Over the past 5 months I have been working with the presidents and members of 3 women's groups to help organize a contemporary art show showcasing the works of American Artists living and working in Florence. It was a learning experience to say the least! We had our ups and downs, our snags and pulls but in the end a great success!! We couldn't be happier with the way the show came together and with the opening reception that took place last night at Il Palagio di Parte Guelfa in the center of the city just near the Piazza della Republica.
We were honored to have our show inaugurated by Robert Shackelford, secretary of the Association of American Colleges and University Programs (AACUPI), U.S. Consul General Sarah Craddock Morrison, Rosanna Cirigliano, journalist, editor of Vista, Florence & Tuscany and Linda Falcone, editor and author of several books about life in Italy and who is very involved in recognizing and supporting women artists in Florence.
The show has an eclectic mix of work ranging from representational oil painting and portrait drawing to gorgeous sculptures in bronze and terra cotta as well as photography and monoprints. The work will be on display for one week only so don't miss it! Head on over and support the artists!
A few years ago the city of Florence began a crusade to promote the contemporary arts. There were exhibitions held in various public spaces throughout the city including a neon light piece on the facade of the Uffizi Gallery that read "All art has been contemporary" A fantastic statement to be considered when visiting one of the oldest and most important art galleries in the world. Since then Florence and her many artists of residence have continued to push and promote these works with new contemporary art galleries popping up all over the city.
As many of you know, I am on that mission too. And in my small way I am doing what I can to highlight and give exposure to as many contemporary artists here in Florence as possible.
Of course this can be a bit difficult around here. I mean lets face it, most people don't come to Florence, the birth place of the Renaissance looking for contemporary art, they come to see the Birth of Venus and The David. So did I. But what is often forgotten is that those of us who live here actually have new visions and new ideas and share the same passion for creating new work that the contemporary artists of the Renaissance once had. We are inspired by the old to create the new.
So as you can imagine, I am always on the look out for new work and try to attend as many gallery openings as possible. This past Thursday evening I had the pleasure of meeting Joop Kruis a Dutch painter who will be showing his work here in Florence at Galleria d' Arte A. Dessi. or also know as Abracadabra Firenze. In keeping with the history of the Dutch masters Kruis' oil paintings focus on realism and detail.
La Margherita ( The Daisy)
The show is titled 'Scenes from the Past' and highlights movie stills from Italian films and actors of the 1950's such as Sofia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni.
I was very interested in the way Kruis kept the figures in the classic black and white image that we are accustomed to seeing them in, yet chose the bright colored background to draw attention and add that element of contemporary that once again reminds us that they too were once pop culture.
Joop Kruis shows his versatility as an artist in the Solo e Abbandonata piece with the foggy street and diffused light and the two figures sitting on the curb in the foreground. With this work there is less attention to detail and presence and more of a focus on mood and feeling. The image certainly evokes a sense of abandonment and loneliness seemingly in contrast to the celebrity paintings, yet at the same time they are connected to this idea though their facial expressions which may tell a similar story of loneliness.
La Gabbia (The Cage)
Overall, I very much enjoyed the work and there is no doubting Kruis' skill and talent as a painter. So if your in town looking for an alternative to the Renaissance stop by and have a look at this show.
What do you think of Joop Kruis' work? Let me know in the comments section below.
As an artist and designer
one of the most important influences for me are other artists. I believe that
having a community of like-minded people who share same ideas and passions is
essential to creativity. Art in its many forms is a language and I am continually
fascinated by the message that other artists aim to communicate though their
work.
The ideas of the
Renaissance masters was not to continue repeating the same ideas and methods
but rather to continue pushing forward and create the new and unexpected and to
challenge the perception of what art is.
Contemporary art aims to push the boundaries of these accepted ideas and
move away from the past to create the present. With this in mind, I will be commencing a new series here on my blog to highlight the artists, designers and
creative minds of present day Florence.
In conjunction with our
facebook group Creative People in Florence, I will be conducting a series of
interviews with our group members. In the coming months I hope to be able to
interview each member who is currently living in Florence as a way of highlighting their wide range of talents.
The questions will be exactly the same for each artist/designer and creative person, what I find fascinating however, are the similarities as well as the differences in
the answers.
I thought it appropriate to
begin the first interview with the Creative People in Florence co-founder
Birgitte Bronstead, photographer and blogger extraordinaire!
Tell us a little bit
about yourself:
I'm Danish, from Copenhagen
and I have been living in Italy on and off since 1994, and permanently since
2003. I have an MA in Italian from Copenhagen Business School and I am also a
State Authorized translator in Italian. Until last summer I lived in Rome where
I have been working for seven years at the Danish embassy handling press and
cultural affairs. During the last 4 years I have been spending more and more
time on photography, in the beginning mostly as a hobby, but now I'm trying to
turn it into a living especially since I have just quit my job! I am
specialized in children's portraits and weddings + other events, so I really
hope to be able to build up a client portfolio in Florence as soon as possible.
I live in the center with
my partner and our daughter, who is one year old, + our two cats.
