Friday is here!
It is, oh it is. No run today, rest today, run tomorrow, run Sunday. Worst case scenario I bring a couple bananas with me, maybe a pack of cookies. Screw it, I don’t have to be healthsome with the fuel, I just need fuel and water. Luckily there is public water everywhere in Italy, even in the ass end of ass. I get down about the area sometimes, but it’s really not that bad, I just get frustrated with no car. I really need to find cheap, effective transport on a temporary basis.
Meanwhile, things are coming together and settling down, but I need to figure out how to register for the Rome Marathon. They’ve made it very difficult, and confusing, as most things are in this country when it comes to paperwork. So we shall see what happens.
My midterm reviews of my students are done (for the most part), and I am not recommending a few of them to take their tests. It’s ok, just they are struggling and need more work. Some are very bright and could pass their tests, if they payed attention in class. One of them, I know could be an excellent student, if he only focused on the lesson instead of football and girls. I really want these kids to do well, not because I want to impress my bosses or keep my job, I want them to do well, because I think that’s part of the problem down here. I think people assume they’re going to fail, that something will stop them from attaining their goal, and I really want them to have some success. They’re all very bright students, and can do very well with the English language, which of course is a ticket to anywhere in the world you want to be. I don’t think some of them understand how important it is.
With that, I’m going to leave you and see if I can’t catch that health food store while it’s open.
Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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Missed Wednesday (it was busy)
Seriously, my Wednesday was unintentionally mad! So I woke up and ran. Then I figured I could go to the post office, deposit my pay, get to the store to buy foodstuffs I needed, then head into work for a new individual lesson I had to teach. Apparently, to put money on my postepay account, I need to show my codice fiscale (which I do not have the card yet, I still need an official residence in Italy). So without that, or my passport on me, I had to run back to the apartment, get my passport and go back to the post office. By the time I got there the line was out of control.
So knowing I would not have time if I waited, I risked going to the store, while waiting for my number to come up. It worked out, I got MOST of what I needed, but not all. Got back, still had to wait 20 minutes for my number to get called, got everything deposited (even though the clerk still wanted my codice fiscale) and managed to get everything home, into the fridge and put away, and get to work on time.
The lesson was cool, an older lady in her 60s, French teacher, wanting to work on her English vocabulary. She knows most of the grammar (but not the exceptions and there are always exceptions in English), and she was totally cool! Had a blast for an hour. Then I had to run to catch the train to Sant’Anastasia for my 2pm class at Pacioli.
In my rush out of the office, I completely forgot my cellphone which was charging on the counter in the main room. Stupid me, I just kept going and by the time I got to Sant’Anastasia I forgot if the class was in the high school proper or in the satellite location, as it is sometimes. So not seeing anyone in or around the main building, I walked the 10 minutes up the hill to the other location. With no one there, and only 5 minutes until class started, I ran back down the hill (which only took me about 7 minutes) and got back to the main building where my class was waiting for me, as I was dripping sweat from the heat and the running.
Get that class done, then back to Somma for my early evening class with the little kids. Get that done, try to grab a bite to eat somewhere, because at that point I didn’t feel like cooking, and of course no place I want to eat is open. So I made myself a meal, and one of the new teachers at work joined me, hung out for a bit, played some video games afterwards and called it an evening.
That brings us to a much easier day today! My running friends cancelled the run this morning, so I was on my own and went short. I have a long run scheduled for Sunday, as I’ve mentioned, so I’m not concerned. I’m really starting to settle into my regular running routes here. I haven’t decided what I’ll do for my long run, another half-way around the mountain? Or a big loop into the valley? It’s a little difficult to decide. I think going into the valley will give me a little less climbing, but I have to map it out.
So after the run, I had to shoot back to the store to get the things I forgot, or couldn’t carry yesterday. then I decided to hop back up the hill and hit the 50 centisimi store! You heard me, there’s a Half Euro store! Finally got a proper wine opener. Grabbed some salt storage, as cardboard boxes just absorb water around here. Got a small jar that can be use as a salt shaker (just poked holes in the lid), and basically called it a day. Did stop at the Pasticceria across the street and got a delightful cannolo. In a few I’ll pop up to the school, maybe have a little coffee across the street and get to work for this evening.
Oh, and I found a health food store practically next to my apartment! Usually, when I run by in the morning, this store is shuttered up completely. You can’t see anything, well when they went for lunch they left two of the windows open, and I saw jarred seitan and tofu! How did nobody say, when I told them I was a vegetarian, “Hey, you may want to check out this store, right next to your apartment when they’re open!” FFS, some things are maddening around here.
