Ok. We did not really graduate. But, Josh and I took our last Italian class this week. December is a busy month, with the kids’ school and lots of trips planned (more on those later), so we decided to take a break from our formal Italian education. I do admit I felt a little relieved walking out of the building, kind of how you feel on the first day of summer.
Going to CiaoItaly has been a big part of our life in Torino.The director of the school is an amazing woman named Chiara. She is like a den mom for foreigners here. She saved our necks when we were having trouble with one of the steps in the visa process. She found us a babysitter. She gave us Christmas presents! The school is a reflection of her careful attention and flexibility. I also appreciate that I can start a sentence in Italian and end it in English and she doesn’t say a word. She manages to find teachers who are engaging, highly caring and strict, all at the same time. If you ever find yourself wanting to move to Italy to study Italian, you know where you should go!
After our six week “boot camp”, we transitioned to the more sustainable path of two classes a week. But, we do miss the camaraderie of our initial classmates. As described in an earlier post, we had an incredibly eclectic group of people in that classroom. We have become real friends with many of them. We have plans to go sledding with Andrea, our Norwegian friend, in Olso, after Christmas. I would like to take this opportunity to note that she is a Nordic beauty. She can also knit almost anything, which is very cool. Our friend Yahel, who came late into the class, is actually moving back to Israel this weekend. It is part of life in the expat community that people ebb and flow. She had become a favorite babysitter of the kids and a source of light and fun for me. I will really miss her. Our friend Soraya from France and her husband Antoine have been a constant for us. When they went home to Besançon, France, they came back with a bag full of wine and cheese for us.
So, we not only have CiaoItaly to thank for teaching us Italian grammar, but also for introducing us to a lovely group of global wanderers.