Gia-Gina Across the Pond

My Etsy Shop

2008-09-04T21:08:00.001-07:00

I started selling my Super Bibs on Etsy.com. Check them out!

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The Super Bib

2008-08-20T18:07:00.001-07:00

I have started a new venture and wanted to mention it on this blog.
See this link for Super Bibs! For a limited time I am giving a friends and family discount as well as a former blog buddy discount so check it out!

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The Sad End Of Gia-Gina In Italy/Across The Pond

2007-12-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

I loved having this blog. I started it as a way to keep my family and friends in Seattle, Hawaii, Guam and elsewhere abreast of my comings and goings as I left Seattle for Italy in Jan of 2005. It was really a great way to keep in touch with everyone even as the blog evolved into a way for me to meet other expats all over the world. As I explored and immersed myself in the Italian culture I got a chance to share my thoughts and experiences with the blogging world. Support, goodwill and love flowed from the keystrokes of friends all over the globe. I will always be grateful to everyone who read, wrote and commented.

With two small babies to concentrate on, I really do not have time to keep up two blogs. So farewell to Gia-Gina in Italy and Gia-Gina Across the Pond. Deme and I will still eat, cook and live our lives but I think my job as a mom comes first and so if you want to continue reading about our family, come on over to our Sprog Blog.

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Sprog Number 2 Has Arrived!

2007-11-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

Yes we are still remodeling and in spite of all the construction going on Lorenzo Yu decided to arrive, see the baby blog for updates. I predict a slow death for this blog after all the work on the condo has been done. Two babies in diapers will be a handful and I think one blog will be work enough.

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A Nice Mention

2007-11-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Newsflash: Remodeling still going on and Sprog #2 has not shown his face yet.

Amber tagged me for this post. Do I feel I am nice? Am I a good person? I have always thought that I am. I hate to self promote so I won't but in my heart of hearts I know I am a loving mom, wife, sister, daughter and friend. There are so many ways to express kindness I think. One can volunteer to hold babies in the NICU, cook a meal at a homeless shelter, pick up garbage in your neighborhood on Earth Day, send a card to someone you love or like, make a donation to a charity, the list goes on and on.

Over the years I have tried not to be too negative about my life in Italy as a foreigner. I opened myself up to making new friends and now I miss them all terribly. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Still I have so much to be grateful for. Thank you Amber for making me remember all these wonderful blessings in my life.

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We Have Fire!!!

2007-10-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our stove was installed and we officially had fire! After 15 days of making scrambled eggs, oatmeal and frozen entrees in the microwave we cooked a real dinner last night. Deme and a friend placed a small bet about what type of pasta we were going to make first: carbonara or matriciana, I wanted to make carbonara but we didn't have any pancetta.

*click on images to see them larger.

This is the original 20 year old kitchen with white oak cabinets and black appliances.

We had the old cabinets removed and waited 4 weeks for the new ones to arrive. I choose simple maple wood cabinets for a clean and modern look.

After the new cabinets were installed, we had to wait until the counter tops could be fabricated.

We used a great guy named Yuri to supply and fabricate our counter tops. With the advice of Deme's friend Roberto, we got a great deal and great service. (Usually it takes 7-10 business days but he rushed the job for us seeing that I am pregnant.) We ended up purchasing two full slabs of Uba Tuba with enough leftover to have a counter top for the wet bar too.

Here is the kitchen sink with the holes pre-drilled for the faucet, the garbage disposal, the soap dispenser and hot water dispenser.

We started using the kitchen right away and as you can tell our counters are getting pretty full. I still have to go out and get a few small kitchen appliances like a blender, toaster, coffee grinder and mixer but I'm i no hurry at all.

We love the look of the dark granite with the dark floors and light colored counter tops, maybe I have a future in interior design.

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Che Stress!

2007-10-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

We have moved into a construction zone. The kitchen is half finished, one bathroom is out of order and there are still boxes everywhere. Progress is being made daily and things should be back to "normal" in 1-2 weeks. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

We are still waiting on the granite counter tops and they take a week to make. Luckily we have a microwave and refrigerator available. The stove, sink and dishwasher have to be installed after the counter tops so we think in a week the kitchen will be up and running.

Don't even ask what that tower in the corner is with all the wires sticking out from it. It's Demetrio's entertainment "project", enough said. BTW, this is our living room.

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Look What I Found

2007-09-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

Demetrio's half brother is named Alessandro. We Googled him last night and found him here.

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Blood Oranges

2007-09-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours who works a company that sells blood orange juice, asked me to take some photos for an ad campaign. I really could not do a good job as most of our camera and photography equipment is still in boxes. These however are a couple of the best images.

Blood oranges with lemons and limes.

Blood oranges with blackberries. We were trying to show how dark the flesh of the oranges are compared to the berries.

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Remodel Updates!

2007-09-15T13:55:00.001-07:00

More and more work is being completed, the new closets are in, the painting is done, the floors are done. We still have to finish the kitchen but the majority of the work is complete. Once by one we will complete each of the three bathrooms as well; one bathroom a month is our goal right now. We planned to move in the weekend of the 15th and 16th but without a kitchen we have postponed moving in until the end of the month.

Old closet 1 of 4

Old closet 2 of 4

New hallway closet 1

New master closet

New carpet to MIL apartment

Old fireplace

New fireplace with slate tiles. All the wires are Deme's entertainment center project in progress.

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The Fruits of My Labor 2

2007-09-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

I won't be able to garden for much longer. Deme, V and I spent about an hour yesterday harvesting and cleaning up my garden patch. Thank you Deme!

This is my third cavolo nero harvest. Most of the time I just saute the greens over low heat and add chopped onion, garlic and oil. Other times I stew the greens with a bit of tomato and we eat it as a side dish. I plan to freeze a batch for ribolitta this winter.

We picked about 15 pounds of tomatoes yesterday and after Veronica went to bed last night I went into full sugo production. The tomatoes were nice a sweet since they had not been watered for over a week. They were also nice and ripe so I did not have to add sugar to my sauce.

Onions and garlic are the only other ingredients in my sugo. Other additions are oregano and tomato paste (if needed.)

It takes me about 2 hours from start to finish to make my sugo. I start by sauteing onion, garlic in good olive oil. When the onions are soft and golden, I add the tomatoes, skin and all to the pot and let it all cook and meld together. Add your herbs and season with salt and pepper. If your tomatoes are on the watery side, leave the cover off during the last hour to concentrate the sauce. When the sauce is finished I pass the sauce through a sieve to remove all the seeds and skins (this takes just a minute or two) and I am left with a very flavorful sauce that has a million uses. Try it today!

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The Fruits of My Labor

2007-09-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

My mom tells me not to garden since the bending over and the strain might hurt me. I have gotten some help from friends with the weeding but I still water my garden once a week and try to get out there once or twice a week to pick tomatoes, artichokes, lettuce and salad greens and herbs. I have started planting my fall and winter crops but with the baby arriving soon I really have to cut back.

Baby zucchini and fresh salad and sauce tomatoes. The variety called "Mamma Mia" is very similar to San Marzano. Can you believe I have been picking 10+ pounds a week? Next year I will have to plant fewer plants.

I love misticanza and so does Deme. It is a great accompaniment to meaty dishes. When the salad greens go wild and bolt, I end up picking just the hearts of the escarole, endive, frisee, radicchio, chicoria and other greens.

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Bamboo Mishap or Disaster?

2007-09-03T09:04:00.001-07:00

We love the look of bamboo flooring. I like the fact it is a renewable resource and it is cheap. This summer we did our research and visited quite a few design centers and model homes. The bamboo is a really great choice for us since it is hard, strong and very durable. With the environmental sensibilities of people the live in the Northwest, we think this is a great selling point for us in the future.

Look to the gray area to the right of the flooring. When the nasty, old carpet was ripped up, it revealed that the concrete sub-floor below was cracked and not level. The floor installer will try to level out the floor with various concrete leveling products and we are keeping our fingers crossed.

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Some Before's and After's

2007-09-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

The work on the condo is progressing slowly but surely. We have painted and updated all the electrical as well as begun work on the floors. Here are a few before and after photos on the ongoing remodel.

The back porch/balcony was pressure washed, we painted the entire area, I removed all the old soil from the herb box and planted new herbs for our kitchen. The old flooring (industrial outdoor carpet) was removed and we tiled the entire area. It looks great. Now we just have to set up our outdoor bistro set and BBQ.

These are the strairs to the front door, we removed the carpet and pressure washed the area.

I chose a dark tile since the building is a blah and boring mustard yellow. Deme liked my choice and we think it turned out great!

We had to change the drain cover and totally clean the area before we tiled it. We also plan to refresh the area with a new coat of paint but it is not a priority right now.

I wanted to make the entry way attractive and decorated with some tropical plants, the Hawaiian ginger smells fantastic.

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Un-Met Expectations

2007-08-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that remodeling is a pain in the butt. Nothing is ever done on time. Nothing is ever done within the set budget. None of your expectations are ever met. I have been through quite a history of remodels with the families that I've worked with when I was a nanny.

For a week I had to cook on a camping stove when the promised kitchen was not ready in time.

Once when a bathroom was not "attached" to the plumbing and a child "went", only to have the contents fall from the second story bathroom right into the middle of the first floor living room. Yuck!

One family moved three times in 5 months while their home was being remodeled.

This weekend was the pits, the new closets we're having put in were missing some brackets and they are on back order. Ugh! Plus two shelves were crooked.

The tile guy is two days behind schedule.

The painter is a week behind schedule which delays the electrician.

The flooring guys only have half of the bamboo flooring that I need at this time, the rest will come in about 1-2 weeks! Damn!

It took one cabinet guy over three weeks to come over and measure for the new cabinets.

I hate it when things are promised and not delivered. I pay on time and so I expect the work to be done on time. Is that too much to ask?

Project still pending:

Demolishing the new kitchen, new windows, new front door, new appliances....

Photos to come soon.

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Some New Things

2007-08-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

Last week the work and upgrading started at the condo. We needed a new furnace and hot water heater. Luckily the central air conditioner was still okay. We have to get it maintained and some refrigerant added but it does not need to be replaced at this time.

We needed an earthquake strap and an expansion tank to bring the hot water heater up to code.

The furnace was from 1983 and about to crack which meant possible carbon monoxide leaking into the house. With two babies in the house that was the first thing I had replaced.

This weekend we have been busy cleaning up the condo and getting it ready to get painted. We removed all outlet covers, blinds, spackled all holes, removed old lighting, old mirrors that were screwed on and glued on to the walls (so we had to patch a lot of drywall), we painted a fence, some metal railing and tomorrow the painting begins!

*Did I mention it took almost 2 weeks for Deme and I to agree on room colors?

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Produce Find

2007-08-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

No this is not a deformed peach, it is a donut peach. They are becoming more and more popular as they are cute and delicious. What I love about them is that they are storeable. Regular peaches are hard to store and transport when ripe since they bruise so easily. These little guys are much easier to bag and take home. I would love a dwarf donut peach tree for the kids. The flesh is white and tastes like a cross between a peach and a nectarine. Look for them at your local farmers market.

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My Newest Recipies

2007-08-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Click here for my newest recipes.

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Design School 101

2007-08-11T15:09:00.001-07:00

Design has never been my forte. This remodeling project has really taken over my life. Last night I dreamt in square footage, price per gallon, tile and bamboo flooring. My dreams are interrupted by bidding wars as well as countless hours of Internet research. We hope to update the condo with contemporary bathrooms and a fully functional kitchen. By this time next year, if we are lucky we will have sold the condo and will be in our new home.

Today we went to pick up a special order, stainless steel undermount wet bar sink for our wet bar. At the showroom we saw the most fantastic bathroom sinks and vanities, see photos below. As you can imagine high style comes with very high prices. I love them all and do not have a favorite.

Demetrio's favorite.

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If It's Not One Thing, It's Another

2007-08-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

The remodel of our condo officially started this week. I have been antsy to get the repairs started because we want to move in at the end of the month. After 10 years, we have decided the place needs a complete overhaul. We have to redo the kitchen cabinets, countertops, buy all new kitchen appliances, re-tile the fireplace, front entryway, tile the balcony, redo three bathrooms, replace some carpets and lay down hardwood floors. Do not ask me how much this is going to cost because I have no idea. We are getting to some of the projects right away but others just have to wait.

The first thing I wanted to do was to get the furnace and air conditioner serviced. When I called a local heating and air-conditioning company to come out to do the job, we got a bit of bad news. We needed a new furnace in the air conditioner needed some major servicing. We bit the bullet and purchased a new high-efficiency gas furnace. While THAT furnace was being installed, we were informed by one of the technicians that our water tank was old, rusty, leaking and was due to be replaced. I tell you with the remodeling job if it's not one thing it's another. I know we are going to be stretched to the limit time wise and budget wise.

We could save quite a bit of money if we didn't have to hire a painter but since I can't help with any of the painting we just have to dig deeper into our pockets. I am in charge of selecting, paint colors and small details but Demetrio has been great in helping me make those decisions. He is working on a few small projects himself; this weekend he is replacing to garage door motors. Other projects on his list are to change/replace:

1. The doorbell
2. The deadbolt (he’s interested in a fingerprint reader so if we lose our keys we can still get in the house.)
3. Some of our existing light fixtures (he used to be an electrician remember?)
4. Pressure washing the exterior entryway as well as the balcony

That is the short list, for all the other little jobs, we have hired a handyman. Wish us luck!

Trader Joe's Phad Thai

2007-08-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Trader Joe's and wanted to try their Asian boxed lunches. They have phad thai and two other varieties. ( I cannot remember the varieties right now.) I usually do not like boxed food but could not resist. This phad thai claims to taste authentic and be ready to eat after 2 minutes in the microwave. I was game so I took one home for 1.99. The directions say to remove the noodles from the pouch and fluff with a fork then pour the sauce on top and microwave for 2 minutes.

The verdict: It was okay, the sauce was too sweet but not bad. The noodles were not soggy but not al dente and chewy like they should be. The only things missing were the bean sprouts, cilantro, lime, green onions, hot sauce, fried egg etc...
I don't think I will be buying it again.

