Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

Sam, the girls and I, would like to wish you a safe and happy new year! 

Shortly, we are off for dinner with friends and Sarah is up in Lerma getting reading to go to a big party in Tagliolo Monferratto. I won't sleep till she gets home. How easy was life when they girls came everywhere with us or stayed home safe with a babysitter. Those were the days. Teenagers are way worse than toddlers.  The terrible two were soooo much easier to navigate that this hormonal soup we live in now. Ah, to think that up to now the worst out of Sarah and Anna's mouths was "No, don't want to!". Today, goodness, where to start? Boys, discos, make-up and a host of other words I refuse to post on my blog! Adolescence... the start of the long road to adulthood or the loss of innocence. Is there a pause button I push?

(to those in the know, this was the photo from our Christmas Card)

Krista

Another day, another evening sunset walk in Chiavari. 

After our romantic stroll, we hit the caruggio in Chiavari, the main street or high street depending on which side of the Atlantic you grew up on, and it was full of people window shopping because the stores are gearing up for the much anticipated post Christmas sales. I know all you Gringos and Brits have already emptied the stores and contributed your bit to save the world economy over the last few days, but here in the very controlled overly protected retail market of Italy, sales are only permitted by decree and the merchants are only allowed to mark down goods - all at the same time - when the state goverment says they can, and in these parts that is the 3rd of January. But, you would never know that if you were out browsing today, all shops are in full discount mode and the merchandise is all out ready to go. Those in the know - good steady clients - are taking first pick before the "real" sale begins.  

After a much needed day of catching up on bills and year end organizing of the office, we are gearing up to ring in 2009 tomorrow night. We will be spending it with Anna's friend Denise and her family who live in the Val Graveglia, one of the valleys behind Lavagna famous for mining. After all these years living here this our first invite for the traditional Italian New Year's Eve dinner, lentcchie & cotecchino - lentils and pork sausage - eating this dish is suppose to bring you good luck. Lets see if that is true. Shall we keep track?

Auguri!

Krista

My Baby

is now a teenager. Sigh. 

Anna rang in her 13th year with our long time friends the Misleys and Carrot cake... Betty Crocker, only the best for my girl, after a round of Happy Birthday followed up with Buon compleano a te, my baby took one more step in her journey to becoming a young lady. 

She thanks everyone for their calls and gifts. Especially Grandpa Jack!

A presto!

Krista

Merry Christmas! Buon Natale!

Sarah helped usher in Christmas at midnight mass along Joanne and Chiesa San Giovanni's chorus! With only a few rehearsals under their belts, the group sounded quite good and surprisingly in tune. Last song played.... "Do They Know it Christmas" yup, that oldie from Geldof and Bono... Feed the world.... let them know its Christmas time... Who says church in Italy is overly traditional!

We had a very hectic start to the Christmas season, shopping, wrapping, cooking, baking. As much as I love Christmas and look forward to the season, I am glad we are no longer climbing uphill and, gliding downhill. 

After midnight mass we were tucked into bed and asleep by 2 am but, Sarah was still running around putting her last minute gifts under the tree. She, like her father, is enchanted by the magic of the season. 

Big difference this year compared to those past.... We ALL slept till 10 am! No ridiculous wake ups for teenage girls. I don't think Sarah and Anna believe in Santa anymore.... A bit sad isn't it?

Sarah is up in Lerma which has a fresh coating of snow this morning. I can't wait to read the poetry the dusting inspired. 

Next party, New Year's Eve!

Merry Christmas!

Krista

Happy Birthday Anna

No better time to get blogging than the holiday season! And povera Anna, whose birthday falls between Christmas and New Year's Day, turned 13 today! 

Now that Santa left me a new camera for Christmas I shall be back blogging. I mean, what is the use blogging if there are no pictures to tell the story? Last camera bit it the day I took those photos at Jones Beach. I was sitting in my chair close to the surf and well... if you grew up on Long Island, you know what happened - 

So, my dear Anna, may you have a happy birthday you mod teenage girl.

 

Summer Days...

There has been a heat wave on in NY, a hurricane somewhere off in the Atlantic and all around perfect weather for late afternoons spent at the beach. As soon as the kids get home from camp, we hit the beach for our merenda and cool dip in the ocean.

Sarah and Anna have always been quite good swimmers (thank you San Diego)  and now surf the waves like dolphins, or as Anna says, like penquins - no arms.

