MN Little Italy 8

[francagoestohollywood]

Benvenuti, ciao hello

good question, which comics sputnik?

Well DH had a big Alan Ford collection, and a good few Asterixs in Italian.

I'm still uming and ahing about the xmas tree, DH has vetoed a real one and neither of us wants a plastic one. As we live in the middle of the forest we have in the past cut down a bough and decorated that, but it drys up and looks crap after a week. I was debating buying a felt one online, but may have left it too late.

put your conscience at peace and [[http://www.greenlivingonline.com/HomeGarden/the-great-tree-debate-articial-or-real help the planet by buying a real tree]!

ecco

Can you not get small real trees (with roots in a bucket and then go off and plant them after Christmas in the forest? I know you can in some places. Dh always insists on getting the biggest tree he can find, practically scraping the ceiling and then we have to throw it out after such a short time.

Seems such a waste but there's no changing him.

Unless anyone knows of some kind of strong drug...

Yes, stage 1 of mission Escape from Alcatraz accomplished but dh is still there, working so all a bit temporary and not sure what the future holds really. Still ENORMOUS relief for me and dd. Since dh is travelling a great deal and not home much anyway these days, seemed little point in dd and I struglling on with life in Germany when he wasn't even there IYSWIM. HOping we get to move to Asia (so not arguing about the tree this year)

so where are you based now?

we did get the small rooted one once and planted in the garden. it lived for a year. My dad did plant all our tree in our casa in campagna to make a mini forest (bet is a biggish one now. as house was sold.)

I've sawed (sp?) the bottom of the tree and put it in place, move the trampoline, fixed the garden, got the decoration from garage. moved the furniture, changed bulbs...Dh said I am so selfsufficient there's no need for im anymore, poverino.

ZZZen: to Asia??? where? So you're in the UK now? Well done for escaping , life in Germany was really bringing you down, if I remember well.

We have a cheap plastic christmas tree from homebase. We are decorating it this afternoon, as ds has a terrible cough, so no swimming lesson today.

Have been window shopping, but haven't bought anything, as I saw lots of things that I like for myself and to expensive anyway...

Ah ZZZen, you don't know me from Adam but I remember reading one of your threads about German schools. Glad things are looking up for you.

Will you DH be out tomorrow Pippi?

Ooh, Asia where? I didn't realise that you'd made the great escape, but then I've only been flitting on here lately.

We have a fake tinsel tree donated by ex, that my one of my cats keeps trying to eat. Daft puss has been doing christmassy silver and shiny green poos for the last week.

Went Xmas shopping in Milan yesterday. Total nightmare, I only bought one thing as the shops were all far too hot, hardly anywhere was even vaguely pushchair friendly (I really shouldn't be surprised anymore) and we spent most of the afternoon in a quest for a toilet without a km long queue, having to wade through puddles of pee or with poo smeared up the wall. DP nearly got into a fight with someone as he kicked a car that sped over the zebra crossing just when DD and I were on it, missing the pushchair by mm. All in all not a very successful afternoon. I think I'm going to have to go on my own sometimes, although that way, like Franca, I'll only see things that I like for myself.

Penthe - I learnt Italian from reading children's books too. The next step is trashy novels translated from English as the language tends to be much easier. My first "big" book was Ken Follet's Pillars or the Earth. Easy peasy but a huge sense of fulfilment when I'd finished it.

Oh Brangelina. Not one day goes by without me having a go at car drivers here in Milan. I also tell off people who want to get on the bus without letting others getting down . I'm going to get beaten up soon methinks. I miss England in that sense. A lot.

Brange def not wise going shopping on a festive day... we'll go together on Tuesday, trying to stop one another from buying things for ourselves. Today I tried on (YES< I even entered the shop and tried it, what was I thinking?) a beautiful blouse. It was 150 euros . Luckily I looked like I was 16 months pg and manage to resist the urge. I'm shallow.

Sputnik did you go see the flat in rome?

Ciao bella(s)

So we've decided that we the mums want a relaxing break and to maybe see something, but mostly to lie down and read. We also thought about hiring bikes. So... Italy, summer, beach and bikes. Will go through the suggestions you've already given me you wonderful ladies, but if the perfect holiday jumps out at you please let me know.

Gracie bella(s)

xmas shopping... haven't even started... tree not up yet so the house doesn't feel xmassy at all (still swamped in folded/drying washing... never ending) and felt a bit when I rang friend back home yesterday and forgotten it was festa in Italy... miss xmas at home, with lots of food and relatives and friends doing the house-rounds.... I hope we'll go there next year... and then there's la Befana (at least DS experienced that a couple of years ago...) well, DD hasn't got a passport yet anyway (OMG, not looking fwd to the trip(s) to the counsulate in Victoria, they make me every time)

Pippi - hope things are getting better with DH

went to DS's first xmas play today... never seen so many adult teary eyes in one room... he didn't have a "part", but he was very good and disciplined (unlike when at home with me - he seems to be 4yo teenager!) and remember all the words of the songs

So Mars does it have to be beach? Will you have a car or need to be near airport/public transport.

I did my xmas shopping 100% online this year and it is already done and dusted [smug]
I will admit it's very easy for me though as family is extremely small, mostly tell me what they want/are happy with photo calenders of my beautiful DCs etc. We always go home to the UK too so just get it all sent there.

Funny how you miss your home country at xmas more than other times. I spent many an xmas here in Italy and always felt quite sad. Then after one particularly bad xmas I swore never again. Thank goodness for easyjet, ryanair etc, as it used to cost a fortune to get home.