Recently I have created a
new blog called www.adustyolivegreen.com which is mainly a photoblog. For a year I have been
concentrating on my three travel blogs
www.mysweetrome.com, www.mysweetflorence.com and www.mysweetcopenhagen.com, but since three blogs require quite some time, my
intention is to unite all of them on this new blog. We'll see how that goes! I
really love this new world of blogging and it goes perfectly hand in hand with
my photography.
Why did you choose
Florence or did Florence choose you?
Hm... this is a good
question. I moved to Florence out of practical reasons. I had had a long
distance relationship with the father of my daughter for a few years, since he
was living here and I lived in Rome, so when I got pregnant we had to find a
solution in order to live together as a family. Since I had a long Danish
maternity leave which lasted 12 months, the easiest thing was for me to move to
Florence, and now it seems we are staying here. I have quit my job at the
embassy in Rome, and it looks like Florence is going to be my new city for
real.
There are many really great
things about Florence compared to Rome. I love that we live in the center and
pay the same rent as I paid for a similar apartment far away from the center in
Rome, I love that I can bike in Florence, that I can walk around to everything
and I love that the city is much more quiet and less chaotic. Public offices
also work a lot better here than in Rome. Another great thing is the location.
I love Tuscany, which is so easy to visit on small day trips from Florence. All
this said I must admit that I miss Rome a lot. Even though Florence has several
positive sides which Rome doesn't have, I feel a completely different
connection to and love for Rome, which I believe is the most beautiful city in
the world.
What is your favorite
thing/place/sight in the city or all of the above?
My favorite thing is to
walk around the city early in the morning when the light is fabulous, the air
is fresh and there are very few people out in the streets. My favorite areas
are Santo Spirito and Sant'Ambrogio and my favorite place right now is
Gelateria dei Neri in Via dei Neri, which I have just discovered recently.
Their semifreddo millefoglie is amazing just like the rest of the ice creams.
For lunch I have two places where I keep coming back: 5 e cinque in Piazza
della Passera and Vivanda in Via Santa Monica in Santo Spirito. Both are small
places with lots of vegetarian and organic food.
Was there a defining
moment when you knew that you wanted to be an artist? If so when and what was
it?
I'm not sure I have ever
had the thought of wanting to become an “artist”, but I do remember the moment
I decided I wanted to start on photography, and the funny thing is that of all
places it happened right here in Florence. I was representing the embassy at
the Festival della Creatività in the end of 2007. Part of the Scandinavian
contribution to the festival was a series of black and white photographs of
Nordic architecture. I remember being fascinated by the way the photographer
was playing with the lines and the geometric shapes in the buildings and I
thought to myself that this was something I would like to try as well. A few
months later I took my first pictures with my very old, very small and very bad
Canon Ixus. They were taken right here in Florence and one of the photos (a
photo from the entrance to the Boboli Gardens inside Palazzo Pitti) is still
among my personal favorites today.
It's funny how things are
connected. A few years ago I went to photograph one of the buildings I had seen
at the exhibition in Florence, where it all started, and one of these
photographs ended up being my first sale.
What or who is your
greatest inspiration and why?
I do not have one
particular person who inspires me, but I follow several photography blogs and
behind them are some fantastic photographers which I look up to and learn a lot
from. In my own photography I am very much inspired by cities. I love cities
and I love photographing them. Nature is a gigantic inspiration as is the
sea. I am inspired by simplicity.
To me less is always more. And light. Now that I think about it light may be
just be my first and overall inspiration. I am addicted to light. Big windows,
rooms filled with light. This is definitely my Danish genes speaking. My
favorite colors to work with are all kinds of white and cream and soft neutral
pastel tones, as well as classic black and white.
What is the best thing
about being an artist? What is the most difficult part?
I assume this question
refers to being an artist professionally. I have just started on this, so I
don't have a lot of experience, but I'm quite sure I can predict the pros and
cons anyway :-) The best part is of course that you are spending all your work
time on your hobby, your passion. To me photography is almost a physical
addiction. I can get so carried away when I take pictures that I have
adrenaline pumping in my body. It's not bad to feel this way about your job!
Obviously the difficult thing is the economic part. It takes time before you
start to earn money (if you ever get to that point!). And you need to have an
economic back up to make it in the beginning. I think photographers compared to
many other artists are privileged when it comes to the economic aspect sine we
have the possibility of offering a more “practical” product in terms of
portraits, wedding photography etc. People have a hard time paying for “just”
art, so it gets a little easier when the product, you offer, is more a service
than just art. Another thing which is definitely a difficult part to me is the
fact that you work alone. I really miss having colleagues.
What message do you hope
to convey with your art/creative process?
I don't have a message. I
just want to create beautiful photographs and hopefully make someone out there
feel good when they look at them.
What is art/design to
you? How would you define art?
Personally I think that art
requires a creative process. I think you need to really create something. I
don't get it when in a museum for modern art I am met by an old bicycle or a
toilet lying on the ground with a title and the name of an artist. In some
cases these installations may send some kind of message but I find it very hard
to consider it art.
Do you listen to music
when you work? If so who or what?
No, never. I could when I
edit my photos on the computer, but to be honest I always forget to put on
music. Actually it's a pity 'cause I love music, especially lounge music.
If you could go back in
time 10 years knowing everything that you know now what would you change and
why? Or what would you tell yourself?
