Questura

October 12, 2006

This week has been less confusing and more encouraging. On Monday, Melissa had an interview at a new English school to be a teacher. I went to the completely wrong place, but finally figured out that the school is about an hour away from our place in a town called Cinisello. The director was interested in me because of my creative experience with dance and children. So, we set up a time for me to go observe a class.
Meanwhile, back here in Milan, Ben spent 5 hours waiting at the Immigration office called "The Questura". It seems like the bureaucracy never ends in this country. After the incredible ordeal of getting our visas in New York, we then have to get a "Permission to Stay" within the first 8 days we are in the country. If you don't get it, you will be kicked out after 90 days. So after waiting 5 hours, he was rejected because he had needed to pay 18 more Euros for his insurance. In Italy, anyone can go to the post office and buy health insurance for a year for 80 Euros. But Ben needed to pay 98 Euros for an unknown reason.
So, the next day, after i bought my insurance and got more passport pictures, we both went to the Questura and waited in the most dismal room for 7 hours to be seen. Thankfully, all of our documents passed and and we were sent to get our fingerprints and handprints taken. It was really awful being there so long and not knowing whether we would get our "Permission". The only good thing about it is that we met another American woman about my age and got to talk to her. We exchanged numbers and hopefully she will be our friend.

After that ordeal, I went to a dance class in our neighborhood. It was a modern release technique class and it was really fun. It didn't really matter that I didn't know Italian and it felt so good to dance again. I'm hopefully going to try out another studio tonight.

Yesterday, I observed the english class for 4-5 yr olds. I had no idea what any of them were saying, and was worried that I wouldn't be able to teach anything, but the other teachers said it would be fine. So today I agreed to teach there. It will be about 3 days a week. I feel really nervous about working there, since I have no experience with language and can't speak the kid's language, but I will work hard to plan good classes.

That is what is happening this week. Ben has his first meeting with his school today and we are excited to find out more about his program and who his classmates will be.

Ciao for Now!