Buone Feste!

Merry Christmas to everyone from Mad Eye Moody! At least, that’s what I’ve been calling myself. Basically, I hadn’t slept well and had to get up early consecutively last week, then partied Friday and Saturday ‘til 4am (gotta luv dem drunk dials). Sunday morning, I woke up with a red eye. Apparently, a capillary in my right eye burst and now half of it is red! Eugenia is a pharmacist and says it will go away in some 10 – 15 days… LOL. Anyway, it’s a little early but I won’t be able to check the internet for a little while as the Benatti family will be off skiing in the alps while I am on vacation here. They wanted me to come before I came over here but at the time I had plans to return to England for x-mas. So now, without any specific plans for the holidays, I’ve decided to stay here in order to save money and soak up the local culture rather than travel solo during this wonderfully depressing season known as ‘The Holidays.’

So, I am writing this post now because I probably won’t be checking the internet for a little bit. A little recap~ last weekend it snowed a little bit (perhaps I will have my first White Christmas) and my terrace was all ice, fun times sliding to and fro. On Friday, I went to a graduation in Modena at the local university for a friend/student…. very interesting/different ceremony! Then, on Saturday I went to Mantova, which is a damn cool city.

I spent my week reading Cujo and now I am on to Dostoevsky’s ‘The Gambler’ and ‘Plato’s Republic’ sent direct from Cali by my parents. They also sent me another package which should contain the book you recommended, Jim, so I’ve got plenty to read for my vacation. I intend to study Italian, read, watch movies (also sent by the parental units) and keep writing. I finished two drafts of a short story called ‘The Sculptor’ and have decidedly abandoned another called ‘Iridium’ which was supposed to be based on Plato’s ‘Realm of Forms’ and the idea of absolute perfection. But how can you write a story about perfection when the writing itself is intrinsically imperfect? This is my dilemma…

For Christmas, I’ve got a bottle of premium MMII Montepulciano and for New Years… a bottle of ’98 Brut Monogram Franciacorta, which from what I understand is some premium shit (?). Both were given to me by students of my class and fellow connoisseurs of wine (can I call myself that, yet?).

I want to wish a Merry Christmas and a damn fine New Year’s to all my family, and to friends back home: Zev & Russ, Jimmy and Jonny and all the others… I miss you guys… Steven (wherever you are)… Todd, out there in Beantown (remember our last new years in LA? Haha!), my Active homies and all you guys around the tarn, Jan in Germany…

So here’s my party: It’s THAT time to let go of the past and look to the future!

5…4.….3……..2……....1…………*@#%#$^%@$#^ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Buone Feste!

Stefano and Eugenia Benatti, sitting beside their nativity scene.
Federico 'Freddy' and io.
Nicola 'Nico or Nick' rockin' out playing Guitar Hero II. He hates 'Monkey Wrench.'

The Christmas tree that I helped decorate, and which features photo-ornaments of everyone in the office. That's Elena in the background.
Mad Eye Moody...
Freddy insisted I put this one in too- throwin' up the westside

An outside shot of my apartment building. I am on the third floor.
Italian/European perception of 'BIG Americans'
Mantova...
More Mantova...

Mirandola Pt. 3

There's not a lot going on for me to say right now. I'm just getting over a cold I acquired from Nick (pretty sure it's him), been watching a lot of movies and reading about an English dude who climbed Mt. Everest.

I went to Bologna over the weekend but my memory card became dislodged inside the camera and somehow the pictures didn't save. I'll probably be going there again, it's a nice place so hopefully I can have some pictures.

Christmas decorations are everywhere, all over the city and I was invited to decorate a tree here in the office at Studio Benatti.

Ciao

Mirandola Pt. 2

Forgive the horribly long post, but its been a while…

I never really thought of myself as a teacher, but that is certainly what I am becoming! I still teach the boys everyday, but Stefano asked me to teach a class to the people in his office, which consists of 10 – 12 adults. They are a mixed group of different skill levels. Of course I agreed, and so last week was one the most stressful weeks ever! I was fully thrown into the fire here. My first class was introductory and short, but the second did not go well at all: I was not nearly as prepared as I should’ve been and things were very rocky. However, I took this opportunity to learn from my mistake and made some significant changes to my approach- I divided the class into two: beginner and intermediate. I then prepared an outline of each class and took time to demonstrate what each course would be like. This time, I came fully prepared with lesson plans and copies of grammar exercises using the materials Stefano leant me. Both styles turned out to be fantastic and people signed up accordingly. And now, this week I’ve begun my classes and things are working out really well. This is definitely a challenge and needless to say, I have a new respect for teaching!