Other than that, got my flight booked for my friends’ wedding in March, have to figure out the logistics next week. This weekend the order of the day is relaxation and running. That’s all I’m worrying about, and I have to work Saturday morning, which is no big deal.
Have fun out there, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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Tuesdays kill me slowly
So I moved to Southern Italy to help people right? I could have stayed in America, made more money, had my family around me, had a decent life, but I want to help people. I want to expand my knowledge and compassion and life experience, and most of all I want to help. So here I am. Yet my Tuesday middle school class seem to think I’m there for a paycheck. They never listen to a word I say, it’s really not cool.
Anyway, I did get my run in today. I am generally feeling better, I need to figure out a fueling option for this weekend’s long run! These are serious problems. I have much to do and little time to do it. I think I may have to use an amazon.it prime membership trial to make the fueling happen, as it’s impossible to find things like Clif Shot Bloks and stuff like that here. So we will see, I will keep you all up to date.
Meanwhile, sorry I missed a recipe, I totally spaced on it, I will get you one ASAP. I do have proper interwebs now (or should) I just need to check it at the apartment tonight after class. I hope it works as well as it was in the store. It’s a MiFi device, I’ve used similar in this country before and they even work in the middle of nowhere farmland, it should work here. Anyway, it’s time for my next class.
Have fun, keep running and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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Happy Valentine’s Day (don’t let me get you sick)
Yep, so I’m out last night to hang out and watch the Juve v Napoli match. Not that I’m particularly interested, but it’s what one does around here, as there’s nothing else to do! And no matter what I did I was shivering cold. The person I was with tells me I did not look too good and that’s when I realized I had spiked a fever. So at the half, I went back to my apartment, made my bed (I had washed my sheets yesterday morning), and put every blanket I could find on top of me. A restless night later, I felt moderately better, if not completely sore, this morning.
I was well enough to get my 1.4 miles in to get me over the hump on the mileage challenge! Nothing special there. I was definitely feeling it, it was raining and I wasn’t risking anything, there’s no glory to be had in training runs. (Except for the fact you feel so damned good about yourself after) When I got back, I took another nap, why? Because I was intensely tired. But I’ve been able to hold food down, the fever is gone, and I’m ready for work tomorrow, I think. Am I ever really ready for work? Nah, but it’s cool.
So the hope is tomorrow I will be able to get a decent internet connection and start taping the show again for you all! I know you miss it, and well with Justice Scalia gone and the immediate shitstorm that brewed over that, muahahaha! Justice Scalia, kind of an ironic title right? What is just about a man who said in an opinion (and I paraphrase) that the fact of being innocent of the crime does not negate the use of the death penalty if the death penalty was properly reached through the process. Basically meaning, if you find out later that someone was innocent, it doesn’t matter. Which is just insane.
Anyway, it’s St. Valentine’s Day. Yes the day where we look upon martyred St. Valentine, his disemboweled corpse and give each other tokens of affection. It’s all rather bizarre if you ask me. But it’s cool. As usual, I had no plans and nothing to do today. After the nap, it was still raining so I just hung out in my apartment, chatted online with some friends and watched a little RAI Movies, ever seen “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” dubbed into Italian? Well I have now.
But back on point, Valentine’s Day, meh, I love you all. even those of you who hate for no reason, the folks that are thrown away in a prison somewhere, even the ones guilty as hell and deserve to be there. The very worst humanity has to offer, I love ya! Doesn’t mean I think you’re alright, you need a lot of work, particularly me. But I have to accept each and every person as they are, and say “this is part of my family, this is part of who I am”. It’s the only way this world is ever going to get better, love is the only shit that will save the day. That’s what I thought about today, I think about it often. You have to love everyone, even the Scalias of the world, I felt bad about being happy about the fact he was no longer going to be able to say horrible things in the highest court in the USA. But he was damaging us, at the same time he was showing us what not to be. Perhaps that’s the value of the evil people in this world, a reminder for the rest of us to be more loving, accepting, caring, and helpful, to not be like them.
Either way, if you have someone “special” today, make sure to go out of your way, but remember, if the only day out of the year you do something special and nice for a significant other is today, you fail 364/365 days out of the rest of every year! Every day is a chance to show a special someone, or all someones, your love. Today is just an extra reminder. With that notion, I leave you with some sappy punk rock.
Meanwhile, have fun, keep running and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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What a couple of days!
So, I figured I would do the normal run with the guys today, and so yesterday I put in some extra miles to make sure I got to 35 this week. Also my Garmin missed a bit of my run yesterday, so I’m probably already over 35 miles. What I didn’t know was it would be raining this morning, so the run got postponed. My friend had other friends to run with at the new time and we went, and boy did we, almost 9 miles! So tomorrow I only have to do like a mile and a half! I haven’t decided what to do yet, I definitely need rest, my hamstring needs to heal, but I also want to meet the challenge.
