A Perugia

You might say I have settled in, or you might say I am further discovering the "intricacies" of this small city. One of my flatmates and I moved in Jan. 4th. Our landlords speak no English, so the grand tour was difficult to say the least. We basically understood that we are not to touch the temperature dial no matter how cold and frostbitten we become. Utilities are expensive. Had I more language skills, I would have asked why our tiny shower tub came with no curtain. Is a shower just another way of cleaning the rest of the bathroom? Is it really possible to get clean while sitting in a tub half the length of my legs, holding the nozzle in one hand, and lathering up or rinsing off with the other? Apparently the answer is yes, but I have not yet figured out how this can be true.

So, Umbra kept us bouncing from one activity to the next during the weekend before classes started. Mostly they had us find buildings all over the city center without much direction and with no prize for finally finding said buildings. Yeah. Also, since I do not take classes in Umbra Institute, I had to find my buildings on my own (with the help of my fellow lost Americans). The main Stanieri building is less than a minute from my apartment, but I only go there 1 hour a week. The rest of my classes are twenty minutes downhill from my apartment, which isn't bad until I have to walk back up after a 10 hour day of classes. Thankfully, there is a bar (cafe) and a mess hall in the far away building since every single dish in my apartment was dirty when I got there. Big job cleaning up.

What's good about being here where the key to my apartment looks like it should unlock a castle? No math. Good food (when it doesn't come from my apartment).

By the end of the semester, I hope to not get sweaty palms when I speak in class and not burn myself when I light the gas stove (I still have yet to light it at all.).

Off to buy shoes!