hello,
not sure where is the best place to post this, so am trying here and under property.
i have been thinking about relocating to itlay and the timing is just about right. i have dual citizenship and plan on working teaching esl. with my background in the sciences, i have been told bologna would be a good place for me to be, with the uni there and all, so that's where i am planning on at least starting
my question is this. i am wondering if any relatively cheap places to rent might have air conditioning? i have been to italy in the summer and i know how hot it can be. as an esl teacher, my income will likley not be large. so what are my chances of finding an air conditioned place? when i was in milan in the summer of 2001, it seemed that most people did not have ac. has that changed? was that a unique experience? this is a fairly important issue for my since i do not sleep well when it is really hot.
thank you, and i look forward ot hearing from you!
jeff
The most you're likely to find is aircon in the bedroom - but the chance of even that in a budget rental would be low.
Your best bet might be to rent somewhere and then buy a free-standing aircon unit - basically just plug in/switch on - which you can pick up for around €300-€400. And of course you can take this with you when you move. (They are noisy tho...)
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thank you for your response. wasn'tsure i would get notificatrion if someone responded, but it worked fine (hasn't in the past)
air con i teh bedroom would be totally awesome.
wow, room units are qutie expensive there (i can get one here for $100, and in fact already have 2--should i bring one or have it shipped?) and i don't mind the noise. it's kind of a white noise, drowning out street noises and the like. plus i wear ear plugs. i am a very light sleeper as well, so this d is all useful.
thanks again, and any other tipds appreciated.
any ideas where to fidn ths cheap ac housing near teh uni? i will also be doing an itlaian immersion course when ia rrive, though not yet sure where.
jeff
Are you looking for shared accommodation or a place on your own? Bologna accommodation is not really cheap but the best place to look for shared accommodation is on notices posted around the city when you are actually here - there is not much online. With the right appartment you might find you don't need air con anyway (we don't have it).
Don't ship your aircon Jeff - it won't work in Italy (or anywhere Europe for that matter). The domestic electrical system here works on 220/240V as opposed to 110V in the US.
Afraid I can be zero help with accommodation info as i don't live anywhere near Bologna !
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http://bologna.bakeca.it/offro-camera-0
http://www.unibo.it/Portale/Studenti/servizi/Opportunita_abitative.htm
http://www.studentaffitto.it/bologna/
http://www.camerestudenti.it/bologna
http://www.easystanza.it/Affitto-Stanza-Studenti/emilia-romagna/bologna/Stanze-bologna
http://case.trovit.it/affitto-stanza-studenti-bologna
are just a few haha I don't rate Bologna much as a city (plus 2 ex-students of mine lived there and hated it) but if your dream course is there go for it, if not choose somewhere else. good luck
thank you both for teh commenst. i thought it was easy to run 120 v appliances usign a converter? don't people bring hair dryers adn teh like all teh time and do that? is it any different for an air conditioner? also, thanks for all teh ads, but i don't know much italian yet. i guess i forgot to say it, but i am planning on doing an immersion course when i a rrive to become fluent. on the other hand, don't a lot of expats in general and esl teachers in specific not know the language? how tough is it to survive there without knowing itlaian? thanks!
Most hair dryers have a 110/220 switch. If your's doesn't, toss it and buy one that does have such a switch before you leave.
Yes, it is true that some devices can be operated on a transformer or a lightweight electronic "voltage converter", but don't count on running something like an air conditioner or anything else with a large motor. Some motors will simply run a little bit slower on 50hz power (the U.S. uses 60hz), but some will quickly overheat and die. Some 60hz devices won't run on 50hz at all and many things with motors won't operate on those cheap electronic "converters"; you need a genuine transformer.
On the other hand, many devices like phone chargers and computers are dual voltage, so all you need is an adapter (or several) to go from the U.S. style plug to one of the several different kinds of sockets found in Italian houses.
Judging from your question, I imagine you will be surprised to learn how large, heavy, and expensive transformers are if they're powerful enough to meet the needs of even relatively small devices. For most devices you will find that running them on a converter or a transformer.
When I moved to Italy I brought along a transformer to power a very few, small devices like my specialized drill bit sharpener. I use it for a few minutes a couple of times a year. My wife (an artist) occasionally uses a transformer to power her electric eraser. We don't have anything operating from a transformer on a continuous basis. I suggest you plan to do the same.
This forum has a built in spell checker which you might want to try. It will make your posts easier to read.
Bob
America seems like a dream to me now.
Hi bob, thanks for the comment. I had been pretty good about spellchecking my posts until now, but admit I was in a hurry with the last one. Wasn’t aware there was a spellchecker here. I see it now. Thanks!
I don’t have a hair dryer. It was just an example. Didn’t know a thing about transformers. I feel much better informed now. Won’t plan on bringing an ac along. I am learning that utility costs are much higher there too than I am used to. Will have to figure out a way to deal with that.
Thanks again for your help.
jeff
Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten.
Most apartments here seem to have an AC used also to heat in winter but they cost like crazy so I recommend you find accommodation with the heating bill included in the rent or share with people or if you want a place to yourself get heating you can control yourself so you can watch your spending. Electricity bills are much more expensive than what we are used to so bewarned.
Bologna area can be humid all year round. So you may want to go to another area of you dont like that type of climate. Look on www.tefl.com for jobs sometimes the schools offer shared apartments with other teachers, so that can get you started and you can move when you feel more independent. Also look on yellow pages for schools in Bologna and contact them directly to maximize your possibilities.
I don't know when you are arriving but if you can start to get familiar with Italian start as soon as you can. Get books/audio books/cds from your local library to begin with, you dont need to spend lots of money. ALso there are lots of sites online where you can practise for free to build you knowledge. then at least when you arrive you will be able to order basic things or go to the post office. If you are coming next summer then take an Italian class for the next 6 months. Befriend any Italians in your area for conversation or language exchange etc. Maybe you already know some. Also some schools offer Italian lessons to teachers in exchange for English, if not you can always suggest it.
Start here: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=italian+lessons+for
eginners&oq=italian+lesson&gs_l=youtube.1.1.0l10.18898.21037.0.24158.14.11.0.3.3.1.200.1155.5j5j1.11.0...0.0...1ac.1.7S88G-xR2nA
Buona fortuna or in bocca al lupo as they say for good luck!
If you're a light sleeper, and dont like it too hot then an Italian city like Bologna or Firenze could be the worse place for you. Italian cities, especially in teh summer are very noisy places. But then, as an esl teacher you wont be working from July through Sept so you can always go somewhere quiet and cool!
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