Mar 14, 2009

The Registration and Permesso Di Soggiorno

When speaking of registration day.. It's not always as you expected it to be.. A good start. But to me registering to Universita Per Stranieri is a colorful experience. It's not always easy of course when you only know a few words of italian language but it's an experience that when you look back.. you certainly will say, it's interesting. On this day, first I have to choose whether to take an entrance exam or if I want to just go to level A1 or A2, I have to go to another classroom and tell the lecturer which course I want to join. I didn't take the entrance exam because I'm thinking of starting from the lowest point because I never really learn speaking in my country, just some simple grammar. So, I choose to join A1, because I have like 4 months here in Perugia so I think I can proceed to next level later. Also today, I meet Simone, a chinese guy that now is one of my friend here in Perugia. But we're not in the same class.. He's taking A2 from the start. Later, after I get the paper that tell me which course I belong to, I que up quite a long line to pay my fees at Unicredit Banca. It's the only bank inside the Galengga Faculty. When it's done, I head to the Segreteria.. the Segreteria is at lower level from the entrance level. Facing the staircase in front of the entrance, on the right, we have to pass the opening and go straight down the staircase, it's at the end.. They also let me know that I can collect my scholarship later there too.. They handed me the schedule of A1 course and a student card. Yes, I gave them 1 picture to attach to the card. Then I go to the front office, from the entrance on the left.. Just to complete Permesso Di Soggorno. I have to do this because I'm staying here more than 3 months. Honestly, I hate the form.. It's all in italian and I can't understand it so I keep on asking the guy and girl at the counter to help me understanding everything. Then I go to Tabacchi, a shop just outside the Galengga, on the left to buy a duty stamp. I also did photocopied all pages of my passport at a bookshop just near the tabacchi. Then I head to post office to pay the fees of the application and all the completion there. 1st, I pay it at the bancomat counter in post office then later I have to go to the last counter on the left from the entrance to let him check everything and I have to pay him an amount then only it's done. It's quit frustrating at first because the lady at the counter don't talk english so I face a bit difficulties until Inzy comes to help me with the communication. So it's like 73 euros total to complete all this process.. :( Then only it's done.. all the registration.

Mar 13, 2009

The 2nd HOUSE



I don’t know how to say about things that has happened. I’m grateful to my God, Allah. I’m such in huge misery here at first. But I trust in patience and praying. And if God want to help us, He will.. and it becomes a bit miracle to me.

There’s this one day I go to internet point with Inzy. It’s the first time I got chance talking to my beloved boyfriend after a few days I reached Perugia. When I’m about to go home, there is this man come to approach me and he ask me if I’m from Indonesia and I said no, I’m from Malaysia. He start to tell me that he has been in Malaysia. I don’t understand everything that he said because I’m still new to Itallian Language and it’s the early week. But he offer me to show some panoramic view of Perugia. I went inside the church to see how beautiful they design it and go to this panoramic site. He told me that he is a lecturer and he also has room for rentals. He offers to show his house. I went to see his house and it’s the first time I realize that I had choose the wrong house and I have plenty other options.

I go home and tell Inzy about what I’ve seen and she said it’s a good idea to move out in February. Later, we’ve been seeing this landlord a few times and have coffee. It turns out that in February, he got only 1 room free from use. It can be double. I thought of moving there with Inzy but later Inzy told me her sister will come and they will move in that room so she will help me to find a single room.

At first I’m kind of worried so I thought of going to agency. But I did heard news that you need to pay deposit to the agency. Many rumors and I don’t know which one is actually the correct one. One told me the deposit is 100 euro and if you move to other house, they won’t give it back. Another I heard we can just take the deposit after a month stay. So, if you think you need the service, go and ask the agency how is it.

But the landlord that I just know told me not to go to agency because he has friends that has free rooms. So I went to see this room. It’s good and then I pay 100 euro as deposit. But later my landlord wants to move me to other apartment so I went to see it. Lucky one that I saw is nice and I agree to move in.

The day I move in, he try to tell me to move to other place he owns later next month. I’m worried the whole day and then I text him telling I like staying in this house and don’t want to move out. Later he just agrees. So, attention to this kind of situation.. I think it’s like cheating when you show a room to a person and she pays for what she see and say she wants to stay there for how many months.. but you try to moves her. The other girl that live with me is so nice that she usually agree to the landlord. Now she’s in other house. So it’s up to your opinion and how you want to stand on about it. For me, I think I deserve what I’ve been promise.. Unless I like the other room, maybe I consider moving.

