Message in a bottle

Back from holiday

2011-08-25T09:25:00.003+02:00

Italian lessons start again after holiday and to report the days spent on the mountain or the seaside...

Dove sei stato in vacanza?: where have you spent you holiday?
Ho passato le vacanze (ferie): I've spent my holiday

in montagna: on the mountain
al mare: on the seaside

Ferie/Vacanze: it is almost the same thing, the only difference (not always underlined) is that usually the word Ferie is used to indicate a pause during work.

Andare in vacanza:to go on holiday

The picture I've taken is from Lago di Ledro, a very nice place not far from Garda Lake, near the Alps. I really love mountain, probably because I live quite near the sea and when here it is very hot, all I can desire is a bit of cold breeze...

leave you with a song, hope you've enjoyed your holiday!

Language learning: two languages, two experiences

2011-06-24T12:50:00.003+02:00

foto from Flickr

In my long journey as a language learner I've understood a couple of things; I've experienced it as a student, but also studied it. I started studying English when I was quite young (10 years old), and my teacher was Italian. With German, things were different. I started to study it when I was at University (20 years old), my teachers were mainly mother-tongue. These differences made me think about how I apprehended these two languages.

English at the beginning was totally a matter of fun! our teacher showed us cartoons, and then taught us some words and phrases. I can't remember any writing exercise during the first year. We learnt to say something and mainly how to use those phrases. Nothing about grammar or how to build up sentences. Then time for grammar came: present simple, Subject Verb Object structure, and so on... but only later. What we learnt first of all were Formulae. It was not important to learn the rule, but how to say things, because we need to spend time talking, somehow.

German came to a very different time of my life. After so many years at school there is something in your mind that tells you that the way to learn thing is to deeply understand them. Unfortunately that is not always true!
The first time my teacher came in class I was so scared! She started talking in German, only very few of us could understand what she was saying; I remember I thought something like: "How am I going to learn anything about it if she's not going to stop and explain us what she's saying?!" I was wrong; what they were trying to do was a total immersion in the language and also they tried to make us used with the sensation of not understanding each and every words they say.
Something in my mind was not helping me, because I wanted explanation, but actually I didn't need them.

The first thing is talking. That's why I started this new topic giving just phrases and words and not rules. I'll give some basic rules, if the time comes. In the meantime, stay tuned!

sources and words

2011-06-14T14:13:00.002+02:00

Writing academic essays in English, I've sometimes found it difficult to translate technical words. I mean those words that refers to a very specific meaning but sounds like other words. I'll make an example to be sure you can understand. Last week I was wondering how to translate "sensibile" from Italian to English, but I didn't mean the adjective (sensitive), but the substantive that indicates a particular musical note that in a scale risolves to a note one semitone higher. Putting just 'sensibile' on google translate or any other online translator I could not find the word I meant.

The solution is easy, anyway. If you don't have a specialized dictionary (which is a very good way to solve the problem, but it is quite difficult to have one specific for each and every semantic field!!) you can just go on wikipedia, and search in your own language the word you are interested in. Then, you can click on the list of languages on the left and what you get is the corresponding entry in English, so your perfect translation. Moreover, the complete entry makes you certain to be perfectly right.

I love you...or not?!

2011-04-15T11:23:00.004+02:00

Thinking about the next lesson with a question in my mind: what is worth after greetings and presentation, what do you need to enter the Italian language?!
I could not find an answer, but I realized what will be the next lesson:

expressing feeling/sentimenti

No need to say that feelings are not to be translated, but what we can translate is the way to express them. A friend asked me about German language some days ago, we were discussing sound and so on... I was telling him that German is not that harsh to pronounce and he told me "How do you say 'I love you'?", "Ich liebe dich", "you see, it sounds better in Italian or Spanish..."
Probably, it is right, the sound of the whole expression is a bit harsh, let see the Italian for
I love you: ti amo; very easy, two words. Anyway, pay attention on how to use it! Any Italian mother-tongue speaker will tell you that this formula is used only to express your feeling to the man/woman you want to share your life with. You usually do not use it with friends, relatives, or any other similar context. If you want to express your loving feelings towards other people (brothers, sisters, friends, parents, and so on) say:
Ti voglio bene: very difficult to translate it is a mix of I care of you/I want the best for you. Unfortunately, you can hear it in combinations like: "Ti voglio bene, ma non ti amo"; that we could translate as: "I really care of you, but I don't love you". A polite, but very sad way to say that your feelings towards the other person are not so deep.

Anyway, thinking about it I realized also, that I actually use it in different ways... Just a couple of example... When a friend says or does something peculiar for me I could express my joy in that moment saying "ti amo!!" but clearly, it is an exaggeration that help to express how happy I am about it. Sometimes I can express my reproach for something bad that one cold have said, saying "ti amo anch'io!" (I love you too!), it is of course ironic, the meaning is more or less "Your reproach is too hard to me, but I understand what you are saying!". Here of course the way it is said express more than half of the meaning!

Shaking hands

2011-03-25T13:39:00.004+01:00

Foto from Flickr

Today's Italian lesson:

Introducing- Presentazioni

Ciao, mi chiamo ...: Hi, my name's ... (informal, just to say your name, to make it formal, just change Ciao with Buongiorno)

Piacere di conoscerti/la: Nice to meet you/How do you do

Come ti chiami (inf)/ Come si chiama?: What's your name?( for a suitable answer see the first sentence)

E' stato un piacere parlare con te/lei: It's been a pleasure talking to you (inf/form).

It is quite usual among friends too shaking hands while you introduce somebody. Quite rarely you exchange kiss while introducing for the first time. It could happen among very young people (teen agers and so...), just a couple of kisses on cheeks.

to fly away?

2011-03-04T13:14:00.004+01:00

foto from Flickr

I was reading The independent online, and on a lateral ad I saw these words!
I'd like to... In this very moment I'd like to fly away from here, from my "to dos" list, from my job duties, from my whole life... If you are asking yourselves (and even if you are not), yes, I've got a sort of idea of where to fly... and probably I don't even need a plane to go there...

But I'm here, and I feel I should find a way to stay here. It would be easier to escape, or it wouldn't... don't know...

there are so many things I don't know so far...

wondering.... surfing....

2011-02-18T13:46:00.005+01:00

One of the best way to be serious in my "start again" could be making the same steps of the first time. Since my blogroll is not so updated, this must be a really effective starting point.
So the blog I signal today is very relate to my new topic, Italian Lessons, the url is

http://becomingitalianwordbyword.typepad.com

You can find language hints to discover Italian, but also, some little story on how we use the language. The comparison, of course, is with English language.
Italian habits and lifestyle are described in a very interesting and "colourful" way.
It defenitely deserve a chance, click and see it!

Flowers and memories

2011-02-17T13:33:00.005+01:00

Foto from Flickr

Every time I see this flower I can't help but think of my Grandmother. She used to have one of those plants and she was so proud of it. She showed it to every body, made pictures... I don't know why she loved it so much, if you look at the flowers, they are peculiar, but you could say they are not so pretty. And she could explain to you every single piece, and the meaning of it, so to understand why it is called 'passion flower', and all the symbols of crucifixion...

I really think that she somehow 'loved' this plant and the great effect it gave to her garden, but I've never asked myself whether she loved this plant more than her granddaughters, we were for sure her favourite flowers.

Lesson Number One

2011-01-13T17:38:00.001+01:00

Knowing the risks of my laziness, I decided to start a new topic. It is not a casual one, but the reason of it will be revealed a bit later...
This new topic is: Italian lessons. I will write some basic Italian for beginners, but anybody can ask questions and I will be pleased to answer.
So, let's start, Lesson number One:

Greetings- Saluti

Ciao: Hello/Hi; very informal, but also common among friends and so on... You can use it either when you arrive or when you leave.

Salve: hello; a bit less informal, but anyway not a formal way of greeting.

Buongiorno/ Buon giorno: Good morning; You can use it until noon, as in English. You can say Buongiorno when you start a conversation, when you arrive and (in formal context) you can say so even when you're leaving. My Granma used to say that it was more polite than "arrivederci". Actually, nobody would say that "arrivederci" is unpolite!

Buon pomeriggio: Good afternoon; I think that a common grammar would tell you that you can use it when you arrive or starting a conversation after noon, but it is quite unusual to use it like this. If you really want to say so, and not give the impression of being a foreigner, use it before leaving, is a good and polite way to wish a nice day!

Buona sera/Buonasera: You can start using it after noon. As Buongiorno, is mainly use when you arrive, and if you want to be very polite you can say so when you're leaving (see Buongiorno).

Buona notte/Buonanotte: Good night; mainly used before going to bed, or very late at night.

Try Again!

2011-01-02T14:28:00.002+01:00

Yes, That's it!

Now it is a year (and some day) since I last wrote something on these pages... I feel a bit ashamed, but since I need it, I really want to try again!

Try again to write something ( I hope) interesting.
Try again to be diligent enough.
Try again the trick of blogosphere to help my language learning.

I hope I'll do it better this time!

2009...

2009-12-31T17:39:00.003+01:00

... is over!
Its wishes, hopes (fulfilled or not), feelings are past, and so ready for the new year to come.
Ready with our memories of what this year was (everything, nice or not because what we don't like could help us anyway!), with good intentions for the new year, with everything we've learnt so far!

HAPPY 2010!

