Category: life

During the weekend, along with our friend Fabrizio, Cart and I walked around Monteverde Vecchio. While it’s not really a touristy area, like Quartiere Coppede, this is an interesting place to look around because of their posh looking villas.

For example in the far distance, I was fascinated with this rather Gothic looking church.

Not sure if you could see the Latin on the grey stone below, but it says Nil Mortalibus Ardui Est – which means Nothing is impossible for humankind.

And we also stumbled on this unusual little street. You walk past multiple buildings and then suddenly, this little vicolo. It it something that I’ve never come across with, in a Roman residential area.

And then … I spotted THIS!

Cart and I have always talked about the viability of having a Hizza Put joint in Italy competing with the level of quality of pizza here. Heck, even McDougals is shutting down one by one in Rome. So seeing this advertisement, made me dumbfounded.

Ok, true. It’s not the real thing, but still … this is not right …

8th of March is International Women’s Day, so happy Women’s day to everyone!

In Italy, there is a custom for women to give other women a stalk of yellow flowers called Mimosa as a form of feminism and sorority, but eventually lead to the men giving women the flowers too.

So don’t be surprised if you were going around Italy today and be accosted by people selling mimosas to you. In fact last year, I was riding back home and got a red light and unfortunately had to stop and lo and behold! A seller walked up to me, pushing me to buy some of his mimosas. I have to admit that I was extremely amused.

Me : Ma dai! Devo comprare io il fiore? Tu! Deve dare a me! (Are you kidding me? *I* have to buy them? It’s you that have to gift it to me!)

Seller : Ah si … sei una donna … (Oh right … you’re a woman)

The funny bit is, mimosa trees grows abundantly around Rome. Around these time when it’s close to Spring, you’d be able to see one in each corner of each residential area and it looks so cheerful with it’s bright yellow, fuzzy looking flowers.

Guess what I’m going to be doing this morning? Yes. Armed with my gardening scissors, I’m going to be like a ninja and climb a mimosa tree and pick at the flowers. Why buy when it’s all around you for the taking?

Hope no one catches me 😛

Sidenote : Entry to Museums are free in lieu of Women’s Day. Awesome!I think I’d like to visit one that I haven’t been to today 🙂

While Cart and I do use the Kindle and other forms of digital books, when it comes to children reading, I think physical books still have an advantage and your heart wouldn’t feel so in pain if you see frays, tears and whatnots as compared to a broken e-book reader.

I myself cracked my netbook a couple of days ago and am horrified. How on earth did I do that?

Anyway, when I first started my job in Rome teaching kids, obviously I was very excited and decided to get a number of books from an International bookshop. But English books can be rather expensive in Rome. I got this book for example, for 7.50 euros.

And this one below for 14.40 euros :

Both of them excellent books, don’t get me wrong. They are both wonderful in teaching colours, numbers and daily objects. But they are quite pricey aren’t they? And just yesterday, I spotted a regular English textbook for more than 20 euros.

Oh my. One or two books would be fine, but if you want to have your own little collection, it all adds up. Perhaps it is cheaper in Germany.

Getting books from Amazon could be more economical. But the trouble is, for kid’s books you don’t really have a good preview of how the book would be like – even with all the reviews.

These books for example, are a tad too small compared to what I had in mind and was a little bit challenging when showing it in a larger group.

But anyway, for those of you who are in Rome, you might want to check out Santa Susanna English Library. This is probably the only English library in Rome and it is located in Via Venti Settembre 15. Getting here is really easy – hop off the Repubblica metro stop, take a relaxing walk around the picturesque area and before you know it, you are there.

Climb up to the second floor, and there, personally for me, it doesn’t feel like I was in Rome any more because everyone I encountered there speaks in a British accented English. They were kind though, and will help you if you had any questions.

Here, you could find an ample amount of books that may interest you. For about 28 euros, you could borrow up to 8 books at a time for 3 months if you become a member.

I was there more for their book sale though, which I think is held about twice a year. I’ve been to the one held in October and the one just yesterday. Check out my loots :

I got all of these for 10 euros! 1 euro each. I think I was quite lucky to have found something from Roald Dahl as well as Richard Scarry. These are classics.

And for yesterday’s sale, I got all of these for 5 euros! 50 cents each. I can’t believe I found Charlotte’s Web. I loved reading it so much as a kid myself.

Awesome finds, aren’t they? Of course, when it comes to pre-loved items. It takes a lot of luck in finding them, if they are there at all. Nevertheless, do go on and try your luck as the sale continues today as well as on Sunday.

• Santa Susanna English Library
• Via Venti Settembre 15 (second floor)

P.s. Congratulations to the newly engaged Jerrick and Michelle! I still am in disbelief 🙂

This was in the mailbox a week ago.

It’s a booklet for Mondo Convenienza which is a furniture shop, kind of like the Italian version of Ikea. Looks pretty innocuous doesn’t it? But lets take a look at it a little closer.

Oh gosh, look at the dude … the eyes and the grin combo, top if off that the girl is on the bed, he looks so creepy perverted! I can imagine the internal thoughts between them :

Man : I’m gonna get lucky tonight! If I stare at her long enough, I’m sure she’ll be charmed by my masculinity. Aha!

Woman : Why is he staring at me like that? It’s creepy! (Uncomfortable smile) Just a bit more to go till the photo-shoot is over and I’m out of here!

So there you go men, if you want to pick up chicks … Just stare at them long enough and see what happens.

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These days I get nervous when I watch TV and at each commercial break as there would be at least one advertisement promoting a cough syrup or something for il rafreddore (the flu)

That means that the sick season is here! Similar to the influx of deodorant commercials when Summer is approaching. After my experience with a long and severe cough bout last year, I’m a little paranoid about getting this seasonal sickness. I really don’t want to get ill, so I avoid people with the sniffles as soon as I see them!

I’m no doctor but I feel that prevention is always better than cure. So it’s good to take some steps to boost the immune system with a dose of multivitamins and drink loads of hot tea with honey when the throat starts to feel dry.

And to also nip the issue in the bud before the sickness gets stronger. Like not overworking the body when you feel lethargic, and self medicating with OTC medicine when you know you’re not feeling in tip top shape.

Just a teeny tiny issue. OTC medicines are so expensive!

Lets take for example, this popular brand of soluble aspirin that you take for when you feel feverish. This costs about 6 euro.

While this below is a pack of medicated sweets for when you have a sore throat or cough. 7 euro. You could get an entire round pizza for the same price.

I know I said that I don’t want to complain too much about money but these are shockingly expensive. I don’t think the same thing is that expensive outside of Italy as I don’t remember having to pay more than 3 SGD for a pack of paracetamol or more than 5 SGD for a bottle of cough syrup.

One could justify that we could get a non-branded one. But believe me, there isn’t that much difference.

The moral of the story is … Just don’t get sick.