And this is another common say that we use in Italy...literally it reads : wife and beefs of your country.
More in general it means that it is wiser to chose someone with the same background for a long-term commitment, being this getting married or something else.
I thought that this say wouldn't make too much sense today and that it would be totally outdated....I recently discovered than instead different backgrounds and cultures are not always easy to melt....especially over serious matters.
Traveling as much as I do and living and moving from one country to another, my two last relationships have been with non-Italian people. Not a big deal I thought. As long as we are all open-minded we can overcome any issue....I still stand by this thought, but I have to add that overcoming cultural difference, which most of the times one doesn't even know to have, requires a lot of work and a lot of patience, from both sides when the people involved are in a relationship.
Things that for me are completely obvious for the other person may not be at all. I remember when during my first relationship with a non-Italian person, the olandesino, he always freaked out when my family would scream and yell at each other in the middle of a "normal" conversation....before being able to understand Italian, he always thought that they would end up killing each others...considering that for my family this is the normal way to communicate and to talk and that discussing with animosity can happen even for small things like where to have dinner, without anyone actually being angry at someone else, you can understand how many times he had to experience this kind of situation before realizing that it was not the end of the world and it was just a cultural difference from his own (Dutch).
Now that I am in a very committed relationship to my ex-now-new-again-boyfriend I am facing cultural differences on a regular basis......it can be quite frustrating and it requires a lot of communication, patience and compromise from both of us. It is worth it. But it is also quite some work......
We may be all connected by internet, facebook, and whatever else, but cultural differences are still there....and despite the work and the stress that the may cause in a relationship between two people with a different background, I am happy that they still exist and globalization didn't wipe them out yet!
Let's preserve differences and work to learn about them and understand what it is unfamiliar to us!
Showing posts with label Holland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holland. Show all posts
Monday, September 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
summer feeling
France, evening
I didn't get too much sleep lately, I am running around all the time, I am very very busy, a lot of difficult/annoying/problematic things happened in the last days and yet, except for a short moment yesterday, my mood didn't collapse yet.
I guess I just love this weather. I guess I am a very Mediterranean person. Give me some sun and a bit of wind and I am totally happy. I am going everywhere by walk in these days, even if this means, like this morning, having to wake up an hour earlier than if I would have taken the tram. But I love to walk in this weather. I enjoy the sun on my skin. I feel that my skin even smells different (well, beside when I am totally sweaty of course). The olandesino always made fun of me, because as a truly Mediterranean person, who is not used to very cold weather, I never know how to dress in a cold winter day. It doesn't matter if I experienced -30 C when I was living in Germany, if I experienced a very cold winter in the USA. I am just clueless on what to wear when it comes to face a cold winter day. I just normally pile up a lot of different clothes, which at the end make me look more like the Michelin man than like a woman.
But put me in a sunny place, like whatever spot close to the Mediterranean coast and I know exactly how to dress, what to wear and look nice in a simple, comfortable way. It is amazing. I always thought for example that Dutch girls dress very well in the winter, but then they have no style at all when it gets warmer. I guess they are used to live with a wet, cold weather. Me, instead, I am used to a nice, warm, windy weather and feel totally at my place with it.
I remember that one day I got to the office in the USA and Scott told me (very openly) that I was looking awful. I still remember that it was cold and wet and so my goal was to feel warm and not get soaked and not necessarily to look good. I guess that I reached my point in terms of feeling warm. But I probably also looked awful as he said.
I applied for a job in Germany. In the North of Germany to be exact. The job sounds quite good and I would have to work with some nice people there....but the weather....oh, gosh.....If I could chose, I want with all my heart to just stay here!!! I am even close to the sea here!!!
All this can help me in facing the every day problems in a much better way, believe me!
I didn't get too much sleep lately, I am running around all the time, I am very very busy, a lot of difficult/annoying/problematic things happened in the last days and yet, except for a short moment yesterday, my mood didn't collapse yet.
I guess I just love this weather. I guess I am a very Mediterranean person. Give me some sun and a bit of wind and I am totally happy. I am going everywhere by walk in these days, even if this means, like this morning, having to wake up an hour earlier than if I would have taken the tram. But I love to walk in this weather. I enjoy the sun on my skin. I feel that my skin even smells different (well, beside when I am totally sweaty of course). The olandesino always made fun of me, because as a truly Mediterranean person, who is not used to very cold weather, I never know how to dress in a cold winter day. It doesn't matter if I experienced -30 C when I was living in Germany, if I experienced a very cold winter in the USA. I am just clueless on what to wear when it comes to face a cold winter day. I just normally pile up a lot of different clothes, which at the end make me look more like the Michelin man than like a woman.
But put me in a sunny place, like whatever spot close to the Mediterranean coast and I know exactly how to dress, what to wear and look nice in a simple, comfortable way. It is amazing. I always thought for example that Dutch girls dress very well in the winter, but then they have no style at all when it gets warmer. I guess they are used to live with a wet, cold weather. Me, instead, I am used to a nice, warm, windy weather and feel totally at my place with it.
