La bella figura

I have a dress, an old thing that has been with me since I was 21, long past its best it still fits and has become my default outfit when I don’t plan to go anywhere or do anything of a day.  This morning when I realised that I was without milk this was the dress I threw on to run out to the supermarket.  Turning the corner I was confronted with a fashion culture class in the form of the typical Trevisan signora.  Despite it being early on a Sunday the signora was perfectly presented in a pink suit, accessorised with bracelets, earrings, necklace, make up applied; not a strand of hair out of place, and most strikingly wearing a towering pair of black heels (pretty impressive given the cobblestones.)  Our eyes meet in mutual incomprehension for my part I was trying the understand why anyone would spend so long on getting ready for a Sunday and no doubt she was wondering how the hell anyone could let themselves be seen in such a ratty old dress

It’s called La Bella Figura and is the Italian art of presentation.  That is to always be well “turned out,” and the Trevisans certainly take this to heart.   Treviso is home to those fine purveyors of multi coloured knitwear Benetton and as well as their flagship store my new high street shops are the likes of Max Mara, Gucci and Ralph Lauren.  A couple of weeks ago returning late from a glorious afternoon of sun, sea, beer, and ping pong at the beach I was surprised to see the shops of Treviso still in full retail swing – It was long gone 10pm.  It was the annual white night.  The first day of the summer sales when the stores stay open to midnight and the Trevisan population shops like, well much like it does the rest of the week.  Italians take their dressing seriously – well you would when you have to maintain the reputation of being one of the most stylish nations on the planet.  

A walk through the main square of an evening you quickly notice how everyone (local) is impeccably dressed.  The women wear towering heels and figure hugging clothes, jeans are tight, whites are whiter than white (all the better to show off that summer tan.)  The hair is perfect and the jewellery, for my taste, just the wrong side of east coast rapper blingy.  The male Trevisans’ look can be described as sports casual.  Labelled polo shirt with collar turned up, jeans, slacks or long pressed shorts and what I consider to be one of the world’s ugliest looks; moccasins without socks.  Just the moccasin itself would be bad enough but the whole long trousers and no socks topped off with the moccasin I just find so distressing. 

My old home Melbourne considers itself quite a stylish place and in Australia Melbournians are famed for their distinct style embracing every shade of black.  You may laugh but its true Melbournians wear almost exclusively black.  Get us in a room together and look down, the effect is akin to a drawer full of socks.  It’s not then surprising that I look a bit different to the average Trevisan.  Since arriving here my look has often been commented on.  Italians take notice of what you’re wearing and are not shy in telling you what they think.  Walking around town I have become accustomed to the very deliberate and in no way furtive manner in which the Italians look you up and down.  And it’s not just women who comment, a friend’s boyfriend recently told me that he liked the way I dressed (which is largely dictated by what is currently clean.)  Given that my clothes are more likely to come from Kmart than Prada I felt that was a small triumph for affordable fashion. 

While the thought spent on appearance can only be applauded especially after any visit to Venice where the overwhelming majority of tourists sport ill fitting, flesh exposing and badly accessorised clothing (really people I’m all for comfort but does being on holiday give you the excuse to dress badly?  Surely you must have something decent packed in those oversized suitcases that you do insist on dragging around.)  I can’t help but notice how the idea of a stylish bella figura has resulted in everyone dressing the same.  Even across generations; when I first arrived I was taken aback at the sight of a parent and teenage child dressed in identical clothing now I don’t bat an eyelid.  Fashion like much else in our world is becoming increasingly homogenised a wealthy Trevisan dresses much the same as their equivalent in Britain (the Sloane ranger) and Australia (anyone from Toorak.)  While at times I find dressing up fun and like how my choice of clothing reflects my mood for me the perfection of the Italian ladies is just too much work (and let’s face it in my case pretty unattainable) I really can’t be bothered to spend the time and effort to look perfect and if I need to run out to get some milk on a Sunday morning I’m not going to worry about matching my shoes to my outfit.  There’s a lot to be said for the time saving benefits of relaxed chic.

As fashion is seasonal expect me back in a few months with my thoughts on the autumn looks!

Teaching: quite surprising really.

Now that summer is well and truly here the pace at work has slowed thus greatly benefitting the cause of going to the beach.  Teaching has been and continues to be a surprisingly rewarding experience.  When I decided to give teaching English a go the plan was one of practicality, how the hell was I going to earn money in a foreign country?  The thought never entered my head that I would actually enjoy the job.   My first few weeks at the school were a real trial by fire.  Being new to teaching I wanted time to prepare lessons and make sure that I understood the language points before being faced with a student but I was confronted with 10 hour teaching days without a break between lessons let alone for lunch.  Thankfully the other teachers were amazingly supportive through my first panicked weeks.  When I first started I felt like the worst teacher in the world but slowly I am getting into the pace of the work and can begin to anticipate problems students will have with the language.

The students are a mixed bunch ranging from people learning for pleasure, people sent to learn by their companies and those learning to improve study or job prospects.  There have been some unexpected moments in one lesson I asked a group of students to give me a list of what is healthy first answer, “making love is healthy” - some Italians can’t help but live up to their stereotype.  Being asked out on dates seems to be another hazard of the job and has recently necessitated the invention of a boyfriend.  The one thing I learnt very quickly is to never let a conversation class stray into Italian politics which is too emotive a subject for a harmonious lesson. 

It’s only since teaching English that I have begun to comprehend what an amazing (and infuriating) invention language is.  I have always loved literature and words but now, rather distressingly, even grammar is exciting.  It’s nice to find myself working with like minded people who will happily discuss the relative merits of a semi colon or the significance of the Oxford comma which, for the record, I believe has it’s uses - we’re probably not the most exciting bunch of people to hang out with.  Recently I headed to Venice for a lecture by the famed Michael Swan – the author of “Practical English Usage” the ESL teachers bible.  Now to most people spending three hours listening to someone talk about teaching English grammar would be slightly less preferable to having teeth extracted without an anaesthetic but I found it inspiring and left promising to become the best teacher I possibly can be.  Talking to experienced teachers I begin to realise what a seductive world English language teaching is.  Once qualified the world becomes you oyster, the teachers I spoke to had worked in Japan, China, Chile, Bolivia, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and the list goes on.  A quick look at the daily job listings finds opportunities in such far flung places as Bhutan, Tanzania, Thailand and Kazakhstan. 



Yes I did get my copy of "Practical English Usage" signed and yes I understand this renders me incapable of being cool - EVER.



For now I am happy enough in this little place in northern Italy.  I’m still finding my feet and feeling my way in this job.  Not having ever followed one line of work long I do wonder if my present enthusiasm will continue but there is a great sense of satisfaction as I watch students learning.  Last week some students asked me to explain one of the trickiest grammatical points for learners of English; when to use the past simple or the present perfect.  Four months ago I would have withered into a shrivelling mess at the question but not this time.  It took five minutes and two sentences before one of the students said “you've made it really clear.”  I don’t think I have ever been prouder in my working life than at that moment – the students aren’t the only ones learning it seems.