January 20, 2005 BEFORE THE HISTORY LESSON COMES THE CONTEMPORARY UPDATES: What I learn from watching Italian TV: -January 12, 1984 Florence hit -23 degrees centigrade, the lowest it has ever been. -The lovely young, half naked, ladies on TV are obviously more concerned with their sparkling bosoms and lusciously coiffed locks whether they are delivering the evening news, morning weather, or dancing a jig between TV programs. Other observations: -Young Italians don’t seem to have the same rhythm as we Americans do, but they DO dance their own “thang”. Not only d [View Full Entry]

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CAPODANNO in AUSTRIA -the land starts to swell, and pine covered hills slowly transform into snow capped mountains, and just when you think you’ve discovered beauty, the snow capped mountains are dwarfed by those even bigger, as the white summits emerge from behind, out we come from a tunnel (as the autostrada swerves in and out, barely clinging to the vertical sides of the alps) and immediately are greeted by layers upon layers of mountain peaks and ridges, some cliff like, some carpeted with pine trees, and the further north, the more white snow has fallen and resting heavy on the [View Full Entry]

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Christmas in Vicenza For one who loves and appreciates not only food but talking, laughing and eating it too, Christmas with Ebe and family (the cousin of my father) in Vicenza, Italy is a gift to the palate and heart. I have just returned to Firenze after 2 full days of eating. Literally. Christmas, though very different than the Christmas my heart was fully missing with family in Connecticut, was still filled with the warmth of family. I was lucky enough to join in on the festivities-being lunch AND dinner, around which we cook, eat, chat, smoke (well, 75% of [View Full Entry]

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December 16th, 2004 Along with a glass of milk, I just ate the green, sugar crystal-speckled head of a molasses reindeer. I shared a confection-sugar coated almond cookie with my flat mate who closed her eyes to savor, and I smiled thinking of my mother. Christmas. Downtown, the church bells are ringing deep and far above us, there is the Romanian street band playing in Piazza Republica around the corner, behind me in the busy street passers-by pause by a video and music presentation that takes up an entire store-front, a hip advertisement strategy. Today I had lunch with my nephew [View Full Entry]

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December 5-9 Letting the music sing me to sleep one restless evening, I decided to change the equalizing filter from “hip hop” to “jazz” and experienced sounds I had never before heard within songs I’d listened to hundreds of times. All of a sudden, I was paying attention to percussive rhythms in the backdrop, small sets that have, until this moment, remained present but out of my awareness-seemingly unnoticed. What a difference, a completely different perspective, a whole new song, the same song. A new song. I can’t forget this-how adjusting the filter [View Full Entry]

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Giorno di Ringraziamento-November 25th On Wednesday I broke down in tears midst a normal day: a late bus, a lunch cooked and eaten in 10 minutes, running to work, a few difficult situations with the boss, chorus rehearsal until 11:30pm. Frustrated. Fragile. What was weighing so heavily? That evening, I met up with my friend Klajd, who, after 1 minute, had to comfort my teary face and also offer me some perspective. What was weighing so heavily? Nothing worth the emotion I was giving it. Oddly just for the day before Thanksgiving, he asked me: Are you the one that made [View Full Entry]

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November 20, 2004 PARMA OPERA, PROSCIUTTO and PARMAGIANO You can’t go to New England in the autumn without eventually having apple pie and you can’t go to Parma without tasting it. Known well for its parmegiano and prosciutto, as well as an incredible teatro (looks like the classicly ornate La Scala in Milano), Parma is a thriving little city about 2 hours northwest of Florence. With my friend Salima and her fiancé Riccardo, we started the afternoon by taking a drive up into the hills north of Firenze center, passed Sesto Fiorentino, with long, winding roads that follow every c [View Full Entry]

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November 13-19 THE PARUCCHIERE November 13th 6pm I’ve just walked out of the hair dressers with lovely stripes…Italian style stripes, that is, so that makes it ok. AH! A friend and I walked to several salons and finally chose this one, though both of us glared at one another several times with unease throughout the experience. Not only did the first coloring on my scalp burn like hell, but everyone there seemed confident that the “discomfort” would go away. The burning sensation was unbearable, and finally after 5 minutes of trying to suck it up, I was convinced by [View Full Entry]

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Amicizia I believe this is the word for friendship. My Italian class has given me a chance to form the friendships I was hoping for-a particular group of witty, relaxed students from all over the world-Australia, London, Japan, Poland, Albania, Austria, New York. Our teacher is intelligent, helpful, patient and kind. Twice now a group of us, quite large in fact, 10-13, have gone out for dinner, drinks, antipasti (the kind that is FREE at the local bars from 6-9pm or so every night) or a combination of the above. The group has a core, with a few that change, which [View Full Entry]

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November 1-2 Monday and Tuesday Mama and Papa-the Bridge. The idea to come to Italy was a seed planted tenderly, but unknowingly, by my parents-as Italy has formed and molded the very history of my family…and thus has given me identity within the Italian culture, however different it may have become over the years that my family has been in the United States. It was the love of the language, the art, music, food, the stories told my parents, the thirst to live and become a part of Italy and not just a visitor, that drove me here. So, this past [View Full Entry]

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