37 anni e non sentirli - o quasi (37 years and not feel them - almost)

37 years and the incomparable sensation of feeling fulfilled.

A state of bliss…

Post of solidarity to the demonstrations in favour of women's dignity

Yesterday big demonstrations to defend women dignity all over Italy - demonstrations that soon turned into a demonstration against Berlusconi. It is estimated that about one million people, both men and women, participated.

Our Blog expresses its solidarity for this cause by reporting the following little story...

They say that when God created the world, He decided to grant two virtues to the people, so that they could prosper.

So He made the Swiss tidy and respectful of the laws.

The English persevering and fond of study.

The Japanese hard worker and patient.

The French learned and refined.

The Spanish merry and welcoming.

When the turn of the Italians came, God said to the Angel who was taking note of His will: “The Italians will be intelligent, honest, and belonging to the ‘Popolo delle Libertà*’”.

When God finally concluded the creation, the Angel told Him: “My Lord, you gave two virtues to all the peoples, but three to the Italians! This would make them prevailing over all the other!”

“Oh my God - God said - that’s true! But you know, my dear Angel, that you cannot take out divine virtues once they are granted. Let the Italians have three virtues then, but let’s make sure that each of them cannot have more than two at the same time…”

And that’s how it came that:

- The Italians who are honest and belong to the Popolo delle Libertà cannot be intelligent;

- The Italians who are intelligent and belong to the Popolo delle Libertà cannot be honest;

- And the Italians who are honest and intelligent…**

(*) Silvio Berlusconi’s Party.

(**) From Beppe Grillo’s blog.

Federico & Germana in Rome

After Federico & Germana in Delhi, Federico & Germana in Rome!

(Continues...)

And the winners are… (2)*

Lili and Marc!

Considering that the visits of Chiara, mamma, and Agnes and Xavier in the past weeks could not be properly considered visits to les M&M’s, as Mathilde had not yet arrived, the award for the first official visit to les M&M’s goes to Lili and Marc, who - directly from the Hague - managed to meet us less than 12 hours from Mathilde’s arrival!

Lili is an old friend from the times of Addis, almost a sister. After the experience in Ethiopia, we managed to keep in contact and to see each other quite regularly in 2004, when we were both studying in the UK: Lili in Essex and I in London. After the UK we took off in two different directions: Lili towards East, and precisely to Afghanistan, and I towards West, tossed between Washington and Africa. And for almost seven years we didn’t see each other. But these friendships are well grounded, and even if you don’t see each other for years, whenever you meet again it seems that time has not passed at all. And so it was…

Marc is a new entry, but as all the Dutch he inspires a natural liking. We had the good feeling we could get along.

Lili and Marc left on Monday, but we had the feeling we will see them often in the near future…

And now that the award to the first one who met les M&M’s in Rome has been assigned, who will gain the award for the first guest at les M&M’s???

(*) Continues from previous post.

Les M&M’s have a roof in Rome

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare your luggage, book your air or train tickets, request your annual leaves: les M&M’s have found a place to stay in Rome* with, all in all, a decent guest room. We look forward to having you chez nous soon**.

So, take advantage of les M&M’s notorious hospitality: prepare your luggage and book your tickets… before it is too late!

(*) And it has not been easy. But that’s another story…

(**) The guest room will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis.

Via della Piramide Cestia 1

Thanks to all those that kept their fingers crossed for us!

(More in the next few days…)

And the winners are…

Lili and Marc!

(More in the next few days...)

È arrivata Mathilde!

Les M&M’s are back together, ready to start a new adventure hand in hand: Rome!

Do keep on following us J

La casa di Francesco Maria

I met Francesco for the first time in Turin in 2000, at the JPO Induction Course, and I felt immediately at my ease with him. Francesco is in fact one of those persons that always puts you in a good mood. In his company I can't refrain from laughing heartily.

Francesco and I met again a few months later in New York, at another training course, and for three weeks we basically spent 24 hours/day ‘culo e camicia’, as we would say in Italy (as thick as thieves). For the following three years we met a few times in Kenya and Ethiopia, the countries where we were working respectively. After I left Ethiopia in 2003 we lost a bit track of each other, but when in 2005 I went to IFAD for a few meetings I met him again. He had left Kenya the previous year, and moved back to his hometown, Rome. Since then we managed to keep in touch, and managed to meet once or twice per year, either in Rome or Washington.

