To amarcord!

*Amarcord is a 1973 Oscar awarded Italian movie directed by Federico Fellini. The film's title is a local (Romagnol) neologism for "I remember”. Fellini was born and grown up in Rimini so this film talking about life in Rimini is semi-autobiographical.

My Rimini experience is about to end and is the right time for my view into last 5 months of my Italian life.

I came here with a bit of fear and a lot of sparkles, happiness and motivation to improve my rusty Italian language and get new experience.

Unfortunately it started different from my expectations. Although that I came here at the end of still sunny September and that temperatures here are always at least 5-7°C higher as in my home town, I was freezing first month of my staying.

Freezing because of the weather which surprisingly fast changed into cold winterish rainy days. Freezing because my “landlords” who were at the same time also flatmates decided to stingily all day long walk around in their flat with winter jacket and cap rather than start heating. And freezing mostly because of the cold hearts of my flatmates. Despite of their smiles and friendly “Ciao Sasa!” I constantly felt a freezing cold coming from them toward me …

I felt very lonely and insecure coming into foreign country, my language knowledge was at the level as one of the local idiots would be speaking, living in the flat with strangers, trying to adopt new habits, going to study at totally new school, new area of study (fashion was till than just something which I loved to think I’m familiar with) with totally unknown very young people from all over the world. I missed my home, hugs and touches of my dearest people, I missed our Garfo – cat who we just lost few weeks before and I missed our always happy and vivid dog - Otis.

Beside that I had tremendous pain in my right arm. But since I wanted so hardly to go in Italy and thought this was a possibility I should not miss I went despite the fact I managed to drive all way to Rimini with only left arm, even pushing the gears with contra arm, leaning all 6 hours toward right side so my right arm was able to rest on the middle console and I was filled up with analgesics and have bunch of them with me to survive those months.

So you are starting questioning yourself what is here to be “amarcord”?!

Everything, actually even this first cold month is worth to remember.

That period made me to respect and appreciate everything else much more.

In those first days I started to observe, walking around, seating for hours and just looking around and I slowly started to like this historical city, its wide and narrow streets, people hurrying around with their bicycles, the smell of freshly baked pizza coming on the street and observing the crowd in the morning drinking espresso at the bank of their favors café, enjoying walking along the beach and taking photos of seagulls seating at the fence of the wooden pier.

But even more than those observations and remarkable objects, my trip made memorable some special people of Rimini.

I’m aware of fact that when I’m returning into my regular life I’m going to slowly forget streets, smell of pizza, seagulls and despite all those social applications also those incredible people I meet during this voyage of mine but … hope through this writing I could recall them into my mind for a longer time.

My first blue days in Rimini were warmed up by incredible courteous guy who before me used to stay in the same flat as I was staying for those first few weeks. Unfortunately at that time he was being in the period moving to UK. So I was honored to be with him for only one week but he’ll stay in my mind for ever as person who was there to share a good word and warm support when I needed the most. He cared and that helped a lot.

Students in the Faculty were from all over the world and since we were all pretty lost and insecure we were more or less observing each other and trying to find our best fit. Yes, there are language barriers, cultural differences and beside that each of us lived in the different parts of the city so I noticed that there were not some big friendships made during this short period. Even harder was for me who had at the top of those barriers to overcome also the 30 years age difference.

For me it was surprising how lack of team support is in this generation. Nobody is willing to share notes or even harder to show what they’ve done to help those who have some obstacles. But still there are unique people who are different and I want to keep them in my heart.

Definitely not to be forgotten the biggest and constant smile on the face of Indonesian guy! Always ready to help, ready to have a chat and some good brioches in nearest café.

American girl with black and blue hair who loves backpacks almost as much I’m fond of polka dots. Despite stereotype that Americans are the biggest individuals she was almost the only one who never had any problems sharing her support with anybody and anything. Strong, happy and smart – the combination I love.

And we are already talking about Americans there is another sweet curly head from my Italian lessons who made those hours to pass even nicer. Oh, I loved those hours although that I was really struggling with the language and that our incredible teacher who is also very much to be “amarcord” didn’t allow us to use English words even when we were sweating the most.

Before moving to grownups ;) I need to mention some more interesting young people who in some tiny moments with small gestures made me a Rimini being a grater place – I should not forget to mention there is everywhere possible to find exYu people who made me also for the sake of the language feeling more at home ... and my first contact with faculty where beautiful and friendly Indonesian girl made my fears gone away …and beautiful and emotional “Spice girl” from Azerbaijan invited me for having first cup of coffee in environment of some wonderful young students from all around the world where I met a beautiful amiable French girl with memorable a bit sad and beautiful eyes.

I was in Italy and I’m mentioning only people from elsewhere

only not from this part of the world, don’t I?

