Silence is golden. Sometimes.

I wanted to write sth today. A lot of things have been on my mind lately. Couldn't really find the right moment to post. Therefore I put only the pics I took on Sunday. Here they are:

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C'est moi!

To start this weekend I'm posting this incredible advert for Miss Dior perfume. Isn't it adorable.? This is how I imagine Miss Independent in the Jo version. She's happy, free and carefree. And she loves sweets, pink and Paris. Me too.

This weekend I may want to visit some monuments. There are some here which I haven't been able to see not because I'm not interested but because they're always closed (don't ask me for the reason!). This weekend though an important Italian Association FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) decided to open some of the most beautiful and important monuments to the public. This event takes place every year and both tourists and Italians hava a unique chance to see these amazing places with their own eyes and without having to buy a photo album.

Look at this Roman Gymnasium (I'm going on foot if the weather is nice since it is only 20 mins walk from my app) :

Happy weekend everyone!

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.. a day like these...

This week has been a very stressul one. It's all about work, time (never enough to do all the things you need to or want to do), tiredness (in order for me to feel good I need at least 8.5-9 h of sleep per night which is hardly ever doable), deadlines, classes, correction of homework, etc.... Plus this week one of my colleagues has come down with a flu and doesn't come to work and so we need to substitute her all this time... which means of course cancelling my private classes, postponing and then having to recuperate them etc...

Then on Monday another thing happened. At my school we take turns to keep the Emergency cell phone in case a REAL emergency happens to students and the school is closed or they're away for a weekend for instance. This week is my turn to have this phone. So on Monday I came back home from work at 4.00 p.m. and at 5 I started my private lessons. Usually I put my cell phone on the silent mode so that I am not disturbed by anyone (I ask the same of my students). But I cannot turn off or put on the silent mode the Emergency phone... And so at 18.55 the phone rings (I started my last class 25 mins earlier and was supposed to finish at 19.30). That was my colleague, who told me that there's this student who is having diarrhea and a stomachache who had come back from Egypt 3 days before and who didn't want to call us or tell us about his problems before because he had thought he would feel better with time. So I said to my colleague: "Can he wait sth like 30 mins so that I can come to school and take him to the hospital?" My collague (who I like a lot but who very often tends to exaggerate and to make a mountain out of a molehill) said that it was absolutely impossible and that in that situation she would close the school (which normally closes at 20.00) and take the student to the hospital. Well, my mistake was to agree on that (my position at school is higher than hers so I had to give the final decision). I finished my class at 19.30 and immediately called my colleague to find out what was going on. She said she was in the hospital with the student waiting for his turn to see the doctor. What's worse it's the same collague who came down with the flu. In fact she felt terrible and had a fever the whole day on Monday and so by (maybe involuntarily) making a victim, she made me feel even guiltier about all this situation. On the other hand I did everything I was supposed to do- I answered the phone and proposed to come in 30-40 mins after the phone call. It wasn't even a REAl emergency, he wasn't bleeding or suffocating. And if he was, I would immediately call 118 and ask for the ambulance to come and take him. We're not doctors after all! Besides, having an emergency phone does not mean that you cannot have any post-work activities, hobbies, pastimes or that you should stay at home ready and alert.

So today I talked to the director and explained my point of view. It's really difficult to know how to behave in such situations. I know my boss relies on me and trusts me so I would never like to disappoint her or to think of me as of a person who doesn't care. We agreed on having a meeting next week (after my colleague comes back) and prepare a list of procedures and indications about what to do and how to behave in such situations.

I'm glad to have discussed it with my boss. I feel relieved. I know I didn't commit any serious mistake but I wanted to clear it.

But, to finish off, some good news. Finally today at 9.00 p.m. we are having a meeting with our neighbours from the building to talk about reparation of this famous hole that soon will become sooo big that the postman will fall into it when leaving the mail... there's also the problem of the sewage system that needs some maintenance... It all costs a lot but on the other hand the value of the appartment goes up.

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Let the Spring begin! : )

Today sth about fashion. I want to do some Spring shopping, have found so many wonderful things on the Net. Strangely enough, they're not only pink.... at least not all of them! They're turquoise and blue! I think these colours triumph this spring! A change has come?

1) This lovely baby doll dress (Fredflare, $19,99)...



2) ... that goes well with these cute shoes (Salvatore Ferragamo, $ 690,00, LuxLux)..





