Amid the Olive Trees

Yin-Yang You

2011-08-22T10:46:00.005+02:00

It's Monday Listicles day again and this time it's a doozy. Kim from Zook Book Nook chose YinYang as this week's list topic.

Do you know what YinYang is?

Let me quote Wikipedia: "In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang (simplified Chinese: 阴阳; traditional Chinese: 陰陽; pinyin: yīnyáng), which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only exist in relation to each other."

Got that?

Here's my list of the Yin Yang in my life:

1. Italian-American

I have both Italian and US citizenship now, but neither country recognises the other citizenship. For the US, I am only American. For Italy, I am Italian e basta!

2. Reader-Writer

I am doing one of these two things most of the day, every day.

3. Teacher-Learner

My students are a lot older and somewhat better behaved than the ones in this picture, but the idea is that I learn as much as I teach every time I go into the classroom.

4. Good Mommy-Bad Mommy

It ain't easy being the first love of someone's life and, at the same time, the person who rains on their parade with rules, responsibility and those irritating life lessons!

5. Sedentary-Active

Always working on the balance between these two. I spend long hours seated at the pc working and then vigorous bursts of working out . . . I guess I'm somewhere mid-ground between these two lovely ladies!

6. Interior-Exterior

De Chirico - Archeologi

Another area I work to keep in balance. I do a lot of both work and pleasurable activities that use only my mind, so I have to remind myself to get out of my own head and interact with the rest of the world!

7. Soft-Hard

When people first meet me they often find me "sweet." Ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!

8. Shabby-Chic

One day ratty old tshirt and no makeup - the next, silk and heels.

It's my blog, so I can show you only the pretty pictures, if I want to!

9. D&G (not Dolce & Gabbana)

Two different personalities, two different ages and completely different interests

two different parenting styles.

10. Right-Wrong

I have strong opinions and express them forcefully.

I am always SURE I know what is right and wrong.

Until you show me how the other side of the coin is equally true.

And then that's cool, too.

Stasha at The Good Life has asked me to choose next week's Listicles topic, so . . . here goes:

10 Places You Love

To play along this week, next week, whenever you feel like it, just link up over at Stasha's place.

The Land of Giants

2011-08-20T11:08:00.002+02:00

My husband and I took my younger son, G, to the local amusement park this week. We would have taken my older son, too, but at age 14 he is way too cool to be caught dead outside of the house with his parents. So just the three of us headed out to Miragica, which claims to be "the land of giants." Didn't see any giants or anything even very large there (besides the rides), but I guess these places need a theme.

I love all the crazy rides and willingly stood in long, hot lines for 30 seconds of wild hysteria.

Long, hot and SWEATY lines . . .

Around and around, up and down

No ride is too crazy for me, I'm up for it all.

Even the ones G was terrified to try - like the Tower

- 47 meters straight up and 47 meters free fall, whoo hoo! We went this one alone.

We also caught 3 shows over 2 days. You see, if you pay for one day, the second day is free. What that means, is that whether you are up to it or not, you feel obliged to go again the next day. Because you already paid for it, right?

The shows were worth it, though. Russian dancers, acrobats and contortionists . . . pretty heady stuff for this small provincial city!

She was good!

By the end of the second day, all I could handle was a gentle ride on the merry-go-round.

While, in the meantime, G had overcome his fear of the scary rides and decided to ride the roller-coaster as many times in a row as physically possible. I think he did it six times! I did go with him the first two times, but lost my appetite for it after the second go when my hair got stuck in the safety bar and I couldn't get off the ride at the end. The ride operators extracted my locks and said it happens all the time.

What will I do when G is too cool to go with his parents to the amusement park? I'll have to borrow some little kids from someone for an excuse to go!

Joe Valeriano

2011-08-19T12:53:00.001+02:00

My husband and I had a date night!

Wow!

That's really a big deal around here. More so than it would be in the States. I can't speak for all of Italy, but in our town, babysitters do not want to work in the evening. They want to go out and have fun themselves! They will work in the morning or the afternoon, but the evening is sacrosanct . . . they are quite put out if you even ask.

When my oldest son was little, I had hired a babysitter so that I could return to work parttime. I also asked her to come for two hours each Thursday night so that my husband and I could go to the movies once a week. She was shocked that I would have the nerve to ask her such a thing. She said to me, "I go out in the evenings. I'm young. You wouldn't understand!"

Thanks.

Seemed strange to me. I mean, it was just one night a week. She could go out with her friends the other six nights. And . . . I was going to PAY her, not a minor detail in my way of thinking.

Oh, well . . . that's the kind of subtle cultural difference that would just never cross your mind to even imagine. I just assumed that babysitters would work evenings. She just assumed that I would never even think to make her such an indecent proposal. Expectation Clash!

My sons are older now and we feel comfortable leaving them alone for a couple of hours every so often, so last night we grabbed the chance to hear Joe Valeriano live in concert right here in our town.

Joe Valeriano is one of the top blues guitarists in Italy and Europe. And he's an old high school friend of my husband's. Last night he played with a local blues band, led by another school pal of theirs who is not famous at all. He was truly amazing on the guitar. He didn't just strum it, but had all kinds of amazing techniques on the strings. He even punched them sometimes!

Forgive me the lousy iphone photo...

All of my husband's high school classmates were there, cheering on their old friends, both the famous one and the unknown one.

Finally, a night out on the town for mom and dad, yeah!

Born to Be Wild

2011-08-18T11:48:00.000+02:00

After the Men at Play road trip with my younger son, it was only fair that my husband head out on the highway with my older son for their own unique motorcycle adventure. Accompanied by my son's friend and his father they left the sea behind and head for the hills.

The Pollino is a mountainous national park in the Basilicata region. It offers breathtaking views of natural beauty and great wide-open winding roads through it all, ideal for the traveler on two wheels.

Along the way, they stopped to go for a swim in a man-made lake. It's actually a reservoir, but this is Italy, after all . . . no one told them they couldn't swim there.

So they did.

Notice the ever-present soccer ball.

They stopped off to visit Craco, a medieval hilltop ghost town. It was abandoned in a slow process over decades in part because many residents emigrated in the search for a better life and, more recently, because of earthquake damage.

There are no photos to prove it, but the guys claim they went whitewater rafting, guided by a national level rafting champion. Apparently, the guide was a lot of fun and took evil pleasure in splashing my husband mercilessly. He, of course, took revenge and so amid the splashing and laughing they all had a good time.

10 Things I Miss About the USA

2011-08-16T11:43:00.003+02:00

Hate to be a day late and a dollar short, but here it is TUESDAY already and I'm just adding my list to the Monday Listicles fest over at The Good Life. Yesterday was a national holiday here in Italy, so I was on vacation, man! Oh well, better late than never and life's too short to sweat the little stuff (since I'm on a roll with the cliches, might as well go with it), so here I am.

This weeks topic is 10 Things I Miss. Since I'm an American living abroad, I thought I'd tell you about the 10 things I miss about the USA.

1. Easy access to my mom and dad. It's not ideal to be able to get together only once every two years. Not for me, not for them, but especially not for their relationship with my children.

2. Speaking English all the time freely and without thinking about it. I do speak English quite a bit here, but if I am talking to students I am modulating my speed, my intonation, my choice of vocabulary so as to help them understand me while, at the same time, not talk down to them, ideally using language that is somewhat challenging (to help them learn something new) without overwhelming or discouraging them . . . see how that quickly gets complicated? It's not just talking anymore, it's work.

3. Adult education. Very little happening here. If I were in the States I'd be taking courses in all kinds of interesting things.

4. Old-fashioned doughnuts. Especially chocolate!

5. The Pacific Ocean. I used to live in San Diego, right on the water. The ocean was always an awesome and awe-inspiring source of personal inspiration.

6. Vast choice of foods from different countries. Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese are the first that come to mind. Italian food is great and all, but variety is the spice of life (today has been officially declared Cliche Day).

7. California. All of it. From top to bottom. Coast, both north and south. Mountains. Forests. Deserts. Rivers. Lakes. Cities. Small towns. Valleys, both north and south.
All of it.

8. Ethnic diversity. Where diversity means more than just being from the next town over.

9. Dressing however I choose. Beautifully, sloppily, vintage, with an odd hat. However I like. Theoretically I could do that here, but I would be quickly labelled "that crazy American lady" and have a hard time keeping friends.

10. Knowing what to expect and how to do things. Life on auto-pilot. Not having to start from zero all the time or ask someone to help you. This is obviously less of a problem for me now, after having lived here for 19 years, but in the beginning I sometimes felt like I had taken all my "adult" knowledge of how to get around and get things done, which I had acquired over a lifetime, and thrown it out the window, wiped the slate clean and was starting over again as a child who had to learn everything one step at a time.

Of course, there could be equal, or longer, lists of "things I do not miss about the US" or "things that are wonderful about living in Italy" - don't get me wrong!

To see other fun lists like this, head on over to The Good Life. Why not add your own list while you're there?

24/7

2011-08-09T14:07:00.000+02:00

Some of you may remember that last month I was following the 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss fitness program. Well, when I finished those three weeks, not only did I realise I had gotten great results, I also realised that I was hooked. The exercising/clean eating thing had captured my attention big-time and I decided that I wanted to continue.

That's why I signed up for Shawna Kaminski's six-week 24/7 Virtual Coaching Program. Shawna is in Canada and I am in southern Italy, so choosing her as my personal trainer might seem a bit wacky, but she has this great system worked out to make it possible. Every day she emails me my workout, sometimes it's a video, sometimes only audio, and a handy tip regarding health, nutrition, motivation, or some other aspect of fitness.

On top of that, we are in frequent contact every day. We send emails, cell-phone text messages or use Skype. Whenever I have a doubt, a question or a problem, she's ready with advice and support.

Can you tell I'm loving this program? And I'm loving the results I'm seeing in my physique!

I am chronicling my fitness journey on her blog Female Fat Loss After 40. Hop on over and read my posts Progress Report and Motivation.

As always, let me make a full disclosure: I have been provided access to Shawna Kaminski's workout programs, but I am not being compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed here are mine, mine and only mine. I only tell you about the program because I'm so darn excited about it.

My 10 Favorite Italian Foods

2011-08-08T15:43:00.000+02:00

It's Monday Listicles time again and this week, Stasha over at The Good Life wants to know about 10 foods. Foods we like, foods we don't like, foods that make us happy . . . or not. Anything about food is fair game.

I thought I'd write about 10 Italian foods/drinks that come to mind.
Some are specifically foods from Puglia, the region of southern Italy I live in, others not.
Some I like, others NOT.

1. Espresso coffee

Like, like, very big like! I do not like any other coffee in the world, only Italian espresso.

2. Fioroni

Love, love, love! I love these so much I even wrote an article about them, called Fioroni, Fruit of the Gods.

3. Orecchiette con Cime di Rape

This ear-shaped pasta served with rabe broccoli is divine. This dish is a love for me, but I can't eat it because of the gluten in the pasta . . .

4. Gelato

Italian ice-cream is so scrumptious. I'm not sure how it differs from regular old ice-cream, but it differs, it differs! I had been unable to eat gelato since finding out I am lactose-intolerant, but just last week I discovered a gelateria (ice-cream shop) that sells a wide selection of flavors that are both gluten and lactose-free. Halleluiah!

5. Focaccia

Kinda like a pizza, but with a thicker dough and no mozzarella on top. Heavenly, but a no-no for me because of the gluten.

6. Martini Bianco

My favorite brand of vermouth. I strongly associate it with hanging out at the cafè with friends and enjoying an aperitvo (see number 7).

7. Aperitivo

An aperitivo is a before-lunch snack you order at a cafè. Ideally it's a few peanuts, olives and potato chips to nibble on with a soda or an alcoholic drink, as you prefer. However, at many cafès the aperitivo has become so elaborate, including tartines, mini-sandwiches and more, that you forget all about lunch.

This is a like, a definite like!

8. Raw Mollusks

These are absolutely the favorite food of most people I know here. The mollusks are locally fished, so you know they are fresh, and include mussels, clams, hedgehog sea urchins, date mussels (the long, thin ones - which it is illegal and an ecological disaster to fish...I googled for this photo, so don't sue me!), and those scary-looking red things that look like a tongue and move around on your plate before and while you are eating them because they are alive . . . they are all alive, you know?

This is a big no thank you for me. I know they're fresh, I know they are aphrodisiacal, I know "everyone" likes them, but not me!

9. Taralli

These are a popular local snack food. They are hard like a pretzel, but not quite that hard and not salted. Hard to describe, but good . . . best enjoyed with a nice red wine before your meal.

10. Olive Oil

I can't leave out olive oil. It's not really a food on its own, but it flavors all Puglian savory dishes. We make our own from the olives grown on the trees out in my yard. Were you wondering why this blog is called "Amid the Olive Trees"?

To read more fun food lists, or to add your own list, head on over to The Good Life.