About love

2009-12-14T12:08:00.007+01:00

image taken from here
original text taken from here:

Eine Kleinigkeit
(für Catherine)

Ich weiß nicht was Liebe ist
aber vielleicht ist es etwas wie das:

Wenn sie
nach Hause kommt aus dem Ausland
und stolz zu mir sagt: »Ich habe
eine Wasserratte gesehen«
und ich erinnere mich an diese Worte
wenn ich aufwache in der Nacht
und am nächsten Tag bei der Arbeit
und ich sehne mich danach
sie dieselben Worte
noch einmal sagen zu hören
und auch danach
dass sie nochmals genau so aussehen soll
wie sie aussah
als sie sie sagte -

Ich denke, das ist vielleicht Liebe
oder doch etwas hinreichend Ähnliches

A littleness

I don't know what love is
but perhaps
it is something like this:

when she
comes back from abroad
and proudly says to me: "I've
seen a water rat"
and I remember these words
when I wake up at night
and the day after at work
and I miss that
these very words
once more I hear her saying

and again and again
exactly seeming
as they seemed
when she said them

I think that perhaps it is love,
or at least something very similar to it.

translation is mine, any advice is welcome.

Dictionaries and co.

2009-12-05T09:36:00.005+01:00

Foto from Flickr
If you study languages, or are interested in language learning one of your best friend is called dictionary. I often use online dictionaries, because it's quicker than turning pages. You just type in a word and wait.
Doing my german homework I've found a couple new sources that deserve mention in this blog. The first is the online version of SANSONI provided by the italian newspapaer "Corriere della Sera", which is a really good dictionary and of great help. But one of the greatest problem when you study German is the possibility of creating new words that could generate confusion in the reader, and here the second source could be of great help. Bab.la is something more than a dictionary, because provides you the meaning of the words, but also an example of use. But the thing that deserves mention is this: whenever you cannot find there the word you need you can look for it in another source (so far, quite obvious)and then put it there. It will be checked, but in the meantime it is available with the red writing "non verif." (not checked).
That's great for a basic reason, language is something alive, then changes and enlarges itself, so obviously a living dictionary is a great advantage.
Of course there is the negative aspect that we always find talking about online sources: reliability. But as always the solution is to take it as a starting point and not as a universal truth. To have an initial meaning (the most unprecise it could be) it is better than wondering without knowing.

A new Banner

2009-11-25T10:19:00.004+01:00

There is a new banner in my blog, it comes from a page that has something to do with language learning.
When you start learning a language one of the most important thing is vocabulary. To learn new words is the first step to express yourself in the target language, and I found a way to improve your vocabulary and help to fight hunger.
Freerice is an opportunity for language learner, for those of you who want to learn English French German Italian or Spanish.
When you open the page, you'll find a quiz, there are words you are asked to translate in English, and for every word guessed 10 grains rice will be donate through the World Food Program.

I found it some time ago thanks to Karenuccia, but after my last template change it went lost, now I redescovered it for my German training, I'm always trying to find new ways to improve my vocabulary, and I think that is a great way!

For any other information have a look to the page!

Senza Fiato

2009-11-12T12:07:00.004+01:00

Dolores O'riordan is one of the best voice ever. I love her interpretation, the energy she can show in her singing. Giuliano is the leader of an Italian Group: Negramaro.
This song really leave you breathless.

Starting a new work

2009-11-09T13:55:00.005+01:00

Foto from here

I met Henry James for the first time when I watched "portrait of a lady", and I must confess that I didn't appreciate the film, this led me to avoid the book, and in my literature studies he was never mentioned directly, I mean, studying Joyce I found referrment to James' work, but the interesting thing is that he has no chapter dedicated in the Norton Anthology (my literary bible).
Now I'm dealing with him because of my final dissertation and I'm starting to believe that he deserve something more...
I'm reading his novella "The turn of the screw", rather, I've already read it and I'm now analizing its content and the way it s organized, That's why I'm not referring to it as a ghost story, because first and foremost I'm aware it is not. We cannot define it in a specific genre, because the author himself wants us to be confused about it. The "ghost story is full of hints of a paranoia of the narrator, the young governess who went and lived in Bly. The reader is led to doubt on what she describes, and in tragic scene at the end of the story is no longer sure of what has happened.
The story has caught the attention of many artists and critics since when it was written and in 1954, when the Biennale commissioned him a new work, Benjamin Britten chose this very story, and "The Turn of the Screw" became an opera. The particular ambiguity of this story created several problems to the composer and the librettist, Myfanwy Piper, but the thing on which I'll focus my attention will be the interpretation of Britten who found himself to choose between Innocence and Experience, and this time chose Experience.

Stay tuned for next steps...

The House of Sleep

2009-10-06T13:18:00.004+02:00

"The house of sleep" is one of my favourite book, a novel by Jonathan Coe and the topic of my final dissertation at the end of the first three years University.

The novel is diveded in six sections, the first is titled 'awake', then you can find the four phases of sleep and the last one R.E.M. phase, in the end there are three Appendixes (Poem, Letter, Transcript). Each section consists of three chapters, odd-numbered chapters are set in 1983-84, even-numbered chapters are set in June 1996.
The different sections of the novel are closely linked through words, they don't come to an end just dissolve, like an interrupted dream, in an incomplete sentence, the final word of each stage of sleeping is picked up at the beginning of the following one, but in another context and sometime even by another character.

The story deals with a group of students that share a house in th '80s and fall in and out of love, the we see them in the '90s with their lives changed. We can say that the very protagonist of the whole novel is Sarah, she suffer from narcolepsy, and in the 80's she's not aware of it. Narcolepsy is characterized by Eccessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), cataplexy, vivid hallucinations, brief episodes of total paralysis. Who suffer from Narcolepsy can fall asleep even in active conditions, like eating or talking, what is called sleep attack. Adult patients often perceive narcoleptic symptoms as embarassing and social isolation may result. They may experience interpersonal problems, and are perceived as lazy or are suspected of illegal drug use.
Sarah's symptoms will cause a large number of misundedrstanding throughout the story, sometime caomically and sometime less. At the beginning of the story Sarah has an affair with Gregory, a fastidious student of medicine, who seems to be more interested in her as a medical case than as a person, and her girlfriend. We will find him as a doctor in '96, a very precise doctor who run a clinic for sleep disordes who starts to hate sleep, because "the sleeper is helpless; powerless. Sleep puts even the strongest people at the mercy of the weakest and the most feeble". Then she knows Robert, who falls hopelessly in love with her, Robert seems to be one of the few to understand that she suffers from a real desease. At the beginning of the story he's studing modern languages, but then he change to psychiatry, probably to find a way to help her. He has is life totally changed by this woman. Terry is a student at Ashdown with Robert and Sarah, he sleeps almost 14 hours per day, then he will be one of Dr. Gregory patients because of his insomnia, he says that is his curse, always tired and never tired enough to sleep. As a student he was "plagued by dreams" and then he became a journalist obsessed by movies, a kind of dreaming without sleeping.

Sarah's symptoms cause a large number of misunderstandings throughout of the novel, but narcolepsy is also an excuse to talk about medicine and doctors. There is a comical conference with psychologists who try to sustain their own ideas even when everything demonstrate they are wrong. Doctors who consider research even more important than their patients' lives. Jonathan Coe is humorous but while you're laughing inevitably think about the context in wich the scenes takes place and some characters in the story are frightening when they have the chance to explain their own vision of life.

In the end is one of the best novel I have ever read, it is well-written, witty, never banal. Give it a chance!

In Padova

2009-09-30T14:17:00.003+02:00

I can't draw. And I don't like it. Even when I was a child, I hated the moment our teacher used to ask us to draw a picture. Because I can't do it.

But every time I pass by this little shop I can't avoid stopping in front of it, and I would like to enter it once. Now, I don't dare because I know that there is nothing for me inside, but stopping in front of the window I wish I could draw and paint, just to enter. I know that in a place like this probably there is an old shop assistant, one of those who perfectly knows everything about art. One of those who knows everything about Giotto, for example and can explain you how to make a perfect picture. Because in these old little shops, assistants are always like this, I'm sure!

This shop is in the very centre of Padova and it is one of my favourite place, because when I stop there to look at the window my mind can wander and imagine things, because like many old things is something rare and beautiful.
And still, I can't draw, and I don't like it.

6th August 1945

2009-08-06T11:10:00.002+02:00

Image from Wikipedia

There are mistakes we are not allowed to forget.

...wait and see...

2009-08-01T16:17:00.003+02:00

Sometime, all you need is a bit of calm, and just wait for the things to come...
but you feel that you should do something
looking around you see everything is stillness and silence
and breathing deeply you decide to wait and see.

Language education

2009-07-20T10:43:00.005+02:00

I live in the north-east of Italy, in Veneto, the Italian region were the local dialect is used the most, as I learnt from my latest exam. My family is a mix of different cities inside this very same region, my father’s family is from Rovigo (the city where I live), but my mother’s family is partly from a village near Venice and partly from a village near Treviso (I’ve already talked about where they live). Anyway part of my family live in Verona, and others live between Mantova and Ferrara… And they are only those with whom I am in contact.

At home wespeak Italian, and that was the language that we, children, were supposed to learn, but of course when we get in contact with our granpas and granmas we hear other languages. In my father’s family a chair is a ‘carega’, but in my aunt’s house (near Ferrara) there were other objects, ‘scarana’ (chair-sedia), ‘granadel’ (broom-scopa), ‘bagaj’ (thing-coso/a). And different ways to say things, another language…

I learned Dialect when I was grown-up, I used to spent much time with my granparents and the only language used at home was dialect; my sister didn’t like it, she insisted to speak Italian, and sometime reproached me for my talk. At school, no doubt, Italian was the only language allowed, and also with unknown adults. My granma worked as a tailor, there were many people at any time of day at home, and I could appreciate moments in which (and clients to whom) she spoke a fine Italian, and others when dialect was possible.

Until high-school I’ve always used Italian at school, but then in my class I was the only one coming from the city (if we can talk about city…) and all my mates came from villages around Rovigo and Padua the language used among us was definitely dialect. I still remember a group of girls from another class saying “How rough, they speak dialect!”. That’s how it was considered.

