Coronavirus and health precautions from daughter in China

The following was just sent to me from my daughter who lives in Beijing China.

This bulletin, in both Chinese and English, is displayed all over China in

public places and advises the public how to help prevent contracting the virus

through simple rules of good health and hygiene.  It was published in mid January, 2020.

“Public Prevention of Pneumonia Caused by Novel Coronavirus”

The pneumonia caused by novel coronavirus is a newly-found disease

 from which the public should strengthen prevention in order to help

 foreigners understand and master the relevant knowledge of prevention. 

National Immigration Administration has compiled and translated this

 guide according to the Public Prevention Notes provided by the Chinese

 Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

      1. Reduce outdoor activities as much as possible.

   1.    Avoid visiting areas where the disease is prevalent

   2.   It is recommended to make less visits to relatives and friends and dining together during    the epidemic prevention and control, and stay at home as much as possible.

   3.    Try to avoid visits to crowded public areas, especially plaes of poor ventilation, such as public bathrooms. Hot springs, cinemas, internet bars, karaokes, shopping malls, bus/train stations, airports, ferry terminals and exhibition centers, etc.

2.  Personal Protection and Hand Hygiene

1.    It is recomended that a mask shall be worn when going out. A surgical or N95 mask shall be worn when visiting public areas, hospitals or taking public transportation.

2.    Keep your hands sanitized. Try to avoid touching public objects and parts in public areas. After returning from public areas, covering your cough, using the restroom, and before meals, please wash your hands with soap or liquid soap under running water, or use alcoholic hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes when you are unsure whether your hands are clean or not. Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow when sneezing or coughing.

             3. Health Monitoring and Seeking Medical Attention

1.                   1. Monitor the health conditions of your family members and yourself. Measure your      t 

                     temperatures when you feel like you have a fever. If you have a child at home

 t                    touch his forehead in the morning and at night. Measure his temperature in case of fever.

2.                 2. Wear a mask and seek medical attention at nearby hospitals in case of suspicious                                  symptoms. Go to medical institution in a timely manner in case of suspicious symptoms

s                   lating to pneumonia caused by novel coronavirus are found. Such symptoms 

i                   include fever, cough, pharyngalgia, chest distress, dyspnea, mildly poor appetite, 

f                   feebleness, mild lethargy,  nausea, diarrhea, headache, palpitation, conjunctivitis, mildly

                   sore limbs or back muscles, etc. Try to avoid taking metro, bus and other public

 t                 transportation and visiting crowded areas. Tell the doctor your travel and   residence

                    history in epidemic areas, and whom you met after you got the disease. Cooperate

                    with your doctor on the relevant queries.

           4D Keep Good Hygiene and Health Habits

           1.  Frequently open the windows of your house for better ventilation.

2.  Do not share towels with your family members. Keep your home and table clean. Sun-dry your clothes and quilts often.

3.   Do not spit. Wrap your oral and nasal secretion with tissue and throw it in the covered dustbin.

4.   Balance your nutrition and exercise moderately.

5. Do not touch, buy or eat wild animals (game). Try to avoid visiting markets that sell live animals.

CORONAVIRUS - thoughts from American in Italy

WHERE you are born and HOW you are brought up, may be a factor whether you live or die in this new situation. This thought came to mind when just now I was thinking about New Zealand, because one of my daughters is now there. We were there long ago, and to tell you the truth, after several weeks there I was sometimes missing the confusion and the imperfection of Italy! Everything is so well organized, and people are so polite and things work beautifully. In a place like that, I am almost sure that they will be able to get people to STAY AT HOME and not to socialize even if their don't force people to do so.
Here in Italy there is just too much "I don't care" as a common attitude. Just the fact that people cut into line, or throw paper out of the windows, or get rid of their dogs thinking others will pick them up and take them home, THESE ATTITUDES are now being shown here. And not only here in Italy. I do believe that where people are very free, and if those free people are also egotistic, then we and they have a HUGE PROBLEM THAT COULD COST THEM THEIR OWN LIFE AND THOSE OF OTHERS.
How does that work? For those who don't know, I will tell you (remember I AM NO EXPERT, JUST AN AMERICAN LIVING IN ITALY).
1. You go to a party
2. At the party someone has no symptoms but they have the virus
3. You speak with that person, you are close to them. You get these microscopic droplets into your system.
4. You go home and for the next two weeks you feel fine. You have NO SYMPTOMS. BUT....who knows how many people you have infected!! You would not even be able to keep count!
5. Let's say one of these people, like one of your parents get this virus from you. They end up in the hospital. Now, YOU HAVE TO ISOLATE YOURSELF, ALONE LIKE A DOG AND.....
GET IN TOUCH WITH EVERYBODY ELSE THAT YOU WERE WITH DURING THAT TIME.. At their homes, at the office, at the bank, in a bar, at a gym, at the market, at a party, at a concert, on the bus, on the metro, on the sidewalk waiting for a film, in the movies, at a coffee shop, at the post office, at your relative's house, at an old-age home, and the list goes on. YOU HAVE INFECTED ALL OF THESE PEOPLE!!! YES YOU!!

