MN Little Italy 8

[francagoestohollywood]

Benvenuti, ciao hello

pippi - glad your DH is fine, and yes, I'd be crossed too though I see where he's coming from...

15? well, as usual at home, and between home and sunny Caorle beach with mum and siblings, and occasional Sunday bus trips to Bibione beach with friends... feeling pretty ugly and "indifferent", the wallpaper girl (at school I was bight, but not the brightest, nor pretty or the leader... you know, the one loved by their friends, the "reliable" but never the one to take the initiative and always the one ignored by the boys...) and very depressed, god how I hated being a teenager!!

Are you from Caorle?

oh, and had crush on Terence from Candy and Andre' from Lady Oscar, but wanted to be Maya from Il grande sogno di Maya"... now, that's square!!

no, not from Caorle, but not far, near Portogruaro

surprised that anyone knows Caorle though!

hi girls. We are making orange gelato today and feeling very Italian. Dd seems to think we are destined to move to Italy and is working on it assiduously:

"Why don't we move to Rome dad, Rome would be nice, don't you think?"

Well you know Asia quite appeals to me and there are a few countries on the cards right now. China I don't fancy. Need an easier one after Germany really. Boy German schools that was really expat living for advanced students....

But Sputnik, I know you, of course I do woman!

In fact I know ALL about you (evil cackle)..

I am plugging hard for Singapore and hoping it works out. Well we will see. Anyway life is bliss for now by comparison

OMG throw away your diaries!!!! My mum READ mine when I was 14 and I got into serious trouble Although thinking back maybe it's a good idea to get dd a diary

I was a fledgling goth at 15 too, drinking cider in graveyards. Actually the things I got up to as a teenager do not bear thinking about

Penthe here are some links on bilinguism my friend gave me:
www.zurer.com/pearson/bilingualchild

www.bilingualfamiliesconnect.com/

www.biculturalfamily.org/

Christmas, I used to go to Duna verde when I was 5 and 6, do you know it?

SSSandy, I was always shocked at your posts on how dreadful Germany felt, as here in Italy we believe everything is rosy there . I'm always fascinated by one's experience in a different country. So glad to hear you escaped, and are making plans for another move. You are a brave woman

Sputnik, a goth? drinking on graveyards ? I can't picture you as a goth, don't know why, I have images of you surrounded by bees and lovely children

HOT email me your address and I'll send the book!

LOL at wholesome image I have been projecting.

Actually the bit about the lovely children is true. But it took me 37 years to get around to having those!

So SSSanta, have you moved around alot til now? I ask because if my DH stays in his current job we will have to change country in 4 years time, and I'm wondering what it would be like.

I heard there's another acqua alta today, hope Rosa is ok. It has been chaos in Rome today.

Hello everyone!
Bucharest calling in with the results of the wet and windy Puglian jury.....Been a bit awol in mad-pre-Christmas-rush....we leave on Monday (dd and I, dp will join us the week after) for 3 weeks in the UK....

Hope everyone is Ok and hi to new posters!
We're OPOL as well, I'm English, dp is Italian and dd is bilingual....

I also felt much more comfortable breastfeeding in Italy than the UK....despite its many problems in other areas (can you tell I've been to the Post Office today!) the lack of red top newspaper tts out for the lads mentality (unless it's a showgirl on tv of course) means that bf does seem to be lovely and normal* here....

Franca- that was really interesting about the proposed changes to the school system...tbh I've been a bit about the furore regarding the maestra unica as when i was at primary school I had a maestra unica (as it were!) for 7 years, it was the norm then (don't know about now) but now I realise that their hours are going to be less, and yet up there the school day is still going to be full time, I see what you mean.....I think I'd just like to keep dd in nursery till she's 18 tbh...but I guess that won't be feasible....am already about her leaving next year....although she is already excited....

