Italian mums in the south?

[Gio77]

Hi
I am looking for other Italian mums in the south, especially Hampshire. I want to raise my daughter bilingual and Id love to find her other little bilingual friends!

hei franca it's me sarah, i've changed my nickname as I was fed up with it...

do you feel better today? DD is going for MMR and Pneum on friday, I am a bit worried TBH...

Ciao a tutte le mums italiane. Vi ho trovate!

Franca70 directed me here for a bit of Italian chat... and then I find that you've gone back to English.

Anyway, I am here on false pretences, since I am neither Italian nor in the South, but hey... it's just nice to chat in Italian for a change.

QQQ... In bocca al lupo per l'mmr. A mia dd2 gliel'ho fatto fare 2 settimane fa (il 'booster' - ha 4 anni e mezzo) e niente problemi. Anch'io sono stata piuttosto preoccupata, anche se so che vale la pena. (Mio padre ha avuto il morbillo da piccolo (70 anni fa!) ed e' stato proprio male. A quei tempi era una questione di vita e morte...

Comunque... back to work for now. Vi saluto e magari facciamo quattro chiacchiere qualche volta...

hi! no, I'm still feeling crap, tbh. I also tried to phone my surgery to get an appointment but their telephone line was not working today... hopefully it'll be fixed by tomorrow morning. otherwise I'll try a walk in centre. I know, I felt a bit apprehensive every time my kids had their jabs! in less than a month I also have to take ds (who is 4.2) for his mmr, il richiamo, sorry I don't know in english!! and this time he'll be old enough to realize what is going on, poor thing! anyway, i'll think of you on friday. ciao!

hi ellbell, I'd love to chat in italian (well, it's easier for me!!), but I'm not so sure whether it can be done or not? are you teaching italian literature? I'm curious to know which italian writers are studied here. I always see primo levi and calvino in bookstores. ciao a tutte

Ciao Franca

LOL... I used 'booster' when attempting to write in Italian, because I didn't know the Italian, and then you used 'richiamo' because you didn't know the English... So tonight we've both learnt something!

I teach both Italian language and literature, although my real passion (don't all groan ) is Dante. I also teach courses on Primo Levi (who is extremely well-known in this country in translation, as well) and on the literature of Trieste (which started with an interest in Svevo and grew!). Calvino is taught a lot over here, yes. Italian courses tend to be very varied. There is the 'classical' stuff - the 'tre corone', the Renaissance, Manzoni, Leopardi - and then a lot of interest in the 20th century, including in cinema. Neo-realist writers and directors are well-known... but there is really a huge amount of variety in the courses on offer. It really depends on the research interests of the staff available. There is also a lot of interest in the history of the Italian language. I love it!

Anyway, back to Dante now.... Preparing something to give to my students tomorrow.

hi, again, I studied "lettere moderne " (though specialized in history) at university, so I'm always up to, how do you say, rispolverare? brush up? old passions... so, I'm a bit biased as well, I still remember studying Dante for my exams and reading auerbach (sp?). some fine memories...

Where did you study, Franca? Can't remember where in Italy you're from...

Auerbach is one of 'the greats'; his 'Figura' essay really changed the way we think about Dante. (But I will shut up now, because if I get carried away there is no stopping me .)

Changing the subject massively... I think that some of the Italian mums on here are Sicilian? I quite fancy going to Sicily next Easter and am looking for tips as to where to go. I need somewhere with lots to do, as we like to be quite busy on holiday. Dds will be 5 and 6 at the time.... I've been all over the mainland, but have never been to Sicily. I'd love to visit the Eolie, but not sure if getting there would be a hassle (and expensive?) with the girls. Consigli?

Gio77 is from Sicily and I'm sure she'll have plenty of advice.
I'm from Milano, and studied at Universita' Statale, and I have many fantastic memories of that time, including Auerbach!

We always go on holiday to the Eolie islands in the summer, which I wouldn't recommend to the average english person, as it's too hot. but we love it too much, and also it's the only time when we can go with friends. There's plenty to do there, lots of lovely walks (that you can't actually take in the summer because of the heat) and if it's warm enough you can have a swim (esp in Vulcano, where there are hot springs in the sea as well). But if you only got one week holiday then I wouldn't recommend the eolie as the journey is quite long, and you'd lose one day just to get there. I know Sicily quite well, though I've never been in the Siracusa area (which I've been told is amazing), where there's also a famous natural reserve, whose name, I don't remember now, but can do some research. or would you rather go to a villaggio vacanze? or combine city and seaside?

