Now with pictures!

Ciao friends, countrymen/women

Don't worry, this will be brief.

I've now located an internet cafe that trusts people enough to plug things into the computers, so I've added a couple of pictures. Here:

I only have a few breath-taking insights into Italian culture so far. They are, in no particular order:

1) Scooters are incredibly popular here, and even my students admit they're low powered death-mobiles. I can't wait to get one.

2) Italians have few qualms about personal space - on the bus people are quite happy to lean into you, which can be nice or unpleasant, depending on who is doing the leaning. A particularly good looking girl did it the other day, which made up for the smelly old man on the previous day.

Also you don't have to pay to get on a bus - you just jump on. They have ticket machines, where, if you're honest enough, you can stamp a ticket that you may have bought. I've yet to see a ticket inspector. They wonder why the buses run at a massive loss, but only about 20% of people pay.

3) Doughnuts are amusingly called Krapfen.

4) Quite a few men wear pastel pink jeans like they're perfectly normal attire to go to work in. I've counted about 15 guys rocking them, so as soon as I get paid I'll be joining the herd like the sheep I am.

That's pretty much it I'm afraid. I hope you're well and all missing me. I've had a procession of weird dreams over the past week, involving Edinburgh and various citizens. I don't know what they mean, but suffice to say, I'm thinking of you.

Adios