Read day 4 here

I am an English teacher and student of the Italian language currently teaching in Perugia, Italy for the company Angloville. I am working here for the week and writing about my trip in both English and Italian. My Italian is bad so expect lots of mistakes/Itenglish so don’t hesitate to correct me.

It was an early start today at 6.30. Why so early? As we were seeing little horse people. We had to leave at 8.30 for a forty-five minute walk to the local farm. Beforehand, Izzy asked us to walk with the quieter kids and encourage them to speak. I decided to walk with Ana who is one of the weakest kids. She has some type of learning disability and I suspect she is on the spectrum. She is also Brazillian by birth and was adopted by Italian parents. Thus far, she has been very shy about speaking. No longer.

Using my limited Italian and her limited English, she explained about her Brazilian roots and her various brothers and sisters all around the world. I also found out that she enjoys singing and we sang Bella Ciao on our walk to the farm. You could probably hear us from Rome, lol. The walk was very pretty but very hot.

When we finally arrived, it was time to see the little horse people. Adults and foals. All different colours.  All the juniors and especially me loved petting them. After that we got to see some chickens and wild boar before our long walk back. Again, I accompanied Ana. We sang and I found out that she is so funny. So resilient too. Some of the whinier kids were being driven back. Ana and I walked the whole way as we are strong, independent women.

After a much-needed shower, it was time for the first conversation of the day: hobbies and interests. I was with one of the Chinese lads Ming -nickname – King Ming who is a keen pianist as well as the quiet Ema who plays the accordion and Mattia and Elia – nickname Spaceman – who both play chess. I asked the latter for help in my chess games. After it was time for lunch – pumpkin risotto.

The conversation sessions resumed at three with social media. This is a topic I talk about a lot with my junior students. I’m always interested in hearing about their screentime and what they think is the right age to let a child have a phone. Some said 18. Others said 12.  What do you think?

At 4pm, we had a mini-presentation project. Today we were designing our own alien planet. My group smashed it. Our planet was Zib Zob and the president was Georgia Arancione or Georgia Orange. The rest of the planet was oranged-themed with orange food, clothes and money. My kids smashed it. Did I say that already?

At 5, I had free time. 2 hours of it. The plan was to use it productively. Maybe either read or write more of the diary. Instead I fell asleep only to wake up to the big hairy Aussie looming over me. But at 7.15, it was time for a little henna session courtesy of Midori.

Then it was dinner time. Woot. Woot. A meat ragu pasta followed by the most uniquely presented caprese salad I’ve ever seen.

After dinner it was time for our final activity – a fashion show and my lads did great. I was with Ton, Michael – nickname MJ as he always goes heehee, and the shy Ema. I told the other two lads to go to their rooms and came back with the strangest clothes they could find. Ton returned wearing a towel and pillow cases on his arms. Meanwhile, Michael came back with a bag on his head and his boxers on his arms [don’t ask why] They both looked like angels so we decided to go down a Catholic theme. Both Michael and I were angels [I was boiling in that towel and those pillow cases] while Ema acted as the pope. I got him to read out the Hail Mary prayer in English. Bless him, he was so nervous that he kept asking to repeat it over and over again. But he did great. He had the rest of Angloville praying with him and I think this was a great boost to his confidence.

It was bedtime next. At least that’s what I thought. At ten, Lauren joined Nick and I in our room as she wanted to have a gossip/bitch about our fellow American IPs – Midori and Anayja. Both of them are very American and they also complain a lot and can be a bit combative. Although that’s not been my personal experience. Anyway instead of them moaning, we moaned about them.

After a while, Lauren invited us to the room she was sharing with Lucy and Victoria which was much nicer and bigger. They had a whole living area to themselves. We continued bitching into the night eventually going to sleep at 1am. But that concludes day five of Angloville – a day of horses, fashion show and a late-night bitch.

Oggi ci siamo stati svegliati molto presto alle 06.30. Perchè? Per un visito per la fattoria locale, vederemmo dei cavalli. Izzy ci abbiamo chiesto per parlare con gli studente con I levelli bassi. Ho decidato per parlare con Ana – una Figlia chi secondo me è autistica. Parla molto poco inglese e ho molto timido per parlare. Non piu.