3) ... and this sweet bracelet (Vivienne Westwood, €140, LuxLux)

4) This nice skirt (Caterina, €120, LuxLux)


5) This bag (Tod's, $1765, LuxLux)

6) But sth pink is here as well. This BGN dress-coat, 60's style (€400, LuxLux)


7) This brooch by Liu Jo (€ 29,00, Style.it)


8) This Spring dress by Jenny Packham (no idea waht the price is, better not ask; style.it)



9) No one said that Spring means only sun and warmth! Be ready for the romantic Spring showers with these Wellingtons! (€ 100,00 by Aigle; style.it)


10) I've already bought a very similar pair by Tezeniz. Have you? (€9.90; style.it)

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Pictures I promised

Here're some pics from the Birthday Party we had last week :



1) The family (I'm taking the pic)






2) I love this little tea spoon.







3) Crostata with Nutella. It looked wonderful! What a shame it got a little burnt inside!

4) Sig. Pippo with his presents:

5) And this is a pic taken yesterday in one of our favourite pizzerias. It's my friend Florian and me with this extra extra large jar of beer! PS. The pizza was delicious!

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Wiosna!!! : )

That's the Polish word for "spring" : ) I'm soo elated the Spring has finally come! : ) Strangely enough, it doesn't look like Spring at all today. It's only 13 degrees here (last week the temperature reached even 20 degrees) and there isn't much sun.. Anyways, I'm happy. And here's one of the most sunny and spring-like images I have ever seen. That's the scrap of Anna Maria with Anna Maria in it. Anna Maria is one of my dearest friends from the secondary school. She's extremely talented and I've always believed she'll succeed. Here's a piece of her work but if you'd like to see more, visit: http://www.princi-made.blogspot.com/.

Happy Spring, everyone!!! : )

Image taken from flickr.

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Relax, Take it easy.

I'm sorry, I still haven't put the pics I promised. BUT the weekend is coming and I'm going to have some more free time. Speaking of which, my weekend starts today at 3.30 p.m. as just after work I'm meeting my friend for a coffee : ) Then I have one more private lesson at home (no worries, it's a piece of cake, this one) and then at 7.00 p.m. I'm meeting another friend on the Skype (she lives with her bf in Brussels now, and she's the one who got engaged last week). Thank God it's Friday. Seriously.

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Gosh!

Gosh, I almost forgot! Today it's been 1 MONTH since I started my blog!

Happy First Month!!! : )))

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Thoughts and plans

Yesterday there was my bf's Dad's birthday party. There was this delicious dinner (my bf's Mum is a wonderful cook), we had an antipasto (appetizer): a big tagliere of salumi e formaggi, and then this exquisite lasagne with vegetables.... and as a dessert... Tiramisù!!! Mmmmm everything was delicious... Then we handed in the presents. There were two books regarding some concepts of philosophy (my bf's Dad is a great "supporter" of Aristotle, he loves reading about the history of thought, he's very much into the philosophical and logical inquiry, etc), and some "graded reader" fiction books in English + CDs that I prepared for him. I have taken some pics from that evening which I'll try to put here this evening.

The next thing I'm thinking about today is my parents' coming here to Sicily for 1-2 weeks in the summer (July probably). It would be the second time in Sicily for them (the first time they came here 2 years ago) and I really would love to make their stay pleasant and memorable. This was the idea last time as well. Unfortunately it didn't entirely pull off.. There were some misunderstandings and we fell out quite often... We quarrelled over some very trivial, unimportant things. I suppose I wanted this vacation to be so perfect that I created this overwhelming sensation of pressure and was stressed out all that time (when the bus didn't come on time, when the hotel I wanted to take them to was fully booked, etc...). So now I wanted to make up for my behaviour, forget about the past and put my mind at ease... I mean hopefully. If they come. So today I will start searching for the plane tickets...

Then I'm considering using my scooter again from April instead of my Smart since there will be this huge event taking place in the district where I work, i.e. G8 Environment Ministers' Meeting (April 22-24). I can imagine that all the main streets will be closed for the regular traffic and it will be impossible to find even a tiny (my car is really small) parking space. In this period it's already difficult beacuse they're preparing the districts: road works everywhere, buildings are being reconstructed, refurbished, renovated, etc.. there's lots of dust and noise.

That is what I'm thinking about today. Now, though I need to start thinking about work : ) Hope to come back later on and put the pics. Speak to you soon. Jo.

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Marriage, wedding, getting married...

Yesterday afternoon I received another invitation for a wedding. Yesterday evening I received an email from one of my best friends informing she got engaged last weekend... Wow. Wherever I turn, wherever I look or whatever conversation I hear, there's always uttered THAT word starting with an "M". I mean really. Ok, I am 27 and it's high time I started at least thinking about that. On the other hand, I live in Sicily where the average age of the couples who decide to get married is: 30-35 for women and 35-40 for men (no, I'm not kidding), so there's no rush. I mean I want to get married, I really do but I think in my situation it wouldn't change much and organising all that thing would only trigger problems... Where? Here in Italy or there, in Poland? Who invite? Only the closest relatives and friends or also people who invited me for their weedings in the past but with who I haven't had any contact at all for long years (but who may feel offended if I don't invite them). Why? Just because I should or because I want? I think I'm getting a depression.

