Michaels Italian Job

My Photo
Name:
Location: Genova, Italy

Hello, and welcome to my blog. I'm 30, and as you may have guessed from my blog's title, I'm working in Italy. Genova to be precise. I've been here since June 2008 and don't know when I'm going back to Scotland, if ever. I went to America a couple of years ago and wrote a lot of waffle. If you're bored, why not look at www.michaels-american-adventure.blogspot.com

Thursday 17 September 2009

As seen on TV

Ciao tutti

How are you? I trust you're well, and have received no word otherwise, so from here on in this will only be about me.

I arrived in the fair port of Genova last Wednesday, and have so far neglected to post anything or phone home as I'm a) lazy and b) ......... actually I'm just lazy. Mum/Dad, if you're reading this, I'll phone at the weekend. Probably.

But anyway, yes, got here last week. It was pretty warm when I arrived, and dragging my bags up the hill and then up the 5 flights of stairs was a little taxing. Seriously, I looked like I'd just fallen in the sea. My new flatmates seem very nice, Heidi and Allison, English and Belgian respectively, and of course I know Katarina who will be joining us in October once she's a proper teacher like me. Spent the first few days just wandering about in the heat keeping my liquid levels up, as any self respecting Scot would do.

On Saturday it was Notta Bianca when the sleepy residents of Genova go wild and stay up til about 5am. There was an MTV Day thing too, so saw Skunk Anansie play live in the port, and they were dead good. I only vaguely remember them from first time around, but was thoroughly impressed, so much so that I might steal some of their stuff off of t'internet. Also met up with some friends and acquanitances form last year, which was nice and civilised. The port was hoaching with people, and the beer was flowing like wine, but there was zero trouble. Wouldn't get that in Britain, which was refreshing.

Since I've been back I've taken it upon myself to be a kind of cultural tour guide for Heidi and Allison, and so I'm trying to get them to remember the way to and from La Lepre. I think with just a little more practice they'll have it in the bag.

Good news re my flat - when I first heard about it I thought I'd have to pay 900 euros made up of: first months rent, one months deposit, and the equivalent of one month as a non-returnable fee. Unless I've misread my contract, this fee (technical name: Robbing Bastards Fee) seems to have been waived, so I've actually paid two months deposit. This is good, as I'm not rich enough to be just giving people 300 quid.

Highlight of my week was undoubtedly and unsurprisingly the football on Sunday. We played Napoli and sent them back to their shanty towns with a 4-1 defeat to think on. Ha, fools. Brilliantly, the next day a couple of people emailed me to say they thought they saw me on the highlights. Imagine my surprise when I watched them back and did indeed see myself. The fame and adulation which I've so richly earned and deserved since the day I was born is now mine, and I have to say, it feels 'right'. You too can bask in my reflected glory by watching the link below and waiting til about 5m20s when Crespo scores. I'll flash in front of your eyes (but not like that, it wasn't Crimewatch I was on) very briefly, but I think you'll agree I was the meat in a football highlights sandwich. Bello!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymwdl24eYcc&feature=related

Tonight there's the first match of the Europa League, so I'm off to that as well. Un grande tifo, secondo me.

Allora, fino alla prossima volta,

Ciao, adieu and auf wiedersehn.