My Mere Vacation: Part 3. School and Friends

My schooling begun the next day. I was shy and petrified on the first day. Isabella and I went to the same school; Liceo Scientifico G. Brotzu. She showed me to my class then proceeded to her class room next door. Not knowing what I am supposed to do in class, if I should make the first attempt to introduce myself to the class. I kept silent. Everyone looked at me as if I was an alien who has just landed on their planet. Their facial expression gave me the sign.

Image via Wikipedia

My first lesson was “Dante’s Comedia” – Dante Divine Comedy. Good lord, what the heck is that? Cikgu tak ajar di sekolah le! The teacher mumbles her lecture with her soft, delicate sleepy voice. I pay no heed , it was cold and I dozed of in a blink of an eye. She blabs too much. Hahaha..
Next class, Latin. Holly … I felt like I was in a preaching home or something. Continued with French, Mathematics and etc….

Then it was when during recess, people started to gather around me asking me questions that have been boggling their mind earlier. They are bubbly, friendly and easy going. I was invited to go to their home, Christmas party, and was ask to hang out with them. It was awesome. I felt like the most popular student in school. Yeah I am going to win the prom queen. Pulling the leg of, it didn’t happen. LOL.

The school

The Amici

High School and Friends
The first one standing on the right side taught Dante's Comedia.

I received email from friends and was advised to write more details for this post. I got few readers who are interested with my student exchange program. Thank you for reading!

After my first day at school, the butterflies in my stomach have flown away. Everything was aplomb. I do not have to do any homework. That is the best school year of my life. I don’t have to take any examination. I slept in class. I precisely sat in front of the teacher. I was on the first row of the class. Cool and envious isn’t it? When others are concentrating on their study, I will do some sketch, write letters back home to my family in Sabah, and my mind will swing away dreaming in a cartoon world. For sure there were times I was bored. I did avoid few classes as in, I skipped class. LOL. I went back home to sleep. Did I mention the school is just few meters away from where I live? The 3 stories bungalow that I lived in was just behind the school up on a hill. I never tell Marge about this.

Few days in school, classmates became friendlier. I was introduced to friends outside the school which sounds like networking. I hung out with friends in a park sometimes in a shopping mall after school. I had an old video camera that recorded what we did in the park. We sang, we joked, and we flirt. Oh yes. It was fun. Language barriers doest exist but who cares. We will just laugh and try to help each other by translating using the mini dictionary. I was truly happy to be with them. To be honest I hate to go home after school. We were nuts! Those good old days! I do find the experience of studying overseas does differ and it does make one more gallant to approach to a person. When I am back here in Malaysia, I turned to a timid mouse again,

It was from there then I started to call some AFS students who were in Cagliari before me. I never met anyone of them. I grab a phone I just give them a ring and chat. Amazing eh? They were students from Brazil, Panama, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Austria, Republic Dominican, Iceland, Australia and Indonesia. I called each and every one of them. I was then invited to an organized trip to camp a day in Mont Fortubo. So guess what did I missed, if I didn’t make the random phone calls??

I was invited for a trip. At first it was skeptical. I am not sure if it is safe for me to travel with unknowns. I got 2 weeks ahead for the coming trip and I was worried. I do not own a mobile phone, GPRS, GPS, Internet during those days of cause, I was worried sick.

Finally, I pay no heed I went for the trip. It was a trip I will never going to forget. We travel to this peak by a MPV. Half way up the hill, it started to snow. That was my first time I encounter the snow. I was exciting and happy. “Salju salju” the Indonesian guy next to me exclaimed. It was his first time to encounter it too. I put my hand out of the window; the snow gracefully fell on my palm. I can see the delicate intricate snow flake. It was a truly unique and amazing. I was mesmerized. I was blew out of the water. Our AFS organizer Bruno stopped the car. I rushed out immediately. I think Wan (the Indonesian) and I were stun and speechless to experience the amazing phenomena. Other students rushed down to take their pictures too.

After awhile, we went back in to out car headed to the peak. There was a fort behind the hill that we need to do a bit hiking over to the next hill. Hiking is not a thing for me. I can’t hike with my body weight. The air gets thinner when I climb higher. I was wearied and suffocating. I was out of air. But as I came closer to the fort, again I stun by a mesmerizing scene was right in front of me. The peaks were all covered with snow. It was too beautiful for me to describe. How could Mother Nature be that beautiful?

It was a lovely setting. I was tired and glad to be there. I never regret going to that trip. I totally blocked the skeptical thought I had before. We ascend back down then walk to a nearby chalets. Three students were to share a chalet. Each chalet has 3 bunks. I shared my room with an Icelandic girl and Emma who is from Perth. The temperature drops by the evening. It was tremendously cold. The snow continued… I did not take any shower that day. It was weird for me not to take a shower. The water was too freezing.

We went to have our dinner at this barn a like dinning place. We were sitting in a long table. Authentic Italian meals were served and wine did the job for the rest of the day. We all got high and drunk. We danced, joked, laughed and fooled around. I, who was sober, sat at the corner taking photos of the drunk. I know I was like the geek in the group.

We head back when it reached midnight. I remembered as we walk back to out chalet, a student, I can’t recall who, wore a mask (the mask from the movie Scream) trying to scare us. We were shocked at first, screaming like an old lady (we were drunk) and then we ran chasing after him grabbing his mask. Placed snow under his pants! It was totally outrageous. How I wish I can turn back time for that moment. I would love to capture those moments again.

I was there for a day. I returned to Cagliari the next day and it was only a week left for me to return to Malaysia.

Friendship blossom, my friends and I started to hang out every single day. I attended party dinner, camping, I was taken care of, friends' parents loved me and I was doing all sort of things that I usually don’t do or allowed to do at home. Time flies. I started to love my life there until it’s time for me to head home. It’s sad that I have to leave every beautiful moments behind but I have gained my love from friends, had the best moment, knowledge of cultures and the unforgettable experience of a life time. The experiences that I have always cherish. I am proud to have supportive parents and has given me this once in a life time beautiful experience.

Visiting the seaside at Villasimius