Learn Italian in Song: Anna

Another Battisti classic.

Hai ragione anche tu
cosa voglio di più
un lavoro io l’ho
una casa io l’ho
la mattina c’è chi
mi prepara il caffè
questo io lo so
e la sera c’è chi
non sa dirmi no
cosa voglio di più
hai ragione tu
cosa voglio di più
cosa voglio
Anna
voglio Anna
Non hai mai visto un uomo piangere
apri bene gli occhi sai perché tu ora lo vedrai
apri bene gli occhi sai perché tu ora lo vedrai
se tu non hai mai visto un uomo piangere
guardami
guardami
Anna
voglio Anna
Ho dormito lì
fra i capelli suoi
io insieme a lei
ero un uomo
quanti e quanti sì
ha gridato lei
quanti non lo sai
ero un uomo
Cosa sono ora io
cosa sono mio Dio
resta poco di me
io che parlo con te
io che parlo con te di
Anna
Anna
voglio Anna
You, too, are right
What more do I want?
I have a job
I have a home
In the morning there is someone who
makes my coffee
I know this.
And in the evening there is someone who
Can’t say no to me
What more do I want?
You’re right.
What more do I want?
What do I want?
Anna.
I want Anna.
You’ve never seen a man cry
open your eyes wide, you know, because now you will see him/it
open your eyes wide, you know, because now you will see him/it
if you’ve never seen a man cry
look at me
look at me
Anna.
I want Anna.
I slept there
among her hair
together with her
I was a man
How many “yeses”
she cried out
You don’t know how many
I was a man
What am I now?
My god, what am I?
There’s little left of me
I who speak with you
I who speak with you of
Anna.
Anna.
I want Anna.

The Twitter Diaries: 2009-03-22

Felicia Day & Deirdré Straughan

^ Felicia Day and me at SxSW

  • trying to wake up enough to write a proposal that has to be turned in by tomorrow night #
  • a little weird being over 30 and “representing” big corp at SxSW. Event decidedly not geared to us, but perhaps we learn more that way. #
  • @seancarlos I’m not here as a vendor, for some I’m a potential buyer/employer. Mostly I’m listening, learning, and meeting people in reply to seancarlos #
  • @jaredpolis On the web, you pretty much have to go looking for the weirdos. Unless you’re counting spam. in reply to jaredpolis #
  • Got my photo with Felicia Day #fangasm #
  • Sun should be speaking here #sxsw We are doing this stuff well and no one knows it! #
  • So much learned at #sxsw Hope my notes will be sufficient reminder when I finally have time & energy to write about it all #
  • OH “you have to suck some serious c0ck to get anywhere in [Hollywood]” #
  • where the hell has Facebook hidden my groups? #
  • @giovanni horses sweat just like people do, and, like people, they get smelly when they’re sweaty in reply to giovanni #
  • arranging a Woodstock GTG in NYC this weekend. Will probably see at least 1 classmate I haven’t seen since we graduated in 1981 #
  • Perception reflects our own insecurities: I feel like the uncool kid walking into the school cafeteria #sxsw #
  • @jeffreytaylor have mostly ignored the parties. Loud crowds not conducive to conversation. But met interesting people i’ll stay in touch w #
  • @emmabird being a victim of mega inefficiency is about as Italian as you can get. #
  • @Halcyon would have a “maybe” answer to that. The question is: whose story is it to tell? in reply to Halcyon #
  • had to leave FB and do a Google search to find my Colorado Girl Geeks group page. How lame is that for UI design? #
  • @thepartycow don’t kick anybody snoring on the floor – it might be me. in reply to thepartycow #
  • #sxsw I missed the Powderly keynote. I’d care more about that if I had more than the slightest idea who he is. #
  • Can’t tell if people look familiar because I hsve met them, seen them online, or they fit some type in my mind #
  • @mmcallen probably Powazek #
  • @davewiner I see a full large room at an entirely diff session #
  • @mmcallen Powazek talked about designing for the wisdom of the crowd #
  • @mmcallen I hope to find time to write about what I’ve been hearing here #
  • @missbhavens are you in NYC this week? Be fun to meet #
  • Landed #
  • Landed in NYC to find ourselves in the middle of the st patrick’s day parade #
  • @missbhavens yay Brian! in reply to missbhavens #
  • @bicyclemark also depends on the geek quotient of each #
  • @davest isn’t there a Winnie the Pooh song about that? #
  • @bicyclemark Twestival was a worldwide fundraiser about water. I met the woman who organized it in Austin just now. She’s based in london #
  • @bicyclemark and sxsw had a panel on social media for social good #
  • Saw Angela Lansbury on stage in “Blithe Spirit”. grande dame #
  • @jeffhuber ditto in reply to jeffhuber #
  • @lbridenne76 had a good talk over beer with the blip.tv gang at SxSW, could ask if they’d like to test… in reply to lbridenne76 #
  • @rosso well duh – Mamma Mia! ; ) #
  • I should not have felt so awful all day today after one G&T and a few glasses of wine last night. Bad oyster, maybe? #
  • @richstyles I couldn’t find anything in the old FB layout. In the new one, I can find even less. I use groups, people! in reply to richstyles #
  • advertising a Woodstock lunch tomorrow in NYC. Any Woodstockers reading this, get in touch! #
  • argh! Google news on iphone thinks I speak german. How do I set it to English? #
  • I enjoy living in a country where boys can wear makeup #
  • @sumaya do you have any friends who went to Woodstock School in India? We have a ton of alums from Bangladesh, including several of my class in reply to sumaya #
  • spent the night with Sarah and Dave again, more http://tinyurl.com/5vaemt coming soon! #
  • Facebook sends me email about someone tagging me, but the link does not get me anywhere near whatever the item was. #
  • lord, it’s been a hard week. #
  • the B I hate even more than Bush (thx @italylogue for the link) #

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Third-Culture Kids: Growing Up Everywhere, and Nowhere

You who are on the road must have a code that you can live by.
And so become yourself, because the past is just a goodbye.

Graham Nash – Teach Your Children

“A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture.  The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background.”

David C. Pollock & Ruth E. Van Reken

Third Culture Kids – available from Amazon UK | US – If you are a TCK or have a TCK in your life, read this book!

Do I Qualify? (As a TCK, that is)

See the timeline. Yeah, I guess I qualify.

Stephen Alter, a Woodstock alumnus a few years older than myself, published a book in 1998 called All the Way to Heaven: An American Boyhood in the Himalayas. It’s not an entirely satisfying book; he leaves too many questions unanswered about how he did finally deal with the confusions of identity and culture caused by his unusual upbringing – confusions very familiar to many of us. But there are some beautiful and funny stories and plenty of description, which makes it a good introduction to the place for those who’ve never been to Woodstock (and a great nostalgia trip for those who have).

Resources for TCKs


very comprehensive Wikipedia article
At Home Abroad (regular section of the International Herald Tribune) – e.g., When Expat Runs in the Family
Expats Reunite
Interaction International
Global Nomads International
TCK World
Third Culture Kids: Returning to their Passport Country
US State Department links page


April, 2004: In Memoriam

Dave Pollock, tireless advisor, counselor, and advocate for third-culture kids, died on Easter. I had the privilege of attending his TCK workshop at a Woodstock reunion; these workshops were epiphanies of self-understanding and healing for many of us. TCKs worldwide will miss him, and are grateful for all that he has done for us.

Deirdré Straughan on Italy, India, the Internet, the world, and now Australia