thisweekinitaly.com

Conversation with a Chef

I have a friend who likes the restaurant Cento Poveri (100 poor people) in Florence. The owners are a couple, Italian husband and Australian wife. Now they plan to move to Australia and open an Italian restaurant there. We spoke recently with the owner and chef about his plans. He noted that a lot of Italian restaurants in other countries are run by second or third generation Italian immigrant families who present a cuisine of the Italy of 50-100 years ago. It is not an illegitimate cuisine, but it does not reflect developments in Italian cooking in the last century. He noted that in Florence the restaurants catering to tourists concentrate on traditional Florentine dishes which are fine, but are not diverse enough
to represent what Italians actually eat in Florence and elsewhere. I asked him if he had researched what kind of ingredients he could obtain in Australia to do his cooking. He said that on trips there in the past he had visited the markets to see what is readily available. The biggest problem he anticipated was getting good olive oil, but now there is a supplier in Australia whose product is satisfactory. What is important is high quality olive oil for cooking. This is used in such large amounts that it is prohibitive to import it. Olive oil used on salads can be imported because much less is needed. He uses olive oil from different regions for these two purposes. The most flavorful oil for salads is from Tuscany and Emeglia. It has too much flavor for cooking. For cooking he prefers the southern Italian oil.

What was clear to me is that if you said to him ‘ People in Australia don’t reallyunderstand fine Italian cooking; you can serve up just about anything and make a good profit. So don’t waste a lot of money on expensive ingredients and extensive preparation,’ he would reject such an idea completely. Cooking is his art and you don’t cut corners.

Picking Your Seat in Advance on Airline Flight

On my flight over to USA I was able to select my seat on the airline’s web site. You are presented with a diagram of the plane’s interior. I carefully selected a seat with extra leg room in front of it, but this was not the seat I got on the flight. I asked the stewardess about this discrepancy. It turns out that the diagram on the airline’s web site is not necessarily that of the type of plane used on your flight. The computer selection process does allow you to indicate if you want an aisle seat, window seat, seat in front, etc., but you don’t necessarily get a seat in the location you selected. If you want more leg room the stewardess suggested selecting a seat in an exit row, but I am not sure that the exit rows are uniformly located on all the different plane models.

It is Grounds for an Annulment, But Is It also Grounds for $260,000 in Damages?

The USA does not have a monopoly on frivolous lawsuits An Italian man has been fined $260,000 for marrying his girlfriend without telling her he was impotent. A court in southern town of Palermo found a 26 year old man guilty of fraud because he deceived his wife to be by not telling her he was impotent. He claimed he wanted to wait until they were married before having sex, and it was only after the wedding the woman found out the truth.
But the court ruled that she had a right to know about his impotency before entering into the marriage contract. He also has to pay $38,500 in court costs. His wife has since divorced him.

Don’t worry about his paying the judgment. No 26 year old in Palermo has anywhere near $260,000.

One of Life’s Little Mysteries

At the used clothes booths at markets in Italy (which also have some new clothes mixed in) you see clothes from Italy, China, France German, Great Britain, etc. Sometimes you see items made in the USA. Recently I saw something quite unusual –a new garment made in the USA with a tag on it from an American outlet store. How does such an item find it’s way to Italy? Even if the outlet store disposes of it as unsold merchandise, why doesn’t it end up in some second hand clothes market or discount store in the USA?

Latest Scandal in Italy

It concerns a guy who collected photos of famous people in compromising or embarrassing situations and then extorted money from the person photographed to give him or her the negative. Soccer stars, movie stars, and even the daughter of former President Berlusconi were among those from whom on money was obtained,

How to solve this problem? Italy’s authority governing privacy issues banned the media from releasing news regarding “private facts and conduct”, particularly of a sexual nature, which are “not of public interest” Thus if media can’t publish the photos, the extortionist can not sell them or get blackmail from the person in the photo. You can imagine how unhappy the media are at this ruling, but, as with most things in Italy, I doubt that it will be enforced.

Precocious, Preteens and Pedophilia

Pedophilia is a problem in Italy as elsewhere. Still I see occasional cloth3es advertisements in which young girls (7-10) are dressed in seductive garments typical of older teenagers and young women in Italy. I don’t suppose that pedophiliacs are necessarily induced to desire children by the clothes they are wearing, but still I think such advertisements (which may exist in the USA too) send the wrong message.

