in demand

I am now into my second week of chaotic, hectic teaching in an Italian high school. I don't know if we can really call it teaching yet since all the Italian ragazzi really want to know is:

What kind of music do I like? Do I know: Guns N'Roses, Metallica, System of a Down, Avril Lavigne, or AC/DC. Of course all of these names are extremely hard to understand when an Italian is pronouncing them. I told them I liked The Strokes and Bloc Party. They had no clue although one kid knew The Strokes.

Have you ever been to the O.C.? Are there really girls that look like Barbie in American high schools? What is your favorite sport? Do you like Italia and Italian food? Do you like Italian girls? How old are you? Do you have a girlfriend? Is she Italian or American? Have you ever met any famous people?

There are so many questions about high school life in the states... and really specific stuff that I'd never remember. Per esempio, how long are the breaks in between classes? And when I can't remember whether it was 5 or 10 or even 7 minutes, it's almost devastating to them.

But the most important question is about ballo fine d'anno. I tell them it's called prom. And they have no idea what that word means. Then I tell them that it is way over-exaggerated in the movies but that girls do buy a dress, guys do wear tuxes, and you can rent a limo. Dipende da voi.

To compound things, my tutor and the teacher I should be working closely with fell on the ice and hurt her leg/knee the day before I arrived. And she is housebound and cannot drive. To say the least... it has been interesting without her here.

Day one... no one had a clue who I was or what I was doing here. Oh, you're Amalia's assistant. Okay, come with me. Here is her class. Get to know the students and teach them right now.

Hi, I'm Chris. I'm from Portland, Oregon. Do you know where Oregon is? How old are you? What class is this? Explain to me how Italian high school functions? What do you study in this class? Do you speak English? Etc...

I have since met many extremely nice and helpful teachers and have a quasi schedule and some sort of organization, although everyday is almost like starting over again in a class full of new students who are amazed by the American who has come to Italia to teach in THEIR high school. And today, no one could comprehend that I was only 22 and had graduated from university and was already in Italia teaching them.

Also, since Amalia is not here, every other teacher is trying to lay their claim on me. I want him in my class to speak English and to talk with the students. Have a conversation. Ask them questions. As long as I speak in English. I want him to private tutor my kids. On and on and on.

It's been quite an experience thus far. And I'm also having an amazing time at my house too. I rent a room from an Italian woman, Lorella, who is a vigilessa (local police officer) and a 24-year-old designer, Cristian, who has worked in advertising before. Here we are (Chris, Cristian, Maria e Lorella) with Maria, a German girl who was visiting for the weekend and did my job (but teaching German obviously) and lived with Loretta and Cristian two years ago.

I've gone out to dinner with their friends, taken long walks along the Lungolago that runs all around Lago di Garda, and saw Paranoid Park... which was pretty cool to see Portland on the big screen and to let them see where I'm from... and the movie is great.

I've been pretty much flying without any direction or guidance but it seems like this is what you do it Italia. So I guess my life so far has been pretty normal. And although this might sound stressful, it has actually been quite relaxing as people live life at a much, much slower, leisurely pace in Italia.