Ever since I opened the site in 1998 this has been so far the longest hiatus I've had. Ever since I started this new job back in September I haven't had much time for myself, that time you use to lounge around and do what you really WANT to do, not what you need to do. I've been home for the holidays, for a few days now, and I must admit I am not so keen on staying on my own without doing nothing, however a nice break is so well deserved after the past stressful three months!
People went away for the holidays, a faraway tropical paradise, a ski lodge... not me. I would rather stay home and relax (even because I have an awful cold that I have been dragging around for the past month now without properly curing it the way I should)... and so I decided to change the look of the site into a springlike design, because I am already thinking ahead (and also because I don't wanna carry on with a winter design until July 2009). Wow, 2009... time does go by quickly. Yet I refuse to go out that night desperately trying to party hard and wish for something different, something better. All in all my 2008 wasn't bad, yes, the usual adversities, the usual illnesses, however I did get a new job which I like, I started taking my dance more seriously, I met even more people I became better friends with, I went to Egypt and Greece with a wonderful summer cruise...
I have so many more projects in my mind for the new year, I will jot them down in my usual resolutions list on this page, my top resolution this time different, the n. 1... hopefully going to keep up with that.
I'll be back, and I miss you... I miss my time writing, freely typing away my feelings, my joys, my worries. I'm keeping all bottled up inside and it isn't good. I need to freely express myself and flow my thoughts on a page, finding free time and mind, however, is another issue...
It's not that I haven't been on this site, heck, I'm on it every morning listening to the music on your right hand side. It's not that I'm not dying to change the design or, even more, write on these virtual pages. Writing is my most powerful emotional outlet; it relaxes me, I feel secure with the illusion that if I write what I do, impulses and not, I'll be able to further rationalize what often cannot be rationalized, and to remember actions that seems null or unworthy of notice, in these long moments of life that tick by forcefully and that we cannot get back unless we read back and remember them somehow.
I started my new job at JLL and after trials and tribulations I am finally at a decent point. I actually understand a bit of what I am doing, now, it took two months of reading, two months of using every ability I possess to make it, now I am finally at peace with what I am doing.
I also started taking dance more seriously and am taking three classes a week; I have also been considering a 2-year workshop which should in the end certify me as a profesisonal, that is if I actually pass the exam. We have been doing shows and preparing for them, working on new coreographies, thinking about costumes... it's taking a lot of my time.
I am late in my web design program but am keeping my tabs on it, I will finish relatively on time.
I am still teaching English but I only have two students now. I decided not to handle more because I care about having a social life as well ahah.
I mean don't get me wrong, I'm not at all complaining!! I am so happy at this point in my life, very very happy about all the wonderful things I have been doing. I am finally at a point in my life in which I am at peace with myself and living here. I have met wonderful people that have become my friends and acquaitances, I am healthy (besides today that I'm home sick) so I have nothing to feel sorry for. I just need to get into the hang of things and learn to handle my priorities, everything should be fine then.
I wish there were more hours in the day to do all the things we want, and I wish I could do so much with my life. I am so content and full of love that I would do so, so much more, if only there was time to do it.
Plus find below the diary I kept while I was on the ship :)
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| Crociera 2008 - Grecia e Croazia |
Such a beautiful city, Split!! We took a nice walk to see the ancient buildings and took many pictures, then we decided to walk to the nearest beach, which was kind of a disappointment (I 
guess not all Croatian beaches are gorgeous!) so we headed back towards the city and snapped several pictures with our cruise buddies Liliana and Antonella. Amazing way to end such a fulfilling voyage!
In the evening we celebrated with a wonderful final dinner (as if we hadn't eaten enough) and I finally got to take a picture with the captain! WOW!
We wondered around Corfu Town, so chaotic and again, very much like a southern Italian town. But we didn't feel like shopping, so we took a bus to Dassia beach and but then regretted it because we were never reaching the destination and I was anxious because didn't want to get to the ship too late (I exaggerate sometimes). I swam in the Corfu sea, we chatted for a bit 
while we tanned on the Corfu beach and then we returned to the ship (which took a while because we had to take two buses which, like all Greek buses, come whenever they want to). Intense, adventurous day! But I have to say I really didn't enjoy Corfu :(
Tonight is the other Gala evening! Yikes! I am starting to love dressing up like a diva/princess every night! And am wearing nothing but heels in the evening! My feet are hurting a bit though LOL...
Very calm day, walked around the city for acouple of hours. We didn't feel like touring Olimpia because we were so tired from the previous days in Athens and Mykonos! I hope to enjoy a tranquil afternoon on the ship today.
