I was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia but now due to my charitable work and recent marriage I also think of South Africa as home. In July 2010 I left Thembalethu, South Africa, returned home to Canada and then to Rome. I am here to study a Masters in Human Development and Food Security, a program that works to end chronic hunger. Life in Rome is certainly a big change from the world I knew in South Africa surrounded by shacks and Xhosa culture. This will be a year to remember.
Christmas was certainly different this year but I have to say that I enjoyed each day so far. When I first arrived in Rome I wondered if I could make friends here, but as you can see I have made many. We sat together for a really lovely Christmas dinner and enjoyed each others good company.
We start the day with a little music
Natalie and Lauren taking one for the team and cooking the chicken!
Our lovely table pre-hurricane of food
Large shell pasta stuffed with squash, garlic and sage. Drizzled on top
is pecorino cheese. The cheese-less part is for Brad :)
Aunt Linda's Swedish potato dish, mmmm it was good
Green salad tossed with Italian pears, toasted almonds and drizzled with an olive oil-mandarin dressing.
Chicken and carrots too! Oh and rice, that was still in the kitchen.
Me, Edgar, Donna, Brad, Lauren, Natalie and Carlo. We are so pretty.
I am just realizing now that I didn't take a picture of the best part, despite a unsuccessful city wide search for molasses I still made some pretty rocking gingerbread with a warm lemon sauce. Oh wow it was good. Thank you to everyone for making it a great Christmas!
Termini is a place in Rome that I have grown to really enjoy, it is the place where most of Rome congregates together on their way to where ever they are going. Sometimes Termini can be grimy, sometimes it can be a pick pocketer's dream. But I sure do enjoy people watching, the couple kissing in the next metro-car down from me, everyone wondering where the other person is going.
Termini gave me an extra surprise this Christmas when I noticed the two large Christmas trees with notes of hopes and dreams in every language attached to it's branches. Below are a selection of the English notes I read, some funny, some hoping their problems would go away, all of us joined in our hope for something better.
Edgar, Brad and the Christmas wish tree
I took the opportunity to include my own Christmas wish note.
Some people asked for more practical things
Others poured their hearts into their notes, hoping that
maybe this is their one last chance to make things right
And some people draw elaborate cartoons with guns....
I'm hoping that my Christmas wish comes true. Merry Christmas everyone.
It is so beautiful here so Edgar, Brad and I thought it would be wonderful to take a stroll through the centre in the evening. Here are some photos of our journey.
I think the camera picked up on a hidden super power, apparently
Edgar can create light from the palms of his hands....
Brad took us to a Christmas market in Piazza Navona, it is so lovely
Canadians unite! Brad and I.
Wow that is some seriously long hair. Brad respectfully stalks the
woman to get a closer look.
A Christmas Witch...you don't say. I have to be honest, I kind of think that idea is
confusing on every level. Google it though, this is a really interesting tradition in Italy.
Quite often at night in Rome you hear the glorious sounds of what sounds like South Central L.A style gunshots, it really is the most delightful time.....Sometimes I will be walking, sometimes laying in bed when all of a sudden I start to wonder what the heck is going on outside.
You know how in Canada we seem to have a slight respect for our noise levels and how it effects our neighbours? I have grown to discover as I travel throughout the world that we are probably the only country who practices that. Actually it is something that I have a sense of humor about, because it makes me realize just how uptight we actually are at times! So enjoy the video of my two little neighbours next door who are firing off firecrackers from their apartment window. My favorite part is where the mother comes into the room, not scolding him for scaring the life out of the neighbours, no, she lights one and throws it into the court yard too. And yes, it actually is that loud!!
When I went to the Questura two weeks ago as part of my immigration obligation for living in Italy I was shocked to see something very unexpected in a developed country, a real life, squatter camp. I found it even stranger that it was across from the Questura which is a federal police headquarters.
A few days ago my friend had to go to the Questura for his appointment so i decided to go with him, he has had problems in Rome already so I figured that a little company could only help the situation. This time I remembered to bring my camera, it is hard to see because of the angles but that is definitely a squatter camp, or an informal settlement as it is also called. I suspect that the people who live there are Roma, a nomadic group of people who I am told were once part o the lowest rank in the Indian caste system. They were expelled from India and ever since have been roaming Europe.
It makes me sad to see so much wealth in this country and then see people living in this way. The smell of burning garbage in the air reminded me of Thembalethu. I am told that there is a much larger settlement in another area of Rome, perhaps I might pay it a visit at some point.
I find the wine aisle in the grocery store amazing, for 2.5 Euro I can buy a very tasty wine that rivals the $10 bottles at home. That said however I took my obsession with "getting a deal" too far a few days ago when I purchased a 1 Euro bottle known as Fontana di Papa. I am not entirely sure what it is that Papa puts into this supposed fountain of wine but let me say that I am pretty sure there was ethanol or something else non-desirable.