The food here is SO good. I love homemade Italian food (forget England, Italy kicks all the ass). Everyday, I have lunch and dinner with the Borghese family and we eat all kinds of pasta, tortellini (actually it’s tortellini, tortelloni and tortello for- small, med and large), meats, sweets, vino… you name it. This last weekend, I splurged and bought a bottle of ’03 Barolo and ’01 Brunello. I’ve also had some ’99 Merlot reserve, Cabernet, Syrah- I won’t say anymore… if you know, then damn you know… like candy, maaan. Today, I had some homemade Crespelle (which is like french crepes but Italian), Lasagna, and Parmesan cheese with homemade balsamic vinegar. Actually, the region I am in, Emilio-Romagna is also where Parmesan cheese comes from. Maaaaan, it is soooo goooood! Jebus, I could write freakin’ pages just on the food, but I’ll stop here.

There is a really cool Leonardo da Vinci exhibit in the castle here in Mirandola, where they reproduced many of da Vinci’s drawings and models. I went with a friend named Francesca to this exhibit and we had a really good time. My favorite was one model of da Vinci’s proving the impossibility of perpetual motion. I don’t fully understand how it works, but I dig the idea and I looked it up on Wikipedia and damn it’s so cool; he totally rebuked all the other inventors and scholars of his time with this specific piece.

Last night, I went to a big-band swing concert in the local theatre with the Benatti family and then was introduced to what felt like a majority of the community. Everyone is so polite and cordial. And man, there are a LOT more beautiful girls here, way more than I originally thought. Where do they all come from for such a small town?! They are very proper though, almost regal- not a chance for a foreigner like me who doesn’t speak nearly enough Italian.

I spoke with the family about having visitors come and stay with me here at the flat and they gave me ‘the okay.’ I will be here until February 10th so if anybody wants to take a vacation out here in Italy you have place to stay here with me for a bit in Mirandola, just know that I work Mon – Fri in the afternoons until the evening. Mirandola is in the middle of everything: Florence, Milan, Venice are just 2 hours away by bus and then train. There are so many things to do and I can show you the ropes- just let me know.

I have some more pics of the town, the concert and the church with the sword stuck in the spire below~

Out.

More of Mirandola

Here is a better shot of the Castle that overlooks my apartment.

Proof of the bitchin' wine I be drinkin' mang.

Inside Teatro di Mirandola with all the musica e la cantina (singing too). I didn't want to take too many pictures and look like a complete tourist.
My zoom sucks, but if you look closer on this one I made a red circle around the sword that's stuck in spire; it actually looks like the knights could've had a decent fight up there, but HOW did they get up there? I suppose that's why it's a myth.
Teeny streets and tiny wittle cars.
My new 'do.' All the hip Italian guys have what my buddy at work Ron, called the 'Guido Haircut.' I thought I'd try to fit in little better, so I got one too. It's kind of like a mohawk from the top to the back as you can see...

Mirandola: The Vista of Italy

I want to wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving. I really miss home right now, and I’m sure it will only get worse come Christmas (not x-mas, aye Mark?) They asked me about the meaning of Thanksgiving here in Italy, and I had to tell them that I THINK it has something to do with the original 13 colonies and a great feast of friendship with the Indians (or Native Americans, to be more politically correct). I just checked Wikipedia, and I was close enough…

So, it’s been a week now and things are going great at work here in Mirandola (pronounced Mir-an’dola). I am spending roughly 6 hours a day, 5 days a week hanging out with 2 kids (Federico, 13 and Nicolo, 14) speaking/correcting their English (often the parents too). I give 2 lessons a week, where they read and then write to me. They have given me a two bedroom apartment on the third floor of a building a block away, fully furnished with a balcony that has a view of an old (but small) Italian castle and part of the city. Mirandola is a small city, but it has a familiar touch. I would love to call it the ‘Vista of Italy,’ albeit a mite colder, hehe.

The father who met me at Bologna station is named Stefano and reminds me of Tony Soprano, he is big and friendly but very dominant in demeanor. He is a tax attorney and his wife, Eugenia is a pharmacist. Together, I gather that they are a pretty wealthy family in the city. We live right in the town center, amidst everything (which is nice). I feel that I can now say that I have eaten ‘true Italian,’ rather than the typical tourist-oriented cuisine (although I’ll never forget that pizza in Napoli). I have had many types of pasta, wine and desert, everything out here… but it’s too much to go into. It’s all so nice and everything seems to be working out. BTW, if you’ve had bologna meat then I have to tell you that this IS where bologna comes from- only here it’s called ‘mortadella’ but really it’s the same thing as bologna except that it’s better. Just this night we had ‘zampone’ which is pigs foot and ‘Lambrusco’ which is local wine from Modena except that it was frizzante (sparkling), and I hate wine with carbonation, bleh.