I remember that one day I got to the office in the USA and Scott told me (very openly) that I was looking awful. I still remember that it was cold and wet and so my goal was to feel warm and not get soaked and not necessarily to look good. I guess that I reached my point in terms of feeling warm. But I probably also looked awful as he said.
I applied for a job in Germany. In the North of Germany to be exact. The job sounds quite good and I would have to work with some nice people there....but the weather....oh, gosh.....If I could chose, I want with all my heart to just stay here!!! I am even close to the sea here!!!
All this can help me in facing the every day problems in a much better way, believe me!
Monday, May 11, 2009
feeling at home
France, evening
Train trips, as well as flight trips, represent for me an excuse to take some time for myself, just myself with my thoughts.
My week end in Italy was great! I was tired. I didn't actually wanted to go and I went only because my cousin was getting married. But then, as soon as I finally arrived to my home town, I felt in peace. Familiar faces, familiar things, no deadlines, no computer (I forgot it at home in France)...it felt immediately good. It didn't even matter if I was up since 3.30 am. It just felt good to be there again. And the next day, the wedding was very nice and we danced a lot, my mom, my sister, my cousin, my uncle, I, all together, plus a lot of other people. It was nice to see all of us dancing together and laughing and enjoying a family party.
I am doing well on my own, but for sure, I miss my family and close friends a lot. Every time I spend some time there, leaving is always painful. It is like having a stone in the stomach. And I love being here in France. I really like my life here. But it is also true that I miss them, I really miss them a lot in my daily life. Maybe I wouldn't see them every day, maybe I would even try to avoid to see them every day if I was living there, but it is nice to know that if you want to spend time or do things with them, you can, without having to wake up at 3.30 in the morning and be on a train for long time. I love to share my life with the people who really mean something to me. They are not many, but those people are the "ciliegina sulla torta" (cerise on the cake) in my life.
So, on the train trip today (which was an adventure and if it was not thanks to my mom's help, I wouldn't have make it here by this evening), because there was nothing I needed to do, I just chilled out and felt how much I enjoyed the past days, how much I relaxed, even if it was short and stressful as a trip, how much I felt home. And I got to think about the places where I feel home and why and the people that make me feel home and why. To feel home, I have to be able to feel in peace with these people and in these places. I feel home in my home town, even if I don't live there since longtime. I think of Amsterdam always as home, even if I have been living there only for 9 months and also in San Francisco I felt at home, because I was in peace with myself. I am not able to judge if I feel home here. I like here, a lot. And I wish to stay here longer. But I don't know yet if I feel at home here. Comfortable yes, at home, I don't know.
Every time I feel how nice is to be with someone who is so close to me, who makes me feel protected, it is always difficult to come back to be completely on my own again and take care of myself........................
PS. I forgot.
Good news (is it a good news???): I got the bride bouquet at the wedding (and a girl standing in front of me hoping to get it, turned to look at me with the bouquet and said: " I am going to skin you for this"...............No comment! Beside, I didn't even try to get it. I was standing in the crowd, and it fell on me).
Bad-good news. My stomach problems seem to be due to a bacterial infection (bad news). The good news of it, is that it shouldn't be too bad to treat it. Hopefully!!!
Train trips, as well as flight trips, represent for me an excuse to take some time for myself, just myself with my thoughts.
My week end in Italy was great! I was tired. I didn't actually wanted to go and I went only because my cousin was getting married. But then, as soon as I finally arrived to my home town, I felt in peace. Familiar faces, familiar things, no deadlines, no computer (I forgot it at home in France)...it felt immediately good. It didn't even matter if I was up since 3.30 am. It just felt good to be there again. And the next day, the wedding was very nice and we danced a lot, my mom, my sister, my cousin, my uncle, I, all together, plus a lot of other people. It was nice to see all of us dancing together and laughing and enjoying a family party.
I am doing well on my own, but for sure, I miss my family and close friends a lot. Every time I spend some time there, leaving is always painful. It is like having a stone in the stomach. And I love being here in France. I really like my life here. But it is also true that I miss them, I really miss them a lot in my daily life. Maybe I wouldn't see them every day, maybe I would even try to avoid to see them every day if I was living there, but it is nice to know that if you want to spend time or do things with them, you can, without having to wake up at 3.30 in the morning and be on a train for long time. I love to share my life with the people who really mean something to me. They are not many, but those people are the "ciliegina sulla torta" (cerise on the cake) in my life.
So, on the train trip today (which was an adventure and if it was not thanks to my mom's help, I wouldn't have make it here by this evening), because there was nothing I needed to do, I just chilled out and felt how much I enjoyed the past days, how much I relaxed, even if it was short and stressful as a trip, how much I felt home. And I got to think about the places where I feel home and why and the people that make me feel home and why. To feel home, I have to be able to feel in peace with these people and in these places. I feel home in my home town, even if I don't live there since longtime. I think of Amsterdam always as home, even if I have been living there only for 9 months and also in San Francisco I felt at home, because I was in peace with myself. I am not able to judge if I feel home here. I like here, a lot. And I wish to stay here longer. But I don't know yet if I feel at home here. Comfortable yes, at home, I don't know.
