Mediterranean sea bass in a day of anguish!

Mediterranean sea bass in a day of anguish!
Originally uploaded by margiana.

This morning I woke up with anguish in my heart. I had bad dreams in the last 2 nights... would say better NIGHTMARE. I am touched by what is happening in Myanmar and for other things touching our family... Moreover I still don't feel at my 100% and feel weak by the antibiotics cure.
Today I work at the so called 'central shift' which means I start working at 1pm until 9. I hate this shift. It takes me the whole day.
I decided to indulge in bed until 9. After the morning cleaning I went in the kitchen to prepare my infusion of blackcurrant, ginseng and vanilla and put the boiler on fire...
After that I was taken by a superior strenght, wear the apron on and started cutting vegetables...
I didn't mean to cook... not at 10 in the morning... I didn't want to but... something mastered my gestures. Now I can see I cooked a minestrone (vegetable soup) that I also processed in the food processor... and then I prepared, and is now cooking, the sea bass I bought last night!
Now I feel relaxed! But still anguished by this weird event.
The good thing is that, even if my house smells food at 11 in the morning, I have my lunch and dinner prepared and also the veggy soup for Andrea's dinner.
Gotta seat down and read a romance...but I will read Internazionale instead which will make me thing of a lot more other things!

Myanmar Forces Fire on Protesters

"In support of our incredibly brave friends in Burma:

may all people around the world wear a red shirt on Friday,

September 28.

Please forward!"

Lonely dog over a blue sea...

Lonely dog over a blue sea...
Originally uploaded by margiana.

I have been sick for almost a week now and I am not completely ok.. but I will go to work on Thursday, if not I will also upload the pictures of the Mexican trip!
I am aware I don't have the ability to be concise but I couldn't help to upload so many pictures. And this is the same period of the year in which our honeymoon took place and I wish I could be there instead of at home with different parts of my body aching.

I should also clean my garden and prepare it for the winter but I like it when fall steps slowly in it and leave it naturally shabby!

I am reading a lot and I am joining some politics lately. Here in Italy the Government is really a complicated and polluted field! And I am a very environment oriented girl who'd love to CLEAN it out. Not sure we'll be able to do it but at least we can try.
I have project to complete and aim to reach... I only hope I could have more time to dedicate to the things I really care for.
But I only need to be more energetic and to organize my time:-) I can do it!

September

Greek lunch
Originally uploaded by margiana.

... I find myself in a perfect September mood. I am sick at home with my throat on fire... but am slowly recovering.
I have more time to read and to listen to the music and my thoughts fly away. That is how I end up filling to-do-lists and aims to reach!
Am I ready for the leaves to fall? Ready for the changing colours? Ready for the rain and the cold?
Wish I was in this small restaurant in a far away lonely beach of Santorini, to taste the simplicity of an home made greek meal!

Hands

Hands
Originally uploaded by margiana.

I haven't been able to write on the blog lately... had a lack of inspiration or...worse... a lack of 'sharing-feeling'..but I hope I am 'recovering'.
I spent most of August working and double-working, plus trying to soothe wounded hearts... That's all! No vacation, no days off...
We finally found 2 days to hide far away from here, shut down cell phones, disconnect our brains from everybody around us, and catch the wave of our souls according the wind on the Adriatic sea and the smell of the pines of Sirolo.
We celebrated our first anniversary in peace with the surrounding nature, and with us.
I finally had the time to recharge my batteries swimming in a clean and blue sea and spending time with Andrea.
I feel a little better now, and I am ready to put things in the right place and get prepared for the fall and winter.

Aurora Surgit

Altarcloth, Friar and Door
Originally uploaded by margiana.

