Giorno 5: Wednesday, 9/10/08

DAY 5:

Today was Felicia's second day of school, but I didn't drop her off, Lucio did. She apparently cried and didn't want him to leave. In fact, a bunch of kids were crying, so she was just going along with the group. The crazy thing is, and this is what the maestra said too, that the Italian parents just stay there and hang out at scuola materna and DON'T LEAVE. When Felicia got home from school yesterday she kept telling me how the mammas and daddies stay at school. I thought she meant a little while, but no, she was right - they stay all morning. The poor teacher can't even start bonding with the kids. She said the italian mammas are worse than the kids, who always do fine ONCE THEIR PARENTS LEAVE. I guess poor Felicia felt a bit weird because we left, but she's used to it from daycare. Anyway, she was fine. Lucio left and then went to spy on her later and she was running the whole playground! He said it was really funny.

I, on the other hand, had a 10am appointment with the Dean of SACI, the school where I am an Artist in Residence and am directing their new promo video. I was running a bit late because Lucio got back late from dropping off Felicia, and Isabella was at home and I couldn't bring her to the meeting. But I finally got there, and all went well! I'm really looking forward to the project. I got back to the apartment at 11:30am, so that we could get Felicia by noon, since I promised her I would pick her up. We walked over to San Marco to get the bus, and it was incredible... we waited AN HOUR for the #1 bus to come, unbelievable! I finally had to call the school and apologize, way to start of the school year, right, late on the second day. Her and her teacher were there waiting for us playing, I was so embarrassed.

So we went home to have lunch and have Felicia take a nap before her Gioca danza lesson (open house to try it). She naps, and we get on the road at 4pm, plenty of time to get there by 5pm at Campo di Marte. So we get to San Marco (where all the buses are), and Lucio asks someone in the booth how to get to Via Mannelli. They tell him 3 buses, but we look on the signs, and they really don't seem to get there. You see, Via Mannelli is the street right next to the Campo di Marte train station, but we didn't want to get dropped off on the wrong side because we already dealt with the stairway from hell with the two kids on Monday, and it was a disaster (a giant pedestrian bridge with no ramp that goes over the whole train station). So, I went back and asked a different guy, and I was VERY specific - Via Mannelli, on this side of the train station, we can't take the bridge, etc. (in italian). The guy was a real jerk - he mocked the way I said "Mannelli", to which I gave him no satisfaction, just quickly repeated, "Sí, Via Mannelli" - deadpan, no change in voice or facial expression (when I really wanted to tell him to stick it where the sun don't shine and/or tell him to respond in English if he was so brilliant!) Anyway, he told me to absolutely take #17.

When the 17 bus came up, Lucio asked the bus driver if it stopped at Via Mannelli, and he said "sí". So we get on the bus, and along comes the ride TO NO WHERE... All I know is it went NO WHERE NEAR that part of Campo di Marte. My first clue was when the driver was chatting on the phone and closed the doors without letting all the people out TWICE... I don't know if he was high or just didn't care, but it was a disaster. Poor Felicia had her backpack on with her leotard in it for her dance / gymnastics that we had been promising her since we got here (You see, her best friend, Audrey, is taking gymnastics in Ohio, and she wants to do it to!) So, when it was 4:50 and we were no where near the place, I had to break it to her that we missed the lesson, the poor kid LOST IT COMPLETELY... started crying hysterically, and I don't even blame her! I wanted to cry too, believe me! I explained the situation - as best as you can to a 3-year-old - and told her we were going to go on another adventure. We got to the end of the line, and Lucio asked the driver on the way out where this Via Mannelli was, and he said, "I'm on break, go ask the next bus"... what a prick! This is typical Italian service - or should I say lack of service. And he's Italian... GOOD LUCK TOURISTS!

So, we got on the next #17 back in the other direction, and this driver was REALLY nice. He said he could get us kind of close, like 150 meters from Via Mannelli. And when the stop came, he actually turned around and told us, but it was too late, so we decided to go to Via dei Mille and get Lucio a new phone instead since our charger didn't work. First we stopped at a little Gelateria to get a gelato for Felicia. She picked the green one, which I knew she wouldn't like because it was mint, so Lucio ate a cona of that, then picked the cherry, which she did like. It was nice to pay 3 euros for 2 cones instead of as much as 8 euros per cone in the center (can you believe it!)

After that we went to Euronics, a big electronics store and got a new cell phone and mic so that I can use VonageTalk on the PC at school. I also got myself shampoo and some bubble bath for Felicia. Things are a LOT cheaper up there than downtown. The phone, scheda, and mic were $60 US, not bad! I also stopped in a pharmacy and got some Bee-Total for Felicia. It's a vitamin B supplement that apparently makes mosquitos (zanzare) not want to eat you. The poor kid already has a nasty bite on her face. I also got some Chicco brand anti-zanzare cream that is even safe for kids (biologica). I hope it works! After these adventures, we headed home, had some dinner and relaxed... we needed some R&R!