I'm off to England for a couple of weeks, see you when I'm back!
ps, My doctor is somewhat misguided about the English character. Last visit he told me that I would only have to stay a few days in hospital when the time comes to get my leg cage removed. 'Hooray' I replied. In mock hurt he asked, "why, didn't you like your month stay with us last time?". "Well, you know" I replied, "it was a beautiful exerience and all, but...". "Aha! You have just demonstrated exactly why you are English through and through" he said "look at how diplomatic you were"....
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
5 pleasantly surpising discoveries about Italy
1)A sugary coffee and a pastry is considered a nutritious breakfast
Yep, order that cappuccino, chuck in at least a sachet of sugar and then order that greasy cornetto with nutella oozing out the sides. Because everyone knows the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world, right?!
2)'Getting drunk' is not part of the culture
...unless it's with dinner, and even then it's not a British 'getting drunk for the sake of it' type getting drunk. Don't get me wrong, I love drinking, but these days I save all my serious drinking for trips to England because here they don't really get it, and drunkenness isn't considered very acceptable in public. At first I missed my social crutch but I've come to appreciate that it's possible to stay out late without the aid of booze and still have a good time. I swear it's true! And the next day isn't a write off either.
3) The willingness to 'overlook' problems
Tell the doctors at the hospital you're strugling to afford all the lotions and potions they are prescribing you? Don't worry, just slip these things from the stock cupboard into your bag, but make sure you don't flash them around on your way out. Get caught on the bus without a ticket? Not to worry this time love, there are plenty of fare-dodging Romanians we can fine instead. If it works to your advangtage the 'willingness to overlook' can be a time and hassle-saving wonder.
4) Scooter riders are not always cool
Think of Rome, think of cobbled streets filled with impeccably dressed, dark-haired handsome people radiating cool as they buzz around town on their sooters? For the most part your image is fairly accurate. However come to Italy in winter and you will witness the 'moto blanket', a blanket not unlike a common dog basket blanket, attached to the front of the bike and spread over the knees during the winter months to keep off the chill (probably about 10 degrees). It is pleasantly surprising to fnd a chink in the Italian armour of 'cool', and this spectacle never fails to raise a smile from me because, frankly, the moto blanket looks ridiculous!
5)Public holidays are treated as actual holidays
People get dressed up in their sunday best, visit friends with trays of pastries, and go on strolls round the city with their families. If you've ever been to England and spent a rainy bank holiday traipsing round a crowded shopping centre you will undrestand why this is a pleasant novelty.
Yep, order that cappuccino, chuck in at least a sachet of sugar and then order that greasy cornetto with nutella oozing out the sides. Because everyone knows the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world, right?!
2)'Getting drunk' is not part of the culture
...unless it's with dinner, and even then it's not a British 'getting drunk for the sake of it' type getting drunk. Don't get me wrong, I love drinking, but these days I save all my serious drinking for trips to England because here they don't really get it, and drunkenness isn't considered very acceptable in public. At first I missed my social crutch but I've come to appreciate that it's possible to stay out late without the aid of booze and still have a good time. I swear it's true! And the next day isn't a write off either.
3) The willingness to 'overlook' problems
Tell the doctors at the hospital you're strugling to afford all the lotions and potions they are prescribing you? Don't worry, just slip these things from the stock cupboard into your bag, but make sure you don't flash them around on your way out. Get caught on the bus without a ticket? Not to worry this time love, there are plenty of fare-dodging Romanians we can fine instead. If it works to your advangtage the 'willingness to overlook' can be a time and hassle-saving wonder.
4) Scooter riders are not always cool
Think of Rome, think of cobbled streets filled with impeccably dressed, dark-haired handsome people radiating cool as they buzz around town on their sooters? For the most part your image is fairly accurate. However come to Italy in winter and you will witness the 'moto blanket', a blanket not unlike a common dog basket blanket, attached to the front of the bike and spread over the knees during the winter months to keep off the chill (probably about 10 degrees). It is pleasantly surprising to fnd a chink in the Italian armour of 'cool', and this spectacle never fails to raise a smile from me because, frankly, the moto blanket looks ridiculous!
5)Public holidays are treated as actual holidays
People get dressed up in their sunday best, visit friends with trays of pastries, and go on strolls round the city with their families. If you've ever been to England and spent a rainy bank holiday traipsing round a crowded shopping centre you will undrestand why this is a pleasant novelty.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The Great Escape
Looks like my new-found arguing skills are going to become redundant, as E and I have found a house. It's in a nearby town in a small block of flats. Living in the block are the couple who own our new house, the parents of the wife and another couple. I checked the cupboards and found no crazy Romanians. The couple who rent the house are friendly enough even though the husband is one of those types who knows five phrases in English and keeps trotting them out in the presence of an English-speaking person, accompanied by lots of self-conscious haw-hawing. "You're in pole position for this house" haw haw haw, he informed us. (Is this actually annoying or am I just really intolerant?).
The house is small but sweet, and the residence is fenced off from the road and has a garden which is full of flowers and a vegetable patch. My blogging is likely to slow down (...even more) for the moment as we have emptied our pockets and bank accounts to pay the deposit (a painful 3 months' rent here). This means that paying the internet subscription might go down the list of priorities for now, however there's always the internet cafe, so I will endeavour to keep the posts coming.
The house is small but sweet, and the residence is fenced off from the road and has a garden which is full of flowers and a vegetable patch. My blogging is likely to slow down (...even more) for the moment as we have emptied our pockets and bank accounts to pay the deposit (a painful 3 months' rent here). This means that paying the internet subscription might go down the list of priorities for now, however there's always the internet cafe, so I will endeavour to keep the posts coming.
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