Mr. President Comes to Trastevere

[UPDATE: Bush's visit to Trastevere was canceled today. A US Embassy warden message to US citizens in Rome this weekend regarding demonstrations in the city and security can be viewed here.]

Trasteverini: batten down the hatches! Bush is coming.

This morning I found a handful of photocopied flyers stuffed into my mailbox, part of which you see above. Black and white sheets crudely designed for a militant look. The headline reads: The heart of Rome refuses the war...flags, banners, sheets...let's show what we think about it.

It goes on to talk about how this Saturday, June 9, during his visit to Rome and Santa Maria in Trastevere (the church down the street where I got married a couple months ago!), word has it that Bush wants to stroll the cobblestone streets of my neighborhood. The flyer accuses Bush of looking for an easy photo op: "he wants to look like a perfect postcard tourist, smiling as he wanders the winding alleys, perhaps with a gelato in hand, just like any American tourist."

The flyer warns of the "militarization" of our streets, with snipers taking over our terraces for surveillance and security. (No one has yet contacted me to position themselves between the lemon trees in my roof garden, I can assure you. However if they do, I will most definitely serve them a shot of my homemade limoncello while kindly asking to take their picture for this little "blog" thing I'm working on.)

Uffa, ragazzi. As my luck would have it, this Saturday is one of my busiest days this summer, with two departures and two arrivals (I only have two apartments, so that's a full house). My poor guests.

The flyer says that Il Messaggero newspaper has already predicted "the entire neighborhood being taken over by the forces of law and order" starting on Thursday, with streets closed to get in and out, residents' cars being towed out of the neighborhood, garbage dumpsters being removed (I suppose in an effort to make the place look more idyllic).

Whoever designed the flyer calls all this "an affront in the face of our neighborhood, Trastevere, rightfully called 'the heart of Rome,' ... by its pure definition far from the grip of the powerful ... a hamlet of poets, artists, painters..." It urges the neighborhood residents to "hang posters, photos, banners, or anything else from windows, outside of bars and restaurants, to show everyone what we think of the war." Personally, I don't really want to get into politics, but I wouldn't be against hanging an American flag from my window if I could find one. Something tells me though, that's probably not exactly what the author of this flyer had in mind.

Folks. It remains to be seen what's going to go down here in a couple days. But I'm taking cover. Even though his official route doesn't pass under my front door, it's close enough to where I'll probably hear the helicopters whirring overhead, and I'm sure I'll hear some of the commotion.

But if I do see Bushie, I'll be sure to tell him to smile for my camera.

Some Observations

How's THAT for a boring title? Oh well. Here's what's on the minds of those in the know around these parts...

1) Soccer superstar (plays for Rome) Francesco Totti and his wife Ilary Blasi welcomed their second child this week. The bambina's name? Chanel Totti. That's right, I said CHANEL. A brand-name baby. What will they think of next? Gucci Totti? Armani Totti? Prada Totti? Their family could easily turn into an entire cat-walking team. Needless to say, the Romans are snickering about the ridiculously tacky turn. However, I've got one thing to say for the Tottis. They are a perfect example of what I would call shameless tackiness. It's like they take pride in it. No embarrassment here, folks. When they were getting married, they posted their wedding registry online so any devoted fans who felt like it could buy them gifts. And I'm thinking, see, why didn't I ask for one of these doo-dads instead of putting just the honeymoon on the registry? Doh! But, see what I'm saying? Pride in tackiness, people. Tacky. It's the new cool.

2) Some women can't reign in their spending when it comes to shoes and clothing, and here in Rome that's an easy thing to go overboard on. But no. For me, it's a big, nerdy inability to resist when it comes to reading material. Today I caved in and bought The New Yorker, recklessly not even inquiring as to the price (which was only listed on the cover as "Foreign: $5.99" -- not helpful). Set me back €9. That's like what, just over $12 USD? Man. I'll have to read one page a day to make it last.

3) I read in the May 11 edition of the commuter paper Metro that there has been a sharp increase in dog and cat abandonment here in Lazio, the state where Rome is located. I am always horrified by this. It happens before every vacation season: people abandon their animals because they go away. Estimates are between 50,000-100,000 abandoned dogs and 300,000 abandoned cats in Rome alone. Four years ago we adopted two abandoned cats at Largo Argentina shelter (the only shelter in the world located where Julius Caesar was assassinated). They are run entirely by volunteers and receive absolutely no support, monetary or otherwise, from the city. When the cats are abandoned to the shelter (lots of people just drop them off there), the staff covers costs to have them vaccinated and spayed or neutered by a wonderful, wonderful veterinarian named Stefano Baldi. If you need a vet in Rome, he is a saint. (via Cisterna 15, Tel. 065896650) You can help the Roman cats by adopting one at a distance or buying something from the cat shop. Stop by and see the cats for yourself.

4) May has been strike central here in Rome. We have seen strikes by just about everyone, from taxi drivers, to public transport workers, air traffic controllers, and even gas station attendants. Gas station attendants?

5) This year's Culture Week (9th annual) started on May 12 and ends May 20. All state-operated museums and archeological sites are free.

6) Had a lovely Canadian college student staying in one of my apartments this week with her parents, and she asked for a recommendation for a place to get her hair done. My Italian hair guru, Alberto, was booked, so I sent her to a place I had only heard about but never been to myself. Noi Salon is, to my knowledge, the only salon in Rome with native English speaking stylists. My guest was very pleased with her cut and color and tells me it's a great place to recommend, so... I pass the tip on to you. I have also heard that that they do manis and pedis.

7) Barbra Streisand tix went on sale in Rome on May 11. Guess she decided to open her world tour here on June 15 and this will be her first-ever live performance in Italy. The nosebleeds are going for €135, and the good seats are €850. That's right folks, the equivalent of about $1,150 USD. OnethousandonehundredfiftyUSdollars.