Every time I feel how nice is to be with someone who is so close to me, who makes me feel protected, it is always difficult to come back to be completely on my own again and take care of myself........................
PS. I forgot.
Good news (is it a good news???): I got the bride bouquet at the wedding (and a girl standing in front of me hoping to get it, turned to look at me with the bouquet and said: " I am going to skin you for this"...............No comment! Beside, I didn't even try to get it. I was standing in the crowd, and it fell on me).
Bad-good news. My stomach problems seem to be due to a bacterial infection (bad news). The good news of it, is that it shouldn't be too bad to treat it. Hopefully!!!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
I am in love
France, evening
I am in love. Completely, totally. After Amsterdam (you can never forget your first love), I love living here. I met a friend of mine today at 7pm. We were in a park, sitting on a statue, basking in the sun, like reptiles. It was so nice. Everyone was outside, enjoying the beautiful day.
A lot of things do not work here (e.g., finding an apartment is crazy, the amount of time people spend on a strike here is crazy), but France has for sure a lot of positive points (I will list them in another post, now I have to go out) and the South of France has even more positive points, the good weather on top of everything.
I have to work really hard to find the money to stay here longer. I don't want to go to live somewhere else (except maybe if it is San Francisco or Utrecht or Amsterdam). I really like being here!
I am in love. Completely, totally. After Amsterdam (you can never forget your first love), I love living here. I met a friend of mine today at 7pm. We were in a park, sitting on a statue, basking in the sun, like reptiles. It was so nice. Everyone was outside, enjoying the beautiful day.
A lot of things do not work here (e.g., finding an apartment is crazy, the amount of time people spend on a strike here is crazy), but France has for sure a lot of positive points (I will list them in another post, now I have to go out) and the South of France has even more positive points, the good weather on top of everything.
I have to work really hard to find the money to stay here longer. I don't want to go to live somewhere else (except maybe if it is San Francisco or Utrecht or Amsterdam). I really like being here!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Queen's day
France, evening
I almost forgot! It is queen's day this week end in Holland!!!! Everything will be in orange, in honor of the royal family, there will be parties, free markets on the streets. It is such a cool event. If you want to know more about it, you can check this link on Wikipedia...but if you really want to know more about it, I suggest you to be in Holland for Queen's day. It is very very cool! Too bad that I will miss it.
Even if I still can't manage to speak a single word of Dutch, I think that I must have some Dutch ancestor. I love Holland so much!!!
I almost forgot! It is queen's day this week end in Holland!!!! Everything will be in orange, in honor of the royal family, there will be parties, free markets on the streets. It is such a cool event. If you want to know more about it, you can check this link on Wikipedia...but if you really want to know more about it, I suggest you to be in Holland for Queen's day. It is very very cool! Too bad that I will miss it.
Even if I still can't manage to speak a single word of Dutch, I think that I must have some Dutch ancestor. I love Holland so much!!!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Podcast
France, afternoon
I just spent a couple of hours in the recently opened tea salon of a friend of mine. We were just us, four girls, drinking tea and chatting. It was very pleasant. I needed to catch up with all what happened here in the last month.
It is nice to be back. I miss San Francisco a lot, the weather especially, the possibility to do so many outdoor activities, but I like to be back.
Before to leave San Francisco, I loaded my iPod with a lot of podcast. Then I also found this podcast to learn dutch, Lauraspeaksdutch. I love it!!! not only I enjoyed a lot all the podcast I downloaded during my long flight from san Francisco to here in France, but now when I walk to work in the morning, I can also practice a bit of dutch or listen to the scientific news and being updated!!! I am so happy that I discovered the podcast! and there are so many podcast about so many different things. It is a great opportunity to learn new things while doing something else, flying, relaxing, walking.
I got a new passion: podcast!
I just spent a couple of hours in the recently opened tea salon of a friend of mine. We were just us, four girls, drinking tea and chatting. It was very pleasant. I needed to catch up with all what happened here in the last month.
It is nice to be back. I miss San Francisco a lot, the weather especially, the possibility to do so many outdoor activities, but I like to be back.
Before to leave San Francisco, I loaded my iPod with a lot of podcast. Then I also found this podcast to learn dutch, Lauraspeaksdutch. I love it!!! not only I enjoyed a lot all the podcast I downloaded during my long flight from san Francisco to here in France, but now when I walk to work in the morning, I can also practice a bit of dutch or listen to the scientific news and being updated!!! I am so happy that I discovered the podcast! and there are so many podcast about so many different things. It is a great opportunity to learn new things while doing something else, flying, relaxing, walking.