To catch up.

I have been taking care of this and that, kids have been having a great time at camp where Anna has quite a following of male admirers and Sarah is a regular queen bee. They both spent the weekend at a friend's house and I finally got out with some adult company! Party!

While my dear Sam has been riding around in very fast Italian sports cars, I have been driving my new rental - a Ford Focus! 

A presto

Krista

A New Career!

Mommy Mommy... Guess what?! I am the new bus monitor! 

Yup Sarah now is the official Monitor of the Route 49A Usdan Bus. Control is mine she says to her sister with a sinister laugh. 

As you can imagine, Anna is not impressed and not going to listen to her sister.  

Bunnies Bunnies Everywhere....

There seems to be an explosion of little cute bunnies up and down the lanes of Levittown. Here is our evening friend that comes out around 6 pm for his or her bedtime snack. Our bunny is an Eastern Cottontail and every lawn seems to have at least one munching away.

It is not surprising that the bunny finds my dad's backyard so inviting, so do we, unless there is rain and so far, it has been dry and so we eat our dinner on the patio. Anna does the cooking, this evening Talapia, scallops and shrimp wrapped in foil with fresh herbs from the garden and grilled to perfection accompanied by home fries.

Wish you were here!  

Bon Appetito!

Krista

Family First!

The gang! Lillian, Grandpa, Anna and Sarah.

Here is my Dad, Jack with his big sister Lillian sitting on her porch waiting for the sun to set and the fireworks to begin - again.

Love this photo! Look - my aunt on her tippy toes making sure that the lobster she is getting is the lobster she wants! 
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard where my grandpa worked many many years ago!

Anna Banana and me on our Harbor Cruise.

Krista

Portsmouth, NH

What better way to spend the 4th of July that in the heart of Yankee Doodle Land! 

I dragged my poor Old Dad off to see his "big" sister Lillian (89 years young!) for the fireworks and an old fashioned Independence Day. We filled ourselves with lobster rolls, chowder and the girls and I even went on a harbor cruise -where Sarah and Anna experienced the fickle New England weather - one minute fog next minute sun - and well, we just had a great time shopping downtown, sightseeing and catching up with family. 

We rushed up to Portsmouth on the 3rd at leaving New York at 6 am! On the way up we stopped at Mc Donald's for breakfast... a first for Sarah and Anna, living in Italy has its advantages. I should post about all the firsts for the kids, sometimes while we are here in the states it really seems like the kids just crawled out from under a rock. 

Anna, Sarah and I spent our first afternoon in Portsmouth taking in the sights then my cousins Sally and Frank joined us at Lillian's for dinner and fireworks. 

My Aunt Lillian house has a front row seat for the fireworks and all afternoon she and my dad had been keeping track of all the people laying out their blankets to save their favorite spot. After dinner the clouds rolled in and the skies opened with thunder lightening and heavy rain. Finally the event was called off.  I think we all had more fun watching everyone get wet while running for cover. 

Homecoming

The girls and I have been enjoying New York, Camp and catching up with family. In fact, we have been so busy we go to bed way earlier than normal and well... I have fallen off on the blogging. Here is a cute photo of Sarah and Anna and a few quick posts to catch you up on what we have been up to!

We Touched the Ground at JFK...

And we have hit the ground running.

The girls and I are back the US of A, slumming in Levittown with Grandpa Jack. 

We arrived late Friday afternoon after a killer 3 am wake up call to catch a 6:50 am flight out of Pisa. All went uneventfully and we even landed 30 minutes early in JFK. We slid easily through immigration, always helps to get an officer of Homeland Security that grew up on Long Island to welcome you back, two bags were waiting for us on the luggage round - but - the rest came last. We were out of the airport and home with Grandpa by 4 pm.

We spend the weekend getting sorted, shopping and eating Grandpa's good food off the grill. The girls started camp yesterday and all their friends were happy to see them once again. 

Weather has been a bit stormy and the prices at the supermarket and gas pump are shocking. At least for the moment gas is still cheaper than in Italy!

 

No Surprise Here!

Surfing the web reading the news and, low and behold this revelation.....

The Associated Press: High school exams in Italy get failing grades

Usually, it's the student who fails an exam. In Italy, it's the exams that are getting failing grades for embarrassing errors that have already cost one education official her job.

