See More Worlds: Foreigners who are forever foreginers

Monday, 15 October 2012

Foreigners who are forever foreginers

Before going to bed I thought that I needed to pour out my thoughts here, on blogland, to who knows who! For myself? For foreigners? For people who understand or perhaps to those who don't...I really don't know!!!
I KNOW that at times I zig-zag back and forth in my art, in my speaking, in what I like to do and perhaps how I do it.
ZIG
ZAG
Back and forth, even from country to country.
I used to love Italy, and I still do....but I am starting to feel that just MAYBE we are a bit too OLD over there! Old and ancient is beautiful indeed! Italy is a gorgeous country, and taking photographs there is something I love to do.
BUT
we are missing some of the newness and the new ways of THINKING that there is here.
New means exciting, and old means, just that. Old, already known, already seen.
Am I zigging and zagging?

I am a foreigner in Italy
I will ALWAYS BE A FOREIGNER!!! NO WAY OF GETTING AWAY FROM THAT!
I am taller blonder, my accent is evident and impossible to lose.
I am different
I think differntly
I am not Italian and never will be.
and this, in a way, is sort of sad.
Because, people want and need to fit in (sort of). You want to feel part of a group (sometimes, perhaps, sort of, etc).
Why????? I really don't know!
I just know that when I am here, like now, I seem to find other people who sort of remind me of myself. More creative, a little wild, more open, and very varied. Lots of people here do lots of things! Women, even of a certain age, are doing loads of interesting things!! And they aren't just cooking and cleaning, this NO!!!

TIME FOR BED. In the middle of all this zigging and zagging and rambling on and on, it is time to go to bed. But that is what dreams are for, to think and discover and resolve all those unnecessary zigging and zagging that we do during the day, things we don't resolve.
Now, what was my question? How to feel less of a foreigner, or how to not zig-zag thru life, from one country to another, from ancient to new, to exciting to boring and what we already know....
I don't know
If you know the answer, write me here. I am all ears.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: Cara,
It's true...you will always be a foreigner in Italy. But you are also a little bit of a foreigner in your homeland too...and what you need to embrace is your desire to bring a bit of Italy to America and a bit of America to Italy. You have become an ambassador to both countries and you are very conscious of showing and sharing the good of each country. I also discovered this as I was spending so much time in Italy...I would constantly compare the lifestyles, the differences and the similarities. I wanted to make sure that the positive aspects from each country made their way into my own way of living...blending a respect of the old and an appreciation for the new. Being a foreigner is not a bad thing...because you strive to represent the best of both worlds.; 20:00

HOW TO SPEAK ITALIAN...in 60 seconds

Cavolo...means cabbage BUT you can use it when you want to say WOW!
Non so. So simple, and it means, I don't know. The word no, is no (easy) AND the word so comes from the verb sapere which is to know. So is used for I.....io so, I know. But in this case it is so simple...forget the I, and just say NON SO. Everyone will know what you mean, that is that you don't know!!
Raffreddore -- it means, a COLD. Like a fever, a cough, like what I feel I may be coming down with right now. If I want to say that I have a cold, I say "Sono raffreddata". That translates that I have (or I am) with a cold. You can also say "Ho un raffreddore" which means, I have a cold. Anyway you look at it, you will have to stay in bed or around the house, until you become....guarito or guarita, which means that you are cured!
IMPEGNATA!!! That is what I have been lately. BUSY! Lots of IMPEGNI (appointments, things to do, tasks, chores, you name it!) Actually I should say IMPEGNATISSIMA....meaning very very busy. And to tell you the truth, that is exactly how I like my life!
Per favore.....it is a nice way of asking someone "please" do this or that, or take one, or asking a favor. BUT you can also use it with hands wide and saying PLEASE!!! Stop it! Don't! Be quiet! It is all in the way you say it, and your body language. PLEASE!!!!!
Lo.......this is used when you have a noun like Spagnolo.....you see, this word means a Spanish man. Lo is used because the word starts with sp and you have to use lo rather than il, probably because it makes it easier to pronounce the two sounds....lo with sp rather than il and then sp lo sp, not il sp......When, on the other hand you need to use plural, that is Spagnoli, you must change the lo to gli and then say gli spagnoli. Oh my, this is difficult even for me. Signing off now, will be back with an easier lesson next time.
If you know Spanish, can it help you to know Italian?? YES!! Do I know Spanish? NO! But when I hear it, I can understand lots of it, and I am SURE it's because I know Italian.
Differente....it is easy to see what it means. But the hard part is the ORDER you put this word in. You don't want to use it like in English BUT to put it after the noun that you are calling different. Like I want a different book. Vorrei un libro differente. See, it is AFTER the noun, that is how you use adjectvies in Italian. And don't forget to say the letter E at the end....different - TAY.