Take a deep breath... OK... Better. Here are the facts. I'm living with my bf, we are happy. We aren't thinking about having children now. We want to buy a new, bigger appartment in a year or two. This is the goal now. I'm 100% certain that getting married in our case wouldn't change a single thing. Besides I still feel a (little) girl not a woman. And more than a wedding ring, I would prefer getting a dog.

And at first I would look like that:


And then after a few months like that:

Images by Getty Images:

"ring", "panic", "a girl with a dog 1", "a girl with a dog 2"

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Work = ...Work?

How was my weekend? Well, here's the list of things I did:

• having classes on Saturday morning
  
• washing clothes
• doing some shopping at Carrefour
• buying a present for my Friend who loves animals and in particular cats and dogs very much:

• cleaning the appartment
• ironing
  
• correcting students' homework
• meeting our friends for a dinner in Blu restaurant (the food wasn't as good as I expected but the good company was the most important that evening)
• having latte caffé in my favourite local bar with my bf on Sunday morning
  
• making a decision about what to do with the hole in the main entrance to our building which "appeared" just under the mail boxes (some of the floor tiles got broken and so there's this hole getting bigger and bigger everyday) which becomes a real problem especially for the postman. We decided having talked to an engineer and ask them about the cost of the reparation.
• having delicious lunch (both on Saturday and Sunday) at my bf's parents.
  
• studying Modulo 10, 11 and 12
• watching Ferzan Ozpetek's old film (2001) "Le fate ignoranti"
  

• It was good. Not perfectly good or fabulous but good. He's one of my favourite film directors ever. Has this unique capacity to see through people's eyes and paint people's souls without exaggerating.
  

This week is really pleasant for me... The students are on their Spring Break (yes, they have one week free which means they travel and visit countries in the whole Europe), so the school is all mine (until Tuesday at least). It's calm and silent. I need it in this period more than ever. I bring my books, my "modules" to school and I study. I wish it was April 18 today... After the exams. I could finally think about taking up step or aqua fitness classes again... Grrrr...

The good news is that just after that (2 weeks approximately) I'm going to Milan again! And funny to say but it turns out that I do my shopping only when I'm away, therefore Milano rulezzzz! : )

Ok, going back to Modulo 11. Speak soon. Jo.

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Weekend = Work?

That's how I'd like to start my weekend tomorrow with my bf... Two relaxing days during which you can do absolutely nothing unpleasant or tiring. Days during which you can boost up your energy and prepare for the following week. Unfortunately the more we have, the more we want and so I'll start my weekend working and studying (I finally decided to take my final exam on April 17)... Hopefully Sunday we'll be THAT real weekend day... I cannot wait. Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Jo.

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Money, money, money...

Today I have spent 3.694 euros. (Un)Fortunately it's not my money. I'm trying to imagine what I could buy or how to spend this sum of money if it was mine... Crazyyyy shopping in Milan? One romantic week in a de-luxe suite in London or Paris? 2 pure breed golden retriever puppies with pink and blue ribbons? I could go on and on... : ) Like to day dreaming at times especially when listening to songs like this one. Have a good evening, I'm going to prepare dinner for my Love...

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Mamma mia, che bella!

Yesterday it was a really tough day for me. I got my brand new Smart scratched. Just a little bit on the corner. There was this stupid, irresponsible 20 sth year old guy convinced that I should give way to those one coming from the left... Yes, in England I thought. Anyway, having a bf who is a lawyer obviously helps a lot : ) But take a look what I found on the Net today... It's sooo sweet. Fiat is an extremely important make of car here. The new Fiat 500 is really cute. But this one?! Thais is a special model created (together with Mattel) for the Barbie Doll Birthday. I suspect they were thinking of me when designing it : )

luxlux

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Etna!

I'm a big fan of skiing. I have started to practise this sport when I was like 4 or 5 years old. Then kept on going on my winter holidays every year, first with my parents, then with my friends and bfs. It may seem amazing but none of my previous bfs knew how to ski and they never really wanted to learn.. Horrible, since my love for skiing was too big to quit it and we usually spend the winter holidays separately... Then I came here and it really seemed that I closed this chapter of my life definitely. Everyone was saying: "Yeah, you can ski on Etna but since you surely are a good skier, you are just going to regret going there... no good conditions, nothing to compare with the Italian Alps". And so I believed... I believed all those people who never ever tried skiing in their lives and who never went to Etna in winter. But this year, I said to my bf (who has never skiied in his life before): "Oh, come on! Let's see what Etna looks like in winter". And we went. The weather was great, there was lots of snow, not many people and the ski lift was really modern. We rented the skis and my bf fell in love : ) It was 2 weeks ago. Yesterday we came back. Just look at these pics...

