November 2007

Lines of Communication: Woodstock School in the Telecoms Age

November 25, 2007

^ even Jabarkhet has satellite When I attended Woodstock (1977-1981), communication from and within India was fraught with difficulty. Letters to foreign countries – even in Asia – took weeks. Packages arrived damaged, or not at all. (Nowadays, Indian mail is more reliable than Italian.) In my four years in Mussoorie I spoke with my [...]

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The Evolution of a Technical Writer – Bringing Documentation Into the Web 2.0 Age

November 20, 2007

How has technical writing evolved in the age of the Internet? How have tech writers’ jobs changed, and how should they continue to change, in response to new technologies now available for sharing knowledge with our customers? Prologue: The Dead Tree Society My technical writing career began twenty years ago, with the design and writing [...]

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Gallery: The Taming of the Shrew

November 17, 2007

From Woodstock School’s Bollywood-style production, November 2007.

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Off the Phone in Italy

November 13, 2007

Since I’ve been in Italy, I’ve gotten out of the habit of telephoning: anywhere, anyone, for any reason. Aside from the enormous difficulties of installing a phone line in Italy and keeping it working (which, if you’re lucky, you will only suffer through once), everything involved in using a phone is simply ridiculously difficult here. [...]

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Thanksgiving 2007: Martha Stewart, Move Over!

November 11, 2007

I’m leaving for India Wednesday, so we had to have our traditional Thanksgiving dinner early. The first step, which started two days in advance, was to roast and peel the chestnuts for the stuffing – unlike Martha Stewart, I cannot buy them pre-cooked and frozen or canned. Above you see them ready to go into [...]

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KLM Makes Up, and Other Airline Experiences

November 10, 2007

I wrote 18 months ago about my disappointment with KLM’s poor handling of a bereavement situation (KLM Tries Harder… But Fails). I’m flying a lot again these days (three trips to the US this year, plus several to the UK, and now India). I still receive promotional emails from Flying Blue, the alliance which KLM [...]

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Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines 16

November 8, 2007

They cheat us [fregare] on the gas bills.

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Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines 15

November 7, 2007

Three newborns dead in 20 days. 80 year old saves a peer [person of the same age] from the lake. Here is the partner of the Lecchese bank. Station plaza – all ready for the new parking. Maxi fender-bender on the “superhighway” – three wounded.

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Guests of Conti Sertoli Salis: Part 2, The Palazzo

November 7, 2007

After an excellent (if somewhat hasty) lunch, the four of us had a private tour of Palazzo Sertoli Salis, which is still the home of the Sertoli Salis family, as well as the headquarters of the winery. My photos don’t do justice to it: the palazzo is charming, rich with newly-restored tromp l’oeil frescoes cleverly [...]

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Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines 14

November 6, 2007

War between gas stations: “My distributor [gas pump] set on fire by a colleague.” Attempted rape – she hits him “below the belt.” [Good for her!]

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Learn Italian in Song: Tu Come Stai

November 5, 2007

    by Zero Assoluto Nov 5, 2007 Keeley asked: "I’m going to Italy with my high school soon and would LOVE to be able to sing the songs that I may here on Deejay or MTV." Oh, dear. I don’t listen to the radio or watch TV at all, so without Ross in the [...]

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Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines 13

November 5, 2007

Too lively: the janitoress insults and threatens the children – Writings and drawings defame the principal of Grassi high school Mystery of the millionaire inheritance – Goodbye to a Lecchese pharmacist – Dies at 34 years, leaving four children Shootout at the cemetery and in Pescarenico: one wounded – From today and for six months [...]

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Finishing Touches

November 4, 2007

When we moved into our apartment in Milan in 1991, we were young and just getting started in life – which is code for "didn’t have much money". Our furniture all came from Ikea, with supplementary storage: the old trunks we had shipped our stuff in from the US. Our light fixtures for years were [...]

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Gallery: eTourCamp, Lugano

November 3, 2007
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The Name Game: “Il Famoso…”

November 2, 2007

When my husband was young (and probably still today), Italians played a verbal game in which you made up a name for a fictional somebody of a particular nation. The name had to sound authentic to the nationality chosen, and, of course, it had to be funny. For example: Il famoso tuffatore giapponese: Sezoki Maspinto. [...]

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Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines 12

November 2, 2007

Recent headlines from Sondrio: Pavia: 4 students from the Sondrio area are robbed – The province: youth disagio, shock data from the Valley Stop [serving] alcohol from 2 am in the discos: the owners won’t stand for it – Firemen at war with the city hall of Tresivio Sondrio: [female] student hit [by car or [...]

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Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines 11

November 2, 2007

The above recent newspaper headlines in Lecco read: Corruption in court: is it now the turn of professionals and banks? – Lecco [team] beaten at Leganano: third consecutive defeat Manager attacked and “massacred” with blows in downtown Lecco [NB: He didn't die - massacrato doesn't mean killed.] – Young [man] found dead at Lecco [railway] [...]

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Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines 10

November 1, 2007

left: The Financial Office inspects [under warrant] the offices of the Twinning Committee. (Throughout Europe you see signs upon entering towns and city saying “This town is twinned with…” followed by one or more names of towns elsewhere in the world. This twinning is used to promote cultural exchange and tourism, I’m not sure with [...]

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The Twitter Diaries: Oct 2007

November 1, 2007

drinking an evening smoothie while downloading video from Venice. Contemplating what to make for dinner. 2: sabato 6 ott.: pranzo seguito da degustazione vini valtellinesi, e forse anche il famoso Ciapponi a Morbegno. Who’s in? I have spent the day editing video and filing old papers. Very tired now. signing off for the night, while [...]

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