Absolutely LOVED it, with its narrow roads, white buildings with turquoise window panes, colorful flowers... I swear this would be the best place to live while retired, if it wasn't for the chaos of young wild tourists, mostly Italian.
There are a lot of gorgeous men though!! Katia and I started our tour walking along the coast, it was so windy! We took many pictures while we proceeded to visit the town and shopping for souvenirs. We bought bus tickets to famous Paradise Beach and I almost killed to get on the bus, the place was too crowded, buses came randomly every 45-60 minutes and I was beginning to regret the choise. However once we reached the beach (about 20 minutes away from town) I realized it had been worth it! Amazing water, I swam so far away from the coast, as the water was very salty I was able to float easily, so liberating!
Mykonos is full of nudists, there were many of all ages a few feet away, so I tanned topless without feeling like it was taboo. However behind us there was a strange older woman who kept showing us her "lower female parts" everytime we turned to glance at her. But we laughed so I think she got offended and threw an empty blastic bottle at us before she left. I almost jumped her but figured it wouldn't have been wise to go to be taken to the Police station while the ship was leaving me behind! On the way back to the town our bus driver was playing loud techno music in which a woman was simulating an orgasm!!
Mykonos- beautiful but so odd!!
Tonight we got to see an incredible Broadway show "Dancing through the movies," I decided that the next resort vacation I will go on will be top-knotch, because I love professional entertainment. I miss Broadway shows, so seeing these talented performers was so nice for a change!
Today we went on our cruise excursion to Athens. It was an excellent idea because we didn't have to go crazy trying to figure out how to get from a place to another and we weren't worried about not making it on time and the ship leaving us behind!
It was so hot, 32°C (not considering humidity rate), we were warned about applying sunscreen and wearing a cap (my head would have baked under the sun).
Our tour guide was great- she took us to the Acropolis which stends upon Athen's second highest hill (the highest is cone shaped and it was impossible to build such a huge ancient complex on top). The Parthenon, the most known temple at the Acropolis, made to honor Goddess of Wisdom Athena was so imponent and magnificent despite the fact that it was destroyed in great part by the Turks and the first catholics... a lot is missing and most of the marbles from the Parthenon are in London (WTF?).
It's so easy to mistake this incredible archeaological site for a pile of rubble and a bunch of pillars, but if I close my eyes and remember our guide's drawings of what the temples used to look like 
I can imagine it all. The great processions to the temple, and the ships to be blessed by the goddess being carried up the hill, on them the 7 most beautiful noble women of the city bearing cloths of threaded pure gold as homage. The cattle was sacrificed at the entrance of the Acropolis and eaten in celebration, while priests followed in the procession bearing anphors which contained holy water.
After taking pictures we proceeded to visiting the city by bus, and saw the stadium where the last Olympic games in Athens were held. The university, the Greek Parliament with its military guards who wore wool skirted uniforms (40 folds symbolizing the years under Turkish oppression) and pompom shoes, and finally the National Library.
Athens reminded me of a southern Italian city, especially the ancient sites... very much like Agrigento and Siracusa, in Sicily.
We went dancing in the evening, and of course Katia and I showed off your bellydance moves... hey, it's not like we do it on purpose, we have it in our blood, it's too late to go back to two-steppin'!
It's afternoon, I'm on deck 9 poolside and a Latin band is playing in the background. I just woke up and looking across the wide blue sea and seeing land very far, far away. It somewhat feels like a small piece of discovery. The ship is marvellous, so much like what I expected, in addition there are many Americans, the majority. Out of about 2000 passengers, they told us yesterday at orientation, there are about 300 Italians and believe me, they can be spotted from miles away.
They are the ones who keep the towels on the lounge chairs so they won't lose their spot while they go elsewhere. They are also the ones who eat Vitasnella yoghurt and look at the black chunky women eating pancakes and sausages with disgust.
The ship has basically EVERYTHING:
- Fancy restaurant "The King and I"
- informal buffet restaurant "Windjammer cafè"
- special animation events spot, Top Hat Lounge
- pianobar and acoustic music spot, Shooners Bar
- Library and game room
- Internet cafe
- Broadway level shows at the 42nd Street Theater
- Casino
- 2 Swimming pools (one covered and for adults only) and 8 jacuzzi pools
- Spa
- Gym
- Solarium
They offer all sorts of activities, from dance lessons, beginner Spanish classes, cooking demonstrations, beauty and health workshops, bingo, scrapbooking techniques and they even teach you how to use the digital camera.
Tonight is the first evening of gala, I think I am going to wear the lilac dress, it looks fit for the occasion. And tomorrow excursion to Athens! They say it's going to be extremely hot but hey, how can we miss this amazing opportunity?