Several mistakes were found in the English, ancient Greek and Italian exams high school students must pass before graduation.

The most error-riddled test was the English exam, given to students Thursday in vocational high schools, where foreign language courses are meant to prepare pupils for jobs in tourism.

In a text about a holiday villa in Namibia, wrong subject-verb agreements, awkward phrasing and misspellings like "budges" instead of "budgets" were found.

"I believe a waiter in Venice would use more adequate and correct English," Sergio Perosa, an Italian expert on American and English literature, wrote in the Corriere della Sera newspaper Friday.

Italy's new Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini vowed Friday that those responsible for the errors would be found and appropriate action taken against them.

And here I am giving Sarah a hard time about not studying enough, not pulling her weight....being - Approssimativo - basically not giving her best. What has she learned at Italian schools? This info doesn't make me feel good or so sure. 

Why Italians may find it tricky to master the English language - Times Online

The chief examiner of Italy’s equivalent of A levels has been dismissed over “grave errors” in examination papers, including an English test taken from a Namibian website that critics described as “almost incomprehensible” in places.

Students taking English as part of the maturita exam were given questions on an unlikely text: an online interview by a Yemeni journalist with the German-born owners of a resort at Swakopmund in Namibia. The text, provided for examiners by the State Tourism Institute, was entitled Feel of Home at Villa Wiese – Swakopmund Namibia, described as a “funky guest lodge”. It omits definite and indefinite articles and inverted commas, uses have when has is needed, spells budgets as budges and has only a passing acquaintance with good style.

And, then this....

Sarah reported that during her "Quarta Prova" - the forth standardized test all Italian students need to take - her math teacher went around the room correcting the work of the students and giving out the answers! Even against Sarah's protests - she didn't accept help. 

Sarah correctly pointed out, the teacher was worried the black fact that she didn't really do her job and teach would be out. AND on top of this, during the other exams, many of the Sarah's friends were openly cheating while the teachers were texting on their phones or reading the paper!  

Krista

PS. Sarah graduated Middle School with distinction and now she is onto bigger an better things. High School

Update

Susan asked below in the comment to School Daze, "How did it go?"

Well, it went. I didn't sit in and watch, apparently that is allowed and at the last minute Sarah wanted me to go. I didn't think that would be best to have mom hovering. But, Virginia's mom went and she reported that Sarah did fabulously! The teachers interrogated her for over 40 minutes - Sarah did most of the talking. Her powerpoint presentation didn't properly load onto her teacher's not up to date PC, but Sarah soldiered on. She got caught by one question - and it was a tough one and maybe not fair, but in a way a gift. Her art teacher, a frustrated and failed architect, asked her about the Twin Tower's design influences and rationalism and who was the father of modern architecture - correct answer - Le Corbusier. But poor Sarah couldn't remember.

This afternoon the results of the exams will be posted. 

I did sit in on Virginia's exam. She was very nervous and considering the gang from Lerma showed up just in time to watch outside the door, she did great. When she got stuck or made a mistake, she laughed it off and corrected herself. She had her teachers in the palm of her hand. Virginia is a very poised and graceful young lady.

After the exams, Sarah, Vi and the "Gang of 3" from Lerma headed to the beach for some fun in the sun after a morning of stress. Then for dinner all the kids came here. There was my Sarah sitting at the table with Vi, Julia, her brother Simone and Lorenzo - who gets nearly perfect marks at school and plays the piano too. They were loud, funny and you know - just normal kids enjoying each others company.  The Gang from Lerma are staying at Vi's until Sunday when they go back home to Lerma. 

After the kids devoured dinner, they banged on Anna's drums and played the piano they headed to the passagiata for an evening stroll. 

All I can say is Sarah is lucky to have such wonderful friends! 

A presto

Final Daze

Sarah set off this morning for her FINAL exam ever in middle school. Today she has her orals. Sarah needs to present herself in front of a "commission" of teachers, including the school principal, a nun, and an objective observer from another school. She needs to be prepared to be interrogated about all she has learned over the last 3 years. Yikes!

