kareina

Yesterday the lab's microscope was back, so one of my colleagues demonstrated the steps I'll need to do to create the capsules upon which I'll experiment. Alas, the final, crucial, step, welding the capsule shut, didn't work, despite repeated attempts, possibly because some of the powder got between the edges. Therefore my plan for today was to come in early and cut open that capsule, empty and clean it, and use it for practice welds, and if that went well, start a new capsule for real. However, plans are, often, an invitation for the universe to send you something else to do, and in this case, ( Read more... )

Then, in the afternoon, I had my meeting with the owner of the apartment I wish to rent. My, he certainly is loquacious! However, he speaks only Italian, so I have no idea what he said to my two colleagues who accompanied me to the meeting. All I know is that he'd speak at great length, in a very animated manner, one of them would say something briefly, and he'd speak again. Once in a great while one of my colleagues would turn to me and say something very briefly in English. Eventually he and they were satisfied, the relator photocopied my passport and visa information, and gave me my landlord's banking details so that I'll be able to pay part of the rent on-line, and I handed the owner the €200 to confirm that yes, I will be renting his flat and he left. Then the relator wrote down the various fees that I'll need to pay, and we booked an appointment to return on Wednesday to do the contract, pay the remaining cash portion (and by which I need to have done the bank transfer for that part) and pick up the keys. As we walked back after the meeting I commented to my colleagues that the owner sure speaks a lot, and had he replied explaining that the owner "comes from the south of Italy, where they use a lot of words to say nothing at all". (note: this colleague comes from the middle of the Italian Alps, and now commutes to Milan from Como, at the edge of the Alps, so he's from about as north as one can get and still be in Italy.)

Rent is going to be interesting--I'll be doing monthly bank transfers for part of the rent, and then every other month the owner will drop by to collect cash for the part of the rent which isn't written into the contract. Apparently they are taxed (at a rate of ~40%) on the rental income, which is why it is broken up like that. I had been told that I could ask the owner for any additional furnishing or repairs that I wanted, so I requested that the toilet seat and lid be returned, the cupboard whcih is set up for shelves actually get them, and a couple of new book shelves be added. He said that I'm to go purchase what I want for myself and give him the receipts. I wonder if this means that when I give him the cash portion I can give him part of the cash, and the receipts to make up the total? That would certainlly gaurentee that I be reimbursed for those expenses.

Not that I'm looking forward to figuring out where to find bookshelves and how to get them home on foot...

Oddly enough, that meeting just about put me to sleep--so long listening to people speak and not being able to understand more than a few words. So I went home for a nap and returned to the office this evening, intending to work, but first I needed to e-mail the shipping company--they'd sent me a letter dated 2 September, which finally arrived yesterday afternoon, asking for information about delivery, so now that I have the address, I sent it to them via email, answered their other questions, and asked if they really do need a paper version--it takes nearly an hour to walk to the post office, wait in line, do the transaction, and walk back, and I've got work I'm meant to be doing!

Here's hoping that my nap was enough to give me the energy to do some work yet this evening.

In other news, there is a new SCA family in Milan! They arrived a couple of weeks back--they've lived in Calontir, Atlantia, and Ireland, and are keen to revive the local SCA branch! I'm looking forward to helping them do this. Apparently they've got a min-van on the way, so I'm hoping that in the future we can carpool to events elsewhere, rather than having to fly all of the time (will only work for the closest countries, but still!)

Today's progress report: not quite five hours of uni work accomplished. 1 hour, 25 minutes of exercise includes my second time jogging in this country (30 minutes this time) and 35 minutes of yoga. It doesn't count the three trips in to the office (~5 minutes each way, and a total of 5 flights of stairs between the two buildings). The jogging rout de jour was chosen to keep me on the tree-lined streets, because they are prettier (both because of the trees, and because they are more likely to have buildings old enough to be pretty). Alas, it is pavement no matter whcih way I go, whcih isn't so nice for running. I look forward to the arrival of my rollerblades; they are much nicer on one's joints.

I received the package that I posted to myself from Sydney today. Just a few odds and ends that had been in my luggage but I decided was too heavy and a very nice Italian dictionary (thank you blamebrampton!). This means that had the shipping company actually gotten my stuff on a boat promptly after picking it up in Tassie it could be here any day now. Alas, they did not. However, I am still not moved into a place of my very own, so perhaps it is just as well (though, if they'd had I'd have put more effort into moving). I have put some effort into finding a place. And I've determined from exchanging e-mails with them that some of the people advertising places for rent on the local CraigsList are just scammers with no real apartment to rent. Why there are so many missionaries in West Africa who have sick wives who need to find someone to look after their apartment in Milan while paying cheap rent, but who won't let you see it till you've filled in their application form (including listing your religion) and paid the deposit, at which point they will mail you the keys and the "documents", I don't know. But I'm not renting anything I haven't been inside of, first!

Oh--I keep forgetting to ask--did anyone I stayed with during my journey here find a black bra? I swear I used to own four of them, but there are only three here. That missing bra could come in handy; if you've got it, please let me know.

Tomorrow's dungeon expedition has been cancelled due to complications in booking arrangements, so instead I'll meet the local Seneschal and help him cut out some Viking tunics; he's good with sewing them himself, but hates cutting fabric. I love cutting fabric, but have no time to sew...