A sign of life

The frequency of posts has dropped dramatically lately. This does not mean that nothing happened. It only means that I'm lazy.

Summary of what happened.

• 1st-5th May: Paris, guest of a friend who lives there. Marvellous city.
  
• 18th May: visit to Brugge (or Bruges. In Italy, the French spelling is generally used. Which does not make sense, since it is in Flanders. But French is more familiar, or better less unfamiliar, to Italians). Excuse was that my friend Nicola went there to the TERENA Networking Conference. Fine city, fine company.
• 31st May: went to Naples, to be present at the marriage of a friend. I had never been to Naples before. It is a city with a bad reputation, considered as one of the unsafest in Italy. Innumerable stories about how drivers disrespect traffic lights are famous. And the waste problem is world-famous. Well, I found it a beautiful city. True, many streets of the centre are not in the best state. But nothing I haven't seen also elsewhere. True, the traffic lights near Beverello pier (where ferries to Capri and Ischia leave) are chaotic. But elsewhere it's OK. True, I saw some people whose look was not reassuring. But I was not harmed nor robbed by anyone. And I even walked around the old center between 4am and 6am (long story. To cut it short, when a hotel says "reception open 24h", it does not mean 24h. Or, maybe, the 24h are not all in the same day). True, there was some rubbish around. But not that much (admittedly, in the outskirts the situation was worse than in the centre). The marriage was fun, everyone was happy, and the bridegroom's speech was not boring! The day after, short visit to Capri. Marvellous island, small but with a savage beauty. The sea is almost as beautiful as Sardinia's (I'm still a proud Sardinian). Only downside: the pizza was not the best I ever eaten, it was only good.
• Beginning of June: Elisa came back
  
• Throughout June: European football championship. Italy didn't do too well. But I wasn't too unhappy (the same cannot be said of some other Italians who live here), it deserved what it got, and anyway it beat France. Disappointments: Netherlands (after such a splendid first phase), Portugal (ditto), semi-final Germany-Turkey (Turkey deserved more). I also discovered what happens when Turkey wins a match. The Turkish community is numerous, and the Turks themselves behave in a very Mediterranean way (which is the same as Italians behave). Therefore, thousands of people around, honking cars, flags, fireworks... And the square near my house was the centre of celebrations. Unbelievable, even more chaos than in Italy.
• 3rd-6th July: Rock Werchter. Loads of big names: Lenny Kravitz, Moby, Neil Young (incredible energy for one who looks like my grandfather), Beck... And of course Radiohead. Sigur Ros were surprisingly good. It was also an experience because of the camping: fun, the tent was waterproof so the rain wasn't too annoying, the mattresses were surprisingly comfortable. Not many people were sleeping, judging from the constant noise.
  

Amsterdam, Turkey

I came back home and, in the square next to my house, a group of people were cheering because Galatasaray just won the Turkish football league. This says a lot about the ethnic composition of my neighbourhood.

Povera patria

Did I ever say that I was proud to be an Italian? Well, I was wrong.

The only thought that the majority of my fellow Italians gave their votes to a liar, a crook, someone who pretends to be a libertarian and actually invokes state intervention everywhere (as long as he is the state), makes me sick. And makes me want to stay abroad forever (why not?).

Causes? Many. The control of the media is a big reason. The fact that the opponents are often old, afraid of real innovation, and costantly quarrelling with each other, is another one. So, all in all, the future of my own country is bleak.

I'm dreaming of a white Easter

The winter has been rather mild. After a "promising" December with rigid temperatures, the following months have been not so cold, with temperatures seldom below zero.

December

After a Christmas which hasn't been so white, Easter, which this year is also the third day of spring, is unbelievably cold. It's snowing right now!

Snowfall, a few minutes ago

What will happen to the traditional Easter Monday trip?

Seriously, apart being forced in house, I'm rather enjoying this Easter as a single in Amsterdam (Elisa is in Italy with her family). I can't wait for today's dinner, which will be made by an authentic Sicilian mother!

Sun, oh no!

The company recently moved to a new office. Larger, not cramped, with real meeting rooms. Less central, that's bad. But it could have been much worse.

Windows are large, so there is much light, and being on the top floor also brings a stunning view. I love trains, so it's nice to have the central station so close. Some trainspotting never hurt anyone, did it?

View from my desk

There is something bad, however: the lack of sunscreens at the windows. There is no need for them: Amsterdam's sky is always cloudy, every day of the year, so there's never sun. When there's sun, however, in the afternoon the rays go straight on the PC screens. In order to be able to work, we used a creative solution.

Umbrellas used as sun screen. It's like being at the beach, and you get paid (well, almost like a beach)

This does not happen anymore: now we posted white paper on the windows, so the view is less good, but at least the sun is not so annoying. After a few days, we received a visit from someone at facilities management, saying that said paper could cause windows to explode (!). Now we live in fear that a flood of glass splinters can come to us (not), until facilities management provides proper sunscreens.

Sweet revenge

Last Tuesday I went to the bike repairer in Westermarkt, and tried to tell, in Dutch, that I had left my bike the day before to have it repaired.

The answer was "Could you speak English, please?"

Roles swapped. Eventually.

This says nothing about the quality of my Dutch, however.

And, yes, I went there because my bike had a flat tyre. Just for a change.