Venetian dialect is the language of great writers and artists through different centuries, and part of this language became Italian in the long process called “questione della lingua” that started with Dante, went on with Manzoni, until the language that is now called Standard Italian. So, it is clear that it is not rough or anything, they were (and probably still are) a group of posh girls!

Now, I speak Italian the most, with some of my friends I speak dialect, at home I know that there are different dialects to use with different people, and there are still words that are unknown to me in some of my family languages. But dialect is a kind of code for me, I cannot recognize the code-switching moment, but when I use it I feel at home. I consider it much more expressive, because is the language in which I usually express feelings, bad feelings most of all. When I’m too nervous to control what I’m saying I don’t use a proper Italian….

If you ask me, I speak a very good Italian, I can speak a good English (or i hope so!), and I get angry in Dialect.

"occupation for an idle hour..."

2009-05-07T19:14:00.008+02:00

I need to do something with my hands today, I don't know if you ever have this feeling, of using your hands to do something, and the result is this.

The first try was definitely less succesful, but the second time I watch on them to be sure of the final result! Then with a bit of creme ganache it was done!

Ready to be eaten tonight!

On facebook

2009-05-05T18:25:00.003+02:00

Photo from Flickr

As I wrote more than once, I've learned that modern technology can be really useful to learn a language (particularly English, of course), and I've discovered many different tools that I'm currently using (this blog of mine, for example), during last year course at Uni.

I can easily remember during a reflective lesson about Personal Leanguage Environment, a collegue of mine talking about social network, in particular she was referring to myspace, but then facebook was named too. I ignored what these things were, and I could not have an idea of how to use them. Then we spent some time to talk about it, and I could make some theory on these things, but they didn't sound so good to me.

Now, I'm one of the I-Don't-know-how-many people who have an account on it, and I'm much more familiar to social network, I know what it is and how it works, still, I cannot understand how I could use it to improve my language. As it is described in Facebook homepage, it helps you to connect and share with people of your life, and that's definitely true! Moreover there are people in my life, that I could not be in touch withouth something like facebook. A friend of mine lives in Chile, and even though I have his mail address, facebook is a much better tool to be in contact with him. But considering the short message I leave on other people's wall, and I usually write more to those people who are part of my life everyday, I really cannot catch the use of it as a language learning tool.

Anyway, it is a great fun, and I must confess that I spend even too much time with it!

My favourite sport

2009-04-22T09:19:00.006+02:00

...though I cannot practice it as much as I wish!
The first time I have ridden I was 3, I can barely remember it. My uncle has a horse, and since I was a child he tried to teach me how to ride.

There is something special in riding a horse, it is not only a matter of open air and wind in your hair, there is a relation between you and the animal, and first of all you need to understand how this relation works. And in the same way the horse need to understand you. So in the very first phase you need to understand how you can communicate and how he answers. You define a contact, explaining that you (are supposed to) control the situation, and then a great part of your energy is dedicated to understand his reactions.

The gratest thing is when you realize that you're no longer thinking about it and everything is going on. This thing of being in relation with nature in such a way makes it magic. I'm not sure I can render this idea... There is not only a way to move or to do things, it is something more complicated, and thus much more enjoyable.

I'm really lucky, because anytime I go and visit my uncle I cn ask him to let me ride, and I started when I was so young that even though I fall down, and I experienced some "dangerous moments" I've never given up.

2009-04-17T19:08:00.001+02:00

Little daisy bracelet for me!
Lucky me, I have children that bring me flowers sometimes, at least them!

Teaching English...

2009-03-31T20:52:00.003+02:00

Foto from Flickr

…is a serious matter! I’m not only a language learner, of course, I’m also a language teacher. I said ‘of course’ because when you start to study at University, people start to have a different consideration of your knowledge. You become somehow an “authority” and when they need help in your field, they come and ask.

But studying English at Uni you understand that rules work a bit differently from what your teachers used to tell you at liceo. And here starts your dissidio interiore. You want your students to be part of this truth that has been revealed to you. You want to tell them the whole story. For instance, you don’t want to tell them that ‘some’ is used in affirmative sentence, while any in negative and interrogative, but you can’t provide them an alternative rule… You don’t want to show them schemes for MODALITY where it is said that can translate the Italian ‘potere’ and HAVE TO is used when it is not possible to conjugate must and so on.

But if you try to do something like this your students will start to look suspiciously at you. No more rules in English? And what about all the things that have been said so far?! What about books written that way?! Those books that provide you few simple rules to use and understand English?! And you, as a teacher, give up and provide them those schemes and rules that make them feel safe (because that’s what their asking you).

Sometimes, you give them a different example, nevertheless, an exception that could convey to what you know is the4 whole story! Who knows, it could even create some… doubts…

How do you usually judge a book?

2009-03-14T09:57:00.003+01:00

I must confess I do judge books by the cover, if it somehow strikes me, I'll give it a chance. When I say cover I mean the title, or the colours of the cover, or...

The author. I usually give a second chance to someone who told me a beautiful story. (but no more than a second chance, when it disappointed me...).

Then I start to handle the book, and if it smells of love story, I'll give up. I read love stories, but not when that's the main point. Love ( and death and other few topics) occurs in everybody's lives, so you don't need to consider it the main point when you're telling a story. Have you ever read a story without finding love in it?!

So far the book is in my hands...I read something about the author (if I don't know him/her) and then I read the back, usually there is a summary of the story, or something like that (the italian "quarta di copertina"). And that's the final phase, the most critical, now there must be something that strikes me, that intrigues me...
And, of course there is a very final thing that I consider, but it is just a little thing: the price. Of course I don't give up because of money (sometimes I can look for another edition), but when I didn't work, and consequently I had no money of my own, I used to go to bookshop, decide what I wanted and then I went to the city library to take it. This system never failed, and if the book was good I used to buy it.

I've been disappointed very few times by this method that I could say it is almost scientific!
And you?! How do you usually judge a book?!

P.S.
The photo has very little to do with the post, but last time I went to London, instead of the city I visited Notting Hill and Portobello road... and of course I could not but snap a pic of the very famous travel book shop!!!

Ocean Sea

2009-02-24T14:41:00.012+01:00

Sabbia a perdita d'occhio, tra le ultime colline e il mare -il mare- nell'aria fredda di un pomeriggio quasi passato, e benedetto dal vento che sempre soffia da nord.
La spiaggia. E il mare.
[...]
The very beginning of Oceano mare, by Alessandro Baricco
(Sand as far as the eye can see, between the last hills, and the sea -the sea- in the cold air of an afternoon almost past, and blessed by the wind that always bow from the north. The beach. And the sea. translated by Alastair McEwen)

I would never dare to translate Alessandro Baricco. Never.
Because I love him, I adore him as an intellectual and as a novelist.
Ocean Sea is one of my favourite books, maybe my favourite book. I've read it many years ago, and I re-read it sometimes, when I need to read something beautiful.
Ocean Sea is a story, but it is also made of many different stories, one for each character, at least. Baricco's characters are always peculiar: children almost like angels, scientists involved in absurd researches, sailors that can tell marvellous stories without speaking, painters who use water instead of colours...

The story is set around a place called Locanda Almayer, the characters arrive here for different reason, but here they all find the sea, and that will complicate or finally solve their lives.
[...]
Questo è un posto che quasi non esiste. E se chiedi della locanda Almayer, la gente ti guarda sorpresa, e non sa.
[...]
Oceano mare, by Alessandro Baricco

When you read Baricco's stories, either this one, or any other, you must remember that nothing is there by chance, not even punctuation. The use of lay-out and punctuation is one of his main characteristic, in his novels you can find very long sentence (more than a page) and very short ones. The organization on the page tries to represent the scene he is describing, to emphasize words, and so it is a kind of description without the usual devices.
[...]
Spiaggia. E il mare.
Luce.
Il vento dal nord.
Il silenzio delle maree.
Giorni. Notti.
[...]

La prima cosa è il mio nome,

la prima cosa è il

mio nome, la seconda quegli occhi,

la prima cosa è il

mio nome, la seconda quegli occhi, la terza è un pensiero,la quarta la notte che viene,
[...]
Oceano mare, by Alessandro Baricco

The narrator plays an important role in Baricco's novel, it is a voice that follows all the stories and knows many things about the characters, s/he sometimes stops the narrations to tell external stories or to explain why they are behaving in a particular way. Humor is another great characteristic of Baricco's style, he underlines situations in order to make the reader smile.

Pensa rimugina e riflette e ragiona. Poi di scatto salta giù dal davanzale. Dalla parte della camera, s'intende. Bisognerebbe avere le ali per saltare giù dall'altra.
[...]
Rimane lì il bambino con gli occhi fissi sul mare. Ci resta per un po'. Poi guarda bene che intorno non ci sia nessuno e di scatto salta giù dal davanzale. Dalla parte della spaiggia, s'intende.
Oceano mare, by Alessandro Baricco

It is almost impossible to summarize the whole content of this novel, because there are many different stories composing one story, and if you listen to it "...you'll hear the voice of the Sea".

Here you can find a review, and probably a better description of what this novel deal with.

My own time...

2009-02-20T10:55:00.003+01:00

Time is becoming more and more important in my everyday life, and that's something new to me. I have always been very well organized, it is not lack of modesty, but attending 2 different schools I have learned how to organize my own time in order to do what I really want to do!

But in the last year I realized that there are things I need to give up in order to pursuit what is important for me now. Time at University is different, my spare time is shorter, or perhaps just different...

And I started to think about how I spend/waste my time, how I can control it, if I still control it, and I realized that there is something wrong if you can't control your time. When you don't decide by yourself how much you want to dedicate to things you love, or you need, you don't feel satisfied (I'm not saying happy, I don't dare!).