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A New Prediction

2007-07-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this more and more and I don't think that I can keep this blog up after the new baby is born. My life as an American ex-pat living in Italy seemed somewhat glamorous as the world has always been and will always be in love with "La Bella Vita." (I've checked my stat counter and readership has gone down.)

The truth is I love my life here but it doesn't make for very interesting blog. Who wants to read about us remodeling our condo and other such mundane things. I think my blog was much more enticing when I moaned and groaned about the differences between America and Italy and documented all the changes and new discoveries I encountered each and every day.

I will however keep the blog about our family life as our friends from around the world as well as my five sisters and extended family seem to enjoy seeing photos of Veronica reading about her goings-on.

This blog sustained me when I lived in Italy. It helped me reach out to new friends everywhere and so shutting it down will be bittersweet. I'm not sure exactly when I will stop posting but I suspect it will be within the next two to four months. I've enjoyed reading about other ex-pats in Italy in meeting their acquaintances and I thank everyone for all the support I have received over the past two and half years. Grazie Mille tutti!

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More Work Ahead

2007-07-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

The end is near…(Our four-month stay at our temporary apartment is just about over.) Our tenants are finally moving out at the end of the month. They purchased a new condo and are finishing up some work inside. We, on the other hand have a lot to do to the place before we can move in. Our condo is over 20 years old and has never been remodeled. Demetrio’s old bachelor pad needs quite a bit of updating, (he paid a lot of attention to cars, motorcycles and clothes but not much to the condo while he was living there.) Everyone under the sun is telling us that our budget is too small. Having guests, being in charge of the remodeling, being pregnant and having Veronica are all stressing me out beyond comprehension. I am also a bit ticked off that Deme decided to take a 4 day trip to NY this week. The babysitter has been an gem, she’s been taking car of Veronica three days in the row, 4 hours at a time so I can visit tile and flooring stores and spend time with Tia.

Giordano is safely back in Rome, Tia leaves next week, I have an intense month of remodeling to do then we are back in our condo. I am looking forward to getting our things out of storage ($28/day) and having a place to hang my hat for at least 6+ months. With the new baby arriving in 2-3 months, I am ready to begin nesting.

Some really old kitchen cabinets that really have to go.

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Us in Tahoe

2007-07-23T14:02:00.001-07:00

Here are a few of the best photos from our Reno/Tahoe trip. We had a great time and the kids were especially well behaved. I guess this means we won't mind having them over again next year.

Giordano and Tia shared a kayak for 30 minutes on Lake Tahoe. Giordano looked comfortable in the water but Tia is a natural. She splashed him a few times but he is a good sport and did not complain too much.

Not a great picture since it was taken with a disposable camera (I forgot mine) but we took the Heavenly Gondola up to two stations that had great views of the lake.

At the second station there was a restaurant, a bar, lots of hiking trails and a rock wall in which Giordano decided to try and tackle. He climbed to the top with no problem at all.

Here Giordano climbs some real boulders.

Here Demetrio shoots a few rifles at Frenchman's, with the Baby Bjorn on. (No Veronica is not in the Baby Bjorn, I would have killed him.)

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Back From Reno (With Observations)

2007-07-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

*Beginning of Rant-Never ever again will I take another Alaska/Horizon flight. I booked three flights with them in the past 2 weeks and all three were at least an hour and a half late.-*End of Rant

Well we are all safely back from an 8-day trip to Reno. It was the first time I have been back to Nevada since Deme and I were married. It was hot, hot, hot with temps. in the high 80's and low 90's. My sister and her BF bought a house with 1.5 acres of land complete with tumbleweeds, jackrabbits, quails and lots of sand. My skin dried out, my nose bled a bit but I did enjoy the sun and dry weather. We foolishly went camping for 1 day, (I cut the trip short) but Veronica did not like sleeping in the tent and I did not like having to use the great outdoors as my toilet at 5.5 months along.

Observations about Reno:

1. There weren't very many young people to be seen around town. I am guessing all the 20 something’s were in bigger towns for school or work.

2. Some of the best "food for money" deals were to be had at casinos and yes we ate either dinner or lunch at a casino every other day. We had great sushi, all you can eat seafood, raw oysters and more.

3. Reno had some great Chinese food.

4. Reno was dry and very brown all over. My sister kept reminding me that she lives in a desert. I kept forgetting.

5. The casinos were full of retired folks on oxygen tanks. It was sad, sad and sadder.

Besides all the gambling that we saw, in the grocery stores, in the airport etc... I would say we had a nice vacation. Anna and Adam made us feel really welcome. Adam put together an extra bathroom and they both installed central air conditioner to make us feel more comfortable. After all that sun, coming back to rainy 68-degree weather was not fun.

Photos to follow very soon!

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Another Vacation?

2007-07-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

Umberto and Irene left this morning. Tia is in Reno (with my other sister) until the house seems quite empty today as it is just to Veronica and I. Giordano went with Demetrio to "Take Your Daughter and Sons to Work Day". I hoped to be able to see Laurie and her new baby before we head off to Reno early this evening.

Everyone is telling me that I'm crazy to go camping in the middle of the desert while being five months pregnant. My sister Anna assures me she has found a very comfortable camp site which is shaded and not too hot, this is the only reason why I am going since attempts in Reno in the high 90s and low 100s. After Reno we all (5 of us) come back to Seattle, Giordano leaves the following week and Tia leaves the week after. You would think we would not get a break right? Nope, we have to remodel our condo then get 300+ boxes unpacked. Help???

Brother and sister at dinner two nights ago. Irene had a jalapeno popper and almost passed out from the heat.

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Playing Tourist with Tia and Giordano

2007-07-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

More photos of the kids and I playing tourist around town. So far, we have been to the Science Center, Zoo, Aquarium, a baseball game at Safeco Field, Game Works, to Snoqualmie Falls etc... The kids have played games together, been reading books, been on a power boat (thanks to Dagne and Brandt) and been having tons of fun. We really enjoy having the kids around. Both kids are helpful with Veronica and with chores around the house. (They take the dog out for walks, they take out the garbage and recycling as well as loading and unloading the dishwasher, even without asking.)

Tia with her hand in the tide pool.

Giordano with his hand in the tide pool.

Who has a bigger head Tia or the giant octopus?

The giant octopus' head is definitely bigger than Giordano's.

Tia and I are undersea explorers.

After the aquarium the kids went to an arcade to play a few rounds of air hockey.

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A Fun Filled Week

2007-07-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

Let's see where do I begin? Irene, Umberto and Giordano arrived a week ago. Their luggage was lost for a day then recovered and delivered to the apartment. Thanks Delta Airlines!

We immediately signed Giordano up for intensive private English lessons at the local Berlitz office near us and he is taking lessons 4 times a week at 9 am(2.25 hours a day) for about a month. He is doing well and tries his best to speak with Tia in English. They play games together and do little chores around the apartment together. With the lessons over in the morning we have time to have lunch together before we head out for the afternoon. We are playing tourist and have been all over the city.

We wanted to take Irene, Umberto and Giordano out to eat good Japanese and Chinese while they were here and everyone was up to the challenge. Giordano tried sashimi and seaweed salad at the Japanese restaurant and Irene tried chicken feet and jellyfish at dim sum. They were all very adventurous. Umberto is not a fish eater but he liked edamame, seaweed salad and chicken teriyaki.

So far so good. Irene and Umberto decided to take off for Canada so they could do a bit of exploring on their own. We don't know when we'll see them again but hope they make memories while they are on their road trip.

The fantastic veiw from Highland Park.

Giordano finally masters chopsticks.

Irene needs more practice with her chopsticks and takes lessons from Giordano.

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The Five Love Languages

2007-06-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

I read this book about 8 years ago and thought it was great, a bit religious and preachy but useful nonetheless. How well do you know your partner, yourself? Are you able to verbalize what you need in your relationships? Maybe this quiz will help.

My sister had a link on her site so Deme and I took the test and realized we are quite compatible. (Good news!)

Information

Unhappiness in relationships, according to Dr. Gary Chapman, is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. Sometimes we don't understand our partner's requirements, or even our own. We all have a "love tank" that needs to be filled in order for us to express love to others, but there are different means by which our tank can be filled, and there are different ways that we can express love to others.

Take the quiz

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The Volunteer Park Conservatory

2007-06-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

I love this place! Once a year when I am chilled to the bone and thinking of home or the yearly treks I used to make to Hawaii to visit my friend Marilyn, I know I can take off my coat in this place and feel at home. Volunteer Park is a huge park with a reservoir, a tall tower, a playground but the conservatory is my favorite attraction. The dirt inside smells clean, the cactus house scorches, the orchids and the giant bird-of-paradise amaze me but most of all I love taking photos of the tropical plants.

No digital color enhancement here, this orchid is a vivid bluish purple.

I am not a botanist and don't pay much attention to the names of the plants but these two are my favorites.

The most delicately veined orchid in the whole exhibit.

My dad has this flower blooming on Guam except his is white.

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Because You're Family

2007-06-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

Today my 11-year-old sister and I had a short chat as we sat on a bench eating pretzels. I remember flying to Guam and helping to care for her when she was 6 weeks old, then again for 2 week vacations when she was 2 and 4 years old. (She does not remember this.) I took her to the beach for the first time when she was 2 and tried to befriend her again when she was 4. Our next meeting was when she was 7. My sisters and I decided to have a family reunion of sorts and we all spent two weeks playing tourist.

Fast forward to this week, she is now 11. It has been 4 years since we have seen each other but I feel I know her well. I send her gifts for her birthday and while I was living in Italy, she wrote letters and sent me postcards. My dad knew he was going to have a busy summer and told Tia that it would be best if she went off-island for the two months that school would be out. Like a dutiful Chinese daughter, she agreed to fly from Guam to Seattle alone to stay with a sister she has not seen in years. When I asked her why she agreed to do this, she said, "Even though I don't know you well, I agreed to it because you are family."

Since her visit, my dad has been calling every other day to see what she is up to. Having her here has reconnected me with my dad and reminded me of how Chinese our family is. We do things for one another out of love but also out of a deep sense of obligation. This obligation defines us and shapes our relationship with all those around us.

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Victims of US Customs

2007-06-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Our container arrived in Portland from Italy on May 24, 2007. We were told at that time that we were lucky enough to be chosen by US Customs to have our container hand inspected. Feels like we've won the lottery. NOT!

Our small air cargo shipment was also hand inspected. When we received the boxes of mainly Veronica's things, we found the boxes had been opened and not sealed back shut but worst of all, Veronica linens and clothes were just thrown back and stuffed into the boxes. Luckily nothing was soiled or wet.

Three weeks later, we finally got word that the inspection is over. Our container has now been emptied and the contents are in storage. Our movers let us know quite a few boxes have been opened. I have no idea the extent of the damage/carnage but I hope our things (esp. our dishes and stemware) have not been damaged.

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Jamie Graduates

2007-06-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

Jamie graduated from middle school two nights ago, I was lucky enough to be invited. (I still remember when he was 6 months old.) He's the one that wrote this essay about me a while back; reading it still makes me teary-eyed.

The ceremony highlighted the various talents of the students at his school, I was genuinely impressed. I am so proud of him, he really worked hard to get through his finals. Next year he'll officially be a high school freshman. Way to go Jamie!

Dagne, Indie, Jamie and me. (Can you believe how tall he is?)

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How Does Your Garden Grow?

2007-06-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

My garden has officially taken off. With June here, I have finally taken all the protective plastic off of my tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. (Late frost is always a problem.) I am so grateful to all the people that help me set up my 5 wonderful planting beds. (You know who you are!) So far so good. I have been keeping up with the watering and weeding as well as making tons of new friends at this community garden.

This is my lettuce patch. I have no less than 10 types of salad greens growing including red leaf, green leaf and bibb lettuces, arugula, wild arugula, chicory, just to name a few. I have seen a few bunnies in the garden, along with a weasel, lots of crows that pull put all my plant markers and even deer tracks in my beds but thank goodness these seem not to be a problem yet.

In this bed I have 3 zucchini plants, 13 tomatoes plants and a few borders of marigold. I cannot wait to have fresh cherry, grape and salad tomatoes in a month or two.

So I have a question for you, what are you growing in your garden this year? Ornamentals, herbs, veggies?

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A Busy Summer to Come

2007-06-07T20:49:00.001-07:00

Our summer is all planned out. We are having guest galore. Deme's sister and sig. other and our nephew Giordano will make their first trip to Seattle. Irene and Umberto stay for 2 weeks and Giordano for a month.

My baby sister (she is 11) Tia arrives on June 15 and leaves on Aug. 2 (about 7 weeks). She will be flying alone from Guam to Narita, Japan then to Seattle. She is so brave.

This is Tia when she was only 8 weeks old. I flew to Guam to help my dad and step mom take care of her for 6 weeks. She was an adorable baby!

We have a fun itinerary planned out, Deme will take some time off to be a tourist too. With the whole gang we plan to see all the sights in Seattle: the zoo, Science Center, museums, waterfront, Pike Place Market, maybe drive to the coast etc...

After Irene and Umberto leave we will do lots of fun things with the kids, kayaking, canoeing, berry picking, power boating, maybe a hike or two, movies, shopping and much much more. Tia will head off to Reno to hang out with our other sister for a week, then we all head down to camp and see the desert for another week.

Everyone thinks I am crazy to host all these guests in our 2 bed, 2 bath temporary apartment but we will manage. We thought we would be in our condo by now but we are not. All the tickets are purchased and there is no going back now.

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Never Alone Again

2007-06-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

I keep telling myself that life will return to normal when Veronica gets a little bit older. Then I neglect to remember that we are expecting another baby and when Veronica is finally sleeping through the night, the other baby will be here. I keep wondering when I am finally going to get a full night’s sleep.