I wouldn't change anything.
I have been really good at following my heart and always doing what I wanted to
do. Maybe I would have left an old boyfriend way sooner than I did :-)
How have your two
cultures affected your work?
I am definitely much better
at finding beauty in the little things thanks to the fact that I'm living
abroad. I am able to see Denmark with the eyes of a foreigner and this is a big
advantage since there are so many things to photograph which I probably
wouldn't have discovered if I hadn't been away for so long. This is something I
use whenever I visit a new place. I scrutinize every little detail when I walk
around looking for things that would make a great photo.
Who is your favorite
artist/designer/writer/performer?
I have a thing for dead
female artists who led some very fascinating lives; Karen Blixen, Frida Kahlo
and Anaïs Nin. I have been a huge fan of Madonna for as long as I can remember.
When it comes to designers I very much like Stella McCartney first of all for
her ethic approach to fashion but in general I prefer Danish and nordic
designers both when it comes to fashion and interior design.
What is your favorite
movie?
The unbearable lightness of
being.
What is your favorite
book?
The diaries of Anaïs Nin
Describe yourself in
five words.
Positive, optimistic,
spontaneous, direct, a bit egoistic :-)
When you’re not being
creative what do you do?
I'm with my daughter.
If you could go anywhere
in the world where would it be?
I have a long list of
places I would like to see. Since moving to Italy, I rarely get to go anywhere,
since I usually go to Copenhagen whenever I have the time and money. However,
my list includes Istanbul, Japan, Morocco and Bali not to mention a reunion
with Paris, Madrid and New York.
Is there anything else
that you want people to know about you?
I am feeling overwhelmingly compelled to write about a
recent experience I’ve had. But I want it to be clear that I am writing about
it for myself and not for the person who was involved, just in case they are
lingering out there and think that they have gotten the best of me. I know who
I am and I know what I am worth and what I am capable of. And FYI, I don’t
shriek, I ROAR!
Yesterday I received a very insulting comment regarding the
post I wrote about Italian men. I was not only personally insulted but I was
also insulted for the many women I know who are in happy, healthy relationships
with Italian men. I understand that I am writing a post which expresses my
opinion to certain degree (although most is based on experience) and I am
always open to the thoughts and opinions of others, if I wasn’t I wouldn’t
allow comments on my posts and I wouldn’t care what you all think, but that’s
not me. In fact there is nothing that I enjoy more than your comments! I didn’t
post this particular one of course and I won’t share the specifics, but I will
say that it was extremely disrespectful and entirely unnecessary.
There was also a second part to the comment that criticized
my writing skills with more insults there. I do not consider myself to be a writer but this person
INSITS that since I am expressing my thoughts through words then that makes me
a writer – I disagree. Why do I have to label myself as a writer if I choose
not to? It allows me more freedom to express myself however I choose without
having to conform to the rules and regulations of editing and formal writing.
If one chooses to draw a picture or make a painting does that automatically
make them an artist? *I certainly hope not as I believe that that would completely discredit all of the professional, hard-working creative minds who dedicate their lives to their work.
Why am I not able to share with my readers my experiences in
any language, slag, dialect or misused grammar that I choose? Why must I follow
someone else’s strict, rigid rules? I would think that if any of you reading
this didn’t like the way I write you wouldn’t be reading my blog. I respect
that.
What is upsetting to me however is that there are those who
find it necessary to use cruel words simply because they feel themselves to be
superior or more intelligent. Or because they believe those things should be
done a certain way and anyone who does not conform to those rules is by
default, without discussion, ignorant. This to me is a very closed and limited
way of living, which does not allow for many experiences outside of that belief
system.
I made the mistake of contacting said person and explaining
why I was not going to post their comment. I did this in what I feel was a
professional, yet stern email letting them know that I did not appreciate their
insulting comment and that it was not their place to correct my writing skills
or grammatical errors and that if they did not like the way I write they were
in no way obligated to read my blog. What I got back was not only more insults
but also a refusal to address the statements I had made in my email, and mind
you, the responses were each at least a page long audaciously attacking my
writing skills with two full pages of English lessons. Needless to say I was
dumbfounded.
The original comment was not made anonymously, in fact it
linked directly back to their profile and own bolgs (this of course is how I
got the email address) After reading the most recent post on their blog I found
out that this person has gone though some very difficult times in the past
year. For this I am truly sorry. I
wish nothing bad on anyone. Not even someone who treats others poorly.
I was surprised to read that this person talked about how
these recent events have changed their life and caused them to reflect more
deeply, yet at the same time they still felt it necessary to write insolent
comments on my blog. This person also claims to be a Christian and spoke about
the period of Lent and how it is the perfect time to be quiet and still.
I firmly believe that each and every person on this planet
has the right to their own beliefs whether I happen to agree with them or not
and all I ask in return is for that same respect. I am not a Christian, or a
Catholic or a Muslim or a Jew or a Buddhist. I choose not to have a religion.
What I choose is to treat other people not the way I want to be treated myself,
but rather the way I want my mother and my father to be treated, or my sister,
brother, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle or best friend to be treated. I believe in
compassion and humility and it saddens me when I am met with such hostility and
arrogance without basis, especially from those who claim themselves to be Christian,
or anything else for that matter.