This Week in Italy Goes on Vacation

I will be in the United States from March 13-April 23. Therefore, This Week in
Gettysburg may suspend publication during that time or perhaps arrive but less
frequently.

Sicilian Churches and Homes

In Italy older churches frequently have been modified internally and externally many times since their original construction. Often the most recent internal redecorating was in the Baroque period. After this period it may be that the churches (whose income was squeezed by Napoleon and later Italian governments) did not have the money for major overhauls. The older churches in Sicily are
almost all Baroque on the inside — magnificent examples of this style. Interestingly, the home furniture that you see on TV ads and in stores in Sicily is also much more elaborate and ornate in style than the clean, modern, Italian style seen more often in the north.

San Remo Music Festival

This is a week long event featuring Italian music. The competition is one both of best new song and best singer(s), but the two are joined. The singer of the best new song is also the winner as the best singer. What I find interesting
is that many older singers, past their years of high popularity, are included. In the USA older artists are often relegated to nostalgia tours in which they sing their old hits for an ever again audience. Here they are tapped to sing
some of the brand new songs.

Train Adventure number 946

Before coming back from Sicily, I looked on the Trenitalia computer site for train schedule from Palermo to Florence. I choose a train that left Palermo at 5 pm. I purchased my ticket at an electronic ticket machine. I was surprised
that the machine did not ask me if I wanted to pay for a reserved seat. Theses overnight trains have both sleeper cars and cars with reserved seats. When I went to get on the train there were 10 sleeper cars and only two cars with
regular seats. Furthermore the cars with seats were not the usual compartment cars (on which you can reserve a seat) on long distance trains, but the kind of cars one sees on regional trains. When the conductor came to punch my ticket,
he said I could not go to Florence on this ticket. Why? It turns out that the two cars with seats went only to Messina. After that the train was only sleeper cars. I’d have to pay a supplement and move to a sleeper car. I did so. In short, the machine had issued me an invalid ticket. At Messina we had to wait 70 extra minutes for a train from Siracusa that was late. This train was joined to our train for trip to Florence. There was one nice surprise. After leaving  Messina 70 minutes late, we made up 50 minutes overnight and arrived in Florence only 20 minutes behind schedule. Not a common event on trains in Italy.

Best Strategy for Political Leader — Do Little or Nothing

I often wondered why Silvio Berlusconi accomplished so little when he was in power for five years with a strong majority in Parliament. His enemies say that all he was ever interested in was furthering his personal interests and those of his friends. Maybe so, but I have a different explanation. Italy is a country where public opinion polls will show that 70% of the people favor changing X, Y, and Z. So you put together a political platform promising these changes. The minute, however, you actually change X, the other 30% start to make a big noise. Pretty soon the majority of the people are upset with the change. The reason for this is that Italians are very idealistic (not practical) so if you show that a proposal affects some people negatively (even if on the whole it is
still beneficial) the Italians will turn against it. I think Silvio may have realized that not making changes is a better route to continuing political power than doing so.

Crisis in Anglican/Episcopal Church

You may have read about the split in the worldwide Anglican community (of which the Episcopal Church in the USA is a part) over the ordination (I think in 2005) in New Hampshire of an openly gay bishop. African churches especially, that are
more conservative on this issue, may sever their ties with the Episcopal Church in the USA. Some dissident American Churches may try to affiliate with these African churches. While this crisis is getting a lot of play in the press, there is another little known fact which may indicate a greater malaise in the Episcopal Church. At St. James Episcopal Church in Florence, I have been elected as one of the member’s of the congregational governing body, the Vestry. A denomination with parishes that would elect one such as I to a leadership role, may be in deep trouble beyond the gay issue.

Botanical Gardens in Palermo

They were a real disappointment. In a mild winter when flowers are blooming still all over Sicily, there were no blooming flowers in the gardens. I had visited the Botanical Gardens in Berlin last year, one of the largest in the world. The contrast was notable. Things were pretty shabby in Palermo. Imagine how great the Berlin Gardens would be if placed in Palermo!

A Crime in Italy Not Seen Often in the USA

In Italy an armed gang will often force its way into the home of a rich person while the family is at home. Then the family is threatened or beaten until it opens the safe in the house. Usually valuable and often money are in the safe.
I don’t know how many rich American families keep valuable jewelry and other such items at home as well as a supply of cash. I don’t know how many rich families in the USA have a safe at home. I do know this kind of crime is much
less common in the USA: I am suspicious that rich Italians may have more cash at home because this is country of widespread tax evasion and hidden income.

