My diary in the week that saw Milan Fashion Week
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Buon Giorno!
I have just completed a week in Milan and its been a mixed bag of experinces. Despite an inexperinced bunch of AIESEC LC members I have managed to have a good time in Milan–even if it meant changing four houses in 6 days.
Today, I have moved into what will be, hopefully, my permanent house for the next nine months that I plan to spend here. The apartment is just outside the Brenta Metro Station, which is on the Yellow Line subway–just two stops away from the Heart of Milan (Duomo).
I stay at this apartment with two Italian guys–Luca and Luigi–both students. Luca is also the former AIESEC LC President and a globetrotter at 22. He has been to 29 countries already. Very helpful, but yaps a lot.
Luigi is as new Milan as me and comes from Naples. So he’s a sweet boy, who listens to punk music and doesn’t like the Milanese lifestyle. Eductaion bought him here.
I have a fully furnished apartment with super-speed internet, heater, full-fledged kitchen, washing machine (I donno how to use it), TV (which doesn’t show a single English programme) and iron box/hair drier which I am yet to use.
It takes me exactly 15 minutes to reach my workplace, where I am still training. What a relief from those long, tedious bus rides on the Hosur Road (Bangalore)..
The work so far is fun. Basically involving teaching English–mostly conversations–to Italian corporates and lawyers and bankers. Its not the typical chalk-and-talk method of teching, but a “patented” Inlingua method of training which even I have now begun to use.
Hopefully I start work from next week. I will be visiting various companies, factories and schools to deliver classes. I am supposed to work for 18 hours a week–that makes it about 3 hours a day. For every extra hour I get paid 14 euros.
Food:
Pasta, spaghetti, juice, fruits, coffee, breads, cheese, nutella, Haldiram’s Namkeen (costs one euro) and Maggie Sri Lankan noodles:-(
Travel:
Mostly use the subway. Very efficient. There are three lines–red, green and yellow. I live on the yellow line. There are buses and trams.
Cost:
Very expensive. Milan is rated as one of the most expensives cities to live in after Tokyo, London, Paris and New York. You a good meal for 3-4 euros. Wine is cheap. Club entrances are cheap, since I am an AIESEC member. There are happy hours at most restaurants/bars between 7-10 pm where you get to eat unlimited food once you buy a drink. I went to an Indian Restaurant and ate well the other day. Cost me 10 euros. That’s a lot.
People:
I have not met so many people from different nationalities in one week. My two room-mates are Italians, two days after I landed here I spent 4 nights with Albanian boys and a gril since I did not have a place to stay. Two nights ago, I went to Vyoko’s house, who’s a Croatioan and also the current AIESEC LC president. My manager is a Georgian and her friend who is helping me with all formalities is an Albanian. The onwer of my company is from Palestine. Phew!
Next:
Since I will be working for only 3-4 hours a day I need to look for an other job or look for other ways to kill time.
At least working an additional hour will make my richer by 300 euros–the rent of my apartment. So that I save enough money to see at least–Paris, Athens, Prague, Vienna and Amsterdam.
Of course the rest of Italy–Rome, Pisa, Naples, Venice and maybe Frolence.
Ciao