Puglian Pleasures

2011-08-05T16:37:00.001+02:00

Here's a roundup of recent articles I have written about the beautiful Puglia region. To read the full articles, click on the links below, or go directly to Charming Italy.

Discover a couple of fascinating summer festivals off the beaten track in

Summer Festivals in Puglia

Try your hand at a light, typically Puglian summer pasta dish

Spaghetti with Green Beans, Tomatoes and Seasoned Ricotta Cheese

Are you brave enough to face Dante's Inferno in the bowels of the earth?

Don't miss the incredible show Hell in the Cave

If all you really want is fun in the sun, look no further than

The Tremiti Islands

There is so much natural beauty and so much of interest in this fantastic region!

Mediterraneo: Way of Life

2011-08-03T09:27:00.000+02:00

My brother-in-law, Gaetano Grillo, is a painter and a sculptor. He is also a professor at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan.

His work focuses on what he calls Mediterraneanism, or the essence of being Mediterranean. That includes not only the colors and the particular light of this area, but also the historical and ongoing comingling of languages, alphabets and cultures.

He currently has a personal exhibit of paintings and ceramics here in our city. We inaugurated the exhibit last Friday and it will be running through the end of the month, so if you happen to be in the neighborhood of Molfetta, feel free to drop on by.

If you can't make it in person, you can always take a peek at more of his work at his website. For now, it's all in Italian. I have translated the whole thing, but no one has gotten around to actually adding the English version to the site. When that happens, I'll give you that link again.

LOL 10 Times

2011-08-01T16:01:00.002+02:00

It's Monday Listicles time again! I have to say this weekly appointment with Stasha's lists over at The Good Life is becoming addictive. I can hardly wait to see what the topic will be each week.

This week anyone who wants to play this game should share 10 times they actually laughed out loud.

Some of these chuckles (actually belly laughs) date way back and some are kind of hard to explain, but I will do my best . . .

1. When my personal trainer told me my body was becoming a
"force to be reckoned with"

Oh yeah, I'm tough!

2. When my very sweet and discreet friend finally cut loose and told me her ex-husband had a little one

3. This one's kind of hard to explain, but here goes . . . in Naples there's a tradition of connecting numbers with a specific meaning. "La smorfia" is a book that details the Neapolitan tradition of interpreting dreams by associating them with numbers and then betting those numbers in the state lottery. (For more info, you can click here.) So, the funny part is that my brother-in-law, who has a really bad memory, was telling us a story completely based on the number 69 and how he was sure that number represented "fear." Actually number 90 is "fear," but we had a good laugh teasing him mercilessly of his fear of the number 69!

4. when my son calmly said LOL instead of actually laughing

5. when I got super-splashed by a passing car after strangely remaining dry through a monsoon storm in Japan. Just when my friends and I thought we were safe . . . a car sped through a puddle and sent a giant wave of water over us and drenched us to the skin. We had scary hair, mascara streaming down our faces and we couldn't stop laughing!

Just like this

6. When my parents come to visit, our communication is always a crazy mix of English and bits of Italian. My step-father, in particular, likes trying to pick out Italian words he recognises. Once when Grandpa was playing basketball with my son, D. let fly a minor expletive. Grandpa asked in a puzzled way "porco, what's porco?" (It means pig. If you're really upset you can say "pig dog!") The funny part is the years and years of laughs we have gotten out of my son doing an impression of him.
You'd have to hear it . . .

7. Trying on identical weird dresses with my best friend at the mall during the sales. There was this one dress that we could not figure out. There we were together in the dressing room, each of us twisting and turning the thing . . . which was the front and which was the back? Either way, large bits of skin were left exposed. We decided that THAT was why it was marked so far down!

We should have tried THESE outfits on!

8. Burger She Wrote

Cracked me up . . .

9. Again my brother-in-law . . . he's staying with us this summer and his poor memory is a never-ending source of entertainment! He just got back from Corfu, where he swears all the men are called Spiros. Unless they're named Christos. And with his fantastic memory skills he just called everyone Spiros. Which probably got him by just fine most of the time, but apparently the manager of the hotel where he was staying took major offense at being called Spiros. His imitation of Christos protesting, "Again with this Spiros thing!" had us almost literally rolling on the floor.

That's my name, don't wear it out!

10. "Ooh Girl," this is an oldie but a guaranteed LOL every time

The Panini Sandwich

2011-07-28T15:00:00.001+02:00

"Panini," in Italian, means "sandwiches." Plural form. More than one.

Imagine how tickled I was when my mother told me she had seen menus in the US offering a:

"Panini Sandwich"!

A sandwiches sandwich? My favorite kind!

My husband bought three long baguettes at the bakery

- yes, we bought French bread in Italy, we are just SO international, aren't we? -

and decided to make sandwiches for himself and the boys.

Let's see, what do we have in the refridgerator?

A few tomatoes, a little mayo, a layer of ham . . .

Add on some sliced provolone . . .

Some more mayo and a few pickles for a finishing touch . . .

. . . and, presto, lunch is served!

Pompeii Red

2011-07-26T16:23:00.000+02:00

Sitting at the breakfast table the other morning, my husband out of the blue said, "I want to paint the wall over the fireplace."

Oh, no, here we go again, I sighed . . . only to myself, I wouldn't want to offend the guy. It's just that every so often he gets this urge to paint something. My kitchen now has blue and yellow walls. He convinced his company to paint their interiors green and orange.

Not that he doesn't have a great sense of style and color. It's just that I don't have "the vision thing." I can never imagine what something is going to look like if you change it. I like things just the way they are, thank you very much. If it's not broken, why fix it? And so on.

So, I have learned to close my eyes and make the leap of faith. If he thinks it'll be great, it'll probably be great, so I let him paint. The only thing I have learned to put my foot down on is the choice of color. The blue and yellow kitchen was my last act of total blind faith. Live and learn.

He magnanimously said, "You chose the color. If you're happy, I'm happy." Such a sweet guy. So, what color do I want? Hard to say, when I really kind of like the wall white, just the way it was . . .

And then it hit me, Pompeii Red, the perfect color to complement our red and brown sofas and red-brown Oriental carpet. Decision made, the man dashed off to the hardware store and immediately came back with a

can of paint labelled "Pompeii Red."

Perfect!

Until he started painting . . .

Pompeii brown maybe . . .

That is so not red, it's brown, plain old brown to my eyes.

Opinions differ on what shade Pompeii Red actually is. Check out the variety here.

And so began a day-long paint-mixing experiment. What color would we get if we added a bit of red? Or white? A touch of yellow?

Still too dark! I wanted a bright, luminous color, not a dead, flat color.

Finally, we found the perfect blend.

The maestro at work.

Well? What do you think? Does it work?

Does it say Pompeii Red to you?

Too much of a good thing is never enough when my husband is painting, so we got a bonus accent wall panel, too.

10 Italian Greens

2011-07-25T23:05:00.002+02:00

This week's Listicle list over at The Good Life asks those who want to play this game to list 10 green things. To add an Italian twist to things I decided to list 10 things that may not be green, but that make reference to the color green . . . in Italian!

Of course, they don't say "green" in Italian, it's "verde." That sounds like the first syllable of the word "very," plus the word "day." So, repeat after me: ver-day!

1. A common Italian proverb is: "Verde, la speranza mai si perde," or "Green, never lose hope!"

Don't ask me WHY they say this . . . I don't have all the answers!

This image strikes me as hopeful, I hope you agree.

2. Essere al verde = To be broke

An all-too-common situation in Italy these days . . .

3. spazio verde = green area (like a park)

We need more of these in southern Italy!

4. Carlo Verdone = an Italian comic actor, his last name means "dark green"

A face only a mother could love!

5. Giuseppe Verdi = ok, this is technically cheating cause it's Verdi and not verde, but I like to think of this famous composer as Joe Green

What fine moustaches you have, Mr. Green.

6. sempreverde = evergreen, used for the trees, but also for a timeless person or thing

Love is an evergreen emotion

7. Here's another Italian proverb for you: "Tre cose rovinano la famiglia: moglie giovane, legna verde e pane caldo" = "Three things ruin a family: a young wife, green wood and hot bread"

What about a young, green wife made of wood?

8. The Italian flag is red, white and green (rosso, bianco e verde)

The Italian flag deliciously reinterpreted

9. Federazione dei Verdi = the Italian Green Party, a left-leaning party that promotes issues regarding the environment, ecology and pacifism

Pretty cutesy for a political party, but cheerful!

10. Occhi verdi dell'amore - I saved the best for last . . . this is the title of a song "Green Eyes of Love" sung by I Profeti, a 1960s Italian pop band.

Never heard of them? I bet you recognise the song, though, if you listen closely . . .

After the Rain

2011-07-24T14:26:00.000+02:00

Yesterday it rained and rained all day. It was actually a nice chance to cool down.

A break from days on end of suffocating heat and blazing sun.

In the late afternoon the sun suddenly came out.

The perfect time to go for a swim in the sea.

At sunset, after a rainy day . . . you are guaranteed to have the beach all to yourself.

A moment for true connoisseurs.

And connoisseurs in training . . .

'Tis the Season

2011-07-22T11:46:00.001+02:00

I have to share a secret with you . . . shhh, don't tell anyone, it's actually quite embarrassing . . . but when I first arrived in Italy, I had no idea that vegetables had a season. I know, pretty pitiful. And, I was an adult when I moved here. Like 28. Not a clueless little child or an irresponsible teen, but a grownup who had been cooking for herself for years.

So, what was wrong with me? Obviously, a large part of it was that I wasn't paying any attention whatsoever to the natural rhythms of the earth . . . and all that. I have always been a city girl. The kind who thinks milk creates itself spontaneously in a cartoon and that eggs come from the egg factory.

Well, not really that bad, but almost.

The fact of the matter is that having grown up in the US, I was accustomed to going to the supermarket and buying just about whatever fruits or vegetables my heart desired at whatever time of the year that urge hit me. If it wasn't in season in my area, it was surely in season somewhere else in the world and had been shipped in for my convenience.

When I first arrived in this small provincial city in southern Italy some 20 years ago, there were no large supermarkets. At all. None. Oh, they had places they called "supermarkets," but there was very little "super" about them. They were tiny little claustrophobic spaces with three, maybe four, overcrowded lanes you could barely push your child's toy of a cart through . . . and a very limited selection of produce.

The place to buy your veggies here is at the fruttivendola, your greengrocer. These can range from a smallish hole in the wall to a chair outside someone's front door on which they have set the offerings from their plot of land out in the countryside.

No genetically modified food here!

When you see a set-up like this, you know that food is fresh! Fresh, yes, but it's a rather limited selection. If your heart's desire is asparagus, but asparagus season has passed, you're just out of luck, aren't you?

That's why I have learned to cook with what's in season. It makes more sense to eat what's locally available, freshly picked from the fields, anyway. Better for you, too, I'm sure.

So, what's in season here in Puglia right now? Green beans! I've got a fast and easy pasta recipe for you over on Charming Italy. All you need to do is throw some green beans, cherry tomatoes and seasoned ricotta onto your spaghetti and you'll have yourself a fresh, light and delicious Italian meal.

Try it and let me know what you think, ok?

Men at Play, 2

2011-07-21T15:56:00.001+02:00

Day Two of my husband and younger son's road trip started bright and early, after a violently windy night during which they didn't get much sleep for fear that the tent was going to blow away - with them in it!

Is it safe to come out now?

But things started looking a lot brighter after their morning consitutional . . . and a big cappucino and cream-filled cornetto at the bar. Italian campgrounds are fully equipped set-ups with coffee bars, mini-markets, deluxe (ha!) exercise centers like the one below, restaurants, you name it.

One, two, one, two . . .

On to the serious business of the day . . . beach time!

Getting up early has its benefits, you get the whole beach to yourself.

These stones are mine, all mine!

This beach is called Baia delle Zagare, or Orange Blossom Bay. What looks like sand is actually millions of small, smooth pebbles that lie from the sea's crystal clear waters all the way up to the sheer white cliffs that border the beach.

This paradise is located at Vignanotica, on the Gargano peninsula.

G. spent all his time face down in the water, snorkling around for hours on end. He tells me he was looking at the pebbles, but when I asked him if he saw any fish he replied indifferently, "oh yeah, there were tons of fish." Fish - how dull. Rocks - thrilling! I've obviously got my priorities all wrong . . .

All in all, two idyllic days that won't soon be forgotten.

Men at Play

2011-07-20T20:54:00.001+02:00

My husband and younger son just got back from a two-day father and son adventure. They took off yesterday morning on the motorcycle for a trip to the Gargano peninsula - the spur on the heel of the Italian boot.

Ready to roll!

First stop was in the small town of Zaponeta for "the best focaccia in the world," according to G.

Yum!

Then a detour to the waterpark . . . G forgot his bathing suit at home. Good thing they're both guys and somebody brought an extra suit!