IF you are lucky enough to understand that you don't have to be born in a Comunist country where there are enforced laws and if you don't follow them you could be in deep trouble, then maybe you will be able to understand the above. YOUR ACTIONS, AND YOUR CHILDREN'S ACTIONS, COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!
And what about on the beach? We are seeing this NOW, TODAY, IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD. IS THAT OK? READ UP ABOUT IT!!!!!|!! IT IS NOT OK!
You put on sunscreen and another person uses the bottle, touches their face and eyes and mouth, and they have the virus from someone who didn't know they were contagious. This bottle and germs is being passed around, or drinks are being shared, cellphones and selfies. Towels, icecream, and holding hands and kisses. All these things now, yes, have to stop. IT IS NOT THE TIME!!!! READ UP ABOUT IT! PEOPLE ARE D Y I N G.
AND THEY ARE NOT ALL OLD!!!
For some reason, probably also because they are so busy filling up hospitals and trying to save lives, are not telling us exactly the number of people who are young and dying. They are there.
We see plenty of posts about people online. Check it out, do your homework.
And shopping??? Once every two weeks for us is enough. We have a medium fridge, but those American fridges can hold enough for more than a month, or maybe two. If you don't have a lemon, or whatever, be without. It may cose you your life to go out! CHECK THE FACTS, AND CHECK THE SCIENTISTS.
Getting back to my beginning theme, about where one is born, I do think, some countries are more respectful of rules and regulations. Maybe lots of Americans are used to having police around, and lists of rules posted in gyms, schools, doctor offices. But, it has more to do with all sorts of things, and the big one is respect, RESPECT. Right now, RESPECT is going to save you, and me, and everyone. Hospitals are filling up so fast that they can't take everyone who needs them. They will fill up less if people do what the doctors are asking them to do, STAY AT HOME and this way less people will be contaged with the virus. IT IS SO SIMPLE, PLEASE, TRY TO UNDERSTAND!!

American in Italy and Coronavirus -- The Elderly

Coronavirus? The elderly? 

I am not an expert.  Just a normal American woman who has been living in Italy since 1974. And I also have a daughter in China, so I am lucky to receive information and  guidance and experience of this daughter who has learned a lot having lived through this virus directly in China. 

Where I live in Perugia it is a small city, so it is easy to hear directly of people's experiences. The number of contagious people in Italy is very high. We all know someone who works in the medical field here, so information is constantly getting to us.

From afar, I am seeing and hearing things that are being said and shared by Americans. I am disgusted with calling the virus the Chinese Virus (this, thanks to you know who!!). There are various ideas about whether the virus actually did come from China or not, which you can find on the web.

And I am also angered at the hostility against Chinese or Asians in general in the USA. It also has happened here, and is dreadful.

Today a friend just wrote asking me if it is true that "Italy is not caring for the elderly if they contract the virus". I looked it up on SNOPES to get the truth. Snopes searches the truth about current affairs mostly, and you can count on their research and opinions. 

As I had known basically, there are mixed answers on this question about the elderly. Definitely it is not that Italy doesn't care for the elderly, but just like in any other country who is not ready for the amount of people who are constantly being taken in ambulances to the hospitals, if they don't have enough machinery, enough of the machines that aid with respiratory difficulty, then at that point, if the hospitals are overcrowded and a decision must be made about who gets the machine and who doesn't, the choice will go to the person who has the most possibility of surviving.

Harsh, but true. AND THAT IS WHY ALSO, RIGHT NOW IT IS IMPERATIVE TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES AND TO STAY IN GOOD HEALTH.
 Italy is not the only country with a lack of these important machines. Also now we will see if the USA will be prepared to care for the amount of people that most likely will come down with the virus.