There is a local 15th century church with a sword stuck in the spire a few blocks away. According to Freddy, there is a legend that there was a big fight between two knights back in the day and afterwards the victor stuck the enemies’ sword into the spire. It’s really cool, I didn’t have my camera at the time but I will ask him to take me there again so I can post a pic.

I don’t know how much of a social life I will have here, but I might have a friend swing by at some point if she is able. Also, I may take a weekend to visit Milan, or go skiing somewhere this winter. Maybe I will do that for Christmas, I’m not sure.

I acknowledge that I am extremely fortunate thus far and, as usual I love and appreciate you all. You guys are after all… the other end of my umbilical cord. Pictures of my accomodation are below. Happy Thanks~

My Apartment

They gave me all kinds of housewarming gifts to start: wine, coffee, sweets, pasta...
There are also lots of books to read here, which is good because I just finished 'The Godfather' after my trip to Sicily and I am hungry for more reading.

A TV with DVD player and some movies (some in English). So far, I've watched Highlander, Donnie Darko, and one of the worst movies EVER- Prizzi's Honor starring Jack Nicholson. The acting was horrible, with JN playing a Sicilian gangster with a NY accent. Apparently, it was nominated for 8 academy awards. How?! Jonny, I think we may have another Calligula or Sweet November on our hands. I'm telling you, it's as bad a Giglie.
My bed.
The balconey.
That's the castle, but it looks more castle-like on the other side.
More view from the balconey.

Sicilia

I wrote this entry sometime last week:

I am here in Palermo, Sicily as I write this. I'm truly out of season, because I think I am among only one other guy that I’ve seen here at the ostello, which overlooks Mt. Pellegrino and the sea. Based on only one conversation, the other guy is from Spain and doesn’t really speak English. I have the dorm room all to myself, so it feels like it’s just me. In many ways, it’s very lonely here but I’ve made a few friends out of the locals. I have met: Leonardo, Giovannia, Valentina and Maria(something). Communication is difficult, but we all manage. I’ve come to think of this area, Sferracavallo as my own secret place here in Italy.

Sicilian culture is among the most unique I have experienced. The people are very generous, very slow, rough and gritty, but also very set in their ways. For example, there is a Brigantino nearby where they are very polite to me, but won’t allow me to eat there. This is just because my Italian isn’t good enough to have a conversation with the chef, who comes around to each table to discuss the meal. It’s the same at many of the other places… no one around here even has a menu. But it’s okay, there is a place that is run by two of the friends I made, Leonardo and Giovannia, where I eat. The food here in general is mostly spaghetti and seafood, but very cheap. Tonight, Leonardo is going to make me some spaghetti with calamari. Ohhhhh yeah, I’m excited! We’ve also had some interesting conversations about the local Mafioso, or as they call them: Cosa Nostra. Both Leonardo and Giovannia are pro-Mafioso, and feel that they do a better job at serving the community than the local government. From what I’ve gathered, no one from the south likes the government and feel politicians are mostly oriented to the north.

I visited some local catacombs, that was cool and also the town of… Corleone (ohhh, yeah). Unfortunately, I forgot my camera on this day, so I was kind of pissed. I also had a bad incident on the bus. Basically, I didn’t have a bus ticket and they caught me. I almost never buy bus tickets and have skipped out on buying many a train ticket here in Italy. I’ve never seen them check, but they did on this day and due this incident I had to pay 53 euros, or they were going to call the local Polizia (luckily, I was carrying enough). They took down my information, hopefully this information won’t hurt me later. Meh!

Also, apparently the Italian country code is not 039 but just 39. So, you dial: 39 339 656 2587 to get a hold of me... I think??? Whatev's.

Sicily pics

More Sicily pics

Both this and the pic below are from the ferry. Although, I think the one below is the night of departure and the one above is from the next morning...

Spada...
Leonardo and Giovannia, who's acting like she's being choked by Leonardo for some reason...

Naploli è Mt. Vesuvio

There wasn’t reliable internet access in the south, so I am back in Rome and today I head for Bologna. I wrote this and the Sicily post (which I’ll post in a few days) on my laptop in the lonesome hostel. Enjoy...

So I have been to Naples, and I can say can now say with confidence that I have eaten some of THE best pizza in the world. Upon arrival, I was very nervous about being mugged due to stories I’ve heard about the poverty there (I had the same fears in Sicily). But, I tried to walk to the hostel in Margellina (10 miles), with my bag to save money after I got off the train. However, as it began to get dark I erred on the side of caution and took a taxi the rest of the way. Plus, the watch I’m wearing hasn’t helped, I bought it off the street for 10 euros after the battery on my old watch died. But this watch doesn’t work properly either; I constantly have to synchronize… I hate time. However amidst all this, the area where I was staying was, from what I understand the nicer part of Napoli (score!).