I'm getting a little verklempt... talk amongst yourselves... I'll give you a topic... Barbra is neither a bar nor a bra ... Discuss.

First-Ever AHIR Raffle

Last week, my pal African Kelli brought to my attention Jessica's blog, "Something Nice to Talk About." Jessica splits her time between the US and Brazil and is sponsoring a raffle to help the people of Cascalheira, a small village of about 70 homes. Take a look at the village and its residents here.

Jessica will be going back in July/August and is looking for a way to raise funds to help the village, so she decided to hold a raffle on her blog. I wanted to give her a hand so I am holding a raffle to help her out as well.

The picture above shows my homemade care package of what's up for grabs if you enter the raffle:

• Six blank greeting cards with photos of Rome that I've taken on my wanderings about the city
• One teeny-tiny bottle of our homemade limoncello, which came out REALLY good this year
• One CD compilation of some of my favorite Italian tunes

If you want a shot at winning, here are the instructions:

• Each raffle ticket costs $1 USD. I know that kind of limits who can participate, but maybe those of you outside of the States, US expats in particular, have a few extra dollars laying around from a trip you might have taken in the past. I also know that some of us (me) aren't too trustworthy of our local postal service, but I hope to hide a few of my dollars well enough so they don't get ripped off in transit (fingers crossed). If you think that sounds paranoid, you haven't ever received a box of four Godiva chocolates with just one missing.

• For each dollar you send, put your name and contact information on a slip of paper or index card. Each one counts as an entry. Also write AHIR so Jessica knows you are entering to win the prize shown here.

• Send your entry to: Jessica Torok, P.O. Box 249, Mill Neck, NY 11765 USA

Jessica will let me know who wins the prize, and I'll send it out as soon as she gives me the contact info.

Lots of other great projects going on around the blogosphere lately...there is definitely a spirit of giving and sharing in the air! I mentioned my pal Kelli before. Very proud to call this superwoman my friend, a former partner in crime from our college newspaper, and now simply one of my BFFs back home. She visits various third-world countries for work and had a call for care packages to bring to the kids she will be visiting this month in Africa...she received over one thousand four hundred responses and is working like Santa Claus to sort everything out, but what she can't take this time she'll take on a future trip.

There was also a fun and unexpected number of responses to my spontaneous "Sisterhood of the Traveling Book" idea. There are actually two copies of two different books up for traveling now, so I am getting that sorted out and will have an update soon.

Have a great Monday!

Another Future Americana a Roma

Folks, I had the delightful pleasure yesterday of meeting NYC/Caribbean Ragazza. I never bring my camera to these blogger meetings, because I never know if people want their picture online or not, and I don't want to put people on the spot... but I am happy to report that Tracie B. is braver than I am (luckily) and therefore you can see their two beautiful, smiling faces against what seems like a pull-down backdrop it's just so purty.

I walked away from our meeting feeling completely energized and full of life. Arlene is a really positive force of nature and I have absolutely no doubt that sooner or later, her blog will be telling tales of her life in Rome. (I'm hoping she'll dish about the Rome film scene.) ;-) Remember Arlene, we all want copies as soon as your book comes out! And thanks for the aperitivo. Next time, maybe in LA, or maybe in Rome, it's on me!

Spring Has Almost Sprung in Trastevere

My other Roman cat, Pavel, was jealous that Betsy got all the attention yesterday, so he wanted to show you his private jungle of cat grass on the roof. Speaking of which, remember when Finny did a complete overhaul of my rooftop? That was back in October. Well, I am happy to report that I have managed to keep *almost* everything alive. Just the two plants that needed hand-watering went to that big greenhouse in the sky. (Sorry! Shame on me.)

Well, I'm sure you've been hearing about Europe's unseasonably warm temps this year, and next-to-no snow. Some bulbs that Finny advised me to just bury in the soil and forget about are already making their appearance. I'd say it's just about starting to feel like spring around here. So I now invite you to sit back and enjoy some shots taken during this afternoon's sunset (chilled glass of white wine helpful, but not necessary):

No, we still haven't picked them for the limoncello. It's on our list of things to do ASAP, maybe even this evening. Remember when they were green?

I love lavender, which we planted in nearly every basket (here in the foreground) and this rosemary plant (thanks, Ash, you're the best!) has just started to bloom with little purple flowers.

A newborn bulb making its way up in the world.

I can't wait until this one is fully in bloom...the scent is heavenly!

Knitting in Rome: Not Just for Le Nonne Anymore

Yes, that's one of my two Roman cats, Betsy, enjoying the spectacle of me cleaning out my knitting basket, which for the past 4 years or so has served as nothing more than an occasional cat bed for her. No, this isn’t a crafting blog and I’m not converting it into one. However, I do knit and for a while I’ve been itching to do a post that combines my love of knitting with my love of Rome. So indulge me, will you, just this once? Or, all you non-knitters out there can join me back on my next post.

Truth of the matter is that should you find yourself living in Rome for any extended period of time, and should you be interesting in knitting during said time, you’re not really too much in luck. Knitting, although popular in the States with twenty/thirty-somethings and up, here in Italy is still seen as a sport only for le nonne, the grannies. Which is fine, unless you are one of those non-granny people of any age who has the urge to knit.

A couple things to know about Rome and knitting:
1) Yarn shops aren't that easy to find.
2) The few shops that I’ve managed to find generally don’t display their yarns like you find in other countries (my personal examples are the US and a shop I visited in Sweden where the yarns and projects are on display for customers to browse). No, here in Rome you probably have to stand in front of a counter to look at yarns displayed on the wall behind, and ask for each individual ball of yarn. Perhaps if you're lucky you can see a sample strand or ball of yarn, but nearly always under very close supervision. Pretty tedious.