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Shoes : )

Hello everyone. I think it's the first day of spring today here. It's sunny and warm and you just feel Spring in the air : ) Marvellous.

To start this week on a positive note, look at this!

I love violet and I love these shoes... Marc Jacobs... € 400...

(Image taken from LuxLux)

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A dream

One of these nights I had a wonderful dream... It was about a dog. I never really said that before but I always wanted to have a dog. First, my parents claimed that I was too busy with school and after-school activities (music, language classes, sport, etc.). then I started my studies + some part time tutoring and so I was never at home. Now, even though I have a terrace and I still love dogs, I can't let this poor creature stay alone 8 hours a day without any company... So now I'm waiting to have a big house with a garden where I could have at least 2 dogs so that they play with each other when I'm away.. : ) Anyways, I had this strange dream about a Dalmatian... I never really considered to have this dog. Someone even once told me that they are not very affectionate and aren't good with children. In that dream I was going by car with my bf somewhere and by chance we were passing the dog pound.. My bf proposed to me taking a look but I didn't want to go in beacuse I know I would suffer a lot even looking at them and not being able to take some of them home. So I just said: "Just move on". But out of the blue, there is this 3 month old Dalmatian running towards our car, wagging its tail cheerfully : ) And to my great surprise my bf opens the car door and the dog jumps in! : ))) It was his present for me... without any occasion whatsoever! I was sooo happy in this dream! I wish it was true. Well, maybe one day?

Have a nice weekend, everyone! I hope to go skiing on the Mt Etna on Sunday!! : )) Yupppiii!!!! : ) By the way, does anyone even read it? Jo.

The pic is by Tim Platt taken from the Getty Images website

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Weekend

It's already Tuesday today and I didn't have any time during the weekend to blog... Grr... It's hard to keep the pace... Anyway this weekend I went to a party. It wasn't just a party but a party after the graduation from the university of one of my bf's friends. Graduation is a very big thing in Italy, especially that in comparison with an ordinary European student, it takes the Italians approx. 2-4 more years to graduate... Yes, this is incredible... Instead of devoting 3-5 years to studies and then pass all the exams, forget about all this crap, and start a successful career, they usually put down roots fat the universities for long loooong years until they became like 30-35 years old, with no work experience, still living with their parents (of course, and where do you think they could get the money to rent a flat if they "studied" so hard all this time?!) with no plans, no perspectives, carefree as teenagers... Of course I'm not referring to those ones who after a year or two decide to quit their studies either because they want to work or to take a gap year to gather some invaluable experience abroad, or those women who met love of their lives and find themselves cut out for housewifes, mothers, etc. I'm referring to those who waste time on having parties every single night, who sleep until noon and skip classes.

So this is what I discovered during the first year.. Then I discovered the parties... That's just indescribable.. They are like weddings receptions organised in the most spectacular villas, restaurants, etc. You can expect sth like 30-... (100?) people dressed up like Christmas trees screaming: "Tanti auguri, dottore!" ("Best wishes, "doctor!"). It's a big event, after all.. (?) Parents are so happy and relieved they finally don't have to pay for the university anymore that they spend shedloads of money to throw this "festa". Incredible, I know... Anyway this time the food was more than horrible.. The place looked like a Renaissance style palace with artificial columns and decorations... Bleh... The only positive thing about it that at the table I met a couple of very nice sisters (one of them turned out to be my bf's collague) and with whom I'd like to go out one day for a pizza for example. This was on Friday.

On Saturday morning I worked at home and then in the evening we invited a couple of our friends (they're married, he's British and she's American) who 1 year ago decided to buy an appartment here and stay six months in Sicily (during the winter) and six months in the US (where they run a successful agritourism and where they keep chickens, hens, rabbits, grow their own fruit and vegetables and cook for the tourists who come to visit them for lunch or dinner). Therefore you can understand my excitement when I was about to choose what to prepare for the evening. First I served the Italian bruschette with tomates and basil. As for the main course, I opted for sth warm, good for winter, i.e. goulas. It turned out to be a delicious, hearty one dish meal. I served it with noodles. And to finish off we bought some sweets from the local pasticeria. To sum up, the dinner was great and everyone loved it. I really love these evenings when I prepare some new dishes that are appreciated by my guests and my bf.. I think I'm lucky, so far so good.. at least in my humble opinion : )

On Sunday we had some bricolage work to do at home and in the afternoon we were at home, reading and studying (I'm in course of gaining my degree in the post-graduate studies but I'm definitely NOT going to throw a party afterwards : ).

And this was my weekend...

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