A stopover at Caseificio dei Pini, where they make mozzarella from buffalo milk, is an absolute must.

A man and his motorcycle

Then finally, arrival at destination and a well-deserved dip in the sea.

See you back here tomorrow for photos of the gorgeous beach scenery and the rather less than gorgeous campsite.

10 Words I Could Live Without

2011-07-18T16:29:00.001+02:00

Words are my thing. I teach writing and I translate, so basically my brain is always working in, around, with, over, under and through the world of words. I spend my day thinking about gripping issues, such as: how could I say that better? differently? in Italian? in formal English? more colloquially? more colorfully? Could I use this turn of phrase? or would another be better? I like to play with words, rhyme words, make puns, invent nonsense words.

Basically, I love words!

So just for fun, I'm linking up with The Good Life's Monday Listicles because today's challenge is to list your 10 least favorite words.

How can you not like a word? It's just a word, right? What you really don't like is the meaning that the word communicates . . . the concept that the word represents. Words are basically just a bunch of letters hanging out together, but there are a lot of concepts that I could live without.

In no particular order . . .

1. Narrow-minded

2. Ugly

3. Disrespect

4. Violence

5. Rudeness

6. Dictator

7. Hate

8. Fear

9. Incompetence

10. Conformity

Stop by The Good Life to check out the words other bloggers can't stand.

Please don't Sneeze

2011-07-17T16:27:00.008+02:00

The fuzzy sneezy family

This week I had the honor of being interviewed on Samantha B: Living Allergy Free, a blog for and about people who live with various allergies. In the interview I talk about both my own allergies and those of my younger son, and the effect they have on our lives.

Samantha B: Where are you from, who in your family has allergies, how old are they, and what are they allergic to?

Saretta: Hi, my name is Saretta! I'm an American living in Italy with my Italian husband and two very Italian sons. I am the only one with “official” allergies in this family. I'm allergic to dust, olive tree flowers, feathers, cypress trees, wild grasses . . . and just about any other pollen that might float by! Besides that I am both gluten and lactose intolerant, which means I can have no contact with wheat or dairy products.

My younger son, age 11, has atopic dermatitis, a form of eczema that has been linked to food allergies. He has tested sensitive to mollusks, peaches and apricots, and hazelnuts and walnuts, but luckily does not risk a violent allergic reaction.

To read more, hop on over to Samantha B: Living Peanut Free.

Hope you have a fun and allergy-free Sunday!

Dinner is Served

2011-07-16T18:56:00.001+02:00

This morning on the radio the dj was talking about a survey that claims Italians no longer sit down to a full multiple course meal daily. Is this possible? Are we talking about Italy?

The basic traditional meal is typically at least this:

1. First course (pasta, rice or soup)

2. Second course (meat or cheese)

3. Side dish (salad, cooked or raw vegetables)

On special occasions (like Sunday lunch, a birthday or a holiday) you would add an appetizer, possibly a cheese course, fruit and dessert. Here in Puglia you wouldn't want to forget to start off the whole meal with a course of locally fished raw mollusks: mussels, oysters, clams, limpets, etc.

I am surprised to hear that this tradition is fading away and have to wonder where the people who were surveyed live. Not in Puglia, not in the Puglia I know, anyway. Here, eating is a tradition, the number one way of socializing, and almost a competitive sport. Yes, competitive.

The women, but not only, lots of men I know love to cook, try to outdo each other with their version of traditional recipes. When eating with friends, more is always better. People bring so much food that you would think a small army was being provisioned. And yet, somehow, at the end of lunch, it's always all gone...

People who don't eat everything, like me, are viewed with suspicion. What do you mean you don't want any more? What? You didn't like it? What do you mean you're full? There's always room for more. Even the quantity of consumption becomes competitive.

My husband and sons and I eat lunch together every day. Lunch for us is of the basic three course variety: first course, second course and side dish. If one of these elements is missing, my older son in particular gets rather upset...well, he is a growing 14 year old. He has a fair excuse.

All the people I know eat this way. Together, sitting down at the table, set with a tablecloth. Seems like a pity to lose such a pleasant tradition.

Iron Woman

2011-07-15T09:55:00.000+02:00

What would you choose to do on a day when the temperatures are soaring up to 104° with 85% humidity? Lying in a bathtub filled with ice cubes comes to mind. Relaxing on a Roman-style couch while your slaves fan you and feed you chilled grapes might be nice.

But no, I have to iron.

I know, I know, you're going to ask me "why bother?" You'll say "put it off for another day" or even "don't do it at all." I hear you.

It just doesn't work that way in this corner of southern Italy. Going around with wrinkly clothes is a guarantee of becoming a social pariah here. Sort of the southern Italian equivalent of being a total loser who doesn't care about . . . their appearance . . . gasp!

A Puglian "don't"

Appearances are super important in this conservative, provincial city. People who have money happily throw it away on designer clothes. People who don't have money, spend too much of their limited resources on the best possible clothes they can afford. And when you walk out of the house you have to be ready: clean, pressed, perfect hair and makeup . . . ready to be scrutinized, judged and commented on by every single person you pass on the street.

Who cares? Well, that's easy for you to say. I personally, don't really care about looking perfectly put together every time I go to the supermarket. But, my personal presentation reflects on my husband and my sons in this little fishbowl society. And I do care about not making life more complicated for them, so I make the effort to iron.

Send me cooling thoughts, please!

I Did It!

2011-07-14T20:30:00.002+02:00

That's right, I did it. I completed Shawna Kaminski's 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss program. I did my daily workouts (okay I missed two days...) and stuck to the diet (okay, I had a couple of extra gin tonics) and I made it through to the other side. In my last post on the program I said I'd tell you if it was worth it . . . and, believe me, IT WAS!

As I said in the beginning, for me this program was not about losing weight, but all about getting fit and healthy. But, that said, I am so thrilled with the results. My clothes fit better, I feel lighter and more comfortable in my own skin (and my bikini!) and I can actually do a few pushups, something I could only dream about 21 days ago!

Here are my stats:

Weight: lost 5 pounds

Left Arm: exactly the same

(Don't ask me why I didn't measure my right arm, it's a mystery...)

Chest: gained .25 inch

Waist: lost 1.75 inches

Abdomen: lost 2.25 inches

Hips: lost 1 inch

Left thigh: lost .75 inch

Right thigh: lost .75 inch

That's a total loss of 6.5 inches of fat! Let me repeat, the weight loss was not my goal, I was not overweight, but the flab loss was exactly what I had in mind. And that quarter of an inch gain in the chest? An unexpected bonus!

I'm a little bit less of a pear now.

Maybe this is where I should make one of those disclosure statements in which I clarify that I have received no payment from Shawna Kaminski for the posts I have written on her program. Everything that I have said about the 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss program is my own honest opinion. I did receive access to her workouts and diets . . . otherwise how could I tell you about them?

No small animals were abused during the course of this program, nor was any child labor involved . . . although my sons will tell you they were victims of duress and undue suffering. Every morning they awoke to the sound of Shawna calling out to me "halfway there!" or "almost done!" More than once they told me, "make that annoying woman shut up!" Make her shut up? No way! She's my hero!

When I started this program I was just looking for something to keep me busy during the two weeks that my gym would be closed. But what I discovered was a whole new lifestyle, a radically different way of eating and exercising that I am super enthusiastic about. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, these 21 days were only the beginning for me. I can hardly wait to get started on Shawna's regular long-term workout and diet program.

I'm hooked!

Take It With a Grain of Salt

2011-07-13T15:52:00.010+02:00

This is going to have to be a short post. You see I have every single pot, pan, fork, knife, spoon, plate, bowl, cup and glass that I own waiting to be hand-washed in the kitchen. In fact, you can hardly get into the kitchen at the moment. It looks as if my cupboards exploded.

Why this mess? Well, it all started with the water running out. My house isn't hooked up to the city for water because we live "out in the countryside." Only in Italy could where I live be considered "out in the countryside," it's only a 5 minute jog into town and there are other housing developments nearby. But there's no arguing with Italian logic, as illogical as it may be, so we are officially off the grid.

This means that we have a cistern and have to call a water truck to come fill it when it's empty. Which usually happens all of a sudden, when you are least expecting it, right when the water truck guy has a thousand other off-the-grid cisterns to fill so he can't possibly get to you before the next day.

This happened to us a couple of days ago, in a rather dramatic way. One minute there was water, and the next minute there was not. I, of course, never remember the magic combination of levers I'm supposed to lift, turn and rotate to switch over to the emergency water tank . . . so I did it wrong . . . and sent all our precious water reserves down into the cistern instead of up into the house. Now there was water in the cistern, but not enough for the pump to grab onto it and pump it into the house. Oops.

My husband then had a bright idea. We could add some of the salt water we get from a well in the yard to the cistern to raise the water level until the water truck could come. Great! He got that going and then told both my older son and me, "be sure to turn off the water by 3." Of course, no problem, you can count on us!

At about 4:15 my son and I looked at each other and said, "The water! Did you turn it off? I didn't turn it off. Me neither!" Let's just say that, even with the addition of the load of fresh water from the truck the next day, our water is REALLY salty now. Double oops.

And so, since it was pretty much all my fault, I guess it's only fair that the dishwasher does not seem to like saltwater. I have run it twice, but to no avail. It doesn't just leave everything covered with a salty, white film. The dishes don't even get saltily clean. It's like they're just as dirty as they were before I ran the load, with the lovely addition of a white, salty film on top. Very nice.

“The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea,” according to Isak Dinesen. So, for the next month, or until we use up enough of this salty water to make space in the cistern for another diluting load of fresh water, I'll be living the salt cure and crying and sweating over the sink while washing all the dishes by hand . . . in salty water. Uh huh.

You should try brushing your teeth with it . . .

Do you LOL?

2011-07-12T16:55:00.001+02:00

My son says LOL. He says it like it's a word. A real word. Not a sequence of letters, but a word that sounds like "loll" as in to laze around. But, he means "laugh out loud" from computer lingo. He says it when something is funny. So, sure, even I know what it means, but I had never heard anyone say it . . . out loud, you know?

Is this normal?

Do other kids say LOL? New words are being created every day, fair enough. They even have a special name: neologism. You know you're really an old fuddy duddy when the new words start bothering you. Eh?!! What's that you say?! Chimping? Don't monkeys do that?! Lapware? Isn't that a costume for doing that dirty dancing stuff?!

So, my question is this: is he the only one? Or is there a whole tidal wave of LOL happening out there in the real world that I just haven't noticed since I've been tucked away in this lost corner of southern Italy? Instead of actually laughing, do people just state "LOL"? Wikipedia tells me they do:

LOL, ROFL, and other initialisms have crossed from computer-mediated communication to face-to-face communication. David Crystal—likening the introduction of LOL, ROFL, and others into spoken language in magnitude to the revolution of Johannes Gutenberg's invention of movable type in the 15th century—states that this is "a brand new variety of language evolving", invented by young people within five years, that "extend[s] the range of the language, the expressiveness [and] the richness of the language".

The cool kids probably say BRB, too.

The really weird thing is that my son uses this expression in the middle of a conversation in Italian. He didn't even know what LOL meant a couple of months ago. It certainly doesn't make any sense in Italian. To say "laugh out loud" in the Italian language you'd have to say "ridere a voce alta," which as an acronym would be RVA! I guess it's not as catchy as LOL.

Logically LOL must be a verb . . . to laugh out loud is what it's got to be, but like all truly useful words, it has taken on a life of its own. Besides saying LOL in funny moments, my son tells me I'm so "LOL-y" or "extremely LOL."

Friends around the world - do you say LOL?

The Shawna Diet

2011-07-11T15:50:00.005+02:00

Another key aspect of Shawna Kaminski's 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss program is . . . The Diet. An integral part of the program is a 21-day diet which details exactly what you should eat, morning, noon and night. And mid-morning and mid-afternoon, since two daily snacks are included.

The food is all very healthy and simple and you truly never feel hungry. It isn't really a weight loss diet, but is specifically about FAT loss, so each day you consume anywhere between 1400-1600 calories. The idea is to consume the right calories to help you get strong, increase energy and feed the muscles you are building in the workouts. A typical day will have you eating eggs, chicken or turkey breast and perhaps some salmon. These proteins are always combined with fresh veggies and some carbohydrates.

My experience in following the diet has been somewhat like riding an emotional roller-coaster. Since weight loss has never been a goal of mine, I had never actually seen this kind of prescribed diet. Being gluten and lactose intolerant, I have a different diet (in the sense of what I eat) from the rest of my family (it sometimes feels different from the rest of all humanity!). But I've never had a sheet of paper that outlined exactly how much of which type of food I had to eat at what time each day.

The first week was exhilarating! It seemed like a fun game to check my list and see what foods were coming up next. I noticed immediate physical results. I dropped a kilo (2.2 pounds) in no time at all and become much more, how can I say this delicately . . . much more regular! The food was delicious and I was loving it.

