Light at the End of the Tunnel

They say it’s always darkest before the dawn. I’ve just been through a dark period, but… here comes the sun! (In more ways than one, as will shortly become clear.) I’ve been stressed and depressed since well before Christmas. Money (lack of) was becoming a problem. TVBLOB is a privately-financed start-up, and my salary there… Continue reading Light at the End of the Tunnel

Pursuing a Dream of Italy

(The earlier part of this story is here.) Actually, we didn’t spend the weekend together as a family. Ross stayed in Lecco because she had parties to attend. Enrico and I left Friday morning for Tuscany, to join a large gathering of people from the Expats in Italy online forum, a few of whom we… Continue reading Pursuing a Dream of Italy

Workplace Safety in Italy

I’m learning some new things about workers’ rights in Italy. At TVBLOB we have to elect (or, more likely, dragoon) a Rappresentante dei Lavoratori per la Sicurezza (Workers’ Safety Representative), who must take a 32-hour course (during working hours, paid for by the company) on how to keep us all safe on the job. In our case, the most… Continue reading Workplace Safety in Italy

“What Do You Do?” Not Defining Oneself in Terms of Work in Italy

“All societies throughout history have had work right at their center; but ours – particularly America’s – is the first to suggest that it could be something other than a punishment or penance. Ours is the first to imply that a sane human being would want to work even if he wasn’t under financial pressure… Continue reading “What Do You Do?” Not Defining Oneself in Terms of Work in Italy