Where in the World Is...

I just caught myself singing the jingle of that old PBS series, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, a rendition made famous by none other than Rockapella. I can't imagine why they never went mainstream. Their multi-colored suspenders and supreme scatting talent were unmatched! The bass was my favorite. He'd pop through the window and bellow, [Where in the world is] "Carmen Sandiego"!

OK, I digress, but perhaps my childhood fascination of globetrotting Carmen was the beginning of my travel bug? In any case I thought I'd post my own version of "Where in the World." Where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going!




June 2007:
-Left my marketing career at Vh1 in New York City on a one-way ticket to Sanremo, Italy. I spent one week with other 20-30 somethings participating in an intensive T.E.F.L. introductory language course.
-Shipped off to Sorrento to start teaching at my first A.C.L.E. English immersion camp. Weekends excursions to Capri and Positano helped my love affair with Italy take shape.










July:
- Boarded Air One flight to Torino for a one-week camp in the mountain village of Cuneo. Lived with a musical family in a house surrounded by corn fields.
- Spent weekend in Torino where I attended the most beautiful outdoor (free) concerts by Italian composer, Franco Battiato.
- Headed east to Milan and began another week-long camp in the sweltering city heat. Lived in a flat with others where I learned how to cook risotto and how to ride the bus for free.
- Went south to Moncucco, a minuscule village one hour outside Milan. Lived in a school classroom with another tutor.
- Went back Sanremo at the flat of A.C.L.E.'s "host with the most", Vince.


August:
- Spent the weekend in magical city in the south of France, Menton. Riding along the Ligurian coastline took my breath away.
- Backpacked through Cambodia & Thailand for three weeks. Non ci sono parole! Fantastico!!
- Returned to Italy for my final camp in Ciriè (Piemonte). A city small in stature, but huge in heart.





September:
- Mission "Surprise Sister" began with a covert flight back to New York, followed by the wrapping of a large box, which I jumped out of at her birthday party. (watch the video!)
- Nursed my grandfather back to health for a month after a full knee replacement. Spent my days at a care center, nights perfecting my Italian cooking style with nonna. Frittate seem to be my specialty but I've got a long way to go!



October:
- Accepted a six month teaching position in the north of Italy in a small city called Treviso. I will teach English through drama and conversation by day, and take Italian courses by night!

November:
- I leave for Venice (20 minutes from Treviso) in ONE WEEK!

Just call me Couptrey

Goodbye camp, hello holiday! On friday I completed my fifth and final ACLE camp until September. Almost all Italians take a holiday during the month of August so I figured I should follow suit...When in Rome!

So far my holiday has consisted of a series of completely random and hilarious adventures. I spent last weekend back in the San Donato (Milan) flat with two tutors from my orientation group, Patrick and Alex, and another tutor who hailed from Kentucky. It was unbearably hot as Milan seems to consistently be, but that didn't deter us from trying to make the most of our weekend.

On Sunday we noticed a sign in San Donato about a nearby bowling alley. The sign read, "only .2 kilometers" so we thought it would be a cinch to reach by foot. Somehow .2 kilometer turned into 3 kilometers and we were still walking. After an hour on foot without water or sunscreen we reached the bowling alley - closed for lunch.

Dirty, parched and sunburnt, we shifted focus from bowling to water. Luckily we stumbled upon a Romanian family at the nearby gas station who offered to take us on a round trip jaunt to the nearest town for some cold water (random). We arrived back at the bowling alley hydrated and ready for some serious competition. Thanks to the bowling alley manager I sported some neon pink knee highs with my velcro bowling shoes, and every time my name came up on the screen it read "Couptrey". Despite looking seriously geeky and being repeatedly teased about my new alias, I managed to get two strikes and a spare in my first game. Sadly, in the end I was not victorious but I drowned my losses in some above average bowling alley spumante as the other tutors and I discussed our return journey to San Donato.


Walking home was out of the question and the bus schedule on Sunday was practicly non-existent, which left only one option, hitch hiking. With thumbs out, big smiles and a few bats of the eyelashes we managed to hail down a rather dingy white van in less than 10 minutes. Two slightly dingier looking men sat up front and said they wouldn't mind driving us but had little room in the back of the van. They slid open the door all I could see were stacks and stacks of Yellow Pages phone books wrapped in plastic. Kentucky was noticeably hesitant but Patrick dove head first into the van, just clearing the tallest stack of books. I jumped in next and found a rather comfortable thrown-like formation of books to sit on. Kentucky reluctantly followed, the driver shut the door and we were off. With no windows and inferno-like heat it was easy to think the worst. But instead we snapped some sweaty photos and before we knew it, voilà, home sweet home! We even got our very own Yellow Pages as a parting gift.


The night before our bowling escapades on yet another random adventure, we had spent two hours following the haphazard directions of Patrick on a quest for a bar he had visited on his last trip to Milan. Without a map, telephone number or address we did not find the bar (much to Patrick's dismay). In an ironic twist of fate we discovered the address of the mysterious bar in our brand new Yellow Pages book and later that night we happily toasted to the wacky start of our holiday.

Milano Misbehavior

From the mountains of Cuneo to the suburbs of Milan...my teaching adventure continues. The temperatures this week are above 35 degrees; record highs for Milan. A good test for what I will face in Thailand next month.

I live in an apartment in San Donato with 3 other tutors who are all really cool. The only problem is our commute. One hour to and from work each day including two different subways and a bus - none with air conditioning. Conditions at the camp are far from Sorrento's Camp Paradise. We are in a school with no sports facilities, no water, and cafeteria food reminiscent of my elementary school days.

Above all, the stress of this camp stems from unruly children. It takes two tutors to discipline a class of only nine students. From throwing pencils, to yelling and talking back, to outright refusals to participate, this is by far my biggest challenge yet.

Is it Friday yet?