I learned how to knit through a class I took when I lived in Phoenix about six years ago. Once I started my life here though, things were so hectic I had no time, and certainly no money, for hobbies. I put away the knitting stash and there it stayed for years, half-finished projects becoming no more than a cozy bed for Betsy (the only one of my two cats still "small" enough to squeeze into the knitting basket). Yes, it's clear from the photo that she was heartbroken by this sudden destruction of one of her many sleeping spots.

Just in case you're wondering what I unearthed in my little operation:

A forlorn sock, the first I ever attempted, whose mate was never completed. And now I can't find the pattern I used for it.

A miniature “sweater for your head” project with lots of cables: I finished the first “sleeve” of the hat and it had four cables which ended up being so incredibly time-consuming for something so tiny that I never started the second sleeve. So now we have the rare prototype of a one-sleeved sweater hat.

While I haven’t gotten around to completing either of these projects, I did make a regular "dumb roll-brim hat" for someone as a Christmas present with some angora yarn I bought in Stockholm. I ran out of it about 3/4 of the way through, and was faced with the dilemma of buying yarn here in Rome to finish the project.

I went to “Lana Gatto,” a beautiful yarn boutique, but I ended up feeling like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she goes shopping for her fancy-shmancy clothes. There were three severe-looking shop assistants dressed all in black, staring me down as I looked at the yarns. Way too nerve-wracking. I asked for the yarn I needed, tried to browse for a while but eventually just bought my yarn and left. They made me feel so uncomfortable! It’s a shame, because they have a pretty nice selection.

Check out the two women dressed in black with their arms crossed. And this is before I even entered the shop. I've never seen any other customers in here. Hmmm, wonder why.

The second shop I can advise you of is called “Lana della Vecchia” near Campo de' Fiori. The photo below is from Unraveling.



I've stopped in here once, and while small, it has a good selection and there were so many other women at the counter that the saleslady didn't have time to stare me down or make me feel uneasy. I think I'd go back here if I needed some yarn. At Unraveling she mentions their sign which says “wholesale prices” and bought 100 grams of cashmere for €53, which must be a good price although I'm no expert on these things. It’s the equivalent of nearly $70 USD.

Thanks to another traveling knitter named Yuvee, I can add to our list a shop called Filati Filpucci, in her words, “… run by men and looked more like a hardware store than a yarn shop.” Interesting, no? Stop by her post to discover other shops in Italy, as her travels took her to Florence as well. I've been lurking on her blog for a while now..she's a very proficient knitter. I’m molto impressed by her skill in seeking out gorgeous yarns, braving the shop owners, and without any Italian to boot. Brava! She encountered the same thing I describe though, the whole “look but don’t touch” phenomenon and the insistence on one-on-one service. Not what we knitters are generally used to.

I personally visited Filpucci after reading about it on Yuvee's blog. Yikes. She wasn't kidding, folks. It was so bizarre. You enter and there's a looooong counter with two young (late 20ish) guys who look like they would be just as at home in a mechanic's garage, but yet are dealing with all these grannies buying yarn. They've got a ton of stuff, but I was really put off by the signs all over the place, literally in front of every single type of yarn, saying that you absolutely, positively couldn't touch anything. Lame. Won't be going back. Although I salute Yuvee doubly now, because I even speak Italian and didn't want to brave that madness.

Knitters visiting Italy, I have a secret to tell you about, and most unfortunately it is not in Rome. When visiting my friend Eugenio a couple weekends ago, I mentioned that I like to knit and was informed that Biella, where he lives, is pretty much the yarn and textile capital of Italy. What? I didn't believe it until he called up his mom for advice on where to get yarn, and then took me to a store that seemed from outside like an anonymous little hole-in-the-wall. Turns out it was none other than the factory store of Lana Gatto--remember the place with the scary sales ladies?

Lana Gatto is based in Tollegno, about a 6-7 hour drive from Rome. To go there you'd have to make a pilgrimage specifically. The factory store was piled high with every kind of yarn they make, and *surprise, surprise!* very sweet and helpful ladies. Try to guess how much I spent for this bag of eight 50-gram balls of wool:

Need a hint? Well, consider that at Lana Gatto in Rome, I paid €6 for two. In Tollegno I paid €11 for the whole bag. It's not factory seconds, either. It's just that buying at the source is cheaper. They sell by weight, and the price is displayed like prosciutto: € X per 1000 gr. They had boxes upon boxes of precious cashmere stacked high to the ceiling, and it was €330 or so per 1000 gr. When you think back to Unraveled's purchase, well, you can see that it's really something. Her 100 grams here would have cost just about roughly €33, about $43 USD.

Last but not least, any keen observers spot the new badge on my sidebar? Yes, I have joined in Stranded: The Colorwork Challenge, in an effort to free myself from irrational hesitancy regarding fair isle knitting. Well, I started this Bea Ellis Knitwear Nordic Hat project in the car on the way up to Biella, and before we even made it back down to Rome, it was finished! I am here to tell you that fair isle is definitely not as complicated as it may look:

Here's my new hat making a recent appearance in a self-portrait with Ale at Stonehenge:

Knitters in Rome and knitters visiting Rome and Italy, unite! If you have any shops to add to the list, or shops in other cities, please add them in the comments.