Curiosities of Italian Life

VERY curious indeed, this Italian life. On the OUTSIDE it looks like people have loads of money, buying expensive iphones, cars, clothes and even eating out and spending money here and there. BUT on the inside, we are all having troubles with paying bills, hoping our children find jobs (most want to leave Italy now, lots do anyhow). So, the curious thing is that Italians look like they are having an easy time, but believe me.............
Moods........hmmmmmmm......when I am on facebook, I see the difference of the mood here in Italy and the mood in the States. There is a huge difference. People here are moody, due to the politics, especially. We just don't have the fun-loving thouughts and moods of the people in the States. Of course, I am from there, so I have a pretty happy mood most of the time. But being in the middle of complaining and low moods makes it even harder to stay up. Grrrrrrrrrr!!!
No shopping list. What do I mean? I mean, when you go to the market, you don't always need to have a shopping list....you see what looks fresh, colorful and good, and then buy what excites you. I have often had guests for dinner without really knowing what I am going to make. I see zucchini, or tomatoes, or something else and then the idea comes to me. That's how it is in Italy, the visual gives one the idea of what to do next.
City streets.....why oh why are there so many HOLES in the streets!! They just wrote about them the other day in the paper, and there are hundreds (or thousands, don't remember) of holes of all dimensions all over this city. And that means uncomfortable driving that is for sure!! Bump bump bump! The rain opens them up more and then they get bigger. They fill them up sometimes but not well enough. Another of Italy's problems, beautiful country, but we have a large share of things that need to be improved.
Politics. Read on!! In Italy, no matter what the occasion, dinner parties, tv shows, meeting people on the street, watch out, because politics and talking about them is what is in store!!! People just can't get together without talking politics. It is a BIG part of Italian life. And talking about it often can get you in trouble IF the people you are talking to think differently than you do. If they are of another viewpoint, watch out!! If you ever saw two Italians with differing views, you will know what I mean.
SNOW....will it or won't it snow? If it does, the curious thing about snow in a small town, is that everything just about STOPS all of a sudden. They are very slow in cleaning up the streets, but in a way it is nice because you can go out and walk all over the place without any cars around, and then, it is very very beautiful and quiet. So.....into bed I go and perhaps tomorrow it will SNOW!!

EATING and other things....in Italy

TOMATOES -- it is easy to talk about tomatoes in this country. And easy to eat them. They come is such a variety, the ones for sugo, the ones for salad. Ones you can cut into little pieces, or lay out flat with oregano and oil and vinegar and salt.....They are so good, they get lots of sun, and people love to use them in cooking. If you don't know how to use them, just ask an Italian mamma in the store. She for sure can tell you everything you need to know.
Good parmesan, bad parmesan. You know, here in Italy we have wonderful parmesan. It is really really delicious. I once heard that in the States they take the waxy part of the parmesan and even use that to be ground into the stuff you can buy in a box. If that is true, that is really terrible!!!! It would be like eating candles!
Lemons. Why lemons? Because you can squeeze them in water, add sugar or honey; you can squeeze it on meat or fish or salad, or use them to decorate a plate. You can use the peel for flavor in a cake, or to decorate the top of a dessert. You can even use half to put into the dishwasher and make things come out sweeter. Why lemons you ask???
Wintertime weight gain. Yes. Easy to munch on cookies, or almonds or parmesan!! Or a glass of wine and nuts, or a bruschetta! Hard to take off that one or two kili.....that means taking a walk, and today it is going to rain, so wouldn't it just be easier to stay inside, with a nice glass of hot milk and coffee and a few cookies??
JUst how sweet do you want things? In Italy, sweets are sweet but not as sweet as in England, or the States. A cake may have something on it, but not as gooey and sweet as in other places. Salt, on the other hand, is used more freely here than perhaps in the States. Foods can often be very salty, though very good too. Sugar and salt, each country has their own way of using them.
Honey.....it's the time for honey lately, because it is cold, and in the evening is a good time for camomilla tea, or some other hot drink. I like to use honey, good for the throat, and tastes so good. The hard honey is the best, easier to bend a spoon getting it out, but better for you and more "real" and usually biological, whereas the liquid might just have some sugar in it, or not be quite as natural.
Sweet potatoes. If you love American sweet potatoes, the ones they serve on Thanksgiving, be prepared to NOT find them in Italy. It is very hard to find them (actually I just heard a Chinese market has them) but the ones they have in the normal markets are white on the inside! Sweet but white! Isn't that strange!
RED WINE (vino rosso) goes with meat, and WHITE WINE (vino bianco) goes with fish. But wine is so good in Italy, especially the really good ones, any wine is fine most of the time. Room temperature (reds) and white chilled.
CELERY?? When I was a kid, we ate celery sticks all the time. With salt, without, in the lunchbox, or at home in a glass of cold water. I think I have never been served a piece of celery like this in Italy UNLESS they served it with lots of other vegetables to create a vegetable platter to dip in oil and salt, and that dish is called pinzimonio. (better check my spelling on that one, and I will let you know!)
I am going to cook when I get to L.A. BUT it won't be as good as in Italy (see my last post under curiosities of Italian life). I try the best I can BUT the ingredients just aren't the same. And the cuts of meat are different too.

See More Worlds

Monday, 15 October 2012

Foreigners who are forever foreginers

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