After all the fuss in the UK last week about terrorists toting Gatorade bottles, we faced our return flight to Italy with some trepidation. Not because we were afraid of being blown up, but because the “enhanced security measures” widely reported in the media promised hours in line waiting to be pawed over by TSA … Continue reading Airport “Security”: Reflections on Our Times
Exploring an exotic new place is wonderful and fascinating – until you need a toilet. Then the strangeness can be intimidating, and cause delays at the worst possible moment. Italy doesn’t have many public toilets. You will find them in the larger railway stations. Expect to pay, e.g. 70 euro cents in Milan’s Central Station. … Continue reading Finding a Toilet in Italy
I have been living in Italy long enough for this to be my fourth World Cup. And, to my own surprise, I’ve grown to enjoy it and actually care about who wins, even though most of the finer details still escape me. Aside from a passing interest in Olympic equestrian events (when I can get them) … Continue reading Watching Football
Another “country beginning with i” which is unfortunately very familiar to me is Illness. I have spent a lot of my life being ill. Perhaps the earliest memory I have (of any kind) is of green bathroom tiles, and myself screaming. I had a high fever, so my parents thrust me into an ice-cold shower. … Continue reading The Land of Illness
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