To narrow the scope of the exam, a few weeks back Sarah submitted a thesis if you will, of a chosen theme. Sarah chose the book "The Kite Runner", by Khaled Hosseini, and with that as a start she ran a thread though all her subject matter in school. She covered the history of Afghanistan - the War on Terror - the Taliban - the Soviet invasion etc, she spilled over into the geography of the surrounding region  - Iraq - Pakistan and art and even music, of course, religion, that was a no brainer. In my humble opinion, she did a great job and her thesis was well thought out and researched. Only thing, Sarah is not a liberal and is a very patriotic young lady and her teachers tend to lean hard to the left and are a bit... well...they just hate George Bush - period. They tried to steer her away from her chosen themes and into what they wanted her to present (their view) and Sarah wouldn't have any of it. She stuck to the facts. When she wanted to talk about the Taliban, Al Qaeda and September 11th as a catalyst for the War on Terror, they wanted her to present the Israeli - Palestinian conflict from the Palestinian's side. She wanted to use the Twin Towers as an example of modern Gothic design and she was told the towers weren't relevant. This battle went on and on all spring. When she presented her thesis the first time, her teachers jumped all over her and gave her a buono - low B grade. Only upside, she was able to argue in French and that teacher played fair. He asked to explain the divide between the American and French leading up to the invasion of Iraq - and she did in fluent French. He gave her a distinto - a high B grade. He might not have agreed, but Sarah will never know. He graded her on her work, he was a professional. 

After the practice oral, Sarah was a bit down about the reaction. I told her, just give them what they want without selling yourself out. You are not running for office or responsible for defending American policies. Get in there present your work and have fun. 

This morning Sarah dressed herself neat and clean, hair pulled back and was a bundle of nerves. I know she is prepared, she knows she is prepared, but, as Sarah so cleverly pointed out, you never can predict what the teachers will ask or if they will be objective. A hard lesson to learn at such a young age.

I will let you know the results as soon as we get her final grades!

Krista

Catching up

Sitting here, early in the morning, drinking my coffee - alone - silence in the house. Cat fed, Sarah off for an exam at school and most sadly, Anna and Sam on their way to the airport. Looking out the window, it is cloudy and dark, rain likely to start any moment. Great time to blog.

Anna is off to Finland for a week's adventure with her dad. Sadly, ehem ehem, Sarah and I are unable to join them. Sarah's final exams don't finish until Friday. Today, there is the Quarta Prova, from what I understand - and that is a stretch - the exam is a new standardized test for all exiting middle schoolers. Not really a grade for Sarah, but for her teachers and school. Tomorrow, she has her oral exams. Yikes. She will be first to go before the commission. There is a tradition of picking a letter out of a hat and then going on alphabetical order over two days. Because Sarah also has her conservatory exams this week and they conflict with school... she gets to go FIRST. Woo Woo. Actually, Sarah is quite happy about it. As she says, she just wants to get it over with and move on. That is my girl. 

Thursday she has her Violin exam in the morning, and Solfeggio in the afternoon. Immediately after that exam we rush home for her middle school results and final report card. Friday piano. When that is over, Sarah can finally relax and enjoy her summer vacation.  That is if summer ever arrives. So far. It hasn't. See that photo? That is me a week ago hiking in Sestri Levante - in a thunderstorm and heavy rain. Crazy. We haven't had a single nice warm weekend in weeks. Saying that, there hasn't even been a day worthy enough or warm enough to justify laying on the beach reading a book. 

On the bright side, there is always one, since we have been living in tropical conditions - heavy rain and warm weather, the hiking trails and hills behind Chiavari are abloom in wild flowers like I have never seen in the 8 years I have been living here. 

Tomorrow, fingers crossed, the weather is suppose to break and the sun is to shine. I hope the weathermen are not lying, I really need to work on my tan before we leave for New York.....  

10 more days to departure. 

Ready Dad?

Busy Week!

Goodness, last week was one of the busiest I have had since Christmas. Between the last day of school for the kids, report cards, Sarah's conservatory, running back and forth to Genoa EVERY day, I was too pooped to post!

So, let me catch up...

First things first. A belated Happy Birthday to my dear friend Carol B.!

Here she is celebrating her big 8-0h at Villa Spinola Thursday. The AIWC closed up business for the year and we helped Carol mark her 80th year on this earth with style. Between the cake, the spumante and all the warm wishes from some of her dearest friends, Carol was, dare I say, close to tears. 

Carol is one hell of a lady. I knew the first time I met her 8 years ago I would like her. She opened her mouth and out came that sharp New York wit - I felt like I was home!  She is a force in life and within the AIWC of Genoa. Without her, for sure the club would have fallen apart years ago. 