Another truth is that visitors are not able to come and visit very ill relatives because this virus is way too contagious. This means, now is the time to stop being with people, and if you have to be, a mask and a very good distance between the two of you. 

 Here is an EXCEPTIONAL list of what happened here in Italy, step by step worth the read: 

https://www.boredpanda.com/coronavirus-outbreak-stages-italy-jason-yanowitz/?fbclid=IwAR3sE81x230zHSJeQq8GHu4TbKyynLYCwrudkqwQzZrypy_zqqnZcfpHGhc&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic

Remember.....

CHECK OUT THE EXPERTS

DON'T SHARE POSTS OR INFORMATION BEFORE CHECKING IT

USE COMMON SENSE

AND STAY IN, START SOCIAL DISTANCING

THIS VIRUS IS NO JOKE....

It may seem like something to joke about in the beginning, I think we all went

 through this period, not knowing much, not believing it was true, and taking 

it as if it was an impossibility. I just heard this morning of an island in Hawaii 

shutting down almost everything. Now in New Zealand they are not permitting

 any more foreigners into their country. And in the States, people are believing 

this is not hitting them? And to not take things seriously??

Coronavirus -- Some Viewpoints from American mother in Italy, daughter in China

It has been a while since I have written here. I feel it is my duty to do so now.
Being an American who has lived in Italy for 45 years, and having a daughter who has been in Beijing, China  for five years, definitely our latest experience of the Coronavirus has changed our phonecall conversations, and has definitely made it more useful for me to talk with my daughter more often.
She gives me excellent advice, and I listen.
I thought I would share some of it here with you now.

She tells me to be very careful in some situations that we do not especially hear about now in Italy. Let's say, these hints are more specific, and can be easy to do and useful.

One things my daughter suggested is to avoid elevators. She suggests using a mask whenever you are in places where people might be, and now, crowds should be totally avoided as we have been doing here in Italy for weeks. But, today she mentioned this. When one walks into a building, where you must go into someone's home (for example, going to visit your mother or relative who you are assisting), immediately before getting into the building, you should put a mask on. Once in the apartment of the building you can take it off.
The reason for this is that you don't know who was in that building a few minutes before you, perhaps someone sneezed or coughed. The virus is not totally known, and extremely contagious. So, this extra precaution is useful.

Another interesting concept is that fruit and veggies, when possible, should be cooked as a preference.
IF you eat them raw, she suggested to peel them with ONE knife, and then when you are eating, use ANOTHER knife, not the same one. In Italy we shop and chose our produce with a plastic glove supplied by the store. But, if you chose and pick, and people are doing the same, this sounds like a logical idea to me.

You don't want to just bite into an apple in these times. Best to peel fruit. Here in Italy I know that sometimes people have the habit of washing their fruit first, and then peeling. But apples and pears are always peeled.

My daughter also told me that at her last apartment they had a large sign with rules to work by, during these times. If a person worked alone, they were told what kind of rules to go by. If they worked with others, there were other things to respect. It is extremely organized in China, and people do go by the rules.

Speaking of rules, it is so necessary now to isolate, and not to socialize. You just do not know for sure who might have this virus, even without having symptoms. That is the tricky part.

It might be interesting to see what the radio station CRI (China Radio International) has to say and what they post, also regarding rules to follow during this time. This is the Italian link. Definitely all other languages exist also, just Google them. I remember seeing an excellent video made by the Chinese regarding hand washing, but I am sure they have many others.

A smart thing, I believe, is to take the experiences of who has or is going through this before you. Read the experts, I am not one, but being here in Italy I have had a few days more experience than friends in the States. And I listen to my daughter who had even more experience, being in China.

As time goes on, each day passes, our worlds are getting smaller and smaller, we are more limited each day with what we can do outside of our four walls. Actually, lots of good is coming from this, along with the inconveniences. Look for the good, it exists, even in this situation.

Good luck and stay safe!!

In China with my daughter

Here's the Chinese Radio link
http://italian.cri.cn/

Wine in China, Sex Toys, and TV!!

So.............
on television in Italy last night I turned on a program about wine in China.

I am always interested in programs regarding CHINA after many trips there and family who are connected to that country for work.

Two elegant sommelier (a lovely Chinese woman, and an Italian man) were  tasting and discussing what kinds of wine sold well in China.

The SURPRISE came (shall I say SHOCK) when they ran a short video of a very wealthy businessman in China who bragged about how much he paid for various bottles of prized wine. One of his bottles is worth 50,000 dollars (!) 