Lately I have been completely exhausted; I take care of Veronica all day and with the babysitter is here, two to three times a week for about three hours, I run around doing errands. Last night we decided to take a little outing before dinner, we got home at about eight o’clock. I proceeded to feed Veronica and get her ready for bed and by 8:45 p.m., she was out like a light. She normally goes to bed between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. We were hoping that putting her to bed a little bit later would make her wake up a little bit later. Actually, this has an inverse effect on her, the later she goes to bed the earlier she gets up in the morning. She was up at 6 a.m. All I can say is that this morning I look like I am hung over.

Demetrio loves doing things as a family. he wants us to go grocery shopping together, he wants us to go to the car wash together, he wants us to go shopping together, he wants us to rent videos together, he wants us to take walks together, she wants us to do everything together as a family. Any mother would be happy that her husband enjoys doing things as a family (and I do love the fact that he is so family oriented) but this morning I told him I need to be left alone at least twice a week, without him and without Veronica. I need to seriously catch up on some much needed sleep. I hope that this weekend he will take her out and leave me home alone.

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Dirt Therapy

2007-05-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

I have not posted in more than a week. Things have been busy and I have been concentrating on veronica. Now that June has arrived and the days are longer, we are spending more and more time out on walks and out at my garden in the evenings.

I have been gardening with my dad since I was a small child. I have a great Polaroid dated 1986 that shows me proudly holding a giant cucumber. Our family grew all manner of warm weather crops as a child. Tomatoes, eggplants, yams, cucumbers, mint, chili peppers, melons and many more. We also had countess fruit trees on our property, sugar cane, banana trees, lemons, limes, guava, sweetsop and soursop just to name a few.

The smell of homemade compost, the sight of thick, fat earthworms and the satisfaction of harvesting my own fruits and vegetables are wonderfully fulfilling activities. I learned a lot about gardening from my parents and more when I moved to Seattle.

My news garden patch is a great hobby and diversion. I am part of a community garden that donates produce to a local food bank. I work alongside other kind gardeners who are more than happy to donate their advice and tools to one another. Lately my evenings have been at the garden, pulling weeds, watching my lettuce sprout, and tending my tomatoes. (I do not have any good photos since most of the warm weather plants are still under plastic.) I love the time alone, Veronica is either spending quality time with her papa after he gets home from work or she is already asleep. I get to play in the dirt, get some exercise and really take my stresses out on weeds.

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Tutto Bene

2007-05-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a mini-milestone for me. I woke up on Saturday feeling tired but not nauseous at all. Sunday was equally as pleasant and now that Monday is here I feel like the worst is over. Now I can look forward to my second trimester second wind. For the two weeks I have been seeing a chiropractor and hoping to get my back in tip top shape. Having to constantly lift Veronica has really done a number on my lower back. I am glad to be feeling better since we are expecting Giordano, Irene and Umberto in late June.

More news, after a week of wonderful weather, we had a wet weekend which helps my garden a ton since I did not have to nurse my new seedlings and plantings. I hope all goes well in the garden as I have already told friends that when things are ready to harvest I plan to make a giant Italian dinner from the produce. I definatly do not want to disappoint.

We have decided on the hospital in which to have the new baby. My gyno is Chinese, young and very nice. I know I will receive the best care at Evergreen (rated a baby friendly hospital by the WHO (World Health Org.)) Having someone who understands me fully is enlightening. I have not been hassled about my weight (still have not lost some of the baby weight from Veronica), about my diet (I am eating as though I have gestational diabetes) or anything else for that matter. We have decided to find out the sex of this baby and in about 6 weeks, at my 20-week ultrasound, we will find out. My dad and MIL are waiting with baited breath.

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My Mom's Corn and Crab Meat Soup

2007-05-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful and elegant soup that is super easy to make. My mom's recipe is the best and when she was in Italy we could not find good crab meat so she did not make it for Deme and I. I missed it so much that I decided to make it for Deme this week. He had never had it before and said it was great!

Corn and Crab Meat Soup

Serves 4 (as a starter)

1/2-3/4 C. fresh crab meat (shells picked out)
4 green onions, thinly sliced
4 t. cilantro, chopped
salt
white pepper
1-2 T. sesame oil
1/2-1 C. chicken stock
2 beaten egg whites
4 ears of sweet white corn (cooked for 5 minutes in boiling water and then kernels removed) or 2-15 oz. cans of creamed corn.

1. Take 3/4 of the corn and puree in a blender. Pass the puree through a strainer and remove most of the skins. Add the puree to a small saucepan and add the rest of the corn. (Skip this step if using canned corn.)

2. Thin the puree with chicken stock to the consistency of thin oatmeal. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

3. Add half of the cilantro and green onion and let come to a simmer. Add the egg white in a slow stream and stir very gently to form delicate ribbons of egg white. Lastly add the crab meat and sesame oil and heat through.

4. The soup is now ready to serve. Garnish with the rest of the cilantro, green onion and sesame oil.

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Whole Food Finds

2007-05-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Both Demetrio and I were surprised and delighted to find burrata at Whole Foods this weekend. Our delight was short lived because when we got home and cut into the burrata, it was off color and a bit sour. We both think it was not stored at the proper temperature. I called the store and asked them when they got fresh burrata in store as I wanted to purchase some the day it came in and not a minute later.
(I do have to note they had wonderful Gorgonzola piccante though.)

Can you believe the price on these mushroom? I think I will wait for the farmers markets here to really get into full swing where I can get them for much less.

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Happy Mother's Day Everyone

2007-05-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

We got Veronica dressed up for Mother's Day today and went fro a dim sum lunch.

She is so cute in the little pink headband.

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The 7 Deadly Sins Meme

2007-05-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

I've Been Tagged by Judith to list 7 of My Deadly Sins (here goes):

1. Lust. Once in a while I kinda have a thing for my husband. How else would be end up pregnant again and expecting a second child a year younger than our first one.

2. Gluttony. SPAM and rice, sushi of any kind, Tim Cascades Salt and Vingar chips and anything soaked in vinegar. You are reading the blog of someone who is known as a human garbage disposal, the recycling nanny (I recycle food into my tummy) and the "best pantry cleaner-outer " there ever was.

3. Greed. A decent, reliable car, good health insurance and a place to run my hands in the dirt are all I ask for. But if I could have something really extravagant, it would be a giant house with the kitchen being the largest room. (With a giant stove and a fireplace right in the kitchen. Did I mention a walk in pantry?)

4. Sloth. When Veropnica naps then I do too if I am not blogging or walking the dog or doing housework.

5. Wrath. I used to have a bad temper and I can still be very grumpy but mostly this has mellowed with age.

6. Envy. I envy people with "stuff" no doubt. But the envy fades when I look at what a great baby I have, then everyone envies me.

7. Pride. This is a hard one. I do not brag about much in life but what a great family I have and wonderful supportive friends and a pretty decent husband. Enough said.

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The New Garden

2007-05-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

I was totally ecstatic when I found out I would be able to rent a garden plot at the Marymoor community gardens this year. ($45 dollars a year and they supply the water.) The plot is 10' x 40' (or something like 2 X 10 m.) the garden is completely organic. There are many plots that benefit the food bank of Redmond, gardeners are encouraged to donate one row of their produce to the food bank. I enjoy being a part of the community that welcomes and cares about others.

I have to thank Dagne, Brandt Indie, Meladie, Bruce and my sister Kentra for coming out this weekend and helping us to dump 3 yd.³ of organic compost onto the plot. Meladie (my co-gardener) and Demetrio have shown interest in helping me to get the beds ready for planting. It's a lot of work and preparation to prepare the beds but after that's done it' mainly watering and weeding for the rest of the season.

Veronica has been an absolute doll in the garden. Sometimes she gets bored just watching me work but lots of my fellow gardeners stopped by to pay her some attention and that makes her very happy. I love being able to show her clods of dirt, earthworms and the various beetles that crawl around at my feet. Yesterday we both lay in the shade as I gave her a bottle. We both love being outdoors rain or shine.

In our garden we will mostly be growing Italian herbs and vegetables. I've planted wild arugula, lettuces, chicory and agretti. As summer approaches, fennel, puntarelle, cavalo nero and other greens will also be planted. I can't wait to see the look on Demetrio's face when I serve him fennel straight from our garden.

The garden bed before we tilled in the compost and fertilizer.

This is why I love Home Depot!

Here are some of the seeds we are growing! I miss Italian salads and greens so much.

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Am I Cooking?

2007-05-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry there have not been any food posts as of late. We are not eating out at all, no babysitter yet and being in temporary housing with less that adequate tools makes the job harder. When we get settled and when my garden patch (more on that later) starts to produce Italian vegetables then we will be back in business.

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Hospital tour #1 The American Version

2007-05-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

I’ve had my hands full with Veronica this past month. I’m trying not to use babysitters and not to leave her at the little child care center at our gym because I want to spend as much time with her as possible before the new baby arrives. She is such an easy baby that at times I think it take her for granted. I mean I can still blog, take a shower and have phone conversations with her playing happily beside me.

The last two weeks have been filled with doctors’ appointments, hospital tours and calls to the insurance company to make sure that all my visits are fully covered by our insurance plan. We have decided to have the baby at the two top hospitals on the east side, Overlake Hospital and Evergreen.

Evergreen is a wonderful hospital that is baby friendly and family friendly. They therefore do not have a nursery for babies that are healthy. Babies room in with their moms 24 hours a day. (In Italy Veronica was taken to the nursery immediately after she was born for observation. They insisted on keeping Veronica In the nursery at night so that I could get some rest. At first, I was a bit upset by this policy but practically it worked wonderfully for us.) There’s a small kitchen on each floor for family members to prepare their own meals, there’s free coffee, a comfortable waiting area with wireless Internet and the television, each room is equipped with a hydro-therapy jetted tub, there’s a guest bed in each room so Demetrio will be able to stay the night. The hospital does not limit visiting hours for family members and guests and has free parenting classes for all new moms and dads/and their families. I was impressed with the facility and the fact that there was a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) on the premises. They also encourage all sorts of birthing positions and are very forward in their thinking.

Our health insurance will completely cover the cost of the birth (In Italy we paid 4-5000 Euros out of pocket for the private hospital, same amenities but not so good insurance) but the one thing that left me very uneasy was that as we were doing our tour, the tour operator stated with most uncomplicated vaginal births discharge would occur 24 hours later. This worried me a bit, as I stayed in the hospital for 2 1/2 days when I had Veronica. She was a bit underweight and early so I think they wanted to keep her an extra day for observation. I on the other hand, was ready to leave about 36 hours after having had her. I wonder if I will be ready to leave after 24 hours. The patient and the doctor make this decision, the hospital will not kick you out after a day but the short time frame had me worried. I wonder how much time I will really need after pushing some the size of a cantaloupe out an opening the size of a small lemon. Hospital tour #2 happens next week.

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American Dream 2

2007-05-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

We bought a second car this past weekend. Demetrio’s rental car for the month was up. A Jeep and 4 Runner were possible options but we ended up with a CX-9. We liked the 7 seats, fully loaded options and Microsoft discount.

I guess it is time to let the cat out of the bag, we are expecting another child in November. (Quite a pleasant surprise to us. If the new baby comes a bit early and I am guessing he or she will, Veronica and the new baby will be 1 year apart.) With 2 cars, 2 kids, a station wagon and a dog, am I living the American dream? Our next step is settling down in a home of our own with a small yard.

Part of me feels like a cliché, part of me feels like a very lucky wife, woman and mother. I am lucky enough to be able to stay home with Veronica and will stay home with Sprog #2 as well.

When I feel like a cliché, I think about all the things that make us special and different from a typical stereotype. We love to have dinner together almost every night and Demetrio tries hard to be home to help put Veronica to bed. With his new job, he has a free gym membership and is working hard to stay in shape. He plans to run a half marathon and full marathon this year. I love the fact that he does something for himself two to three times a week. He also has a “guy’s night out” group that goes out for dinner or drink 2-3 times a month. We hope to actually go on “dates” again once we move into our house and feel comfortable with a competent baby sitter. I on the other hand try to do things for myself but I have Veronica with me. I am working hard to find something to do to call my own and when I feel more settled I am sure it will no longer be an issue.

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Air Pot Heaven

2007-04-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

If you are Asian then you know what an air pot is. We had two of them when I was a kid, one at my dad's office and one at home. It was essential that we always had hot water at the push of a button for hot tea, Cup-O-Noodle and other quick noodle/ramen type snacks but most importantly my dad loved instant coffee. In Italy I never saw them sold but last week when I went over to a girlfriends house and made Veronica's formula with hot water from her air pot, I knew I had to have one. Using it really brought back a lot of childhood memories.

I did my research (with the help of my sister) and I settled on the Zojirushi brand 2.2 liter air pot for $82.00 from Uwajimaya, a fantastic Asian market. (They even have a recipe page that is very authentic.) It is the perfect size for Veronica and I as Demetrio has never seen one and does not seem too impressed by it. We however LOVE it!

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The American Dream

2007-04-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

I think every American strives to own their own home. I know that since I was a child, my family (my father in particular) worked his fingers to the bone in the hopes of one day owning his own home. We rented for years, we first arrived on Guam in 1975 until I was 16, in 1989 we lived in the apartment after apartment and finally in a house. It was a very small house three bedrooms and one bathroom. There were eight people living in tight quarters, my mother, my father, my grandmother and five of us children. We lived in that house for about 12 years before we could finally afford one of our own. Our new house had six bedrooms, a den, a kitchen, dining and living room and three bathrooms. It was definitely a step up. My father believed that with five growing young women under one roof, we should each have our own room and our own privacy.

A while back while we were still considering possibly moving to Rome, we did a little house hunting. The prices were staggering about $8,000 per square meter of house/apartment. We looked at several apartments; the prices really threw us for a loop. For example, an apartment in the same neighborhood as my mother-in-law was selling for €900,000, approximately $1.25 million; it was 120 m² or approximately 1200 ft.². An apartment was not a place that I wanted to raise my daughter. I’ve always love getting my hands dirty in a garden with a vegetable patch, a compost bin and a worm bin. (In Seattle, I had two rabbits and used their manure in my garden.) I’ve always wanted to have a small play structure for kids to climb on, maybe been a trampoline and a space for a tiny kiddy pool for hot summers.

