Sunday, November 30, 2003

I'M TIRED!

Just finished photocopying(i'm updating from the office, while sophia swears at Dreamweaver on the pc next to mine), had just come back from Trieste where i saw and spoke to Dave McKean, and before going there i'd just finished writing my personal statement for the Guggenheim Internship Application, and before that etc. etc. etc.

It's been a hectic weekend. Tomorrow morning, i send the application papers. And in the afternoon, it's thesis time again. Hope to manage to cram an hour of sleep or two into this schedule. And a longer update, quite a few things have been going on in my life and in duino that deserve mentioning.
But now i'm off to chill out in Pala. Cheers.

Saturday, November 29, 2003

meanwhile...

Ok, so the college connection isn't working(struck by lightning), so i'm using a dial-up connection here. Would have tons of things to say, but my time-which in this moment is literally money-is limited. In the meantime, check out the 365 Days Project! Audio wonderment for all the family!

Friday, November 28, 2003

Thursday, November 27, 2003

technical difficulties

This page will look strange for a few hours. Blogger's having some technical problems, as you may see on Status.Blogger.Com. Should be working again when i get up tomorrow morning. i hope. i hope i wake up. also.

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

temporary results...






vote...now!

ok, might be working. Let's just very diplomatically say i'm beta-testing it.
Which when it's at home means that i haven't the foggiest idea whether it'll work or not.
Scroll down for vote! It's a way of life!

By the way, it's interesting to notice how the automatic blogger ad on top of this page redirects according to the content i post. At the moment, it's pointing at "marvel comics" and "Marcel Duchamp".
Cool!

Installed this little voting script, will change every now and then. So go ahead and vote!
While i was at it, i managed to fix a couple of things in the layout that i didn't really like much. Now, for example, the counter is at the very bottom of the page, thus eliminating all page-resizing problems. It doesn't look too nice down there, either, but after all few people read till the bottom.
More changes will be coming, sometime soon. Anything, instead of writing that thesis thing.

Monday, November 24, 2003

Hey! Hey! the C.I.A.!

It seems that my good friend Giggi will be monitored by the Secret Services a little bit more than usual. Apparently, he's the one behind the high-quality downloadable version of Raiot, Sabina Guzzanti's programme which was censored last week(Those wacky italians! When will they learn!), and which can be found here. Bother, haven't done anything particularly subversive recently, the authorities must be thinking i've gone soft...after all, blowing up bits of Duino over the weekend isn't that subversive.

Started the first draft of my Thesis. Due Wednesday.
After ten lines, realized i had to start over.
Wrong language.
Shit happens.

La Violeta

Just finished listening to Radio 3's first installment of a very touching, very delicate biography of Violeta Parra, which will be running all week.
It concluded with Violeta's arrival to Santiago,in the forties, when she had to perform in small restaurants to gather what little pay she could. And most of all, after a life playing, performing and reflecting on tradicional chilean rural folklore, she had to adapt to the music people wanted to hear in the cities. Tango. Ranchera. Fox-trot. And so on. And of course, as so many musicians before and after her, she had to wonder why she was playing music from places so distant, written by people so different from her. It's from doubts such as these that some of the greatest musical masterpieces have been created. And it scares me a little to think that i'll never have to wonder about these things, not having a defined place i could say my culture comes from.
Ah, but i digress.

Alcohol Education

Don't you just love the Pennsylvania State Liquor Control Board?

Hey, look! an update!

Last monday, i went to the automatic bank machine to check if i actually had any money, at all.
The machine gave me a print-out telling me i have a big fat 70€ on my account. This news caught me completely by surprise, but didn't keep me from dancing and hopping my way from the machine waving the print-out above my head, singing in ecstasy and leaving a trail of flowers behind me.
And my bank card, too.
So of course the following day i was queuing at the comic shop with my stack of long-overdue reading material, and as true cool people do, i pulled out my purse to fish out the card...which wasn't there. Oops.
So anyway, the bank informed me this morning that yes, they have my card. And yes, they're even going to give it back to me. Maybe even sometime this week. This solves *many* problems.
Even more problems would be solved if i got paid sometime. Haven't seen a paycheck since september. So on monday i told Livia, who wrote a post-it to Sandy, who then wrote a post-it to erika, and that's more or less all i know about the petit post-it avalanche moving towards me actually having money again.
Oh, but there's a catch.
Why, you may be wondering, did i only start complaining about the lack of pay now, and not earlier?
Easy.
I need some favors.
Timing. Timing's important. Especially when you only have 6 days to apply for an internship.

