. And then let the nature do the rest ;)

Turin. My city

It's been three weeks since I've arrived here, so I guess it's the right time for me to tell you more about Turin, the capital of Piedmont region.
I got to know it quite well, so if you're planning on visiting Turin yourselves, I suggest you take advantage of my newly gained knowledge ;)


A friend from Great Britain (who I've actually met last week at the meeting in Florence) has paid me a visit yesterday. It was a great excuse to spend the day doing nothing but sightseeing, trying out different pastries (by the way, trying Gianduiotto is a MUST when in Turin! ;) and enjoying ourselves!

First thing that you most probably think of when you hear the word »Turin« is- FIAT. As a matter of fact, Turin actually puts "T" in »FIAT«. It is actually known as »the Automobile Capital of Italy«. Besides Fiat, Turin is also home to factories of Lancia and Alfa Romeo. By the way, I've never ever ever seen so many Fiat Panda cars in my life as I have here in Turin. And I'm pretty sure I never ever ever will ;)

The male part probably knows it as the host of the Winter Olympics (held in 2006) and as a city with two big football clubs (Juventus and Torino f.c.).

However, the city has much more to offer.

Do you have any idea which is the birthplace of solid chocolate?
Or where the world-famous grissini were first made?
Or which was the first capital of unified Italy?
What about the highest museum, where can we find it?
Can you guess which city hosts the biggest open-air market?
Or where Nutella is made?

As you have probably figured out, the answer to all of these questions is simply- Turin.

Mentioning the highest museum, I have to explain it in greater detail. I'm talking about Mole Antonelliana which is a kind of a symbol of Turin. Its 167 m high spire can be seen from everywhere. It actually hosts the National Museum of Cinema, which is, as mentioned before, the highest museum in the world.


It also has the biggest open-air market (Porta Palazzo), but many people refuse to visit it due to the supposed crime that is present there. When I told some people about my intentions of visiting it myself, I was rather surprised by what they've told me. The first reaction was: »Why the h*** d'you wanna go there?«. Hm, maybe because it's the biggest one in Europe? ;)
But when they saw I'm not giving up, they've suggested I leave all my jewelery at home and take the minimum of money with me.. If their words are to be trusted, you can get robbed even in the daylight. Well, me and my curiosity had no intentions of not seeing it, of course. I was actually very lucky to have mentioned this to one of my collegues at school, Carlo. He has kindly offered to give me a tour of the market. Of course, I said yes ;) To be honest, I found it interesting and not even a bit dangerous. I think I even found the place where I'll be doing my groceries in the coming 2 months ;)
I've noticed that some people are full of fear. Fear of the unknown; either of the unknown situations or people who appear to be different from themselves. I do agree a certain measure of precaution is necessary, but I do not want to wander the world in fear, just waiting for something bad to happen.

There is another thing that is really attractive for the tourists- The Egyptian Museum which is supposed to be second largest in the world (right after that in Cairo), is certainly worth a visit.


If you're fond of churches, I suggest a visit to Gran Madre on the other side of the river Po. It is one of the most important religious objects in Turin, modelled on Rome's ancient Pantheon.

If the above mentioned arguments did not persuade you to come to Turin, then I assume something must be wrong with you ;) Kidding.. let me just mention one more thing- come for the people. They are really nice and pleasant and ready to give a hand. Which counts the most.

Florence.

As mentioned in the previous post, I've spent my weeking in Florence. There, I attended a meeting of all Comenius Assistants who are currently doing their assistantship somewhere in Italy. Even before going there I knew it would be a great opportunity for all of us to share our experiences and possibly also some techniques of how to calm down the hoards (also known under the name Italian pupils ;). I guess I did mention the lack of discipline in Italian classes, hence the slightly provocative expression »hoard« ;)

There were about 30 of us coming from different European countries. I was the only representative of Slovenia which gave me an excellent opportunity for presenting my country. Most of them were already acquainted with it (unfortunately, only by reading about it). There were others, though, who at one point actually have visited it. Without telling me more, I kind of guessed that Slovenia was not their final destination, but only a transit country for going to Croatia. So in this aspect, we should thank the Croats for providing us with more tourists ;) I do think I did a good job promoting it. In my opinion Slovenia does not actually need a lot of promotion. It only needs a few people who had been there before. They are, indeed, the best promotion that we can possibly wish for (assuming that their experiences in Slovenia have been positive, of course ;).


For those of you who are planning to go to such an exchange (Comenius Assistansthip) in the following years, I certainly recommend going to this meeting. As mentioned, I enjoyed myself exchanging experiences with others. Giving support to some and sharing happiness and excitement with others.