Now that our time at our temporary apartment is almost up, we’ve been looking to sell our condo in Kirkland and possibly use the money towards buying a bigger house, one with enough room for family and extended guests. We would love to have a nice deck for barbecues in the summertime. I would love to have a manageable yard and space for a garden patch. I’m sure Veronica would love a yard to play around in, with soft grass to fall down on and roll around in. We’ve been looking online at real estate agencies. For our money, we can buy much more here than we ever could in Torino or in Rome. I’ve always thought that owning a house and the land it stood on would make me feel like a grounded person; as if I belonged exactly where I was supposed to be. I didn’t want to own an apartment in a high-rise whether It be in Chicago, New York Los Angeles or even downtown Seattle where my floor was my neighbors ceiling. In the upcoming months, we should have a place to call our own.

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Mixed Blessings

2007-04-21T21:45:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a busy one and so I have not had much time to blog. In addition, I have been swept up by the events at Virginia Tech and find myself glued to the news almost every night. When people ask me how it feels to be back in the states, I tell them I am happy.

Just a few things I’ve taken note of this week alone:

1. I can go shopping on the Sunday, as most major stores are open. We usually like to go on at least one shopping trip together as a family on the weekends.

2. At the park, Veronica and I see scores and scores of different faces, Indian, South African, Caucasian, Filipino, African-American, Asian and many interracial children and couples.

3. Ethnic food is affordable.

4. My neighbors are not suspicious of me. Perfect case in point, I noticed a woman in my apartment complex living here also a temporary basis. Since I am from the area, (she is from Texas), I asked if she needed help finding a way around. She informed me she has three kids that were dying for McDonald’s, some library books and a place to play. I drew her a map of the closest grocery store, library and playground. I even accompanied her to Circuit City where she found a replacement for her GPS navigator. It felt good to offer help to a neighbor and even better, when she accepted it. Next week we plan on getting the kids together and heading to the Children’s Museum in Seattle.

5. Being close to my sister and some great friends enriches my life and Veronica’s life more than I can say.

Still after all these blessings, I still feel a bit of hesitance in saying that America is better than Italy. Part of me believes it yet part of me does not. The perfect case in point being all the violence that I’m seeing on the news every night. A friend of mine that lives in Umbria ( she used to live in Washington, DC) told me the biggest difference, or one of the biggest differences about her life in Italy is that it is much less violence all around her.

Let me be the first to say I have no idea, percentage wise, what the differences in violent crime are in America versus Italy. But off the top of my head I dare to say America‘s numbers are higher than Italy. In Italy, I was very careful to keep my pocketbook zipped away in my purse and to make sure my cell phone was not in plain view. Little petty crimes were a nuisance but never once did I feel that I was in danger of being bodily harmed. I have seen men jump out of cars at traffic lights in Rome and wave their fists at one another. I have seen at the post office when someone cuts in line. I have seen more than one person annoyed that someone has doubled parked behind them. I have never been afraid of someone pulling out a gun and firing it. (Even though the Italian police routinely carry machine guns, in front of synagogues and especially at the airport.)

When I watch MSNBC “To Catch a Thief”, “To Catch a Predator”, or “To Catch a Con Man” (undercover investigations involving identity theft, sexual predators and or scams) I wonder If these things go on in Italy. I am sure they do but they are just not publicized. If anybody has some real statistics please point me to them as I’m interested in knowing what the truth really is.

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Virginia Tech

2007-04-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon as I headed home with Veronica from an leisurely afternoon with my sister, I happen to tune into NPR and hear about the shootings at Virginia Tech. I just could not believe it. My whole being just shook with rage and sadness at the events that took place.

This morning I am watching news coverage of the event. It does not matter to me who the shooter was, what religious denomination he was from or even his motives, I just keep thinking about 32 lives cut short and many more changed forever.

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Show Me the Money!

2007-04-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

It’s a lazy Sunday morning and I am watching the travel channel. They are featuring Bologna and my mouth is watering at the images of fresh mortadella, tortellini and all things Italian. Déjà vu really hit hard as images of Italy flashed before me. I still think Italy is a great travel destination, the food, the coffee, the sights are all amazing and I do miss many things Italian.

Now let’s fast forward to now: Yesterday we were at the park with Veronica when we spotted a cute little girl named Stella paying near the waters edge. I said to Veronica “Guarda, che un’altra bimba come te.” Stella’s mother came over to chat with me. She asked me if I was speaking Italian and when I said “yes” she told me Stella was Italian too. It turns out that her husband is from Verona and she is from Seattle. They are visiting for a week and head back tomorrow. We began talking about life in Italy vs. life in Seattle. There were many similarities in our experiences. She’s afraid to have another baby in Italy because she is worried about the being told she is can’t gain much weight. She is also a stay at home mom giving English lessons on the side but has no real job prospects. As we compared notes, I began to realize more and more how lucky I am to be back. She hopes her husband finds a job back in the states so they will not struggle economically. Surprisingly Demetrio was the first to sing praises about being back in the U.S. and how hard life was in Italy. The other man actually said to us, “I think you (Demetrio) are the only other person who speaks worse of Italy than I do.” My dear husband seems to talking the talk, but in no way walking the walk. He has to convince himself, not others.

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Our Air Shipment Arrives

2007-04-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

As promised Microsoft in conjunction with Graeble international movers delivered our air shipment this morning at 10:15 a.m. (Within 2 weeks). I was dismayed to see that almost every box had been opened and inspected by US customs. Things were not put back properly but after a quick inspection, we discovered nothing had been damaged. We were especially worried about our stroller and our camera equipment. The camera cases that we used were very well cushioned and everything made it okay. Maybe US customs routinely inspect goods from Europe. Graeble told that they ripped through our container and a container that arrived from Turkey. (Good luck to them getting through our 300 boxes.)

I am glad to have our stroller. Our temporary apartment is close to the water and only about .5 miles from Marymoor Park. Veronica, Zavier and I will enjoy long walks to the park and back, all three of us love the sun and will definitely be out and about when the sun is out. Now that our household essentials have arrived, we can look forward to really settling in.

Luckily everything arrived in almost one piece.

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Identity Crisis

2007-04-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

This week we took care of a lot of bureaucratic “stuff“. Demetrio set up our health insurance, his 401(k), life insurance, our gym memberships and a whole slew of other little annoyances. A marked difference from the way things work in Italy is this example. We ordered high-speed Internet connection and the next day the modem was hand delivered to our door. That evening Demetrio set it up and within minutes, we were good to go. Internet access is an essential part of Demetrio’s job until Microsoft does reimburse us for the cost. (MS Italy did not do this.)

Since moving back to Seattle, buying a Volvo station wagon and being a stay-at-home mom, I have been going through some sort of identity crisis. When I was living in Italy, I knew that I would not be working. I had no problem staying at home taking care of my husband and taking care of the household. Now that I am back in the United States, I have every opportunity to get a job I feel somewhat strange not having one. We are lucky enough that my husband is a great provider and I do not have to work. Staying home and raising Veronica is my new job. I’m happy with the opportunity to have her stay home with me instead of going to a day care but then why am I second-guessing myself?

I feel like a stereotype living here, the Microsoft wife with an infant and a lot of free time on her hands. I rented a garden plot and hope to work it and fill it with Italian vegetables. I want to work on joining a mommy and baby group so Veronica can socialize with babies her age. I want to spend more time with his sister another good friends. I want to volunteer my time to a good cause. (I used to do this a lot when I was in college.) With all my good intentions and plans to improve our quality of life I guess I don’t feel a big victory has been won because my husband seems disappointed and defeated about moving back to the states. Part of me just cannot enjoy all the things there are to do and see here while he remains somewhat sullen about the move.

When I am feeling down and unsure about what were actually doing back here I think about the most important person of all. I think about how this place will help grow into a freethinking, compassionate, intelligent, adventurous girl and young woman; someone who is full of ideas and will not be limited in any way when she wants to fulfill them. I think about America, I think about how our family came here with nothing but through hard work and opportunity, we have made wonderful lives for ourselves. This is what I want for her as well.

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Italian Grocery Shopping

2007-04-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

Why am I bothering to look for Italian produce in Seattle? Having an Italian husband and wanting to provide some good home cooked meals are giant parts of it. He loves snacking on fresh fennel and would love to eat Italian everyday. I have a wide repertoire of pasta dishes memorized but not living in Italy makes it hard for my menu to try new dishes. I guess I better stay surfing the net. I want to surprise him with Italian dishes so he won't miss home as much.

I look far and wide for Italian ingredients. Porcini can be found here in the summer, I found Italian runner beans , fresh zucchini (and flowers) and many more fresh fruits and vegetables that I can use to make great dishes. I decided to rent a garden plot in order to grow as many types of Italian vegetables as possible. I've ordered black kale, wild lettuces, wild chicory, wild arugula and fennel. (I bought 6 heads of fennel the other day @ 2.99/lb and it cost me $11.00.) Yikes! That's 6 dollars a kilo. I can usually find it for them for about 1 Euro a kilo. There will be many things I miss about Italy (they happen to be mostly food items.) and there any many things I missed about the U.S. and am glad to have available to me again. (They also happen to be food items.)

From Italy I will miss: (These are both short lists. There are so many more.)

winter artichokes from Sardinia
cavolo nero
pencil thin asparagus
wild salad greens
puntarelle
wild chicory
abundant porcini (when in season)
cheap fennel
burrata
branzino
cicale
vongole veraci
the best pizza in the world
al dente pasta
testun al Barolo

From the U.S I am glad to have available again:

white corn
corn tortillas
chowders
BBQ
lobster
dungeness crabs
beets (not precooked)
canola oil
pomegranate juice
Rainer cherries
white peaches and nectarines
lobsters
limeade
burritos
Cantonese roast duck
dim sum
pho
BBQ roast pork
mochi

Being back in the States seems surreal right now. I have not fully adjusted yet and am not sure how long it will take for me it to really sink in.

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Star Sighting

2007-04-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that on our flight from NY-JFK to Seattle I saw one of my favorite actors on the airplane. (My absolute favorite actor is Morgan Freeman.)
As I was busy lugging my carry-on bag on an overbooked flight, I walked to my seat and saw Danny Glover just sitting in his seat. I did a double take and then told him I am a big fan. No I did not ask for an autograph since he looked comfortable and relaxed. My sister is still kicking me for not asking.

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Observations Across the Pond 1

2007-04-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

When I first moved to Italy, I must say the culture shock was quite overwhelming. I wrote a few posts called “Things I’ve Noticed about Italy/Torino” (see blog archives). I feel compelled to compose a similar post about my first impressions of the United States after being away for two years.

I don’t feel like a stranger here but I do feel strange being back here. I am glad for a few days of great weather as well as the chance to reconnect with old friends.

Things I noticed in Seattle (and its surrounding areas) Part 1:

1. I must say that during a four hour layover at the Philadelphia international Airport (my first stop in the U.S.), the first thing I noticed were to large percentage of overweight people there and in the greater Seattle area. This is funny since while my mom was in Venice with us in January, she kept commenting on how there were very few overweight people.

It's true that in Torino and Rome women are fashionable and usually well dressed. I have never seen any Italian walking around in a jogging suit or lounge wear out on the streets. No Birkenstock, no socks with sandals, no tennis shoes and no North face or Columbia gear. REI does not exist in Italy, Italian sportswear is fashionable.

2. One of the first things I did when I arrived in Seattle was to have a giant shrimp burrito, with all the fixings. I cannot believe it has been two years since I’ve had guacamole, green salsa and a corn tortilla. I really love the variety of ethnic foods I can get in Seattle. We went to dinner at a friend’s house one evening; she asked me if there was anything that I would like to eat in particular. I mentioned I hadn’t had any proper Indian food for two years. I was missing naan, samosas, mango chicken, chutney and perfumed basmati (with lemon and parsley).

Am I missing great Italian food? you bet! Fennel is 2.99/pound here from 99 cents a kilo in Torino. I bought some seeds online and hope to start a little garden patch of Italian vegetables.

3. The cars here are monstrously large. I have a station wagon that is the same size as our car in Torino. I did however see a few Smart cars here and there. They are as tiny as they were in Italy.

4. I had forgotten how large the food portions are here. We went to Dennys’ and Deme ordered the meat lovers breakfast (not a piece of fruit or veggie in sight) and even he could not finish it. Most Italians do not eat hot breakfasts but this was ridiculous. Eating less and leaving extra food on the plate is not something that comes natural to me. As a child I was told to eat everything on my plate. Since the portions are so large here, I am pushing my plate away from me when I am full. Worrying about wasting food is still a problem for me but I am working hard to overcome.

5. I love seeing all different kinds of faces in the city. There have been so many cute Asian mixed babies out there. I have met more than a few at the grocery store and at the park. I know that when Veronica grows up and we join a playgroup, she will not stick out like a sore thumb. I don't think I would be able to say the same thing if we stayed in Italy.

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New Blog Name

2007-04-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

I hope you still keep me on your blog rolls but it maybe hard since I am no longer an expat living in Italy. I will continue to write about food in Seattle, via restaurants and my own kitchen. Life across the Atlantic pond is sure to be blog worthy.

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Back In Seattle

2007-04-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

HELLO America!!! We made it back to Seattle and my mom left back home to Asia then Guam. Thank you for all your help mom and Kentra. I could not have relocated this smoothly without you.

I think the name of this blog has to change. I am no longer in Italy and almost everyone in Seattle calls me Gina not Gia. Gina=nickname Gia=official name on all documents.

It was a joy seeing Veronica again. She seemed excited to see us and happy to be in our arms again. I am keeping her in quarantine since she has a cold and I want to re-establish her sleep schedule so she is not cranky and irritable. The first order of the day was to get a new car (yes I feel like a soccer mom but the car is a nice one and we got a great MS discount) and the second thing we wanted to do was to get her a new bed and to get it set up pronto. Without my mom and Deme around, it is harder than I thought to get things done. Luckily here in the States I can have someone help me to my car with my groceries and to take the shopping cart back too.