After showing this man surrounded by bottles, there was another surprise ...a  machine transporting what I first believed to be bottles (??....they were awfully thin for bottles, they were a bit curved to be bottles....)

His statement:

"I make SEX TOYS" "I used to like sex....

but now I like wine, one changes."

NOW................RAI UNO, 
Are you trying to tell me that you didn't know what was on that film?
Is money more important than a bit of class? (stupid question)

And....Mr. Wealthy Chinese Businessman....are pictures of your sex toys on an elegant film about wine, especially for Italy, supposed to help sales? (I would imagine so...otherwise, what was he trying to show that he is culturally an "all-around success in all fields"?)

The HILARIOUS thing was that immediately

 after this film, the people in the studio

 (the show host and his two guests)

 just casually continued talking

 ONLY ABOUT WINE....

and not a word about SEX! 

I took this short video while watching the program....not having the faintest idea of what the ending was going to present. Here goes.......................CLICK ON THIS TITLE  FOR A SHORT VIDEO 

China, Wine, Sex Toys

THE OTHER SIDE - online on Eventi e sagre in Italia

Eventi e sagre in Italia

Announcement of my upcoming personal exhibition in Italy. Click on above link for information. 

2 X's in the sky

If you look up and see something like this,
is these any thought in your mind to try to figure out what it is?
I have been looking up for months now, and what I see isn't anything like it used to be.
We didn't have lines and streaks in our skies, and the weather wasn't as horrible as it has been.
So I do a bit of research.
It isn't difficult.
Look in the sky, if you have the feeling that things are not ok, that things are different, it isn't difficult to find information on the net about what you are seeing.  It may be worth it to find out, for you, for your family, for the world.

This is the new "normal"? Our poor skies in Italy. Our skies in Perugia.

Is this the new "normal" sky?

No words are necessary.

Beautiful day in the Italian countryside except for the sky

l

 Most people will say that lines in the sky are normal air traffic

 And they will say that this triangular shape is a normal cloud

 But it doesn't take much to think about how things were years ago

 Our skies were different, weren't they? Can you remember?

Our changing skies in Italy

This morning our skies in Perugia Italy were covered with lines from one side of the sky to the other. There were "X's", there were parellel lines, there were lines above and below clouds.
Later in the day this is the sky we had.

We have some problems here in Italy.....here is one of them

We have loads of problems in this beautiful country of ours, Italy, where I have been for over 40 years, yes!!!
DIFFERENT is often looked at poorly. Tradition is more reassuring, things and people who are different are not always looked at as positive or as a good thing.

I dreamed up this silly photoshoped llama, to get people's attention for this message so here goes....
In Italian it says to appreciate those who are different, because if you laugh and don't like who is different it is offensive. Easy!! Also it says to invite a llama to dinner, which I think might be a good start in showing that you are open to new things, and new people and animals too!!

Is Life in Italy Better??

Well.....WELL!!!
Feeling quite well in Italy, where I have lived for a long long time.
Grew up in Los Angeles, but have spent most of my life here, in Perugia, Italy.

Now I have an interesting reflection to make. Something about the lifestyle here in Italy.
I used to often compare the USA to Italy. I would go there and think about life here. I would be there and dream about life here. I would be here and go there and get confused about where I was on the first night of waking up.

Now, after a trip to L.A. I am back and enjoying it much more than I had (back here in Italy). I see many more of the good points.
Let me tell you about a simple morning, and how easy it was to get things done, compared to what I had recently experienced in L.A.

One morning I had to make several calls to speak with a medical center here. It was easy...made the call, they passed me to the right office, then I talked to a person who gave me information. There were no numbers to push, just immediately I got the right people to speak for. Then I got out of the house and immediately booked an appointment. Really fast and easy. In a few minutes then, I was able to send two letters (had stamps put on fast and easy in a short line) and also put credit on a cellphone. In a matter of fifteen minutes I got all these things done. Then, right next door, I was able to buy a package of carrots, in just a matter of a minute or two.

Boy, that was fast!!! No lines, no parking to deal with, everything nice and easy and right in the neighborhood.

Not like in L.A. with those huge streets, long lines, everything was just waiting for me, and everything was fast fast fast...and very efficient.

So, when I think that in the States everything works better, actually in a small town, where things are closer, lots of times things go really well here. And now, I appreciate it even more.

