We are so different, you and I
Cheesecake
The problem with Autumn is…
Rainy season is here again!
A typical occurrence in Autumn, it has been raining a lot in Rome these past two weeks. I haven’t even been going out much due to the bad weather.
Last week, the weather was considered so bad and risked to pose a danger that all public schools were closed. You’ll see the gates shut with an official letter like the one below. Even the mayor declared it to be a “code red”.
When we woke up in the morning, the sky was so dark that looked as if it was night time – 8 pm instead of 8 am.
It rained a lot, but in the end, it wasn’t that bad in my opinion, considering the tropical rains I’ve experienced before. And there was no flooding in my neighbourhood like how it was some years back, although there are some parts in Rome which looked quite awful.
With the Piramide in the background, this does look like the Nile river, doesn’t it? Yikes!
An observant person
Autumn
This is married life #17
As you know, Sam got damaged during the summer. We had it sent to be seen by the mechanic the other day and he’s charging us 220 euro to have the parts changed. I don’t think it’s worth fixing personally…
NAU IS DE TAIM OF LANCH!
It’s been months since this video went viral. There is another parody with a catchy jingle, but I find this original one more amusing.
The subject in topic is about Italy’s Prime Minister, Mattteo Renzi while he was giving a speech in English about Digital Revolution in Venice.
At 39 years old, he’s the youngest ever Prime Minister for Italy which is a huge accomplishment. Nevertheless, it gets a little uncomfortable to hear the speech in its entirety.
Suffice to say, the video became popular very quickly and I find myself saying, “NAU IS DE TAIM OF LUNCH” when it’s time for a meal.
Naturally I was inspired enough to change my instant messaging avatar to this one. A genius!
The most beautiful bicycle bag you’ve ever seen
After wanting a bicycle for the longest time, I got for myself one yesterday. It’s a B-Twin Elops 3, has a 5 speed gear and it has a dynamo light in front of it which I thought was really functional. At about 200 euro, I thought that it was quite expensive compared to the ones I see sold in Singapore, but I guess it’s the standard here.
It’s been a while since the last time that I’ve been cycling but it’s a skill that you never lose. In no time at all, I was up and around the neighbourhood. It’s really nice being able to reach a place in just a few minutes compared to probably 3 times longer when you’re on foot.
But the thing that I didn’t expect was how my neighbourhood is full of slopes which can be quite tiring when you’re going uphill. You don’t feel it so much when you’re walking leisurely. But I felt it today! My thighs are surely going to be sore tomorrow. At this point of time, I don’t feel too confident of straying too far away from my neighbourhood much less even think of joining a duathlon.
The bicycle that I have is a women’s version – the crossbar is lower so that the woman could cross her legs over daintily and wear a skirt if she fancied. But I noticed that on my bicycle, you need to pedal more compared to a regular bicycle. And considering that it’s a women’s bike, it’s quite heavy at 17 kg. I don’t trust leaving it outside and lifting it up the stairs is a bit of a pain since it doesn’t fit in the elevator. I’ll just think of it as a form of strength exercise.
Nevertheless, I’ve been looking around for panniers which I think would be extremely useful for carrying things, like grocery shopping. Quite by chance, I found these :
Isn’t it absolutely gorgeous? In a sea of industrial looking pannier bags, these look so feminine and charming. It also comes in blue and black, as well as other designs but I find the red one particularly striking.
This bag is from a company in the Netherlands called Basil and they specialise in bicycle assortment from bicycle baskets, bags to accessories.
From the site, I also found side-bags which doubles up as regular shoulder bags. There is a hidden flap in each one which reveals a hook which you attach to your carrier.
I think it’s a genius idea and I wouldn’t mind getting one of that. It looks roomy enough for me to stuff a lot of things inside.
And there is also the milk-basket which gives you the convenience to put which ever bags and items you want in. And it still looks cute.
Which one would you get? At first I wanted the pannier, then I thought the bag would be great, then the basket … I can’t make up my mind!
Nevertheless, anything that is imported from outside Italy, almost always costs a bomb with the additional tax and whatnots so it’ll have to wait for a while …