Last Sunday we went to Monteveglio, a small medieval town on the hills around Bologna. Monteveglio is famous because of the Regional Park of the Monteveglio Abbey and its naturalistic sites, and because of the Abbey. The characteristic village is really impressive. By the way we went there because at 6am there was a concert in the Abbey of sacred music 'Aurora Surgit'. We took place in the presbytery because the church was unexpected crowded. Of course the view was not the best but we only had to listen to the concert... and I can tell you that it has been really a spiritual experience. Other than the pleasantness of the music in the early morning, it was the whole event. The Abbey, the friars, the words and the prayers... yes, prayers which spontaneously came to my mind...
Prayers of gratitude or requests of happiness for friends and family... the music and the architecture of the church simply helped the contact with the Spirit.
After the sacred music we all moved outside and the musicians played 'Le laudi e gli augelli' (hymn of praise to birds) and some ancient folk songs while the village was awakening and the birds were flying from one roof to another...

It has been an EXPERIENCE. Later the village offered the breakfast for everybody and then, my friend Irene (who works for the park) guided a naturalistic walk in the park.

What a beautiful and fulfilling sunday!

Colpa delle balene arancioni

Last night we attended the reading of a book written by Davide, a friend of ours..
The reading was organized into a restoration laboratory and the environment was pretty charming.
What a pity my camera did not worked, I would have taken a lot of pics.
By the way, we drank and eat a lot and enjoyed the reading of this funny romance...
Of course we bought the book 'Colpa delle balene arancioni' and enjoyed the company of good friends.
We went home late but happy.
It's so nice to observe the face of a person whose dream comes true!

Hot and sunny days...

Waiting for the sun!
Originally uploaded by margiana.

What do you think I am doing other than working?...just sleeping.
That's it.
I do work, attempt to faint, go back home and sleep.
When I baby sit the twins I also try to sleep on the bus.
That's all... I sleep, wake up to go to work, eat and sleep...

The Circus - Charlie Chaplin

The Circus - Charlie Chaplin
Originally uploaded by margiana.

A friend of us came to visit and we had a good dinner at Il Tinello right downtown... under the Two Towers.
After a good conversation we had a walk in Piazza Maggiore where there was the projection of The Circus by Charlie Chaplin with the music played by the Orchestra of the Municipal Theatre of Bologna and directed by Timothy Brock who's the one who also restored the music of The Gold Rush.
Last saturday we watched The Gold Rush always in Piazza Maggiore... I can tell you that was a real emotional experience!
Piazza Maggiore is a beautiful italian square... that represents most of the history of this city, changing during the centuries and adapting to the changing society needs... but it's still the heart of the city. Protected by the traffic noises. Closed in its own narcissism, surrounded by cafés and expensive shops, yet still a place where children can run after pigeons free from the dangers of the cars. But at night, in front of a black screen, it has been breathtaking to see this square crowded in every little space. Everybody with its own little differences of culture, age and social class... all there to listen to the music and watch this masterpiece.
It was great to hear everybody laughing at the same moment in such a serious square... all laughing to a movie of the 1927, all appreciating the great music performed by this orchestra... all having the same shivers at the same time... because it's a movie of sentiments... and those appear to be always the same and to speak to every kind of audience.

Faces

Faces - John Marley
Originally uploaded by margiana.

It's been a while since I don't write in here... but I have been exhausted in these last 2 weeks. The combination of work and heat simply knocked me down. In these two days off I am trying to recover.

Last night Andrea and I had a very pleasant evening. We had dinner at Rosso San Martino and then a walk in the ancient Jewish ghetto, still one of the best place in Bologna... later on an ice cream at Gianni and then we ended up in Piazza Maggiore.

I do love Bologna in the summer and it is not a common thing. I love the fact that in July the city is empty in the week-ends (people go to the beach) and I definitively love the city in August when you can go around the city and feel you are living in a ghost town.

There are places you never notice during the rest of the year, and you have a different awareness of who is walking next to you or simply meets your look. It all becomes more intense. I feel I float in a dense liquid of emotions, feelings, thoughts... and I love this feeling.
And we ended up in Piazza Maggiore where there is the XXI edition of 'Il cinema ritrovato' and they were showing Faces by John Cassavetes, a totally restored film, presented by Ben Gazzara who also speaks a perfect italian.