The most beautiful present I could receive now is a little bit of time to dedicate to myself... but I'm not sure I could accept it right now!

Sometimes....

2009-02-10T21:21:00.004+01:00

Sometimes you get up so early in the morning....

Sometimes you are ready to come back as soon as you get to University...

Sometimes you expect to hear that you have to be back for the exam the day after, and you are told that you'll be the last of that very day.

Sometimes you wait so long for your exam that you have no more hope, and you seriously think to run away...

Sometimes when you enter the door your expectations are so low...

Sometimes professors are not that bad, and somehow they try to help you...

Sometime you run to get the train and your heart is lighter...

Sometimes on the train you see a friend you haven't met for ages, and you deserve a fine talk....

Sometimes you come back home really late, but you are happy!

L'epifania tutte le feste si porta via

2009-01-05T19:10:00.002+01:00

Well, tomorrow Christmas is definitely over, as my granmother used to say. And so the template will change and I have no excuse for my studies, no more lunch and dinner to prepare, presents to buy, or people to visit. Back to routine, and to my worries for this coming exams...

But, a new year to fulfil my dreams and to find my way, remembering all I have reflected on during this Christmas time.

I hope I can find more time to post this new year, because I'm becoming a little lazy with my blog!

Those few who come intentionally here, keep an eye on me, please, I need your help as you well know!
Anybody "new" who come across this message in a bottle in the huge sea of the Web, leave a comment, it will be an encouragement to do always my best!

A merry Christmas

2008-12-26T15:55:00.003+01:00

My sister did her best to arrange the tree and Presepe! She did a good job indeed!

A merry Christmas, full of laugh, of people, children happy to receive so many and wonderful presents, friends smiling and joking, my family joint together, delcious food prepared with love, new traditions to carry on... That was my best Christmas present!

What about you? did you have a Merry Christmas?

Love and peace be in your heart in these days of Joy!

Buon Natale

Ashamed...

2008-12-20T12:48:00.004+01:00

I decided to study languages because I believe in communication: I think it is a great opportunity the ability of talking with people of different culture. I like the idea of meeting people with different tradition and to communicate with them.
I was very happy, last year, when I came in contact with these technological tools that could help you to learn a language, but also to get in touch with different cultures.
Last week I was talking with a friend of mine, a not-very-technological woman, and I was explaining her that all I have done for Christmas, so far, was finding a new template for my blog. She stared at me, and said: "You have a blog?!" and I felt a bit ashamed of saying "Yes, I have".

Of course, there is nothing to be ashamed of, but my attitude to this kind of thing is that. None of my friend know the URL of my blog, and I don't want them to know it. Not because of what I write here, but...

Probably is because of the way people think about this kind of tools, and about people who use them. I don't write much personal stuff here, and I don't use it as a personal diary, but I don't want to explain every time what is the difference in my use of this things... That's probably why...

A place called home

2008-12-06T13:36:00.015+01:00

How many places can you call home?

Well, of course there is my home, where i come back every evening, and where i'm not always happy to be back(travelling is much more fun). But there are other places that I can call home, and I realize it every time I go back there, and I can find my way there...

My Granma used to tell me that her house was our home, that we should consider it so, because whenever we need to be at home, we could go there, and so it was! Even now that she is no longer in this world and her house is something completely different, I consider it home.

One of the first time I went to my uncle on my own (after several years...) I went out for a walk in the country around there, and there I realized that I could perfectly recognize where I was and I didn't lost, I felt at home. It was ages since I last walk there, but even though I was alone I managed to find my way...

My mum's uncle live in a beautiful place near Treviso called Valdobbiadene, and they make a marvellous wine called Proseccoand Cartizze. I seldom go there, last time it was a couple of weeks ago... everything is the same. Only it seems to me a bit smaller! The huge room where we used to have lunch when I was a child is now so tiny. How could we run in such a small place?! And the kitchen where my mum's aunts used to prepare so much food (those lunch started at 12 and ended not before 4 p.m., children were allowed to leave the room before the end of lunch!). And again finding things the way I can remember them I felt at home

These are the things that make me feel at home, places where I can wander, people that loves me. Places where I can arrive and leave whenever I need, where even being away for so long, once I'm back everything is the same.

So, How many places can you call home?

Nice trip into science world!

2008-12-04T21:09:00.004+01:00

No photo this time!

Another meeting for bloggers, but without any evidence! I'm just back home (well, I had dinner before start writing!) from Pisa, where I met A.C. and qualcosa di bello, and her "baby"! We spent a beautiful day trying to understand something about scientific research. If You have any question ask qualcosadibello, she knows!

It is always a surprise that there are so many different ways to get in contact with people, and that just writing some random thoughts, you have the chance to meet such beautiful people.

I have no other words for tonight, (I had few words during the whole day!)...
but thank you!

Let it snow, let it snow...

2008-11-24T11:53:00.005+01:00

This morning I woke up early enough to bring my sister to the train station by car because it was raining and when I got back... it was snowing!! I live near a crowded street, full of cars, expecially in the morning, and today it is particularly silent...

"let it snow, let it snow, let it snow..."

Discover Dean Martin!

Surprise surprise...

2008-11-18T23:03:00.005+01:00

foto from Flickr

It is at least surprising with this great crisis, money crisis, University crisis, whatsoever crisis... that my University was able to buy three (not just one, but three!) new German vocabularies!

I'm almost moved... and pleased, because the former were impossible to use!
... I attend to the 2nd oldest University in the world, you know!

Out of my window...

2008-11-13T10:52:00.005+01:00

Image taken from here.

They go on saying that the world is changing, or better, is changed. The new President of United States of America, is the final sign of this change.

Before the election I was (most of all) curious to see whether Americans were brave enough to elect a President like Obama. Yes, you need courage to have such a President, for several reasons that I'm not going to investigate here. I'm happy that he's been elected, because, even though I'm not American (and proud to be Italian, despite Silvio...), I'm aware of the great influence of U.S. on the world. I'm happy because he seems to be a man able to do unpopular choices.

Since the day of his election I see people exulting there(in America) and here (in Italy). It is clear why Americans are happy about it, but it is not so clear to me why the Italians are so happy! I mean, we're governed by the same people as before, the only hope for us is... an invasion(remember Fascism?)! And what is more, we would have never elected such a candidate! And I'm not talking about the colour of his skin! I'm talking about those unpopular choices that we're not able to do... We want our leaders to be the image of what we would like to be, and not real persons who tell us what the real problems are.

So, keep on celebrating, but out of my windows it is still raining...

My head is so heavy...

2008-11-12T13:52:00.003+01:00

I'm cold! Again.
I'm realizing how important is breathing, seriously!I hate feeling like this...

Probably is due to cold, or probably not, but I fell like I can't focus things I have to do and things I need to do, I feel like I'm wasting my time, but I don't know... I'm doing many different things...

I don't think it is only due to my cold...
(I'm so concentrated on breathing, that even thinking is becoming difficult!!)

Trick or what?!

2008-10-31T20:19:00.005+01:00

I have already written about Halloween... I have nothing against this day, but I can't stand children wandering asking trick or treat...
I spent few lines to explain what importing a tradition from another culture means to me, and I don't want to repeat it again...

This evening I was going shopping and I saw some of this children dressed as witches or monsters. The first thing that came into my mind was :"Why here?! There are no Houses here around!" The second was: "If they dare even think about coming to my door I'll throw them rotten eggs!"

I don't hate children, mind you! And I can perfectly see that it is not their fault, but that's not a celebration of our culture and I cannot see any serious reason to celebrate it...
Thank God tomorrow there will be no more Halloween!

Back to my passions...

2008-10-19T15:17:00.003+02:00

This year at University I don't have regular courses, but just few exams left, and that's why is so difficult to work hard! Also, I want to start playing my guitar a bit more this year. I have a project, well, I have this project since the day I get my degree in guitar, but I found several obstacles so far...

This time I want to try seriously this way, and who knows where it could lead... I miss it so much! Playing my guitar some hours each day...
Sometime I wonder how I managed to study at the University, and in a Conservatory for so many years, but it was not tough, never! In Italy classical guitar in a conservatory is a ten-years course, and when you start it you think it is such a long path that you probably never see the end, but when you reach the end of this path you realize that you're never ready, or at least that's what I experienced, I could never thought of me ending my studies...

Teaching music is a way to keep me in contact with my studies even when I don't have time enough to study, but now I want something more, I want to try to do something more!
wish me luck, or better "in bocca al lupo" (musicians are always superstitious!!)!

2008-10-07T10:51:00.005+02:00

foto from Flickr

I'm back to my last courses at University, and because I know I will have no time for choosing books to read, I read a final book for my pleasure before starting!

Of course, when you start reading a book you hope it will be pleasant, but when I started to read "girl with the pearl earring" I was totally and completely fascinated by the story of this young maid. I entered her world in her house and then starting to feel what she felt. It is so well written, that even though I read it in English ( I'd rather read in the original language when I can do it!), I was really involved in the story! I watched the clouds with her trying to figure out the different colours, I felt ashamed for the attention of a butcher's son, and confused for the secret errands she had to do for her master...
The story deals with the life of a girl who is the maid in Vermeer's house, and besides her duty as a maid she starts helping her master preparing the color for his paintings. There is nothing morbid about their relation and the way they work together, but there is a kind of unsaid attraction between the two. Things become a little bit complicated when Vermeer's Patron notices the girl and wants to be painted with her...
I won't tell you anything more, but be sure that is worth reading!

Some hours in Rome...

2008-10-05T18:51:00.023+02:00

...not even a day! I had time just for a walk, starting with San Peter.

Passing by, because I had no time to stand in a queue...

