I guess in theory this wind is strong enough to cause about the same amount of concern as a violent thunderstorm (or hailstorm...from which some cars in Northfield still have dents) or even a tornado would cause back home. The thing that makes it strange for me is that this isn't a storm, it's simply wind. I've mentioned the bora before, but I'll add to the previous information a small fact that someone told me today: the wind has its origins in Siberia. Now, there's not much here in Italy that can turn a beautiful seaside city into a wasteland, but if anything can it's frigid wind from Siberia. Walking home from school just half an hour ago, the streets were practically deserted, there was wrecked foliage flung everywhere, and even the huge trash bins were laying on their side.
At school, we had an "emergency assembly" in the small gym halfway through first hour. Everyone was jam packed into the tiny space, with some older students leading the entire gym in song as we sang the Trieste anthem to la bora. I felt more like laughing than anything, since for me the whole situation was so different from anything I've ever experienced at home, it was absurdly comical. Unfortunately, I was informed by a few serious students that this is no laughing matter. Most students were indignant because, despite the week-long student-organized occupation of all the schools in Trieste earlier this fall, the province has not given a reply to the extensive protests. A large part of the reason behind the protests is the lamentable condition of the school buildings; to me my school, the best public school in Trieste, seems fine, although extremely lacking in a library or technology of any kind. However, apparently the buildings themselves aren't safe; a couple of years ago part of the ceiling fell down in a classroom and since nobody was hurt, nothing's really been fixed up since then.
So there was quite a bit of anger about the government's inaction in improving school conditions today at the assembly. The reason an emergency assembly was called in the first place is because a part of the school roof fell off. And when I say a part, I don't mean one little red tile. I mean an entire huge strip of roof had been wrenched off by the wind and had fallen in the courtyard, scattering pieces of concrete everywhere and blocking one emergency exit. On the fourth floor of the school, windows had been broken and it had thus been declared off limits. During the two subsequent hours in which I waited with my class in the gym, another piece of the roof came off at the front entrance of the building, and people were redirected towards the back exit. And that's just the damage at my school. Throughout the city, you see policemen cleaning up certain areas and I've heard more ambulance sirens today than I've heard in a while.
In the past two days, 90 people have been taken to the hospital due to injuries caused by the bora. On the way to school, I saw dozens of mopeds lying on the ground where the were parked, one after the other as if they fell like dominoes. There were cars with their windows smashed because branches, little pieces of construction, or flower pots from apartment windows had fallen. Actually, every single road was littered with tiny red remnants of the clay flower pots that had fallen from nearly every apartment window. Newspapers, leaves, bits of clay and other trash was swirled into mini-tornadoes on the sidewalks. This wind is just crazy! And even though I shouldn't be happy about this wind, seeing as people are actually getting hurt, I really do love it, just because I feel like I'm experiencing something extremely unique. People in Italy know that Trieste has la bora. If you're late to work or you fall down on your moped, all you have to do is say "La bora" and everyone nods sagely and understands. Now I can talk about my personal experiences with la bora; I feel like a local. It may be selfish, but I love this city, and with each new, unique experience here it becomes a little bit more my own.
Now, I'll try to brave the weather, face the danger, and stare Mother Nature in the eye so I can take some pictures. Wish me luck. I would rather my epitaph not be Death by Flowerpot.
EDIT: I have just been informed that school is canceled from now until Friday. Gotta love life in Italy :]