One of the best things about Italy: FOOD

Hello after a long time. I have been busy. I have been reflecting. I have been away and now I am back.
Happy to be back too.
In a week's time, after five weeks in Los Angeles, I realize that one of the most beautiful things about Italy is so apparent, that perhaps I hadn't thought about it as much as I am doing presently. That thing is

                                     FOOD
Since back I have had the enormous pleasure to receive the most delightful FOOD gifts from people. And that reminds me just how nice this part of Italian culture is.

First I was given some wonderful persimmons, they had been collected from trees out in my friend's yard. They sat around the house for several days, on a tray in the kitchen and now we are enjoying eating them, delicious and easy to eat, with just one small seed in the middle. I was also given by this friend some fresh cabbage which I used in making Chinese food one day and a salad the next.

The day after another friend gave me some oranges which he had received as a gift, and some tangerines.

Just yesterday we had guests for the day, and they brought an amazing array of delicious, typical Italian foods prepared by themselves. First, some wine, one bottle that we were told we will have to open it about 12 hours beforehand since it is old, and to pour it very slowly. The other bottles are other wines they produce. The most important gift, they told us, is their own olive oil. We will use it in special ways, by pouring it on toasted bread, or using it sparingly in other ways. Also, two jars of homemade jam -- one made of blackberries picked in the countryside, and another very special one, chestnut spread!  Also, they just "threw" in two finocchi (anise) and some long porri, how do you say that in English....the long leeks! What an array of wonderful things!

And with all this food-giving that goes on here, also a lot more cooking goes on than it does in Los Angeles. I was inspired to make a vegetable "sformato" to take to a little music and food party this evening, in three different flavors. I separated with vegetables with aluminum foil and once they were all sauteed, I poured an egg and parmesan mixture on top, and into the oven. Now they are cut and put onto a tray to take.

Italy has its problems (a true understatement) but the food does save us here, and it is always a pleasure to eat things that people grow in their gardens or prepare by hand.

Speaking English and avoiding the police

Yesterday the oddest occurence happened while driving home. I was pulled over by the police and was asked for my documents.

(Policeman) "Hello, may I see your documents?"
(Me, smiling and surprised) "Of course"
(mind you, this conversation was in Perugia, Italy, and I was speaking in Italian)
(Policeman)"No, that's ok. You can go."
(Me) "Really? Why is that?"
(Policeman)"Are you English? American? We only want to give tickets to whoever deserves them."
(Me)"I'm American, but have spent forty years being asked if I am foreign. It's very hard to fit into a city where every day they ask you if you are from somewhere else."
(Policeman) "Well, the accent, it's easy to hear that you are from England or America. It's nice!"
(Me)"Well, yes, I guess so. Anyhow I'm happy to not get a ticket, another one today. We just received one in the mail for having gone up a street in the center in the wrong moment."

So strange. And a good reason to be a foreigner I guess.

Olives and olive oil in Italy

How is olive oil made?
Well, first you need to have lots of olive trees.
Then the olives are taken off them, usually dropping them onto a plastic cloth like here in this picture. They are gathered, put into pails or wooden or plastic boxes and then taken to where they process them into oil
These were gathered in our yard, here in Perugia Italy.

Crocevia internazionale, Le istituzioni culturali e la Cina

Yesterday at the elegant and beautiful Posta dei Donini in San Martino in Campo (Perugia) there was a conference  which dealt with the relationship that China has with Italy, both in the  educational field and in the cultural field. After an hour and a half of various speeches, there was a lovely buffet served.

At the head table were prominent people in various fields of interest dealing with education and culture,  and two men from China, one a professor from China and another  from the Chinese Embassy in Rome.

 A very interesting late afternoon, with speeches from each of the following guests:

Franco Moriconi (Preside della Facoltà di Veterinaria dell'Università di Perugia)
Corrado Clini (Direttore Generale dei Minestero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare)
Yin Jun (Addetto Scientifico dell'Ambasciata Cinese a Roma)
Li Ziwen (Jiling University of Chanchung)
Antonio Bellini (Presidente del Conservatorio di Musica "Francesco Morlacchi)
Gianfranco Di Luzio (Generale Comandante della Scuola Lingue Estere dell'Esercito)
Giovanni Paciullo (Rettore dell'Università per Stranieri di Perugia)
Mario Rampini (Presidente dell'Accademia di Belle Arti Pietro Vannucci)
Moderatore, Corrado Attili

Being interested personally in China, due to my daughter who studies Chinese, and our stay in China years ago, and also to the fact that I have displayed my Chinese photographs here in Italy (and presently have a show in the town of Bettona, "Incontri ravviCINAti"), I went to personally speak to the two kind men from China, Yin Jun and Li Ziwen, who were sitting at another table.