In my hostel, I met a German guy named Jan (pronounced Yahn) who was awesome. He had been to Naples before and took me to some great pizzerias. In fact, all that I ate whilst in Napoli was pizza, and every pizza was the best pizza I’ve ever had. We did have some mussels one night, but everything else was pizza (very cheap). Among my favorites, I would have to say the best was either the Pescatora, which basically means ‘Fisherman’s pizza.’ This pizza had calamari, octopus, shrimp and mussels. Then, there was pizza Diavolla, which is salami and peppercorns with basil. We also partied and met some Italian girls from around Bologna (hmmmm).

One day, Jan and I planned to climb Mt. Vesuvius, which is the old Volcano that destroyed the Roman city, Pompeii. We then planned to spend the night on the beaches off the local island, Capri. Well, we didn’t reach Capri but we climbed Mt. Vesuvius and went off the path up to the highest point, and went around the crater (smelling sulfur) and back down the other side, to Pompeii. It was a good day, and we probably walked 15 – 20 miles. Exhausted, we were lucky enough to catch a late train back to the hostel. Already, I think back very fondly of that day; our view at sunset was the best reward imaginable.

Naples is also very beautiful at night. The tough areas are very tough according to Jan (he has some stories), but the tourist area is really quite beautiful. I loved my trip to Naples, and on my last night I took a ferry to Palermo, Sicily. It was expensive, but it saved me a night at a hostel so that plus trains, I figure it was about the same. I slept outside on the deck, and the next morning watched the sun rise in Palermo. It was beautiful….

I will post on Sicily later, which was quite an experience too. Pictures of Naples below.

Napoli

That's Mt. Vesuvio in the background there.

The menu...
The process...
Heaven...

More Napoli pics

We could not figure out why the Carabinieri (state police, who usually are never seen doing anything) were just sitting there in their vans all day with automatic weapons posted on top. Were they on a stakeout? They guy shook his finger when i took this picture, hehe.

Mt. Vesuvio

The crater.
The city below is Pompeii. You can see how such havoc was wrought upon the poor Romans. I heard they say they have stuff in the museum with peoples skulls unearthed in the lava rocks with expressions of horror.
The sunset we saw after we climbed off the path.

The highest point of Mt. Vesuvio

A new Jonny, and my other Muslim friend from Bangladesh

Although I am quite drunk, here is a pic of some the cool Muslim guys (there are many more of them) at the hostel where I've been staying. The guy on the left is Babu, and the one on the right is Jonny (Jonny is awesome- a new Jonny, even abroad... now I just need a new Jimmy!!) They are the shit! Just kidding, nothing can replace you guys....

The Vatican and a little more on Rome

Well, I've stayed here in Rome for a few days longer than expected. It’s been hard, and yet comforting at the same time. I feel so lonely, so it’s good to be in an area that feels familiar, but at the same time I have a lot of history in this city. The Muslim guys here at the hostel remembered me and are so nice; they are giving a sweet discount and pretty much free internet, hence all the blog (plus, she’s got me writing like crazy...).

I ran this morning, all the way to the colosseum and then the Grand Vittorio and back. I don’t know how far I ran or how long (since my watch battery stopped), but I would venture to say that it was probably about two hours and somewhere around 8-10 miles…

Small world- I met a friend of Rachel’s last night at Campo di Fiori. It’s funny, because I didn’t even mean to go there- that’s where she and I first danced salsa (fuck, if I want to go that way, I could note that the hostel where I’m staying is where we first met). But nevertheless, this girl remembered me from a party back in Manchester. What a strange night that was...

I walked all over the city and checked out the Vatican again. I’m so very glad to have gone back, because apparently I saw St. Peter’s Basilica before, whereas this time I actually stood in line for an hour and a half and paid the 13 euros to see the ‘actual’ Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo’s portraits are so freaking cool. I spent over an hour in the one room looking at the murals, which began with creation of the world, light and dark, and then the creation of man (the finger touching) and the last sin- the whole the eating of the apple where Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden, and then Noah’s Ark and that whole deal. Then, there is an entire wall which depicts the Day of Judgment. Man, I could’ve stared at that wall forever; it was by far the most intricate piece of art I have ever seen. They don’t allow you to take pictures, but I managed to sneak a few (I had to).

I hadn’t seen the Colosseum at night, but it’s really quite beautiful (pictures below). Rome is so damn amazing in general, I’m glad I came for a second go. I might stop by here on my way back, but I’ve got to move on tomorrow for sure. For those of you who might want to reach me, I just got my Italian cell phone re-activated and the number is: 039 (Italian country code) and then 339 656 2587. Good luck and Godspeed. It would be good to hear from you all…

Some Sneak Pic's

The creation of man.

Adam and Even being thrown out of Eden.

The 'Day of Judgement.'

A quote from Dante at another cool exhibit.