A Friday in Padova

Friday I slept until 11am. This made me feel quite lazy, though I’ve had a sore throat for a few days and I just finished my first exam Thursday, so I suppose I owed it to myself. It was awkward though, cause when I went downstairs Valentina, the housekeeper, was like, when are you going to leave your room today so I can clean it. I am so uncomfortable having a housekeeper. She is so nice and gets along well with the family, but I am just not accustomed to people cleaning up after me. I am the only one in the family that puts my breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. I do not leave them on the table for her to do. She cleans my room and my bathroom once a week, though I keep my room very neat to begin with. Sometimes she will even hang up my laundry. I told her I can do it, and she just insists. I am always very careful to make my bed in the mornings cause I’d to have her do it, but sometimes I can tell that she’s re-done it anyway. I know its her job, but Id rather have a friend than a maid. Making matters worse is that she has a daughter who is my age and whom Ive met. Her daughter works in a home in Padova too. I feel so snobby being an American of the same age who is here in Italy essentially on vacation when her daughter didn’t even go to college, but is already working.

On a different note, and speaking of college, the University of Padova has a great graduation tradition. Friends and family of graduates draw provocative character drawings of the graduate on giant poster paper and write on it a made-up poem about the person in rhyme. These get hung up in the city around the university.

Then, one day they get the graduate drunk and he or she is also dressed up a crazy outfit… or very little clothing. Alcohol is duck taped or saran wrapped to their hands and they have to stand on a pedestal in the center of town around lunchtime and read aloud their poem. Every time they mess up, they have to drink. While they do this, friends an family gather around with camera and take pictures and throw flour and condiments on the person.
(This guy
is about to have a ton of flours poured on his body and hair. )
Then the graduate and their posse wander around the city singing this song. Im in the process of learning the lyrics, but it is basically a lot of profanity and explicit language.

It is quite a spectacle. Everyone on our program really wants to do a similar graduation ceremony for all of us in May.
I think that we would look like posers. Everyone would figure out very quickly that we were Americans. Its sad, cause it really would be a ton of fun.
Anyway, I'm not sure what else is on the agenda for the day. I am currently at an internet cafe so that Valentina can clean. Earlier I learned how to use the post office and shipped something to the States and I bought a pair of sneakers. The post office is really high tech. None of this wait in line crap. You take a number and sit in this lounge area and then your number is flashed on an electronic screen. I find that so many things here are so professional and high tech. I also ran into so many people on our program. Its strange, cause there are only 29 of us, and yet I saw at least ten people today (who were all about to leave the country) as I was running my errands. Guess its just a small town. I wish I had brought more movies for slow days like this. I'm already done with the entire 3rd season of House! I almost went to Milan today (it is after all, fashion week), but I need the rest. Tomorrow I head to Bologna for the day, and I hope for clear weather.