I love this location: Piazza Maggiore silent and dark, different persons with different cultures and background sit as a special audience to see a piece of history of the cinema. It is such a great experience for my heart. I loved it loved it loved it!
Morover, the movie is so much into 'faces' that the perception of the faces around me and their features almost overwhelmed me.
We finally had another walk at midnight to reach the car... and the disappearing of the people from Piazza Maggiore was another beautiful show.

Eat and drink in company

Marciana Marina
Originally uploaded by margiana.

My Spice-Girl-friends and I got back from our 'girls vacation' yesterday.
It has been perfect... like all our vacations. We enjoyed the driving to Piombino and then the ferryboat to Portoferraio. We ate a lot of 'schiaccine' and drank a lot of water, enjoyed the beach and the swimming pool but the key-words of this trip was 'eat and relax'.
We ate good dinner and light lunch, and snacked with tons of peaches and cherries and apricots that we carried in our thermos bags. We went to sleep so early at night that the hotel concierge laughed at us.
Of course we were all awake at 6.30am ready to enjoy big breakfasts on the terrace.
Too bad we had to come back so early! And of course today I was too relaxed to work again.... but I have my week end off and can exercise in sleeping and relaxing a little more...

Engine number 1 clear to start up...... or not?

Engine number 1 clear to start up...... or not?
Originally uploaded by margiana.

There's not a lot going on in my life in these days if not... working, getting soaked to the bones because of the constant rain, cleaning and trying to survive a confused schedule to manage 2 different jobs, an house, a garden, a cat and an husband... plus friends.
I'm looking forward a 3 day vacation with my Spice-Girl-Friends to Isola d'Elba... hopefully also a 3 days of sun!

Spoiled!

This morning I had to go to work at 4am since there were a couple of special charter flights to Athens because of the Football Champions League Final fans.

I woke up at 3 and while riding the bike to work it also rained a little so to raise the percentage of humidity in the air...

By the way, at 11.15 I was already home. I had a shower and then had lunch by friend Patty.

After lunch Patty, Fabiola and I headed to the beautician for a beauty-treatment!

Yes! To award Patty and me for the support in a difficult moment of her life, Fabiola gave us as a gift a beauty treatment on our choice!

I just got home from this super-special-relaxing-exfoliating-scrub made with a some special kind of salt and essential oils! I feel brand-new...except that I am so relaxed I wish I could just lay on the beach and sleep until tomorrow... when I should be ready for another hot day at work!

I am happy!

Cherries

Cherries
Originally uploaded by margiana.

We finally picked the cherries. Unfortunately the blackbirds ate most of it and we got just a little... but they tasted good.
I worked in the week end, but it has been good. It's hot but a little windy and working with this weather is good.... I wish it could be like this the whole summer... but I guess I'll melt before the end of june.
By the way. On Sunday I came back home for lunch and Andrea was in the backyard cooking at the bbq. It was so nice to arrive tired from work and find the lunch ready, the table made and a lot of delicious salads and grilled veggies and for me a good piece of sirloin grilled with thyme and rosemary. All together with a good glass of Lambrusco.
To finish, strawberries and whipped cream.
Yes, I am spoiled!

Be a blood donor but don't go to Mexico!

My Spice-friend and I decided to become donors of blood. There are several reasons for this:

1. in Italy blood supplies are really scarse;
2. we can get blood tests for free;
3. they give a coupon for a free-breakfast;
4. you can stay home from work and being payed anyway;

It all started because of the good cause; then we all found out that we needed a blood test for one reason or another; we love to have breakfast together but above all it never happen that we have a day off all together (we work in shifts).

But it isn't working right:

• one is pregnant;
• another had her period;
• the third had to undergo a small surgery;

Patrizia and I decided to go!

