Friday, May 04, 2007

There's No Place Like Rome...

I'm back! I'm back! Did you miss me? I missed you guys! I've finally shaken off enough jet lag to hammer out my first post-honeymoon post.

Aside: As for the La Mia Italia "contest" -- did you read everyone's submissions? Do you have a favorite? If you feel more motivated than I do, send me an email (ahirswap AT gmail DOT com) by May 15 with your vote, which counts as an entry into the contest for the person you've voted for. After I get all the votes, I'll do a random draw for the winner, chosen from the votes received. If I don't get any votes, I'll just randomly draw from all entries. Can't go back on my promise of prizes ...

So, how shall we kick off the month of May? While I ride out the rest of my jet lag, I'll hand it over to my more energetic cousin Fabio for today and put my bragging rights to good use.

If you were with us way back in November, you might recall when I introduced you to my bionically enhanced super cousin. Since then he's made quite a name for himself in the world of parkour here in Rome. His most recent appearance was on Le Iene, a popular sort of undercover investigative reporting/comedy/variety show here in Italy where this season between segments with the reporters they've had different dance/acrobatic groups perform. Click here to watch the segment. Fabio is the one with the shaved head. Click here to watch a taping of the rehearsal. Fabio is the one in the red t-shirt who steals the script off the desk.

Speaking of Le Iene, might I digress for one moment? Am I the only one who thinks that Jeff in Puglia is the long-lost twin of Paolo Kessisoglu, half of the show's dynamic duo? (That is, if you're not counting Hilary's dynamic duo.)

Judge for yourself:



Who is who, right? That's what you're thinking? I know!
PS Jeff?! When's that Rome trip happening?

Anyhoo, back to today's hero: this latest video was born as a sort of pitch for a FootLocker commercial and at the same time as a kind of anti-drug PSA. Fabio is really active in getting young people in Rome's outlying neighborhoods involved with parkour, in the process keeping them away from drugs and crime, giving them something positive to take part in that also has an adrenalin factor.

Strangely enough, Fabio says that it's a misconception that parkour or freerunning is risky: he tells me they do so much training and practice that the actual risk involved once you are properly trained is minimal. Um, I'll take his word for it.

If you'd like to know more about parkour and see two more videos, just click back to my previous article.

Here's the latest, which is a bit different than the previous videos in that here they are actually out and about in the city, which makes for some amusingly puzzled bystanders. Running on walls, you know... all in a day's work. Watch as Fabio mysteriously emerges (hatches?) from a closet after a pair of shoes gets stolen... and the plot thickens...

24 comments:

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Bentornata! Jeff *does* look eerily like the Le Iene guy! Even stranger is that there's a guy in my village who I think looks eerily like the other one...hmmm...

Sara, Ms Adventures in Italy said...

Ue...eccoti! "if you feel more motivated than I do" ...hahah, I imagine you are pretty low on the motivation totem pole...pop in some movies with the laptop nearby and it will come back.

Michellanea said...

Welcome back! I look forward to a wedding and honeymoon recap (I mean, if you feel like sharing). Those Iene guys go to my gym. The studio is right around the corner and the shorter Iene is always at the gym eating at the healthy bar place. Very serious in person and keeps his head down.

Jeff Gromen said...

Welcome back!
I may look a little like Paolo. I'll agree with you there. They are coming out with their own version of the odd couple show.

Here in Brindisi they say I look like Zidane back when he had hair (and wasn't head butting Materazzi). At first I thought they were calling me "zeee Don" like from the Godfather.

Jeff

Brendan said...

Welcome back. I seem to oddly remember that your birthday has occurred sometime between May 1 and today. Happy birthday!

-Brendan

Anonymous said...

Welcome back girl!
Surely you've been deeply missed! If you feel like sharing, we'd like some pics from Down Under and from your wedding....I'm asking too much?

Anonymous said...

Welcome back! I really missed you!

I'm sure you had a super honeymoon.
How does it feel to be sposata?

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

Welcome back and congrats on your wedding!

John Cropper said...

Welcome back, Shelley!

Hopefully all went well on your trip.

Texas Espresso said...

Missed you! welcome back =) can't wait to hear and see all about it. congrats you old married lady!

they really look alot alike!

FinnyKnits said...

I can't believe it's taken so long for you to use that title in a post. So, perfect.

And, duh, of course I missed you. That goes without saying.

BTW: Fabio is amazing. I am totally mesmerized by this parkour thing. Like skateboarding without the skateboard. Don't let Andy find out. He'll be bouncing off walls and cracking his man-skull in no time.

Anonymous said...

Welcome back!

Shelley - At Home in Rome said...

Oooh! Warm fuzzies! I was a bit worried that you would have forgotten all about me!!!

With all these cyber hugs, I'm almost half-tempted to actually start working on my hair-brained idea for a blogger summit (aka fun-filled weekend of wine and friends in Rome). Projects, Sara??

Thanks guys. I'll be catching up on all of your blogs slowly but surely this week!

Me and Him said...

Welcome back. Can't wait to hear about it all.

Anonymous said...

ben tornata! i missed you also but was happy to know you were having a great honeymoon! Imani

Thistlemoon said...

Welcome back, welcome back!
You must be overwhelmed and jey-lagged!

Glad to have you back!

Anonymous said...

Welcome home, you were missed!!! Can't wait for pictures and stories!

I loved all the posts!

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

YAY! So glad you are back... you're so much fun to read... my Roman escape. Congrats on the wedding, good luck!

Anonymous said...

Welcome back ! I checked your blog these last days to see if you were back , now you are ,GREAT !
So how was New Zealand ??(we've actually bought tickets to Australia and New ZEaland for the summer so every suggestion will be welcome !)
Wow these guys are very impressive, I don't think the shoes do it all, do they ? ;-)
Very happy to read you !

Michellanea said...

Mmm, I second the blogger summit ida. Vino and Roma. Sign me up.

Michellanea said...

Idea, that is...I hate typos

Madelyne said...

Glad your back. When do we get to see some of your wedding pics (if thats not too personal & you want to share with us)

all over the map said...

Congratulations on becomming the "Mrs", Welcome Home and you were missed.
Glad your blog will back up and running. Yeah!
I'm sure you have loads of adventures to share.

Delina said...

Welcome back! You have to tell us more about the wedding and honeymoon. Congrats. Missed you!