Getting a Bargain and Giving One at Same Time

At the monthly thrift shop at my church, I made some nice purchases including five Baccarat crystal tumblers for a total of $4, but I also unwittingly provided someone with a bargain. I took off my nicest windbreaker jacket to try on a garment. I forgot to put the jacket back on and just left it on a table. By the time I realized what I had done, someone had picked up the jacket (as an apparent item for sale) and taken it to the cash register with his other purchases. The ladies at the Thirst Shop allowed me to pick another coat or
jacket at no cost as a replacement. The purchaser of my jacket did do one nice thing, he found my hat in the pocket and left it on a sale table where I found it.

The film ‘Pompeii’

The government related national TV network, RAI, in Italy produces (as networks do in the USA) made for TV films. Unlike the USA it also produces films distributed through theatres. It’s most recent big TV film was Pompeii, a two
night mini series taking place in the last days of the famous city. On TV you could watch it with English subtitles (using the text function common on European TV), so I was prompted to look at it. After about 30 minutes, I lost interest. It may simply have been a film that did not cater to my taste. It took place in the last week before the eruption that destroyed Pompeii. It seemed to me that it was hard to get upset about the injustices visited upon some of the characters when all the characters were going to be dead in five days anyway.

Rotary Club Projects in Italy
 

I was a member of the Gettysburg Rotary Club. Like all Rotary clubs we had many
charitable projects. Recently in Sciacca I went to an art exhibit honoring local
artist Mariano Rossi (1731-1807).  It included both works by Rossi himself and
works by contemporary artists honoring him.  A lovely catalog was distributed
free to visitors. This is one of many times that I have seen a Rotary project
in Italy supporting the arts. I’m sure such Rotary efforts occur in the USA
too, but much less frequently.  Just another small example of the greater
mportance of art in Italy. 
 

Video Cameras in Schools –Shocking Revelations
 

Most Italian school children have a modern cell phone that includes the capacity to take short video sequences.  These are sometimes distributed on the Internet and provide an interesting window on life in the schools. Three examples that got national coverage were
(1) students teasing and physically abusing a retarded classmate, (2) a male teacher in class dressed elegantly as a woman, and (3) some male students fondling the body of a female teacher.
 

Advertisements for Personal Loans
 

These are much more common on Italian TV and in newspapers than they are in the USA.  This is an indication of how many Italian families are in financial difficulty.  The Italian phrase for “making ends meet” is “arriving at the end of the month”[without going into further debt].
Stories on TV are common about problems of arriving at the end of the month.
   
Religion in Tuscany and Sicily
 

I’ve mentioned that the Sicilians seem more religious (or at least observant of
religious customs) than the Tuscans who are known to be quite irreligious.  Here is an example. In 2001 the President of the Region of Sicily issued a three page pronouncement dedicating the Region of Sicily to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  He may or may not be a religious guy.
This act was done for political purposes. But the fact that he saw such an act
as politically advantageous tells you something about religious sentiments in
Sicily. I can guarantee you that the President of the Region of Tuscany, regardless of his religious orientation, would not see such an act as politically helpful.
 

Fall of the Prodi Government
 

The government lost a vote in Parliament over its foreign policy.  The opposition (joined by a few renegade members of the majority) voted against it even though the opposition favors the government policy in this area. This was not a vote of confidence so Prodi was not obligated to resign, but he did so anyway.  He then waved in the face of his coalition the prospect of elections with the possible return to power of Berlusconi.  As a result his coalition
reunited.  He took the opportunity to pare down the legislative/administrative
program of his coalition (which was too broad) to 12 essential points to which all the parties of this majority agreed. His “new” government was confirmed in a vote of confidence by the Parliament.  He still has only a paper thin majority in the Senate, and many think his government cannot last. As I’ve pointed out before, in Italy the center/right is more practical in its political orientation and the parties of the center/left are more theoretical making it harder for a center/left government to endure.
 

Women Presidents of USA Ivy League Universities–It’s News in Italy
 

With the appointment of a woman as the new President of Harvard, four Ivy
League Universities have a woman president, and at least one other has had one in the past. This was noted in Italy where the rise of so many women to such prestigious posts is unheard of.  As I have noted before, the laws about nondiscrimination on the basis of gender are similar in the USA and Italy, but the cultures are far different. Italy is a much more masculine dominated society.
 