To tell you the truth I am not really brave when it comes to blood, so the day before I really put myself in the preparation for a 'special' day. I drank some 3 liters of water (it is very important to drink), I relaxed and tried to do, read and listen to only good things so to be in a good mood. We reached the place and filled up a survey, then somebody stung my third finger of the left hand to test the glucose, then I had to go for the last visit (preamble: I already did all those things the first time I went there and after a tons of blood tests and visits and surveys they declared I was suitable to donate my blood)...by the way I went in for the visit and the doctor examined the survey and I answered to the question if I travelled in the last 4 months I answered yes. The doctor asked me where exactly I travelled and showed me a map so that I could pin the trip.... I thought she was interested in my trip but... she prohibits me to donate for the next 6 months since that area is at risk for malaria and some dozen other illness. I was really frustrated. I went to assist my friend in her generous act and was almost fainting for that. But we had our free breakfast and our day off.

My question is why they don't tell those things in first place?

The saga has an end...

...Hopefully!
I just started cleaning my clothes with my new washing machine. Hurrà!

Is it a dream?

I was in Santorini with Andrea and had a little walk by my own while he was looking at dolphins from a cliff. I walked some 200 mts from him and the landscape was a lunar-volcanic view but with white earth.
Around me several tourists and local inhabitants... also a seaside holiday camp with a lots of baby girls barely walking because of 2-3 years old, all dressed with pink swimsuite.
I was looking at the sea when a big agricultural machinery crashed dangerously next to me.
I went close to the equipment to see if somebody was hurt but nobody was in.
I started walking away when a big wave, like a high tide started reaching the cliff where I was.
I looked around and it appeared like a normal thing to all... people were walking like if nothing strange was happening while the water submerged them. I was scared after a wave flood over the summer-camp girls, but nobody was really caring.
People started swimming. I followed two old ladies and asked them if there was a path by their way and they said:- 'Yes, 10 minutes walking or 20 minutes swimming', so I followed them until I lost them.
I kept on swimming and it was all normal until... the water faded away and I started walking, finding myself in Stazione Termini (central train station in Rome) in the square where there was my High School. There was no water there but I was soaked through.
I looked like an homeless at that time. I lost my cell phone and everything that was in my pocket, and I did not know how to reach Andrea. So I started looking around for a 200lire coin that I needed to call Andrea from a public phone (note: we do not use Lira anymore but Euro now... so it must have been some years ago).
Of course I did not have any so I started asking around behaving like an homeless asking for charity. Nobody gave me a coin maybe because I kept asking for 200lira????
By the way, I finally entered a shop that I usually go in but nobody recognized me until I found a girl who works as a cachier who decided to give me some coins, but she gave me very small coins like 1-2-5 cents and none of the public phone I went in accepted such a small coins. I didn't know what happened to Andrea.
Then I woke up.
Basically I was not scared or anxious but it was all so surreal that I was really confused.
Is it a dream or reality?

The washing machine saga...

Ok, the washing machine is here and we put it in its place. It is beautiful and has all the tools and programs that an old 12 years old one doesn't have. And I was anxious of washing the pile of dirty clothes I accumulate in the last week... the problem is...: it doesn't respond to the program. The knob is probably broken inside and it doesn't work how it should.
I'll call the costumer service and ask for assistance.
Why everytime I have my 'spiritual crisis' I have to deal with such earthy problems?
Sometimes I'd really like to be Samantha Stephens in Bewitched. She wouldn't pass through all this to have clean clothes!
By the way, I know the deepness of my post is dropping seriously but my brain is slowly going into 'sleep mode'. I hope I'll return in me soon... in the meanwhile, you'll read about silly things!
... like always on this blog though!

Clean clothes?

No way. The washing machine is still not here. It had to arrive on the 30th and Andrea and I made shift to stay home but... nobody arrived. This morning I called the courier but they can't tell me exactly at what time it will arrive and I have to go babysit in an hour.
Argggggh!
Moreover I still did not signed the contract with the airport (the contract is not ready yet... I don't see the difficulties in printing out a document that is always the same) and I still don't know at what time I'll go to work tomorrow. Is it possible? How is it possible?
Argggggh!
I am a freaky, frustrated, psychotic, with dirty clothes!

Back to work.

This morning the chief of personnel of the airport call me back to know if I can get back to work the 3rd of may. They just give me 3 days advice. Full time for 6 more months... then... ?
I should really think of something else.