The past two days have been overwhelming. Luckily, we have a temp. apartment with housekeeping, DSL Internet, cable, and all the comforts of home for the next two months. The grounds are nice and there is a tennis court and swimming pool. Zavier seems to appreciate the trail behind the complex. Now I am just trying to re-adjust to everything as quickly as possible.

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The Process of Moving 3

2007-03-29T02:10:00.000-07:00

The movers work fast and are very professional. Idle chit chat aside they are doing a great job even if every single one of them smokes. We move into the hotel tonight.

Our living room with 2 couches all wrapped up and bubbled taped for safety.

Deme's office is not ready to be packed up. He waited until the last minutes to prepare.

Now he has his stuff on the floor of my office. What a disaster!

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The Process of Moving 2

2007-03-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend was full organizing and stress, all compounded by the fact that our daughter is a continent away. Demetrio is on his way to Rome to pick up a few remaining items that he has at his mom’s house. I am staying in Torino working on getting rid of as many things as I can in the apartment (some people got away with some really great stuff) and waiting around for landlord to decide if he would like to come see our kitchen and possibly buy from us. Our original landlord passed away about seven months ago and our apartment has now passed on to one of his nephews. This new landlord has been very lukewarm about stopping by, but I think Demetrio put some pressure on him. He has agreed to drop by tomorrow at 3:15 p.m. I happen to really like our kitchen. The idea of tearing it down and shipping it in a container in pieces back to Seattle is really something I do not want to see happen. I am hoping the landlord will realize its value and keep it for his next tenants.

We have only this week to cancel the telephone, Internet, gas account, bank account, return to our company car, see friends and take care of all other loose ends. I sent out a stock e-mail (something I never do) to friends and family informing them of our new mailing address and phone number. Everything seems to be moving so fast. After a long and bureaucratic existence in Italy for the past two years, Microsoft Redmond really has its act together.

Our cupboards are now empty, our refrigerator bare. The past two nights we have been eating dinner at the Chinese place on the corner from our apartment. Our friends have been stopping by to say farewell. Most of them are happy for me and a bit jealous themselves. In unison, they agree that I belong in the states. I had a wonderful time in Seattle and I was sad when the two weeks ended, so I must say I’m looking forward to moving. I’m looking forward to our new health/company benefits, a complementary membership to a gym for Demetrio and reduced cost/membership for me (they have a childcare facility for members); I’m thrilled that I will be closer to my sister. She has been taking Veronica on daily walks since I’ve been gone. We will be able to live in our condominium again (with its Jacuzzi tub and two-car garage). I think most of all I will look forward to being close to good friends and to feeling as if I am an equal partner in society.

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The Process of Moving 1

2007-03-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Moving really is one of life's most stressful situations. Demetrio is due to start his new job on April 1. That gives us exactly 1 week to have the apartment packed up, cleaned and vacated.

We arrived back in Torino yesterday, I have bragged for years that have never once got jet lag but last night I couldn't go to sleep until about 5 a.m. I think part of me really missed Veronica and going to bed without her in the house was just about unthinkable.

(My two weeks in Seattle were wonderful. I got to reconnect with my sisters Sara, Anna and Kentra as well as many friends. I think this is the right move for us. I know Demetrio feels a bit defeated that he did not make our life in Italy work but even he agrees that moving back to the states will give Veronica many more opportunities and it will make our lives a lot easier. Of course his mother is very upset by the whole move but she understands that he must go with the job is.)

I woke up around noon and was overwhelmed with all the organizing there was to do. Microsoft is allowing us an air cargo shipment of 300 pounds or is it 300 kg? (which arrives at its final destination in about two weeks) as well as a 40 foot container which arrives in Seattle in six to eight weeks. Our task today was to separate out everything that went in the air shipment and everything that was going to go in the container. I was disappointed that the moving company will not allow us to bring any food items. I spent today distributing all of the dry goods in the kitchen amongst good friends.

We were successful in selling (at dirt cheap prices) our dishwasher, stove, oven, big screen TV, DVD player, audio receiver, Braun multi-mixer and other miscellaneous appliances. We ended up giving away smaller electrical items and all our liquor and some of our wine too. Part of me feels like we're losing a lot of our personal belongings and the other part of me feels like we're lightening the load. We have two more days to tidy up the apartment before the movers come. As each hour passes the apartment becomes emptier and emptier.

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Everything Must Go!!!!

2007-03-15T07:28:00.002-07:00

We have one week to get rid of all the stuff in our apartment! Yikes. The movers will come on March 28th (when we are back from vacation) and do a small air shipment then provide a larger 40' container for the rest of the stuff. If you are in or near Torino and are in need some gently used stuff. Leave a comment or email me!

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We are in Seattle

2007-03-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

We are in Seattle and so no new posts for a week or more. It is very official, we are moving back to Seattle in April. More later as my mom and three sisters are also here doting on Veronica and we have been busy, busy, busy.

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Cutting the Apron Strings

2007-03-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

My husband left Italy for the first time when he was 21. He came and went once more when he was 28 and now he is leaving for the third time. His mother is of course very sad at the thought of us moving back to the states especially with Veronica. The reality is she has two daughters living in Italy and with us in the United States she will have many chances to come and visit. Her plate at this moment is quite full and she takes care of her two grandchildren full time and one another grandchild part-time. She also is managing her household as well as another rental property. Her dream of having all her children living close by is shattered for the moment. (We never said that we did not want to come back someday.)

In preparation for a move, Demetrio has started going through and deciding which things to want to take with him to the states from his mom’s house. (Yes, he still has things stored at his mom’s house.)

A Short List:

Old tax returns/diplomas/Boy Scout diary
Old photos
Bags of old love letters and correspondences
A T-shirt given to him by his first girlfriend when he was 14
Many old clothing/shoes/belts
Over 300 vinyl records
Boxes upon boxes of books
Things for the kitchen
Old VHS tapes ( including Wham Live in China, Katrina and the Waves, Now 6, the making of We are the World, and many many more.)
Old cassette tapes (things copied from the radio, tapes made by old friends, Belinda Carlisle, and many many more.)

One of the things I like about Italy is that it is not as disposable a society as the one we have United States. People save things for ages, men and women ride around in 25-year-old bikes with flat tires and rusty spokes. There are many old cars on the road, and if you leave something outside the dumpster, someone else is bound to come and pick it up. Things are recycled repeatedly and I think it is a good thing but leaving boxes of junk at your mom’s house is not a good thing. Her basement is full of her children’s stuff; she has even rented an attic space to store all the things for children leave behind. Now that we have begun to really scale down in preparation for a move, I wonder if she feels like she/he the apron strings are being cut forever because the next time she opens up a closet, there will not be anything of Demetrio’s left in her house.

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Mission Accomplished w/Autoscuola Montebello

2007-03-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

I can pat myself on the back because today I passed the second exam required to obtain my Italian drivers license. I started the day very early and had to be at the driving school at 7:30 a.m. There were four of us taking the exam today and we were accompanied by two instructors in two different cars. We were driven to the area in which the exam would be given. As we pulled up to this nondescript street, I was surprised to see five other cars from various auto schools parked in the same area. Each auto school had four to eight students that were to be tested today.

Our examiner arrived 15 minutes late and to our dismay this was the first time he would be giving driving exams. Our instructors did not know him and did not know his methods. We were all wondering if he was going to be strict or lenient, would he be soft spoken or loud and most importantly would he be gentle. We paced and paced and paced as we waited for him to arrive. Normally the driving exam’s range from about 10 to 20 minutes but we would not have such luck today. Being it was his first time to give the driving exam he took each of us for a 30-minute ride. I was the last one to take the exam, everyone before me passed and I was left quite frozen as I had been standing on the sidewalk and waiting for an hour and a half. (The owner of the auto school told us this is the way things are done even in winter. He offered me a seat in one of the instruction cars that was not being used. In addition, I was also offered a quick trip to a bar in case I needed something to drink/eat and needed to use the restroom.)

When it was finally my turn, I was as nervous as can be even though I have been driving for over 15 years. (I had practiced driving exams yesterday and the day before yesterday for about an hour each. I have not driven a stick shift in over a year but it was no problem.) The examiner told me to relax, to breathe, to obey the rules of the road and not to drive like a Formula 1 driver. As I drove, I was careful to use my signal lights, to look In my mirror’s, to turn my head and body completely as I backed the car up, to give precedence to drivers on the right and I was super careful when I navigated around a giant traffic circle. In the end after a rather anxious 30 minutes, I passed the driving exam and walked away with a new driver’s license. With this new drivers license I can drive anytime I come back to Italy and anywhere in the European Union. It expires in 10 years time is a €300 I think it was worth it.

I must say a few words about the auto school that helped me get my driving license. Marta, Nino and Adriano were wonderful to me. Marta drilled me on street signs and the rules of the road for two straight weeks. Never once did she raised her voice or get frustrated when I forgot the rules. Nino, her husband accompanied me to the DMV to take my oral exam. He was the picture of calm as he paced the waiting room on my behalf, giving me tips here and there while encouraging me. Adriano took me for two separate practice-driving exams and showed me the theoretical rules of the road. He never once got annoyed and treated me with the utmost respect. I cannot say it enough good things about this auto school. They cater to foreigners and have helped countless people get their driving license. If you are in Torino, near the center of town you definitely have to check them out. Give them a call today. Even if you are not from the area they may be able to give you some valuable advice.

AutoScuola Montebello
Via Montebello, 4B
10124 Torino
+39 011.88.23.94

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Driving School-The Practical

2007-03-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

After a short four days in Rome, I came back in Torino to immediately begin my driving lessons. The driving school that I am attending has arranged for me to take driving lessons this Thursday and Friday before my test on Saturday morning. I was very nervous before the practice lesson began. I feel very secure about my ability to drive but very Insecure about possibly being watched and judged by the examiner.

Boasting is not something I do often but I must say I feel (in my honest humble opinion) that I drive well. In fact, I pay more attention, follow the speed limit, avoid using my cell phone while driving, and generally obey the rules of the road more than most Italians do. Today while we were on our way to see Veronica’s pediatrician, Demetrio had to kick the car to get it to stop at a pedestrian crossing. Even with the baby in tow, some Italians just do not like to stop for pedestrians.

My driving lesson began like this: the instructor drove to a quiet part of town and showed me how I should be driving. I took note and then within a few minutes got in the drivers seat. The cars used by driving schools have two sets of foot pedals, one on the driver side and another set on the passenger side. These are the only type of cars that the public is allowed to use during the driving exam. I find them somewhat strange but I guess the second set of pedals is useful in case of an emergency.

I was quite nervous because after having driven for over 15 years of accumulated many bad driving habits. For example: I have a habit of putting my right arm behind the headrest of the passenger seat while I am backing up and looking backward. I also tend to turn the wheel by grasping the wheel on the underside. Both of these things are not allowed. I drove for an hour and a half today but still do not feel that I have put these bad habits away for good. I have another lesson tomorrow morning and I will let you know how I progress.

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Our Next Step

2007-02-23T12:53:00.000-08:00

As you can imagine there has been a lot going on in the D’Ambrosi household.

1) My mom left on February 20, three days ago, Demetrio and I have been feeling the pinch. We are now both fully in charge of taking care of Veronica. She goes where we go and lives a truly Mediterranean lifestyle. We try to get her home for naps so she does not get too cranky. So far, she has proven to be very adaptable.

2) I have been extremely preoccupied with studying for my Italian driver’s license. While my mom was here, she took care of Veronica in the mornings for one to three hours while I went to the driving school. Sometimes Demetrio would go with me and wait for me there and sometimes I would take the bus to and from.

3) My DH (dear husband) has decided that enough is enough. Since September 15 (the day that the project he’s been working on with Microsoft and Fiat ended) he has been a stay-at-home daddy. Microsoft Italy was supposed to find him another position within its subsidiary but after five months they have failed to do so and they have asked him to look for position outside of Italy. They told him that they do not have a position for him; his dream of possibly living in Rome has been dashed. So the crafty DH sent his resume out and began working towards finding another job. He flew to Seattle for a round of interviews and was offered a position right away. They want him to start as soon as possible and so assigned us a relocation specialist to get us moving.

My thoughts:

I think everyone knows that my first six months of Italy was very difficult. The language barrier really alienated me from the Italians around me. Slowly though I began to meet more and more ex-pats. (Laurie being the first) I saw my social life looking up. Finally, it felt like I had found a group of people I could really trust, talk to and lean on for support when living in Italy had gotten the best of me. My social calendar was busier than most of the Italians I know.
I can say without hesitation that I am really going to miss all the new friends that I have made in Torino. I personally would like to stay for two or more years so my Italian can improve and I can possibly start a mommy and baby group. Part of me feels like a failure, our experiment to live in Italy just was not feasible.

I think its hit my husband worst of all he said to me the other day “I think I got Italy out of my system.” As he reminds me that he’s only been a tourist in Italy for the past 20 years and have never lived here. Little things frustrate him a daily basis but I think there is a bigger philosophical picture too.

I’m not sure if I’ll continue blogging on Gia-Gina in Italy. Nevertheless, I know I will keep the baby blog as Veronica daily happenings are two Important to let fall by the wayside.

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Driving School Update-I Passed!!

2007-02-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

I was told to be at the DMV at eight a.m. sharp, which we were. (I was there right on time even though I had a raging fever the night before 39C or 102F and was still feeling ill.) Veronica and Demetrio were there for moral support. Shortly after eight, my driving instructor arrived. He paced the room but looked calm and he chatted with other driving instructors and their pupils. When 8:30 came around and the examiners were filing into the building, he made his way over to get a look at the examiners. He saw someone he recognized and came over to tell me that this man in particular always asks to particular questions:

1) With my driver’s license, called Patente B, what type of motor vehicles would I be allowed to drive?

The answer is any motor vehicle weighing less than 3.5 tons and with nine seats or less. This means I’ll be able to drive: snowplows, tractors, bulldozers, small buses, mopeds (less than 125 cc) and many other types of wonderful agricultural vehicles.