I am open to listen and if any of my readers would like to
comment on my writing style or subject matter, please do by all means. All I
ask is for courtesy and respect.
There is always a nice way of expressing your opinion even if it’s a
contradictory one. I do not expect everyone to agree with me or like what and
how I write, my goodness that would make for a very boring world. But I do
expect to be treated with respect.
I also believe very strongly that everything in the universe
comes back to us and Karma is very real and alive. I spent most of the day
yesterday in an email correspondence with a person who sucked me dry and made
me feel terrible and who outright told me that it was gratifying to them that I
was getting upset. Wow!
But I do not think of it as a lost day, I think of it as a
lesson learned and I know there was a reason that it happened. I’m not terribly
sure what the reason is just yet, but I have no doubt that I will; although, I
did have the best run in my half-marathon training to date. As my very dear
friend Johnetta says, ‘take it out on the pavement!’
I would think that after having the experience that this
person did they would become a bit more humble and grateful, count their
blessings and surround themselves with only positive energy rather than
insulting people that don’t even know.
However, if this means that I have helped them though their
struggle by allowing them to release their anger and aggression on me, well I
guess maybe something good did come out of it after all. I am strong enough to be trampled on
and come out in one piece, stronger than I was before.
**Happiness in life does not, nor ever has, revolved around
grammar and rules. It's about sharing yourself with others and about
surrounding yourself with love.
Peace, Pace, Shalom, As-Salāmu `Alaykum, Namaste
*This is an edit that was made on March 30th **These beautiful words are from my dear friend Laura, who made this comment after I explained the story to her.
If only they were as organized as their trees...sigh...
A few weeks ago my husband and I
made a trip to our electronics store to replace our old rusty refrigerator.
After making our decision the salesperson filled out a form and told us to take
it up to the counter and pay and then we could go pick-up our item from the
warehouse down the street. As we headed over we could see that there was no one
in line in front of us….
…..and then all of a sudden out of
nowhere, this woman comes walking up (more like speed walking actually) and
just swoops in right in front of us. And I mean we were literally 2 steps away
from the cashier. My husband and I just looked at each other in disbelief,
dumbfounded, and then just shook our heads and chuckled.
Unbelievable! And by now I know
that I should expect things like that to happen but there are just some things
that no matter how long I live here I just can't seem to get used to. And it
happens everywhere you go, no matter what is happening, there they are trying
to cut in front of you. I just stand there watching out of the corner of my
eye, feeling myself getting more and more irritated with each centimeter closer
to they get to me, and then I try to inch my way up a little further so that I
can somehow have the advantage over them, but then, its that moment, the moment
when the cashier is ready for that next customer, and somehow, I never know
how, but they always manage to sneak their asses right in there ahead of me as
if they have been waiting there patiently the whole time. Errrrrrrrr!!!!!!
I made the mistake of saying something
a few times and then you just feel like a complete idiot, because the response
is always, with a incredibly surprised look on their face, ‘oh scusi, non ti
avevo visto.’ HOW EXACTLY
DID YOU NOT SEE ME???? You were
breathing down my neck for the love of God! And its not like there is really
anything you can say at that point, they didn't see you!
What is it about the concept of a
line that you don't understand people??? One after the other! Everyone will get
his or her turn.
Waiting in lines in the country is
really, truly a test of that virtue they call patience and Lord knows I am
lacking it in spades.
But…..there are some things that
are just left well enough alone. Either you can get upset about it or have a
chuckle at how unbelievably ridiculous it is! The best way to handle the
situation is just to say prego, and
gesture for them to step in front of you. That way they will either feel like
an idiot themselves….
….or not, but at least you can
stand in line peacefully.
But even if you foaming at the
mouth ready to spit fire at the next person who dare try and cut in front of
you, if they are over the age of 70 you may just want to retract your claws
because the elderly have this special power around here, they get to do
whatever they want and no one can say a thing. Although, if you saw a little
Old Italian lady in the grocery store with an arm full of groceries, I imagine
most of us would be happy to let her take cutsys anyway.
A while back my Italian brother in law tried to argue with me that the only difference between living in Italy and the U.S is the language. I beg to differ. The truth is however, that after 11 years, I tend not to pay attention anymore and when something does come up I brush it off, but I am now starting to think that it is worthy to point them out as they occur. I hope you will find some interest or at the very least a bit of humor in dissecting the differences between these two ways of life.
So here we go, I'll start with #1
What to do in case of Fever:
Last week my husband was sick. He woke up with a fever of 38.5 (101.3). Certainly uncomfortable and definitely worthy of staying home and resting. After taking a fever reducer and before getting back in bed he puts on another sweatshirt and gets under the down comforter. I proceed to take care of him by placing a wet wash cloth on his forehead and making sure he has a bottle of water next to the bed to stay hydrated. I pull the comforter off of him in my attempt to help him lower his body temperature.....big mistake.
This apparently is NOT the way they do things around here. ( Mind you, in the 11 years that I have known him this is the FIRST time I have ever seen him with a fever) No, in his upbringing being cold (shivers as a result of a fever) means that illness is sure to surmount and that the only way to get better is by staying warm, i.e under the covers. He then proceeded to eat steaming hot pastina for lunch and dinner. Surprisingly, even after having taken the fever reducer again his temperature was still 101.3. I wonder why?