Then I passed by Castel Sant'Angelo, and I stopped few minutes in the park, just to read my map and decide the next target...

Which could not but be Trinità dei Monti, and to reach it I went along a street, where I could see Bulgari, Cartier, Buccellati... and I was wondering what kind of place it was... The to decided the next stop of my trip I realize that I was passing by via Condotti!!

It's almost impossible to take a picture without people in it, when you're in Rome...

I went up the stairs, and up there I decided the next stop...

...can you guess where I am?!
I thought I could sit for a moment, bu when I reached Fontana di Trevi I realized that it was too crowded!

So, I stopped just a minute to watch the tourists taking picture of the wife/son/daughter/boy-girl-friend throwing a coin...

Then through unknown ways I arrived in Via Venezia from where I could see Altare della Patria, but I didn't dare go up the stairs here! (once in a lifetime, and I had already done it!)

When you're there you cannot avoid to see Colonna traiana and Foro di Traiano, of course!

And if you go up to reach Piazza del Campidoglio you can see the whole city (almost)...

And then you can easily recognize Marco Aurelio when you arrive...

So far I was almost tired (it is a really long way...) but I thought I could take a bus to come back, so I decided to go on (Colosseo is so near...)

...but I just managed to reach Tempio di Vesta which is just opposite La Bocca della verità! Then I had to come back, no more time, and no more energy for my quick trip in Rome!

more Photos!

2008-09-27T13:27:00.003+02:00

These days I had time enough and I wondered trough the blogosphere. By chance I found a beautiful blog (click here to see it). The photos you'll see are wedding photos!

I must confess I am not exactly fond of wedding photos, usually (or at least in Italy) there are people in unnatural pose with strange expression on their faces.

But these are totally different! There are unusual landscape and photos taken during the party or the ceremony that seem to reflect the different personality of people. Probably the best thing is go and see!
Hope you'll enjoy as I did!

simple and cute!

2008-09-17T16:38:00.003+02:00

Saturday I went to a marriage. We have a little choir for friends, usually, but this time was for people we didn't know. They are friends of a friend of ours... Anyway, when we went to the church Saturday morning we could see little sunflowers everywhere! Such a beautiful landscape for this marriage! Sunflowers were surrounded by little green and pink meadows...

These 2 guys are really fantastic, he is from Colombia, and she's Italian, they have been living together for 5 years because they were married in Colombia, and now they are in Italy too.
She cut her hair at the beginning of September in order not to have problem in hair dressing and he was so nervous before she appeared that Saturday...

So sweet, and so simple...
After the ceremony we were allowed to steal a sunflower! Unfortunately it won't last long... but they were so cute!

09/11

2008-09-11T13:46:00.004+02:00

09/11/2001 I had one of the best ice cream of my whole life. I was in Sirmione on the Garda lake, and suddenly everybody went to watch the TV nearby, I went too and I saw what seemed to be a film. The attack, the tower collapsing... so unreal! I didn't realize immediately what that could mean, but then I remember that the strong feeling we had was fear. What will the Americans do after that?!

In 2003 I was attending my first year at University, the very day of the attack on Baghdad I had a lesson in the Political Science department! When I reached Piazza Antenore I understood that reaching my class that day would have been really hard. There were many students outside, complaining for the attack. I had economics, and since I don't understand a thing about economics, all I wanted was to go and see whether my Professor was going to teach us something that day. He arrived and was going to do his lessons when some students came in to call us to join the demonstration. After deciding to stay there, our Professor asked us “Do you know what happened on 9/11?!” Who didn't?! And someone asked back: “What year?”

I had already read The House of the Spirits, And I knew what happened in Chile in 1973, but I had never realized that the day of the coup d'état was 09/11...

On 11th September Augusto Pinochet overthrew Allende's government, with the help of United States intelligence. During the military Junta of those years there was a word largely used: desaparecidos, disappeared. All those who had something against the government simply disappeared.

In 1998 Pinochet was arrested for Crimes against Humanity. He was practically never processed, because of his health problems or many other little reasons.

Today is 09/11, and even though I live in Italy there are many programs on TV remembering us what happened 7 years ago. I respect those people who died in Twin Towers attack, and their families too, their sufferance.

But is there any respect for the more than 3000 people who died during Pinochet's government?! Are they once more desaparecidos?!

Things you learn going to University...

2008-09-05T16:01:00.003+02:00

This morning I sat the German written exam, I had to translate a text that my teacher took from La Repubblica, an Italian newspaper.
So far nothing strange, but the article dealt with the biological problem in language learning! Researchers from the University of Chicago have found out that there is an area in our brain that help us (or doesn't) to learn a foreign language. If this area is well developed you'll make no particular effort to learn the language, instead...

Was she trying to tell us something?!?!

P.S.
For those lucky of you, who know this marvellous language that is Italian the article is here!

As I promised

2008-08-29T11:23:00.009+02:00

here there are some images of my holiday!

As you can guess I don't feel like putting my guys' pics here,

so, enjoy the landscape!

We couldn't bath here unfortunately, too cold!

But so beautiful!

And that's the best way to keep you warm!

and now...

2008-08-23T12:44:00.004+02:00

...I'm back home! the climate is hot again (and wet!), no more marvellous landscape around me, and my head full of worry for my next exams.

I enjoyed so much those days with my guys, lightening a fire every night, and somehow going back to what is really important to me. What I absolutely need in my life, and what i don't!

It is so strange that ten days make my life somehow so different, it is not only a matter of contact to nature, probably is due to the people that were with me, the feeling you have when people surround you and are ready to help you...

I spent 10 wonderful days, I've been so tired this week, and now I know I have so many things to do... but I'm ready and back home!

P.S. I'll post some photos in the next few days, the thing is I didn't take them with my camera, so be patient (as I am!!).

Ready?! Go!!

2008-08-07T21:25:00.003+02:00

I'm going to the mountains! I'll leave on Sunday morning. Me and 20 boys and girls from 12 to 16 (and some other adults with me of course!!) 10 days sleeping in a tent, lighting a fire to prepare lunch and dinner, and living in what is really Nature.

One could say that is not exactly holiday, no rest (definitely) and taking care of other people. But I really enjoy this 10 days (I do this kind of holiday every year!), even though some mornings I'll wake up wondering why I decided to go there, and some other I won't be able to get up, some days I'll be discouraged by the weather or what else... But when back, I'll be so happy, and smiling, and tired, of course, and I'll remember my guys' smile during these days...

So, ready??!! Go!!

My birthday present has bloomed

2008-07-19T14:05:00.002+02:00

A huge flower on a not so big plant. It lasts only a day. Then you have to wait until the next flower.

new opportunities

2008-07-18T11:19:00.003+02:00

As you should have understood so far, I'm desperately trying to find a good way to improve my German (I'm not saying that my English is perfect...). I subscribed a blog with German podcast, without finding there a real help, mainly because I have no great time to spend with podcast, but today I found there something very useful for a "languagelearner"!
http://www.bitesizedlanguages.com/
In this site you can subscribe (totally free) and then receive e-mails with words and phrases in the language you are learning. Unfortunately now there are only three languages available:
spanish
portuguese
french
But you can also subscribe for language to come, among which I found German.

In the meantime, I have also subscribed portuguese, because it has always fascinated me. Such a strange language, with a peculiar sound...

Language learning is relative....

2008-07-09T20:30:00.004+02:00

My father always says that learning Italian is quite easy.

Then he usually goes on saying that the reason why Italian is so easy is that words are pronounced the very way you write them. This is more or less true. We have pronunciation rules, that's all. German too! But we also have a very complicated verbal system composed of several modes and tenses.
At this point in the conversation my sister usually says :"Some modes and tenses are no longer used in Italian!". She refers to passato remoto, and some kind of congiuntivo. Go and ask to southern people if they no longer use passato remoto!!

Passato remoto is used to narrate events that happened very long ago, or at least that's what my teacher told me when I was 6! Speaking Italian I very rarely use passato remoto (telling once-upon-a-time stories, imitating southern people...), a class mate of mine, who come from the south of Italy used passato remoto to tell me about events that occurred the day before...

When I spoke to Elena (American student), during the exchange, I had the opportunity to ask her what is her greatest difficulty speaking Italian. I expected she to say: Italian verb system. She told me several things that were difficult for her, but she didn't mention verbs! I must confess I was a bit disappointed!

My German teacher in my first year at the University, used to underline that Italian is far more complicated than German, because irregular verbs in German show their irregularity in precise "points": 2nd and 3rd singular person, Praeteritum, and Partizip. No more no less. While in Italian you don't know where you can find irregularities.
Anyway someone should remind her that German still have declination for nouns, articles, and adjectives, and there is no way at all to guess the gender of words!

So... time is not the only relative thing, I assume!

be correct-ed!

2008-06-30T13:59:00.005+02:00

When we were having our student exchange with American students, Sarah told us to pay attention when we talk Italian with them, not to talk too fast, not to use strange words and structures, and not to correct them too much when they talk!

Then, I asked Elena whether it was all right, in our exchange, the way I talked to her, the words I used, if I was too quick. That was mainly because Sarah told us they were intimidated by our English, and their Italian was not at the same level (consider they've been studying Italian only for 4 years).
I've always said to Elena that she could feel free to correct me any time I deserve it, she's never done it, not because I didn't deserve it, just because she's very kind! I corrected her only if she said incomprehensible words or totally failed the structure, and that happened rarely too.
I noticed that sometimes native speakers avoid doing so. When I talked to Sarah, or with my cousins, I realized that I had said something wrong (always after having said it!), but they never interrupt me. I like the idea of finishing my sentence, but I also appreciate the opportunity of improving my language, so I don't feel uncomfortable when someone corrects me!