Hmmm, yes, unfortunately despite my desire for improving my Italian I didn’t manage to make better relationship with Italians. At least not with a lot of Italians.

Still I have to mention once again my Italian teacher Anna, who made me suffering when I had to watch Fellini’s movie despite the fact his movies are not my cup of tea and despite the situation I had at the same time the most busy period at the Faculty with majority of my exams. Though she was not the only professor who left a big impression … no, most of them were incredible. Good lecturers and some also very warm people who cares and are happy to get known better some of their students.

I was enormously surprised by the kind care of lady – fashion designer, who accompanied our main professor and thought us some basic things about fashion designing. After 3 or 4 lessons being with us, she left to Milano but she remembered I had pain in my arm so she advised me after few weeks with one of her doctor. Remarkable and so nice!

Also it will always stay in my mind trip to Florence. Bus full of happy people, visiting museums, having lunch on the streets of sunny and warm Florence, coffee in the company of two very kind and warm professors at the roof of Florence’s La Rinascente was memorable.

There was another professor who will stay in my mind for quite a long time. Again – not Italian … sorry Italians but looks like you are quite not willing accept people other nationalities into your circle. Probably it’s not racism … I hope the reason lays into fact that locals have enough of their current problems, they run through the life like most of us and rarely stop, look around and take time to better know some newcomers. And of course there are always present some prejudices and language barriers. In case of our professors that barriers were overcame because we were all communicating in English only.

Soooo, that professor came from Paris. Yes, his English lecturing was even funnier as those from Italians which I slowly got used at, but he was the greatest professor I had possibility to listen so far. So full of life, friendly, accepting each note, motivating everyone to anticipate in the lesson made me to stay with that class although that at first I just incidentally popped into the lesson in order to spend my spare time between some other lessons. And although I promised to myself that I don’t want to deal with management anymore.

And yes, my new landlord – the lady who rent me my flat/room after I was kicked out of my first place. She was something totally different. Trained well from my previous owners that light should be switched off every minute even if you go just to pee on a toilet and that washing machine should be used only when it’s full …”if you don’t have enough laundry and still need something from it to be washed, you can use your hands”, I was surprised how warmly she accepted me, brought me some of her towels, sheets, in few days arranged internet, looked at me surprisingly when suggesting to turn radiators off in the rooms which are not going to be used and friendly talking to me and even advising me what to do with my arm in order to recover faster. And not to forget to mention she was the first one made me talking, really talking in Italian. She doesn’t speak a word of English soooo if I wanted to get a flat I had to embarrassed myself and use that idiot level …you know …

After my unhappy choice of flat-mates/landlords at the begging and me being very much afraid of getting new roommate where I was almost one month alone, I’ve got friendly, positive, warm and very talkative pugliesish girl… she can count as Italian ;) although she was from south where … at least I was told so … the nicest Italians live. She invited me to a pizzeria where you can imagine how it looked like: two of us were seating in front of each other, she didn’t speak English and me …you know, the idiot level. But she kept talking … still don’t know what she was explaining about, but I was smiling, nodding and we had fine time. That’s probably how it looks like when me and my husband are going out – he is nodding and I’m speaking “Pugliesish”(Italian with special accent from south) J

And when my Pugliesish friend left and moved to some other place, I’ve got another nice Italian girl. This time I was speared the idiot’s language (although that in meantime I improved it to the level of 4 years old child), because my new curly Sicilian friend understood English so we could at least speak to each other.

Oh, yes, there was a friendly man in the pharmacy who always (ok, I visited pharmacy 3 times only) took some time to chat about Slovenia … and I meet him today at the beach, 2 months later … he recognized me … funny. Feels good.

Not to be biased or intolerant toward Italians I have to admit that those Italians who took their time to get known some strange Slovene polka dots lover, were extremely nice. Beside those lecturers, landror lady from second flat, old man from pharmacy and my roommates, I met wonderful couple from Santarcangelo. I met them on two of mine previous short trips with my husband to Rimini. We stayed in their small bed&breakfast place. And looks like my idiot’s conversation didn’t scare the lady who invited me to visit them also during my study. I spent a lovely time and eat the delicious dinner in their home. And through whole time struggling with my Italian.

And warm and happy girl in fruit and vegetable shop where I used to stop every day staying in my first freezing flat, who was waving through the windows every time I passed and who was (not surprise any more) also not Italian … coming to leave in Rimini from Slovakia some years ago. Even when I moved to another place, I kept parking my car in the same area and passing the same store.

… and black African guy who was selling Kleenex at the street who always greeted me, and old homeless man who was everymorning staying next to Arco d'Augosto. He probably won't remember me but I'll remember him and his thankfull face when I gave him a few cents which he probbaly spent for a buzz.

All that

....

and probably something more to amarcord and record into my heart.