And of course my explanation that keeping his body warm by eating hot food and staying under the down comforter was not the proper way to reduce a fever was contradicted with his explanation that being cold will only make it worse and why would I want him to suffer like that?!
Speaking of illness, any illness, the Italians believe that the cold is to blame. And this is why you will rarely find air conditioning in Italian homes, even if it is 101.3 outside, they will tell you that air conditioning is bad for you and it will indeed, senza dubbio, cause every sickness and ailment under the sun from a cold to bronchitis, from a stiff neck to a back ache. Ho preso freddo ieri sera is a common expression used in the morning around my house.
So there you have it. Cold = bad, so make sure you cover up out there!
Albert Einstein once said "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again
expecting different results." Well, I feel like I'm getting close but I will spare you the details and say this;
It's time to change gears. The internet is effecting my
artistic practice, I find that I am constantly looking for something to write, tweet, post about
that I can’t be creative. I feel like there is a lot of wasted time and loss of interaction. All of this 'social networking' is making me eminently unsocial.
I’ve been trying to
really think about what it is that I think I am good at and the conclusion I came to is that I’m good at people - but face-to-face people, I
enjoy conversation but I hate talking on the phone. So it makes me wonder why I would think I would be good at 'talking' to people on-line. It just feels like something is missing to me and like I am trying to
be something that I’m not.
With constant pressure to produce more and always be present and interact online, I loose
myself in that rather than loosing myself in my work. I don’t understand how to make it all work together – it’s just not me. As an artist my work improves by working continuously and
there are times when Iam
incredibly productive and then it gets interrupted by the pressure
to be on line. I’m trying too hard, its not working. It’s time to get more
involved in the community and the social networking that I understand; with
real people.
Some people seem to have the knack for the Internet but I went from working with
groups of 25 people at a time 5 days per week, interacting, talking, meeting so
many interesting people, to sitting on a computer trying to get people to
notice me and join in conversations where my responses are taken the wrong way. This isn’t working and I think that is important to understand when
its time to try something new.
I know this is similar to posts that I’ve written in the
past but, things have really come to hit me in the past few weeks. I’m just not
cut out for this internet business. Perhaps this is not a smart move on my part
but in thinking of when and how I have had success with my work in the past,
it’s always been in person. Of course that doesn’t mean I won’t be using the
internet at all anymore, I think that is pretty near impossible these days, but I think it will be second to the work, and only when I have something that I think is truly worth sharing.
I’m betting that your not interested in seeing a post from me everyday on my
facebook page telling you that I made another pair of earrings. I will be
taking some time to re-evaluate and re-focus. I truly admire those of you who
have found a way to make this all work and who have found success on-line, but
for me its time for a different approach.
The blog will stay up, but again only be updated when I think there is something interesting to share with you! Thanks for reading and please feel free to contact me anytime!
Life. It always seems to get in the way. I know that a lot of people have a very romantic idea of living in Italy and that things are always fantastic and wonderful and that I get to sip red wine all day long as I sit in the piazza and watch the world go by!! I wish! Unfortunately that's not the case, especially right now since its still a bit too chilly to do that. No, as it were, these days I have been spending a lot of time working on projects and ideas for the Spring with hopes that the warm weather will also bring some [sun] light to these endeavors as well.
After extensive research and having tried a few different avenues in the past for selling my jewelry designs, I have decided to really try and focus all of my efforts on my Etsy shop and make it as best as it can be. I am hoping that with the proper adjusts and upgrades I will be able to finally make a profit from my work and support myself as a designer. So I have gone back and changed the entire look of the shop and I am now working on making new pieces and taking new photographs to fill it up!
Then I began to look through the hundreds of photos I have taken in the past several years and thought that I would try my luck at opening an Etsy shop for my photographs as well. And maybe I shouldn't say this but I don't' really think that I'm a very good photographer, but I love to take them and I am always willing to take a risk and I guess I will never know until I try, right? To be honest I haven't been spending as much time on it as I probably need to but its there and I will update it from time to time.
We are also starting to approach the high tourist season, granted we still have about 6 more weeks of quiet but reservations for the apartment are already starting to come in through Airbnb, which is of course great news. But that means lots of inquiries and questions to answer!
And.........We are also STILL trying to clean out our garage and decide what we are going to do with that space once we're finished. Its a daunting task, that's for sure! We have found lots of interesting things in there though!
And just in case that wasn't enough for me to keep up with, two of my girlfriends and I have decided that we are going to run the Firenze half-marathon coming up on April 15th. So needless to say the next 12 weeks are going to be dedicated to serious training and preparation. I have never done anything like this before and still hardly believe that I am going to, but I am more than excited and definitely more than nervous.
That's not me either. At least not yet anyway! Photo courtesy of Fitsugar
But I can't wait until I cross that finish line after 13.1 miles or 20.1 kilometers. Training sessions have been intense but great so far, we'll see how the next few weeks go. Wish me luck! I'll need it!