I didn't. Last week I had an oral exam on linguistics with an American (native speaker) teacher, she's never corrected me while I was talking about the subject matter, but when the exams finished she corrected me 3 times while I was asking about my other marks... I made some very silly mistakes (...she didn't told us...), and I felt so irritated! And I thought about those things Sarah told us about correcting people that are learning a language...

I still think I need corrections, probably what irritated me so much is the particular relation I have with that teacher, and so it was not the correction, but the one who was correcting me! But probably I've also learned that when you are learning a foreign language you need to talk, first of all.
My best friend went to live in Germany, and when she was trying t learn German her boyfriend's family always corrected her mistakes (German is a very difficult language!!), and she hates them doing so. I tried to explain her that they probably had the best intention, but without a real success.

Italian and German are not so popular as foreign languages (German is becoming more popular, but still schwierig!), and so Italian and German people are not used to talk with people who are learning their language, while English people are used to, and so a bit more polite, probably.

Anyway, probably you shouldn't correct each and every words one says, but sometimes I found useful that someone, politely, underlines my mistakes, to help me improving!

my boring, boring studying....

2008-06-18T19:02:00.003+02:00

Once again I'm studying hard for my exams. Today and the day after I'll be sitting German (tomorrow I'll have a 5 hours written test: a torture!), then it will be English (linguistic) then German literature first and second part and English literature. And then I have finished for June and July, because I've done some continuous assessment during the lessons...

I don't have much energy for these exams, I hope they'll finish soon, but I know I will be feeling guilty in the end because I haven't done so many as I wish...

Anyway It has been such a full year for my learning that I can be satisfied!

Blogging or not blogging?

2008-06-07T19:16:00.000+02:00

Actually, I've already found an answer to this question but the thing is: Will I be able to do this without Sarah asking me to write a post every week?

One could say that if I like to write my blog (as I've said more than once...)... well, Yes I can (It seems to bring luck, this slogan... not in Italy!)

Those little flags...that's the kind of help I need... and comments (also corrections!!), of course!

Will you help me?!

I am 1716

2008-06-02T16:53:00.001+02:00

It is an experiment, to see how long it will take to get 1,000,000 blogs to list themselves on this site.
Now, I'm 1716, go and sign in if you find it interesting!

My personal language environment/2

2008-06-02T11:22:00.008+02:00

Here we are thinking about our way of learning, the opportunities around us, and how to use them properly. Here we are, again.
I don't think there is much difference from the first time I analysed my personal language environment. The greatest change is that I am going to finish my classes at University (I hope, let's see my next exams...), and so the larger part of it will be informal. Those new tools I have added during this course, and in my years at the University, will play a different role. I have found many new occasions of improving my language and to test my intercultural competence, and I had the opportunity to decide what is better for me. I won't attend regular lessons (perhaps), and so I have to reflect on how keep on learning, and I'm ready to reflect on it,because I have many different tools.

I think the blogosphere is going to play a great role in my future learning experience, because I found an enjoyable way of training my skills, I found people who are (surprise, surprise) interested in what I write, and who give me advice and opinions. Relating my learning experience to people is a great way to keep on learning, because I'm always interested in communicating with other people and because, as someone told me recently, 'life is all about people'.

Learning grammar...

2008-05-26T13:28:00.000+02:00

Male student: "You sure do make love good."
Female teacher, in bed next to male student: "Well. I make love well."

Grammar Snobs are Great Big Meanies-June Casagrande

Thinking about it....

2008-05-14T11:58:00.008+02:00

For the end of this second semester we again have to reflect on our intercultural competence. To help us in this hard task we had a questionnaire.

It is always a good thing to stop and reflect on what you did, in order to understand what concrete goals you achieved, and in what way.

This exchange with American students gave us first of all an occasion to reflect on our own culture. I had to reflect on my culture, in order to explain her things in the most objective way, and then to add my opinion. I was always glad to answer her questions and discuss the "topic of the week". I like the idea of comparing our two lifestyles, but sometimes I had to remind me that she's younger than me ( Elena's 18, while I'm 24), and probably we have different approach to life.
I have never had problems or misunderstandings, even when we compared things different for our cultures. For example when we talked about death penalty, although our opinion were so different, we compare our ideas respectfully, I really appreciated it.
I learnt many things about their lifestyle, about education, and of course many about election system that was the topic of our final project.
Another particular thing was that those guys are children or grandchildren of immigrants, and so discussing with them about immigration provided a particular point of view, it was no more a matter of American and Italian culture.
I really appreciated this activity, and I think I was particularly lucky because doing it not inclass but in my spare time there were always just the two of us talking. I hope that Elena too had found it interesting, probably the fact that at a certain point we realized that we spent more than an hour talking together reveals that we enjoyed the conversations.

To whom it may concern...

2008-05-13T11:20:00.002+02:00

... here it is the URL of our webpage on the wiki. I'm posting it just because in the latest comments someone told me that was interested in it.
The lay-out is almost fixed!

http://tulanepadova.pbwiki.com/ItaliaUSA_Election_System

Hope you find it interesting.

The three of us...

2008-05-08T10:21:00.003+02:00

chatting together to organize our page on the wiki... a mess! Definitely a mess!

Elena is so kind, she wants to do more than what is her duty, because she's worried that Anna and I are doing too much! Anna is trying to understand our project and wants to make some changes, but it is no time for changing, our deadline is next Monday! She's doing an awesome work with graphic! She added marvellous pictures!

But chatting instead of talking was... such a confusion, because we were writing at the same time three different things, and when you're writing you don't wait until the other finish what she's saying...

"excuse me, can't we have a call?"

Oohh, ok girls, that works! We managed to decide who's going to do what...

Just to answer to some of your comments, after Monday I'll put a link to the page, so you can go and read a bit of stuff! Remember, part of it is in Italian!!

so much time...

2008-05-01T18:21:00.005+02:00

... I haven't been writing for so much time!

But I was busy trying to understand what to do with my final project, and preparing the presentation for Prof. Taylor (also English), and trying to find something interesting for the final project with prof. Busà too. Yes, our English course consist of many different parts (this year only three, but in my last year before the degree there were 5 different exams to take and last year they were 4 written, and 2 oral parts to have the final mark for Lingua inglese I!), and I have to dedicate them time enough now, in order to do other exams in June, like German literature and so on...

This idea of comparing Italian and American culture through the analysis of a particular topic is really a good thing! The other great thing is that we're working with American students! Tomorrow I will be skyping with Elena to point out our job, what she is going to do, what I'm going to do and so on, and I'll make sure she has properly understood how the elections in Italy work, while she will be solving my doubts about American election system!

I keep on wondering in the blogosphere, and I always find something surprising! I've put a couple of new URL in my blogroll, and I visited different websites! And I'm still fascinated by the possibility of technology...

This week...

2008-04-25T19:14:00.003+02:00

...no Skype! Elena and I decided not to skype this week in order to get some material for our final project. I thought I could have a bit of relax today, but eventually I decided to study a bit, considering what I have to do next week!

So, no relax for me, and a bit of study!

Today in Italy we are on holiday, it is the day in which we celebrate the liberation from Fascism, thanks to some real heroes that gave their life to have freedom for the whole country!

I've heard of some politician (man, or woman) who's not celebrating this day... I hope I have misunderstood...

A wonderful occasion!

2008-04-17T22:37:00.006+02:00

Last Monday I went to Venice where I find qualcosa di bello, literally, I found her and her husband and we enjoyed together a bit of Venice. They are so kind, I don't know how to say, but I felt as if I already knew them. And then I found a post on her blog...

This is the first day after Monday that I can see my blog and find the time to write a bit, I've put some pictures in the post I took on Monday, it was a wonderful day and we had wonderful weather!
I really want to thank them both for the wonderful, wonderful day!

Skype exchange: 2weeks in one post!

2008-04-17T21:56:00.003+02:00

The topic Elena and I discussed last Thursday was the election in Us and in Italy. We talked about election last time too, but on Friday we focused on the candidates and I wanted to know a something more precise about American candidates, unfortunately she was able to tell me about the Democrats, but not about the Republican! Italian TV are not talking about republican candidate because of the primary for democratic party...For Italian people is quite strange to think about two different candidates running for the same party, and she explained me that Obama and Hillary have more or less the same ideas, but they are proposing a different idea of leadership.

Honestly, last time we talked, we discussed deeply about elections, and of course we finally even talked about the candidates, so after we hadn't so much time to spend on this topic, and I asked her a bit about her language learning experience with Italian. I was curious to know what are the main difficulties in learning Italian, I thought the verb system was the main one, but Elena (admitting it is difficult) does not think so! She 's making a great effort in this exchange and I really appreciate her courage!

This week we started talking about the final project, we are supposed to compare a cultural issue in Italy and in U.S., not that easy, eh?!
We decided to talk about electoral system, the idea is: I'll get some information in order to understand how the American electoral system works, and she'll get some information about the Italian one, then we explain each other and try to be sure of what we understood. Then we will work together on the comparison of the two!

Our final project should be written in English and Italian, I'll write the English part, Elena will write half of the Italian part and I'll do the other in Italian... I think it could be a great occasion, even though it will be hard work, mainly because we are juast two, while in the other group there are four people, se they can divvide more the job!

Anyway, that's all! I feel we'll do a great job!

My pleasures

2008-04-11T17:48:00.003+02:00

One of the amazing things since I have a blog in my second language (English) is to click on my Feed jit map to go and see how many people from different countries come to read me! I can see that someone has probably written a wrong URL or has just clicked on a link without real intention to read what I wrote, but when I see those little falgs on India, Brazil, Australia, and from different places in Italy as well, I feel a bit "proud".
And I like very much the idea that I can reach people so far from me...

Near and far from America...