What a nightmare getting here! Woke up very early, took the bus from Porto Garibaldi to Ferrara, took a train to Venezia S.ta Lucia and another train to Venezia Porto Marghera, that's when we realized that Marghera wasn't the place where the ships were departing from (Porto Marghera was totally silent and ABANDONED) so we started wandering around with our incredibly heavy suitcases (I mean, a girl needs her shoes!) and in the underpassage we ran into 4 huge guys. I said to Katia, hun, here they either rape us or give us directions... thankfully they told us where the ship was departing from and told us to take the first available bus, on which I gave the driver sweet eyes (ah! the power of the boobs!) and he dropped us off a few minutes from the right port... we walked under the hot sun and our arms were practically falling off from the weight of our luggage, but we could see the ship more and more as we walked so we were getting so excited!
Check-in was so smooth and we immediately boarded the ship (at about 12.30 even if it was leaving at 5) so we got to eat our first amazing buffet lunch and tour the ship... time to set off to our amazing destination, Greece!!!!
Today I am on vacation, and Monday and Tuesday will be my last days at work. I am gathering all my personal belongings and taking them home a bit at a time; if I think about all the time I spent in this company, 3 1/2 years, and at the fact that I am leaving off to a new advanture I am a bit nervous but at the same time very excited. I am not at all sad except about no longer working with my boss, but this company had really gotten on my nerves for the final year of my stay there. Plus I know that all the people I have bonded in friendship I will always stay in contact.
Wednesday will be dedicated to packing my suitcase and I'll be leaving on Thursday, off to Porto Garibaldi. Then on Saturday Katia and I will take the train from Ferrara to Venice where we'll take our boat and venture on the best cruising experience ever! here are a few pictures of our beautiful ship...
Here are a few sample pictures from the bellydance workshop I went to a month ago :)
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| Stage Bellydance Amir Thaleb 2008 |
Sono il prodotto dell'unione mal riuscita
il divario tra il diverbio e la sconfitta
sempre solita a tenere il passo stando avanti ad ogni impresa
salda sopra ad ogni riga
sempre incompresa, vittima di anni e circostanze
oggi mi va di fermare il tempo
mi va di guardarmi in faccia
IO, la critica più malvagia del mio entourage di vittime
una donna bambina che non sa più cosa essere
il guscio pesa, mi opprime, e più passa il tempo più mi indebolisce dentro
sorrido, cerco di volermi bene
io che so cosa ho passato, io che sono una mano nella mia mano
il sole che si spegne con una semplice lacrima
Sono lacrime che pesano, quelle che verso
e cadono dritte sopra al mio confuso destino
offuscando le cose che voglio e le cose che devo
E io in ginocchio che non so che sto facendo
prego, cerco di capire
non so se rialzarmi in piedi
o se immergere la testa sott'acqua
per scorgere quella perla di speranza
che so che è là sotto, da qualche parte
ma che col mare agitato già da tempo
non riesco più a trovare
Alla fine basta sempre saper rimanere a galla
così annaspo tra le onde nella mia bufera cercando un salvagente
Ogni dolore è una lezione
e mi cullo così nell'illusione di avere capito
di essere più saggia
IO, che nemmeno so chi sono
IO, che non mi sono mai capita.
The weekend in Genova with Amir Thaleb was awesome!! Incredibly tiring but an amazing experience, I even received a certificate of completion of the two days signed by the master in person! Despite the craziness with the train trip, the hotel that look like the Redrum scene from the movie "The Shining" and a terrible carbonara pasta dinner, it was a unique experience to study with some of the best teachers and performers in the world, it was truly an honor, besides the fact that the weekend was so intense that it completely prevented me from being able to move the following day!!
On another note, I'm going through my last weeks at work and it feels so weird that I'll be leaving this place which was the place where I spent the majority of my time for the past 3 and a half years. My mind is already elsewhere, as I try to close all matters and make sure there will be no reason to hate me for ugly pending issues once I'm gone. I am receing messages from important people I used to work with for my boss and this is an amazing recognition for me. I just hope my new job will be what I am 90% sure will be, however it's always good to improve and learn to become better at what we do.
Next week I will be on vacation, I plan on going to Porto Garibaldi where my parents are already enjoying the Romagna sun (get it while it lasts, since in August it's usually depressionville over there due to ugly weather) then I'll finish my last days at work, pack my bags once more and back to Porto Garibaldi... then on the 9th of August CRUISE TIME! I am trying to make the money last, this is not an easy period... but it's not always that one gets the chance to have a whole month off work, so I wanted to celebrate in a worthy manner. There's always time to save up but what's the point of not enjoying the good moments?