I took this occasion to have my photograph taken with them, which was quite an honor.

Yin Jun, and on the right, Li Ziwen.

Un Petalo Rosa per Non Dimenticare

http://unpetalorosa.altervista.org/joomla/artisti/stephanie-seymour

Here's the link for my page in a group I am partecipating in, with in a collective exhibition. The paintings, sculptures or poetry will be dedicated to various women and girls who have been killed by violence. The title of the show, in English is "A Pink Petal....to not Forget".
It has been different for me, interesting and emotionally moving, to be working on a piece dedicated to someone who has been murdered. It is impossible to not let the thought out of my head while painting.

Salviamo Perugia!

Walking to the parking lot below University for Foreigners, this was the protest going on, against drugs in our once quiet and safe town, Perugia. Salviamo Perugia, "Let's save Perugia".

This is the plaza right in front of the University for Foreigners, where I too went to school.

A large turnout

These are signs in front of the University. 

Dancing in my neighborhood

I did something I hadn't done in a long time last night, I danced at one of the "sagra's" (food, music, all outdoors in a park) of the city of Perugia. It had been a long long time, and it was really fun.

First though, I enjoyed watching all the people dance. They surprised me, because they weren't smiling!
Men and women of all ages (but mostly in the 60's or 70's) were dressed casually, and were dancing to slow, medium and even faster kinds of music, moving to the beat of the music, swaying, walzing around, and putting on a very enjoyable end of summer entertainment, for all to watch.

At first we were far enough away to watch the whole dance floor, you could see different couples waltzing by, and watch the group as a whole. Every so often some of the couples would do a line dance. At times it looked a bit silly, seeing men of all shapes and sizes kicking out their legs, shaking their arms around, and spinning, while women in front of them did the same movements.

There were tight white pants on women, print billowy pants on one of the women, military printed shorts on a man, very high heels on several of the women. But also tennis shoes, sandals, a striped skirt, very tight shirts on women and men alike, as well as women with heavy make-up, some very simply dressed men and women, women dancing together and one funny man who danced alone, doing a final pose at the end of some numbers, going down to the ground, and putting one fist into the air like John Travolta.

It was so enjoyable, but I knew I wanted to get up close to see the expressions on people's faces.
We moved in closer, sitting at a table to see the people's faces as they swung around on the dance floor.
It was a treat! And I saw that people actually did start to smile and sometimes laugh when the faster dances, such as a polka began.

At one point (I was dying to dance and my husband is not a dancer) a short balding man asked me to dance. We danced, I tried my best to follow, and did ok, I think. It was fun. I sat down and a good looking tall man asked me to dance immediately after that. My husband, and relatives who showed up minutes before, watched me as I spun around on the floor, asking the poor man if I was doing alright. The longer I danced, the less sure I felt that my feet were doing the right thing. I think probably he was happy to change partners after that.

In the middle of this crisis I looked at the sky

We get so down. People are so out of it lately. Discouraged, depressed, just sort of different.
They have lost their "umph". That's a thought that I often have, living in Italy, comparing the fun-loving attitude that I often feel when in the States. Living in Europe is different. It's an old continent, we are surrounded by old buildings, old monuments, and gorgeous scenery, right out our windows, and definitely all around our towns, often hilltowns like where I live, in Perugia.

Today I walked away from the center of town, all the way down the beautiful stairs leading up to Porta Sole, which is on an amazing top of a hill in Perugia.

I was struck with awe. I stopped. I looked, and I couldn't believe what I saw. Strangely enough, I felt the same way when I looked at this view just two days ago. It is so so beautiful, it just stops one automatically, just to stare at the beauty: the blue blue sky, the rolling hills that never end, the tops of old buildings and houses, and church towers, that in the last part of the day, are bathed in a golden glow. The clouds decorate the sky, here and there, and in the background, creating a masterpiece, more than 180° of beauty, as if it was all from a master's painting.

And there I was, again, just stopped in my tracks. Looking at the sky, and the hills, and the buildings and the colors and the light caressing rooftops, brightening hilltops. Once again I realized why this place is so beautiful, overwhelmingly so.

It is a gift. When one is down, you just have to look up. You have to appreciate all this "free" beauty, it is right there to be appreciated. Don't forget to look. Nature is there for us all.