September 2006

Violent America: Why I Don’t Feel Safe in My Own Country

September 29, 2006

I return to the US, my putative homeland, at least once a year, and even when not there, I (like most of the world) have constant access to American culture via movies, TV shows, and websites. In spite of all this, I feel ever more a stranger when I land there. I can’t put my [...]

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Raclette: Another Way to Eat Swiss Cheese

September 25, 2006

Sep 25, 2006 The Swiss are a nation of cheese eaters, and have ways of eating cheese that involve special appliances – but are very easy and tasty once you have the equipment. Raclette was traditionally a (large) half wheel of cheese placed with its open face near an open fire so it would start [...]

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Reflections on Living in Italy

September 25, 2006

Sept 25, 2011: This is an old post, I don’t even know if all the links are working. I could update it with new (and worse) information, but frankly don’t have the heart to. I gave up on Italy several years ago. Some Sobering Articles About Living in Italy The Fading Future Of Italy’s Young [...]

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Swiss Recycling

September 25, 2006

^ Glass must also be separated, by color. The Swiss are terribly organized and disciplined in everything, not least recycling. These photographs were taken in the recycling center of a village (Cortaillod) near Neuchatel. Above you can see (front left) a gray box for different types of batteries (separate compartments for different types). The blue [...]

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WOSA NA Reunion 2006

September 22, 2006

Note: Some of what follows will be incomprehensible and/or dull to those who did not attend Woodstock School. I have recently learned that I have far more readers among Woodstockers than I ever imagined, so this one’s for them – and anyone else who’s interested! The annual reunion of the Woodstock Old Students’ Association / [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: Translations of Italian Popular Songs

September 20, 2006

A friend told me that she learned Italian via song lyrics. My Italian husband, as a teenager, wanted to learn English so he could understand the lyrics to Jesus Christ Superstar. So, to aid in your Italian studies, I present side-by-side translations of some popular (with me, at least) Italian songs. See my Amazon Italian [...]

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Conspicuous Consumption: An American Way of Life

September 18, 2006

So much of the American lifestyle revolves around consumption. Shopping in America is a form of entertainment, and sometimes an endurance sport. American homes are large, very large by most European standards, and crammed to the rafters with… stuff. We have a lot of stuff in our home in Italy, and I’ve seen plenty of [...]

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Symbols: Getting Hot and Bothered Over Stupid Things

September 16, 2006

Rome, October 2003 Israel, and Italy’s Jewish community, were angry when the Israeli flag was burned during April 25th Liberation Day festivities in Milan. The burners were Italian extreme leftists, who tend to be very pro-Palestine and anti-Israel. Coincidentally, about the same time I received from a reader a reference to Michelle Malkin (a conservative [...]

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Soriano: The Textures of An Italian Village

September 15, 2006

Sep 15, 2006 Soriano is a tiny village a few hundred meters above Lake Como’s western shore. It’s not a tourist spot; there’s nothing to see but a spectacular view of the lake below. Or is there? (photos taken Aug, 2004) ^ ferns and wildflowers ^ stone path ^ dry stone wall  

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Sunday Hike: Canete to Tabia Dasci

September 12, 2006

On Sunday Enrico and I woke up early, not wanting to waste what promised to be a beautiful end-of-summer day. We drove north through Chiavenna (stopping along the way for a second coffee and a slice of strudel) and up the tiny mountain road that leads to our favorite restaurant, la Lanterna Verde. Just beyond [...]

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Italian Vacation Habits

September 5, 2006

When I first visited Italy in 1987 or ’88, Italians still took their traditional long vacation – practically everyone was on holiday for the entire month of August, all crowded together on the beaches or in the mountains. Many Italian families own “second” (vacation) homes, so summer simply meant a transfer of the wife and [...]

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Learn Italian in Song: La Canzone del Sole

September 2, 2006

The Song of the Sun One of the greatest pop songs ever, in any language. Music by Lucio Battisti, lyric by Mogol (1971). If you only ever listen to one Italian pop song, it should be this one. Le bionde trecce gli occhi azzurri e poi        Blonde braids, blue eyes, and then le tue [...]

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Milan’s Central Station: Safety Tips

September 2, 2006

Almost anywhere in the world, large railway stations are dangerous. Large crowds of travellers, many of them new to the place and a bit bewildered, offer tempting targets for pickpocketing and other crime. Milan’s Central Station is no different, and, especially lately, is even worse. I have long been leery of the area outside the [...]

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