February 8, 2006

wandering by day







Yesterday we had 16 hours between shifts, so I figured I should take advantage of having the extra free time (after getting some sleep!). I jumped on the trolley, feeling confident after my first experiment with it on Saturday. I made sure I checked what the couple stops before my stop were before getting on. I walked to the same area as the disco, which is near city center and the train station, figuring I would just wander some but not necessarily do the piazzas and expected sights.

I jumped in a cafe/snack bar, thinking I knew enough to order a sandwich. Not so much. (so many questions!) I ordered my sandwich and pointed to the one with red meat and white cheese that I figured looked okay (not having any clue what any of them were - sandwiches here are generally cheese, meat, bread. period.) - but he thought I was pointing to another one. I said yes to it anyway, figuring I'd end up trying something new, since I couldn't begin to guess what it was from looking at it. I still don't know what it was. Maybe some kind of fish? At least I tried something new...but I don't think I'll have that one again.

Afterward I wandered around the train station some - interesting people watching as it was rush hour - but it also made me realize that if I make the rest of this trip by train, I better study up - because there was no way to figure out how to get a ticket for which train at what time etc.

After a while it was time to head toward work, so I went to the street that the map showed had two transit lines that took me where the IBC was. It seemed that only busses were coming this route, so I finally jumped on one. (I don't know why I prefer a train to a bus, but I do.) I studied the stops before mine, but again as the stops went by and I couldn't see what any of them were, I started getting paranoid. When a bunch of people in Olympic jackets got off, I decided to follow. Bad move. Luckily it was rush hour, so it was only a matter of minutes til another one came. This time, I just counted the stops...screw the names.

2 comments:

Tim said...

I know the panic mode of transportation confusion...happened to me in Germany. You survived....the Today Show mentioned this morning that the IBC is in the old FIAT factory. So are you sleeping on an old grease rack and having your chasis assembled and lug nuts tightened?

Unknown said...

naw, I work at the IBC, I sleep at Riberi media village - an old military hospital.