So needless to say, my relationship with Florence at the moment is all about finding the best running routes and where we can go to increase our mileage and not as much about its art and fashion, at least for the time being anyway.
But for those of you who are runners and who are in Florence or who are planning a visit, check out Walk Jog Run for some great routes posted by locals and visitors.
I love the idea of this challenge and I can already see how it is changing all aspects of my life. I have become more focused and more determined and not just on my workouts, and I can hardly believe I'm going to say this, but I'm also learning how to manage my time more efficiently so that I can get all of my work done and still have time for training. Life is is crazy, but I wouldn't want it any other way!
Are you a runner? Do you have any tips or suggestions for running a half-marathon? How about tips for running a crazy, hectic life? I could use all the help I can get!
This is a post that I have wanted
to write for a long time, in fact I have a few blurbs written already that I
will pull from and I also have one from a friend who expresses herself so eloquently
on the subject.
With the way things are going
around here lately, I think its about time to brooch the subject. Between the ever
failing government and this most recent tragedy of the Costa Concordia, the
cruise ship off the Coast of Gilli Island, it is time to talk about Italian
men.
I know what the idea is about them
in the eyes (of women) of the rest of the world…….
Italian
men, ahh, they are so beautiful, tall, dark and handsome, with such style and
grace, they always look so elegant and put together. They must be so well
organized, motivated and smart.
It’s just so sexy!
Well guess what? Sorry girls, but I have to do it, really
I’m sorry, I hate to burst your “Italian- Men- are- so- Hot” bubble, but if they look that good, chances are its
because their Mamma or their WIFE (yeah, that’s right probably married even if
they try to pretend otherwise, or they still live at home!) Washed, dried and
ironed it for them. Punto. Sorry,
but it’s the truth.
So what does this have to do with
the government and a sinking ship? Well the Italian government IS a sinking
ship, and the Italian men that run it are not willing to man up and take
responsibility for it. Why? Well because they’ve never had to take responsibility
for anything their entire lives. And I am 100% whole-heartedly convinced that
it all begins with their underwear. I cannot tell you how many foreign women I
know that are married to or partnered with Italian men who tell me that their significant
other has never bought his own underwear or socks for that matter. And I am
talking about men well into adulthood. And this is aside from the fact that the
average Italian man lives at home until he is in his mid 30’s and then gets
married to a nice Italian girl who will take over and continue to iron his p.j’s
for him. But she will never buy his underwear because his mamma will still do
that.
Ok, and then when he finally does
move out and get a wife to take over, what happens now? Well he gets a job
doing whatever because his fathers, brother’s, wife’s, brother knows someone
who knows someone who can get him the job. He doesn’t necessarily like the job, but it’s ok, he’s not actually going to work anyway. But he’ll be the first to complain when the
system or the services don’t function properly.
But the point is that he never
really had to go out and look for the
job, he didn’t really have to interview or convince anyone that he was
qualified for the job, it was just handed to him, just like his underwear.
Ok now let’s talk about his good
little wife who is at home making him breakfast, lunch and dinner and ironing
his p.j’s. He marries her because, well, she’s pretty, or at least she was at
one point in time, or maybe not, but she sure knows how to make a killer sugo, of course never quite as good as his mamma’s but,
good enough. And now they have a couple of kids, (boys hopefully, there is
actually an expression that is said at Italian weddings to this day regarding boys:
Tanti Auguri and Tanti Figili maschi,
which means, best wishes and lots of male children) And the wife is at home
ironing her husband’s p.j’s and buying underwear for her son’s while her
husband is out doing who knows what. Maybe working, but maybe not. Maybe he’s
hanging out at a café on his lunch break hitting on American tourists, looking
all nice in his freshly pressed suit and shiny black shoes.
What does this mean? Well, he has
never had to be responsible for buying his own underwear, ironing (or even
washing) his own p.j’s or finding a job, or cooking his own
meals. Yet we expect that these same men are going to be responsible for
successfully running a COUNTRY??????
Here is a blurb that was written by a friend
of mine about dating in Italy.
It's true. and I'll come out
and say it- I blame their mothers. When you're in your mid30s and your mother
is ironing your underwear and socks (YES. I am NOT making this up ladies!!) There
is a BIG problem here. Two things, when the Italian mother is such a huge part
of their lives: they will place you in their mother's role and expect you to
do/be the same. And, strangely, they will place you in their mother's role and
you will never, ever live up to her. There should be an intense study on
Italian men as a requirement for any psyche major.
Ok. But can we really just blame
their mother’s? Honestly, I think they’re all at fault a bit here. So you grow
up thinking that its ok to let everyone else do everything for you, but come on
dude! You’re an adult, don’t you know by now that this is not ok. And seriously
Italian Mamma’s teach your son’s to take care of himself. Why do you think you
are helping them by doing this??? It’s actually a HUGE disservice. Now they get
out there in the “real world” and they
have no idea how to take responsibility of ANYTHING!
Just the other day I heard a story
about a grown man who happens to be a police officer who lives on his own but
the gym he goes to happens to be close to his mother’s house so what does he
do? After the gym he takes his gym bag with all of his dirty sweaty clothes and
drops them off at his mother’s house and the next time he goes to the gym,
guess what? Yup! You got it, first he stops by Mamma’s house and picks-up his
gym bag with nice clean gym shorts! Underwear and socks included, and probably
ironed!!!! OMG! Italian women, I beg of you, I plead with you, STOP THE
INSANITY!!!!!