2008-04-07T08:55:00.002+02:00

This week, our topic to discuss was Election. The election system in Italy and in America, the candidates and so on...
The first question was really difficult, because she asked me my opinion about Berlusconi, I wanted to be as objective as possible, but I'm not! The election will be in a week, and I've got an idea of who I'm going to vote, so I have even a precise idea of who I'm absolutely not going to vote. Anyway I tried to explain my reasons and that is my own opinion, and if you ask my class mates you'll find many different opinions.
Then she asked me about "quote rosa" because we wrote something on the forum about it, and again she asked my opinion... And again I tried to be as objective as possible, but I'm definitely against this "anti-discrimination system", because I do not think it is effective! I can't imagine to vote someone just because they are female (or male), and not because of their opinion or their value. It is anyway, unfortunately true that women have no place enough in politics, but I think we should try other ways!

I particularly enjoyed this discussion on Friday with Elena, because I asked her something about death penalty, it was a topic we discussed on the forum, and I understood she agree with it. It is something strange that two 20-something girls who live in the west have so different opinion on a topic like this. America is the country in which there are less cultural difference with Europe (I think...), but anyway we see it in two completely different ways.
I didn't try to convince her, and she didn't try to convince me, of course! But it made me think about how far we are sometime even though our origin is the same...

Yoga, nothing to do with the physical exercise!

2008-03-30T19:24:00.005+02:00

I've been told since when I started University!
"You should be able to assess yourself."

I'm not! Or, at least, not without great effort! But I perfectly agree that is important to know how to assess your personal ability in order to reach new goals!
To assess my personal intercultural competence was particularly difficult, because there are many things that work in our mind without we are conscious of. Schemes, stereotypes, help you to comprehend the world around you, and they are not always a negative thing, but we are not always conscious of how much they influence our perception.

So, to assess my awareness of negative reactions to differences was quite a problem, how can I be sure that I do not think my reactions are due to the cultural differences when it is so?
Our mind sometime reacts in a very particular way (take an exam of social psychology if you don't believe me!) and we cannot be aware of that.

Anyway, I really reckon it is useful to value these different things (Awareness, Knowledge, Attitude, Language Proficiency and Skills), to stop and think about it let you know that these kind of mechanisms exist, and then maybe next time you'll be able to suspend judgement, or just to be aware that your judgement is due only to the cultural difference!

About technology

2008-03-20T17:29:00.002+01:00

There is only a thing...

Today I've been talking for an hour with a girl who lives in the USA, thanks to an exchange organized by my Language course at the University.

This morning I had to take a train To go to Padua to pick up a piece of paper to do my Easter homework for my Language course at the University.

Technology is a strange thing!

Hello, are you there?

2008-03-20T16:42:00.003+01:00

There? Where?
I don't know, but that was the first thing that came into my mind to be sure that our phone call started! at the beginning it was...awkward! Because we do not know each other, but we were supposed to talk about several things!

We started in English, so that Elena could feel at ease, and talking about University, and why she decided to study Italian, I understood that her family (or rather part of it) live in a city very near to my Rovigo!

Then we went on talking about the new topic: terrorism and immigrants. I learnt a lot of things!For example, I thought that the"typical" immigrant in US came from Europe, or China, but now there are a lot of people coming from Mexico!
I appreciate the opportunity to ask her how did she feel about 9/11, because in Italy we saw it was a tragedy, but probably we felt it as a thing very far from us. I think she was a bit disappointed for my answer about terrorism, but she asked me about an "experience" (my own or my parents') that I could not tell her. It is quite strange but these are events so recent that we didn't study at school, and we are too young, so we didn't experienced it!
We talked a bit about election too, because Iraq is an important point in the candidates' programs, and it is time for election in US.

It was a nice experience! Really I was worried to succeed (technology problems of any kind could emerge!), but everything was all right!
I enjoyed it.

Padova-Dickinson: task 3

2008-03-14T17:43:00.004+01:00

Ok group,
our task for Monday is to come up as a group with an interesting question about American Culture, looking at the answers they've given to the questionnaire!

We can start from my blog, where I'll suspend "moderazione dei commenti" for this week, and then we will post to our course-blog the question!

Looking at the wiki, I read that two topics we were interested in are politics and immigrants, and those two are the more different visions between Italy and America.
Then, there is another interesting observation written by Alberto about the idea of individualism...

The thing is Sarah pointed out we should come up with a question that could provoke interesting discussion, not that easy eh?
So, start making comments to say what you think could be an interesting topic!
I'll be waiting for your answers!

listen to the music....

2008-02-20T14:23:00.004+01:00

I'm working quite hard, and I have little time to write... But I'm not only studying... the 7th of March I will have a concert, so my sister and I are studying, or at least trying!!

We'll perform a very particular duet: bassoon and guitar! we'll play this Paçoca, among many other works of Brazilian authors. I particularly like Brazilian music, and so to make you forgive my absence I post this video, obviously a flute and a bassoon are very different, but I hope you'll enjoy!

That's why I'm not blogging...

2008-02-05T09:21:00.000+01:00

Have you ever heard of "Le sudate carte"? Leopardi knew how hard University can be !

That's what is keeping me busy!
Hope to finish soon...

Viva Viva la Befana!

2008-01-06T18:53:00.001+01:00

As far as I know La befana is a whole Italian tradition, and once it was the only occasion in which children were given gifts! The Coca-cola hadn't provide Santa yet! (Before I was born, of course!)
When I was a child I accurately chose the socks to put near the window (we haven't a fireplace, so...). They had to be long, and strong enough to stand the weight of all my sweets... Before the 6th I wrote a letter to her explaining what a good girl I had been, but I've always found a bit of coal inside, which is the gift for those children who didn't behave very well, probably it was a way to explain that we can always improve!

Once, I saw her coming to our house, she arrived not flying on a sweep, but with an old Fiat Cinquecento; me, my sister and my cousins were outside in that very moment, playing something or running, I cannot remember, but what I cannot forget is that I was so scared... My cousin, who was a little older, and couldn't believe in such things, went on claiming that she was a fake, but the thing was that all our relatives were there, so it was hard to identify her real identity. To my eyes she actually was the real Befana, and I think that was the better gift I could receive!

...something like 10 years later we finally managed to understand who she was, anyway that's not important, our parents organized a marvellous surprise!

La befana vien di notte
con le scarpe tutte rotte
col vestito alla romana
viva viva la Befana!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T13:35:00.000+01:00

I was quiet sceptical about writing a post to describe my Christmas celebration before reading the comment to my last post, but now that I'm sure there's at least one's going to read me, I can't avoid!

This has been a very lucky Christmas, I had marvellous presents, such as time to reflect on what this Christmas means to me, chance to look into my friend's eyes wishing them a merry Christmas... I've seen my little cousins opening their presents as if there is nothing else they want, I've made some of Christmas presents by myself, and I saw how surprised was who received them, while I was afraid they could consider them too poor as presents...

It has been a Christmas full of joy, and I managed to organize what I usually have to do for this celebration in order to have time enough to do everything! And that was the great present I made to myself! I've seen so many people around me to remember me that I'm so lucky!

I wish all my Christmas could be so full of joy and laughing!

And I wish you are spending great time during this holiday!

What about Christmas?

2007-12-16T18:26:00.000+01:00

I was wondering around the blogosphere, and of course reading many posts about Christmas, when I started thinking about writing my own post about Christmas... Then I realized that I 'm supposed to use English to write in this blog of mine, and I was considering how hard it could be to write down all my thoughts about Christmas (my feelings towards this celebration, what I'm doing for it etc, etc...).

To use a second language to express yourself is not that difficult, if you're not describing the way you feel; then you have to make an effort to find the right words, and it always seems to me that there are no words to translate exactly what you mean, because there are so many shades of meaning you're aware of when you're using your mother tongue, that you inevitably feel uncomfortable translating them!

On the other hand, that forces me to think before start writing, instead of writing whatever comes into my head! Which is of course an advantage for people who read my posts, they could never find a subsequence of words that means almost nothing... I hope!

I know that it has not a lot to do with Christmas, but it was thinking about Christmas that I made this sort of thought! So, I'll write something about the celebration during Christmas Holiday!

Our last activity... or just latest?

2007-12-14T13:23:00.000+01:00

Hi guys!

Have you seen Sarah's post? We're going to work hard during Christmas Holiday!!

Anyway, she suggested us to get peer feedback before sending the papers, so... probably it would be useful to know our e-mail addresses!Thinking about it... you can send a comment on this post with your e-mail address, as you now perfectly know I read them before publishing (moderazione dei commenti is active on my blog), so I can read your addresses, then I'll send you an e-mail with our group's e-mail, and then I won't publish your comment, so that I'll be the only one able to read them!

Hopefully it will be easier to do than to explain!

Let me know whether you agree or not!
bye

My personal learning environment

2007-12-08T14:13:00.000+01:00

This idea of environment where you learn is.... amazing! I've never thought of it, but actually I'm learning more from what I do in my everyday life than from the number of lessons I attend, and attended in the last years. I'm not saying that those lessons were of no use to me, rather I spent more time out of those lessons, so it is important to define a Personal Language Environment in order to keep on learning!

Let's start identify my Personal Learning Environment at University: my formal education consists of mainly two kind of language lessons at University, one is normally called 'lettorato', where we are supposed to train our language skill, and then there are Language Lessons in which we reflect on the grammar and its rules.
The first are occasion of speaking, and also writing in English, we did activities such as translation, or peer revision, so you can learn from your mates, you can collect suggestions and you learn also correcting them (we make almost the same mistakes...). Our mother-tongue teachers indicate us the best tools to improve our English even outside the lesson.
The second are the classical idea of an English lesson, where we learn the general rules and how to apply them when we're writing and speaking.
Another important part of my formal education are literature lessons, the aim of these lessons is not to teach us anything about the language, but of course they are a way of learning a lot about the culture of the language we're studying, and considering that, mostly in the final years, our teachers speak in English during the lessons, they are surely a way of improving our listening skill.