Around about the middle of Week Two I sort of realised that there was no sugar in this diet. Huh. I really started craving chocolate! And then I realised there was no alcohol either, perhaps because it's kind of like liquid sugar. There wasn't even any fruit juice. This was a difficult phase in which the fun started to wear off and I started fantasizing about chocolate cake and mojitos. I didn't break down and eat a cake - though I know how to make some killer gluten/lactose free chocolate cakes - but I did, upon Shawna's recommendation, eat a small square of dark chocolate. It was good, but not great, not perfect, not as rewarding as I thought it was going to be.

. . . sigh . . .

Each week you get one "Sweet Treat" day. This is one day in the week when you are allowed to eat a normal meal, something you would have eaten normally before going on the diet. This day serves to give you a mental break from following a rigid food plan, and is something to look forward to. It also helps keep your leptin levels high. Leptin is a hormone that helps you feel full and satisfied. Strict dieting can lower these levels, thus lowering your metabolism. Not good since this whole exercise/diet regime is aimed at kick-starting your metabolism. But, apparently one higher calorie meal is all it takes to get the leptin back up where it should be.

I am near the end of Week Three now. This week I realised that there was no rice in this diet. I don't know, maybe I'm a little slow on the draw, but it just hadn't occured to me before. I used to eat rice just about every day, as a substitute for the ever-present pasta on the Italian menu. But rice is rather high on the glycemic index - a numerical scale used to indicate how fast and how high a particular food can raise your blood sugar (or glucose) level. The presence of glucose in the bloodstream usually triggers the production of insulin, a hormone that helps glucose get into cells where it can be used for energy. This process is vital to fueling the body. However, too much insulin secretion over long periods of time can cause problems with high cholesterol and obesity.

Where's the rice?

I feel like I am learning so much about the science of eating. Before starting this diet I thought that I ate just about as healthy a diet as could be possible, no gluten and no lactose means very few prepackaged foods work for me and junk food is out of the picture. But being a very resourceful sugar addict, I have ferreted out a lot of baked treats that I can make with alternative flours. I didn't realise how much sugar I was consuming a day and how many of the "healthy" foods I was eating were actually working against me feeling and looking my best.

Shawna says "you can not out train poor nutrition." Before starting this diet I was trying to do just that. I thought that if I worked out at the gym, I could then eat all the sugar and fats I wanted to. This diet has really opened my eyes.

Coming soon . . . was it worth it?

Discover Puglia

2011-07-10T10:02:00.001+02:00

Explore some more unique and fascinating corners of Puglia. Read my recent articles at Charming Italy . . .

Discovering Puglia: the city of Otranto

Lurking behind the pleasures of sea and sun, lies a history of tragic violence!

Or enjoy the thrill of the magical atmosphere of Castel Del Monte . . .

. . . where every corner hides mystery and symbolism.

Who is Dmitry Kabalevsky?

2011-07-09T14:32:00.002+02:00

I'm currently working on the translation of some liner notes about Dmitry Kabalevsky, a 20th century Russian classical music composer. He was born in Saint Petersburg in 1904, lived through the revolution and had a long career in music and music education.

Never heard of Kabalevsky? Me neither, but that's what I love about translation . . . I get to learn about new things all the time. Here are some Kabalevsky facts:

Kabalevsky was a controversial figure in Russian culture. He had been considered among the top five greatest composers but was later included in the list of those accused of “formalism.” In his works, Kabalevsky extolled the objectives and aspirations of the Soviet Union, commemorating the most important events of the life and history of its people.

The First Symphony, was dedicated to the revolution on its 15th anniversary with a depiction of the Russian people under the czarist regime and then a celebration of the people's rebellion and victory. The Third Symphony (Requiem), was composed for the 10th anniversary of the death of Lenin, in memory of the Soviet heroes who died during the First World War. The work The Taras Family exalts the partisan's fight against the invading Nazis during the Second World War.

His style harkens back to the tradition of Russian musicians such as Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and Borodin, yet he distinguishes himself for his charming and exhilarating melodic vein, rhythmic energy and attention to the folkloric element.

Kabalevsky composed operas, ballets, choral operas, the musical scores for theatrical and radio productions, film soundtracks, four symphonies, concerts, songs and pieces for the piano for young pianists and instrumentalists. He remains famous in the West primarily for the use of his music in teaching.

Please enjoy the upbeat Prelude No. 2, Scherzando

The Shawna Workouts

2011-07-08T16:27:00.000+02:00

Time for an update on my progress with Shawna Kaminski's 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss program. If you haven't seen my previous posts about this, read here and here.

Let me tell you about the workouts . . . they are killer! I mean, I have been working out at the gym in my own little way for the past six years, so I didn't expect these workouts to be too hard for me. Wrong!

The thing is they are a completely different kind of workout. The focus is on doing short bursts of high intensity work, mostly using your own body weight. Shawna runs a boot camp in Canada and, let me tell you, she really knows how to run you through your paces. When you finish one of her workouts you are drenched in sweat and feeling those muscles.

Sometimes I ask myself why I keep doing it.

Me, who would much rather be reading a book "in santa pace" as they say in Italian (which means "in sainted peace"). I'm not doing it because I'm out of shape, but because I can feel these workouts are getting me into better shape.

And because they're addictive. I can. not. stop. In this program you have a workout to do each day. Three days a week you follow along with a video with Shawna (I feel so on a first name basis with her, what with her being in my living-room with me, sweating it out with me every day). She does the workout and you follow her . . . or try to follow her anyway.

On the other days, you follow a routine that's explained in a written document with pictures. The first time I did one of those workouts I was afraid I would feel all alone with no Shawna encouraging me from the video screen. How would I get motivated? But, there she was, her voice anyway, on the music tracks that accompany these workouts, calling out how many sets I had done, letting me know when I was halfway there. Awesome.

What about results? Well, I'm feeling them. Only the "after" pictures and body measurements will tell the objective truth, but I am definitely feeling the results of this program.

1. My weakest body part (my shoulders) is getting stronger. At first I could barely do a handful of modified pushups . . . now I can do about two handfuls! They are still modified, but I am doing more of them.

2. My abs are becoming visible. Wow! My tummy is getting flatter and I'm beginning to notice muscle definition down there. That really tickles me.

Not quite . . . but I can dream!

3. My energy levels are much higher. Now this was totally unexpected and I am loving it. I am getting so much stuff done around the house. Unfortunately, I work a lot on the computer and these days I have to force myself to sit down and get busy. The thought of sitting down without moving kind of irritates me . . . very surprising for this avowed couch potato!

Dust bunnies beware!

A lot of the change I am experiencing is also related to the diet plan that comes with the workouts. Stay tuned for more about that another day.

Children's Theater Festival

2011-07-07T15:41:00.000+02:00

Every summer a local theater group, Teatrermitage, sponsors a week-long children's theater festival called Ti Fiabo e Ti Racconto (difficult to translate, but something like "I'll Tell You a Fairy Tale"). We have been faithful attenders for the past eight years. The first three days of the program, called Le Strade Che Ridono (The Laughing Streets) features free shows held in the streets and piazzas around town. Then there are seven days of nightly performances held in an amphitheater.

In the Laughing Streets part of the event, my younger son participated in a "dinner theater" where cooks prepared various dishes related to stories read aloud by an actor, and the children got to sample everything!

Of the main events we have seen Jack and the Beanstalk, La Freccia Azzurra (The Blue Arrow) and Sleeping Beauty. At the end of the week awards will be given to the best show and best actor or actress.

Last night we saw a gorgeous production of Sleeping Beauty. The stage set was unique and versatile and the costumes were breathtaking. We all had a hard time following the dialogue (extremely fast bordering on incomprehensible), but decided that it was meant to be primarily a visual show. Here are a few rather out-of-focus photos taken on my smart phone . . .

This was our favorite so far, but with two more shows to go - who knows what surprises are in store for us?

Why I Fight the Fat

2011-07-06T17:36:00.002+02:00

Today is day 15 of my 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss program. Now some of you may wonder why a person who is objectively not fat would want to do a fat loss program. And that's a fair question. For me, it's all about being healthy and feeling comfortable in my own body.

I was not an athletic child. When I say "not athletic" I mean that physical activity was my own personal nightmare. I hated sports of all kinds. P.E. class was a daily form of torture, in which I tried to do the bare minimum and hope the coach wouldn't notice. I hated exertion. All I wanted to do was sit still and read books. Books of all kinds, any book would do. Actually, as a child I read some rather age inappropriate stuff because I could not NOT read. If I didn't have my own novel with me I would read anything that I found lying around. At age 12 I decided to read the Berkeley Public Library's children's section . . . in alphabetical order . . . you get the picture, right?

(not me, but just like me!)

Luckily for me I have skinny genes, so despite the lack of exercise I was never overweight. I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted and I never gained much weight. It was a pretty good deal until I hit my 30s. That's when my pear shaped body started to reveal itself. I was still a skinny-minny on top, but down below I was carrying a wider and wider load. I didn't weigh much more than before, but I was 100% cellulite. From being thin and frail, I had become flabby and frail.

Beyond aesthetics, I have always been rather lethargic and prone to various annoying, but not too serious maladies. This lack of energy and the amount of time I spent being sick started to increase dramatically over the years. Every time I ate, my stomach would swell. I had become the victim of allergies and recurrent sinisitus and when I hit 40 I started getting colds that instead of going away would get worse, becoming bronchitis - or even pneumonia - that would knock me out for up to six weeks and more.

I had started running and weight training by then, but was never really able to get into shape because as soon as I would make some progress I'd get bronchitis, be out of action for weeks and then have to start all over again from zero. I can't tell you how frustrating that is. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired!

Then, thanks to the help of a good friend, I discovered that I am gluten and lactose intolerant. The doctor who diagnosed me, with genetic testing, told me that I had basically been poisoning myself every time I ate for my entire life. Wow.

I have been gluten and lactose free for the past two years. It has not been easy. Imagine living in Italy, the land of pizza and pasta, breakfasts of cappuccino and cream-filled crescent rolls, and not being able to touch any of it! It has been a real trial and error process of trying to find things I can eat. Just about all packaged food has one or the other of my problem ingredients in it. The enemy is hiding everywhere.

So, my interest in Female Fat Loss After 40 and Shawna Kaminski's 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss program is twofold. For one, I want to drop the flab. And secondly, I want to be a strong and healthy person. I don't mind being small-framed and delicate, I love my body. But I am tired of being weak and without energy.

This has been a long post, so I will give you more specifics about how I am doing in my 21 day journey another day. Let me just say that I'm loving it!

Beach Banquet

2011-07-05T15:30:00.000+02:00

Sunday in the summertime means meeting up with friends at the local beach club for a day of sun, sea . . . and food. Well, this is Italy, right? Food is always at the center of any gathering, get used to it!

This particular group of friends has a weekly tradition of enjoying raw mussels accompanied by a few bottles of prosecco. In the photo above you can see the guys opening the mussels, while the women stand by ready to dive in, squeeze on a few drops of fresh lemon juice and devour.

That's just the appetizer, however. The real meal is yet to come. Everyone brings something they have cooked at home to share and you had better be quick if you see something you like, it won't last long!

Unfortunately for gluten and lactose intolerant me, I have to pass on most of these yummy delights. I did enjoy some delicious baked onions and some truly divine grilled eggplant. Mouthwatering!

And, of course, there was the prosecco!

My Latest Project

2011-07-03T07:59:00.017+02:00

I have a rather cyclical attention span. By that I mean that I get really into something for a while, it becomes my big passion and I pursue it actively for quite some time, and then . . . one day I am just not that into it anymore.

There was the photography phase when I couldn't walk down the street at a normal speed because I had to take pictures of every little thing (drove my kids nuts!). For a couple of years I never went anywhere without my camera. I bravely, and in a way completely out of character for me, approached strangers asking if I could photograph them (and discovered that no one ever says no!). That was when I was doing my other blog Molfetta Daily Photo . . . which I haven't updated for the longest time now.

Then there was the giveaway phase when I spent precious hours of my day entering contests. . . and winning lots of them, too! I won clothes, jewelry, books, DVDs, Amazon gift certificates, nail polish, you name it. I even won two prizes at the end of the season lottery at the local beach club. My lucky streak! But giveaways don't appeal to me in the least anymore.

However, I can't go long without a passion, so here's my latest: it's me! Okay, so maybe that's not very clear. What I mean is that I have decided to work more seriously on my level of fitness. I love working out at the gym and by that I mean lifting weights, and have been doing it for about 6 years now. My transformation from total couch potato to fitness freak has been slow and not without its difficulties, both psychological and physical. More on that in a later post.

What I want to talk about right now is this fantastic on-line trainer that I have discovered. Her name is Shawna Kaminski and her program is called Female Fat Loss After 40. I love that name, 'cause it just says it like it is, without any euphemisms, and that's so my style.