Sunday, November 23, 2003

Web Fire Escape

If any of our dear and beloved readers should ever actually find a job, i just added something useful to my template, covering for your browsing needs. The Web Fire escape. Read how it works here. Warmly recommended by Mr. blogger himself.
Pity that neutral green color kind of ruins the template's subtle blue color shading.
Oh, who am i kidding. It's just a ready-made template, and not a very nice one too.

When in doubt, play the blues (F. Zappa)

Not sure whether to listen to John Lee Hooker or to Blur. My incapacity of listening to 2 albums at the same time is extremely frustrating.
Really, i've tried.
In doubt, i'm listening to fela.

Friday, November 21, 2003

Thursday, November 20, 2003

Nikita, Ike and Walt.

"We have come to this town where lives the cream of American art. And just imagine (that) I, a Premier, a Soviet representative, when I came here to this city, I was given a plan. A program of what I was to be shown and whom I was to meet here.

But just now I was told that I could not go to Disneyland. I asked 'Why not? What is it? Do you have rocket-launching pads there?' I do not know.

And just listen - just listen to what I was told - to what reason I was told. We, which means the American authorities, can not guarantee your security if you go there.

What is it? Is there an epidemic of cholera there or something? Or have gangsters taken over the place that can destroy me? Then what must I do? Commit suicide?

This is the situation I am in. Your guest. For me, this situation is inconceivable. I can not find words to explain this to my people."

Who said these historical words on the warm days of september 1959? Find out here!

Coupling my socks...

Why do i step on so much scotch tape all the time? Ah, but i digress...

Haven't updated with anything personal recently, and i apologize for this. Most of the time, i've been preparing for my thesis (i now have a clean, tidy desk in my room. Believe it or not). The rest of the time, i've been making molotov bombs with Fred. Using powdered sugar and polish soup powder. There's something about polish cuisine that has always fascinated me. Yesterday i half-jokingly asked Fred if, by using the same principle, it would be possible to make somebody's soup explode. He gave no answer.
Nordic taster session last night, got rather tipsy, for free! Actually, at the end of the night i bought a glass of wine. So my entire tipsiness could ultimately be accounted for in only 1€. Cool.
The taster session was ok, good food, lots of sweets, would have wanted to taste the Sausage Soup, but it was too close to the Gluhwein, and i kept getting attracted into the latter's orbit. Also because Fred was serving it, under the mysterious sign saying "Benelux".

Not much else to talk about. Oh, college hasn't paid me since september. Which in a way is cool, because they can't piss me off for being around the residences after curfew.

And here's another link to that great Jim Hill Media Site.

Freud would have a field day...

Wednesday, November 19, 2003

Bolt City

Check out Kazu Kibuishi's website featuring Copper, one of the most perfect comics i've ever seen, printed or otherwise.
As a matter of fact, i've been saving every single panel on my hard disc, so i can carry on raving for them even after the guy actually wisens up and starts to want to be paid for his work. Those wacky artist-people.

Tuesday, November 18, 2003

For those of you living in Rome (you know who you are)

Daniele Luttazzi will be presenting his new DVD this saturday (22/10) at 19:00 o'clock, at Melbookstore, Rome.
Those not living in rome should go to that site and read the comments to Daniele's appearance on TV last week(yes, he was censored after all), but most of all the beautiful interviews in the "inediti" section. I've been reading veeeeeery slowly over the past few days, also because they're just as dense as they are wonderful.

Didn't remember what i've been up to lately.
So i came here and checked.
Interesting. Useful, also.

The Bride Stripped Bare Of Her Bachelors, Even

Courtesy of Marcel Duchamp

Interesting things going on at Knulp in Trieste... Unfortunately, their site is not very informative. So i'll just copy-paste their press release here. In italian, i've no time to translate. Bloody italians. Can't they just speak english like everyone else?