Ciao ragazze
so back to English then...well Franca my lesson went quite well, hope i havent scared them too much! Funny how I didnt want to mention anything about Italian grammar and they kept asking why I said something that way? ooops had to say a few things about grammar...hopefully they'll come back next week!

Ellbell, not sure where u could go with little ones as when i go to Sicily i obviously go to my family but id strongly advise u go outside school holidays if u can, much cheaper and u should probably ask a few trave agencies. But if u could go to the Eolie Im sure u'd love it.
By the way, if u go at Easter dont expect it to be very hot

ciao gio, glad you enjoyed it. I know it must be difficult to avoid the grammar.
Ellbell, the riserva naturale I was thinking about is Vendicari, which I think it's near siracusa.
anyway, I found this website
www.sicilyweb.com/turismo/parchi.htm
which seems a good starting point.

Ciao Gio and Franca

Thanks for the info about Sicily. We are stuck with school holidays unfortunately (dd1 is 6 and in Year 2) but want to go at Easter precisely because we can't stand the heat in August. I'll check out that website. So... to get to the Eolie, what do you do... fly to Palermo (or where?) and then get a boat? The idea of being on a small island is very appealing. (A small island far from my students...!)

Gio... I find it hard to avoid grammar too. It's possible with people who've never learned a language that way - they can just accept it as a collection of words. But once you know how a language works it's really hard not to analyse it in a grammatical way. (Easier too, in the long run... But I am a bit of a traditionalist ). Had someone try to teach me Greek once using a totally communicative method (nothing written down at all) and I could not stop myself thinking... OK, so this is the verb, this must be the reflexive pronoun... and so on.

ciao again.
you can fly to palermo and then take a train, go to milazzo and hop on the first ferry or hydrofoil. but I think it's at least a three hour journey from palermo to milazzo (plus the bus from the airport to the train station and then from milazzo station to the harbour). milazzo-vulcano is an hour by hydrofoil. otherwise you can fly to catania, it's closer to milazzo, but I don't know about mezzi pubblici, this time we were with another family and rent a minivan to go to milazzo. tbh getting to the eolie is a bit of an headache, but apart from that they are fab (esp if you are into Odyssey...)

OMG... sounds like the kind of journey that would have me wanting to kill someone by the end of it ! Maybe we'll wait till the kids are older... (or wait till they leave home and then go on our own ).

yes you need to be v. committed and zen like. not that I'm zen like, but being really committed I've always managed to survive the journey. we've already been three times since the kids were born, but never for a week only.
I've got another idea: what about, Palermo and then san vito lo capo and the riserva dello zingaro? palermo is amazing, but again it needs, lets put it this way, commitment.

I think Catania is definetely closer. You can also check out overcrafts from Messina, you may be lucky as they leave from a very central point and its quite easy to get there, so ideally you could fly to Catania then take the bus to the train station and take the tram (which is very very frequent) from there, its about 10 minutes on tram. But u need to find out the destinations they go to from Messina. Otherwise u could take bus to messina central station then take the train to Milazzo(or check if the bus goes straight to Milazzo!) but like u said u have 2 children and I'd think u're mad if u do all that lol! I really suggest u put yourself in the hands of an agent and find the best holiday for u and children.

PS I know what u mean about grammar but my students are complete beginners and never studied another language. At that point I just wanted them to think they could speak some Italian thats why i didnt do any grammar! Are u a teacher Ellbell?

LOL Franca and Gio... you have put me right off the Eolie. I'm going to go there when my children have left home!