I am so excited to say that I am going to go on my dream cruise vacation to the Greek Island, on August 9th!! I decided to book this gift for myself because it was long overdue, because I am tired of settling down for the cheapest available, and because I wish to treat myself before I start---- drumroll... my new job in September!! Yes, I have found a new job I will tell you more about as the weeks go by, but I am really looking forward to it because 1) they looked for me 2) I presented myself truly as I am and told them what I am looking for + they offered me a job and 3) there are possibilities I can grow professionally over time, FINALLY! This is long overdue for me!
Let's just say that I will forever keep in my heart what an ex co-worker told me years ago and share this pearl with you: A ROLLING STONE NEVER GROWS MOSS.
But now, on to the cruise!!! Here is the itinerary my friend Katia and I will have, we need to plan on our excursions asap! And buy some pretty evening dresses for the gala dinner and the theatre, I love this stuff!!!
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DAY 1- Venice (17.00) Leaving for our marvellous cruise at last!! |
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DAY 2- At sea All day at sea, a great chance to enjoy all ship activities! |
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DAY 3- Athens (12.00-20.00) In Greece, all roads lead to Athens, the capital city that is both the birthplace of Western civilization and a bustling boomtown that re-created itself for the Olympic Games in 2004. Athenians take the juxtaposition of ancient splendor and cacophonous modernity with good-natured appreciation, and you would be wise to do likewise. Raise your eyes nearly anywhere and you're likely to be stopped in your tracks by the sight of the Acropolis, where Pericles rose to the heights of power and creative achievement, with the construction of the Parthenon and Propylaea. After a time-trip to the golden age of Greece, explore modern Athens's patchwork of neighborhoods to get a sense of the history of this gregarious city, its people, and what lies beyond the ubiquitous modern concrete facades. Take in a twilight view from Athenians' favorite "violet-crowned" aerie, Mt. Lycabettus, and drink in the twinkling lights of the metropolis that is home to more than 4 million souls, still growing and still counting. To leave the whirl of cars behind, stroll through the 19th-century Plaka district, where pastel-hue houses and vestiges of an earlier, simpler life keep beloved traditions intact. Pay a call on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square -- if you catch the changing of the Evzone Guard here, the sight of a soldier in 19th-century ceremonial garb parading in front of a funeral oration by Pericles will put the many layers of Athens perfectly in perspective. |
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DAY 4- Mykonos (09.00-19.00) Put firmly on the map by Jacqueline Onassis, Mykonos has become one of the most popular of the Aegean islands. Although the dry, rugged island is one of the smallest of the Cyclades, travelers from all over the world are drawn to its many stretches of sandy beach, its thatched windmills, and its picturesque port town, also called Mykonos. Not long ago Mykoniots had to rely on what they could scratch out of the island's arid land for sustenance, and some remember suffering from starvation under Axis occupation during World War II. In the 1950s a few tourists began trickling into Mykonos on their way to see the ancient marvels on the nearby islet of Delos, the sacred isle. |
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DAY 5- Katakolon (12.00-19.00) Katakolon (or Katakolo) is a small port town in the northern Peloponnese. Once a busy commercial port, its main draw is for cruise-ship passengers on the way to ancient Olympia, which is 30 km (18 mi) to the east. The port area itself has been improved in recent years. Tourist shops now fill the once-dilapidated warehouses across from the pier, and many restaurants and cafés offer a view of the Ionian sea to go with their menus of fresh seafood and strong Greek coffee. You can also walk out to the lighthouse, which dates to 1865. The town also has a few interesting churches dating back to the 18th or 19th century, and there are good beaches a few kilometers south, in Spiantza. |
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DAY 6- Corfù (07.00-17.00) Island of Homer, it's beautiful for its pictoresque landscape and pleasant climate.
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DAY 7- Split, Croatia (08.00-18.00) The biggest Croatian city on the Adriatic coast. The old city is built around the seaport on the southern coasts of another peninsula surrounded by open sea. Since 1945, Split has begun a major industrial city, however the old Split continues to live in several neighborhoods, as well as its exhuberant nature that makes it one of the most fascinating cities in Europe. |
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DAY 8- Venice (07.00) Back home |
On another note, today was a great day. I went to my new company to sign some papers and hand in some documents, and since I'll be working in the very center of the city, right next to the Duomo, I decided to check out the sales in the stores. I bought a few things from H&M and a lingerie set from Yamamay. Tomorrow morning I'll take the train to Genova where I will have a two-day bellydance workshop with Amir Thaleb, the greatest male bellydancer in the world. This is going to be amazing, I bet! Plus tomorrow night there will be a special show featuring himself and his school from Argentina, hopefully one of my friends will be good enough to bring a camera and snap pictures, as I am absolutely terrible at committing to taking photos!
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