Lana Gatto (Rome)
Piazza Di S. Lorenzo In Lucina, 38

Lana della Vecchia
Via Baullari, 3

Filati Filpucci
Via Principe Amedeo, 87-89

Lana Gatto (factory store)
Via Roma 9
13818 Tollegno (Biella)

The Five Things I Miss About Gli Stati Uniti

I've been sort of quasi-tagged for a meme by Mr. Diego, a "just over thirty-something" Roman journalist with a blog that, IMHO, would be worth learning Italian for, because it is just plain hilarious. Mr. Diego, being a journalist, has a real way with words. His intelligent and quirky outlook on things includes an occasional glance and questioning look at daily life in Rome. In fact, I made his virtual acquaintance when I bumped into him while doing some research for my knife-sharpener post. Definitely one of our quirkier aspects of life here. And in terms of his keen eye for the strange (hence the "Dr. StranoWeb" name): I mean, people, one of his most recent posts was part of his running series on "strange jobs," profiling the profession, if we can even call it that, of "armpit smellers." And yes, much to your dismay, there is photographic evidence. Comic gold, no?

But I digress. Mr. Diego has abandoned his faithful Italian-language readers for just one post by writing about this meme in English. He spent considerable time in the US as an expat and as such decided to share the five things he misses most about his time in the States. Not one to shy away from a friendly invitation, I now bring you mine. I invite any and all other expats to participate as well, and feel free to shamelessly promote your posts for this meme in the comments section.

So, let's begin, shall we?

In position number 1, we have the faithful Kenmore dryer.

Oh, how I miss you, Mr. Kenmore! You do realize that the lack of your presence in my Roman life means I am reduced to draping my thicker clothing items over the radiators in my house? Disgraceful. And I have also been forced to become much more calculated in my clothes laundering habits. I.e., need those jeans for Friday night? Ok, must wash them on Tuesday. Aarrgh. I'll never forget when I was learning Italian and I asked Ale something about a dryer. Probably never having actually seen one, or perhaps even heard about one, he didn't know the word for it off-hand in Italian. I had to describe the appliance in my pidgin Italian. "You know, like a big box that blows hot air, like a hair dryer, but for clothes?" Mystery solved: asciugatrice. It's a luxury item. How you measure when you've "arrived." Expensive electricity.

Taking up spot number 2, we have the phenomenon of 24/7.

I'll admit, this one is a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, the lack of being able to get almost any retail item at any hour is part of the charm of Italy. Less consumeristic culture means more of a focus on the "important things in life." Or does it? I miss being able to just hop in my car and run to the store whenever I need something, instead of having permanent anxiety about planning my shopping so it doesn't coincide with the hours of about noon to 4 pm. I'll admit it, I do miss super stores with everything under one roof. I miss convenience, yes, indeedy I do. But, I have learned the virtue of patience and weened myself off the credit cards, so it has been a positive trade-off.

Numero tres, cocina mexicana:

I love me some Mexican food. There are a couple Mexican restaurants I know of here in Rome, but they are mucho expensive and just not the same as the mammoth-sized plates you see here, that, let's be honest, are really the hallmark of all US cuisine nowadays, not just Mexican. More chips and salsa? Yes, please! Did you know that here in Italy it is none other than Uncle Ben who produces salsa and tortillas? That's right, Mr. Rice King himself. And of course I would be amiss if I didn't add 3a., like many fellow expats: cheddar cheese. I tried making a taco dinner here once and when I said I needed cheddar cheese (before I knew it doesn't really exist in Italy unless you find a rare specialty shop), and described what it was like, I was accosted by the response: "Orange-colored cheese cannot POSSIBLY be found in nature." So? It's good.

Numero quattro, the bird:
Thanksgiving was definitely a holiday I took for granted when I lived in the States. Once I realized that my move away from the States had become more or less permanent for the time being, Thanksgiving became a symbol for all my family and friends that I missed. When I used to work with US university study abroad students here in Rome, we would organize an authentic-as-possible Thanksgiving Dinner each year. Can't tell you the looks we used to get from the waiters when they'd bring out "the bird" (complimenti, by the way, to the Italians for humoring us on this one) and all the students broke out their cameras and started taking pictures. With all those flashbulbs going off on Tom the Turkey, I was thinking I should be saying something to him, like, "Work it, work it... good! Now, show me ANGER! You've been cooked for Thanksgiving dinner, you're mad... fabulous! Now, give me sexy!" It was really too much, but I had to smile because it's one of those traditions that is truly American.

And, of course number 5, last but certainly not least, is obviously for me my friends and family! Don't really have any blogging relatives that I can steer you towards, but I hope you have all checked in on African Kelli and Finny Knits, my best gal pals who I miss dearly but thanks to technology am able to keep up with.

Well folks, there it is, I did it. It was inevitable, sooner or later you're asked to share these things.

What do you miss about your home country, if you're an expat? If you're not, what things from your home country do you think you couldn't live without if you moved to another country?

Expat Women is Here!

When I first came to Italy, I was ALONE. I knew that if I had come with other English-speaking friends, I would never have the courage to get out there and learn Italian and really integrate into the local culture.

Great idea in theory, not so easy in practice. Those first six months were definitely sink-or-swim, and there were days where I really wished I had had someone who had "gone there before me" to share my woes and worries with, or just to get a little bit of reassurance that everything was normal and eventually things would work themselves out. It would have been helpful to have another woman who knew what I was going through, especially someone specifically from Rome who could give me some tips on the local culture, or how to navigate the Byzantine bureaucracy, and hopefully have a laugh over it.


Well, even though I wasn't fortunate enough to know any expat mentors and kind of learned by trial and error as I think many of my fellow expat women have done and do every day, today is the official launch date of Expat Women, a new website subtitled "Helping Women Living Overseas." Besides lots of information, stories, and resources, this website has a growing network of volunteer mentors: women from all walks of life who are living the overseas experience and are willing to share their knowledge and help via email with new women expats.

For example, women new to Europe can visit the site and go to the mentor page to find a mentor for their area or city. Since the site is new, the list of mentors is still growing. In fact, I'm the only mentor right now for Rome (and Italy in general)! You can become a mentor if you:

1. have been living in your current location for more than 6 months;
2. are a friendly, giving soul – willing to help and to answer all sorts of questions; and
3. can make Expat Women emails a priority, endeavoring to answer all emails within 48 hours.