So this morning, some of the adult students invited me to coffee, it was nice. I did my best to stay silent and listen and keep my mind clear to absorb the language. The same way children learn. I think my problem speaking and listening to Italian may be related to the fact I didn’t speak at all until I was almost 3 years old. Maybe there’s some sort of block in my brain that makes it more difficult for me. But I will get there, I have been using my DuoLingo every day for the last 4 days, I need to finish up today’s bit as soon as I’m done here, and I will just keep plugging along until I get it all done and see how it comes out.
It seems the wet weather is holding off this afternoon. For all you back in the frozen Northeast, I want you to realize I’m writing this with my freshly cleaned laundry hanging on my balcony, the window wide open, my shirt off sunning myself. It’s 61F (16C) here right now, and it’s a beautiful day. After heavy rains this morning of course. In case you’re wondering, I didn’t hang out the laundry by choice, it is required here, there are no clothes dryers. I don’t think they have the power generation necessary for such things, although they could have if there were sufficient solar and wind farms in the area supplying power to Italy, instead of shipping, and I shit you not, shipping that energy to the rest of Europe. Strange right? Oh well.
Meanwhile, one other odd thing is happening in town, something that is vastly different from the United States. A couple of young people (30s) were killed in an “ambush style attack” (so read the article). Because of this, they are not allowing them to have a funeral. Instead they are taking the bodies from the examiner, straight to the grave. Outrageous right? In the US, that would never fly They’re not saying these people were involved in organized crime (although they are clearly saying it implicitly), but simply because it was like a “hit” they are denying the families the right to have a funeral. No matter how bad things ever got in the US, I never recall anyone being barred from having a funeral. It’s rather sad, and it is bothering some people in town who were friends with these two. That’s understandable. It’s definitely a different world down here. In the US such violence is so commonplace we don’t even think about it, here they denied funerals because of the fear of what might happen.
So that’s my weekend update to this point, I’ll certainly sit down tomorrow and give you some more Southern Italian goodness, until then:
Have fun, keep running and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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No run Wednesday, so I had to make it up today
And did I! It seems I’ve been getting faster. No idea how or why, just happening. Maybe it’s because I haven’t run a marathon since December? It’s odd because I still have my nagging hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, they hired a new teacher at work and she runs, so with her being new to the area, I may have found another running buddy, I may have to start a club! Now that I’m used to the roads, I’m enjoying my runs more, but when they’re wet, the roads in town are very slick, and that can be dangerous. I will have to remember to take it easy.
So I either get paid tomorrow or Monday it seems, there is some confusion in that, either way I can’t wait! As soon as my friends in Denmark give me final word on the date I am booking a cheap flight up to their place for their wedding! Yay! My first intra-continental trip! As I’ve always stayed in Italy and never, well technically Vatican City is another country but not really, ventured to another country in the same trip.
So a full month on and I’m adjusting pretty well. According to Duolingo I am now 45% fluent in Italian. I am making friends, as always, and even taken two hikes up the Somma side of the mountain. I do need to summit Vesuvio soon, that’s for sure. I need some hot caldera action! And I think next Sunday I will venture out to Pozzuoli to find this Lebanese place for some falafel, hummus, and maybe something else. They do have extensive vegetarian options on their menu. Too exciting all around. Of course this Sunday is St. Valentine’s Day, which I have no special plans (as is the usual). Maybe I’ll get myself a candy bar or some other chocolates.
OK off to work with me, I do generally enjoy my schedule, fairly relaxing, even the tough days are good, tiring but good. Alright, I’ll see you guys on the flipside, and hopefully after this weekend I’ll have a more stable connection and can get the show back on the youtubes!
Have fun, keep running and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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Party Gras! So I ran twice today.
You heard me, did I stutter? I ran twice today, once in the morning, and once in the afternoon. So 10.6 miles (17.5 km) total, not bad for a day off right? Tomorrow, put in a few miles, then a busy day of work. Gotta look out for my coworkers and try and help out, get my stuff done and do all the adulty things like make foods and whatnot.
Made a lovely frittata this afternoon, sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. Threw it up on the Instagram, which got hacked recently, but I seem to have gained control of it again. Hopefully, that all works out.
So the important thing about this post, I’m sitting in my apartment, at my computer. It’s a crap connection that I can’t even Skype on, but it’s working, more or less. With any luck, this weekend the TIM store down the road from me will have in some new mifi devices that will run much better. My phone is working gangbusters on my TIM SIM card, and I have an Italian phone number!