I got a new passion: podcast!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
years later
France, morning
I am not a big fan of Berlusconi and I am not a big fan of Sarkozy. It happens that being Italian and living in France, I am interested in anything concerning these two countries. It also happens that Berlusconi and Sarkozy signed yesterday an agreement about the nuclear power plants.
My opinion? they are completely out of time. France has always been a big fan of nuclear power. But the nuclear power was the resource to invest on at the end of the 70', beginning of the 80', not now. Every country is investing on alternative energy resources, which I agree will not be able alone to replace the oil power, while Italy and France decided to invest on nuclear power plants.
As a scientist I think it is a mistake to invest in the nuclear now. First nuclear power plants produce a lot of energy, right but they are not without problem. Uraniun is not an infinite resource, as we are seen that oil is too. Radioactive products are difficult to remove from the environment and if the solution is to bury them underground or in the sea, this doesn't mean that we can forget about them. They are there and the time of decay of these radioactive substances is really long. Third, nuclear power plants consume a lot of the energy they produce too, so that the balance is not that positive as thought. Fourth, I am not sure who would like to live next to a nuclear power plant.
In a world that needs to re-discover a better way of living to no destroy all our resources, Italy and France are investing on nuclear. In Holland there are people paid to find and study alternative energy resources and I am sure that there are well paid jobs everywhere in this field, which I consider to be the field of the future. Italy and France need to go on the other way around. Not only they cut the funding to scientific research, so that anyone working in the Universities or research institutes in these two countries is wondering if next year they will still have a job, but also decide to invest on something which according to me is out of time.
Berlusconi even declared that we will have a "massive" amount of nuclear power plants in Italy....I wonder if he will put one of them next to his villa...at least that would be fair!
I am not a big fan of Berlusconi and I am not a big fan of Sarkozy. It happens that being Italian and living in France, I am interested in anything concerning these two countries. It also happens that Berlusconi and Sarkozy signed yesterday an agreement about the nuclear power plants.
My opinion? they are completely out of time. France has always been a big fan of nuclear power. But the nuclear power was the resource to invest on at the end of the 70', beginning of the 80', not now. Every country is investing on alternative energy resources, which I agree will not be able alone to replace the oil power, while Italy and France decided to invest on nuclear power plants.
As a scientist I think it is a mistake to invest in the nuclear now. First nuclear power plants produce a lot of energy, right but they are not without problem. Uraniun is not an infinite resource, as we are seen that oil is too. Radioactive products are difficult to remove from the environment and if the solution is to bury them underground or in the sea, this doesn't mean that we can forget about them. They are there and the time of decay of these radioactive substances is really long. Third, nuclear power plants consume a lot of the energy they produce too, so that the balance is not that positive as thought. Fourth, I am not sure who would like to live next to a nuclear power plant.
In a world that needs to re-discover a better way of living to no destroy all our resources, Italy and France are investing on nuclear. In Holland there are people paid to find and study alternative energy resources and I am sure that there are well paid jobs everywhere in this field, which I consider to be the field of the future. Italy and France need to go on the other way around. Not only they cut the funding to scientific research, so that anyone working in the Universities or research institutes in these two countries is wondering if next year they will still have a job, but also decide to invest on something which according to me is out of time.
Berlusconi even declared that we will have a "massive" amount of nuclear power plants in Italy....I wonder if he will put one of them next to his villa...at least that would be fair!
Friday, January 30, 2009
heading to New York
France, morning
I know it sounds crazy. It is crazy, probably. Less than a week ago I booked a flight to go to the USA. I am leaving today. In a few hours. The ticket fortunately was not too expensive, otherwise I couldn't have gone. I felt I needed to go there. To visit this friend of mine who is sick (and fortunately now is getting better), to take a break, to eat a lot of bagels, to enjoy a bit New York again, to be where I have been living for a year and half.
It feels weird. It does. It always feels weird when I come back to a place where I have been living for a while. I had a life there till December 2007. And now my life is in another country, with other people, other things. So weird. I hope to not get too sad.
The other weird thing is that one of my friend from there is not there now. And he will actually come to visit me in a few weeks. So, I am going there and we are going to meet in France. This is the life of the people like us who move all the time due to their work. It is also kind of nice in some way. You end up having friends everywhere (but not enough time and money to visit them)....
I got to the airport so early today. Because of the general big strike of yesterday, I didn't want to risk anything and so I got to the airport three hours before my flight. Because French, like Italians, are often late, everyone, from the check in person to the ones in charge of the passport control, kept telling me "wow, you are here so early, what are you going to do for three hours?".....well, there is internet and the Larsson book is so good that I have no problems to find something to do for the next hours.
My nose is running. But my throat is better. I guess my flu is going away, hopefully. It is anyway unpleasant to fly when sick....I will survive anyway.....I love to be in airports....I keep imagining where all these people go and why...I build up stories in my mind...Airports make me feel in connection with everywhere in the world. I know it sounds a bit silly.....