You can also register your blog for the Expat Women blog list (coming in mid-February) or write a book review on an expat-related book.

One great feature is that this site is for all English-speaking women around the world who have moved from their home country to a new country, not necessarily just Americans living overseas. This month's success story, in fact, is about Cornelia Zicu, who fled a refugee camp in Romania and now runs the Cornelia Day Resort in New York, a 22,000 square foot oasis on the top of Ferragamo's Fifth Avenue boutique!

Sending my biggest auguri to Andrea and Jill, founders of Expat Women (with 20 years of combined experience living overseas) on their launch, and if you have a moment, I encourage you to stop by and check out the site. It really is full of resources that I would have loved to have had when I first came to Italy, and like I mentioned above, it is not just for Europe but for expat women living all over the world.

C'è Posta Per Me!

That means "I've Got Mail!"

Yes folks, my first of two City Swap packages arrived today. So excited! I don't have a lot of faith in the Italian postal system, although I really have only had one little "episode": a package where someone ate one Godiva chocolate from a mini box and left the other 3 untouched (thanks, Signore or Signora Postal Worker! Although I suppose I shouldn't be so biased. I mean, I can't prove that the Godiva-eater wasn't in the States. But, based on all the funny Italian mail stories I've heard, my money's on Italy.) Why do I get two packages, you ask? Because we ended up with an odd number, so I took two buddies. Twice the fun.

This package made it all the way from Indiana, and it was from Rachael over at Rainbow Fish. Quite appropriate seeing as how one of my presents was, in fact, rainbow-colored fish:

Seems that a place called Mundt's is the "Sole Manufacturer of Madison's Famous Fish Candy." There's a cute little "fish tale" on the label that explains the history of the candy and why it is indeed famous.

The popcorn is from The Sweet Kernel, and is definitely yummy, a mix of caramel corn, chocolate clusters, and walnuts. It's already half gone, in case you're wondering.

I loved this quirky magnet from Rachael's "favorite greasy spoon," which is now attached to the panel on the back of my stovetop, since I have a weird fridge door that strangely is NOT magnetic (how un-American, yes, in fact, how very Italian, where the refrigerators are disguised to look like cupboards). Rachael is a college student and this little addition to my package reminded me of a few beloved haunts from my college days as well (Flagstaff, AZ): Mrs. Brown's Burger Bar and Mike and Rhonda's (aka "The Place"). Mmmmm, greasy spoons, me likey!

Another fun touch were two copies of her college newspaper. Again, brings back memories as I worked for nearly four years in advertising at my college newspaper, The Lumberjack. Yes, people, that was our mascot---so?!? Got a problem with that? You're not laughing, are you? Stop! I can see you! If you really must know, we were all quite proud of Louie in his blue and yellow suspendered get-up.

All in all, a very fun surprise and pre-Christmas present. Jingle all the way!

Hitler and the Pope

Whoa...how 'bout that for a title?

Folks, it's simply that I've been tagged for my first meme. Get out your cameras, it's like my first trip to the prom, a bit of a blogger rite of passage, no? I was tagged by my lovely fellow expat and bloggy buddy Jessica, over at In Search of Dessert.

It asks me to pick the book nearest to me, turn to page 123, go to line 5 and copy the next three lines into my post.

Since my desk is right next to a bookshelf, this made for a difficult choice. So in keeping with my blog theme, I picked the first book I saw that related to Rome.

This is a book I bought with good intentions of reading, but still haven't gotten around to. These three lines aren't exactly promising me the lightest reading of my life. Here we go:

"argument the unacceptable claim of Italian Fascism over the totality of a citizen's life. The grotesque political realities of Fascism, however, were not rebuked. Within two or three years, the same constrained papal"

The book is Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII by John Cornwell.

I have to "tag" three people. I don't even know if these people "do" memes, but here goes:

Finny (one of my few BFFs and the girl who inspired me to get blogging), Ebony and Ivory (one of my first "commenters" and bloggy buddies), and Avery, one of my fellow Rome bloggers and friends.

Cheers! And let's hope to God (no pun intended) that your books are a little more lighthearted than mine. Sheesh! Has anybody out there read this book? Should I leave it on the shelf?

My 15 Minutes of Virtual Fame

Ciao Mr. Sullivan!

I have no idea how you (or someone on your team) found my humble blog, but the number of hits I started getting once your blog linked here made me think my stat counter was broken. Quite an eye-opening and fun little experiment in the sheer power and reach of the Internet.

I guess everyone is entitled to their one Andy Warhol moment in the blogosphere, no?

Mastercard at the Rome Airport

Wait at baggage claim: 1.5 hours

Finding out they don't know where your bag is: 5 minutes

Spotting an ad with the "neighborhood church" where you're getting married: Timeless

Here Comes the Bride: TomKat in Rome

I know, I know. Big roll of the eyes. For any of my ahem, highbrow, readers, I apologize in advance. Today we are goin' dowwwntown for a little bit of good, old-fashioned gossip.

So, here's the dish. A few days ago, the phenomenon known as TomKat touched down in Rome, with a small entourage of family and, well, other entourage-type people. I was really trying to ignore it. Until I saw this tantalizing little tidbit on the sidebar when I was checking my Gmail. Yikes. Oh-Oh-Oprah sounds a little bit peeved, if you ask me. But hey, we can't all be TomKat's best pals, now can we? Even if the Tom half of TomKat has a field day stomping all over our couches and whatnot.