This weekend has not only gave me the opportunity to meet others, but also to see the city. It was my second time in Florence and I have to admit it felt as if it was my first. I was so much impressed by the buildings, churches, bridges.. For those who haven't had a chance to see it yet, I'm posting some photos. I guess you'll find it as incredible as I did..


Without a doubt I can conclude that the passing weekend has been really great. Looking forward to the following ones! ;)

By the way- in one of the shops in the center of Florence I've discovered our genuine Slovenian milk (Alpsko mleko ;). You can imagine how happy it made me, a true dairy maniac, feel ;)

School affairs

Now that I've been going to this school of mine for almost two weeks now (I can almost call myself an expert ;), it is time for me to give you my first real evaluation.

At first I was really shocked by how things work around here. Pupils coming and going in the middle of the lesson, using their cellphones, putting their make-up.. But then, what I've also learned is that the teacher has actually a lot to do with this. Noone would really tolerate it, but then the pupils themselves know perfectly well how to behave with a certain professor. Knowing that there would be consequences if behaving badly, makes them think twice before doing a nonsense.

Last week my main occupation was to check how things are to be done (I was a kind of an observer), and this week I was ready for action. In the fullest meaning of the word. Trust me ;)
I was asked to help some students who were facing problems with their English. The courses that I'm having are officially called corso sostegno and will be held each afternoon for the following three weeks. When told about this, I thought it was a great idea helping the students in such a way. However, I was fooled once more ;) Not to be too harsh on the students, I have to admit that some really took advantage of this opportunity that they were given. But then there were those who found it.. an useless way of spending their precious time. Yeah, that's the right definition ;) And so instead of taking advantage of it and seeing it as a means of improving their English, they came there to talk to their buddies.
As I did not have many experiences with teaching so far, I found it rather difficult having to calm students down all the time. I though it would be natural for them to be quiet. I've been greatly mistaken ;)
However, to finish off in a slightly more optimistic tone, let me mention that the classes that I had today went much better. The students that I had to teach were older than those from yesterday, and I guess they were aware of the fact they were given an excellent opportunity of taking advantage of my knowledge ;)
The first ten minutes were, naturally, dedicated to asking questions about my age, my status (married?;) and the whole of my personal life. Only later, when I've told them basically everything that they need and need NOT know, could we start ;)
And so I am now glad to be able to conclude that my day at school ended ok! ;)

Ps: on Friday, the Italian national agency (dealing with these kind of exchanges and Comenius assistansthips) is organising a meeting of all foreign assistants who are currently in Italy. It will be held in Florence, and be sure I'm not gonna miss it!

I'll let you know how it goes! ;)

"Extra curriculum activities"

Writing about my first week here I get the impression that it has passed in no time.

Before I knew it, there was Saturday. And what happens on Saturday? Shopping! ;) Some say that getting to know the »commercial side« of life abroad is an integral part of ones foreign experience. I do agree ;) That is why I had decided to go to the biggest shopping center that there is to be found here in Turin (Le Gru). It's actually sales time at the moment and so it was a must for me to go and check it out ;) Shops were full of people, buying all the stuff they need and don't need to survive. Their shops are generally closed on Sundays and I assume this can also explain the previously mention crowd. I've also visited Ikea, which is found is the near vicitinity. Those how know me, know how much I enjoyed myself there ;)

A day before, on Friday evening I've met my friends (who are also here to do their assistanthip). I've invited them to visit me at my new temporary home and for this, I made pancakes. Considering the fact it was my first time making them, I say they turned out great ;)

We're meeting again today. This time, it's tiramisu time ;) Tiramisu as an important dessert for the Italians, we feel sort of obliged to try it out ourselves. Cultural experience, of course ;)

I'll let you know how it goes (although I guess I can already predict the results now- 4 empty plates and girls with stomach problems ;).

.. boun appetito! ;)

Getting acquainted

The passing week was really nice. Once again, let me thank sincerely to those who try to make me feel at home here. I must confess they are rather successful at it.

On Thursday after school my mentor has invited me to join her and some other pupils for lunch. It was an invitation I could not refuse ;) And so we went. The restaurant that they chose was a vegetarian one. And so me as the only member of the vegetarian clan felt really special and honoured ;)
It was also intriguing for me to see the relations that the pupils and the teachers have. They were very personal, meaning that during lunch, we spoke about private matters as well. I guess that the division between the teacher and the pupils here is not as sharp as it is in Slovenia. I do agree that there has to be a limit (in order to be able to educate someone, you need to establish a sort of authority), but I find their system which provides for closer contacts, as productive as ours. It must be nice to talk to the professor in a sort of way that you would speak to a friend (well, leaving out the juicy, inappropriate parts, that is ;). To see the other person as a human being and not solely as the ultimate authority that you should obey.

