This time almost exactly three years ago, I packed my bags in South Africa and moved to Rome. And in these past three years I have managed to write exactly five blog posts (one of which was about South Africa).
During my time in Italy I’ve always regretted not continuing this blog, but at the same time I never found the energy or inspiration to write. Looking back, I sometimes wonder whether Italy and I just started off on the wrong foot and never managed to get over it – like that person, who you secretly want to like, but just cannot get on with because no matter what they do, they always manage to annoy you. Maybe Rome was that person for me.
Before I arrived in Rome I wrote here:
“Future colleagues all seemed to want to prepare me for a major culture shock: basically, living in Rome would be like living in a third world country. Windows and doors don't shut, everything is extremely bureaucratic and takes ages, public services don't work... You name it – it’s a disaster!”
Looking back, these warnings were surprisingly spot on and these issues probably some of the main things that annoyed me in Rome. Back then I clearly thought differently:
“I was baffled by all the "petty" things they went on and on and on about... I mean - who really needs mail delivered more than once a month and I don't even expect to meet people at the agreed time anymore.”
I guess I wasn’t as laidback as I thought I was. Or maybe Rome was not only that person you can never get yourself to liking, but also the person you for some reason are less forgiving to because they really should know better. After all, Rome was a civilisation 2000 years ago, South Africa a fraction thereof…
Three years, two suitcases and one long hole flight later I’ve arrived in another city - the concrete city that dreams are made of. Let’s see how New York and I will get on and if inspiration is hiding here somewhere…
No comments:
Post a Comment