Slowly getting used to Italy

Rinaz Italian Medicine

Haven’t been feeling all that great due to my extreme homesickness and then all of a sudden, I had a sore throat and then fever after that and this morning I see that Rome temperature is down to 3 degrees with thick fog. Oh boy! Better bundle up with warm clothes!

Rinaz starting new life in Italy

In any case, I’m slowly getting used to the life here. It’s a whole lot different compared to Singapore definitely, starting from the weather, as well as the culture here.

This place is depressing

Like registering for my stay in Italy at the Central Police for example, took us 3 days to get it right – the first two tries we were told that they did not function on that particular day.

This made me thoughtful as practically majority of government issues can be done online in Singapore.

rinaz hates castel romano

And things here are pretty expensive in Italy, besides the currency exchange itself. Where I used to be able to enjoy government subsidized courses at community and sports centres. I find, to my horror that it was multiples of times more expensive.

Before migrating, it was part of my plan to take intensive Italian for the first month. But I guess that I would need to rethink my strategy to integrate myself. For me, one of my biggest fear in migrating is not being able to integrate into society.

Rinaz mother in law

Fortunately for me, thanks to Cart, his family and his friends, they have been making me feel very welcome and try to make me at ease, for that I feel very grateful.

Oh well, slowly does it. In the meanwhile, I’m enjoying my faux taitaihood, lounging about at home and playing pretend domestic goddess 😀

Rinaz pretending to be a tai tai

Sidenote : These is proof that it’s cold in Rome.


Its really cold in Italy from rinaz on Vimeo

16 Replies to “Slowly getting used to Italy”

  1. So … kirekan orang kaye je lah tinggal kat tempat orang putih? Ish ish ish. Hahaha *Mak bace: “Hotak engkau. Kalau kaye mane lah die nak gi aerobic. Susah! Bayaran mahal konon. Hahaha! Kalau nak maju diri, berkorban ah duit, kate!”*

    Anyway, its nice to see that youre adapting well to Italy, nice to see that youre in-laws arent bullying you. Heh heh heh. Post more about your life in Italy soon, ok? I love the way you write with all the pictures on top of a paragraph or two. It makes us understand better, and it makes us feel as if were there with you, literally!

    Feels kinda weird only commenting on your blog after you migrated to Italy. But then hey, whats the point of commenting on your blog when I could just go to your room and say it out, kan? Hahaha.

    As Im typing this out, ayah’s going ‘gedeng gedeng gedeng’. -_-

  2. Hi Darling… missing u lots over here.. hows life over there? reading abt u being sick and looking at our interview video n wedding photos juz makes me hapi and sad…. hugz. added u in skype. What’s the time difference?

  3. Marina, chi e’ il bambino? L’ho visto durante la cena del tuo matrimonio. Lui era molto bello e carino!!!

    Anyway, I hope you can start your class soon and speak italian soon and then help me with my Italian, hahaha 😀

    take care ya! Ciao!

  4. Yeah, cover up well when you are outdoors and don’t forget a scarf to protect and keep your neck and chest area warm cos I didin’t do that my first few weeks here in late autumn when I first moved here and I too got a fever. Since then, I’ve been covering up well whenever the cold season arrives.

    As for taking Italian lessons, I think your original plan to take up intensive Italian language lessons is a great idea cos if you don’t pick up the language fast, you will find it very difficult to integrate and get around on your own.

  5. Take care Rinaz! I’m sure you’ll soon be blending in like an Italian taitai! The sickness and all will go away soon too!

    How about getting some books with audio guide to start your own Italian lessons? Should be much cheaper right?

  6. Sekling

    Thank you so much 🙂 I will try my best to adapt here. Maybe take it as a challenge maybe?

    Regardless, I still do miss Singapore though, there are so many things that is to miss about it.

    SLiza

    Ya, kena pakai baju tebal tebal atau nanti sakit tau … hehehe

    Diana

    Duit, duit … dimanakau duit? Duit duit … Jeng jeng jeng jeng jeng jeng ….

    CC

    Yeah, it totally reminds me of strepsils yeah? Moreover its from bayer and bayer too. There are a number of things that is similar to home like walls ice cream is the equivalent of algida here.

    Even ulay is called olaz here … wah

    Hema

    Hema larling! Italy and Singapore has a -7 hour difference. So when I just woke up, its afternoon for you and when its afternoon for me, its time for you to sleep 🙂

    Eka

    Thats Cart’s nephew and his grandmother – the whole family was there in Singapore during the wedding 🙂

    And how can I help you when YOUR Italian is better then mine?! 😛

    Elaine

    The thing is, there are a number of people that I know of around me that are sick too … it must be the season 😀

    Cart and I are looking around at websites for the Italian courses for foreigners as well as the town administration one. I have heard of their reputation as not being too good, but I think that its a good stepping stone while being affordable at the same time.

    Hisyam

    Tomorrow 😛

    Claudia

    Yeah! I am listening to learnitalianpod.com and my in laws gave me a really big italian to english / english to italian phase book!

  7. Even after many living thru many winters here in Australia it still amuses me to breath out ‘smoke’ on those cold freezing days.

    Belated congratulations and best wishes to you and cart on your wedding. May you both be happy forever after.

  8. hi Marina,

    most probably you won’t remember me, but let me tell you who I am. I am Italian, and I was in Singapore Sunday Dec 21, when you had the lunch celebration of your wedding at the void deck of your place in Jurong.
    My girlfriend lives in the same building, and we met briefly on Sat afternoon with you and Roberto when your dad brought us up to your floor. Not sure if you remember that either, I’m sure you met a lot of persons those few days around your wedding ceremony.

    Now I am back to Italy and I live in a place which would make you love Rome’s weather. The place is called Cuneo, up in north-west, near the french border, and we got heaps of snow around here… Last week we had -8 in the morning. Guess in Rome you won’t even reach 0, right? By the way, I also have some cousins living in Rome, and every now and then I go there to say hallo.

    Anyway, welcome to Italy, Marina!! I understand that you are complaining about the weather. My girlfriend has been here a few times during the winter break, and she can’t simply get used to such a harsh climate!! 😉 Too cold for a Singaporean used to have 28° to 32° all year round!

    If you have an email address where I can write to, I’d like to send you a few pictures that I took during the Sunday celebration. Surely you will have already a lot, taken by pro-photographers, but some more might be nice to have too.

    How’s your Italian going? Hope you will pick up quickly some conversation skills.

    Say hello to Roberto from me, take care and enjoy cold Italy. It will get better with springtime and, by summer, in Rome, you won’t miss Singapore climate anymore!!

    ciao,
    Ferdinando

  9. buongiorno!

    hwz it going?? Sorry i missed the wedding dinner! But thanks for the invite. hope u feeling better by now and in good health to enjoy the life in italy!
    La dolce vita!

  10. Timtams

    Thank you so much for the congratulations!

    By the way, what is the temperature like when its winter in Australia?

    Ferdinando

    Hi! Yes, I do remember you, how can I not? 🙂

    I am still trying to get used to the culture as well as the weather here. Its a drastic change for me for sure, and I am sure that your girlfriend can attest to that.

    I just hope for it all to go better for me in time.

    Diana

    I want my freaking Whopper, Fillet o fish and fish wrap

    Nazry

    You havent included rain!!!

    Jzin

    Apology not accepted :p

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