Familiar faces

Bologna is the sort of city where, for better or for worse, you can't help bumping into the same people over and over again. It's sort of like the bit in the Truman show where Jim Carrey realises the same cast of characters is passing by his house on a loop, although there (probably) isn't anyone filming my year abroad for a reality TV show.

Three people in particular who seem to pop up everywhere are: a German guy recognisable by his fascinatingly awful facial hair; the happiest beggar I've ever seen, who sings to and high fives everyone, regardless of the fact no one seems to give him any money; and a little man who cycles along the student streets with a megaphone. But by far the biggest coincidence happened on Friday night. I'd somewhat optimistically gone out to an apperitivo for German speakers in Bologna with Glesni, another English student - the one from Lymm - when about ten of the freshers from Lincoln, my college at Oxford, walked into the same bar. It was completely crazy bumping into them in the middle of Italy, but a nice relief to be able to abandon the floundering attempts at German (I'm already starting to have trouble speaking English properly, let alone another foreign language) and to see some people from home.

I say 'home' but I'm feeling more and more at home here in Bologna, and starting to recognise the familiar faces of the city is a part of that.  In Oxford, we have Hassan, local kebab vendor extraordinaire, Simon the Lincoln barman and master of chat, and the guy who plays the fiddle on a tightrope on Cornmarket. Here, the megaphone man is apparently quite the celebrity among the locals, and I've also been told to look out for a woman who often spends the weekend singing in Piazza Maggiore - not busking, just walking around having a bit of a sing song. Fair enough.

The start of year abroad is like a repeat of Fresher's, meeting lots of new people and repeating the same obligatory introductory questions and answers over and over, but it's much nicer now there are some recognisable characters around, like the man with the megaphone, and even actual friends, exciting. Other than the people I've met through the Erasmus programme, most of whom are fellow inglesi, I've also joined a Language Tandem group. The idea is that you meet up with someone who speaks the language you want to learn, so you each get some speaking practice and help with the language. At first it all sounded a bit weird and blind datey, with far too much potential for awkward situations, but I decided I wasn't going to meet any Italians staying in and watching the Great British Bake-Off on iPlayer (nb this does not mean I'm going to stop watching this excellent programme. Ever. I want Ruby to win) so I manned up and went along. And funnily enough, all the Italians I've met so far have been nice, normal people who have been keen to show me round their city and help with my Italian, and their polite insistence/barefaced lies that I already speak it very well is a not unwelcome ego boost. Add in the fact that they know all of the best gelaterias and apperitivo spots, and you can't really go wrong.