Ok, now what happens is this.
Italian man are used to having everything done for them, everything handed to
them and they get married to make sure that well, they will never have to take
care of any of these things themselves, but the marriage is not really about love. It’s about convenience, for both parties.
Don’t think that oh these poor Italian women they suffer, no, their not stupid, they know what their doing but at the same time, I guess they really don’t have much of a choice, especially since careers for women suck in this country. Now they have someone to
take care of them, financially that is. So there is never really truly, this
sense of responsibility in their relationships. There is no sense of responsibility
in their relationship with their mother either for that matter, as the above
example shows, he doesn’t have to give anything back to her, she just makes
sure he doesn’t have to work too hard, because povorino he might get tired! Oh and sometimes he stays for dinner too.
These Italian women latch onto
their son’s in this weird Freudian reverse Oedipus kind of way I imagine because they
never really had a mutual, loving, responsible relationship with the person
that they married anyway. I’m
telling you people, its bizarre.
So the moral of the story is this,
personally I’m not surprised that the captain jumped ship before the passengers. literally and metaphorically. The Italians themselves have in fact used this story as a metaphor for their
government. This country is being run by a bunch of little boys who don't know how to take came of themselves let alone an entire country! But they do have
very clean underwear.
Now, do I think ALL Italian men are
like this? Of course I don’t, I wouldn’t be married to one if I did. Certainly
there are exceptions and the above statements are of course speaking generally
about the Italian culture. But I will say that men that leave home and live on
their own when they are 19 like my husband did and the coast Guard Captain Gregorio De Falco who told the cruise line captain to get back on the F-ing ship, are the exception, not the rule.
Do you agree with me? Do you disagree with me? I want to know. Am I missing something here? I want your opinion on this issue! Comment below!
I have been receiving a lot of messages lately about driving in Florence and Italy in general so I thought it might be time to revisit a post I wrote a little over a year ago on the subject.
"Should we rent a car?" "Can we park in the street?" "Is it better to rent a car then to take the trains and buses?"
No, no and not even close. Let me take a moment to explain a little bit about Italian drivers and driving in tiny towns that were once meant for horse and carriage.
First let's start with the Italians themselves. A relaxed, laid back culture enjoying La Bella Vita or La Dolce Vita, in Il Bel Paese. They're never in too much of a rush, they always have a smile on their face (insomma) and they really know how to eat. All true, yes. Well then that must mean they are relaxed, courteous drivers to, right? Wrong! Totally and completely wrong. Its like something takes over when they get in a car or behind the wheel of a motor vehicle of any kind. It's like they all begin to channel Mario Andretti or Valentino Rossi. It's incredible. Its scary enough just trying to cross the street let alone drive a car amongst them! I know you think your cool and that you can keep up with them, but trust me please, you don't want to try. Remember that they all know where they are going, you don't, they're going to get mad at you and start honking and make you even more nervous. And you don't want to know what they're saying about you, trust me, I sit in the passenger seat in an Italian vehicle, you don't want to know. Ok, so fine you don't care, they can say whatever they want. But that's not the only reason you don't want to drive here....
Seriously something to keep in mind! Trust me, its all true!
Aside from the Italian's being just plain crazy drivers who conventionally forget what they learned at autoscuola, you are dealing with tiny one way streets that are difficult to navigate, in tiny old cities with thousands of residents who need a place to park their cars. Most cities issue permits to residents only which allows them to park on the street and without that permit you will get parking tickets or even wheel locks if it happens to be street sweeper night. The city of Florence for example and I'm sure others as well, also have limited traffic zones with cameras set up at each entrance to the historical city center and if you do not have permission to enter these areas, again you will be ticketed. And do not think that the rental companies will issue these permits, they will not, there is a reason why their offices are all located OUTSIDE these limited traffic zones.
I found this video on YouTube and its perfect! I cannot tell you how many times I've seen this kind of thing! This is exactly what you're in for! And who know how many tickets they got for entering the city center! Good thing these guys have a sense of humor about it!
Please believe me when I say this for your own good and for your SANITY! Don't drive in Italy. You'll thank me for it I promise. The trains and buses are awesome. Check out Trenitalia for a time schedule for all of Italy, you can even purchase tickets online. If your visiting Tuscany check out Sita bus for routes within the region that are simple, quick and run frequently.
You will enjoy your trip so much more if you don't drive! Don't forget to check out the other post about driving on this blog.
Have a story to share about driving in Italy? Let others know about it in the comments section below!
As I was walking home last night I caught a glimpse of the ongoing light installation project running here in Florence until Sunday January 15th titled Luce e Ombre or Light and Shadows. As I was passing the Palazzo Strozzi I could hear the music coming from the courtyard so I popped in the check things out. It was like the building was alive. The facade was pumping and breathing and the vibration of the music was reminiscent of a pounding heart. I captured a little video on my cell phone and tried to post it but for some reason it doesn't want to work and since I'm not terribly tech savvy, I borrowed a video from YouTube. It was super cool and it will be happening again this evening if you didn't get a chance to check it out yet.
