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...