11!

We have enjoyed closing out March as an 11 on the 10-point scale, thanks to…

Visits from friends and family:

A visit from the Fatina dei Denti  (Tooth Fairy), who in Italy  -- along with many other countries -- takes the form of a Topino (small mouse):

And, a true 11 in celebrating un buon compleanno!

Voodoo Doughnut Expansion!

We used a virtual tour of Portland as part of teaching this week's 5th grade English class. 

And no tour of Portland would be complete without a visit to world famous Voodoo Doughnuts!!  

In this case, the "visit" became an invitation for the kids to create an Italian-themed doughnut (sadly, only a paper version!), which they had to present to their classmates in English. 

The designs featured landmarks from Genoa, pesto, pasta and pizza, along with the obligatory reference to the Genoa football team. When Voodoo Doughnuts begins to explore opening an Italian branch, Genoa will now be ready with its pitch:

The kids will also be ready with a theme song, thanks to the always-requested call-and-response "moose song" to end the class!

Reality Check

     Although there are daily headlines about Italy’s severe economic crisis, that is often easily (and conveniently) overlooked in our relatively privileged neighborhood of Genoa. However, the staggering unemployment rate -- 42% among youth and nearly 13% overall -- was readily apparent this week, when our local café/bar/gelateria had an opening for a server.  The line of applicants stretched down the block.

     That didn't deter our following through on a promised afternoon gelato for the girls, and it offered a “teachable moment” when we explained why the crowd was gathered. Adding a topping of reality also didn’t deter their enjoyment of their treats, but it did offer a valuable and wider perspective on life here. 

Buon Compleanno!

Our fun weekends continue, this time with a birthday bash which included:

A feast

A Biggest Bubble Contest

Nick's toast stringing together every Italian phrase he has learned!


Sachertorta

And the added joy of friends from the US joining the celebration!

Settimana Bianca

Northern Italy has a tradition of a late-Winter break,  “White Week” (Settimana Bianca): so named because the intent is to allow for snow-related activities in the mountains. This is similar to “Ski Week” in Northern California, although in Italy it feels almost compulsory that you use the week to practice your winter sports. We were happy to oblige, at least for a White Weekend with our friends.

As is typically the case with our blog, we’ll bypass the challenges (e.g., the dyspeptic car rides through the winding mountain roads; the Austrian-influenced “all-animal-fat, all-the-time” food theme; the near whiteout conditions on day 2 of skiing) and get straight to the highlights! In fact, thanks to the grandeur of the Dolomiti, we can just let the images speak for us:

We also made a side trip to see a distant cousin in Bolzano (the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy).  By “distant” we mean the 5,300 year-old glacier mummy Otzi, with whom we share the G Haplogroup (in DNA speak). Bolzano has a remarkable interactive museum which is home to Otzi and the many Neolithic artifacts he carried with him. Seeing Otzi in his high-tech preservation chamber was a bit creepy, but both girls offered a “Hi, cousin!” through the eight-centimetre-thick bullet-proof glass.

We were also lucky enough to be in Bolzano during their local Carnevale celebration, and the good luck included the girls successfully answering a series of riddles about the traditional costumes and characters. 

We carried that good fortune through the journey back to Genoa, where the celebrations will continue this month - with two birthdays and a parade of visitors!