Knulp
via madonna del mare 7/a-Trieste
tel : 040-300021
www.knulp.it
e-mail : knulp@knulp.it
aperto dalle 10 alle 24/chiuso il mercoledì



VIVA BRASIL
un'iniziativa dell' associazione QUILOMBO



GIOVEDI' 20 NOVEMBRE (GIORNATA DELLA COSCIENZA NERA IN BRASILE)

ore 21.00: conferenza stampa, presentazione associazione QUILOMBO e rassegna
ore 22.00: proiezione film "Quilombo"

VENERDI' 21 NOVEMBRE

ore 19.00: il Brasile di "Dona Flor", cucina e musica, assaggini con specialità brasiliane

MARTEDI' 25 NOVEMBRE

ore 20.00: video comico "Os normais" (1a parte)
ore 21.30: musica "ao vivo" con BINHO CARVALHO
ore 22.45: proiezione spettacolo Berimbau e Gilberto Gil al festival Sunsplash 2002

GIOVEDI' 27 NOVEMBRE

ore 19.00: il Brasile in rete, in collaborazione con MUSIBRASIL
ore 19.30: la poesia di Vinicius de Moraes, letture e musica
ore 20.00: apertura piccola mostra artigianato e mostra fotografica in collaborazione con XINGU ARTE BRASIL

VENERDI' 28 NOVEMBRE

ore 19.00: relazioni del convegno "Un nuovo Brasile in cammino", in collaborazione con IBRIT di Milano
ore 19.30: solidarietà, proiezione video comunità di Minas Novas

DOMENICA 30 NOVEMBRE

ore 21.30: musica, teatro e danza "QUINCAS" (Fabbrica delle Buccie/Berimbau)
ore 22.30: film/concerto "Bahia de todos os sambas"

LUNEDI' 1 DICEMBRE

ore 21.00: musiche di capoeira con il gruppo CAPOEIRA ANGOLA CENTER di Mestre Joao Grande (prof. Marquinho)
ore 22.00: video di capoeira (Mestre Joao Grande)

MARTEDI' 2 DICEMBRE

ore 20.00: video comico "Os normais" (2a parte)
ore 21.30: musica "ao vivo" con ADRIANA VASQUEZ
ore 22.45: documentario "Nel cuore delle batterie di Rio"





PER TUTTE LE INIZIATIVE L'INGRESSO E' LIBERO.

That last bit was cool.
Anyway, i'm planning to be there this thursday for the opening and movie (1984 movie with unpublished music by Gilberto Gil), then on the 25th of course, to see Gilberto Gil's concert for a second time(i was there when they filmed, i'd even reviewed it somewhere on my lousy old site) and on the 27th for Vinicius' poems. And maybe also on the 30th to see that Bahia De Todos Os Sambas movie which i once bought the VHS of, but it never worked. Bother.

Sunday, November 16, 2003

Feeling a bit down. Can't find my Bluebeaters CD anymore, will have to buy it back(it was a copy, anyway), i noticed it's been republished in a 2-pack with their live album, seems to be a worthy low-price buy.
I would check how much money i have in the bank, but i'm afraid the machine will steal my card. Or repossess me.
Eventually ate the two kinder-surprises i had hidden in a secret place of my room, they say chocolate cheers you up. Hope it works. The surprises weren't bad. A frog and a jigsaw puzzle.
I'm also seeing if browsing for stuff i can't buy on amazon will help cheer me up. The link to my wishlist i put here yesterday is more for my own use(i don't want-nor expect!-any reader of this blog to buy me stuff. I'm already surprised they read this, it's enough for me), so in mid-december when my mother asks me what i want for christmas i can just say "wait, i'll send you the link."
The link to the wish-list, of course. Not to the blog. Noooooooooooooo, not to the blog.

"The Russians taught us to drink vodka, but they never taught us when to stop"
-Kazakh Proverb.

This is not a joke. I repeat, this is not a joke.

Saturday, November 15, 2003

Only 40 days to christmas(or something)...

Just added my Amazon Wish List to my far too egocentric links.
As if anyone cares.
Bah. Humbug.

At last, more info on Dave McKean's visit to Trieste: download pdf file here.
Other interesting things of the trieste science fiction festival: Tarkovskij's Solaris, Chris Marker's La Jetée, retrospectives of Doctor Who and The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Not bad. Oh, and Dario Argento's popping by, too.

Relive the McCarthy era at its peak! Download Dr. Fred Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent!

What turns on a kryptonian?

Just added another link to your right (left if you're standing behind the monitor): Steu's blog which had apparently already been linking to me for some days without me noticing. Time to return the favor.

What is this, post-every-ten-minutes day?

Another CD released that risks to make the wallet of me much lighter...(except that i don't really have a wallet, but that's another story)
Problem is, it seems shops will be stocking it at a rather steep price, since it comes with that extra-cool bonus DVD. Which of course has the "Bonus" status only outside italy. Ho hum.
Instead, i think i'll just download Sananda's New Song!

Um, let's just all ignore that last post, ok?
Thanks.

Mushroom.

Nothing to do tonight, all very mushroom.
Just stayed at home all night. Going to bed now.
Ciao.