Maybe you're much more updated than I am, but here's what I can tell you:

Word has it they're getting married in Castello Odescalchi in Bracciano. This is where Italian pop star Eros Ramazzoti got married to Swiss (but working in Italy) "showgirl" Michelle Hunziker some years back. They're divorced now. Hope that doesn't rub off on TomKat. But, maybe they won't get married there after all. Speculation is running so wild that news sources are even turning to local electricians for the scoop.

Staying at their favorite Rome haunt, The Hassler. Not too shabby, eh?

This article in Italian says they're expecting 500 guests (um, Oprah, what's up with that?) and that their Scientology pal John Travolta is whizzing a bunch of them over on his private jet. In fact, some have already arrived. Wait. Did I see Brooke Shields in there?

Being a celebrity at this level must be very similar to being an exotic animal in a zoo. Making news are TomKat "sightings," like this one and this one.

I heard, even though I can't seem to find it anywhere, that Tom Cruise even asked to have the airspace over the castle closed during his wedding. Ha! I bet all the tourists coming into Rome would LOVE that one.

Hey, Oprah, don't feel so bad. If it's any consolation, I didn't get invited either. If you wanna come over and hang out, get an espresso or something, it's all good.

Bread and Tulips

The title of today’s post is also the title of one of my favorite Italian movies. It’s the story of a woman who doesn’t know that she has lost herself until her family loses her by forgetting her at a highway rest stop. She goes on an adventure, follows her heart, and finds her creative talents in the most unexpected ways.

Sometimes, when we’re not looking, life finds us, and then asks us to find ourselves. When I first came to live in Rome, I had saved just enough money to pay for a room for about 5 or 6 months. It was literally my life savings. After having worked for a couple years in the “real world” with my freshly minted college degree, and having braved by myself one whirlwind month here, I moved back in with my parents after 6 years out of the house, worked almost daily in a grocery store bagging and cashiering, as well as part time in advertising. Anything to get my little “nest egg” together to go for my dream, as fast as possible.

When I got here and started living day to day, I had absolutely no extra money. For anything. Even though I was managing to scrape together a bit here and there tutoring English, it was the first time in my life I had to ask myself questions like, “Can I afford shampoo and conditioner? Or just shampoo?” I am in no way trying to garner sympathy by telling you this. I'm fully aware that there are much bigger problems in the world. I guess I just got to thinking about Ms. Adventures in Italy’s comment on yesterday’s post: not everyone’s road to success in Italy is paved with living in a hotel while remodeling their dream home. And that’s a really good thing.

Anyone who has gone on this kind of an adventure knows that really making it in a foreign country involves an unspeakable amount of hard work. Embarrassment. Fear. And those who succeed can look back and know that blind faith comes into play. A lot.

When I had almost nothing else besides my family and friends back home, Alessandro, and my blind faith, I started writing down the things I wanted in my life here. Kind of a wish list, convinced that I was headed in that direction. I’ll never forget: one of the things I wrote, one of the goals I hoped I would reach, was to be able to afford flowers for no reason. Flowers, and a daily newspaper.

Yesterday afternoon on the way back from the grocery store, I stopped to look at these tulips. They seemed a little too expensive to me (8 euro). But the truth is, I so rarely buy flowers for no reason that I don’t really know what a good price would be. And that’s when I remembered what I had written back then.

So I went ahead and bought them. Because after all these years, I realized that I could. And now, the tulips sitting on my desk are not just adding a little extra color—they are a reminder of where a little blind faith and a dream can take you.

What steps are you taking to nurture your “crazy, impossible” dream?

Maybe You Shouldn't Do As the Romans Do

You may have noticed that in my sidebar this month I mentioned that I was reading As the Romans Do by Alan Epstein. Well, I was reading it. That is, until I got to page 101, at which point I was so frustrated by what I was reading, I had to contain myself in order to resist throwing the book across the room and watching it bounce off the wall.

Now, Rome may seem like a big city, but those of us who live here, especially us expats, know that its actually just a small village. That’s why my intention is not pointless book bashing. I have absolutely nothing against the author or his wife, both of whom still live and work in Rome, and I commend the author for having such incredible success with this book and his Roman life. But there are a few things that I think it’s only responsible to point out if you decide to go ahead and dive into this book, since I was half-recommending it by the fact that I had it displayed on my page.

What attracted me to this book:

• Breezy, conversational style that makes you feel like you’re getting a one-on-one peek into Rome from the author himself
• You can tell the author is truly in love with his adopted city and his joy and amazement shine through the pages

What eventually drove me away from this book:

• Blanket statements that are written as if some kind of eternal truth about Romans/Italians, without any citations or opposing viewpoints from Romans or Italians themselves

Alan Epstein and his wife, both Americans, moved to Italy from California with their sons, so the book is written through American eyes. I was hoping this wouldn’t become a Roman version of Under the Tuscan Sun, and overall it doesn’t, except a little Frances Mayes-ing on page 25, when the author describes furnishing his new Roman apartment:

The hand-painted lamps from Sicily were placed on our inlaid wooden side tables that we had picked up at a little antique shop behind Campo de’ Fiori. As we smoothed out the Caucasus Kuban rug under the wrought-iron and glass coffee table that holds our vivid yellow Peking glass vases…

Anyhoo, you get the idea. Luckily that only goes on for a short chapter and is forgiveable.

What I ultimately take issue with are statements that, despite adjusting for the six-year time span from when the book was first published, still have no place being put down as absolute truth, in my opinion.

Take, for example, this from pages 95-96:

• Italians certainly don’t come together primarily for love[…]the romantic kind[…]
• The males want to be pampered, well fed, and given free rein to play. The women expect to be the capo della casa, to run the household, to be able to express their emotions without restraint.
• A spouse is chosen because, all things considered, he or she would make a good partner for familial, rather than for personal, romantic, sentimental, or sexual reasons[…]

Following this reasoning, the author goes on to say, quoting on page 97 an uncited survey, that 70 percent of Italian males “betray” their wives, while 64 percent of Italian women do the same to their husbands. As the reader, we are unable to discern the source of these statements, and are left to assume that they must simply be built from the author’s observations, personal opinion, or perhaps something he read somewhere.

