Shopping. Bikes.
The bike dudes came to school today, peddling (groan) their wares. Actually, they came in a van crammed full of bikes, and I mean full of bikes: there were close to 30 bikes somehow wedged into this perfectly normal van. It was definitely a clown-car experience watching them extricate each bike, somehow locate its matching wheel, and then reassemble the whole thing.
After examining the offerings they had laid out, I settled on a nice blue and white bike. It fit me, and it didn’t have any disturbing mechanical issues like some of the other bikes in the group that I’d tried. I was all set to buy it when I lost it to a professor who also had his eyes on it. We agreed to draw coins from a third party to determine who got the bike: he drew the more expensive coin and I lost the bike. This experience just serves to reinforce my belief that any student who makes a bet with a professor is bound to lose that bet. It’s just how it works.
So now I’ll have to check out the local bike store. Sadly, when I walk into the store I will have to ignore the shiny new bikes hanging in the windows and make a beeline for the used section. But it’s not an impossible task. I briefly checked out the store this afternoon and the selection, while not expansive, is promising. I’m going to see how well I continue to get around without a bike. I’m sure as the year progresses and I have less free time I’ll probably want the convenience of a bike, but right now walking everywhere is not a huge hassle and I’m enjoying the exercise.
The second project for today was to go to a supermarket and find prices for certain items on a list the professor had drawn up. This is the second useful project we’ve completed since starting Italian classes last week: the first useful project was to take a bus to Bennett, a K-Mart-esque store in the general vicinity of Ivrea. I use the term “useful” in an earnest sense, because these projects have exposed us to real-world, useful situations. Taking the bus somewhere and (more importantly) getting back. Comparing prices for food between different supermarkets and the weekly farmer’s market. These tasks fall into the “basic functionality” category of life in Italy, but they’re important stepping stones. Conjugating verbs is a useful skill, but gaining exposure to these life skills in this manner leads to very immediate rewards: I got back from Bennett in one piece! I can now determine if I’m getting ripped off! They’re definitely confidence boosters.
As I walked around the old part of town this evening, the sun was setting and the light was just right. The few clouds in the sky turning pink, the mountains looming in the background, the sound of tires on cobbles…it’s very picturesque. I am definitely getting used to living here, in a very good way.
Tomorrow: Aperitivo!