See More Worlds: Train ride in Italy AND learning lessons about life

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Train ride in Italy AND learning lessons about life

Well, that sure felt like a wasted day.
Or was it, I ask myself.
It ended with two beautiful things....
One, is this sky that greeted me while driving home. So, when I saw THAT I thought, "Hey, someone is trying to tell me something about my wasted day."
THEN....I opened up my mail on the computer and I got the most wonderful message from one of my closes friends, a friend from my past, let's say a friend who is more like family to me.
It was a wonderful short but to the point message and made me feel just great.

These two things, that were extraordinary happened after an incredibly tiring, trying, hot, strange, and even costly (not much, but something) day. And not only that, I have to REPEAT this day in another day or so, doing basically what I did today, without getting any results, but hopefully will get results next time.
Eight hours of my time, down the drain.
This is what I did:
Took the train to Rome. Train riding is not romantic, not on this local train.
Everytime you go through a tunnel, or pass another train, it sounds like (and I was trying to think about what that sound DOES sound like), well, perhaps very metalic drums, or some kind of warehouse with loud machinery, and it goes on and on until the tunnel ends, and then begins with the next tunnel. OR you pass another train which, if you are looking out the window, gives you a good scare, visually it is a shock, and then, listening to it is frightening, not a pleasant sound at all. The windows rattle, and I heard something UNDER the train everytime we went thru a tunnel, I don't know what it was, but it was strange and not a nice sound to hear.
I'm SHARING this day with you, whoever you are, because I need to get it off my chest! I have to repeat the day again, and so perhaps it will lessen my thoughts, take the harshness out of the day, and put some..."every cloud has a silver lining" into it...

WELL...............what happened is that I got on the train. It was a quieter time of day, at 11am so it wasn't too bad. But it was hot and stuffy. No windows were open, and I went around trying to see if there was a restroom open on the train (last time, last week, they had problems!!). Not one of the four toilets was open, and one had a sign "Out of service". I went out of the train and talked to one of the employees...

well, that problem got fixed when one of them came by assuring me that they would be open when the train started. And thus it was. No soap, and not a full role of toilet paper, but they were working (one door didn't shut) but they were, as I said, in order (sort of).

Then......................I felt hot and stuffy. No windows were open, no air conditioning I thought, this is not good for me. So, I went to the next compartment. It was freezing. No, no good for me here either. I asked the train employee what he could do about it, he turned off the air conditioning. For ten minutes. I left that cabin when they turned it back on, back to the hotter one.

Then, the train started to get filled up, and eventually we got to Rome.

To make a long story not too long, I went to get a VISA FOR CHINA. Yes, that is correct. It should have been ready. But surprise surprise, it wasn't! I came all the way to Rome (second time in a week) and it was not ready due to "the system", the Chinese girl told me. She said they would talk to the embassy.

Long story getting longer.....they could NOT do it. I have to return to Rome again.

But actually, the story didn't end here. I looked at my watch, wanting to get out of Rome fast. I had about 40 minutes to get my train.....I started to do POWER WALKING. Really really fast walking, I even walked in the street to avoid people on the sidewalk. I took the right streets but then, after a good 30 some minutes of heavy walking and sweating, I realized that I had better start running to get to the out of the way tracks for my particular train (it is a long long walk from the front of the station to get there). I started to run and run, and then realized I had not gotten my ticket stamped in the machine, if you don't do it you can be fined. I ran in the other direction. I then thought that I was going to kill myself if I continued running, spoke to one of the station employees and he said "Hey you have four minutes, you can probably do it". I continued running, go onto the train, hot, sticky and sweating. I was out of breath. I sat and smiled at the perhaps Pakistanian man in front of me (his daughter probably, spoke on the phone for the next twenty minutes and talked non stop the whole trip) and luckily the train left. If I had been just one minute later, I wouldn't have made it.

So......................are you still with me? And who are you???

IF I hadn't had such an unsuccessful day, probably I wouldn't have realized something that magnificent sky was trying to tell me (about being positive, learning that not everything can go our way) and the words of my dear friend wouldn't have been such a relief after a bad day as they were to me today.

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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

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Train ride in Italy AND learning lessons about life

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