Notary Publics in Italy –Much More than Certifying Signatures
 

In Italy Notary Publics do much of the legal work in real estate transactions
and contracts. It is a lucrative position. A friend is studying to take the examination to be named a notary public.  About 5000 people take the exam of whom about 200 are successful. The exam consists of 45 multiple choice questions.  These are chosen from a public archive of 8000
possible questions.  So if you have a great memory, you can memorize all the
questions. To be successful, you need a perfect score on the exam. Obviously it is easier for the examiners to grade multiple choice questions; such a format is common also in the USA.  I don’t fully understand what Notaries do in Italy, but I doubt that an exceptional memory is in fact the best indication that a person will be an excellent Notary. You don’t have to memorize every minute point of the law; you can always look up the right answer.
 

Public Transportation –Who Pays?
 

Most public transportation systems are subsidized by the government, in the USA and elsewhere. Where these systems exist, it is considered important to have them even if they don’t pay for themselves. The bus system in Sciacca is an extreme example.  I rode the bus many times.  Local senior  citizens and students ride free.  I saw hardly anyone on bus who was not a senior citizen or a student.  The few times I did, the person often did not buy a ticket.
I saw two persons put a ticket in the ticket machine on the bus other than me.
 
Suspicion confirmed??  Here is Evidence
 
I wrote last week about bus driver who seemed to be leaving me stranded as he
skipped a stop on his route. I was waiting for him in center city for a trip to the house where I was staying 7 km outside of the city.  This week I caught his bus (again on its last trip before lunch) at the house for its final leg into the center city. Sure enough he put bus into a U turn and skipped the final stop on his outgoing leg.  I hope nobody was waiting for the bus there.  Then on the outskirts of town, he stopped at an intersection. He waited for another bus to come along whose route intersected his at this point. I was his only passenger. He motioned for me to get off his bus and onto the other which took me eventually (by a much longer route) to the point that his bus was to take me to.
Michelle Hunzinger
 

Among the many ladies who are “eye candy” on Italian TV, she is my favorite. 
And in fact her career is blossoming beyond just looking pretty with scanty clothing.  She recently starred in a production of “Cabaret” in Milan and is one of the hosts this year at the San Remo Music Festival.  She is Swiss and speaks well at least Italian, German, and English. She has a wonderful smile. Who know–in private she may be a miserable person, but her public persona is very pleasing.  I’d like to take her home with me, but at my age, it would have to be in the role of father or maybe even grandfather. 
 

Here are two of her web sites.  The first in Italian has recent photos.  The
second has a short English biography.  This biography is a bit out of date in that she is now divorced so there is some slim (infinitesimal) hope for my male
readers to become the man in her life.

http://www.michellehunziker.it/

http://www.new-dimension-software.com/top_models/michelle-hunziker/michelle-hunziker-index.php

Rotary Club Projects in Italy
I was a member of the Gettysburg Rotary Club. Like all Rotary clubs we had many
charitable projects. Recently in Sciacca I went to an art exhibit honoring local
artist Mariano Rossi (1731-1807). It included both works by Rossi himself and
works by contemporary artists honoring him. A lovely catalog was distributed
free to visitors. This is one of many times that I have seen a Rotary project
in Italy supporting the arts. I’m sure such Rotary efforts occur in the USA
too, but much less frequently. Just another small example of the greater
mportance of art in Italy.
Video Cameras in Schools –Shocking Revelations
Most Italian school children have a modern cell phone that includes the capacity to take short video sequences. These are sometimes distributed on the Internet and provide an interesting window on life in the schools. Three examples that got national coverage were
(1) students teasing and physically abusing a retarded classmate, (2) a male teacher in class dressed elegantly as a woman, and (3) some male students fondling the body of a female teacher.
Advertisements for Personal Loans
These are much more common on Italian TV and in newspapers than they are in the USA. This is an indication of how many Italian families are in financial difficulty. The Italian phrase for “making ends meet” is “arriving at the end of the month”[without going into further debt].
Stories on TV are common about problems of arriving at the end of the month.