Yes, Gio, I teach (or, at least, have taught - not doing too much this year) Italian language (beginners to degree level) and literature. I love it!

oh no, didn't mean to put it off! but it's true, whichever way you go, it's gonna take a day to get there, so doesn't make much sense if you have a week holiday. so now, you have to think about an alternative...

buonasera a tutte.
the eolie are so so beautiful. I got the fast ferry from Napoli (4 hours you're there). you could fly to napoli with ryanair. it's still going to take you the all day though. as I said in another thread, or maybe this one earlier, DH and I planned to get married there but had to change for Sardinia as it was easily accessible.
I think it is worth the pain though...
ellbell where in italy did you study?

un consiglio, cominciero' una thread, DD torna dalla childminder con un alito un po' acido. come mai?

Interesting idea to go from Naples QQQ... m'informero'. Sardinia is another possibility. I work with a cagliaritana and a sassarese, so I have plenty of info about Sardinia!

I learnt most of my Italian in this country, sadly, but did spend 5 months in Siena at the Universita' per stranieri (a long long time ago - 1988!). I know a lot of Italians, though, and speak it most days, if only in short bursts. I try to read in Italian (for fun as well as for 'work') and that helps to keep me up-to-date (in case I get TOO obsessed with Dante... I really don't want to start talking like a Trecento Florentine... in hendecasyllables!!!). I'm starting to get into Camilleri at the moment!

Hi Gio,

My other half is Italian and we have 2 boys who are bi-lingual ...sort of.

We are in Hampshire and I know another Italian mother close by to us with a 3 yr old son who is bilingual.

siena is lovely. have you been to perugia', there's a good universita' per stranieri there too.

the year DD was born I was supposed to start my MA in Europen Culture at the UCL and one of the modules was on Dante. I could not wait to do it. last I've done la divina commedia was al Liceo and I am sure I did not appreciate it as it should.

soon soon...

instead I had to read 'the toddler's years'..

Hello everyone! hi eve!
qqq, the bed breath, could it be a bit of acetone??? Is dd well in herself? Acetone (ketosis, i think in english) was very popular in the seventies, and caused days of eating just boiled rice. Anyway, it usually occurs after a fever, when sugar levels go down. so lots of things to drink with sugar (like chamomile) and avoid fat stuff like butter, etc. I think. would you like me to get the garzantina di puericultura, i'm sure it gives and excellent explanation.
it's true ellbell, sardinia could be a great option, and there are lots of agriturismi so you don't need to break the bank!
anyway, if you feel the need to talk dante, I won't mind, I have my divina commedia here...

franca lol at the 'garzantina'. I shall ask my dad to get me one, he loooves his garzantine

secondo me e' l'acetone, e secondo me e' per via di quello che gli da la childminder. come ho detto ce l'ha spesso quando va li. e' meglio che controllo un po' quello che gli danno. now!! l'altra volta mi dice che le ha dato la quiche, e va beh, poi i baked beans... non vorrei che veramente mangia male, troppi grassi, poverina.
come stai?
va beh basta.

dante ce l'ho qui anch'io e magari avessi il tempo di leggerlo.

camilleri non l'ho mai letto. fammi sapere ellbell. sinceramente sono rimsta un po' ignorante di letteratura italiana contemporanea. so molto di piu' di anglo-americana perche' e' quello che ho' fatto all'universita'.

ellbell franca ha ragione, gli agriturismi sono STUPENDI. ne abbiamo trovato un tra anghero e stintino che era un paradiso. in cima ad una collina, con vista sul mare, piscina e per bambini perfetto. una cucina casalinga di 1000 portate tutte organiche della fattoria per 20euro. ridicolo!!!

qqq: pass the address of your agriturismo NOW!
yes, I'd be lost without the garzantine! the garzantina di puericultura is def a must.
I try to read as much as i can, but it's difficult to find, imo, good contemporary literature. (I enjoyed Camilleri a lot, I read many of his books last year when I had chickenpox and didn't leave the bed for a week). What worries me is that nowadays I read a book and will forget about it after a few hours...
hope your dd will feel better soon. try not to give her too many fat stuff in the next few days and see if the breath improves. ciao!

Hi girls
Sarah you might find out some scary truth about your daughter's food. Cant u prepare for her in advance maybe? I would after what u said!

Ellbell, Sardinia is a wonderful place to go to...I am Sicilian but I really couldnt choose between Sicily and Sardinia, they are both so so beautiful!

Franca come va? u know what? Same thing happens to me since i had dd, I read maybe study and i sort of forget all about it...hmmm???