Now, I am fully aware that I am not a "fat" person. I have never been overweight and, in fact, my goal is not to lose any weight, but just to tone up, get stronger and feel confident and healthy. I just haven't been able to do it to my satisfaction on my own at the gym, without the help of a personal trainer . . . which I can't afford.

So, that's where Shawna comes in. She lives in Canada, on the other side of the world, and I have never even met her and yet, thanks to the internet, she is helping me to work towards my fitness goals.

This is Shawna, not me!
What an inspiration!

I am currently doing her 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss program and it is incredible. It involves a special diet and daily workouts that I follow on video. I am already on Day 10, so I'm halfway through the program. I do not want to show you my "before" photos, too embarrassing, but maybe maybe I'll show you my "after" pictures . . . if I can bear it!

In the meantime, I'll keep you posted on my progress.

You know it's summer when . . .

2011-07-02T22:13:00.000+02:00

. . . the field across the country lane from our house catches on fire. It happens every year. It might be due to hot weather, dry grass and some sort of magical spontaneous combustion. Or more likely it's just an annual repeat of the time I saw a guy drive by and throw his cigarette out the window. Five minutes later there was a giant blaze underway.

We have been lucky so far, in that the flames have never jumped the road and headed towards our house. The "field of love" (click here for the whole story) next to us is notoriously uncared for and at this time of year is usually filled with six-foot high dry weeds. My husband just recently called the "guardia campestre" (yet another specialized Italian police force . . . there are so many here it's hard to keep track of them all) and complained about the fire hazard. Two days later the weeds were gone. Now, that was amazing! Quick response is not usually a strong point of local officials.

And yet another miracle accompanied this fire . . . we called the fire department . . . and a fire truck actually came and put out the fire! Now, the amazing-ness of this event may not be immediately clear to all. Let me just say that this same field catches fire every blessed year and we always call the fire department . . . but this is the first time they have actually sent out a truck. Wow!

I thanked one of the firemen for coming and he said "sure" in a puzzled sort of way, as if he was thinking, "Of course we came." Ha! In the defense of the local FD I will say that in the past they didn't come because they were busy with several other fires that were all burning at the same time. But still, that's not a lot of comfort when you're watching the progress of a giant wall of flame just a stone's throw from your house . . .

Let's just hope that this was our yearly fire and now we're done with it, no harm done.

More Creativity

2011-06-16T23:10:00.004+02:00

Here's another video about creativity . . . the creativity of four-year-old artist Aelita Andre working on some of her pieces that are currently on display in her one-man show (one little girl show?) at New York City's Agora Gallery. You may have heard of her before, she has been something of a celebrity since she was about two.

What do you think . . . child prodigy? Just a typical little girl lucky enough to have been born to two artists who let her get as dirty as she likes while "playing with paint"? Would we all be great painters if our parents had given us this opportunity rather than telling us to sit still, don't touch, don't run, don't sweat (maybe that's just Italian parents!)? I know I have been guilty of this kind of pestering of my kids.

I'm not sure, but I like her paintings and I like watching her paint. I love her concentration and consideration. I love how absorbed she is in what she is doing. That's what I enjoy about a creative endeavour, the way it focuses you so totally on one activity, in one moment.

Celebrate with Creativity

2011-06-14T08:43:00.059+02:00

I love this video about how to stay creative. Thought I'd share it with you today, since it's my birthday and on birthdays I tend to get philosophical and think about life . . . and all the things I've been so lucky to do and all the people I've been so lucky to meet.

I feel particularly lucky to do creative work that I love, both in my teaching at the university and in all the translation and writing work I do as well. I sometimes feel overwhelmed by all my work commitments, but I never wish I were doing something else.

I love to create a lesson to help my students reach a new level of proficiency in writing in a foreign language and to help them see the world from a different cultural perspective. They don't know it, but they are such a pleasure to get to know and work with. How wonderful to have a chance to meet a new group of interesting people each academic year!

I love the mental gymnastics required to render an Italian text into a meaningful piece of writing in English. The Italian and English languages are so similar and, at the same time, so dissimilar that the job never ceases to be challenging.

I love sharing the beautiful corner of Italy that I live in with people around the world in the articles I write on-line. There is so much to see here and tourism is so underdeveloped. The lack of heavy tourism can make it difficult at times for the visitor (public transport could be better, more signs could be in English, etc.) but that very lack offers the tourist a more authentic experience of the region.

And that's just work . . . I have so much else to be thankful for in my family life, with my friends, my health! None of it perfect, but all of it really good!

Enjoy the video and add stay creative!

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

p.s. I hope my students noticed number 3!

Class of 2011

2011-06-13T12:11:00.001+02:00

I have quite a few American friends nearby, which is a great thing. Because for all that it's neat and wonderful to live in a foreign country . . . it's also really nice to have people you can talk to in your own language and who share your cultural background.

Some of these good friends are spouses of Boeing employees who are working on a collaborative project with an Italian company in this area. Four of their children have finished high school this year. Two attended an international school and have actually graduated. The other two attended local Italian high schools and will not have confirmation of having earned their diplomas until they have passed a battery of examinations over the next few weeks.

In Italy graduations are conducted completely differently from in the US. There's no formal ceremony, no caps or gowns. So, these families wanted to give their kids a celebration similar to what they would have had, had they been graduating at home in the States.

The graduates!

Sometimes I really hate being gluten-intolerant!

Sister love!

A friend sandwich . . . the best kind!

One of the fathers made this toast which I thought was quite nice and, although he said he was drawing on his engineering background, it sounded quite spiritual to me . . .

We are all energy and we never end . . . so let's take over the world!

Father's Day Interview

2011-06-12T08:28:00.015+02:00

Today is not Father's Day in Italy either. They celebrate fathers on March 19, which is Saint Joseph's feast day. This is a Catholic country, you know, so Joseph is considered the First Father, if you will. At least the first long-suffering father with paternity issues...but let's leave religion out of this, shall we?

In any case, I hoped to celebrate by interviewing my husband, the resident father here amid the olive trees, about his life and then sharing that with you. Unfortunately, he is busy working on a project over there in the corner on his computer (as usual) and not really that interested in answering my nosy questions. Poor guy, never a moment of peace and quiet!

Here's what I managed to drag out of him . . .

1. What is your full name?
Francesco Gerardo

2. Why did your parents select this name for you?
Francesco was the name of my maternal grandfather. Gerardo comes from Saint Gerardo, who my mother had prayed to during her pregnancy with me.

He's the little guy on the left

3. Did you have a nickname?
My friends and family called me Ciccio.

4. When and where were you born?
I was born on the kitchen table in my family home in southern Italy. That's the way things were done back then.

5. What is your earliest childhood memory?
I remember receiving a gold watch from my Uncle Rino at my first communion. I was 8 years old and that watch was a special treasure.

6. What kind of games did you play growing up?
My family had a large farm in the countryside and I played outside all the time with my brothers and sisters and cousins. We had slingshots we used to kill lizards. We set up a stand by the side of the road and sold farm vegetables, peeled almonds and mint flavored ices to passersby.

With his cousins in the countryside (3rd from left)

7. What was your favorite thing to do for fun?
We had a black and white TV and I loved to lie on my stomach and watch films on summer mornings.

8. Did you have family chores?
Yes, my brothers and sisters and I always helped my mother in the house and with chores on the farm. I remember all of us sitting around a large table shelling almonds. My father would pay us 10 liras for each bag of peeled almonds and we kids always tried to steal each other's almonds to make more money. We were also paid for helping gather the olives and other chores like that.

9. What was school like for you as a child?
In elementary school the classes were divided into either all-boy or all girl sections. I shared a desk with Giovanni, who is still a good friend of mine.

10. What were your best and worst subjects?
I liked math the best, but the other subjects were okay, too.

11. What was fashion like back then?
I was a very fussy dresser, differently from now! I spent a lot of time and care in choosing my outfit each day and if I got the least little bit dirty I would go home and change my clothes. I wore very large eyeglasses that look rather strange to me now.

That's all I could get out of him for now, but I am persistent, so there may be more installments to the Francesco story!

Puglian Passion

2011-06-11T11:32:00.001+02:00

I have written several articles for the site Charming Italy about things to see and do in Puglia over the past few months. Here are a few of my most recent reports (just click on the words highlighted in red to link to the full article):

Fioroni, Fruit of the Gods - If you've never heard of fioroni, you don't know what you are missing!

Figs aren't your thing? Why not try some local Railroad Cherries?

Looking for the perfect summer holiday spot? Why not visit Vieste?

Or combine your love of nature with a day at the beach at the Torre Guaceto Nature Preserve . . .

Puglia is a beautiful region, I'm it's #1 fan!

14 + 1 Day

2011-06-10T10:03:00.000+02:00

My firstborn has reached that awkward and uncomfortable age of 14. Do you remember 14? Pimples, strange growth spurts, a voice that's neither a child's nor a man's, torrents of conflicting hormones coursing through your body, intense emotional outbursts, insecurity about your appearance, your behaviour, your lack of innate coolness...fun stuff like that.

He has just finished junior high (or the equivalent of 8th grade in the US) and the unknown mysteries of high school loom ahead for him in the fall. He has chosen the Classical Studies high school - yes, Italian high schools have a theme. An orientation which you have to choose at the tender age of 14 and which can determine the course of your later life. Examples of different types of high schools range from an emphasis in science, technology, industrial arts, languages or business studies to specialization in hotel and restaurant studies, fashion design, maritime studies, graphic arts, social work or drafting.

My son has chosen classical studies, considered by many to be the most difficult type of high school. Less rigorous in math and sciences perhaps, but they do five years of Latin and Italian, three years of ancient Greek, and a whole lot of philosophy. I think he made a good choice, considering his strengths and interests, and it's a choice he made all by himself. He doesn't even have any friends who will be going with him, so he must be convinced...but still, it's a big change ahead.

In the here and now, he has another challenge coming up in the next couple of weeks. Italian kids have to take a battery of both oral and written exams at the conclusion of junior high, plus a nationwide standardised exam that is worth 50% of their grade. So, everything they have done in class all semester, plus two weeks of first written and then oral exams in which they can be asked about anything they have studied in any subject all this past year...equals half of their final grade. The other half depends completely on how well they perform on a standardized multiple-choice test.

So the guys got a few reasons to be stressed out. You can't blame him. To top it all off it was his birthday the other day and he didn't want to do anything to celebrate. No party, no cake, no taking some friends out for a pizza, or inviting the guys over to play basketball...nothing. Last year he said the same thing, but we surprised him with a cake in the changing room after his basketball team had just been eliminated from the provincial semi-finals. This year I was torn, respect his wishes? go ahead and get the cake even if he says he doesn't want it? We couldn't decide, so in the end we took him to McDonald's for lunch (his choice) and he went to the beach with a friend in the afternoon and that was that.

Or maybe it wasn't...that evening he had a total meltdown. First a case of the nasties, then the angries, then the denial of wrongdoing...ending up with total remorse and despair and him hiding under his desk miserable about life in general. So, yes, I spent my evening under the desk with him, and yes, we got it all worked out, kinda sorta, the best that you can do at that crappy age of 14 when your emotions have you on a wild seesaw ride and you yourself don't really know what you want or how to please yourself or anyone else.

Hence, the next day we had a surprise "14 + 1 Day" celebration...and, wouldn't you know it, for all he had protested the cake and party idea...he loved it!

Is it Summer Yet?

2011-06-09T10:37:00.000+02:00

I have ignored this blog for way too long, but during the academic year, I just do not have the time to keep up with posting...on top of teaching at the university, doing translations, responsibilities related to home and family...but summer vacation is almost here!

In the meantime, I'd like to share this video of one of the students in my second year English course this year. Her name is Irene di Trani, she's 21 and, who knows, one day we may be listening to her on the radio.

She won a national competition with her interpretation of Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All."

Happy Easter 2011

2011-04-24T20:07:00.001+02:00

Did you know that there is no Easter Bunny in Italy?

And no tradition of painted eggs or Easter egg hunts?

Italian children get these giant chocolate eggs from friends and family and the first thing they do is break them into pieces...not because they're naughty...but because there is a surprise toy hidden inside!

Of course, for me it wouldn't be Easter without an Easter bunny and painted eggs, so, as with all the major holidays my family has combined customs. We paint eggs (like the ones above) and the Easter Bunny hides them in the night so the boys can find them in the morning. He kindly, and multiculturally, also brings them each a large Italian-style chocolate egg. So, everyone's happy.

Hope you and your loved ones had a lovely day!

Social Photography, 2

2011-03-11T09:49:00.001+01:00

I'm in about week 4 of my Social Photography course. (If you want some background on the course, click HERE for my previous post on it.) We are learning all about our cameras and how they work and, theoretically, how to take different kinds of photos. There's been a lot of talk with very little practice so far, which drives a practical sort of gal like me nuts.