Tanti Aguri Carol! Ti volgia bene!

Krista

Happy Father's Day Pops!

Jack and his fish. I love this photo, can anyone see who resembles Grandpa?

Dad, I may have forgot today is father's day, in Italy its celebrated on March 19th the feast of St. Joseph's, but I didn't forget you, so your present will be packed in the luggage. The girls and I will be in NY in less than 2 weeks. I hope you are ready for the onslaught!

Just think, this is your 55th year being a dad! Woo Woo! Bet you didn't think about that way back when you were a young lad in the Navy.

Krista

Hazy lazy daze....

Lavagna

To cap off our weekend of doing basically nothing, Sam and I took a stroll from Chiavari to the port of Lavagna and sat on the rocks and stared out to the calm sea. After our fill of watching the fleet return after a long holiday weekend we continued on our walk.  We stopped by Silvia and Ian's on the way home and then we all went for a gelato. After dinner we played cards with Barbara and Enrico - and won. A relaxing calm weekend all and all. 

Krista

  

Festa della Repubblica

Today is a holiday in Italy, Festa della Republica, or the birth of the Italian Republic. Meaning... another long weekend, crowds everywhere and colossal traffic jams. There will be a big parade in Rome and lots of military displays. Think 4th of July in America minus the family around the BBQ and you get the picture. 

Yesterday Sam, Anna and I ventured to Santa Margherita planning to hike to Portofino and yes, we were a bit daft. After fighting the traffic and not finding a spot for the mini, we turned around defeated. Got back to Chiavari and started to hike in the hills behind us only to be rained on. We ended up at home where upon we ate our picnic lunch at the kitchen table. After, Anna went out cruising Chiavari with her friend and Sam and I watched a movie. A day of bad planning and a wasted morning left us with a lazy Sunday afternoon. What were we thinking? We can hike to Portofino just about any time we want, why did we chose to do go during a holiday weekend? 

So, it is more of the same sloth today. Weather is lousy and there is really nothing to do. Sam is once again banging on the drums, Anna is watching a movie and I am writing. Sam spent the morning trying to get our old camcorder to play on the TV. No luck. But it was sweet to sort of see Sarah babbling away as a toddler and me heavily pregnant with Anna. Even Anna had to admit, Sarah was a cute little girl. Since we were heady on nostalgia, I broke out the old photos to show Anna that she was also a very cute baby. Where did the time go? 

Anna has a big practice this afternoon for her theater group's performance this Wednesday evening. I saw a rehearsal the other day. May I say that it is surreal to see your American daughter up on a stage with all her Italian friends reciting lines on cue. Who would have ever thought? My shy little girl who hardly spoke a word till she was 4, up on stage talking Italian. How did we get to this point? If you told me 10 years ago I would be raising my family in Italy, I would of said you were nuts. 

School and the girls' activities, thank god, are winding down and the summer plans are all set. Only 25 more days and we are out of here! New York here we come. Ready Dad? 

Krista

 

Jammin

Here I am chatting to Alessio the guy I buy my daily fruit and veg from. Strange as it may seem to all you living in the more temperate part of the world, i.e. NORTH, strawberry season is over in Italy. He is making me an offer I cannot refuse - I couldn't resist that line - 3 flats of super ripe strawberrys for only 10 euro. How could I say no? I thought of all those jars I have been saving that no one seems to want. I will put them to use. 

Back to trash talkin I am adding this photo of all the trash the market produced yesterday. This is a daily market - Monday - Saturday. Just think of how it must pile up on a weekly basis at whatever landfill it goes to. I know I mentioned it way back when I first started blogging, but it deserves to said once more, this all gets THROWN AWAY!
Anyway. After I got my strawberries home, thank you Sam for carrying them, I set out to hull clean and boil away. I have never made jam before but that didn't stop me. After about a couple of hours of labor I had over 20 jars of jam! I will confess that some batches set better than others... but hey, you have to start somewhere.