Then we can go and see the things I do to improve my English... First of all related to those Literature lessons I was talking about, I read a lot of books, and many of them are in English, for example I read all the seven volumes of Harry Potter in English, and that caused me the impossibility of talking about Harry Potter with anybody who read it in Italian, because many of the names of the characters, and of the places are translated (try and guess how many of my friends read it in English...). Normally I like to read in English when it is the language in which the book is written, I would never read any italian book in another language it would sound too strange to me!

Sometimes I read articles from English newspapers, my favourite is The Independent, because it has an easy site to navigate and it is not as formal as others like The Guardian, or full of rumours like The Sun.
I like listening to the music, and of course many of the songs are in English... I'm not convinced that listening to English songs help you that much to improve your language, but surely you update your knowledge because they contain a lot of contractions or informal use of the language!
I'm not forgetting my blog, and all the tools that this first semester provided me, but they are the latest! First of all my blog, where I write once a week to do my homework, but that would be part of my formal education, the thing is that I'm really enjoying this activity, and I started wondering the blogosphere or reading other blogs, and I even subscribed those blogs with Bloglines, so that I track them!
I'm not using so much podcasts, but I'm watching different videos on YouTube and some of them are in English, but that was an activity I did before my latest discoveries on the net, because sometimes I like to watch films in their original language!
Unfortunately I've no great opportunities to travel, but sometimes I go abroad, and those are the best occasion to test your use of the language, and to improve your ability.
I wish I could test my ability more often!

P.S. my personal computer is... in the hospital now, so I couldn't use my scanner to graphically write my PLE, I'll do it as soon as possible!
bye

Don't judge a site by the cover

2007-11-30T11:12:00.001+01:00

Reading the three web pages that Sarah suggested us (1, 2, 3) I realized that the criteria with which I decide which webpages are useful to my research are not strict enough!

The very first thing I value is the lay out, how easy to read and to "handle" it is. That's basically because I don't like to waste my time, and because even though I'm quite skilled at Internet, I'm not exactly an expert, thus I need pages easy to navigate through. But perhaps this is not the only thing to consider...

The other thing I realized is that in the last five years I did very few researches in a library, and many on the Web, without thinking that it is quite different! When you pick up a dictionary, an encyclopedia, or anything similar from a shelf, you're automatically sure that what you're reading is reliable, and you don't need more proofs! But when you open a webpage looking for information, you should ask yourself who's providing you it. And you should also decide what kind of information you need, if you need facts and find opinions... well, it could be a problem when you then go and write what you found out...

Reliability of your sources is a serious matter when you're writing your thesis, or even anything you want to publish on the Web, stating something you don't know where it comes from could create more problems than what you imagine...

What I found interesting in the pages I read about it is that when I have to search some information for a paper or an essay the only place I look in is the Web, and I never ask myself "Where would be a likely place to look?". The other think I never pay attention to is the updating of information, I'd never take anything from an encyclopedia printed in 1990, or at least I'd take it reminding that the information is not particularly updated (which could be of no importance for some matters, or of great importance for others...), but when I open a webpage I never go and see ths kind of think!

There are several things we don't consider properly when we're using the Web, different tools need different reguards...

Go and see on YouTube

2007-11-25T16:03:00.000+01:00

I'm not here to explain what YouTube is! Just try to see if it can be a useful tool to learn English.
Well, I don't know... I spent a lot of time looking for a video (that's why I'm late with my post!!) that could show that YouTube could be useful to learn a language, and I didn't find that much... Anyway it's almost obvious that providing many English videos it can be used to learn a language, but what is the difference with watching a film in its original language? I was looking for a deepest reason to use YouTube instead of a normal dvd...

Well, eventually I found those "Did you Know" video (I'll post one of them...) and I realized that some kind of communication are more effective than other! In this way YouTube can be a great advantage, because when you need to explain something a video can be very impressive (Think about the Web 2.0 video that Sara showed us...). But that's not learning a language, maybe it's teaching...

Well, probably we need to practice a bit more these new tools to understand how to use them properly, so...

Go and see on YouTube!

Why should you learn English?

2007-11-25T15:47:00.001+01:00

Really funny!! Don't mind if you don't understand few German words in the beginning... You'll clearly understand all the rest!

Listen and Learn

2007-11-16T14:05:00.001+01:00

Before doing our latest activity I had a vague idea of what a podcast is, now I even know how to use it in order to improve my English! I spent a couple of hour navigating and I found many interesting site that provide these files, some were of no interest to me, because the level was for beginner, or the topics were not interesting...

There are several thing you can improve in your language-learning thanks to podcasts, first of all your pronounciation, but you can also enlarge your vocabolary. In one of the sites I visited I found some everyday-life dialogue that could teach me many words of common use in English.

Once you found what you're interested in you can easily download these audio-files, and then it is quite easy to bring them with you wherever you want!

The podcasts I chose are:
Englishblog
Introduction to podcast
Free English Lessons

I chose these because they provide example of everyday life in their dialogue, and also some explanation of particular terms used.

I must confess there is something I don't like that much in all this technology... When you listen to them you suddenly realize that they are somehow "fake", if you see what I mean... The way people speak, it is slowly and clearly, which obviously help you to understand every single words, but which does not resemble a real situation! I mean, nobody speak so slowly! Anyway, to solve this problem, you just might look for an intermediate level podcast, or for something that is not created for learners, but the thing then is to find something interesting...

Social Bookmarking

2007-11-13T14:14:00.000+01:00

That is one of those tools you can obviously say "It is helpful", because it helps you to find quickly exactly what you are looking for. When I look for a particular website or web page I usually go to GOOGLE, but sometimes I spend a lot of time checking in the huge amount of results that google provides, without finding what I was searching. Using del.icio.us, I can see how many people have chosen that site, how they labelled it, and I can read some description of it before even seeing it! I spare a lot of time!

Searching for websites that could help us to learn English, I chose dictionaries and particularly slang dictionaries, because it is something that must be updated continuously, and the web gives you the opportunity to update information, and consequently to find updated information!
Many of my mates chose websites similar to mine, or the same as mine, and that's of course because we're interested in the same kind of things!

Some of course were different, and I particularly appreciate one where you can test your level of English, or another where you can see some typical errors. Serena marked a very "peculiar" web page about Beowulf, I found it strange because I don't relate it immediately with language learning, but of course literature, and culture, are part of it! Laura chose one about quotations, it could be useful when you're translating from Italian to English, if you are supposed to render a particular expression.

And finally I succeded!!

2007-11-04T17:41:00.000+01:00

I spent a lot of time to understand what a feed aggregator is and how to use it (and still now I'm not sure of it!). There are mainly two reasons:
the first is that I didn't attend our last lab lesson;
the secon is that I don't like to read instuctions!

I know what you're thinking, if I don't want to read the instructions properly why am I complaining? But the point is that even when I decided to read the instructions I found some words that had no meaning at all to me!!

Anyway I eventually decided that I couldn't be overwhelmed by a machine, and exploring the site after my registration I managed to do it!!

What is the moral? Next time first read the instructions, then turn on the computer... (but the instructions are on the blog, well, I'll think about it next time!)

2007-11-02T08:44:00.001+01:00

Should Halloween be imported to and celebrated in Italy or not?

I cannot stand those little boys and girls going around, shouting in the streets, pretending to know what Halloween is! I know that it could be unpopular as a position, but we're not importing and celebrating Halloween, we're just looking for another excuse to waste some money...

I think that importing tradition is a completely different matter. The reason why a culture usually import someone else's tradition is that two different culture share the same ground (not only physically), and they obviously begin to share part of their culture.

I perfectly understand that those people who came to live in Italy from that Anglo-saxon world that feel Halloween as a tradition continue to celebrate this day! But all those Italians who want to dress strange clothes to resemble someone else should remember that we do have our own traditional celebration of Carnival in Februar!

Two weeks exploring blogosphere...

2007-10-26T17:43:00.000+02:00

Two weeks clicking on blue and green words, new windows that showed me what I was looking for, or that showed me something completely different from what I was looking for... I have seen a lot of curious things, and I could not imagine that it could be so... huge?
I found interesting going to see those blogs, and sometimes I left a message, just to say "I've been here, and I like your blog, and I want you to know it..."

What I found extremely difficult is to write something in my blog! Before deciding what I could put in, I thought "would it be interesting, or is it just boring, and nobody would read it?!". That is probably because I did not decide myself to make a blog, and so I have not a precise idea of what I want it to be (for example I think I will change the title as soon as I found something striking and not banal...).

As a language activity I think that could be helpful! Going around to read something from native speakers is surely a good way to improve your vocabolary, but of course you should be careful, there are many wrong or "unpolite" uses of the language you should avoid rather than learn!

welcome to my blog!

2007-10-17T15:17:00.000+02:00

Hello everybody!

This is my very first blog, and my very first welcome message!

Our task in the English course this year is to create our blog, and that is a completely new experience for me. I like navigate the Web, but that's the first experience of a blog I do!

I've been looking around in other student's blog to see what they wrote, or how they organized their blog...

There are some websites I visit very often: one is obviously that of the university (www.lettere.unipd.it), I have to check information about the courses and so on; then I often go to read some news on the website of The Independent, I like reading some news from a different point of view, and sometimes it is interesting to read how other countries see Italy.

The picture I chose represent one of my great passion: I like mountain, and most of all I like to go walking in summer time when there is no, or little, snow. When you've been walking for an hour or more the way you look at the landscape is different...