Driving

Two days ago I went into the town.  It's so beautiful here! You walk past buildings with fresco's on the side that have been there for a thousand of years.  There's a beautiful fountain, and cathedrals in the center plaza.    A library that's close by, and the University.  But everywhere you look there is attractive men.  This is where I wish I had the gift of tongues so I could talk to them, and not just stand there staring like an idiot.  All I can say is thank you, your welcome, fantastic, and a couple other congratulatory words that wouldn't make any sense to say back to them.  Beatrice the little girl and I have been playing, she usually is at school but has been sick this week so I watch her during the day.  She's very cute, and speaks half English and half Italian.  So I only understand half of what she is trying to tell me.  Gabriele is at school till four so we play until dinner time.  He's very funny and loves playing.  Anyways two days ago after we went into town.  The father, Carlos, decided to teach me how to drive manual.  I've only driven manual twice, and never up hill ( which they only have).  Carlos doesn't speak very much English, and with my little Italian you can imagine how hard it was for both of us.  Going downhill was okay, although I didn't understand when he was saying "no clutch" every time I was braking.  I was so tense.  It's hard to drive in Italy where there is hardly any lights, and no one stops all the way they just drive very fast.  But we made it Gabriele's school to pick him up alive which was good.  But on the way back he drove until he was a little ways away from the traffic in the center of town, got out and motioned for me to drive.  I look up, and notice he wants me to start on a hill with lots of cars behind me.  I'm so nervous about hitting a car if it rolls back.  I put into first gear and lift off the clutch while pushing on the gas.  The car sputters then stops.  I've killed it.  "push in clutch" says Carlos motioning with his hands and pointing to my left leg.  "push in clutch" motions for me to watch his hands as he mimes that he is releasing the clutch slowly.  "okay"  I smile and try it again.  I lift off the clutch while pushing on the gas. Verroom! we move about two feet it sputters and starts chugging "clutch! clutch! clutch!" Carlos yells.  I push the clutch.  Still the car dies. "Aye ma mia" he exclaims.  I Try this again three more times with no result other than a sputtering car, and Carlos laughing himself silly.  He points to himself and says "I drive"  I put it into neutral and pull up on the emergency brake, then hop out and run around to the passenger side.  "I drive, you watch me"  Carlos says to me once I've seated.  Gabriele is in the back laughing at me as well.  Great I can't drive a manual up all these tiny roads without being able to read the signs I think to myself especially when they need me to drive Gabriele to school in the morning.    Carlos continues to point out when he pushes in the clutch and slowly to me as we drive up the winding hills to the house. Once we are in the garage he asks me "how long you drive in America?"  "Five years" I say.  "then why you so..." miming me driving earlier while laughing.  "I've never driven manual"  Laughing he gets out of the car and when we get to Ilaria he mimes the whole thing to my embarrassment.  "You, me practice weekend"  he tells me in the kitchen.  So yes I get to look forward to more laughter as I try to learn how to drive like an Italian.   On another note I'm excited because they are wanting to go to the alps (mountain close by) to go skiing this weekend as well.  Ilaria (the mom) and I, have a good relationship already.  I try to help her as much as I can so she can work.  She is every so grateful, and last night we watched Greys Anatomy together.  :) It's weird to watch an American television show in Italian.