And I Get the Wacky Postman!

A couple of weeks ago, I checked our mailbox and found an interesting note. It was from the post stating that on that day they couldn't deliver our package to us because we didn't answer the doorbell. We were home all day. The postman never rang us. The interesting thing about this note was the time. The postman wrote: "Attempted delivery at 12:15". I started laughing when I looked at my watch, and it wasn't yet 11:45. M complained to the Italian post. They sent a letter to him, basically passing the buck. They said it wasn't their fault because they sub-contracted out to another delivery company for that particular piece of mail. Ok, Va bene. We now know it wasn't the Italian post's fault. So we simply shrugged our shoulders and said, ok, weird... but no big deal.

So today? The sun is shining and the birds are chirping and I was flitting domestically around the house when all of the sudden the intercom buzzes. I answered but the man was talking so quickly I couldn't understand him. All I got was that he was a postman. I hurried downstairs to see if we were getting a package or something. It was something! I got chewed out in Italian! Rapidly. It was because of the complaint my husband had made. He said he had rung the bell and we never answered. I asked about the time discrepancy and he said something hardly intelligible, and at the same time untrue, so before I got angry and said something not nice back to him I said, "Well, whatever. You can say what you want to say, but we know this should never happen." Then I left him in mid rant, and went back in the house. By that time I was fuming. I am sure that a postman or delivery service person would never come to my house to chew me out in America! And what is worse? I heard him loudly proclaiming his innocence to our neighbors. Che bello! I am trying to imagine making a complaint over his rude behavior but if this is what already happened... maybe it's not a great idea. Any Expats out there have prior experience with this kind of stuff?

The sun is still shining, and the birds are still chirping, and I am cheerful again. I can't believe I let the postman raise my blood pressure.

What's going on?

Even the dog is interested. Time to go play outside!

A Makeover!

No, not a makeover for me, although that would be nice too! Today I decided to paint the doors that lead from the entrance room of the house to the hallway. The doors may have needed to be painted, but more than anything I was just itching to use my new paints. I haven't felt creative for a while, so it was nice to be back in the groove for a few hours today. I had Delta pose in the picture, because the before photo would have simply been too boring without her.

Before:

Then when the boys came home from school I asked them for a little help. I like to encourage them to be creative.

They each painted for a few minutes, but then they went to play outside.

After:

I thought Delta should be in this photo too. She is just so cute!

Here is another photo, this time without Delta. (Edited to add a new photo. I added highlights to the painting Saturday morning), after seeing the painting in better light (daylight).

So, this is how I spent my friday afternoon. I hope yours was as enjoyable! Happy Weekend everyone.

Am I a real blogger now?

Hi there folks! This here is my 100th post! Quasi Italiana! is growing up. I can’t believe I have posted so many things here about normal everyday life, and that others read it! I am still tripped out that there are people from all corners of the globe, not just my family who read this blog. For this post, I would have liked to have written something profound and earth shatteringly moving about life as an American expat in Italy. However, nothing came to me. Life is life with its share of joys and imperfections whether you are here or there.

This blog has been good for me in several ways. It is a nice way to show my friends and family what we have been up to recently. I no longer send a million emails to them; they can simply click here. Another plus of having this blog, is that it gives me something positive to focus on almost every time that I post. When I look back in the archives, I see so much good in our lives... and I realize our family must really be grateful. The big things are covered: good health, a nice house to live in, friends and family near (at least this is partially true) and we always find some way to amuse ourselves when time permits. So, having this blog points out to me personally how much I have to be thankful for. Even if I believe deeply in my heart that everything that I love about Italy, I could happily take back home (to the US). That statement may shock Italophiles everywhere, but for me it is true. For example... Italian food. It is wonderful, and I love it and now I know how to cook many new things. That knowledge would go with me if we were ever to move. Another example? The touristy things to enjoy like monuments, palaces, churches and other cultural gems... I have many memories of these, enough to satisfy myself for a long time. And these are things that are easy to indulge in, all that is needed is a new vacation. Let’s see... most of all I have learned that relationships with friends and family can be maintained even if you live on other continents from each other.

There are times I don’t want to be here. Sometimes I feel the effort is not worth the reward. Sometimes the endless smog, and endless noise, and all the people living on top of each other in this city really makes me feel unhappy. I really do miss the country life. Sometimes it has less to do with Italy and more to do with all the things I am missing about life in the USA. So far I haven't outgrown my homesickness. I am starting to wonder if I ever will.

I don’t love everything about life here in Torino Italy. There are many things that I would never say to this audience because it isn’t positive or uplifting. Plus I have too many good stories to tell that are a lot nicer to read (and write) than the things that cause me disappointment. Would I be ecstatic to move back to the US? Yes. But it isn’t in the plans, and so I will continue to embrace my new life here, and share the adventures with you. Maybe I need to listen to other’s good advice, that happiness can be found simply by choosing to be happy, regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. I am not sure. But my mind is open and my heart is also. Even with all that I just wrote about the imperfections of life here... life in the US is also imperfect.