Lost in Translation

Not growing up in Chiavari does set one up for social ignorance. Friday night Sam and I went out to an inauguration of a friend of a friend's restaurant.  As usual the information about the event was thin, but I thought, well dress up it is Friday night. I chose wisely for this was the social event of the weekend.  The restaurant, "A Casa Mia a Mare" is located in "Skipper" which used to be the "disco" way back when, was for a long time, then as those things go Skipper faded away as the crowd moved on to new and other exciting places. Well. Not anymore. The place has been made into a thoroughly modern hip lounge/restaurant complete with a sushi bar! The inauguration was invitation only and all the beautiful people of Sestri, Lavagna and Chiavari where invited - if you could believe it Sam and I too. There was press, photographers and well - Buzz. I must say, Italians sure do know how to make an event "exclusive", chic and you feel like a star. I felt as if I was at a Hollywood premier yet the atmosphere was, under the all the glitz, more like a high school reunion. Thing was, Sam and I didn't go to that high school. We had fun, yet there was that awkward feeling that one can get when you are watching people more than connecting with them. I suppose that is one way of describing what I feel like living Italy and not being fluent with the language. You tend to listen more than speak. Watch more than participate. A bit on the outside.

After we caught up with our friends from Chiavari and got tired of fighting to get to the free food and drink, trust me, Italians just don't do buffets well. No one queues and you have to push your way to the front - think bread line in a war zone -  we went home. Sorry no photos. I didn't even think to bring the camera. Who knew? 

Krista

Anna Update

Sitting here at my desk relaxing on a Sunday evening after a busy couple of days. After catching up on the news and surfing the web - Sam is banging on Anna's drum kit - I thought I would catch up my blogging.

By the way... 

A big thanks to all of you who stop by the Adventure, it makes me feel loved and bit guilty when I don't keep up on posting.

Anna update:

Anna is just about back to her old self, minus more than 2 kilos or 4.4 pounds. Her appetite is not quite back to "normal" but, I am not so sure that is a negative. Anna actually looks good and maybe she realizes that eating more than Sam does is not a good thing for a growing teenager. Huge bonus was going back to school with her "war story" of vomit and high fevers. I never can get around this silly competition on how high your fever was. And Anna liked all the compliments and jealousy about getting so "thin". Teenage girls!

A presto!

Summertime Flu!

Yesterday was a long long day. Anna woke us up in the middle of the night with an upset stomach and spent the rest of the day in the toilet doing what one does when they have the flu as well as running a high fever. In the afternoon, Sam went to pick up Sarah at school to take her to Genoa for her violin lesson and guess what? She had a fever too! So, we have been having a Lord of the Rings / Simpson's dvdathon and the kids have been both camped out on the couch. At least the weather is horrible, rainy and cool. 

I am blogging and at the moment Sam is banging on drums - the kids are still on the couch watching TV.

I am off to make some Chicken Soup!

Krista

More Trash Talkin'

Mona Charen sums up the saga of Naples quite nicely. I couldn't have explained this mess clearer.  Read excerpts from her recent column below the photo or click on the link for the whole thing.

If all this posting about the garbage of Naples has peaked your interest in the city, pick up and read Roberto Saviano's "Gomorroh", or catch the film "Gomorrah", based on the book, this summer at your local artsy cinema. It just debuted last week at the Cannes film festival and is up for an award. If you click over to the site, you can see a trailer but it is quite violent - you are warned. The organized business men of Naples make Tony Soprano look like a pussy cat.

Trash and Politics Italian Style

But Silvio Berlusconi pulled out a great victory. And that is where resemblances to American politics must end. Consider what Berlusconi faces. The New York Times reported it this way: "Beginning his third term as prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday pledged unusually forceful measures to solve Italy's deep problems. These steps include new restrictions on illegal immigrants and the use of the military to tackle the longstanding garbage crisis in Naples." The military? To clear garbage?

Your humble correspondent was just in Italy last week and amid many delights (including the gorgeous Amalfi Coast) had the misfortune to spend the better part of a day in Naples. Nothing prepares you for the squalor. The trash is piled up in great hillocks around the city, many as much as one-story high. The stench is oppressive. A great deal of garbage has of course escaped its plastic bags and decorates the streets and sidewalks. Everywhere your eye falls, even in the district surrounding the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace), blight reigns. Having just seen Rome and Sorrento, Naples was a jar.

My friend Michael Ledeen, an expert on Italian fascism, Eurocommunism, the history of Italy, terrorism, and many other subjects, is completing a book on Naples. He compares it to New Orleans, another corrupt city. Both cities are doomed, he explains. New Orleans, it need hardly be recalled post-Katrina, lies below sea level in the path of hurricanes. Naples sits right below Mount Vesuvius, which has erupted dozens of times since its catastrophic explosion in A.D. 79, most recently in 1944.