This week I was also taken to two offices which deal with foreign exchanges and other programmes that are organised by the EU. I am now a whole lot smarter than before and armed with an uncountable amount of brochures of all sorts. If there's something you're interested in, just ask ;)

I did notice that, contrary to what many have said, the Italians love to help. Young, old, male, female, black, white- it doesn't matter. If I ask for direction or if I'm lost in any other way, I get a positive response from most of them. Maybe that has a little something to do with the fact that I look very much distracted and that they kind of feel it's their human responsibility to help. But I like to think it's simply because of- me ;)

School is fun

Well, it can be. Sure thing.
Let me explain how my first day at school went.

My first day was actually yesterday when my mentor took me to school and has introduced me to the school staff. It sure felt nice to be acquainted with them. It is important for me to have a good relationship with my collegues as these are the people I'll be bumping into (well, hope not literally ;) in the following three months. I was also given a special locker in the teachers' staff room (which made me feel even more important ;)

My first impression of the school was really very positive. The name is Liceo Linguistico Europeo (liceo meaning highschool) and it is located in the center of Turin. The classrooms are extremely pleasant and the teachers appear to be in good relations, as well. The pupils that go there must be well taken care of. I noticed that the relationship between them and the teachers is more relaxed than it is in Slovenia. It seemed as if pupils with problems could easily go to the teacher for help, which I find great. There are also many activities that this school is involved in, from different projects of making a newspaper, to hosting and attending international exchanges both for the teachers and the pupils.

This first week of my stay here is supposed to be a kind of an introductory week, for me to get acquainted with the school environment and vice versa, of course. And so today I went to my first real lesson here in Italy. It was interesting. And we all know that interesting is indeed a very wide word, carrying different meanings. My first mission was to get the pupils talking. This wasn't really that hard, as their class was actually a special one where all the lessons (even chemistry and mathematics) are held in English. We covered different grounds and so we ended up talking not only of Slovenia and Italy, but also of Italian fashion, music, religion etc. Not surprising, our conversation ended at football ;)

This was to get their attention and I can easily conclude that my task was successfully done. However, when it was time for us to start doing something less exciting (such as doing an exercise), things changed. I couldn't believe my eyes- when I told them to open their books, one started to read a magazine, the other began writing a text message, two started having what appeared to be a deep conversation.. When I asked them to be quiet, they seemed so surprised. As if I said something totally inappropriate. But then, I think I managed to achieve a bit of discipline and they finally got quiet. It seems there's a challenging task ahead of me ;)
But I think that with a bit of luck and a lot of patience, I'll come out of this as the winner.


Either way ..Wish me luck! ;)

Day 1.

Having to describe my first day in Turin, two words pop into my mind. Trumpet and kisses. Loads of both. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, let me explain what I mean.

When I arrived to the station my mentor was already waiting for me there. The feeling that you get when you see there's someone there willing to help is simply comforting. I can say I'm very fortunate to have such a nice mentor.. talking to some other Comenius Assistants, I've discovered that this is not to be taken for granted. For this reason I cherish it even more.

Later, I literally had no more time than to leave my stuff at my new temporary home and set off , in search of new experience. My roommate, together with her boyfriend and another collegue of theirs have invited me to join them for a late dinner. Which, according to their standard, is not that late. Well, if you ask me, having dinner at 10 in the evening is not the most normal thing in the world. But we all know what they say- When in Rome, do as the Romans do! ;) And I did. And so my Italian journey began.

I still haven't explained the kissing and the trumpeting part, have I? Well, I guess we all know how Italians tend to be very.. emotional. Without knowing the other person, they start kissing you immediately. As a sign of frendship, of course (not to be mistaken for anything else! ;).
Trumpeting?
The stereotypes about the Italian drivers proved to be correct. Noone really pays a lot of attention to the other party in the traffic. They just go they own way, using the trumpet as their weapon most of the time. There's one thing to remember. Does the survival of the strongest ring a bell? ;) So in order to survive in the traffic here in Turin, I suggest buying a very good, and most of all, very strong trumpet that you can find. And even then- Good luck (with the capital G.)! ;)

In the following days I've met some girls who also work as Comenius Assistants. Getting in touch with them even before me coming here was indeed a very good idea. They are without a doubt the best source of information.
And so it happened that I met Elodie, a Comenius Assistant from France on the second day of my stay, and Sabrina, a Dutch girl. They're both very nice, giving support to confused little me ;)

They gave me a rough tour of the city and today they shall iniciate me into the Turin night life (which will, most probably, not finish that late. Don't forget- we have jobs to go to ;).

All in all, I could not wish for a nicer arrival. Thanks to all that had sth to do with it!