This light and sound installation is the perfect metaphor for the contemporary art scene in Florence. Light and Shadow, as it certainly is the case that contemporary artists constantly find themselves living in the shadow of the great Renaissance masters. And while the heart of the Renaissance still beats strong we are constantly trying to bring our new work to light and gain recognition. This particular piece is also interesting to me since the Palazzo Strozzi is one of the most important historic structures in the city, and houses a contemporary art collection and ongoing contemporary art exhibitions. I also love the idea of mixing current day technology with historic, a fantastic juxtaposition of old and new and the incredible difference in the designing and building of structures past and present. I was fascinated by the piece and think I may even go and check it out again this evening. Enjoy!
So we are already 13 days into the New Year and new ideas are popping up every day. It is also now time for me to update the 'about me' section here on my blog because as of January 1, 2012 it was officially 11 years ago that I moved to Florence and in with Luigi. I still can't believe it myself sometimes. 11 years of growing and learning and changing and finding out who I am and what I want to do. Its been an amazing adventure.
Taken just outside the door of my parents house in L.A
Of course for a Southern California girl these cold dark winters can sometimes effect my mood and my creativity but I know that it is only temporary and that there is so much inspiration around me I can hardly stand it! I do feel big changes coming on this year however and I am trying to be as positive as I can and remind myself, as John Lennon said, 'There is nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be' and I believe this to be true both physically and creatively. And while it is a bit chilly around here and I am spending much more time indoors I am looking at this down time as an opportunity to re-focus and work on the things that tend to get neglected otherwise.
One of those things was going through all of the photos that I have saved on my computer and on not one, but two, external hard drives. Ever since my husband bought me my beautiful Cannon digital rebel a few years ago, I take photos of everything and anything I see that strikes me. I don't necessarily think of myself as a photographer, but I do think that taking photos helps me to be creative. It's almost like drawing for me. I like to create the composition and subject matter through the lens and I am fascinated with people. All kinds of people. And I try to capture scenes of everyday life and hold on to that moment through the image. So after looking at literally hundreds of photos and trying to decide which ones to keep and which ones were not so good, I started to think about what I was possibly going to do with them all. And I got to thinking. Well, lots of people sell their photos on Etsy so why not give it a try? Like I said I don't necessarily consider myself to be a photographer but rather an artist who uses photography has a medium. I am going to try and add at least two new photos per day and build up the collection from there. I've decided to give it the name When in Florence as well. If you click on any of the images below it will take you into the shop! I figure I can try it out for a while and see what happens. One never knows!
The holidays are over, a new year has begun and resolutions have been made! Let's hope it's a good one, or at the very least better than the last. I am currently working on some new ideas, concepts and designs and hope to be back to posting regularly very soon. So for the next week or two I will be using the down time to re-think and re-organize. Stay tuned! A presto!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season enjoying family and friends! I will be back in Florence next week!
Yes, that's right, my cat makes for one Dolce Vita. Unless you own a cat, you may not understand why I would say that he enriches my life, but its so very true that he does. Now I know some of you are not 'cat people' (whatever that means) but there really is something to be said about having a pet. I love animals of all kinds, I don't really understand that whole debate over cats and dogs, personally I love them both and can't wait until I can have a dog too. The thing is, they are different animals and it seems like those that say they don't like cats expect them to be like dogs, but that's like saying you expect men to be like women. Two different species entirely. The Truth about Cats and Dogs anyone?
I grew up with dogs. My C.J and Bear were truly my two best friends, they made me happy when I was sad they were always ready to play and our golden retriever actually unlocked the back door to let me in once when my big brother tried to lock me out. True story, I'll never forget it, she jumped up and slide the latch down with her paw. Such a smart dog!
I have always had animals in my life and cannot imagine life without them. Michelangelo came along a little over 5 years ago (he was so tiny he could fit in the palm of my hand) and he has truly enriched our lives everyday since. He too knows when I'm sad or sick and comes to comfort me, he cuddles up on the couch with me when its cold outside and keeps me warm, he faithfully sleeps at my feet every night and greets me with a meow and then throws himself on the floor with his belly in the air waiting for a tummy rub every time I come home. I know he will always be there and he doesn't care if I didn't put make-up on or if I gained a little weight. I am not exaggerating when I say that everyone I know who has ever met my Michelangelo falls in love with him. Even my father who was always an openly anti-cat person. When I brought Michelangelo home to California for a visit a few years ago, by the end of the trip my Dad was actually trying to convince me to leave him there with him! No way! He loved his company so much that now, my dad has a cat of his own. Michelangelo loves when people come over and will come and say hello and maybe even crawl into your lap for a little cuddle.
And aside from just being sweet and cuddly, did you know that it is scientifically proven that cats improve our health? They reduce stress and cholesterol as well as our risk of heart attack. Don't believe me? I didn't make it up, check out this article that will give you all the details. Need more convincing? Do a simple Google search on the health benefits of owning a cat.
So there it is, my Dolce Vita entry for this week. Michelangelo my cat truly enriches not just my life but Luigi's too. (Trust me he's just as smitten as I am, don't let the macho exterior fool you!)