The question now is whether the Italian government has the wherewithal to deal with the literal and figurative mess. Italy is famed for its ungovernability. The trash has piled up in the streets of Naples because the dumps are full and when a new dump or incinerator is proposed, there is loud protest from those in proximity to the planned site. The NIMBY impulse is killing a great European city.

Not only is the trash an aesthetic and health offense, it deepens the corruption of the city. The companies that collect trash are thoroughly infiltrated by the Camorra, as the Neapolitan branch of the mafia is called. City dumps reached capacity a decade ago, so the city has pronounced yearly states of emergency since then. Under the states of emergency, CNN reports, the normal contracting oversight is dispensed with, and Camorra gets the lucrative contracts. The criminals then fail to clear the trash and deal with complaints and competition in time-honored wise-guy fashion. The Camorra is said to earn more than a billion dollars a year from "waste management."

Silvio Berlusconi is from the bustling northern Italian city of Milan. A billionaire with a higher-than-average self-regard ("I am the Jesus Christ of politics"), the black-haired septuagenarian has been plagued by conflict of interest charges. His previous record on economic reform was tepid, and as for his diplomatic skills, well… At the close of the 2003 EU summit he pronounced, "Let's talk about footfall and women." He then turned to the four-times-married German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and said, "Gerhard, why don't you start?" Regarding his own flexible ethical standards, Berlusconi explained, "If I, taking care of everyone's interests, also take care of my own, you can't talk about a conflict of interest."

Such is the man who now bestrides Italian politics. His quirky egomania seems ill-suited to the grownup job of governing. The trash in Naples is the test. If he can clean that up and take down the Camorra, he will deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Rudolph Giuliani.

Fuel For Thought

I have been watching the evening news roundup, CNN, Fox, etc and listening to Americans whine over the rising cost of fuel. Amazing to see the prices but....

Want to know what we pay for fuel in here in Euro Zone?

A gallon is more or less 3.7 liters and today the cost of unleaded gas is about 1.47 euro a liter making the price of fuel about 5.44 euros a gallon. If you think that is not huge difference you are - WRONG. 

At today's exchange rate, 5.44 euros = $8.56.  Yes. That is right. A gallon of unleaded gas purchased today in Italy will set you back approximately $8.56 a gallon. 

So. Continuing with my evening math lesson. 

To fill up my car with gas, a mini Cooper S 2, which has a tank that holds 13.2 gallons or 50 liters of gas, at the today's prices, costs about $113 or 71 euros to fill up. Meno male, the car gets good gas mileage, according to the mini web site, about 34 mpg hwy or 26 city for a grand total of 449 miles on one tank.   

Still think Europe is paradise?

Krista

Back to Sarah

Enough about the trash.

Welcome to the life of a very busy 14 year old.

Sarah is on her way out the door after an extended stay pampering herself in the bathroom, putting on her "face" and getting ready for a Thursday night out on the town. Her classmate Saverio is having his annual birthday pizza extravaganza and Sarah is all dolled up. Ah, to be 14 again. 

Anna is sulking, she is not invited. 

These days our house is a festering den of teenage angst and hormones. Sometimes I wish I could hit a rewind button and - poof - my cute little babies are back or, better yet, a fast forward option to 21 and parental independence.

Talkin Trash

Saint Silvio kept his promise and had his first official cabinet meeting in Naples...

He has militarized the trash clean up and promises to clear the city of waste, illegal immigrants and crime.

In Silvio's words....

"Italy's three biggest problems are the cost of public administration and public services, the weight of public debt and the ulcer that is tax evasion," he said. "After that, we will have to apply ourselves to issues of civil justice and to fill the gaps between us and other European nations … I came to Naples also to state that the state will act with determination to ensure laws are respected and to alleviate a situation which is simply not civil."

Amen!  Get those garbage trucks moving!

Krista

PS.  Sorry to all my anti Berlusconi friends. But how can one argue with that statement? È vero, no?

Reflection of the Day

Last week, tragedy struck near to us and I chose not blog about it. Somethings should be private but the event has left me with many thoughts on life.