Friday, November 14, 2003

So italian pianist Stefano Bollani released a new cd that looks quite interesting...will i resist the temptation of getting a copy? come to think of it, that would just get Angelo jealous of my musical tastes...
...so instead, i'll just wait for the seventeenth and pick up Ensemble Modern's new Zappa cd!

A little news before we carry on with our regular blogging...
Literary magazine Storie will be publishing an agenda called Natale Che Palle, featuring two new short stories by Aldo Nove and our ever-loved Elio e le Storie Tese.
Speaking of whom, photos of 10 october's historical(?) tour-ending concert are available here, courtesy of that adorable friend and colleague in geeky fandom, Chrissy. Of particular interest is this one,


this one.
where the people being pointed at are none other than those lovable UWCAD students, Aprilia, Arisci, Carbonchio, Cecchi, Giacomino et al. I'm particularly proud of them.

One last thing: Blogger has officially taken stance on the "dreaded Mom Scenario".

Actually, Reclusive Hangover Day only lasted until about 30 mins after that last post, when i realized there was a beautiful sky and went down to porto to take some more pictures of my voodoo doll. Then went to library, despite my *bad* hangover, and tried to study. Quite surprisingly, after three hours of suffering my head cleared out and some productivity was attained. I stayed there from five to ten, not a bad time after all. Even found some great texts to add to my thesis' bibliography. Yes, i'm actually working on it. And no, i still haven't started writing it. Surprise surprise.
Went to visit some friends in Pala afterwards. While there, i discovered i'd been to old offices last night. Or maybe not. If anybody sees some brain cells carrying luggage around an air terminal, ask them. It's not my problem anymore.
Now i hope to meet my sleeping deadlines. It's almost half past two, high time to go to bed. But first, link of the day!
Goodnight.

Thursday, November 13, 2003

What day is it today?

It's Reclusive Hangover Day!
An entire day spent within the four walls of my room, listening to music, playing videogames, messing around on the 'net and watching the Special Edition Gorillaz DVD i got myself in Rome(for an absurdly low price). Yes, i like the Gorillaz. So?
I've only exited my room twice, once to shower and the other to go to the bathroom. I think my parents don't even know i got up. What they do know is that i got home at seven this morning.
Oh, and there've been carabinieri or policemen outside my window for the past two days, occasionally peeping up at me. But i'll worry about that tomorrow.

Everybody's linking to this, so i guess i should too.

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Forgot!
My PC now works again, we found a new little fan. The old one has followed my example and has chosen to devote its life to Art. So expect it to show up in some future installation or performance.

Brown Shoes Don't Make It

Bought new shoes today. Brown. But don't worry, no risk of me doing nasty things with interns on the White House Lawn. Don't know what i'm talking about? go here and here.
Anyway, in 5 minutes i'll be going to pick My Father from the airport, then at a quarter past seven i'll be meeting fred and the as-yet-unidentified "others" to go up to some Osmizza. So my new shoes will immediately understand with what sort of person they're going to have to do with.
They're so nice and clean now. By tomorrow morning they'll probably have stains of anything ranging from wine to yesterday's lunch (beans). Poor guys.

And one of my favourite webcomics ended the other day. So sad.

i may not update for a little while - the little fan inside my computer decided to pursue more ambitious careers, so i'm stuck blogging from my dad's PC until he comes back from Spain, which if i'm not wrong should happen today.
And speaking of parents, i should be meeting my mother to buy new shoes in half an hour. Pity i don't remember if she said we should meet in piazza, her office, photocopy room, staff room or Kingston Bay, Jamaica. Hope it's the last one.

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

Made some changes, as you may see, to the contents of the sidebar.
A new link was added, along with two new sections, which i still have to decide whether to link to related pages or to the reviews i'll eventually get around to writing (yeah, right).

BREAKING NEWS! YES, AGAIN!

The great Artist, illustrator, designer, director, musician, etc. Dave Mckean who just happens to be one of my favourite living artists, will be in Trieste on the 30th of November.

The news is official, the details aren't yet. But as soon as i have official press releases to link to, they'll be linked to.
When i got the news, i started jumping up and down my room with glee. The noise caused my mother to have to come in and check what was going on. I felt extremely nerdy. But of a very happy nerdyness.

Zen Terrorism is born!

Last day in rome saw the birth of what i call Zen Terrorism.
What i did was, while shopping for books, to take out all the Feng Shui books from their section of the shop and then file each one of them in completely wrong places.