PS. the chairs at this airport are so uncomfortable....The best comfortable airport chairs that I tried are at the Schipol airport in Amsterdam.
I know it sounds crazy. It is crazy, probably. Less than a week ago I booked a flight to go to the USA. I am leaving today. In a few hours. The ticket fortunately was not too expensive, otherwise I couldn't have gone. I felt I needed to go there. To visit this friend of mine who is sick (and fortunately now is getting better), to take a break, to eat a lot of bagels, to enjoy a bit New York again, to be where I have been living for a year and half.
It feels weird. It does. It always feels weird when I come back to a place where I have been living for a while. I had a life there till December 2007. And now my life is in another country, with other people, other things. So weird. I hope to not get too sad.
The other weird thing is that one of my friend from there is not there now. And he will actually come to visit me in a few weeks. So, I am going there and we are going to meet in France. This is the life of the people like us who move all the time due to their work. It is also kind of nice in some way. You end up having friends everywhere (but not enough time and money to visit them)....
I got to the airport so early today. Because of the general big strike of yesterday, I didn't want to risk anything and so I got to the airport three hours before my flight. Because French, like Italians, are often late, everyone, from the check in person to the ones in charge of the passport control, kept telling me "wow, you are here so early, what are you going to do for three hours?".....well, there is internet and the Larsson book is so good that I have no problems to find something to do for the next hours.
My nose is running. But my throat is better. I guess my flu is going away, hopefully. It is anyway unpleasant to fly when sick....I will survive anyway.....I love to be in airports....I keep imagining where all these people go and why...I build up stories in my mind...Airports make me feel in connection with everywhere in the world. I know it sounds a bit silly.....
PS. the chairs at this airport are so uncomfortable....The best comfortable airport chairs that I tried are at the Schipol airport in Amsterdam.
Friday, October 24, 2008
my dutch word of the day
France, afternoon
Taking a break and checking my Dutch word of the day. Ok, how can a normal person be able to pronounce this kind of word? it is quite a challenge...this is something I always thought about people speaking these languages with words with 15 and more letters. I mean, if you are able to pronounce this, you are talented in learning new languages!!! and then people wonder why I didn't learn German or Dutch when I lived in Holland and Germany...yeah, why???
Taking a break and checking my Dutch word of the day. Ok, how can a normal person be able to pronounce this kind of word? it is quite a challenge...this is something I always thought about people speaking these languages with words with 15 and more letters. I mean, if you are able to pronounce this, you are talented in learning new languages!!! and then people wonder why I didn't learn German or Dutch when I lived in Holland and Germany...yeah, why???
Onverkwikkelijk
missing New York
France, lunch time
I should work, but what I am doing now is so boring, that blogging is more fun....less productive, but more enjoyable...I am listening to a song of the Voxtrot and every time I listen to one of their songs I can't stop my mind from flying back to their concert in New York last year.
It was one of this last minute organized thing. We went there in four. Small theater, friendly atmosphere. It was nice. The acoustic was not that good, but the atmosphere was great! It was looking like being to a party with great live music. This is one of the things I miss of New York, as well as of Amsterdam. The possibility of finding something great and not too expensive to do at every corner, no matter which day of the week it is.
Of course, of New York I also miss the bagels! It seems that the best bagels are from New Jersey (please correct me if I am wrong, this opinion may be highly biased, since it comes from one person from New Jersey). I don't know enough about bagels to be such a good judge, I just know that I would love to enjoy a bagel dipped in a tall soy latte! Oh....I guess it may be a silly thing to miss about a place...
PS I would like so badly to go to see a Opera soon (here, in New York, Amsterdam, anywhere)...Below a beautiful aria from la Butterfly of Puccini...
I should work, but what I am doing now is so boring, that blogging is more fun....less productive, but more enjoyable...I am listening to a song of the Voxtrot and every time I listen to one of their songs I can't stop my mind from flying back to their concert in New York last year.
It was one of this last minute organized thing. We went there in four. Small theater, friendly atmosphere. It was nice. The acoustic was not that good, but the atmosphere was great! It was looking like being to a party with great live music. This is one of the things I miss of New York, as well as of Amsterdam. The possibility of finding something great and not too expensive to do at every corner, no matter which day of the week it is.
Of course, of New York I also miss the bagels! It seems that the best bagels are from New Jersey (please correct me if I am wrong, this opinion may be highly biased, since it comes from one person from New Jersey). I don't know enough about bagels to be such a good judge, I just know that I would love to enjoy a bagel dipped in a tall soy latte! Oh....I guess it may be a silly thing to miss about a place...
PS I would like so badly to go to see a Opera soon (here, in New York, Amsterdam, anywhere)...Below a beautiful aria from la Butterfly of Puccini...
Saturday, October 11, 2008
ready for the autumn
France, evening
I am ready. I bought a lot of tea bags, lot of vegetables to cook, lot of typical fall food. I am ready for the autumn weather, but it seems that the weather is not ready for it.