Great! I think during the lessons, it's all very clear! But when I try to take a photo, all the info we have heard about in class gets all mushed together in my brain and I have no clue as to how best to capture the moment. In fact, the moment passes while I'm fidgeting around pushing buttons, trying to calculate exposure, white balance, aperture . . .

We have had one photo assignment so far: to record a process. Our instructor assured us that the emphasis was to be on capturing a process and not on the beauty or technical perfection of the shots.

Here is my sequence of photos which capture a trip with my younger son to the mall to pick up the new Pokemon Black and White game for his Nintendo. This was rather a big deal because he had sold a bunch of old games to pay for this new one, and there was apparently a countdown on various media to the worldwide release of this game. All very exciting for the hardcore Pokemon fan, you can imagine.

Leaving the house

Setting the house alarm

Walking over to the car

Mommy driving - G took this shot, I haven't yet perfected the technique of photographing myself from behind!

Oops, detour! My car ran out of gas on the on-ramp to the highway and we had to walk off the highway and back into town because, of course, I had forgotten my cell phone at home. All this in high heels!

Our hero came to rescue us!

What a patient boy.

Arrival at the mall. Don't ask me WHY this photo is psychadelic, things happen . . .

Pokemon White, finally! Do not ask me WHY this photo is pink . . .

Safe at home enjoying his hard-earned game.

To tell you the truth, these photos are absolutely nothing special. The process was definitely captured, but I shot them all on automatic. Cheating? I don't know. I think I will need a lot of time to practice just shooting and shooting pictures while playing with my camera's multitude of settings to see what happens.

In the meantime, if I want to take quick pictures I'll stick to automatic or even my old compact camera.

Instant Sunshine

2011-03-06T20:25:00.004+01:00

It's that time of year again...March. My least favorite month of the year. My husband likes to joke that I feel that way because it's his birthday month. So, my apologies to all of you March babies! But trust me, it's nothing personal.

It's just that by the time March rolls around I have had it with winter. I am all fed up. I don't want to see any more rain or fog or snow or grey days. I am ready for spring. Unfortunately, spring is never quite ready for me in March. It's still wool sweaters and heavy coats time while I'm dreaming of wispy dresses and high heeled sandals. Grrrr...

Luckily, with a little imagination, I can find a sunshine substitute right in my own refrigerator. It's orange season. Besides your plain old orange orange, the stores here are also full of these fantastic Sicilian red blood oranges, also known as Tarocco oranges. They are sweet and seedless and, besides making fantastic OJ, can be used to make a delicious Sicilian Orange Salad.

This combination of fresh seasonal flavors is fast and easy and can be served as a side dish or a snack.

INGREDIENTS

6 large navel or blood oranges, peeled and sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

On a serving platter, alternately arrange orange and onion slices, with the slices slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with basil. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Yield: 6 servings.

A tip: soak the sliced red onion half an hour in a bowl of water. This takes a bit of the sharpness out of the onion's flavor. Of course, if you like sharpness forget I mentioned it!

As with all recipes, variations are allowed and even encouraged. Do you like olives? Throw some in.

Want to try it with some sprigs of rosemary? Why not?

A plate of instant sunshine!

CSN Giveaway

2011-03-04T21:25:00.006+01:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED - CONGRATULATIONS TO NORMA!

It's giveaway time again!!!

CSN Stores would like to present one of my lucky readers with a $45 gift code to shop at any of their stores!

There are 2 requirements:

1. You must be a GFC follower of Amid the Olive Trees.

2. You must go to one of CSN's 200+ stores and tell me what you would buy! You can use your gift code to purchase whatever you like such as: exercise and fitness supplies, jewelry, or a home furnishings gift for yourself such as handy adjustable bar stools. The choice is yours!

This one is pretty snazzy.

Or perhaps you prefer COLOR!

Optional entry
(leave a separate comment for each optional entry):

3. Follow me on Facebook.

4. Follow me on Networked Blogs.

5. Follow me on Twitter.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian readers only. Sorry International Readers, I will definitely have another giveaway soon open to everyone.

This giveway will end onMarch 31st at midnight CET.

Cecilia Mangini, pioneer Italian documentary filmmaker

2011-03-03T18:44:00.006+01:00

I had the great pleasure of hearing Cecilia Mangini speak of her life and filmmaking experiences last Saturday night. The occasion for this encounter with this legendary figure in Italian documentary filmmaking was the presentation of a book, Con Ostinata Passione (With Obstinate Passion), written by Gianluca Sciannameo, the founder of the Camera a Sud Cultural Association (where I'm taking my social photography course).

Mangini was the first woman to document on camera the reality of everyday life in Italy, particularly those situations that could be considered "troublesome," that the mainstream media were doing their best to cover up and/or ignore in the postwar boom period of the 1950s and 60s. She captured many portraits of people and ways of life that were struggling to survive or which were somehow passed by in the prosperous new consumer society. Her documentaries, made in collaboration with such Italian film greats as Pier Paolo Pasolini, have had both good fortune and bad: at times censored, they have seen both great success and have struggled to find distribution, and yet they have won international awards.

Mangini has Puglian origins: she was born in her father's hometown of Mola di Bari. Although her family moved to Florence when she was six, she spent her summers in Mola and she told us of how she was struck by the contrast between the lives of the working people around her in the two different regions. She felt the pain of the inequalities and injustices faced by the agricultural workers in the south, but came to love the warmth and solidarity of those people even in the face of extreme hardship and poverty. She believes that these early experiences were fundamental in forming her world view and in leading her to take a social exposè approach to her filmmaking.

Mangini, born in 1927, spoke of how she believes that she belonged to a lucky generation. A generation of young people with high hopes for a better future after the fall of Fascism and full of energy and intellectual ferment aimed at creating a better world. She admitted that things didn't turn out quite the way they had hoped, but that she is thankful to have lived in such exciting times.

Image from "Essere donne" - 1965

Her approach to documentary filmmaking is to go beyond simply capturing the reality of a situation as it presents itself, but to create a visual work that tells a compelling story. She believes that a documentary filmmaker always takes a position and expresses it through his choice of images and sounds. She also thinks that her films ask and expect viewers to have a reaction to what they see on the screen.

Image from the Film "La Canta delle Marane" - 1962

Mangini is a living piece of film history. She was a key player in the transition of the Italian documentary film from the simple depiction of scientific phenomena or landscapes, newsreel reports of natural disasters, to a tool in the impassioned cultural and social struggle of the time.

We watched three of her short documentaries on Saturday, each of which was breathtakingly powerful and emotionally moving. My absolute favorite was "Stendalì" which tells of the Puglian tradition of ritual mourning, expressed through group chanting and crying, and ritualised movements and actions.

I feel truly honored to have met Cecilia Mangini. Not because she is famous or because she has made films, but because she is truly a special woman. Besides directing films she has worked as a journalist, essayist, photographer and film critic. She is 84 years old, yet sprightly, vibrant and extremely intelligent. At the same time, she is humble, charming and obviously open to and curious about new people and new experiences.

An inspiration!

Altamura

2011-02-26T15:32:00.002+01:00

LAST DAY TO ENTER THE SHANNON MCKENNA ROMANTIC THRILLER GIVEAWAY

(Read here for details on how to win!)

Altamura is an interesting little city located 45 kilometers inland in the province of Bari. It has various claims to fame.

These include Altamura Man, the perfectly preserved 400,000 year old skeleton of a pre-Neanderthalian hominid discovered in a limestone cave near the town.

No less important, however, is its renowned bread (click here for the recipe). According to the Latin poet Horace, "...for water is sold here, though the worst in the world; but their bread is exceeding fine, inasmuch that the weary traveler is used to carry it willingly on his shoulders." You may not often be obliged to carry your bread on your shoulders, but in Altamura the bread is made in round forms of various sizes, small, medium, large and extra-large . . . like as large as the wheel of a car!

Let's take a walk through the historic center of town . . .

The gateway into the walled old town

A loggia tucked away in the courtyard of 15th century Palazzo Viti

The entry to the Cathedral, built in 1232, another of the city's bragging points.

What the lion and I saw across the piazza from the Cathedral

Detail of the Puglian-Romanesque style cathedral's intricately carved portal

The cathedral's golden interior

Angels are watching over you!

Detail of the cathedral flooring - kind of Escher-like!

Caffè Ronchi

Don't forget to stop in at Caffè Ronchi, located right next to the cathedral, not only for an espresso, but to try their famous Padre Peppe walnut liqueur. It's made by distilling walnuts in pure alcohol for 3 years, then filtering them and leaving them to age for another 2 years. It's worth the wait, though, quite delicious!

Top 5 Puglian Recipes

2011-02-25T19:32:00.002+01:00

Italian cuisine is famous around the world for simple, fresh ingredients and lovingly prepared home-cooked meals. But did you know that what you consider "Italian" food might only be one version, eaten in only one particular area of the country? Regional variety is what makes the Italian take on the Mediterranean diet even more exciting. While you can get pizza from the tip to the toe of the peninsula, the local definition of "pizza" may vary from place to place.

Wondering what we eat down here in the heel of the boot? In an article for Charming Italy I choose the 5 recipes I think most clearly identify Puglian cooking and give you the recipes!

Orecchiette con le cime di rape (Orecchiette Pasta with Rabe Broccoli)

Patate, riso e cozze (Potatoes, Rice and Mussels)
Braciole (Meat Rolls in Tomato Sauce)
Fave e cicorie (Fava Bean Puree and Chicory Greens)
Bari Focaccia (Pizza Bread)

Follow this link to discover all the recipes in my article!

Picnic on the Murgia

2011-02-23T11:58:00.000+01:00

Italian Music Festival

2011-02-20T12:39:00.003+01:00

Every year around this time, all the TV sets in Italy are tuned to the same channel watching the Sanremo Italian Music Festival. It's an annual competition to choose the best of current Italian pop music. Both new and established artists can enter, but they must present a brand new song that has not been performed anywhere previously.

I'm not a big fan of the festival personally, although expressing this minority opinion publicly usually gets me a lot of grief from my Italian friends. How could I not love the Festival? I guess just because I'm not a big fan of shows where famous people make fatuous fusses over other celebrities. I hate the fake smiles, the forced hilarity of these programs. And this festival goes on and on for days...it always seems to me like it's never going to end! Just change the channel, you say? I can't because my family is hooked and they want me to watch with them and comment on all the songs and personalities...an annual form of torture for me!

So, after that negative build up, do you want to know who won?

First prize went to Roberto Vecchioni, a 68 year old Renaissance man. He is not only a singer-songwriter, but also a university professor of music and poetry. He is the author of several books ranging from poetry, fables, to tales of the lives of historical figures. And he is a photographer... I like his song because it speaks of the difficult times we are living in and calls for a return to love, poetry and the more positive aspects of life.

Second prize went to a young singer who is new on the Italian music scene, Emma Marrone, accompanied by the group Modà. Emma has a more upbeat, rock and roll style which blended nicely with the pop rock sound of Modà. Their song is about the hope for a better future after a love story gone wrong.

Third place was awarded to Albano Carrisi, another 68 year old singer, born in Puglia...yeah! He sings in a classic Italian melodic style, with a big and powerful voice. His song tells the story of the short, tragic life of a young prostitute.

Mighty Aphrodite

2011-02-18T16:31:00.003+01:00

I've got far too much time on my hands these days, as it seems I've got pneumonia and haven't even got the energy to get up out of bed much. Luckily, I have my portable pc as a faithful companion here in the bed with me. It brings the world to my fingertips. I can check out blogs, visit my favorite fashion sites, do imaginary shopping where I fill up my wishlist in my favorite on-line stores...knowing that I'll never buy any of it! I've been catching up on years and years of old Desperate Housewives episodes. It's no fun being stuck in bed, but at least I have company!

My favorite image of Aphrodite

A friend called to check in on me today and chatting about this and that she mentioned her goddess archtype. Her what? was my first reaction. She said, yeah, that each of us is represented in some way by one of the ancient Greek goddesses. Kind of like your zodiac sign, but just for us girls, get it?

Perhaps the most famous image of Aphrodite in Raphael's painting Primavera

Well, I'm a sucker for a quiz or a personality test, so I started poking around on-line. I found a Find Your Goddess Archetype site that has this to say about the concept:

Understanding goddess types offers a woman very specific means of increased self-awareness of herself, her relationship to her lover, partner, her way of parenting her children, her inner urges in her self-expression and creativity. New ways of understanding feminine psychology have been emerging in the past twenty years--from a feminine perspective. In a society that has trivialized the Goddess concept, learning of the significance of Goddess qualities/energy can be instructive for women and men. We are aware that women's and men's behaviors, attitudes, likes and dislikes do appear to conform to particular typologies.