Subtle, but lots of fun. Had me giggling around the halls of at least four different large roman bookshops, and a couple of small ones. One of which in particular i endorse.

Monday, November 10, 2003

er.

Was writing a long post on music, art, and other stuff.

Lost everything because the college's line is so slow, it timed out while i tried to publish.

I'll eventually start it all over. Still sleepy anyway, think i'll roll over to my bed. Let's see if the cat on my lap approves.

Saturday, November 08, 2003

Even quicker, from a webcafe somewhere in the Eternal City (Rome, not Codroipo. Although time does pass faster here.)
My bancomat just died out on me. Ho hum. Off to catch up with mia mamma so i can fill up with the €'s again. Oh, and i just met Michele Loi.
No money and Michele Loi. Now my karma owes me big.

Friday, November 07, 2003

Another quick one.

Still in rome.
Changed host: Moved from Giggi's place to the amazing apartment of Susan and Mohammed, two ex-UWCADers who live and work here.

Opening ceremony yesterday. Saw lots of friendly faces i'd been missing for quite some time, got lots of hugs from long-lost friends, indulged in free buffet, got sloshed on a boat-disco on the Tiber surrounded by students and ex-students, at a party i crashed into. Then, just when things were starting to get good with the ladies, got dragged out by my friends and ended up in a moroccan restaurant, smoking Narghile.

Extremely cool.

That was the highlight of this week, i think. Actually, i've had several very good moments. Strange to think tomorrow's the last day.

Going to see the Dadaists in Parco Della Musica, and doing my final shopping around for cds.

Will write more as soon as time is in my hands again. Probably monday.
Meanwhile, a big hug to all eastern-europeans who have started to visit this page in the past week. Miss you. You know who you are, moja sestra.
(yep, too busy to write but still insanely curious about Sitemeter's statistics. And who's that visiting from Singapore, eh?)

Wednesday, November 05, 2003

I'm alive.

Yep, I'm alive.
Too many things to tell.
Had fun.
Took train.
Studied[made up] my lecture for the following morning while everybody else partied.
Caught up partying when everybody was already drunk.
Got to Rome.
Started guided tour.
Wasn't bad.
Showed Matta mural in Piazza di Spagna metro station.
Tourists stopped to listen.
Enjoyed.
Got to Giggi's place.
Watched Tron DVD extras.
Fell asleep.
Woke up, apologized, felt guilty because it was interesting.
Went to bed.
Woke up, showered(finally).
Got to meeting point 10 mins late.
2nd day as guide wasn't as good, but still ok. Discovered some nice places.
Planned to meet people in termini, cellphone broke down, fell into despair for 15 minutes, called from payphone to cancel all appointments and apologize, started to worry about having to buy a new cellphone tomorrow.
Cellphone came back to life, cursed.
Met five beautiful music scholars on the way to Campo Dei Fiori. Had a drink and enjoyable chat with them.
Wrote a small message to a friend.
Got to Campo dei Fiori, joined Giggi, Mumble and others for a flashmob-planifying meeting.
Much fun was had.
Went home.
Met Ramesse.
Checked mail. Now blogging while Ram and JJ discuss programming behind me.

Sorry, no pope tomorrow. Maybe i could weasel myself in, but can't be bothered.

I guess that's it.

Met Giovanni, Valentina, Michele, Fabrizio, Filippo, Michele, luciano in different moments, will see them all again in the next few days.
Got mail from Micheleloi saying he's in Rome. Still wondering what to do about it.

Yap, that's it.
Rome's cool. Free day tomorrow, time to wag the bancomat card around some music and comic shops.

Cheers to all.
Anybody in Rome? Contact me.

Sunday, November 02, 2003

The Program.

Ok, so here's the official program of the guided tour i'll be giving in rome.

Monday:

Morning - Meeting in Piazza S.Ignazio as soon as baggage is accounted for. Visit of Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio and Chiesa del Gesù.
Walk towards Piazza di Spagna passing through Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. Break. Viewing, explanation and commentaries to Roberto Matta's mural behind Spanish Steps.

16:00-Meeting point with rest of college.


Tuesday:

Morning - Meeting point: outside Sta Maria Trastevere church. 9:00 Sharp.We meet with Franz's Group.
Mosaics in rome, W/Franz's Group. Trastevere (monastero S. Cecilia). 2€.

Afternoon – Meeting point Piazza San Pietro 14:00 Sharp. The architectural influence of Sebastiano Serlio. Musei Vaticani: Raffaello’s Rooms! Shortly thereafter, visit of the churches of S.Maria della Pace and San Pietro in Montorio.