2) He is also likely to ask about the towing capacity but I am allowed.

I am supposed to explain that if I wanted to tow something behind my car, this is something must weigh less than 750 kg. The weight of the car and the towed item must not weigh more than 3.5 tons and the towed item must not weigh more than the car.

I am not sure if I got the examiner that my driving instructor thought I would but I was not asked these questions. Instead, I was asked about street signs, road signs and general rules of the road. The man next to me, who was trying very hard, failed the exam because he got two street signs wrong and he did not answer correctly the following question:

What is the minimum safety distance but you need to keep from the car in front of you? In addition, what determines this distance?

The answer is (although there is some sort of formula for this safety distance) the examiners do not want to hear the formula. What they want to hear is that this distance depends on these things: your velocity/speed, the condition of the driver (sleepy/tired/ill), weather, visibility, weight of your vehicle, condition of your brakes and the condition of the road.

I was very nervous throughout the whole exam. I felt very lucky to be able to take the exam orally as I was allowed to gesture and look at diagrams. Overall, I am happy to have passed the first part of the exams and therefore be a little closer to actually receiving my Italian driver’s license. I must say that as a reasonably educated woman I felt very small sitting there being interrogated in Italian about rules of the road but many Italians themselves to not follow. Now cross your fingers for me, as I have the actual driving part of the exam this coming Saturday.

* A few people have asked me why I have bothered to get my Italian drivers license when I plan on moving back to Seattle. Demetrio thinks it would be handy because the Italian driver’s license does not expire for 10 years and I do plan to come back to Italy for vacations. Also in Italian drivers license allows me to drive almost anywhere In Europe, so I guess it is somewhat handy.

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Cramming

2007-02-22T00:27:00.000-08:00

Wish me luck; I am cramming for my oral driver’s exam tomorrow at 8 a.m. and it looks like we will soon be cramming stuff into boxes as we are moving back to SEATTLE in 1-2 months. Yikes! My thoughts and commentary after the driver’s exam.

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More Driving School

2007-02-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

I have been studying street signs, memorizing all I can about what to do in the event of an accident with and without injuries, learning all the parts of my car, when I am allowed to pass on the right and all manner of interesting facts about driving in Italy.

I am now ready to share a few of these tidbits with you, did you know:

1. If you are in an accident and someone is injured you are obligated by law to help them or face criminal charges. Some first aid I need to know: Do not remove any objects that are lodged in someone’s or your eyes. Cover with a sterile gauze and wait until the medic arrive. Also if someone is has been burned, try to put out fires on their clothing but do not remove any burnt clothing or other articles. Try to immerse the burned part in water to cool and help relieve pain.

2. The is a fund called "fondo delle vittime della strada" which is a sort of charity that helps victims of accidents in case the perpetrator runs away from his or her responsibility.

3. If a giant rock falls from a hillside in front of your car you should try to stop as to not run into it, then get out of your car, try to move it out of the way so other cars do not have the same problem and cause an accident. If it is too heavy for you to move, call the police.

4. If you have a new license, you are obliged to drive 30 km/hr slower on the motorway for three years or face stiff penalties.

5. Obviously do not honk your horn in the city unless you have to, ie. In case of danger not when the shmuck in front of you is too busy on the cell phone to step on it.

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Finally Mommy and Baby

2007-02-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

I am busy studying for my drivers lic. but last night we went to an Expat Meet Up and Marsha took this photo. I am usually the one behind the camera, not in front. V was cranky but fell asleep eventually.

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Driving School-Part 1

2007-02-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

Now that I have tried and failed once at the oral theory exam in Italian, I have decided to better my chances the next time around (while dishing out €300) by taking lessons at a driving school.

When I got my practice-driving certificate, I had up to six months and three chances to pass both the theory and practical driving exams. (After having lived in Torino for a year my American driving license was no longer valid for driving in Italy.) I applied for my practice certificate while I was pregnant. With a long summer vacation lasting the months of June July and August and Veronica coming early in October, I have neglected my studies until now.

The DMV in Torino is also very frustrating. At first, I was first told that it would be possible for me to take the oral exam in English, so I began to study all the rules and regulations in English. When I went to finally book my appointment for the oral exam, I was to hold English was no longer being offered and I had to take it in Italian. I believe what annoyed me most was the impractical way in which the DMV in Torino set appointments for the oral exam. They would call me on my cell phone and asked me If I could take the exam in four days time and I would tell them “no, I can’t I’m not ready“. Then they would call me a month later and asked me if I could take the exam in today’s time and I would again say “no, I couldn’t I’m not ready“. (With Veronica around it was harder than ever). I just wanted to set a date that I could shoot for and count on but they did not have a booking system and asked to call me on my cell phone with two to five days warning before they set up an appointment. Now I only have a month left before my practice-driving certificate expires, I have to bite the bullet and get cracking.

The driving school recommended to me by Sharon is wonderful; she managed to pass the oral exam on the first try in the driving practical exam on the first try also. All I can say is I am now studying my butt off and going to the driving school two to three times a week for one to two hours at a time. (The book in which you study to take the test is over 300 pages long.) Part 2 to follow. . .

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Osteria All'Arco

2007-02-04T00:28:00.000-08:00

From all the Slow Food stickers I saw on the door of this osteria I knew it was going to be good; it's just a hop, skip and a jump from the Rialto Bridge too. Be prepared to be wowed by the delicious bites (crostini) you will be able to sample here. We had aperitif here twice in three days. In this small osteria it is standing room only with no tables inside and only four tiny ones outside. It was hard to maneuver with the baby but we did it! There is a long bar in which you crowd up to and either point out what you would like to eat. If you know a Venetian (and we do) ask for the musetto caldo (a tiny toasted bun with a kind of sausage (much like a cotechino) you can have them plain and with mustard.) My favorite were the crostini with the baccala' mantecato, the little sardines breaded and fried then cooked with a sweet and sour sauce with raisins, the giant shrimp crostini with just a dab of balsamic vinegar and freshly sliced artichoke hearts. Need I say more?

Thank You to Francesca our Venetian friend and to Shilpa who introduced us to her. We are a great team and hope there are more food adventures to come.

All'Arco
S. Polo 436
Calle de L'Ochialer
Closed Sundays
Tel: +39 041 520 6600

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Caffe' del Doge-Venezia

2007-02-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

Italy has great coffee there is no doubt about it. I usually end up ordering a cappuccino in the morning and a macchiato in the afternoon or evening. Every once in a while I long for some variation in the coffee offered in Italy and Caffe' del Doge offers just that. Demetrio had an Otello, which is a coffee with whipped cream flavored with gianduja and creme di nocciolo (hazelnuts). Very yummy! They make great coffee with touches to spice and flavor without going overboard.

*I have to admit I used to drink double shot mochas with a touch of mint but have never ventured into the "spiced pumpkin pie latte with marshmellow flavored whipped cream or the white chocolate mocha that you stir with a peppermint stick.

The inside of the cafe is really cool with different types of beans offered for your expresso. You can chose from 8 kinds of beans and have then ground to your specificaions.

We met with (J) whose full name is a secret since she works there and treated all of us, my mom, Cyndi, Deme and I to free coffees. Thanks J!

Caffe' del Doge
Calle dei Cinque
San Polo 609
30125 Venice, Italy
+39 041 5227787
www.caffedeldoge.com

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Osteria Anice Stellato-Venezia

2007-02-02T01:08:00.000-08:00

We opted to stay at the outer edges of Venice at S. Alvise in Cannaregio (at the mouth of the lagoon that leads to the Grand Canal.) About 100 meters from the front door of our hotel (The Residenza Cannaregio), there is a quaint, little osteria. It looked newly remodeled with comfortable eating nooks as well as a bar area. The staff was wonderful and very accommodating, as we needed extra room for the baby's car seat.

We loved the antipasti of mixed crostini, misto di cichetti di pesce; there were 7 or 8 types of fish all done in different ways. (sweet and sour with raisins, curried with cumin seed, marinated, pureed and blended with cheese, just to name a few.)

We ordered three kinds of pasta: spaghetti with tuna and green peppercorns (this was done well but the flavor did not really knock us off our feet), spaghetti with mussels, clams and sun dried tomato (this was a great dish, the sun dried tomato added a nice bite to the pasta and the shellfish was cooked perfectly and very fresh but all in all the pasta was over salted.) Same goes with the third pasta dish, tagliolini with beans, rosemary and squid. I have never had a pasta dish with beans and seafood before. The flavor combination of the mild white beans (cooked with rosemary) and the squid were heavenly but again over salted.

The main dish we chose was the lucerna (a kind of snapper) breaded and baked in the oven accompanied by cooked radicchio, was lovely to look at and cooked perfectly but the fish itself was lacking a bit of flavor. I am not sure if this time the fish was under seasoned or just a bland tasting fish.

As a whole the place was charming and the quality of the food was top notch, maybe they were having an off night. I would have definitely given it another chance to wow me but unfortunately we left before I had the chance to eat there again. Read another review here.

Our snapper

A wonderful dessert with zabaglione and chocolate.

Osteria Anice Stellato
Fondamenta de la Sensa, Cannaregio 3272
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
Tel: +39 041 720 744

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Hacked!!!

2007-01-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to let you know that my email was hacked into. (I know this because for the first time in 10 years my password did not work. Also when I regained access to my email I found that various messages in my Inbox had been read, mainly ones attached to Ebay, Amazon, and Discover Card. They also contacted some of these site to get information.)

Everything has now been restored and if you received any strange messages from me dated January 23 to January 29, please disregard them. My advice to you is to make your passwords difficult to figure out. Mine was pretty hard (no birthdays, past places I have lived, names of family members or pets and they still got in.) Hope it never happens to you.

Because of the hacking I have removed my email address from my profile, for a while anyway. I have very much enjoyed all the emails I have received due to the blog, from people who are now friends. I am sorry to have to do this but I am a little freaked out. Still comments will be very welcome.

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Watch Those Apron Strings

2007-01-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

To Marry or not to Marry

2007-01-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

During the past two years in Torino, I have met many couples both Italian and mixed. The majority of the couples happen to be American women married to Italian men but I have also made the acquaintance of many Italian couples married and not married. Many Italian men and women live at home until they are 30+ years old and only move out when they have found someone, usually a girlfriend or boyfriend to move in and share expenses with. Nothing is wrong with this scenario in my mind as many of my friends in the States also live with their boyfriends or girlfriends. I have lived with a boyfriend or two also and even thought it was a good way to get to know someone before deciding whether we were compatible for the long haul.

In Italy, many couples who live together buy houses together, have children together whilst considering and calling themselves husband and wife. What makes a man a husband and what makes a woman a wife? Do unmarried couples deserve the same rights as married ones? If no, why not? If yes, then what would legally separate married and unmarried couples?

In many U.S. states after a couple has lived together "for a while" they are considered to common law husband and wife. Maybe Italy also operates under "common law" marriages as well.

I personally have wanted a child for many years but would never allow myself to get pregnant without being married. Maybe it’s because when I was a teenager my dad told me if I did, I would no longer be his daughter if I did. Maybe it's because if I did eventually have a child with a man, I wanted a bit more insurance that he would not walk out on me and our family without thinking twice about it. Maybe it’s because I have always wanted to be married. Am I saying a married man will think twice before leaving his family and a man who is not married won't? No, absolutely not! However, in my mind all the trouble it takes to get married, divorced and dealing with child custody makes ME think twice before I think about telling my husband, "I'm outta here." I would hope that he would do the same as well. I think that being married helps me to feel more mentally and spiritually committed to my husband. Your thoughts…

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Strike One-Italian Drivers License

2007-01-23T12:07:00.000-08:00

Warning: Angry and Disappointed post (I am mostly angry and disappointed in myself.)

Yesterday I failed my first attempt at the oral theory exam for my Italian driver’s license. I chose to take the oral examination versus the written one because I believed it would be easier. Sharon passed the oral exam on her first try; I was hoping to do the same; no luck this time.

The Italian DMV in Torino is understaffed and so one examiner gives the oral exams to two candidates at a time. I was given an appointment time of 8 a.m., when I got to the DMV it wasn’t even open. There was a sign stating that the gates opened at 8:30 a.m. and by chance someone came around at 8:15 let us all in. I was the first name called, after me was a young man from Romania who was to be my co-examinee. He was under the instruction of a driving school and I was not. With Demetrio helping me, I was hoping not to have to enroll in a driving school and spend the money.

The exam started with the examiner showing us a card with various traffic scenarios. We had to decide on the order of precedence that each car was to take at an intersection. I got three of the answers wrong during this part of the exam and I was told I had to go; I had failed. I am not sure how many were questions I was going to be asked. I had studied street signs, road signs and other signs I might encounter on the highway, rules of the road and basic first aid; but never got to any questions about those topics. The examiner told me that I could take the test again in one month and one day’s time. Therefore, I went upstairs to try to book my next appointment but they told me that they were very short of examiners at the time and I would not be able to book my next oral exam. A bit frustrated, I left with my head down. I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach.

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USPS M-Bags

2007-01-23T06:22:00.000-08:00

I got my first M-Bag just after Christmas. M-bags are great ways to send books and published material overseas. I asked for books for Veronica and a good friend Jane send a giant box. Thank You Jane! The tag on the M-Bag stated that the entire box of books, about 30 pounds worth, cost somewhere in the $25 dollar range. A very good deal considering that I ordered a calendar refill from Seattle and it cost me $9.15.

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Scary Stats

2007-01-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Mom!

2007-01-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

My mom will always be 38. We took her out to lunch today to try some creative Italian food at La Credenza. I was glad she liked it since she is hard to impress.

Having my mom here to help me with Veronica and just to hang out with has been wonderful. She is kind, helpful and will always be the tough Chinese mom that she is and I hope she never changes.

Doesn't look a day over 38 does she?

Now my mom has celebrated at least 1 birthday in Italy.

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La Credenza-San Maurizio Canavese(TO)

2007-01-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

With my mom here, we have been eating out a lot. Most of the time I’m too busy examining the dish in front of me to remember to take out my camera and document what I am about to eat, today however, I remembered.

