Look Who's Talking

Every Saturday night at our house is 'pizza and a movie' night. Last week, Monica made us each our own personal pizzas with buffalo mozzarella and tomato sauce. Last minute, the oven broke! Monica made the pizza in the microwave, and the crust came out surprisingly crispy!

Well, the movie we watched was Harry Potter, I forget which one... Probably because it was dubbed!

Monica tells me most of the movies in the theaters are dubbed, and that certain famous actors have their own specific Italian voice actors. One voice over actor in particular, Ferruccio Amendola, is known for dubbing the voices of Al Pacino, Sylvester Stallone, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Christopher Lloyd, and Bill Cosby. Monica says some Italians can tell which actor is being portrayed just by listening to the voice. He had a specific voice for each actor!

Earthquake!

Today at 9:10am there was a 4.9 magnitude earthquake in Northern Italy. I felt a little shake, but coming from California, I'm used to them!

Here's an article about it:
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE80O0LS20120125?irpc=932

Anyway, after the earthquake I went for a walk around town today and saw quite a few interesting things. Firstly, apparently there is a brand of apples with my namesake!

I also saw these at the market, can anyone guess what they are??

They're stuffed, frozen snails at the market!

I think this calls for the Italian expression of the day: "Che schifo!" (pronounced keh skeefo) Which means, "How disgusting!"

And now for the opposite of disgusting, Monica's cooking! She somehow creates these wonderful dishes and never seems to break a sweat. Here is a dinner we had this week: brocolli pie, carrots, and fennel covered with white cheese sauce and walnuts. Che Delizioso!

La Dolce Vita

This is a video of my living quarters for the next 6 months. I love the beautiful view, the warm sun that shines in during the day, the comfortable bed and the large, wonderful bathtub!

:)

Wordplay

Working on puzzles with the kids this week really got me thinking. Here's a little stream of consciousness for you.

When starting a puzzle, it's important to begin working on a smooth, flat surface. Working on a rocky foundation is a recipe for disaster. Sometimes the basics can make all the difference.

Everyone has a different technique, I like to start on the outside before focusing on the details in the middle. Although everyone is different, we all want the same end result: to be complete.

We put a lot of effort into things and sometimes they just don't fit. Sometimes that piece looks a little off but it works for now, so you ignore it. It may not ruin the entire structure, but eventually you'll need to put that piece somewhere else, the place it was always meant to go.

When you get stuck you can spend countless minutes, hours, days... Trying each piece one by one... But when you find the perfect fit, it's worth it. When things fit together, it's easy. And when they don't, they might work temporarily, but be prepared to come back later for repairs.

Or with some luck you can stumble upon a wave where everything seems to come naturally, little can stop the juices flowing. You know you've stumbled upon something worth trying and continuing. It's hard to find, but once it's there, you try your best to keep it going.

And then there are the times when you've completed it to realize there is one missing piece. Somewhere along the road you misplaced it, and it will probably never be recovered. And the work may feel like it was in vain.

When you try and try and nothing fits, you say to yourself, "It's faulty mechanics, I've received a dud..." But usually, you're just in denial. You aren't trying hard enough. You just haven't looked hard enough to connect the right pieces together.

And when you're ready to give up and walk away, maybe that's the best thing for now... Sometime in the future you may have an epiphany to help work through it, or maybe you'll realize it's just not worth it. Maybe someone else will have better luck...

Before Sunset

Yesterday was my first time driving in Italy. Thankfully, we borrowed Michail's car which has an automatic transmission. The first thing I noticed were that the lanes were so much more narrow than in the states. I wasn't sure about some of the rules... In Italy you can't turn right after stopping at a red light, you must wait for it to turn green. Other than that, the lines in the road seem to be more of a suggestion than anything else, as I saw people freely gliding in between two lanes, as if the lines weren't there. Also, in Bergamo there are so many roundabouts, I had to get used to yielding and putting myself in the correct lane for my next turn. It was a little hectic. But, we got home safely!

Today the kids went to their horse riding lessons. This was the beautiful view on the way there!

Automatic

=

The last few days I've come across stores full of vending machines, with no attendant!
I wonder if this would work in the States. I doubt vending machines would make enough to pay the high rent of a space. Also, nothing could quite replace customer service... Right?

Before and After

Today is another foggy day in Bergamo. Poor Zoi was sick this morning so she stayed home from school, but she's feeling better now. We are working on a puzzle of the Chicago skyline. I also painted her nails. She's a cutie!

Everything else is going well. Yesterday we went to a sporting goods store to buy the kids' horse riding gear. I was surprised at the low prices, some things were even cheaper than in the states.

I just have been feeling really grateful the last few days. I miss Korea sometimes but there are a few things I am so glad to be done with. Of course I made the most of my life in Korea and I wouldn't have changed anything in the world, but here's a little 'why Italy is better than Korea (so far)':
-the ability to communicate effectively with my employer (a HUGE one)
-the kids actually try to communicate in English
-instead of relying heavily on sound effects and charades, I can use words to teach
-since there are only 3 kids, I am really able to bond with them and feel that I am making a difference
-the abundance and variety of cheese! haha...
There are other things, but I'm going to keep working on this puzzle!

Ciao!

Dogma

I arrived in Italy in the evening yesterday so I didn't get a chance to see anything around town. But today, Monica gave me a tour of Bergamo. We went to Upper Town and saw a gorgeous church, the Colleoni Chapel. This chapel is a shrine where the famous military leader, Bartolomeo Colleoni, and his horse, are buried. Monica told me that there is a legend that Bartolomeo had three testicles. She said that the paint has been rubbed off of this part of the fence because if you rub this area, you will have many children.

Then we had really great coffee, called a Marocchino. This is chocolate powder, a shot of espresso, topped with foamed milk.

Next we ate lunch at the grocery store and did some shopping.

L'Aventurra

I felt emotional all day. It doesn't seem real. I was on the plane and I thought, what am I doing?? Not in a regretful way, but more shocked at the amazing opportunities that always seem to come my way.

I flew about 11 hours to Zurich, had an hour layover, then I flew 45 minutes to Milan. That flight was gorgeous! The sun was setting and the view of the Swiss Alps covered in snow was stunning.

So my host Michail and the three kids met me at the airport... They even had a sign with my name on it! They gave me a tour of the house and... Wow. Incredible! Pictures won't do it justice but I will post some. I have a large room, a really nice bathroom with a huge tub (I loooove bathtubs!), a kitchenette... It's all amazing.

My first dinner with the Perackis' was amazing! We started with pumpkin soup, then delicious green beans, and warmed cheese called "tomino" which vaguely reminded me of the grilled provolone (proveleta) in Argentina. We finished the meal off with a delicious chocolate/cookie log. Yum.

I am exhausted and jetlagged but I wanted to give a quick update before I start unpacking or just crash after a long day of travels.

Ciao!

The Next Three Days

I cannot believe that in 3 days I will be flying to Milan! It doesn't feel real yet. I keep waking up every morning feeling a little lost, finding ways to occupy my time and enjoy the last few days I have left with my family and friends. That sounds a little morbid. I know it isn't the last days... just for few months!

I don't want to have too many expectations, but come on, it's ITALY!

So, the next few days I will be packing and spending time with my favorite people... and animals!