Buona giornata

Day 5 in the Big Brother House, not really, I'm in MILANO.

What a crazy 5 days it's been, it's still not sunk in that I am not heading back to England any time soon - weird!
Day 1 I woke up full of alacrity, couldn't wait to get going and get started but it was a Sunday and in Italy Sunday really is a day of rest unless you are a shop located on the gold rectangle! I headed to the Duomo and walked for a few hours up and down main streets and back streets and found a little supermarket and a public park to sit and munch on my cherry tomato's and bread! yum. The sun was out and it was actually quite warm for winter!! - I spoke too soon and now Giorni della Merla is upon us and i'm hoping it really doesn't last any longer!!

Giorni della merla

An Italian legend says that the last three days of January are the coldest of the year and are called the “giorni della merla” (literally: days of the she-blackbird). Different versions of the story say that the “merla” was a bird, a cannon or even a noblewoman. Sometimes the days are stretched until the first of February, but if this period is very cold, spring will come soon and it will be warm.

 

Erika (my new temporary housemate) told me all about Giorni della merla whilst we were drinking tea sat next to the radiator! brrrr - I was telling her about my absolutely horrendous day. It started with some very sad news which made me distracted and I forgot to take my map out with me or charge my phone. I was going to an interview and it was pouring with rain. I knew I had to get on the metro and head to Porta Romana and walk from there but I only realised id forgotten my map when I got there. I got my phone out and it had died - oh how unorganised of me. I headed off in what I thought was the right direction, I was soaked already had rain in my shoes, my gloves were sodden and I just wanted to get to where I needed to be or at least find a news stand so I could buy a map. After walking around for 20 mins in the wrong direction I found a news stand and got a map - phew, I had 15 mins left until I had to be there and I looked on the map and realised I was so far away I didn't think I would make it, by now it was snowing my hair was wet and I had snowflakes on my nose and eyelashes. (Do Rae Mee) I wanted to cry because I was scared but remembered that book Kelly Cutrone wrote called "if you have to cry go outside" and realised crying wasn't going to get me to my interview so I took a deep breath and just walked as fast as I could. Went the wrong way again - HOW CAN I NOT READ A MAP????
I finally made it 15 mins late but put a smile on my soggy face and had the interview.
So I guess I now have a part time freelance tutoring job - its a start and its only day 5 (PROUD)
I have another interview on Tuesday for another job which may co-inside well with this one if I get it. Despite my mild panic and the horrendous weather of giorni della merla things are looking up.

Spring had better be warm and I hope i'm still here!!

xx