We found La Credenza by looking in the Gambero Rosso restaurant guide. This restaurant is only a few minutes from the Torino Airport. It was a quick and easy drive from our home near the center of Torino. This small establishment seats approximately 30 to 50 people (at the most). The restaurant was spacious with oversized tables and enough room for even our SUV stroller. We never once had to ask for water refills or for wine to be poured. The staff was experienced in the service was impeccable. The chef/owner was very personable as he came out to talk to each one of the tables. He seemed very passionate and was very enthusiastic as he described his inspiration and motivation in creating each dish.

All three of us sampled the tasting menu that featured to 11 dishes for €55. All of the dishes were creative, delicious and a very good value for money. We were served: scallops, veal tartar w/ lobster and fois gras, shrimp, two types of pasta, risotto, filet and quail just to name a few. They had a decent wine list (according to Demetrio, since I did not get a chance to look at it) and an ample cheese tray. We cannot wait to go back with our friends in tow.

Very exquisite shrimp on puree of potato infused with basil.

Slice of quail stuffed with apples and potato, slow cooked under oil for 4 hours on caramalized apples.

Tartar of veal with lobster and fois gras.

Fillet of veal filled with sausage and served with a sauce made from chocolate.

La Credenza
Via Cavour, 22 - 10077 San Maurizio Canavese
Tel e fax: 011 9278014 - Email: credenza@tin.it
Chiuso martedì e mercoledì

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Ginger and Green Onion Crab

2007-01-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

The cat was titillated but the dog paid on interest at all. We gave him a crab to play with 2 years ago and it scared the heebie-jeebies out of him. The crabs we bought (6 very large ones for 35 Euros, were live and heavy for their size. The flesh was tasty, it was well worth the time and effort.) (Photo by: Meladie D.)

Lately I have noticed that although I am great at taking photos of the raw ingredients of some of the recipes that I post, I have been neglecting to post photos of the finished product. I promise to do a better job of documenting in the future.

My mom makes the best crab in the world. She taught me to kill them, clean them and cook them when I was in high school. Any good Cantonese restaurant worth its salt will have this recipe on its menu. It is simple and very delectable. The hardest part of the whole recipe is killing and cleaning the crabs. A large sauté pan or wok is essential to cook the crabs well. (This link has great photos on how to kill and clean the crabs as well as a recipe. My recipe is not a "wet" one with gravy but a "dry" one.)

Ginger and Green Onion Crab
(Serves 4)

2 to 4 crabs (1 each is a generous serving), cleaned well and cracked lightly
1 large piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
4 to 8 stalks of green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and Pepper
Oil for frying

Note: Buy the freshest crabs you can, live is always best. (Live in tanks are great!) The feisty ones are hard to get a hold of and kill but they are well worth it.

1. Before you cook the crabs, season them will salt and pepper. If you want your crabs spicy, add more pepper instead of chili.

2. Heat some oil in a wok, when it smokes, sauté the ginger pieces but do not let them burn. Add the green onion then the crab pieces and stir-fry until all crab pieces have turned color. Lower the heat, cover the crab, and cook for 10 minutes more. Now you are done, it really is that simple.

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Cicale Pasta

2007-01-17T13:19:00.000-08:00

The last time that I wrote about cicale here I did not include a recipe, as I was not the cook that night. Over our Christmas holiday in Rome, Deme and I found some cicale at great prices in the covered market of Piazza Vittorio aka Chinatown. I was determined to try to make them myself this time. (These special shrimps are available in Italy during the fall and winter but I have never seen them in Seattle and am not sure of their existence anywhere else in the States as a food item.) This easily is one of the best pastas I have ever eaten.

Cicale Pasta
(serves 4)

1 kilo of cicale
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 T. finely diced onion
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes or better yet 6-8 fresh summer plum tomatoes (peeled, seeded and diced)
good quality spaghetti
best quality olive oil
chopped parsley to garnish

1. Place cicale in a large pot with just an inch or two of water and steam until they are all pinkish orange, about 5 to 10 minutes, no longer. Take them out of the pot to cool as soon as they have cooked through. Reserve the juice.

2. Once the cicale are cool enough to handle, take a strong pair of scissors and cut off the head and the tail, you will be left with the body and this looks like a mini lobster tail. Turn the body over and with a pair of scissors, cut a vertical line up the underside. Spread the underside open and scrape out all the flesh you can. It won't look like much but if you lucky and skillful; you might get a long strip of flesh instead of pulp. Either way both are fantastic, reserve the flesh.

3. In a small saucepan, reduce the cooking liquid produced by the cicale until you have about 1/4 C. Strain and set aside.

4. In a separate pan, heat olive oil and sauté the garlic until brown then discard. Add the onions, sauté until soft, 10 minutes, then add the tomato plus 1/2 C. of water. The sauce should be somewhat supple and the tomatoes soft (about 10 min), add the cicale water and taste for seasonings. Add cicale meat to the sauce and then stir in just al dente pasta. Make sure to cook the pasta in the sauce for at least 1-2 minutes for maximum flavor. Garnish with parsley.

Note: Try to time the pasta so it is ready when your sauce is ready.

Be careful with the live shrimps, they have claws that are very sharp. (Photo by Meladie D.)

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The Deliberate Tourist

2007-01-13T05:03:00.000-08:00

Happy new year from our family to the rest of the blog world. This is my first post after coming back from a long Christmas break. It feels good to be back home. Our time In Rome was quite eventful. My mom and I went sightseeing, made several Chinese dinners, got to be a part of a very largest in the family and did a ton of Christmas shopping. My mom is a great tourist, sheÂs a sucker for photos, whether they are cheesy or not. See below for some of our photo highlights:

One of the things my mom really wanted to do was to visit the tombs of the popes at St. Peters.

Mom at the Pantheon.

Mom at the Vatican museums. She's just a speck on this giant staircase.

Mom at the Coliseum

Mom at Piazza Navona, she esp. liked all the performance artists in the square.

Mom and I at the Trevi fountain, afterwards we had lunch at Da Fortunato and she loved her lamb so much she said it was "fantastic."

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Happy New Year!

2007-01-05T05:39:00.000-08:00

Now I am really regretting I did not bring my machine aka laptop and my digital camera charge with me on vacation but I was not expecting to be away from home for three weeks. (I think it has become a tradition but someone broke the passenger window of our car ( right in front of the house) and ran off with 1 Euro (that I left in the ashtray for parking purposes, BTW they took the ashtray too) and Demetrio's gas card (work issued). With Christmas and New Years it is taking an extra week to get the glass replaced.

With every new year that rolls around, I come up with a list of things I want to accomplish in the upcoming 12 months. With a new baby our plans have shifted a bit but still they are just about the same as every year, give or take a few new ones for Veronica.

1. Get fit, lose weight, take better care of myself etc...(This has been my number one resolution since high school.)

2. Open up a bank account for Veronica when we got to Seattle in March and start saving for her education.

3. Write a will and determine guardianship for Veronica if anything happens to us.

4. Take a long trip to Guam to get reacquainted with my dad.

5. Stay in touch with family and friends (I am pretty good at this but it is still very important to me.)

6. Better my Italian.

7. Enlarge our expat group in Torino and if I move to Rome, then form a new fun mommy and kid group as well as an expat one.

8. Stop ignoring the dog.

9. Cook more.

10. Find some way to thank my mom and make her realize how much I have appreciated her help these past months.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year and a very fruitful 2007. Thank you for all the support I have received from family, friends and blog readers alike; it has really meant the world to me.

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Christmas in Rome

2006-12-20T02:07:00.000-08:00

We are spending Christmas in Rome (again, this is a good again though) this year. With my mom here with, I am playing tour guide. (Which I am more than happy to do. Photos to follow after the New Year as I do not have my machine with me.)

My mom is a world traveler and has been everywhere, from the Great Wall of China to Scotland, the Philippines, Norway, Germany, all over the U.S and now Italy. We have spent some time touring Torino but Torino is small change compared to Rome. Yesterday we were at St. Peter's and the Vatican Museums.

Remember the T.V. show, Kids Say the Darndest Things? Well, my mom has a wonderful sense of comedic timing and has a few gems of her own.

1. Upon entering the Sistine Chapel and seeing a crowd of over 200+ people she asks me "Is this what we're here to see?"

2. Upon seeing the grandness of St. Peter's Basilica she says "Why did they need to build such a big church for?" Then she admitted it was beautiful and was the biggest church she has ever step foot in.

3. About traffic in Rome, "Give me a moped, the traffic here is just like in Vietnam." We happen to see a fist fight in the street over a fender bender one day too.

She comments on the small cars, the ancient buildings, the traffic, the well dressed women, the tourists like herself, the great sites and she's only been here for 4 days.

I've noticed she likes: torrone, polenta, roasted rabbit and hot chocolate Italain style (thick and creamy).

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Foglio Rosa

2006-12-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

Just this week I went into the Department of Motor Vehicles in Torino to pick up my practice drivers license. After turning in all the paperwork, I was told that it would be ready in about a month. This practice license allows me to drive accompanied by someone else with a valid license. One stipulation is that I must drive within my neighborhood. Another stipulation is that I must place a giant (P) taped to the back of my car, which lets the general public know that I am a practicing driver.

After I picked up my practice license, I asked if I could schedule my theory exam. I wanted to take the test orally but was told the oral examinations have been suspended. I was then asked if I would like to take the written exam, having no other choice I said “yes“. The woman behind the window then asked me if I wanted to take the written exam in Italian, I asked if that was my only choice. She said Italian is the only option. For a minute, my heart skipped a beat, as the minuscule chance of taking the written exam in English crossed my mind. When I found out that my hopes of taking the oral examination in English had been dashed I settled for the written exam in Italian. Once my mind had been set as to what I had to do next, which was study for and book my theory exam in Italian; a colleague of the woman behind the window told me that I could take the test orally. Huh? Isn’t that what I wanted all along? In the span of 20 minutes, I got three different answers from two different women behind the window. Sigh…

I was then told that because I had applied for my practice license before the cutoff date of September 14, 2006 I therefore qualified for the oral exam in Italian. I was happy once again for a chance to take the exam orally. As I was about to book an appointment, Demetrio read taped to the glass in front of us, a notice that said there are six foreign languages that the oral exam is administered in: English, French, German, Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish. Woo hoo! I felt like I hit the jackpot. I was asked to fill out a written declaration requesting the oral exam in English and to bring back a marco da bollo (tax stamp) for the amount of $14.62.

As I left the Department of Motor Vehicles, I read it the declaration more carefully. It stated that in requesting that I take the theory test orally, I was declaring that I am not in possession of the certificate from an obligatory school. At first, I was upset by this because obviously I can read and write; I just feel more comfortable reading and writing in English. This declaration seemed to imply that I had no formal education whatsoever and therefore could not read. The lawyer in Sharon, told me to look at the declaration from a lawyer’s point of view. I may have a formal education but I did not receive that education and do not have any documentation from Italy. I felt much better looking at it that way. Now begins the mad cramming for the exam. I went back another time with the signed declaration and the tax stamp and left my cell phone number with the woman behind the window. She told me I would receive a call in no less than 10 days and they would let me know when my appointment was. As I left the building, I shook my head in dismay. Was it so impossible for them to look in an appointment book or on a computer screen and let me know when an apartment was available?

A side note: how many Italians does it take to find a form at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Torino? In my case, it was three. How many Italians does it take to find out how much it costs to take an oral driving exam? In my case, it was two.

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Farewell and Good Luck

2006-12-04T03:30:00.000-08:00

Sharon, Fabien and Sophie left yesterday for Beijing. I drove them to the airport and since I am lousy at good-byes, I just wrote Sharon a letter. It said something like this: "You have been wonderful friends, I am glad to have had the time I did with you in Torino. My only regret is that Veronica and Sophie will not be able to grow into toddlers together but that just means we have to come for a visit sooner rather than later. Right? I will miss the three of you madly."

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Warning: Gross Food Post-Fried Veal Brains

2006-12-03T02:28:00.000-08:00

Weekends in Torino are often spent going to the public market and browsing its offerings. This past weekend Demetrio and I were on the hunt for soup bones for my mom’s wonderful soups. We happened to come upon some veal brains, which I do not often find. Demetrio insisted that we buy some and he said he’d prepare them for dinner. I have eaten them before in Florence as part of a mixed fried plate and in Rome fried with artichokes.

Many people scoff at eating offal (sometimes called the fifth quarter because animals are traditionally butchered into four parts, with the innards and organ meat being the left over, thus the fifth quarter).

Offal in fact is making quite a comeback. It is no longer considered peasant food but more of a delicacy. There are blogs about it and cookbooks on how to prepare it. When I first met my husband, who is Roman (Roman cooking is loaded with offal), he tried to test my culinary waters by offering me all types of offal. He fed me Roman tripe, sweetbreads (which are thymus glands of animals) tripa alla Romana, pajata (a pasta dish made with young veal intestines), kidneys and tongue. I think one of the things that brought us together was that there was quite and un-squeamish about eating his native Roman cuisine. So last night he prepared fried veal brains for my mom and me. I can't say they are my favorite but I CAN say I have tried them.

Here are the brains in their raw state. They still have to be cleaned and trimmed. The brains are very delicate so after we purchased them, Demetrio kept them in his jacket pocket instead of storing them in the shopping trolley.

I love this photo as it reminds me of something from an Alfred Hitchcock movie; notice the gleam of the chef's knife.

The brains were lightly floured then dipped in egg batter and fried. I must say they are not very strong smelling and taste very light, much like silken tofu.

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Italy and Babies

2006-11-29T10:37:00.000-08:00

More and more I am heading outside with the Veronica. Winter has arrived and I can see my breath as I exhale. It has not stopped me from bundling her up and taking her for walks in her stroller. If I have a quick errand and do not want to deal with bumpy sidewalks then I put her in her sling. When we are out and about buying bread, visiting the butcher or picking up fruits and vegetables, we run into people who are dying to have a look at Veronica. It seems everybody in Italy (Torino) loves babies.

