That's right. The 14th of November marks my second month in Italy, meaning I am over halfway through my time here and will be heading towards home in 30 days (I'm taking a short side trip to London to get a couple pieces of clothing that I will need for the future). It's kind of surreal.
Saturday ended up being a really weird--and kind of scary--day for me. I was supposed to meet up with one of my friends--another au pair from England--to go to the Egyptian Museum since she hadn't been there yet, and I wanted to go again. I didn't remember what time we had agreed to meet, though. So I got to Porta Nuova around 10:30 not sure if I was early or late. The rain came and went all day, and right then it was only lightly misting. The men who would normally sell random things all had umbrellas, and I heard the phrase "Bella, umbrella?" at least 25 times. At first I didn't care because my trench coat is almost completely waterproof, so I wasn't getting too wet. By the end of the afternoon, though, I was soaked and resembled a wet rat.
While I was waiting for her, I considered getting a coffee to pass the time and went looking to see if there was a cafe near Porta Nuova. There was, but I didn't want to go in and see if I could find a menu offering drinks (restaurants often have menus outside their front door so potential patrons can see specials and what is offered at the restaurants. Cafes sometimes show specials, but I have yet to find a menu). As I turned away, I caught the eye of an older man. He had to be at least in his mid 50s, if not in his early 60s. He offered to buy me a coffee, and not thinking anything of it, I accepted.
I could go into detail about what happened, but the basic gist of it is: bad idea. Apparently letting Italian men buy food or drinks for you says that you are interested in them, and that's how he saw it. I, on the other hand, did not realize this--the friend I was waiting for had mentioned something along those lines before Saturday, but I didn't realize just how far it extended!!--and had an unpleasant surprise. I have not seen him since that afternoon, but I might should I go around Porta Nuova again. I just did some homework and figured out how to tell him that if he touched me again he'd lose his hand. I'll apologize for "leading him on", but I don't need that.
On the plus side, after booking it away from Porta Nuova I managed to find the little bookstore that claimed to have English books in it. They weren't lying, though their selection is incredibly limited--and yes, I know, duh. I did manage to find a copy of Persuasion by Jane Austen to replace my copy that was stolen in Paris, and left to find lunch. By now the rain had decided to that it did want to drench the entirety of Torino and had increased intensity. I was caught between wanting to just go home--I could not get a hold of my friend and by now I was not in the mood to deal with amorous Italian men--and possibly spending the day in Torino solo. I found a place to eat and start to dry off, had pizza and beer for lunch, then went home. I encountered my new admirer while I was on the tram, but luckily he was only on for one more stop and got off way before I did (he tried to get me to get off the tram with him, but I said no. The plus was he was outside and I was still inside the tram).
Tuesday night I finally got up the nerve to talk with the father and explain that I can't stay in Italy longer than the three months I originally agreed to (between my classes, my stuff in storage, my cat, and my homesickness, I wasn't planning on staying longer anyway). I told him that if there was any way I could help them find a replacement au pair, I would. So, if any of you have some spare cash and want to come take care of some Italian children for a few months, I know a family that's hiring! The next fun conversation will be asking for a ride to the airport. I could take public transportation, but it would take two hours for me to get there, and the possibility to get lost is great. Fingers crossed that either one of the parents or one of the sets of grandparents can get me there.
This is going to be shorter than normal, because I don't have much to talk about. Also, between my Italian class and my online classes, I have more homework than previously.
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