During our meeting in Rome in 2005, Francesco mentioned me he had bought an old mansion that he was restoring. And every time we met afterwards, Francesco used to update me on how the works were advancing. Apparently this mansion was beautiful: in the middle of a national park, surrounded by nature and deepened in the silence. When a couple of years after the house had finally been finished, Francesco didn’t miss an occasion to remind me I should go and visit it. But then, mysteriously, every time I had the opportunity to go, for a reason or another, the invitation was skipped.

To the point that I started doubting that this house was actually existing. ‘Perhaps he still leaves with his parents and he is too ashamed to confess it’ I thought.

Anyway, today Francesco finally invited me at his home, and have to say that, first, it actually exists. And second, that in fact it is very nice indeed.

I also finally met Linda, Francesco’s fiancée - another character whose existence I started seriously doubting, as Francesco kept on talking about her and telling me I should meet her, but then, for a reason or another, he always skipped introducing her to me.

Anyway, besides the excellent pasta, the delicious roasted turkey, and the exquisite wine, the good feeling of tonight was given by the sensation of having found a couple of persons with whom we may get along during our stay in Rome…

Rosso come la Ducati di Valentino Rossi*

In Rome do like the Romans.

I was told that you can’t survive in Rome without a scooter. And so, after having come out of the Delhi traffic unharmed, I decided to raise the bar higher and to challenge myself in the Roman traffic.

You all know that my dream would have been a motorbike. I already imagined myself riding my bike to the Castelli Romani or the ‘agriturismi’ in Tuscany over the week-ends. Unfortunately this won’t happen this time.

But it’s nice to keep a dream in the drawer, ready to be fulfilled one day or another...

(*) Photo credit: Federica

Trade offs

Daily update on my house-hunting. Some consideratons based on the experience gained so far.

The apartments in a nice neighbourhood are far from the office, those in a quiet area far from the center. In those in a lively and trendy neighbourhood it is difficult to park, those near parks and gardens are far from the metro. Those that are in nice buildings are furnished with grandma-like furniture, those that have recently been maintained have small rooms. Those that have a nice terrace do not have elevators, and those that have elevators are far from the grocery. Those that are bright have old window frames, and in those with a brand-new fridge and washing machine there is no bathtub (Mathilde’s only condition). Those that are close to our friends are on the wrong metro line, and those that are spacious are facing north. Those that have nice landlords have noisy neighbours, in those where the neighbours are nice the real estate agents are jerks.

And all of them are quite expensive!

And you, what are the most important elements for you to choose your apartment?

Keep your fingers crossed

Quick update on my house-hunting: if you wish to come to visit us in this nice apartment, keep your fingers crossed…

Manchi solo tu, Mathilde!

I’ve been in Rome for two weeks only and have already received four visits! After Chiara and mamma, today I met Agnes and Xavier, a French-Belgian couple who moved from Brussels to Parma last year, and came to Rome for the week-end.

And while planning where we could meet next - Gubbio or Siena, Assisi or Lucca - we felt only Mathilde was missing today.

So, Mathilde, come soon so that we can start planning our new life in Italy!

Viva la mamma (2)

Risotto zucchini and philadelphia cheese; risotto tomato and taleggio cheese; broccoli sauce; zucchini sauce; bolognaise sauce; cream and mushroom sauce; aubergine sauce; vegetable soup (blended and not blended); roast veal.

Viva la mamma

Call me ‘mammone’. Call me ‘bamboccione’. I don’t care. On the contrary, I am proud of being it.

Directly from Milan on the Frecciarossa of Friday night, la ‘mamma’ came to Rome for the week-end to take care of her ‘bambino’.

And not only she helped me in my house-hunting, providing invaluable (and free) counselor services, but - just because she had a couple of hours free and she didn’t know how to fill them - she cooked me for the whole next week!

Ah, mums! If they didn’t exist, we should invent them*...

La casa di Craxi

Almost as stressful as moving out, settling in can be a very exciting moment though. While it’s true, you are under pressure to find in a relatively short period of time a new house in a new city, and to take a number of critical decisions with a limited amount of information, house hunting is however a unique opportunity to familiarize with the new city and discover its secrets.