On page 98, he gives an example of an Italian female friend who informs him that when a man is found cheating (already lending credence to his claim that this is a typical occurrence), his wife “hits him on the head with a frying pan, tells him not to do it again, and domestic life continues.”

Then, for the grand finale, on page 100 he explains that "...in Italy, where men do not do housework, do not raise kids, do not get up to help with any kind of domestic chores..." the low birth rate is due to Italian women purposely refusing to have children in order to "shed the weight of domestic dependence" and "by sleeping with whomever they want, since it is clear that they never got married primarily for love..."

I find all this quite offensive. I’m not proposing to be an authority on Italians or Italian life and culture, and I’m not trying to say I am naïve enough to think that marital infidelity doesn’t exist in Italy. However, I am an American girl who came over to Rome by herself, has had several years of professional experience working with Italians, has daily contact almost exclusively with Italians, and has been in a relationship with an Italian (Roman) man for almost six years. These are the things that I feel qualify me to be surprised with such statements being presented as if they were a cultural fact.

After reading such a tirade, I couldn’t continue through the book chronologically any longer, but I started flipping through further, since it is organized in small topic-centered chapters, hoping to find one that might lure me back in. When I did, it only turned me away again, with the statement on page 214 that:

Italians are, in fact, pretty much where the Americans were in the fifties: charmed by new gizmos, earning money, and having more market choices than they ever dreamed possible. Many people are, at bottom, still bowled over by the fact that they own a car.

This came across to me as incredibly condescending. Granted, the book came out in 2000, and I am not a sociologist or economist specializing in Italy; however, I arrived in mid-2001 and my personal experience has never led me to believe that Italians are coming out of some sort of industrial or economic dark age, in which they are continually amazed by what it feels like to be a car owner. On the contrary, I feel Rome is actually a perfect example of what happens when lack of a viable public transport system actually forces most people to own a car.

What compelled me to write a sort of review of this book is the simple fact that an author who presents himself as an authority on a particular subject, even if simply through personal experience, in my opinion has a responsibility to his readers when making broad statements like the ones above. Many descriptions of Roman places and customs are accurate, such as how jogging down city streets isn’t so common, or how most everything stops for holiday in August, or what it’s like during a transport strike; however, the fact remains that statements like the ones above have the power to leave the reader with a rather one-sided and stereotypical picture of Italian lifestyle and culture, and I think that is unfortunate. My personal experience with Italian friends and family of all ages has shown me otherwise, in a most positive way.

If you’ve read this far, by all means, please leave me a comment about what you think!

Five-Finger Discount on Parmigiano

We're almost at the halfway mark with NaBloPoMo! Are you having as much fun as I am?

Well, part of the fun, thank goodness, is provided by my never-ending source of ridiculous and trivial news bits, Metro. If you live in a big city, maybe you have this free commuter paper as well. Don't get me wrong: I love Metro! Remember our friend Thomas? Well, here's another little quirk for you.

So, I know you've been wondering—no, losing sleep at night, actually—over what the most-stolen product is in Italian grocery stores. What? You haven't? Well, me neither, really. But never fear! Metro has. And so, I present for your perusal:

This little gem says:

Parmesan is the Most Stolen
Parmesan cheese is the most-stolen grocery product in Italian supermarkets, with theft reaching 9% of the total value of the product sold. In other words, almost one piece out of every 10 is taken off the shelves.
According to an investigation by Coldiretti, meat follows with a 5.5% loss, wine and spirits 2%. In non-grocery products, one out of every five razor blades is stolen.

So, there you have it folks. A little bit of trivia for your next get-together. You'll be the life of the party, I tell you!

Oh, and the hand? Yeah, that would be Leonardo DiCaprio when he was here for the Rome Film Festival. I don't think he has been recently implicated in any Italian cheese theft. Not sure about the meat or razors, though.

Fabio: My Bionic Supercousin

Folks, I've been keeping a secret from you. My Roman cousin, Fabio, is a superhero not unlike Spiderman. If you think I'm kidding, at the end of this post I will provide you with audio-visual proof.

If you've been following my adopted Roman family tree, Fabio is Dario's brother. You'll remember Dario, the aspiring actor who had his 15 minutes of fame on the movie set? Needless to say, I am marrying into an extraordinary famiglia.

Have any of you ever heard of parkour? The Wikipedia article defines it like this:

Parkour is a physical discipline inspired by human movement, focusing on uninterrupted, efficient forward motion over, under, around and through obstacles (both man-made and natural) in one's environment. Such movement may come in the form of running, jumping, climbing and other more complex techniques. The goal of parkour is to adapt one's movement to any given obstacle.

I didn't know this existed as a sport until Fabio started doing it. I guess holding the title of world champion in Kung Fu sword fighting wasn't enough. (I think he held this title more than once, actually). So, quite the phenomenon, my little cugino.

Fabio just got back from NYC where he did a parkour exhibition and also shot a special for MTV. I think he might even appear in an Adidas commercial, or there was talk of a sponsorship deal. Parkour originated in France and apparently hasn't really taken off yet in the States, so it was good timing for his trip. I was told that the New Yorkers, generally known for their fearlessness in underground and extreme urban subcultures, told Fabio he was the craziest of them all. This was to be taken as quite the compliment! Bravo cuginetto!!

So, without further ado, I invite you to watch these videos, and judge for yourself whether or not Spiderman has come to life on the outskirts of Rome.

It's Rome...Really!