A rare image of our gal with her shirt on

Hmmm...ok. Of course I had to take the quiz. Of the various ones I have tried on-line, this site has the most exhaustive quiz, but on all of them my result was exactly the same. I'm a mighty Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty! Here's some of what that is supposed to mean:

Aphrodite - possesses an extroverted temperament and focuses on relationship/love - her primary concerns/interests are mature, adult relationships, romance, sexuality, beauty and the arts. Her domain embraced all of nature: vegetable, animal as well as human. Among her powers were fertility and growth/harvesting of crops, war, descent to the underworld, birth/life/love/death and fate. Although an independent figure in her own right, this independence does not preclude emotional involvement with others.

Love the way Aphrodite's about to hit Pan over the head
with an old shoe sole to protect herself

Who knew? I can tell you that right now I feel anything but mighty or goddes-like, but as soon as I get better, I'm going to have to start living up to my archetype! ;-)

Which Goddess are you?

Chiacchiere - A Carnival Treat

2011-02-16T19:07:00.002+01:00

One of the things I love about Italy is how every holiday has its traditional sweet. I have a real sweet tooth and love to eat any kind of cake, cookies, candies, you name it! That's gotten a lot harder since I discovered that I'm intolerant to both gluten and lactose. There are some commercial products available without those ingredients, but for the most part I think they're pretty blah, taste-wise. So, if I want something sweet, I pretty much have to make it myself.

Luckily there are lots of sites on the Internet offering recipes for people with dietary limitations (see my sidebar for some I love). But, it's not always easy to reproduce my Italian holiday favs. As it's Carnival season I've been craving the light, crispy, sugar-coated delights called "Chiacchere." Well, they're called chiacchiere down here in the heel of the boot, in other areas they have all kinds of different names.

I got lucky and found a great gluten and lactose-free chiacchiere recipe and thought I'd share it with you.

First of all, for any of you who don't know what "Chiacchiere" are, take a look at these yummy creations . . .

Photo from Flickr

Ingredients:

300 gr gluten-free flour
60 gr sugar
2 large eggs
25 gr vegetable margarine
1/2 glass of liqueur (for example: Martini bianco)
Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Sift the flour and add the sugar, eggs, softened margarine, and liqueur.

2. Blend well until the dough is smooth and compact. Add more flour if necessary.

3. Wrap in a soft cloth (a clean, dry dish towel will do fine) and set aside to rise for about 30 minutes.

4. Roll a section of the dough out to a thin layer, then use a pastry wheel to cut it into the shapes you desire. (I found my dough to be a bit sticky. It helped to roll it out on floured waxed paper.)

5. Fry the pieces of dough in plentiful hot oil. Be careful not to let the oil get too hot, or the chiacchiere will darken too quickly.

6. When golden, lift the chiacchiere out of the oil with a slotted spoon and lay them on blotting paper to absorb the excess oil.

7. Finally arrange them on a serving dish and sprinkle with powered sugar.

8. Enjoy!

For more info on chiacchiere read my article at Charming Italy.

By the way, besides being the name for these delicious sweets, "chiacchiere" means "chit-chat" or "small talk" in Italian!

Photo from Flickr

Valentine's Day Giveaway

2011-02-14T09:00:00.029+01:00

* ENTRIES ARE CLOSED ON THIS GIVEAWAY *
CONGRATULATIONS JIM!

It's high time I offer my dear readers another giveaway and seeing as how it's the season for romance, I thought nothing would be more perfect than an autographed copy of FADE TO MIDNIGHT, the most recent romantic suspense novel by my favorite romance writer (and good friend), Shannon McKenna.

If you are not familiar with Shannon and her work, let me introduce you . . .

"Shannon McKenna is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous romantic thrillers and several novellas. After a bizarre assortment of jobs, from singing cocktail waitress to medical secretary to strolling madrigal singer, she decided that writing hot romantic suspense suits her best. She lives with her husband and family in a small seaside town in southern Italy."

And to find out even more about Shannon, I asked her a few nosy questions . . .

What was the plot of your very first piece of fiction?

It was a story I wrote back in the fifth grade. From the feel of the first few chapters, it wanted to be a novel. A fantasy coming of age story about a maladjusted twelve year old girl who discovers she has magical powers and gets recruited by a wizard and sent to a school for witchcraft. Hmm. Too bad I didn’t know how to finish a story back then or I might have started a global bandwagon before the exalted Ms. Rowling did! But alas, that was not to be my destiny, the wealth and the fame and the movie franchise, and taking tea with the Queen and all that.

Do you have any rituals or routines when you write?

Well, it takes a long time for me to get revved up, that’s for sure. I scribble ideas in a notebook for literally months until I hit on something I think of as a decent starting place. And once I get that starting place, the first few chapters are an eternity, because everything about the story is still up in the air, and everything that happens is a decision that I have to make that could determine the whole story, and the omni-potentiality of it all is absolutely crippling!

What draws you to write in this genre?

Oh, I just love romance. I always have. I used to gobble up regencies and Georgette Heyer and Barbara Cartland novels by the dozens per week, from age ten onward. So I had the necessary shape of a romance burned into my brain at an early age—the structuring, the way that they are carefully calibrated to give the reader an emotional high, and satisfy all of those clamoring but otherwise unsatisfied desires and fantasies. Those fantasies may be unrealistic, but we all still have them, and romance novels really feed those secret cravings. It’s better than drugs, or chocolate or overeating, that’s for sure.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?

Well. Hmm. I’m a mother of small children, so right now I have just made a bargain with my daughter that as soon as I finish these questions I will go and play paper dolls. So what I do is very much conditioned by what they’re doing. I LOVE to read. I love to see movies. I am a singer, and I love to make music. I have done very little of all this since my kids were born. Plus, I live in Italy, which can be very all encompassing. It’s hard to describe it without writing a book, and who has the time with my schedule? So, all I do really is just get from day to day. I love the sun, I love cooking, I love the food here, I love the coffee, I love my kids. It keeps my mind flexible to juggle languages and cultures.

And now, a little bit about FADE TO MIDNIGHT to whet your appetites . . .

Gone But Not Forgotten

Davy…Connor…Sean… Three brothers who have conquered their demons, but they’ve never forgotten their long lost brother, Kev, whom they believed to be dead. When the McCloud brothers discover Kev is alive, they won’t rest until they find him...

Beaten and tortured almost to death, Kev Larsen was found eighteen years earlier in a warehouse alley. He survived his brutal ordeal, but his memories before that night were completely erased. When he nearly dies from trying to save someone from drowning, the brain surgery he has to save his life triggers fragmented, terrifying memories. With only these memories and the name of his torturer to guide him, Kev is determined to unlock the secrets to his past.

Edie Parrish has always been good at not letting anyone get too close to her. If someone were to learn of her unusual gift, her life would be immediately jeopardized. But when Kev Larsen discovers who she really is, Edie has only one choice: to trust him. And soon, Edie can’t resist her consuming desire for him—even though she knows she’ll have to pay a price for it.

Now Kev and Edie must race against time and place their faith in each other to stop a deadly legacy...

* * * * *

One lucky Amid the Olive Trees reader will win an autographed copy of FADE TO MIDNIGHT.

Giveaway Rules

Open to everyone!
Contest ends February 26, 2011 @ midnight CET.

The mandatory entry must be done for any other entries to count.

MANDATORY

(leave a comment saying you have completed this step)

Follow Amid the Olive Trees publicly through Google Friend Connect (see righthand side of page) and visit Shannon McKenna's website and tell me one thing you learn about her or her books.

Optional extra entries (make a separate comment for each)

Follow Amid the Olive Trees on Networked Blogs

Like Amid the Olive Trees on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Blog about the giveaway (leave a link to the post on your blog in your comment)

* Be sure I can find your email in your comment or profile so I can contact you when you win! *

Winner will be chosen using random.org and will be contacted via email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Dandelion Greens

2011-02-13T14:32:00.003+01:00

If someone had told me, almost 20 years ago when I first moved to southern Italy, that you could just walk along the side of the road gathering the weeds that grow there . . . and then take them home and eat them, I never would have believed them. I'm a city girl, you see, the kind who thinks of going to the supermarket for food rather than going directly to the source.

My mother-in-law Eva, who is now practically bed-ridden, never went anywhere without a plastic bag and a small knife in her pocket. Just in case she sighted some good-looking plants along the side of the road. She would cry out, "Oh, look, some nice dandelion greens!" and get busy choosing the good ones, discarding the bad, and filling up her bag with her treasures.

I thought she was nuts. I'd never seen anyone do anything like that before!

But, she is from a different world than me, completely. She was born in 1923. People in southern Italy still travelled in horse-drawn carriages for the entirety of her youth. She was a young woman when her town was occupied first by the Germans and then by the Americans during World War II. Her family were large-scale farm owners and over her lifetime she has been both relatively rich and relatively poor. She is accustomed to southern Italian rural logic, often rooted in ignorance and superstition, but also based on solid values like waste not, want not.

Eva - circa 1943

We can no longer take those walks in the country with her like we used to, but sometimes we go out into the countryside behind my house with our plastic bags and little knives to look for dandelion greens. I know it makes my husband happy to be doing something that he used to do with his mother, and my sons enjoy having that connection, too.

I'm still hopeless at identifying the weeds from the edible greens, but our sons seem to have inherited her eye for it.

The Search for a Good Book

2011-02-12T11:40:00.003+01:00

Reading is one of my great passions and I'm always on the lookout for a good novel to read. When I first came to Italy, getting my hands on a decent selection of high quality books in English was a real problem. There were some titles available at the Feltrinelli in Bari, but they were mostly the bestsellers (not always synonymous with "good reading" in my personal opinion) or language teaching reference texts.

Imagine my joy when I discovered Daedalus Books & Music, "Quality Books and Music at Up to 90% Off." They carry overstocked items and sell them at fantastic prices, plus somehow their taste and mine are really a perfect match. Back then I would receive a paper catalogue in the mail, peruse it passionately for days and days to make my selections. Mail off my order and then wait months until my precious box of books would arrive from the US by ship. Now you can find Daedalus on-line and all shipping is by air, such a luxury!

For the last several years my recreational reading choices have been determined by the monthly selections of the book clubs I've belonged to. Since a different club member chooses a book each month, we have had some real highs and some real lows. I really hated both Where Rainbows End, by Cecelia Ahern, and Oblivion, by David Foster Wallace. Two wildly different books, one a saccharine-sweet romantically improbable bit of fluff, the other the mind-grinding observations of a neurotic and overly analytical, deeply unhappy genius (in fact, Wallace committed suicide in 2008).

Book club has, however, brought me such treasures as A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry, and introduced me to the magical dreamlike world of Toni Morrison. But, in all honesty, one of my favorite things about the book club group's choices is this very aspect of its nature . . . I never know what I'm getting myself into when I start reading each month. The book may be a gem, or it might drive me crazy, but either way a friend of mine thought it was worth reading, so I'm willing to take a gamble on it.

I have recently screwed up my courage and taken a dive off the deep end into reading novels in Italian.

After finishing Io e te by Niccolo Ammaniti in one day (it was that good!), at the moment I'm reading his Che la festa cominci. I am a big fan of Ammaniti because he writes in a clear, immediate style. His characters speak the way Italians really do today. His stories and characters accurately reflect contemporary Italian social issues, people and their real lives . . . he exaggerates them just enough to render everything absurd and laughable, but in a sort of bittersweet way. You laugh because he takes people and situations that you recognize, but then pushes them just one stop beyond "normal." So they are funny, but they are so close to real that it's a funny that's not really funny . . . painfully funny, if you know what I mean. They also have an emotional depth and punch that you don't find every day.

Che la festa cominci (published in Italian in 2009) is not out in an English translation yet, but several of his others are. I'll Steal You Away, I'm Not Scared and As God Commands are all brilliant. So far, this is not my favorite of his books, it's a little bit silly, a little bit too wild and wacky, but I haven't finished it yet, so I can't pass final judgement.

What are YOU reading right now? Do you have any suggestions for me? I love to read books recommended by a friend!

Valentine's Day in Puglia

2011-02-11T09:57:00.000+01:00

Looking for a different way to celebrate Valentine's Day with your sweetie? Check out the festivities in Vico del Gargano, a lovely medieval town overlooking the Adriatic Sea, where Saint Valentine himself is the patron saint and the town goes all out to celebrate this special day.

Kissing Alley

Read all about the town that even has a special street dedicated to kissing in my article at Charming Italy!

How romantic can you get?

Social Photography

2011-02-10T15:37:00.004+01:00

I'm so excited, and I have to tell you why . . . I am taking a photography course! And not just a plain old, run-of-the-mill everyday photography course. No, no! This is a social photography course. At first I was wondering whether that meant a "social" photography course, where we all get to be real good friends and take pictures of each other and our loved ones?

Instead, it turns out that it is a "social photography" course, in that our photos will be of some social value, meaning they will bear witness to various important issues and problems in the social fabric. Like poverty, illegality in its various forms, garbage in the streets, what to do with all the hordes of unemployed escorts running rampant now that Berlusconi can't cavort with them secretly without everyone and his brother intercepting their phone calls and sms messages! Yeah, social issues, you get it . . .