Downtown today I saw people dressed like if it is still August and people pretending it was already winter, thus wearing wool stuff. It is still quite warm and it doesn't seem that the autumn started yet. I don't know why, but I am a big fan of the changing of the seasons. I always have problems if I have to live in a place where there are not four well defined seasons. Of course, after two months of cold winter, I dream of living in a place where it is spring all year long. But in the same way, after a few months of rainy and windy fall, I look forward to wear warm clothing and to the "real" winter.
Beside this, in these days I keep thinking about Amsterdam. I always feel that Amsterdam is the right place to be to fully enjoy the autumn days. They have the best dutch apple pie, to which I am addicted. They have really nice, friendly cafe' where to hide when outside it rains too strong and they have a lot of theaters, cinemas and things to do indoor and outdoor, making possible to always find a refuge in case of bad or good weather.
I am not complaining about Montpellier and the nice weather. I am just fully ready for a "real" autumn day!
I am ready. I bought a lot of tea bags, lot of vegetables to cook, lot of typical fall food. I am ready for the autumn weather, but it seems that the weather is not ready for it.
Downtown today I saw people dressed like if it is still August and people pretending it was already winter, thus wearing wool stuff. It is still quite warm and it doesn't seem that the autumn started yet. I don't know why, but I am a big fan of the changing of the seasons. I always have problems if I have to live in a place where there are not four well defined seasons. Of course, after two months of cold winter, I dream of living in a place where it is spring all year long. But in the same way, after a few months of rainy and windy fall, I look forward to wear warm clothing and to the "real" winter.
Beside this, in these days I keep thinking about Amsterdam. I always feel that Amsterdam is the right place to be to fully enjoy the autumn days. They have the best dutch apple pie, to which I am addicted. They have really nice, friendly cafe' where to hide when outside it rains too strong and they have a lot of theaters, cinemas and things to do indoor and outdoor, making possible to always find a refuge in case of bad or good weather.
I am not complaining about Montpellier and the nice weather. I am just fully ready for a "real" autumn day!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Bikini wax around the world
France, evening
I think I am getting sick. I spent yesterday afternoon with a friend of mine and her two kids....sick kids.....I think they passed me whatever they had. Crap.
I went for a bikini wax this evening and I realized one thing. Wherever you go, getting a bikini is a mystical experience. You may know what to ask, but you have no idea what you are going to get and how. I am listening to Innuendo of the Queen and I don't know why but I think it goes well together with the story telling of these mystical experiences.
Let's start from today:
France: total time needed for a bikini wax=10'. Cost=12 euros. Pain=high. Hygiene= 8.
I entered this nice clean room and while I was looking for the disposable underwear that I normally would get in Italy the person in charge of the waxing told me to get undress. Surprised face (mine) "are you going to do the bikini wax with my underwear?" "Of course" (of course, everything happened in French) and she left the room. Ok, trousers removed. I am lying on the bed when she comes back to the room saying "plie'". Now plie' for me is something that they were teaching me at ballet, so it took me a while to realize that in French this is a "real" word meaning to bend the leg. Since she was not happy with the way my legs were bended (next time I will take a few stretching/yoga courses before the bikini wax), she pushed them in a better position. Better to her. In about 1 minute I had a cramp in one of my leg. "No problem, the bikini wax is going to be fast, so you can wait and don't move otherwise you ruin my work". Then she took a couple of kleenexs and made two bows around my underwear. Basically if I would have been without underwear it wouldn't have made too much difference.
All right. I asked a normal bikini wax. I am not sure of what is considered normal here, how a brasilian bikini wax is and how it would be a total bikini wax. I am not sure if she is just a sadist who loves to see people in pain for the waxing. The only thing I know is that I have really little left there now. After all that pain, she didn't put any cream, oil, nothing. She just said "done" and she left.
USA: I just want to tell here about my first experience (after then I found a much better place). Total time: about 15'. Cost=40$+tip. Pain=incredibly high. Hygiene=6. This east European extremely nice woman entered into the room telling me that they didn't have any more disposable underwear and so I can chose if keeping mine or being naked. "Mine is ok". And from then on, she started to tell me the story of her life, how she got to the USA, how unhappy she is with her work, where she has been before and so on for the entire 15'. While she was telling me about her life, she was moving my legs up, down, on the side in a way that it was looking more like she was helping me to do some gym exercise than anything else. I even found myself with my leg at 90 degree from the rest of my body.Once the wax was done, beside the pain, it didn't look like I got a bikini wax at all "You asked for a normal one". She gave me some cream on the supposed waxed areas and she left. For the amount of money I paid, they probably used gold instead of a normal wax.
Holland: this place is Amsterdam is one of the best places I never been. Clean, not too expensive, extremely professional, precise, in one word PERFECT! I just love it. Once I flu from the USA back to Holland just for a couple of days and the first place I went to was this great spa, exactly downtown. Absolutely perfect. (The second place was the best place to go for a Dutch apple pie, but that is another story).