Well, it’s official. After a naming contest that received a lot of great suggestions from many of you, I have finally arrived at my new business identity. Thanks again to everyone! I know I promised to put your suggestions up for a vote, but once they were all in, I did my homework this time around and found that most of them unfortunately were variations on domain names already taken or too similar to other businesses. In the end, it was nearly impossible to find a truly unique name, and the one I chose is in fact just two consonants longer than another that already exists…but after evaluating everything and researching websites and names, the one I chose came from Finny, advertising genius and my personal marketing guru, and it is:

If the logo looks a little amateurish, well, that’d be because I designed it myself. I was considering hiring a professional graphic designer but I got worried that I might not like it and end up spending a ton of money, so I just went ahead and winged it. I figure, I’m my own boss now and why shouldn’t the logo reflect me and my personality, even if it isn’t perfect?

Today I had a lovely chat with a couple staying in one of the apartments. They found me through Slow Trav, which I have found to be an excellent resource for travelers. No matter what the question, it seems you’re pretty much guaranteed a response from the extensive network of members who have logged countless miles in many countries. I explained to my guests how I am trying to build my business through word-of-mouth and grassroots marketing so that I can build a nice client base of like-minded people. They were kind enough to suggest some resources, one I knew about (Craig’s List) and one I didn’t (VRBO). I have decided not to work with rental agencies because as I explained to them, for me the important thing is not quantity and having a revolving door of guests packed in as tightly as possible, but rather quality and sharing my apartments with guests who will appreciate, enjoy, and care for the apartments as much as I do.

Unfortunately at this early stage in my new business adventure, I feel like I have a great product that hardly anyone knows about (yet). I realize that nowadays most people do all their travel research and booking online. Do you have any ideas for how I might get the word out about my apartments? I would love to hear your suggestions for helping me build my business!

I'm (not) lovin' it

You know what? Maybe the whole post-a-day thing is growing on me. I figure, it will give me a chance to get all these odds-and-ends out there that I wouldn't have considered worthy of an entire post before. I guess that should come with a disclaimer that in the next 30 days, it's gonna be a real mixed bag. But, you get what you pay for, and as long as blogs are free, well...at least you won't have to ask me for your money back!

So, here's today's thing to make you go hmmmm. Please examine with me the following laboratory specimen:

This, my friends, is what they hand you when you order a humble Happy Meal at the Trastevere McDonald's. You'll all remember what a Happy Meal consists of, no?

1) Cheeseburger
2) Small french fries
3) Small soda (or pop if your parents are from Detroit like mine are)
(3a) Toy, as you'll see below)

Ok, so, what's the deal with the whole shopping bag thing? You see how I put a little jar of mayo next to the bag to give you a point of comparison? People, is the gigantor-ness of it all really necessary?

Now, yes, I know some of you may be thinking, as I reflected in a previous post as well, the SHAME of it all. Girl, you live in Rome, and yet, you sink so low as to patronize the ugly corporate giant, when perfectly good Roman food is all over the place? Well, what can I say? Yes. I am weak. I even read Fast Food Nation (subtitle: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal), people, and that is saying something, because I was pretty much ready to start picketing on Viale Trastevere after I finished it. But, it's that grease that just keeps bringing me back. Only once every few months, if that's any consolation.

So, back to our main topic. Shopping bag? It's on purpose. Expressly to promote that vergogna that I talked about just now. And, it gets even worse. When the guy at the counter yells across the room: "Mascio o femmina?" you know you're in trouble. Me: "Come?" Guy: "Il gioccatolo? Lo vuoi maschio o femmina?" Me:"No, va bene senza. Tanto, non lo uso." Guy: "Devi scegliere, te lo devo dare per forza."

This conversation is the final, calculated blow in the shame game. It translates to:

Guy: Male or female?
Me: What?
Guy: The toy? You want male or female?
Me: No, it's fine without. I don't use it.
Guy: You have to choose, I have to give it to you, whether you like it or not.

See? It's all on purpose to remind us Americans that if we are blessed enough to live in Rome, we should have half the brain to know that Italian food is not to be taken for granted. I surrender!

Who Wants to Read a Post a Day?

Folks, I really have no clear idea why, but at the very last minute (the deadline is at 11:59 pm today), I signed up for NaBloPoMo. I mean, I can hardly keep up with reading all the blogs I like, and to think that so many of them are now going to be dishing stuff out daily--well, I suppose I figured, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! A kind of internal peer pressure. What if I run out of things to say about Rome after posting daily in November and have to close shop? No fear! Here we go!

So, not sure if you know, but I just started renting out the tourist apartments in August. It pretty much coincides with the birth of my blog. Wouldn't have ever had enough time for a blog before that. My job working with over 100 university students, as director of their study abroad center, kept me on my toes with a small staff, a 24-hour emergency phone, and an endless supply of stories to make me the life of the party ("They did WHAT?!"). Got some real scares as well as some ha-has on the ol' E-phone, and I wasn't sad to leave it behind.

That being said, I'm still at the beginning stages of building my business. Part of it is a small DVD and book library that guests can use during their stay. Even though I don't run a B & B, I wanted to incorporate some B & B elements that I have seen in my travels and enjoyed. My only real criteria for the DVDs is that they are Italian movies with English subtitles, or movies about Italy. I just got a shipment of DVDs from Amazon for the library. Here's the list:

Life is Beautiful
Malena
Il Postino
Mediterraneo
Johnny Stecchino
Fellini's Roma
Respiro
Stealing Beauty
I'm Not Scared

My budget limits me obviously from buying everything I'd like to, but...as they say here, piano, piano (little by little).

Have you ever seen any of the movies on my list? Which one(s) are your favorite(s)? Of course, I don't have anywhere near all the ones I think are essential for a good Italian film library. What movies do you think are must-haves? A wish list never hurts!