6 Oct, Day 55, The harder I try, the luckier I get

I made an appointment with one of the language schools in Monza to take a placement test in hopes that we could form an Italian class because the private lessons are roughly 40Euros an hour, and I think that’s a bit extreme.

So I threw out the trash on the way out, but the door closed behind me, and I was trapped outside for about 20 minutes before someone else left with the key to get out. I think it’s pretty stupid that you need a key to leave. -Also the deadbolts that lock with a key from the inside. What’s the point? –to prevent people from leaving? What if there’s a fire?

Anyway, eventually someone rescued me and I was on my way to inlingua for the exam. I was pleased that the teacher was a cute girl that looked to be about my age. The exam that was scheduled for 10-15 minutes stretched on for more than 30, and ended with us trading phone numbers. We were the last 2 in the building and as we left I wondered if it would be inappropriate to invite her to join me for a coffee. But I had dinner on my mind as it was after 8 and I only had a small snack after work, so we went our separate ways without any invitations being offered.

I wandered around outside for a while before selecting my dinner venue. Tonight would be the Vanity café. Vanity café has the façade of a south beach lounge with the bouncer in a black suit included. I descended the steps to find a cavernous room with an arched brick roof that focusing attention on the bar where bartenders mixed drinks in front of dozens of bottles were illuminated from below. Across the room was a DJ and music videos that didn’t match the songs being played were projected on the wall.

I smiled at the hostess, but when you ask for a table for 1, they always seem to stick me off in a corner in the back. I walked by to heavyset guys demolishing some steaks and thought they might be from Texas, but they were speaking Italian, and I don’t think Texans speak Italian. I tried to make some small talk with the waitress before I ordered up a calzone and salad. The food wasn’t anything worth mention, but I enjoyed the music for a while, though it seemed to get worse by the time I was wrapping up my dinner. I thought I’d try to kill some time and see if the place starts to fill up with people. So I asked for a sweet wine hoping to get something like I had at Camillo’s last night. I think they gave me Champaign mixed with southern comfort. Not good.

But the place did not fill up, and when there was only other occupied table, I decided it was time to leave. A few more attempts at small talk on the way out lead to nothing, but I hung around outside talking to the bouncer for a bit. He suggested the bet gym in Monza and a few salsa clubs in Milano. I don’t know if I’ve explained that the situation with going out in Milan I that if I stay after the last train leaves at 12:30, I need a ride, a taxi, or I’ve gotta cowboy up until the first trains of the morning leave around 6AM. I don’t really have a problem cowboying up, but I’m not eager to go in alone. Especially since people seem closed in the restaurants. They’re sitting at tables with their friends, and it feels very awkward to walk up and ask to join them. But I’ve made more forward introductions before, and I may work my way up to trying it in Italian before long. But I was presented with an opportunity to introduce myself in English tonight.

I left the vanity café and resumed my wandering the city, though I was feeling quite satisfied with the outcome of the night so far. I walked though an outdoor café with quite a few young people sitting and standing around. Some appeared to be drinking the strange champaign-southern comfort wine, but it didn’t seem like anyone made eye contact with me, so I continued the promenade. The next café was mostly empty, but I overheard 3 girls at a table speaking English.

This was the third time I’ve heard people speaking English in Monza, and I was not going to let this one go unanswered. So I met 2 Americans and Irish girl working as English teachers. I wondered if they work at the same language schools I’ve been trying to arrange a class with, but I got the impression that they teach at a private school. *I’m listening to lord of the dance as I write this entry. Do any of my Irish readers know if I might be able to see a show of this type when I go to Ireland?

We stayed in the café until well after midnight before the girls wanted to find something to eat. We went to a restaurant that I’ve never been to before, but they owner seemed to know them well. He reopened the place at their request, and gave me a frothy beer while stoking up the oven to make some pizzas. Mario actually has a striking resemblance to uncle Felix, only he’s about 40 or 50 pounds heavier, and has hair that’s whiter than it is grey. But he has the same smile and mannerisms. I later found out that he even plays and sings the songs of the same genera on the guitar. I think we could really have a blast at this restaurant!

So Mario and one of the other waiters came over to our table to sing while the pizzas cooked. Then the guitar was passed to me! I wished I knew how to actually play, but I managed to finger my way though stand-by-me well enough that they at least knew the tune before Mario took his guitar back and finished the song for me. Before I knew it, the pizzas were nothing more than crumbs on a plate, and it was time to go home. I hope to see them again, so I asked to trade phone numbers before going our separate ways. In hindsight I guess I should’ve offered to walk them home being that it was pretty late, but I only remembered after they were already gone.