Tuesday evening I went to the first of the 12 lessons being offered by a local group called Camera a Sud. The course objectives are to help each of us "discover, through our own sensibilities, how images can communicate ideas and cultures, projects and passions, and become the visual memory of our own times."

photo by: Camera a Sud

My husband, who knows both the photography teacher as well as another member of the association, told me to expect to find "alternative" people. Now, I just have to tell you that "alternative" is a word that has hounded me throughout my whole life. My mother and step-father were "alternative" types, choosing to live in communes, grow a long beard (him), wear long skirts (her), make our own clothes, recycle (kind of a radical idea back in the early '70s), eat vegetables from our own garden . . . I was even briefly a vegetarian at age 10.

In those days my mother sent me to "alternative" elementary schools. At one school "alternative" meant we just ran around in the woods all day and built the occasional geodesic dome. At another, things were a bit more structured, but run by two ex-Peace Corps volunteers who taught us how to play Wari, an ancient African board game, and cook peanut butter chicken (sounds odd, but you'd be surprised at how tasty it is).

Things were fairly mainstream for me for a while, until I chose an "alternative" graduate school in the late '80s. One with no grades and an emphasis on "experiential" learning. I found myself immersed in a familiar environment: beards and long skirts all over again. We spent the first week getting to know our classmates and professors by playing "cooperative games." Holding hands and running up and down the green hills of Vermont, you get the picture.

So, I was curious to check out these "alternative" provincial southern Italians. And what do you think I found?

Beards! Lots of beards, long beards, short beards, beginner beards, expert beards . . . but beards all around! I joked with my husband that growing a beard must be a requirement for membership in the association. No beard? Sorry, come back when you've got at least a 5 o'clock shadow, buddy!

But, curiously no long skirts. Hmmm. That will, no doubt, soon be remedied by the fact that this spring long skirts are in the fashion forecast.

But seriously . . . the first lesson went exceptionally well. The (bearded) instructor was kind, patient, clear and humorous. I was sooo glad about that, because as a teacher I expect a lot out of anyone who thinks they're going to teach me (aren't I terrible?), but Cosmo, with his long, purple flowered scarf and miserable head cold, was perfect.

We are starting from the very beginning with things like shutter speed and apertures. I'll keep you posted on how it goes week by week.

Alberobello

2011-02-08T19:02:00.000+01:00

When my parents were visiting last fall, we took them to a different spot for sightseeing each weekend. I shared the photos from Canne della Battaglia with you at the time, but nothing else, so I thought I'd take you on an occasional tour around Puglia.

One of the most interesting sites in our region is the small town of Alberobello, the trullo town.

All of the houses in the historic center of this little fairy-tale town have these unique cone-shaped roofs, called trullos.

Many of them have pagan or magical signs whitewashed onto them. There are lots of theories about the meanings of these symbols - and, of course, the locals will sell you books explaining them - but really the origins of the symbols are lost in the mists of time.

What is also a mystery is why, indeed, this particular style of construction developed here, and only here. It is not found anywhere else in the world, except for those places where people from here have built themselves a trullo, perhaps to remind themselves of home.

Legend has it that due to a high tax on property back in the Middle Ages, the people of the Itria Valley created these roofs of limestone slabs piled one atop the other without any mortar holding them together so that they could be dismantled when tax inspectors were in the area. Apparently, the townsfolk were taxed per roof . . . no roof, no tax.

People were smaller back then, right?

Do you believe in magic?

There's even a trullo church!

Alberobello makes a great day trip if you are in the area. There are lots of shops selling local crafts, such as miniature ceramic trullos or beautiful handmade crocheted linens. Don't forget to sneak down the side streets, too, where you can see how the townspeople really live their lives in this fairy-tale town.

Sun Therapy

2011-02-07T12:37:00.002+01:00

Yesterday was a gorgeous sunny and relatively warm day. We took full advantage of it by inviting friends to lunch and eating outside in the backyard. Our first outdoor meal of 2011! Even Piedina, the dog, had a smile on her face.

We have all been facing various troubles recently: minor health complaints, family issues, you know, that other stuff life is also made of, although we try our best to forget. A few hours of chatting, eating good food and drinking some fine local red wine was just what the doctor ordered.

As you can see, there was a lot to eat and drink, but we had no problem making short work of it.

Piedina was happy to be cuddled and snooze in the sun.

I took the opportunity to try to figure out the camera option on my new smartphone. I'm afraid the phone is much smarter than me. I just keep poking at it, though, to see what will happen. Am I the only one who finds today's instruction manuals somewhat less than helpful? I guess I've just got to get my intuitive skills up to speed. My kids have no problems with new technology, put anything in their hands and five minutes later they know how to use it to send guided missiles to bomb the school or write them electronic notes excusing them from not doing their homework...

did you notice that boy is barefoot?!

At last, time for a nap...oops, spoke too soon...dive-bombed by a blood-thirsty 11-year-old wanna-be vampire!

Good Morning Sunshine

2011-02-06T11:32:00.001+01:00

One morning not too long ago I stumbled groggily down the stairs to the kitchen to grab my life-sustaining first cup of tea, only to be stopped dead in my tracks by the sight you see in the photo. There was this gecko, this ANIMAL, this MONSTER lurking on the wall directly above the breakfast table. I'm not sure this photo does him justice...I mean that clock is really big, so proportionally Mr. Gecko was pretty darn big, too. And just sitting there looking like that mini-dinosaur creature that he is.

Now, I'm not one of those females who can't stand creepy crawlies and runs screaming at the sight, but you know how it is when you've just woken up. Personally, all I can think about is sitting down with my hot tea and corn cakes smeared with peanut butter and jam (my standard gluten/dairy-free breakfast, no comments, please!) and finding my way back to the real world. In fact, I always get up at least 20 minutes before everyone else so I can have this time ALONE...not with mini-crocodiles threatening to drop down into my teacup!

In Italian they have a saying, "Il Buongiorno si Vede dal Mattino," which roughly translates as something like "you can tell what kind of day it's going to be by the way your morning goes." But, I was lucky that morning. After skittering back and forth a bit, Mr. Mini-Monster disappeared. Yeah, he just wasn't there anymore.

Now, that might make some people worry even more. Like, WHERE did he go? And, WHEN will he pop up next? And although I am fully aware that "maybe it will just go away" are the six most dangerous words in the English language...boy, was I glad when he did.

So, however this lovely Sunday begins for you, I wish that all of your worries and concerns just disappear, at least momentarily, and that you enjoy the day to the fullest with friends and loved ones.

HAPPY SUNDAY!

p.s. the gecko was next spotted in the hall closet, behind the coats...

Practical Applications of Math Concepts in the Real World

2011-02-05T17:14:00.001+01:00

As my kids get older they are less and less attached to me. Not emotionally-speaking, I hope that will never change, but I'm talking actually physically attached. When they were little they were like two barnacles clinging to the Saretta ship as she navigated her way through the day. I used to have to pry them off of me by force, lock the bathroom door for a moment's privacy.

Now that my first-born is 13 (and three-quarters!) I'm lucky if I get the occasional peck on the cheek, after begging for it. That kid who used to crawl into bed with us every blessed morning at around 5:30, max 6:00 a.m., and glom on for dear life has been mysteriously transformed into this alien creature who grunts a barely audible "ugh" as he passes by.

That's why I don't mind that my 11-year-old still wants me to lie down with him to cuddle and chat before he falls asleep. It's great that he still wants me around...I'll take it as long as it lasts. The problem now, though, is that he is almost the same size as me and we don't really have enough room in his single bed to both lie down comfortably.

The Thinker at Rest

Last night, after insisting that I stay IN the bed, not NEAR the bed, but IN the bed, and lots of wiggling around trying to get comfortable he suddenly said with a loud and exasperated tone,

"What I don't get is how someone like you, who is NOT FAT, no, I'd even say NORMAL, can take up 15/16ths of the bed!"

Can you tell they're studying fractions at school?

Discover Puglia

2011-02-04T20:58:00.000+01:00

Seems like all I do these days is write, translate or take care of business on-line. Even when I'm relaxing, I find myself in front of the pc screen either watching tv (isn't streaming wonderful for the ex-pat?) or obsessively entering giveaways! Feels like my portable is permanently attached to me at the wrists!

I have been enjoying myself recently, I must admit, writing articles about the Puglia region for Charming Italy. I've always been one of those "gosh, I'd like to be a writer types" (probably like many other people who love to read), but I've never felt the urgency of a topic I really wanted to express myself on nor a talent for fiction. Instead, writing about Puglia is great fun for me and just comes naturally. I know lots about this area after living here for 18 years (wow, has it really been that long?) and I have lots of ideas about interesting things to share with others.

Hop on over to Charming Italy and take a look at what this region (and others!) have to offer.

Have you heard of the Bari International Film & TV Festival?

It's not too late to enjoy this year's Carnival in Puglia!

An evening of feasting and bonfires at the Feast of Saint Anthony.

Discover Puglian Christmas culinary traditions.

Giveaway Addiction

2011-01-27T19:00:00.000+01:00

There's a reason why I blog more during the summer...I have less work and more time for blogging then. At least in July and August I don't teach at the university on top of all the other work I am constantly doing: both the paid type (translations, on-line writing, other teaching) and the unpaid type that all women do every day. You know, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, washing, helping with homework, driving Child A to Point B and back. Plus the essential, yet time-consuming, pleasure of keeping up with girlfriends. I cannot live without talking on the phone and getting together with my girlfriends as often as possible. They make me laugh and keep me sane. Then there's the gym...if I don't go to the gym three times a week and squeeze in some walking, cycling or running, too, I get grumpy as all hell.

And yet, somehow I still have time to waste on a new secret passion. Well, not secret anymore I guess, now that I'm blabbing it all over the internet. I have become a giveaway junkie. Did you know that there are a lot of people out there giving away all kinds of stuff? All you usually have to do to participate in these giveaways is become a follower of the blog of the person hosting the competition.

The cool thing is that I have won a lot of stuff since I got hooked on this pastime. Yeah, really, you play, you win. It's that easy. Well, you have to enter a lot of giveaways to win one every once in a while, but that occasional win is such a pleasant surprise that it keeps me coming back for more.

A necklace I won from an Australian artisan.

So, what have I won? Well, my first win was a very young children's DVD. I do not know why I entered that particular giveaway since my children are way to old for the DVD, but, oops, I won! That experience taught me two things: first, that it is possible to win, and second, that it's rather daft to enter giveaways that are offering prizes you aren't actually interested in. I gave the DVD to a friend with a toddler.

My second win was a book listing substitutions for cooking ingredients. Such as, you need oh say turmeric in a recipe and you haven't got any in the cupboard? Just look up the missing ingredient in this book and it will tell you what you can use to replace it. Handy, especially since here in provincial southern Italy a lot of easy to come by ingredients in US recipes can be pretty hard, or impossible, to come by. Now, that was a better prize.

But, what got me hooked for good was the $250 gift certificate to JC Penney's. Wow! That's a lot of gift certificate at JC Penney's. I had a blast picking and choosing what I wanted. And from then on, playing the giveaway game has been my favorite time-waster.

It's really addictive, though. Once I start surfing the web, hunting for giveaways open to international participants (so many are limited to the US and Canada), the hours fly by. I think I may need an intervention...or an extension of the 24-hour day!

Happy 2011

2011-01-01T17:43:00.001+01:00

I spent New Year's eve at home with family and friends...a lovely evening that almost didn't happen!

We have all been sick for more or less for the past week with a nasty intestinal flu that left most of us with little or no desire to eat or drink...and what is an Italian celebration if not a celebration of food and drink? My husband and I dragged ourselves out and about to do the shopping, moaning and groaning all the while about how we felt and about what a pity it was that we were not going to enjoy the evening's feast.

Call it off you suggest? No way, that would be a solution for lesser mortals. And besides, we had invited a whole bunch of people over...it wouldn't have been right to leave them in the lurch on New Year's Eve.

Here I am with about 3 inches of makeup shoveled on to make myself presentable. One "good" thing...I lost three kilos in 3 days of stomach flu! Hee hee, but really, that's no way to lose weight!

in order of height...

Our meal was fish-based, but we combined the traditions of the Italians, Americans and Russians present.

An array of international appetizers

Broiled bass on a bed of creamed peas

I survived the evening and even managed to eat a few bites of this and that and toasted the new year with half a sip of Prosecco! I'm planning to leave all traces of that flu way back in 2010.

Let's hope 2011 is a good year for you, me and everyone! Happy New Year!

Snowy Day

2010-12-15T10:10:00.001+01:00

It's snowing today in southern Italy.

Snow is such a rare event here that it's always special.

This orange tree was certainly caught by surprise.

As were the flowers in my garden.

My sons tried to convince us that snow = no school, but that argument didn't stick any more than this snow will!