Abbiamo usato Itenglish e ho Imparato che Ana è nato in Brasil prima è adottato in Italia. Anche adora cantare. Insieme, abbiamo cantato ‘Bella Ciao.’ Probabilamente, ci sentire in Roma. Eramo molto forte. Il viaggio era molto bella ma anche faceva molto caldo.

Poi siamo arrivati, era la volta per veda gli animali com’e I cavalli, polli e I cinghiale. Tutti adorono accarezzare I cavilli. C’erano I cavalli grande e piccoli, nero e bianco, adulti e puledri. Era molto divertente ma troppo presto, abbiamo avuto il agroturismo. Ancora, ho accompagnato Ana. È molto divertente e resiliente. I ragazzi si è lamentato e were driven back to the agroturismo. Ma Ana e io? Ho camminato – il intero. Non lamentare di Ana. Un po’ di io. Non sono resilente com’e Ana. Eramo le donne forti e independente.

Dopo abbiamo fatto una doccia, era tempo per il primo sessione conversaionale di Giorno – hobbies e interests. In il gruppo erano quattro ragazzi – un di Ragazzo cinese Ming – nickname King Ming – chi piace suonare il piano e anche piccolo Ema chi suona la farmonica e finalemente Mattia and piccolo Elia – nickname Spaceman – chi gioca Scaachi. Ho li chiesta per aituare con il miei giochi di Scaachi. Poi, era la volta per Pranzo – il risotto la zucca.

Alle tre, era la volta per il prossimo sessione di conversaionale; l’arggomento? Social Media. Parlo di arggomento molto con le mie studente. Li ho chiesto, il correcto age per permettere un bambino avere un phone e social media. Degli dica 18 e gli altri 12. E secondo te?

Alle 16hr, abbiamo avuto il nostro Progetto. Oggi, stavamo progettando un alien planet. Il mio gruppo era brilliante. Il nostro planet chiamava Zib Zob e il presidente era Georgia Arancione. Il planet avuta il temo dei arancione con arancione cibo, vestimenti e soldi. Il mio gruppo era brilliante. L’ho detto ancora?

Alle 17hr, ho avuto il tempo libero. Due ore. L’ho voluto usare productivemente…forse scrive il mio diario. Invece, ho dormito per sono svegliatarmi a un grande, Peloso Aussie standing over me. Alle 19.15, era tempo per di henna courtesia di Midori.

Poi abbiamo centato. La pasta ragu e un unico insalata caprese. E dopo la centa, era la volta per il nostro activita l’ultimo – a fashion show. I miei ragazzi era brilliante. Il mio gruppo compresa Ton, Michael – nicknamed MJ perchè ha detto ‘heehee’ molto, e il timido Ema. Ho detto Michael e Ton trovare il piu strano vestiti nella stanze e non deludere. Ton è tornato indossare un ascugimano e le federe sulle braccie. Ma Michael è tornato indossare una borsa sulla testa e il sue mutande sulle braccie. No so perchè. Ma le due sembravano gli angeli quindi ho usato una tema ‘catolico.’

Michael e io erano dei angeli (ero bollente nell’asugimano e le federe) mentre Ema era ‘la papa.’ Ha letto ‘the hail Mary prayer’ in Inglese. Era molto timido quindi ha practicato molto, ma era magnifico. Tutti la angloville ha paghato con lui. Era magnifico per la sua confidenza. La volta per andare a letto? No. Alle 22hr, Lauren ha rejoindato Nick e io in il nostro camera e letto perchè ha voluto lamentaro di gli IPS Americani Midori and Anayja. Loro sono lamentose e combativve. Quindi ci li stiamo lamentenatto. Presto, ci Lauren abbiamo invitato per la sua stanza qual’e condividere Vicky e Lucy e stiamo lamenatto tardi into il notte. Era tutto per il mio nostro Giorno cinquieme di Angloville – un Giorno dei cavalli, fashion-shows e lamentare.