Oh well, I'm off to ice about 390 (seems like) Christmas Tree biscuits for her last day at nursery tomorrow before the hols....wish me luck, and if I've got this colur face next time you see me, it's the Christmas Tree food colouring....

A dopo
xxx

I was going to suggest Caorle for Mars Lady for her hols ...Jesolo is also bike friendly but bit tacky for my liking.
Aqua Alta did not hit the 130 cm today but dd at home as she had a minor febbre and It was tipping it down . Bad night again last night but I slept 1 hr this pm so feeling a bit human. MInd you I am sure I am fighting off her cold but it could be also lack of fresh air 2 days at home ! Seen that tom is last order day for photobox stuff so rapidly uploading ----time flies ! Only all xmas cards and all presents to wrap !!! ( and some to still buy !)SIl announced that she us buying only for the children this year fine but its a bit late to tell me now !
MIL out of hosp tom - on crutches will see how she goes .

Tell us the truth Bucharest, are you really icing those biscuits for the nursery or are they for Scamy???

How lovely you are going home for 3 fat weeks of holiday

I know that many people are reassured by the (alleged) return of the maestra unica, but I feel it is not necessary and quite frankly a bit paternalistic. Plus yes, it means a cut in the teachers' hrs, but still the government assures that this is not going to touch the tempo pieno. They don't explain how, exactly and what will they do? The tempo pieno has a meaning if it's done but trained teachers, otherwise it is just children parking. Plus all the teachers are now trained into an area of competence, they'll have to train back to teach all the subjects... Sorry that was long, but I'm really upset by this reform, I really don't agree with it.

Bucharest, i also know how you feel about nursery, I remember saying the same thing: I want them to stay at nursery until they're 18!!! Must admit that -after a settling in period - ds loved his school in the UK and now the school here in Milan.

Let us know how the icing goes

Sputnik, yes I have bucolic visions of you, they certainly don't involve graveyards!!!

Oh rosa, I envy your organization with a tiny lo!!! Hope dd1 feels better soon.
With all the excitement of dd2 being born etc, I completely forgot about your mil . How is she managing? (how are you managing her?)

I find Caorle very family friendly and the boat ride to Venice and islands is quite nice too, Jesolo is a bit pretentious I find, and better for young ones (clubbing in the summer... ah, the memories) as supposed to families IMO

Franca - Duna Verde is near there, but only been when I was very little so can't really remember it (way to Caorle very easy and direct from home)

Yes, last time I went to duna verde was 1976 or 1977. I wonder if it has changed and how. It was great for children, lots of swimming pools and freedom to cycle everywhere then.

I assume it still is, a friend went there in the summer, but he's in his 30s and no children. Bibione and Caorle have had a bit of a revamp in the last few years - though Caorle is still my favourite as it still has a bit of a fishing village feel and they have new proper toilets on the beach now, no "turche"!!! they also organise free children dancing/aquaerobics etc on the beach (DS loves the latin dancing lessons). I saw they were offering babysitting as well, guess to people who rent rooms/apts

Indeed I think hotels with babysitting services are quite popular now on the riviera adriatica.
I really would like to do a trip in the Po estuary. Have never been to chioggia for instance.

We drove through there once. And I'm very fond of radicchio.

Me too!!!

I've been eating a lot of pasta with radicchio for lunch lately, it's really good and very quick, just fried up with a bit of garlic and some pinoli. Today I had it with gorgonzola. Delicious. It's really good in the oven with a bit of cream poured over too.
Never seen it in UK though.

Yes, I love it with pasta! Our "family" recipe is lasagne with radicchio and pancetta. Delicious.
Interesting with gorgonzola, will deffo try it!

Hmm lasagna sounds interesting. I'd have substitute the pancetta though.

Ups sorry, Are you a vegetarian? I didn't know it (or quite simply forgot about it, as I tend to forget stuff on an alarmingly regular basis)

Don't worry, I'm not offended by the mention of pancetta! I even give the DCs prosciutto every so often, as long as I don't have to cook it.