Kath and Kim and Patterson Lakes

http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/the-house-kath-built/2005/11/24/1132703317231.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Not quite sure whether I should be horrified or amused.

November Snow

I think that the whole of Italy (and possibly Europe) is now covered with snow - it isn't just snowing, it is sticking when it hits the ground... that's not a good sign.

Bologna 2

So today I woke up early with very good intentions - the choices were 1. stay at home and work on the computer, or 2. go to do some recon for my fieldwork. Without really paying much attention I got ready and went into the kitchen to have my morning coffee and for the first time in the morning looked outside. 23 November and it is snowing in Bologna... started off just small snowflakes, but then they got bigger and scarier. I decided to take option number one because I really don't think I'm physically or emotionally ready to deal with snow. Hopefully after lunch I will have worked myself up to it. And for Sarah's reference here is a link to the satelite pictures http://www.weather.com/weather/map/ITXX0006?name=index_large_animated&day=1

Apart from scary snow, Italy is fantastic. So far all of my contacts have been really helpful and it is so fun it hardly seems like work - one of my interviewees decided that she wants to be interviewed in a social setting - we're going out for an aperitif and then to the presentation of one of the books I am studying... sweet. Yesterday I went to the women's bookstore collective in the city centre and managed to buy 29 books (and I also managed to carry them back to the apartment!) and spend €240 - according to XE.com that is ..... $383.78 . Thank goodness for the travel and top up grants... otherwise I would be seeing you guys sooner rather than later!

Plan is to stay in Bologna until Friday and head back up to Milan where I will be until around about 5 December. Update you soon.

xxx Ang

Bologna

Hey all. So have arrived safe and well in Italy, without any dramas at all (surprise, surprise) and have managed to get over my jetlag without any real hassle. I'm in Bologna at the moment for the lesbian film festival, which i'm sure will be fantastic as it deals with feminist themes as well. Last night I saw an Iranian documentary called Myriam's Story about the honour killing of a 7 year old girl, it was amazing and terrible at the same time. Anyway, the day after I got here, so did the cold... just my luck. No matter what I wear it is still too cold outside and too hot inside - good old Europe. Nothing really interesting to tell yet, except I'm so happy to be here, I didn't realise how comfortable it would be to come back.

When I get my laptop connected to the net I wuill start upoading photos.

Let me know how you're all going.

xxx Ang

Packing dramas

I think that I have discovered a serious pathological pattern, it is an aversion to packing... yesterday I thought that I was too seedy to do it, this evening I really had no excuse, yet the suitcase is only about half full at the moment. I guess I am just better at packing under pressure... or more accurately if i'm not successful at packing under pressure, I just lay everything out and JJ makes it all fit in the case!!! Alright chickens, statemi bene.

xxx Ang

Day before departure

So, the tasklist for today is done- well the daytime one anyway - the nighttime one involves packing, figuring out what I haven't got- and putting that onto tomorrow's list. For those who have missed the boat on this, I am trying out the idea of a blog so that we can keep in touch while we're all scattered around various corners of the globe for the next few months -> So please post, keep me updated on all the news.

xxx Ang