Religion in Tuscany and Sicily
I’ve mentioned that the Sicilians seem more religious (or at least observant of
religious customs) than the Tuscans who are known to be quite irreligious. Here is an example. In 2001 the President of the Region of Sicily issued a three page pronouncement dedicating the Region of Sicily to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He may or may not be a religious guy.
This act was done for political purposes. But the fact that he saw such an act
as politically advantageous tells you something about religious sentiments in
Sicily. I can guarantee you that the President of the Region of Tuscany, regardless of his religious orientation, would not see such an act as politically helpful.
Fall of the Prodi Government
The government lost a vote in Parliament over its foreign policy. The opposition (joined by a few renegade members of the majority) voted against it even though the opposition favors the government policy in this area. This was not a vote of confidence so Prodi was not obligated to resign, but he did so anyway. He then waved in the face of his coalition the prospect of elections with the possible return to power of Berlusconi. As a result his coalition
reunited. He took the opportunity to pare down the legislative/administrative
program of his coalition (which was too broad) to 12 essential points to which all the parties of this majority agreed. His “new” government was confirmed in a vote of confidence by the Parliament.
He still has only a paper thin majority in the Senate, and many think his
government cannot last. As I’ve pointed out before, in Italy the center/right is more practical in its political orientation and the parties of the center/left are more theoretical making it harder
for a center/left government to endure.
Women Presidents of USA Ivy League Universities–It’s News in Italy
With the appointment of a woman as the new President of Harvard, four Ivy
League Universities have a woman president, and at least one other has had one in the past. This was noted in Italy where the rise of so many women to such prestigious posts is unheard of. As I have noted before, the laws about nondiscrimination on the basis of gender are similar in the USA and Italy, but the cultures are far different. Italy is a much more masculine dominated society.
Notary Publics in Italy –Much More than Certifying Signatures
In Italy Notary Publics do much of the legal work in real estate transactions
and contracts. It is a lucrative position. A friend is studying to take the examination to be named a notary public. About 5000 people take the exam of whom about 200 are successful. The exam consists of 45 multiple choice questions. These are chosen from a public archive of 8000
possible questions. So if you have a great memory, you can memorize all the
questions. To be successful, you need a perfect score on the exam. Obviously it is easier for the examiners to grade multiple choice questions; such a format is common also in the USA. I don’t
fully understand what Notaries do in Italy, but I doubt that an exceptional
memory is in fact the best indication that a person will be an excellent Notary. You
don’t have to memorize every minute point of the law; you can always look up the right answer.
Public Transportation –Who Pays?
Most public transportation systems are subsidized by the government, in the USA and elsewhere. Where these systems exist, it is considered important to have them even if they don’t pay for themselves. The bus system in Sciacca is an extreme example. I rode the bus many times. Local senior citizens and students ride free. I saw hardly anyone on bus who was not a senior citizen or a student. The few times I did, the person often did not buy a ticket.
I saw two persons put a ticket in the ticket machine on the bus other than me.

Suspicion confirmed?? Here is Evidence

I wrote last week about bus driver who seemed to be leaving me stranded as he
skipped a stop on his route. I was waiting for him in center city for a trip to
the house where I was staying 7 km outside of the city. This week I caught his bus (again on its last trip before lunch) at the house for its final leg into
the center city. Sure enough he put bus into a U turn and skipped the final stop on his outgoing leg. I hope nobody was waiting for the bus there. Then on the outskirts of town, he stopped at an intersection. He waited for another bus
to come along whose route intersected his at this point. I was his only
passenger. He motioned for me to get off his bus and onto the other which took
me eventually (by a much longer route) to the point that his bus was to take me
to.
Michelle Hunzinger
Among the many ladies who are “eye candy” on Italian TV, she is my favorite.
And in fact her career is blossoming beyond just looking pretty with scanty clothing. She recently starred in a production of “Cabaret” in Milan and is one of the hosts this year at the
San Remo Music Festival. She is Swiss and speaks well at least Italian, German, and English. She has a wonderful smile. Who know–in private she may be a miserable person, but her public persona is very pleasing. I’d like to take her home with me, but at my
age, it would have to be in the role of father or maybe even grandfather.
Here are two of her web sites. The first in Italian has recent photos. The
second has a short English biography. This biography is a bit out of date in
that she is now divorced so there is some slim (infinitesimal) hope for my male
readers to become the man in her life.

http://www.michellehunziker.it/

http://www.new-dimension-software.com/top_models/michelle-hunziker/michelle-hunziker-index.php