So, realised I forgot to answer you Franca, we are looking to move because poor DH spends nearly 4 hours a day commuting and we never see him. The commuter trains from here are about to get worse as they have sold slots on the line to Fiat for an intercity service, so guess who will be getting priority? Plus DH has finally been given a proper job having been a consultant so we have 2 years of knowing he'll be working in the same place.

We had a second viewing on a flat we like but it needs completely redoing, which would be exciting but costly, we're waiting for an estimate. Also the owner would have to accept the very low offer we're planning on making, but you never know, it's a buyer's market! It would be nice though as it's in walking distance of SIL's house, and close to DH work. Just remembered Gio you were asking where in Rome, it's the part of EUR outside the raccordo. We have also been looking in Vitinia but not much luck there yet. Our budget is low as we don't want to sell our current house, we want to spend the summers and weekends here!

Marslady mmmmm ok. beach-bikes and relax. Ok I'll think about it . The riviera romagnola-marchigiana is very bike friendly, but the sea isn't very nice (but lots of fun for teenagers and good food, I could actually recommend Senigallia, which has 2 restaurants with michelin stars and only half an hr drive away from beautiful marchigiana countryside) senigallia

Christmasflower, awwww you must be really proud of your little boy. I always have teary eyes on such occasions, but last year I was patently crying, as the xmas play was only a few days before our move back to Italy and I just lost it a bit... Hope you find the time (I see you have a tiny dd ) to put up the tree, it should make you a bit more allegra.

Sputnik, that is big news!!! Fingers crossed for the flat, and how brilliant that you are keeping the house in the country, it does make a huge difference to be able to escape the city.

xmasflower I am grateful everyday that I took british citizenship only so that I do not have to go consolato in victoria for bloody passport (done english through the post). btw have you heard that now they want a translated copy of the birth certificate? I have not registered dd2 yet, nor my marriage. it's bad but it's such a palaver even done by post.

brange I always get into almost fight about car wanting to crush pram to a pulp on zebra crossing..I do become a fish wife in such occasions.

xmas shopping all done here ages ago [smug] luckily. mostly calendars like sputnik though.

Re DH: it's not at home and it looks like he won't be soon either. the lung is not inflated again. we are all quite down at the moment as it's getting harder as dd1 does not want to go to childminder 'tutto il tempo' [bless]. I am splitting myself between the two with a journey that all in all is 2 hours each way. (I've also hurt my foot so walk like a crippled).

It'll be an early night tonight for me. could cry all evening.

at least we've done the tree, which is massive. it's called 'pino' and dd1 said 'cuddle pino tu sei mio amico' e gave it a big cuddle and dd2, who had been renamed earlier on as 'quella che parle con gli alberi' went ballistic. she talked to pino all morning bless.

poor pippi, it does sound that once this is over iwth your dh, both of you will need lots of tlc. night night.

Sorry to hear your DH is having to stay in Pippi, it must be so hard for you. Take care of yourself. Lol at Pino, your DDs sound cute

Oh dear Pippi sorry to hear that dh is not coming home tomorrow .
Lol at Pino, they are indeed uber cute

franca i've seen the conran shop from the outside... not sure I dare going in.

Go inside, you know you want to .

It will either:
a) cheer you up (as it is nice to see nice things, sometimes)
2) make you for the rip off prices...

Don't be surprised if you feel very tempted to leave with a mini panton chair...

pippi - a mum from the post-natal group mentioned it, but I assumed it was because she'd done it through the post plus her being Bulgarian and already having had (unsurprisingly) hard time at questura when she got married in Italy to an Italian... how I hate that place, the queue s.times it outside by the Mexican consulate!!! they even put me at 1000 years older than I am on mine so had to have it re-done.... does it need to be done "officialy"? and what do they want it translate it for!?! surely if they have the "ministero del WELFARE" they can understand "date of birth"!!??!!

anyway, hope things improve soon, I'm in awe of how you are managing! If anything happened here I'd be lost, with no family round at all!

LOL at pino!

that conran shop... used to work up the road, so used to window-shop during lunch break all down that road... (lived in a bedsit at the time so def could not afford anything, not that I could now anyway) is agnes b still there? there was also a pretty shop with gifts/ethnic stuff which I liked... feel old now, that was 10 years ago!

Pippi so sorry that your DH isn't going to be coming home tomorrow, it's not what you need just before Xmas. You do sound very strong but I'm sure you feel the need for some tlc yourself. Is you mum coming over? Things will improve soon, I'm sure, everything just seems to happen at once. Your DDs sound lovely and lol at Pino l'abete!

You should get your marriage registered, my mum didn't and when she renewed her carta d'identità from something like 1967 she was down as nubile. Apparently it does make a difference as the guy who renewed her carta told her it wouldn't be valid for l'espatrio as the stato civile was untrue. Not that my mum's fussed or anything....

Do you also have 2 identities? My mum has one name in her carta d'identità (ie unmarried name) and a completely different one in her UK passport as she unilaterally decided to change her first name as well as having a married surname. Very cool, I'm quite .

how are you pippi?

Pippi hope today will bring some good news.

I luckily never had to go to the consolato in London, my dh did though and was always by the inefficiency of our compatrioti. Luckily when I had to renew my passport I went to the proconsolato in Bristol, which opened once a week and used a room in a parish church or something. But of course I didn't have to wait. After me there was a couple in their 60 and they spoke Italian to each other with an accent that was a mix of Southern Italian and English. I welled up. But when I was in the UK I cried for the weirdest things regarding italy...

Ciao bella(s)

We're planning on flying in and that's about as far as we got. I'm about to check out the link below. I love you lot. Thanks!