And as far as the secrets of Rome are concerned, a few days ago it happened to me to be brought to see an apartment in via del Colosseo, a sixth floor just above the Colosseo, beautiful apartment with an amazing view on the Fori Imperiali, furnished like the maison of a whore-monger.

The legend says that in the 80s that used to be the ‘pied-à-terre’ of not less than Bettino Craxi, who used to bring there his… [censorship].

Years go by, governments follow one another, but our political leaders behave surprisingly similarly...

(Anyway, this won't be our new home).

My first day of school

The first day of work is a bit like the first day of school: you never know what is awaiting you*.

At 9 am sharp I was at the Security Office of my new work place. 9.05 at the Human Resources, and at 9.15 I was accompanied to my Division and handed over to Mahri, the Division’s Assistant, a sweet Iranian-French that speaks Italian with a funny roman accent…

A few minutes of greetings and at 9.20 Mahri started bringing me around to introduce me to my new colleagues.

- Ron, may I introduce you Mr. Marchisio, the new Country Program Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan?

(Afghanistan?)

- Marie, may I introduce you Mr. Marchisio, the new Country Program Manager for Pakistan and Afghanistan?

(Afghanistan??? Wasn’t it supposed to be Pakistan only???)

- Tian, may I introduce you…

[…]

At 9.45, by the time we had finished my first round of introductions, what initially was a slight doubt had progressively become a frightening suspicion.

At 9.50 I was brought to the Director of the Division:

- Oh, Matteo, welcome on board. We were waiting for you. Please, come in, I’d like to share with you a few thoughts I had in the past days regarding your role and responsibilities…

The first day of work is a bit like the first day of school: you never know what is awaiting you…

(*) See also: http://www.matteoandmathilde.org/2010/08/my-first-day-at-bank.html - My first day at the Bank.

And the winner is…

Chiara!!! who came to Rome yesterday eve (even though her victory could be contested as she came while Mathilde has not yet arrived, and so she met Matteo only).

So the competition is still open: who will be the first to come to visit les M&M’s in Rome???

And so be it Rome

Fiji, Johannesburg, or Rome*?

This dilemma tormented us for the past months, but after weeks of meditation, hesitation, humming and hawing, les M&M’s finally opted for Rome.

Matteo went ahead and reached the capital yesterday eve to begin scouting; Mathilde will join Matteo in February.

Give us a couple of months to settle in and we’ll open the bookings to stay at our place.

We really wish you could come to visit us, and we look forward to having you 'chez nous' here in Rome. But hurry up: there is actually a bet going on between me and Mathilde on who will be the first friend (or relative) to come to visit us…

(*) http://www.matteoandmathilde.org/2010/10/fiji-johannesburg-rome-where-would-you.html

La pacchia è finita (Fun is over)

La pacchia è finita, fun is over. With the ski excursion of Friday and the climbing excursion of yesterday I concluded a probably unrepeatable six weeks of vacation, the longest vacation I had since summer 1993 - the summer of my high school graduation.

And have to say I took advantage of every single minute of this period: I squeezed the past six weeks ‘til the last drop.

But as I said, fun is over, and starting from tomorrow I’ll be back to work. But excited to open a new chapter in our lives...

The positive aspects of climate change (2)

The Garlate Lake and, beyond, the Po Valley from Lecco Lake’s cliffs…

The positive aspects of climate change

Climbing on January 13^th on the Lecco Lake, Italy, without a t-shirt...

Oggi Mistero Buffo

Today ‘Mistero Buffo’, by Dario Fo, a series of satirical monologues inspired by traditional popular ballads, medieval fabliaux, and some passages of the gospels, and played in a jester-like style in a language that is a mix of dialects and onomatopoeic sounds.

Written more than 40 years ago, but still surprisingly topical.

Bello.

Un Italiano a Parigi

Est-ça un Donatello? un Bernini? un Michelangelo???

No, c’est un Mattéo…

Les M&M’s à Paris

Promis, ça va être le dernier post en cette pose-ci…

Ravello - Villa Rufolo

Mathilde e i Faraglioni*

(*) I ‘Faraglioni’ (in the background) are a group of three rocks raising from the sea just off Capri.

Positano

Romantic city (ville romantique).

Amalfi

Our last day in Rome

Tomorrow departure, direction south. Destination: Amalfi Coast.