Wednesday:

Morning - Meeting point San Paolo Fuori le mura church. 9:00 Hours. We join Franz's Group for San Paolo Fuori le mura.

Afternoon - meeting point Ostiense station. 14:00 Hours. Ostia Antica.


Thursday:

Morning - 10:00 hrs meeting in front of Quirinale, visit to exhibition "Metafisica" in Quirinale (Mirò, Picasso, DeChirico, Dalì, Ernst, etc etc). 3€.

Afternoon - Visit to Facoltà di Lingue Università La Sapienza.

Evening 17:00 opening ceremony.

Evening 19:00 FREE BUFFET DINNER!


Friday:

Morning busy, DaimlerChrysler Event. Followed by Lunch Buffet.

Afternoon – Guided visit to Bernini’s work (Fountains) + Piazza Navona

Finishing the program for the project week. Gotta hand it in in an hour.
Pity i'm still drunk from last night.

Saturday, November 01, 2003

We're Back!

Got up around 12 this morning. Had come home at 6. Had gone to pala at 18:00. Had not exited the premises in twelve hours.

Pala is looking very, very good this year. The second years have built themselves their own little personal environment, where they have made themselves extremely comfortable. I watched Bruce Almighty with them two nights ago, it was an extremely refreshing night, with movie, popcorn, good company and whisky+cola. The movie was funny. Nothing to write home about, basically a remake of Liar Liar where the Deus Ex Machina walks in at the beginning to make the trouble begin instead of at the end to make them finish. Now that's a twist. Made me realize how long it's been since i'd last seen a conventional, absolutely predictable hollywood movie. Relaxing nonetheless. After seeing it we all walked around talking like Jim Carrey. And hearing "one of us" on the supermarket loudspeakers the following day made me crack up in laughter.

But anyway, what really surprises me about pala this year are the first years. It's probably the friendliest crop we've had in a long time. I very often go to the dayroom, brought in by my automatic homing system(still not used to old offices), and enjoy very nice conversations with the people there. Then i sometimes look around and notice i'm surrounded by first years, and fear i might be becoming something like Noce, i.e. seen as "the old guy who sometimes shows up but nobody knows what he's doing with us seventeen-year-olds". But then when i make for the exit, much to my surprise three or four voices ask for me to stay, wondering what could be so wrong that would want me to leave.

Another good thing is the so-called Midnight Club. Some more adventurous first years have taken up the habit of always sleeping in the dayroom. Where by sleeping i mean "staying up talking until four or five in the morning when we all eventually doze off, and then going up to one's room around eight in the morning and sleeping till dark".

Last night, for example, i had gotten back from one of the weekend beer buying sprees Fred and i usually have when his parents are away, and got invited by Andres, the mexican first year, to stay around for dinner. He, Cristobal from Chile, Agi[Agnes] from Hungary and i all cooked together, mixing ingredients from different countries to make extremely interesting, although not necessarily healthy servings. After this long, interesting conversations ensued, eventually culminating with Agi's production of a Scrabble board thus beginning a match that would have continued until almost one o'clock in the morning. Around two, i was outside in the large concrete circle in front of the elementary school(i can imagine what whoever built the thing was thinking. "What can we build for the children to play in? I know! A large, concrete circle1 they'll love it!")with much of the same gang, plus Claudia from Ecuador and Marta from Latvia, drinking wine and generally enjoying the not-too-cold environment. Departing from the trodden path, Marta, Yael from Israel and I climbed to the elementary school roof and atched the world from above. Philosophical, sentimental and linguistic discussions followed. Then we pulled away our aura of intelligence and started talking about Paprika Island.

Sleep caught up with most of us in pala dayroom, all lying half-dead on the sofas we had amassed together, listening to Agi and Sara from Spain chatting away. Around six i decided it wouldn't have been a very good idea to stay around, since in any moment PS would have come down to check on the milk supplies. Once again, my departure was almost blocked by Agi's puppydog eyes telling me to stay a little longer. Denying her requests makes me so guilty, on the way back i felt like Hitler invading Poland. As usual, i was extremely punctual in my departure, for only minutes later he would have come down and, as Fred related to me some minutes ago on the phone, dropped his luggage on the dark pond outside the dayroom which, as they discovered, was nothing but a certain second year's lunch and dinner of the previous day. Remember that beer i'd told you about? Ecco.

So today i got up at twelve, and started working on the program for my project in Rome. Instead, wasted time making a CD for a friend and updating this blog. Oh, well.