Things are coming together and every day I get a little closer to being fully settled. Met one of my students today at the grocery store I’ve been shopping at, and it turns out he owns the place! That was very cool, he took me around the store and got me everything I needed. People are amazingly nice here and it really makes it very easy to get comfortable. Also got some amazing Buffalo Mozzarella for free, can’t wait to have a little. This weekend, I have to find out where to get my hair cut, and I have to buy my ticket up to Denmark for my friends’ wedding! They should know the exact date on Thursday, luckily it’s not too long of a flight, and not too expensive. What a crazy month it has been. In fact, tomorrow marks exactly one full month I have been in country! There’s been ups and downs, one thing is for sure I can’t wait to see what next month brings!
Have fun, keep running, and remember; If Gil can run then so can you! Ciao tutti!
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I ran my weekend away!
No posts because my Garmin did not do so well on the very steep, very challenging trot up Somma peak. I got there finally, now one of these weekends the trick will be to get up to the actual cone of Vesuvio! My Saturday run with the guys was a great 10k as usual, though it was a bit chilly.
So we’re closer to actual, factual internet. I have my TIM SIM card and there is internet on it, but for whatever reason it’s not working on my Verizon phone. I have the APN set up, but I’m clearly missing something. I have to research more to find out what. It may be I have to jailbreak the phone, we will see, but I will get it working, or I’ll have to buy a new phone at the end of the week. Good news is, I live in a port city area and it will be easy to find a cheap phone that will do the job for now.
Meanwhile, it was sad that my roommate of the last month moved on to (hopefully) better things today, as he’s on his way to Odessa, Ukraine to take a teaching job there. He was, up till now, the best roommate I’ve had, we had a lot of fun packed into a very short span of time and really made the last, crazy month much more enjoyable and bearable. The morning coffee just won’t be the same. And the afternoon coffee, and the evening coffee, and the booze, but mostly the coffee, and old TV like Twin Peaks binge-watching. It was definitely a fun month, through difficult circumstances.
So that was a recap of my weekend and whatnot. Made it up Somma, Got a SIM card and lost a friend, for now. I’m sure it’ll be easy to meet up given the transient nature of the jobs and the fact that we’re both, more-or-less, in the same area of the world.
OK everybody, have fun, keep running and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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A Friday of running and work
Yep, I ran today, and then I ran some more. It’s a beautiful day here, even though I’m very tired.
Beyond that not much is happening, I’m actually at work and the students are doing an exercise so I’m quickly writing this. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. My tax code is done, tomorrow I open a bank account.
Hopefully no later than Monday I’ll have internet and a simcard as well.
Until then, have fun, keep running and remember; If Gil can run, then so can you!
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And so I lost some sleep…
Yep, but I ran this morning. I am trying very hard to keep up with this writing, but it is very difficult. Hopefully, real internet and communications are coming soon.
Meanwhile, with new experiences come challenges. I have a first, I’ve been asked to not teach a class. I shouldn’t lose sleep over it, but I did. I won’t mention names, I don’t want to slag anyone publicly. But basically, even though in my company, I have more knowledge in a given field communications and media, than anyone else. I have the knowledge this one client absolutely needs to succeed in the English speaking world. But they don’t want to learn from me. Because I told them to buy a stylebook maybe? Because I told them the rules change all the time in English? And they do. Because I told them the rules usually don’t apply in English, which is 100% true! Particularly in media.
One thing that stands out is last class they claimed I said something I know I didn’t. They claim at the end they showed me an email that said “from…a date…since…a date” and I said that would be acceptable. No way in Hell that’s acceptable and no way I would say it’s acceptable. Which means either they’re remembering wrong, or their intentionally lying about it. Whatever the case may be, I’m not going to let it bother me. I’m in a new field, in a new country, around new people. I have no family, no regular communication to my family, no personal transport, and haven’t even had my first paycheck yet. None of that excuses me if I did a bad job, but I haven’t even done a bad job, I just haven’t lived up to the expectations they have of someone teaching a language they have demonstrated they know nothing about. But clearly, they’re the experts on what an English class should be. I want you all to think about that. I have experience in the field of their industry, vast experience. I know people who do what they do, only infinitely more successfully. I have not only tried to teach them the language exactly as they need to know it, I have offered to get the people who are at the top of their profession to help them out! Why you would reject that is beyond me. Because I’m telling you that there are no set rules on most prepositions? That you have to listen to native speakers in your area to learn things like that. So I hope they read this and learn “I before e, except after c, or when pronounced as an a, as in neighbor and weigh.” of course except for all the times it isn’t, like with either, and the hundreds of other words where the “rule” simply doesn’t apply.
Just for fun, on the weekend (every textbook in this country tells them to say at the weekend) I’m just going to relax.
Have fun, keep running and remember; If Gil can run then so can you!
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