There is a little unwritten rule at home amongst my friends which is that alcohol is never ever ever to be wasted under any circumstances so as I held the bottle over the sink I hesitated a bit. I am officially a sinner in the eyes of Nova Scotia alcohol appreciators as I have actually poured a bottle of wine down the sink. I hope that all of you will forgive me and know that I would not share that wine with my worst enemy ha ha ha.
My dinner however saved the day and made up for my poor choice in wine. I made an incredible whole wheat spaghetti with roasted squash, sage and walnuts. I made a sage-butter sauce and sprinkled fresh basil on top. Wow, sometimes I impress myself ha ha ha.
Ever have a moment where you are so interested in whatever you are doing that you completely lose track of time? That has been my experience in the last three days of lectures with the fabulous teachings of Professor Paloni. Our three day series of lectures was called Development Theory and Financial Assistance but what it really about is the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and how they are probably two of the most corrupt organizations in the world. Each day that I sat there I felt like a sponge, ready to soak up all that was to be offered.
Of course I am not one to just take what I hear as gospel, I always make a point of evaluating information for myself because it has been my experience that not everything in life is true just because someone says that it is. In this case however Professor Paloni was giving me the details that I longed for about two organizations that I have for quite some time, not been a fan of.
I am not going to get into the details of the lecture right here on this blog, but I more so just needed to say thank you to the universe for three fabulous days at school. I actually had the flu for two of those days yet managed to drag myself to class despite feeling like bubble gum on the bottom of someones shoe, I just found it so interesting, I couldn't stay home and miss my opportunity to learn more about something I am so interested in.
Thank you Professor Paloni for a great class, now if only I can pass the exam I will be laughing!
Sometimes I sit in my room and wonder why really I am here, I have left my family, left my friends, left my husband and his family, sometimes I feel a little bit sad about that. But then I hear the bells, in fact a different song is played every night at 7:30pm. The bells remind me that each day that passes offers beauty, and that perhaps life is more simple than I am lead to believe. All I need to do is keep focused on my goals, enjoy the beauty in every day that comes and know that one day, even if I don't know when, I will be reunited with my loved ones.
I have loved cooking for a long time but there is something extra special about cooking in Italy. Nothing brings more joy to me than realizing that all of the food I normally buy at "specialty" stores is just normal, and cheap here in Italy! The freshness of the products and the variety make me giggle a little every time I go to the grocery store.
Here is dinner from two nights ago, mmmmm, even the left overs were good!
Large pasta shells stuffed with butternut squash and fresh sage.
Sprinkled with Pecorino cheese and baked
A fabulous side salad with Italian pear, Italian walnuts and Italian Blue cheese.
Even the lettuce is Italian, no international imports here!!!
Now I have never been a member of Italian politics but I have to think that when cars are set on fire and riot police are deployed that chances are that the public does not agree with whatever decision was just made by the hands of politicians. Mention the name Berlusconi to nearly anyone in Italy and generally there are no positive comments to be made. Between the long list of mistresses he entertains, the completely inappropriate comments he makes in public and the allegations of corruption one has to wonder how it is possible to win a confidence vote, unless of course you live in Italy, the most corrupt country in the Western world. Just saying.
I was just making lunch when I decided to go look out the window, I squinted to focus on what I could see were tiny tiny snow flakes coming from the sky! Snow in Rome is very rare and I have to say that if someone had put snow on the university brochure I might have had second thoughts about returning back to the Northern Hemisphere again! Ok, but seriously, it is so pretty, and I just emailed the entire class to make sure that they saw it. Several people in my class have never seen snow before which I find so amazing.
Now I know that I grew up in Canada, snow is certainly not new to me, but I cannot help but feel excited for all of the local people who are probably walking around with the tongues in the air hoping to catch a snow flake.
Yes, that is snow alright
With a squint of the eye you can see the snow flakes, it's like taking a picture of the moon really,
it never comes out the way you hope
Just for fun I thought I would share a picture taken by mother last year in winter. The previous
day there was no snow, it all fell at one time,
the next day it was gone again...
I am not sure if you have heard of Berlusconi but if you have you probably know him as eccentric to say the least. Today is a very important day in Italy, the government is holding a confidence vote to determine if they think that Berlusconi is fit to be president. This is a really great article written by the Globe and Mail that I also found very amusing. The original link is found here, below is the text:
Let's start off with a multiple-choice question. Which of these statements was made by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi?
“It's better to like beautiful girls than to be gay.''
“We would all like to be tanned like Naomi Campbell and Obama.”
“Another reason to invest in Italy is that we have beautiful secretaries.''
If you chose all three, congratulations! Feel free to take over the reins of Europe's fourth-largest economy. Really, you may be better suited than the man who currently holds the job.