So, the condition of this house.. It’s small. But It’s better than my first house. The heater and water.. everything’s good. It suppose to have internet but I can count last month how many time it function. The actual land lord is on holiday right now for a month and the guy who in charge on behalf of him.. don’t know why it’s not fixed. I don’t know it’s him that don’t fix or some other repair company that respond late.. but it’s frustrating..

The other things I like is the comforter.. It’s warmer than the old house so I can sleep good :) I think it has the duck feathers inside.. And I got TV of my own in my room. And I learn another things too.. the first time I live with people from other countries. It’s a bit weird and they don’t belong to the same culture so everything unexpected.

THE 1st HOUSE





































































Ok.. Actually I’ve been forgetting this blogging thing for like several months. It’s already 2 March now so I just go randomly on the topics of whatever I’ve face. So first, we’re talking about my first house. Yes, it means I’m already in the 2nd house. Ok.. I don’t simply move because I want too.. It of course comes with reasons.







It’s winter, and my 1st ever.. and I don’t even know how a heater looks like. Blame me.. but I’m from Malaysia. I know how air conditioner looks like. I even know that we got chiller system.. Iced chiller system with all the AHU and so on.. I’ve heard that cold can be a killer. Of course to me when I’m allergic to it. My family got asthma and cold is something I try my best to avoid. So I’m staying in a house that don’t have a modern heater. Ok, the different that I just learned here.. The modern one that I prefer is the build in one. It was installed in the house. It’s heated with the gas that you have to pay the bill monthly. Often the system is together with the water heating. So you don’t have to heat the water with electricity. The old one that I used in this old woman house is.. remember those fairy tales that got the fire place? It’s almost the same as that except that it’s not wood you’ll use.. You will use the gas like your stove.. here they call bombola.





The old woman said the bombola should stand at about 3 months so I thought maybe I just buy it once while I’m here.. Little that I know it’s not a correct calculation for a girl that was born and raise in Malaysia. The winter is so cold and I spend much time sitting in front of the fire place, trying to get myself warm. Not every inch of the house is being heated and believe me that the window is not so air – tighted and there’s always cold air coming in even a bit.





To make the matter worst, the water heater in this house used the electricity. You have to wait 15 minutes to wait for it to get heated. It’s an old system. My house in Malaysia got water heater too.. and it’s warm as soon as we turn it on. I wonder how this woman lives in this cold country and can tolerate that. The sink in kitchen got water heater too. But not in my small toilet that I usually use. And the water heater in the bathroom that I use to bath, not only I have to wait 15 minutes, I can’t let too many water come out of shower or I risk myself bathing in cold since the hot water not so much available.





Guess what, the bombola finish after the twelve days.. I’m so shock of it. And you know how much it cost to have new one? 30 euro. Me and Inzy agree to buy a new one and that one also finish after like 10 days.. I still remember the day I shiver and wear so thick clothes because the house so cold and our gas is finished. I think it’s mean the landlord don’t offer us the electric heater she has in such this day because she always worry her bills will come up even though she seems nice other time and offer you to taste her cooking.That's the nice part :)





If this sound horrible to you.. she’s sometimes stand in front of the Universita Per Stranieri, Perugia. I guess we should stick to what others tell us.. Never really trust these land lords that stand in front of the uni.. too many horrible stories.. unless you dare to try.Maybe to you it's fine.. I don't know..









Moving..

(4th January 2009)



We wake up early in the morning. I had some breakfast and sitting with me is a Brazillian guy who claims that his grandfather is actually from somewhere in Lombardi and he is actually here to ask for citizenship. He said he has traveled to several city from the south and now it’s time for him to travel around Umbria before his appointment. He talked about how much he loves Asissi and staying there the whole day to enjoy Asissi and today, he just about to enjoy the day at Lago Trasimeno. I did got excited heard about all this wonderful place and can’t wait for the day to travel.



Inzy at first told me that Ching Tat will help us so we can use minimetro just like yesterday. I actually feel so tired thinking about all the bags I had to carry and prefer a taxi ride but she thinks we can make it so I just follow. Inzy change her plan and want us to use the bus from fontivegge station but when she ask the woman there, she said that there’s no bus stop near our house. Upset, we just take the taxi to our new house. It’s 12 euro.. Not that cheap.