Itlay: also in this case after the first terrifying experience, I found a better place to go. Of course, I am going to write here about this first experience. Time and cost I don't remember. Pain=high. Hygiene=0. Basically, this person was doing everything at her place, in a small room, full of cats. I love cats, nothing to say, but from a first look at the place, it was looking incredibly dirty. I avoided to give a second look. The wax she was using was disposable, but since it was to expensive to throw it away, she was melting it (with the hair of the previous person etc) and using it again. And she was extremely relaxed about it. So relaxed that even with the new customer in the room, she was going to melt the wax of the previous person. I feel my stomach upside down just thinking about it. Bleah.
I think I am getting sick. I spent yesterday afternoon with a friend of mine and her two kids....sick kids.....I think they passed me whatever they had. Crap.
I went for a bikini wax this evening and I realized one thing. Wherever you go, getting a bikini is a mystical experience. You may know what to ask, but you have no idea what you are going to get and how. I am listening to Innuendo of the Queen and I don't know why but I think it goes well together with the story telling of these mystical experiences.
Let's start from today:
France: total time needed for a bikini wax=10'. Cost=12 euros. Pain=high. Hygiene= 8.
I entered this nice clean room and while I was looking for the disposable underwear that I normally would get in Italy the person in charge of the waxing told me to get undress. Surprised face (mine) "are you going to do the bikini wax with my underwear?" "Of course" (of course, everything happened in French) and she left the room. Ok, trousers removed. I am lying on the bed when she comes back to the room saying "plie'". Now plie' for me is something that they were teaching me at ballet, so it took me a while to realize that in French this is a "real" word meaning to bend the leg. Since she was not happy with the way my legs were bended (next time I will take a few stretching/yoga courses before the bikini wax), she pushed them in a better position. Better to her. In about 1 minute I had a cramp in one of my leg. "No problem, the bikini wax is going to be fast, so you can wait and don't move otherwise you ruin my work". Then she took a couple of kleenexs and made two bows around my underwear. Basically if I would have been without underwear it wouldn't have made too much difference.
All right. I asked a normal bikini wax. I am not sure of what is considered normal here, how a brasilian bikini wax is and how it would be a total bikini wax. I am not sure if she is just a sadist who loves to see people in pain for the waxing. The only thing I know is that I have really little left there now. After all that pain, she didn't put any cream, oil, nothing. She just said "done" and she left.
USA: I just want to tell here about my first experience (after then I found a much better place). Total time: about 15'. Cost=40$+tip. Pain=incredibly high. Hygiene=6. This east European extremely nice woman entered into the room telling me that they didn't have any more disposable underwear and so I can chose if keeping mine or being naked. "Mine is ok". And from then on, she started to tell me the story of her life, how she got to the USA, how unhappy she is with her work, where she has been before and so on for the entire 15'. While she was telling me about her life, she was moving my legs up, down, on the side in a way that it was looking more like she was helping me to do some gym exercise than anything else. I even found myself with my leg at 90 degree from the rest of my body.Once the wax was done, beside the pain, it didn't look like I got a bikini wax at all "You asked for a normal one". She gave me some cream on the supposed waxed areas and she left. For the amount of money I paid, they probably used gold instead of a normal wax.
Holland: this place is Amsterdam is one of the best places I never been. Clean, not too expensive, extremely professional, precise, in one word PERFECT! I just love it. Once I flu from the USA back to Holland just for a couple of days and the first place I went to was this great spa, exactly downtown. Absolutely perfect. (The second place was the best place to go for a Dutch apple pie, but that is another story).
Itlay: also in this case after the first terrifying experience, I found a better place to go. Of course, I am going to write here about this first experience. Time and cost I don't remember. Pain=high. Hygiene=0. Basically, this person was doing everything at her place, in a small room, full of cats. I love cats, nothing to say, but from a first look at the place, it was looking incredibly dirty. I avoided to give a second look. The wax she was using was disposable, but since it was to expensive to throw it away, she was melting it (with the hair of the previous person etc) and using it again. And she was extremely relaxed about it. So relaxed that even with the new customer in the room, she was going to melt the wax of the previous person. I feel my stomach upside down just thinking about it. Bleah.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Flatmate part II
Montpellier (France), morning
This morning my flatmate woke me up at 6.45 am because her phone was ringing first and then she started to speak on the phone so laud that it was impossible to keep sleeping. She even went to the toilet with the phone, keeping talking to someone who, I imagine, was not that interested in hearing the toilet flushing and the rest....
Beside this, I forgot yesterday to mention probably the best flatmate I ever had, a Japanese...In Amsterdam, I shared the house with other 3 or 4 people, depending on the time. This guy, arrived and he looked immediately a bit weird, but as I never interacted before with Japanese, I read his behavior as a cultural difference. Basically, he never wanted to adapt to the different time zone compared to Japan and so when we were going to bed, he was awake working, while when we were up going to work, he was sleeping...that, I have to admit, was really good for sharing the common spaces, since he was never there when the rest of the people were there....
