Very much alive
Hello chums and chumettes!
Profuse apologies for my recent absence - I've had my nose to the grindstone for the past couple of weeks, and so have had very little 'Michael' time, let alone time to keep you lot up to date with the crazy, helter skelter life that I've been living.
So much to say, so little time......
Starting in a rough chronological order:
November is traditionally a crappy month for weather here in Italy, the land of the sun. Indeed, for about 2 weeks it rained like dogs and cats, as I believe you Brits and Steve McClaren say. It's a far cry from the tropical autumn/winters I grew up with on the beach in Porty. (No, I'm not drunk, yet, but give me time!) It was really bad, and I even considered buying a pair of wellies. There was a 'mareggiata' (sea storm), and as we're by the seaside, by the sea, we bore the brunt of it. It was quite dramatic really, as the pictures I put here at a later date will attest
There were some pretty butch waves, and the airport was closed because fish were blown onto the runway. Expect British Rail to trot that excuse out anytime soon. There was also a passenger ferry that crashed in the harbour. It listed to about a 40 degree angle, which would have been squeaky bum time for those on board, I imagine. The next day I saw a newspaper billboard that read (roughly): "Disaster! 40 people hurt on ferry!" I was teaching Coastguards at the time, so I have it on good authority that only 6 people were hurt. It's nice to see that the Italian press work to the same rigorously high standards as the British hacks. Max Moseley would be impressed.
In general 'crazy dangerous Italian' news, I have two anecdotes to tell you.
The first is less of an anecdote really, but I hope you don't mind the mild mis-selling of my tale. On the autostrada's (motor ways) here there's a fairly relaxed attitude towards safety and control, and this even extends to regular streets. Apparently, you can only be charged with speeding if the police put out a sign to say that they're in the area looking for said misdemeanour. If they don't put out the sign, you are quite within your rights as an Italian to scoff at him and flounce off. Call me a traditionalist old fuddy-duddy if you will, but I always thought that if you drove faster than the sign showing the speed limit, you automatically broke the law?! It kind of makes a mockery of the whole 'speed limit' idea, don't you think?
My second tale of wanton disregard for personal safety goes thusly: Some excellent students of mine (take note any students who read this - all these guys passed their final exam) took me out for a rather flashy meal. The meal was in Aranzano, who for the fleet of mind/stockers may remember that I went their and burned in July. The meal was very good, but on the way the guy driving pulled over into a petrol station to light his pipe. We had driven for miles, but he thought this would be the safest place to light up. You may find it hard to believe having read this latest bout of verbal diarrhoea, but words eluded me.
I'm seriously up in the karma stakes, as the other day a guy was walking ahead of me in the street and he dropped a veritable wedge of notes. I picked them up and gave them back. He looked very grateful. I think they were his anyway. I now feel as if I can openly curse people, cross roads without looking and drive on the autostrada's without fear of retribution from the karma police. Only time will tell.....
I've also been paid, so to celebrate, I went out and bought some stuff. A Genoa scarf (nice), a flat cap (respectable old gent), and a jacket. It looks a little like a coat I have at home, but this one has a pretty red inlining, and needless to say was more expensive. Excellent.
Lastly, one more insight into the enlightened mind of Italian's. I was watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, and they asked the question: "Which invention, invented in the 1950's, has given women a lot of pleasure?" A: Curling irons for hair. B: Disposable nappies. C: Foldable prams. D: Electric steam iron.
To my neolithic brain, none of these seem to be pleasurable inventions. But, Italian's know best, and even if they don't, during the ensing conversation they will shout louder than you until you accept defeat.
Sorry to any Italian's that read this.
Until next time my amigos
Ciao ciao
Profuse apologies for my recent absence - I've had my nose to the grindstone for the past couple of weeks, and so have had very little 'Michael' time, let alone time to keep you lot up to date with the crazy, helter skelter life that I've been living.
So much to say, so little time......
Starting in a rough chronological order:
November is traditionally a crappy month for weather here in Italy, the land of the sun. Indeed, for about 2 weeks it rained like dogs and cats, as I believe you Brits and Steve McClaren say. It's a far cry from the tropical autumn/winters I grew up with on the beach in Porty. (No, I'm not drunk, yet, but give me time!) It was really bad, and I even considered buying a pair of wellies. There was a 'mareggiata' (sea storm), and as we're by the seaside, by the sea, we bore the brunt of it. It was quite dramatic really, as the pictures I put here at a later date will attest
There were some pretty butch waves, and the airport was closed because fish were blown onto the runway. Expect British Rail to trot that excuse out anytime soon. There was also a passenger ferry that crashed in the harbour. It listed to about a 40 degree angle, which would have been squeaky bum time for those on board, I imagine. The next day I saw a newspaper billboard that read (roughly): "Disaster! 40 people hurt on ferry!" I was teaching Coastguards at the time, so I have it on good authority that only 6 people were hurt. It's nice to see that the Italian press work to the same rigorously high standards as the British hacks. Max Moseley would be impressed.
In general 'crazy dangerous Italian' news, I have two anecdotes to tell you.
The first is less of an anecdote really, but I hope you don't mind the mild mis-selling of my tale. On the autostrada's (motor ways) here there's a fairly relaxed attitude towards safety and control, and this even extends to regular streets. Apparently, you can only be charged with speeding if the police put out a sign to say that they're in the area looking for said misdemeanour. If they don't put out the sign, you are quite within your rights as an Italian to scoff at him and flounce off. Call me a traditionalist old fuddy-duddy if you will, but I always thought that if you drove faster than the sign showing the speed limit, you automatically broke the law?! It kind of makes a mockery of the whole 'speed limit' idea, don't you think?
My second tale of wanton disregard for personal safety goes thusly: Some excellent students of mine (take note any students who read this - all these guys passed their final exam) took me out for a rather flashy meal. The meal was in Aranzano, who for the fleet of mind/stockers may remember that I went their and burned in July. The meal was very good, but on the way the guy driving pulled over into a petrol station to light his pipe. We had driven for miles, but he thought this would be the safest place to light up. You may find it hard to believe having read this latest bout of verbal diarrhoea, but words eluded me.
I'm seriously up in the karma stakes, as the other day a guy was walking ahead of me in the street and he dropped a veritable wedge of notes. I picked them up and gave them back. He looked very grateful. I think they were his anyway. I now feel as if I can openly curse people, cross roads without looking and drive on the autostrada's without fear of retribution from the karma police. Only time will tell.....
I've also been paid, so to celebrate, I went out and bought some stuff. A Genoa scarf (nice), a flat cap (respectable old gent), and a jacket. It looks a little like a coat I have at home, but this one has a pretty red inlining, and needless to say was more expensive. Excellent.
Lastly, one more insight into the enlightened mind of Italian's. I was watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, and they asked the question: "Which invention, invented in the 1950's, has given women a lot of pleasure?" A: Curling irons for hair. B: Disposable nappies. C: Foldable prams. D: Electric steam iron.
To my neolithic brain, none of these seem to be pleasurable inventions. But, Italian's know best, and even if they don't, during the ensing conversation they will shout louder than you until you accept defeat.
Sorry to any Italian's that read this.
Until next time my amigos
Ciao ciao
posted by michael | 09:03
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home