Of course, Mr. Berlusconi may no longer hold that job at this time next week, because the leathery operative, whose political life has been harder to end than Nosferatu's, faces a confidence vote in the two houses of the Italian parliament on Tuesday. The rebellion by Mr. Berlusconi's renegade former ally Gianfranco Fini may finally accomplish what years of fraud and corruption allegations, rumours of dalliances with underage prostitutes, idiotic remarks and tampering with the Italian constitution could not: Drive a stake through this former cruise-ship singer's heart.
It will be ever so slightly sad to see him go, in the same way that it's sad to watch the final credits of a Three Stooges movie. Whom will we laugh at now? No more Berlusconi-hosted “bunga-bunga” sex parties (the name, wonderfully, came from Moammar Gadhafi). No more lingerie models as political appointees. No more offending the Queen by shouting at G20 summits.
The one thing we do have to look forward to, according to one of the WikiLeaks cables, is the Prime Minister's post-politics adventure: Will he build houses for the poor, like Jimmy Carter? Raise funds for global health, like Bill Clinton? No, he plans to open the Berlusconi Leadership Academy, to train the skirt-chasers and influence-peddlers of tomorrow – sorry, that should be “Italy's brightest young minds.”
In one of the cables, Mr. Berlusconi is described giving the U.S. ambassador to Rome a tour of his new school, which “he envisions [as] an environment where Italy's best and brightest live and study, taught by world leaders like Blair and Clinton.” I can see the dress code now: gentlemen, suits and ties; ladies, bikinis (optional).
In the coming week, there will be anti-Berlusconi rallies in Italy, a repeat of last year's “No Berlusconi Day.” Italians are perfectly aware of how the world views their leader, currently in his third term as Prime Minister. Ask young Italians and they shake their heads. One 25-year-old Tuscan I know said, simply, “It's too embarrassing to talk about.”
And yet, as Charles Young writes in his book Impunity: Berlusconi's Goal and its Consequences, “his gaffes endear him to more people than they offend.” The Prime Minister not only controls Italy's largest broadcasters through his Mediaset empire, but also has political control of the public broadcasters. He is the master of the populist sound bite, and roguish us-against-them propaganda. “He may often lie,” Mr. Young writes, “but he does so in clear, simple, accessible language.”
Yes, it's a thigh-slapper – and that's part of the problem. Italians hardly need to reinforce stereotypes of them as corrupt and buffoonish. (And I say this as someone with a vowel at the end of her name, who has been asked more than once, “Did your dad work for the Mafia?”) Towed along behind Mr. Berlusconi's grinning-clown act is a country with a gasping economy, plagued by garbage riots in Naples and student riots in Milan. The Prime Minister seems a lot less hilarious when you realize he has spent much of his three terms trying to alter Italian law so that he will not have to face prosecution on corruption and fraud charges.
In the past week alone, there have been new allegations that Mr. Berlusconi used government funds to fly a Bulgarian actress to the Venice Film Festival where he ordered that she be given “some kind of award.” (At least she's an adult; Mr. Berlusconi's ex-wife has accused him of consorting with minors.) And almost no attention was paid to the Berlusconi bits of the WikiLeaks cables – he stays up too late partying to be an effective leader, and he's rumoured to get kickbacks from Russia over energy contracts – because really, what's another pebble on a Mount Etna of scandal?
If he loses the confidence vote, will this mean the end of the Berlusconi age, and if so, what next? Author Bill Emmott, long a thorn in the Prime Minister's side (he was editor of the Economist when it ran the famous “Why Berlusconi is unfit to lead Italy” cover), has written a book called Forza, Italia: Come Ripartire Dopo Berlusconi. In other words, Courage, Italy: How to Start Again After Berlusconi. If a new era begins, it could be the start of a beautiful un-friendship.
Although this really has nothing to do with life in Rome it happens to be exactly why I am here. This is a very good video about the reality in South Africa. I urge you to take a moment to watch the video.
When you ask my Uncle David what his favorite wine is he will tell you (at least I think!) that it is Orvieto Classico, a smooth white wine that just makes you smile when you sip it. Imagine his jealousy to know that I recently traveled to the quaint town of Orvieto to see for myself if the town holds a candle to the fabulous wine it exports.
My favorite part was saying the word Funicular, because it sounds amusing
and it happens to be the wonderful way to travel between the train and the town above
The public garden
I live in a castle back in Halifax too......
Jill stretching out a muscle, ha ha, inside joke
Can you imagine getting the contract to lay all 2 billion of those cobble stones!
A local craft market
Nothing says fresh like a head in the window.
The Cathedral
When Italians build churches they are not messing around, extraordinary
Amanda, myself and Jill
My new best friend, this cat could not get enough love, we bonded.
Apparently word travels fast, this other cat must have heard that there was free snuggles available
By far the best lamps I have ever seen.
The wall surrounding the town
A little wine for the train home, cork broke, no problem, apparently we are all former girl scouts.