One time, he stopped to appear at the time we were going to bed, we didn't hear him, we didn't see his laundry, not hearing him moving....at that point we started to worry if he was just away for a trip or if he was dead in his bed....after a quick consulting with the others, we decided that he was away and to not worry. Something like 5 days later, he appeared from his door, telling us that he was sick and for all that time he spent his days in bed without coming out from his room (which beside was cut just on his size, since it was originally a room for young kids, so extremely small). I guess that when none was at home he may have left his room to go to the bathroom or to drink or eat. But he did that in such a silent way that even the one of us who was always working at home, never heard or saw him.
My current flatmate is again on the phone. I think I am going to put her phone on fire....
This morning my flatmate woke me up at 6.45 am because her phone was ringing first and then she started to speak on the phone so laud that it was impossible to keep sleeping. She even went to the toilet with the phone, keeping talking to someone who, I imagine, was not that interested in hearing the toilet flushing and the rest....
Beside this, I forgot yesterday to mention probably the best flatmate I ever had, a Japanese...In Amsterdam, I shared the house with other 3 or 4 people, depending on the time. This guy, arrived and he looked immediately a bit weird, but as I never interacted before with Japanese, I read his behavior as a cultural difference. Basically, he never wanted to adapt to the different time zone compared to Japan and so when we were going to bed, he was awake working, while when we were up going to work, he was sleeping...that, I have to admit, was really good for sharing the common spaces, since he was never there when the rest of the people were there....
One time, he stopped to appear at the time we were going to bed, we didn't hear him, we didn't see his laundry, not hearing him moving....at that point we started to worry if he was just away for a trip or if he was dead in his bed....after a quick consulting with the others, we decided that he was away and to not worry. Something like 5 days later, he appeared from his door, telling us that he was sick and for all that time he spent his days in bed without coming out from his room (which beside was cut just on his size, since it was originally a room for young kids, so extremely small). I guess that when none was at home he may have left his room to go to the bathroom or to drink or eat. But he did that in such a silent way that even the one of us who was always working at home, never heard or saw him.
My current flatmate is again on the phone. I think I am going to put her phone on fire....
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Biking in Amsterdam
Lucca (Italy), morning
It is my blog's birthday. Not today maybe, but I started it in May last year.
This morning I was thinking about one of my experiences in Amsterdam. I got the feeling, living there, that mainly tourists bike downtown Amsterdam (I mean really downtown, in the core of the city). You can see lot of tourists with the rented bike trying to survive to the tram lines and to the crowd biking around.
I used my bike a lot to move around in Amsterdam, but I normally preferred to walk downtown. I brought my old bike to Amsterdam when I moved there. However, after a few weeks, one day, coming out from work, I found the bike completely destroyed and lot of pieces missing. I then fortunately had the chance to borrow another bike. Another weird bike.....to break instead of using the breaks near the handlebar, I needed to move the pedals back...and then the bike would stop immediately. I have to admit that at first, that mechanism is not so obvious, especially when you bike in the rain and you also have an umbrella to hold. One day, while I was baking back from my pilates course, I biked on a bridge and I saw a Japanese tourist (not really practical with biking) coming right in my direction. I had a bit of speed got it going down to the bridge and to avoid him, my first impulse was to break with the breaks on the handlebar.....unfortunately my bike didn't have them, so I ran straight into that poor Japanese man, who looking really scared started to yell at me something (for sure not nice) in Japanese.
I have to say that after that experience I got much much better with breaking pedaling back.
It is my blog's birthday. Not today maybe, but I started it in May last year.
This morning I was thinking about one of my experiences in Amsterdam. I got the feeling, living there, that mainly tourists bike downtown Amsterdam (I mean really downtown, in the core of the city). You can see lot of tourists with the rented bike trying to survive to the tram lines and to the crowd biking around.
I used my bike a lot to move around in Amsterdam, but I normally preferred to walk downtown. I brought my old bike to Amsterdam when I moved there. However, after a few weeks, one day, coming out from work, I found the bike completely destroyed and lot of pieces missing. I then fortunately had the chance to borrow another bike. Another weird bike.....to break instead of using the breaks near the handlebar, I needed to move the pedals back...and then the bike would stop immediately. I have to admit that at first, that mechanism is not so obvious, especially when you bike in the rain and you also have an umbrella to hold. One day, while I was baking back from my pilates course, I biked on a bridge and I saw a Japanese tourist (not really practical with biking) coming right in my direction. I had a bit of speed got it going down to the bridge and to avoid him, my first impulse was to break with the breaks on the handlebar.....unfortunately my bike didn't have them, so I ran straight into that poor Japanese man, who looking really scared started to yell at me something (for sure not nice) in Japanese.
I have to say that after that experience I got much much better with breaking pedaling back.
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