At the park, people crane their necks to get a peek at her in her stroller, as she lies sleeping. Old ladies crowd around me to get a look at a Chinese baby. Her head full of hair evokes “oohhs” and “ahhhs” wherever we go. My status in Italy seems to have elevated a bit now that I have a baby. I find that cars stop for me at crosswalks more often now than they did before. I am greeted with smiles frequently when they realize I am carrying a baby. My neighbors want to know how old she is and they ask me her name. As Veronica gets older and is more able to stay awake and interact with her surroundings, I will be curious to see how she will be received in various situations.

Some of my ex-pat friends who live in Italy have told me they find it’s very “child friendly” here. One particular friend told me that after having nursed her child in Italy, she went back to the United States for a quick visit and felt uncomfortable with the glances she received as she nursed in public there. In addition, I have been told many fancier hotels and restaurants in the US do not like and will not accept small children as guests/customers. After our trip to Seattle in March, I will be able to do a proper comparison. I will say this however, when I lived in the States and went out at night, I would often frowned upon parents who were out with their children past eight or nine o’clock. I was making a judgment call then and assumed they were bad parents because they kept their kids up past her bedtimes.

Here in Italy it’s common to see young children walking with her parents, having dinner and staying out as late as 11 or 12 o’clock in the evening. Demetrio tells me he would like to raise Veronica in the Mediterranean way, in which children are taken everywhere with their parents. I told them I would like a 50-50 compromise. Maybe when I head back to the States others will frown upon me as I bounced Veronica on my knee while I eat dinner at half past 10.

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Mom's Dinner

2006-11-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

Mom made a great dinner last night for Sharon, Fabien, Shilpa, Antonio, Demetrio and myself. Here is the side table as it started to get filled up with fresh spring rolls, various sauces and wine.

Deme is an expert at table settings. It's probably from all his years working in the restaurant business as well as waiting tables when he was a young man in Rome and London.

My favorite meals are those in which there are lots of Chinese and Vietnamese herbs and garnishes. My sisters' old boyfriend used to ask her why she was "putting a forest in her soup."

This is one of my favorite dishes of all time, poached chicken served with a ginger and green onion sauce. We also had fried wontons, Vietnamese shrimp soup and fresh spring rolls. For dessert we had one of my favorite desserts, plantain bananas cooked in coconut milk with tapioca pearls.

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Vietnamese Shrimp Soup aka Bun Rieu

2006-11-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

When I was living in Seattle this soup was hard to find. When my sister and I asked around we were told the soup was too “smelly and stinky” for most restaurants to serve. I must say that the aromas are strong but it is one of the most flavorful soups you will ever eat. Of my five sisters and me, I think four of them would say this soup is their favorite. (Isn’t that right, Kentra, Gia (not me the other Gia), Anna and Sara?) My favorite soup is still Pho.

For the broth:

1 pound of shrimp heads and/or dried squid* (4-5 small ones)
fresh tomatoes
chicken broth
fish sauce, to taste

For the topping:

two eggs
two tablespoons of ground pork (ground very fine)
four tablespoons of crab paste, canned crab or fresh crab meat
1/3 teaspoon of tiny amount of shrimp paste, to taste
fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons, ground dried shrimp

For the garnish:

rice vermicelli
fresh mint, Thai basil, spearmint or any other type of Vietnamese herb
sliced green onions
fresh cilantro
bean sprouts
chili peppers
lime wedges
water spinach aka ong choy or kangkung

This soup is meant to be spicy, tangy, salty and downright delicious. The shrimp heads make up the broth and although you may not have any shrimp heads laying around if you happen to have a chance to buy shrimp, buy them with the heads on so you can save the heads for making this soup.

1. Take the shrimp heads/squid* and add them to the chicken broth, bring to a boil. Skim off any foam and let cook for one hour, then strain the broth, discard the shrimp, add the tomatoes and cook for another (20 minutes if the tomatoes are ripe and up to 30 minutes if they are not at their peak ripeness). The broth is simple but very tasty, add salt, 1/2 teaspoon of shrimp paste and a bit of fish sauce to taste. The hardest part of making this soup is over, now what’s left is to assemble it into bowls.

2. Prepare the rice vermicelli. Next, it is time to make the topping, which will be added to the broth before it is served. In a separate bowl, scrambled the two eggs, add the ground shrimp, fresh black pepper, the crab paste or the crab meat, the ground pork, shrimp paste and mix well. The consistency of this mixture will be like that of thin oatmeal. Now make sure the broth is at a low boil, gently ladle the topping onto the simmering broth. The topping will cook and harden to the texture of a very light mousse. This takes about 15 minutes. Now the soup is ready to serve. Fill the bowls with the rice vermicelli, ladle some of the topping and the broth onto the noodles and serve. The garnishes should be placed on the table and should be added to the soup.

*Before you add the squid to the broth, opened a window then char it a bit over your gas or electric stove.

Here is the finished soup.

Here are the garnishes.

I found some kang kung yesterday at the Vietnamese store in Torino and my mom prepared the stems. They must be rinsed then sliced very thinly lengthwise and placed in cold water with a tiny squeeze of lemon juice (to keep them green). After about 10-20 minutes they curl up and can be used in the soup. The leaves are used in stir fry and soup.

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Wonton Factory

2006-11-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

After a trip to the market yesterday, my mom and I were feeling very industrious. I have been craving homemade wontons for quite awhile and so we set out to make a batch with a little extra to give away.

When I was a child, good Chinese food on Guam was hard to find. My mom and dad made their own noodles and wonton wrappers for some of the best soups I have ever had in my life. Every weekend my dad currently makes a huge batch of wontons for his restaurants on Guam. My mom a great cook herself loves to take the time to make things for scratch. We did not make the wrappers this time, but the filling is to die for.

Here’s the recipe:
(As always my mom’s recipes don’t have specific measurements, I approximate them the best that I can.)

1 pound of ground pork -- tried to buy pork and grind it yourself
1/2 pound to 3/4 pound of shrimp, cleaned and deveined
three to five stalks of green onion, very thinly sliced
sesame oil, generous amount, start with a tablespoon
chili oil, to taste, start with a few drops
salt, to taste
pepper, generous amount, start with 1 teaspoon

1. Place the ground pork and the shrimp in a food processor and pulse to combine. Then add all the other ingredients.

2. Set a small amount of water to boil and cook one tablespoon of the filling to taste for season seasonings. Once the seasonings are adjusted, the wontons are ready to be made.

3. Buy any good commercially prepared wonton wrapper. They may be frozen so set them out at room temperature to defrost. Carefully peel the wonton wrappers from one another. (Here comes the hard part, I cannot really tell you how to wrap the wontons. The easiest way is to put a small amount of filling, about half a teaspoon in the middle of the wonton wrapper and fold it corner to corner making a triangle. Seal the wrappers with a bit of egg wash or just plain water. You won’t have the most attractive wontons but they will be simple and good. For more advanced wrapping techniques see the Internet or some other Chinese cookbooks with photos.)

4. Cook the wontons in plain water. Allow the water to boil and fish the wontons out when they float to the top, usually after two to three minutes, depending on how much filling they contain. Wontons can be eaten plain, with a dipping sauce or in soups. They can also be deep-fried.

If you make a large batch, freeze the excess on a cookie sheet. After their frozen, they can be packaged or wrapped for future use. See the below photo, for the “little hat” wrapping technique.

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Mother and Mother-in-Law

2006-11-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

When I first told my friends that my mother would be landing in Torino before the birth of Veronica everyone was happy for me. They kept telling me how lucky I was to have my mother come and help with the new baby. When I found out my mother was planning to stay for five months I told her I had promised to go back to Seattle in March. She then revised her travel plans and will be staying in Italy until February 20, that’s for four full months. With her travel plans set, the ticket purchased, I set out to get the house and her room ready.

Most of my friends were shocked to find out that my mother would be staying with us for so long. Demetrio even went as far as to ask me if he could stay in Rome for that whole time. I think he was a little afraid of his mother-in-law, whom he has never met until now. I told my skeptical friends that although I have not lived with my mother since I was 16 years old, she is an extremely reasonable person. I explained to them that although she IS a typical Chinese mother, being that she can be critical, controlling, loud, a know it all, (I am guilty of all of the above) she is not crazy.

For the 13 years, I was living in Seattle my mom and I kept in touch; we called, e-mailed, wrote letters and sent cards on all the important occasions. We remained close and she made several visits to Seattle to check up on my sister and me. Having her here has been a godsend. She helps me more than I can say and more than I can ever thank her for. Everyone tells me she looks like a cousin or my sister but she really is more like a great friend.

Demetrio has been making her a cappuccino every morning for the past month and they are both in love with sesame seed grissini. It’s funny to hear him sing her praises but I am glad they are getting along as fantastically as they are. He keeps telling me how lucky we are and how easy this first month and has been with her here. We are not sleep deprived, Veronica gets a lot of stimulation from being around the three of us and the dog even has a new best friend. Over the past 10 years, my mom has traveled the world. Her sense of humor has changed into one that Demetrio and I can relate to wholeheartedly. We enjoy one another’s company and have gone through at least one movie a day for the past month. I realized that my mother and I are more similar now that we have ever been. Premature as it is, I’m only beginning to worry about what I will do it if I will feel overwhelmed when she finally has to say goodbye. That’s the worrywart in me and I know I should feel blessed instead of anxious.

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Homemade Potstickers

2006-11-18T14:05:00.000-08:00

My mom has been in Italy for about a month and a week. For the first month she was here, I was eating mostly “confinement” foods. Now that that period is over I am eating more normal foods and enjoying my mom’s wonderful cooking. Demetrio is not a big fan of soups and broths but I love them all. Having ginger, garlic, green onion, cilantro, chili, soy sauce and other Chinese ingredients on a daily basis has been heavenly.

Last week, my mom made some homemade pot stickers. I hate to say that I do not have a recipe to publish but I still remember how to fill the pot sticker skins. She made the filling while I stuffed, pleated and folded them into shape.

A rough recipe is as follows:

1 pound of minced pork
two tablespoons dried wood ears, soak the wood ears then chop
two stalks of green onion, chopped or chopped garlic chives
two tablespoons ginger, minced
salt and pepper to taste
few dashes of soy sauce
ground black pepper
sesame oil
chili oil, to taste

1. Blend all of the ingredients together. I always take one tablespoon of filling, fry it up and taste for seasonings before I fill the pot sticker skins.

2. The pot stickers also called Chinese ravioli can also be cooked in a broth or soup. Treat them like Italian raviolis and fish them out of the broth or the soup when they float to the top.

3. The pot stickers can be folded many ways, you’ll just have to experiment. You can make your own skins but ready-made ones are available in most Asian shops. To seal the skins use a bit of egg wash or just plain water.

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The Etiquette of Breast Feeding

2006-11-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

Becoming a mom has been a wonderful experience. Veronica is five and a half weeks old and growing steadily. This past week we have been taking short walks and have been going out to lunch with friends. Normally she sleeps through most of the car rides and most outdoor activities but last week she decided to wake up in the middle of lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Without blinking an eyelash, I took my top off and began nursing her. Seattle is a very tame city and I have never seen a woman nursing openly in a mall or restaurant. I'm not sure I would be as quick to take off my top and nurse Veronica if I were still living in Seattle. Nevertheless, in Italy breast-feeding in public is a very common occurrence. Women breast-feed in restaurants, at the park, at the mall, on the bus, and just about everywhere. There is no shame in it at all. As a matter of fact, I have seen children up to three years old being nursed between bites of pizza and pasta at the food court of my local mall.

In England however, breast-feeding is not a protected right under the law (in public, that is). Recently there was a controversy regarding breast-feeding on the cover of Baby Talk magazine. It seems many of the magazine's subscribers were shocked and appalled to see a child nursing on the front cover of the magazine. Some readers of the magazine went as far as to use the words "disgusting , gross and shocking" to describe the cover. I have no idea what the big deal is. I am from a very modest family and I am very modest myself (I'm the type of person who goes into a rest room stall just to change into my workout clothes, before hitting the gym) but having a hungry child to feed has made my modesty disappear. (If you heard her screaming from hunger, you would know what I mean.) I never thought I would be so willing to expose myself for the better good of my child but these past two weeks have proved that I am. For once I am glad for the marked difference between Seattle and Torino.

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An Observation on Playgrounds

2006-11-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

This week we had a friend over this week from London to see the baby. She brought her 4 year old and one afternoon we decided to take him to a playground for a few hours. There happens to be a great one within walking distance from my house. As her son played and explored, she make some comments about how nice the playground was (all the equipment was in working order, not much graffiti, no visible dog poop and garbage on the ground, the surface of the playground was made of the cool spongy, rubbery recycled tires and there were other cool innovative and safe looking play structures.) She made a comment about how rare these nicer playgrounds were in Rome. (She is from Rome.) Demetrio then piped up and said a playground like this would only be vandalized in Rome. He looked a bit sad as he said this but seemed to be resigned to his opinion.

Why is it that public parks, monuments, and structures seems to get more run down and damaged the further south you go in Italy? (This is not only my observation but also that of many Italians I have polled.) I know that the Piedmontese have a reputation of being cold and unwelcoming to foreigners but are they more law abiding, environmentally conscious and more likely to respect public property? I have no idea but the thought makes me sad. I want to be able to enjoy Rome if and when we move there and comments like the one Demetrio made really make me think. I guess to gain some and lose some no matter where you go. Can you tell I do not really want to move?

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Veronica's Baby Shower

2006-11-05T04:49:00.000-08:00

Veronica is 4 weeks old today and on November 4th, she will be a month old. We had a very nice baby shower for her in our home. Read about it and see photos here. When the whole event was over, I got a bit sad as in 4-6 months we plan on leaving Torino and moving to Rome where I will have to start over and make new friends (something I am not looking forward to (the moving part that is).) I love the little ex-pat community I have found here in Torino, mostly the connections have been made through my blog but also via the Expats in Italy site. I guess that is all part of moving and relocating, you gain some and lose some at the same time.

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