Some of you may know what happened and we may of even spoken about it. I can't stop wondering and thinking that life is so precious.  It is brief and no matter how we try, we may not have the opportunity to accomplish all that we may desire and feel a sense of satisfaction in our achievements. Some things may weigh heavy on one person's shoulders and on others maybe not.  Is life a circle? Do we get out of it what we put in? At times do the columns just not add up?  Is that a reason to despair? To shout? Or to simply walk away?

On this beautiful Monday morning a pause to reflect on  the meaning of generosity, selfishness and Karma.

By definition, according to the modern wonder called Wikipedia, Selfishness denotes the precedence given in thought or deed to the self, i.e., self interest or self concern. It is the act of placing one's own needs or desires above the needs or desires of others. Selfishness is the opposite of altruism.

Generosity, is the habit of giving. Often equated with charity as a virtue, generosity is widely accepted in society as a desirable habit.

Karma  may vary slightly in different religious or spiritual contexts. The philosophical explanation of the law of Karma is all deeds actively create past, present, and future experiences, this makes one responsible for one's own life and the pain and or joy it brings to her/him and others. Simply, what goes around comes around and what you put into life is what you get out of it.  No time for being mean or petty. Live with joy and joy will find its way into your heart.  If you feel hurt, reach out and talk to a friend, don't lash out in anger or pain. 

Listen to your heart

Listen to your loved ones

Make time for your friends

and...

Be happy in your life.  Give joy and maybe you too will eventually find it.

Krista

  

Krista

Garbage Garbage Everywhere...

I just got back from my morning coffee and quick glance at the newspapers. For months I have been trying to follow the garbage mess in Naples, but whether I read the international or the Italian press, I am still confused about why the streets of Napoli are full of rotting bags of waste. But then again this is Italy and there is never a simple explanation for anything. Not even garbage piling up in the streets.  You would think that someone has to be responsible for picking it up, no?

This complicated mess of what to do with the garbage and where to put it, from what I have been able to piece together has something to do with closed landfills and the control of the garbage business by the local Mafia/Camorra. Ah....this story brings back the memories of Old New York. Can anyone remember those days? Where is Rudy G. when you need him?

The Italian military has been brought in a few times to clean up the garbage and newly elected Berlusconi has promised to fix the mess but the residents are just fed up and are burning the waste in the streets trying to get on with it. The Vigili del Fuoco, or firefighters, who tried to put out the burning piles of rubbish over the weekend were set upon by the residents protesting and raging in the streets to prevent them. War of the Garbage!

 Click over here and take a look at the photos.  Can you just imagine the smell- the rats - cockroaches - the stray dogs feasting?  Who would what to live with that on their doorstep? Riot I might. 

Ok, rotting trash left on the streets and burning, - cue in the global warming alarmists? - has caught the attention of the US Military who are now worried about the water and air quality because of this stinking mess. After all, they have to post staff in Naples which has now become environmentally toxic. Lawsuit American Style anyone?

Catch up on the whole stinking  story of Italy's mess with Reuters....

Pee ewe!

Krista

Ecco Il Papa II

Look at all those people there to see the pope!  More than 35,000! That is the size of the population of Chiavari!

Ecco Il Papa!

The Pope came to Genoa this weekend.

He arrived Friday evening and the traffic headaches began. Unfortunately for the gathered crowds, it has been pouring with rain since his holiness's plane touched ground.  But the heavy rain didn't scare the faithful... nor the protesters - the usual suspects - the angry left, socialists, anti this and anti that who want to get their face and sign on CNN as well as the Mayor of Genoa who marched with the pro abortion protesters.   

Thankfully the clouds did briefly ease up in time for mass this afternoon in Piazza della Vittoria.  While all that was happening in Genoa, Sam and I had a lovely lunch with Silvia and Ian, their kids and our kids. Then when all the dishes were done, we played Buracco. Ian and I against Sam and Silvia.  Ian and I kicked #ss and won.

Back to the Pope.

Ratzinger toured Savona and the city of Genoa including the Gaslini Children's Hospital.  Click here for the very biased AFP take on the weekend and  here for the more balanced, if you can say that, IHT report.

Huh?

Continuing with the topic of "You never know what you will stumble upon in Italy"....

On the way from Sarah's saggio, back to Carol's house for ice cream, we see this motorino with THIS bumper sticker.  These days I suppose Hillary needs all the help she can - do you think support in Italy will get her the election?