The Family returns

My host family returned from their ski trip today - they had been gone since last Friday, so it was just me and the housekeeper at home for the week. It appears a good time was had by them, although they (well at least the parents) are a bit drained from the long trip home - 3 trains, a plane, and then a train! But its nice to have lots of activity in the house after a very quiet week.

I had a chat with the kids in english, and we discussed their holiday - what they did, where they stayed, what they ate etc, simple stuff but I doubt they spoke any english on their holiday so a nice way to just ease them back into speaking english. Next week they are back to school, so no doubt there will be some structure to their week, and of course some english homework I can help them with.

Who knows what the weekend will bring, the kids seem to change their minds quite often about what they want do, but hopefully we get out the house - perhaps go bowling again. Otherwise on Sunday I have an invite to go to Trastevere (an area in Rome across the river where there is apparently a decent food market) from one of the Au Pairs I met through the company that placed me on the conversation corps program.

Blogging/Picasa/My Heritage

I have set up a Picasa account, which I will be using to link too from here for my photos - seems like a decent site, its google owned (I think it is, it certainly integrates well with my google account) and has some good features. So as a first link, here are some pictures I took when i first arrived 2 weeks ago of the house where I am staying. It really is a fantastic home, in an excellent location.

http://picasaweb.google.com/vermontia/2009212RomeHouse?feat=directlink

I also continued with something I started end of 2008 - documenting my own Geneaology. I am using a cool piece of software called My Heritage Family tree builder. The oldest family member I have is the birth of my great great grandmother in 1868. Hopefully when my Italian is a bit better I can perhaps research a bit more!

I had a potato omelette for lunch. Strange for me as I have not eaten anything like that before, but it was awesome!

Tomorrow a friend of the family arrives from Paris, as well as the family returning from their ski trip, so it will be cool to have everyone back, although I imagine its going to be chaotic!

Text Books + Sun

So I went out today to get my text books - when I left the house Enya (the housekeeper) and Lilly (the housecleaner!?) were busy dimantling the kitchen and cleaning every corner of it. I guess they taking the opportunity while the family is away skiing.

I got the text books no problem, and paid using my bancomat - it was the first time I have used it, so I am glad it worked ok. Afterwards I took a walk around some of the streets nearby, got a bit lost because I had left my map at home (thanks to google maps on my mobile I got myself to the metro stop)

It was a great day today weather wise, I can definatly feel the summer slowly arriving....must have been about 15 degrees, clear skies and no wind....didnt get that too often in London...

So when I returned this evening, Enya tells me she is sorry but there is no meat for dinner, only spaghetti with a tomato based sauce and tuna - fine by me I say, a 300gram steak every night I am sure isnt great for the pipes. I tuck into my spaghetti, finish it and get up to clean the table - she then informs me, no, Malika (Alessandro's mothers housekeeper who lives down the road) is bringing some meat for me!! Seems they feel that a healthy bowl of pasta is an inadequate meal....never going to loose weight this way! The crumbed chicken was awesome though...

More football tonight, and its on the local terrestrial channels, so I can watch in my room....Chelsea v Juventus - hopefully Juve can get some points away from home.....

Signed up at school!

So I have decided to start a blog - although I have been here over 2 weeks already! So maybe one day I will write about those 2 weeks, but for now I am moving forward!

I registered for italian school today - I will start next week at the Dante Alighieri School. At this stage I have enrolled for a 1 month course, going for 3 hours a day (11:00 till 14:00) 5 days a week, for the month of March. Really looking forward to it - its the reason why I am here, to learn the language! Hopefully its also a way to meet new people.

Tomorrow I need to go buy the text books.....but for tonight its football, champions league on so time to watch that!