When I first started learning Italian, my boyfriend Magro* and I used to joke that when he introduced me to new people, I could use my new-found language skills and introduce myself by reeling off all of the stuff I'd learnt in classes:

Ciao, mi chiamo Lucy, ho 21 anni, sono inglese, mi piace la pizza...

(Yes I know, hilarious stuff; but it got us chuckling.)

Now that this blog is going to be part of a language exchange scheme with a school local to my university, it looks like a standard introduction is actually in order once more. So, urm, here I go.

  1. Ciao, mi chiamo Lucy
    I was named after my great grandmother, Lucia Novelli (who admittedly was born in Islington but her parents came from Italy!)
    Chiamarsi: to call oneself. Mi chiamo literally means "I call myself".
  2. Vivo a Milano!I'm currently living in Milan, the industrial melting pot in the north of Italy. Luckily, I'm right in the centre on Via Solferino, a relatively famous road that connects the Brera and Moscova areas and holds the old offices of the Corriere della Sera newspaper. Not so luckily, this means I am constantly surrounded by pizza and ice cream and wine, meaning my belt is becoming harder to buckle and my purse easier to close.
    Vivere: to live. You can also use "abitare", a verb more specific to where you live rather than just being alive.
  3. Ma lavoro fuori della cittàMy workplace is outside of the city, meaning I have to get a train and then cycle. Luckily the company is a small, family-based one so they're very relaxed and let me leave ten minutes early every evening so I can catch the hourly train from the local station. When it's warmer I cycle further to enjoy the sun - right now all I'm enjoying is the knowledge that my fingers haven't frozen off yet.
    Ma: but. Lavorare: To work. Fuori: Outside.
  4. Sono studentessa di psicologia e studio italiano da due anniAt university in Exeter I'm a Psychology student but having a Spanish A Level allowed me to pick up Italian language classes on the side and use the credits gained to contribute towards my degree. My internship here has nothing to do with Psychology though - I'm working in a heating cable company! Typical tasks include translation, administration, web editing and a bit of slow-paced graphic design but I'm also working on the balance sheet analysis.
    Studente/studentessa: Many words in Italian have masculine and feminine forms. If you're a guy you're "uno studente" and if you're a girl, "una studentessa".
  5. Mi piace il cibo italianoThis is a bit of a no-brainer really - I love Italian food. My interest in Italy began with the pizza and pasta I ate in England but as you may know, Pizza Hut and pizza are quite different. Everything is delicious here. Even vegetables feel like a treat. I'm hoping to start posting more recipes on here but for now, let me just advise this: a bit of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon on your broccoli really makes a world of difference!

*Magro is not his real name - it means "skinny" (which he is rather) but also resembles 'Maro', an abbreviation of his surname and consequently his nickname at school. I used to call him Luigi on this blog but now my boss is called Luigi so.. you know..