I have been teaching Italian teens for years. Some of them complain that they cannot find work, even when they are of legal age, 18 in this country. It often comes up in a conversation about how industrious American adolescents are and how they work throughout high school and college.
Usually the problem stems from age and contracts; there isn't enough work to go around in Italy even for the adults, so teens don't get included in the mix.
I was caught off-guard this week in my new neighborhood by a girl, who I think is about 14 years old. As soon as she saw me walking my dog, she came to her house's gate, pet my dog for exactly 5 seconds and then offered her services as a dog-sitter, should I ever be interested. Honestly, I barely knew how to react. I wasn't used to this kind of entrepeneurship by such a young girl in this country. I had never met her before. She didn't know my dog, unless she had met him on a walk with my husband. It did explain why I had seen some older ladies in the same house eying me from the terrace as I passed by the house at other times. Maybe they had been scouting me as potential new customer for the adolescent/family side business.
In the end I said, "Grazie e buona sapersi (good to know)."
Showing posts with label neighborhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neighborhood. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Via of the Villas
Doesn't this just make you think of Miami or California? No, it's on Via XXV Aprile, Noventa Padovana (Padua).
The dream of a 1960's/'70's Italian villa: also on Via XXV Aprile. Basically, this house is next door to the picture above.
A country villa from 1800's Veneto style, yet again on Via XXV Aprile.Don't you see how this area is the utopia of Italian villa-land. Each plot of land offers its century, style and ideal?
Welcome to my new quartiere.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The Neverending Story of Construction in Italy
For years, I have been listening to the sounds of restoration or construction. It began in Venice, when the building across the canal had work done for over a year as the owners remodeled the house. Then I moved to Padua.
In the first apartment, you could say I had a respite. In reality, I exchanged construction noise for car traffic and sirens. I was living on a major thoroughfare next to the hospital so not only did I enjoy rush hour traffic and pollution, but I also had sirens outside my windows at least 3 times an hour. The sirens could even be heard during telephone conversations with friends and family in America.
Once I got out of that situation and found a nice residential area to call home, the construction began again. For the first year, a new small condominium was being finished next to our house. No sooner was that project finished, than the property directly across the street decided to resume 20-year-old project for another larger building, including condos and commercial space.
The demolition of the old pillars began two years ago and the building has finally finished this summer. I can't believe the construction is over! There aren't the big trucks blocking traffic anymore. Our neighborhood parking spaces have been given back to us. The big box is standing and ready for occupancy with a big banner hanging with per informazioni (for information)and a telephone number.
It had gotten to the point that the sound of a jack-hammer was like a lullaby during my afternoon naps, when I could take them. Having silence is odd now.
Below is a picture of the project from our front lawn. What do you think? Would you want to live there? I must admit that although the area is great, this building doesn't look very inviting to me with its "pool" blue paint and bulky, restricted terraces. The condo has been named L'Ancora (The Anchor) and there is a big anchor as the focal point of the landscaping area in front. Padua only has canals and two rivers that run through or around it with virtually no boat traffic so I don't understand the symbolism.
My husband and I are making bets on what the commercial spaces will become. Will we get a take-away pizza joint? That would be convenient. Will a new perfume shop do business there? Or a small supermarket or green grocer? I guess we will find out by the end of the year. We haven't seen anyone move in yet. For now, the construction company has set up its offices in the second-floor office suite.
In the meantime, two new demolitions and new housing projects have started further down the street. The trucks are back in the neighborhood. It is just neverending.... but at least we can't hear their noise.
Funny thing is that my husband and I are looking to move again. Who knows what projects lurk around the new property. Maybe this time we will be the ones making the noise, especially if we find a house to fix-up.
In the first apartment, you could say I had a respite. In reality, I exchanged construction noise for car traffic and sirens. I was living on a major thoroughfare next to the hospital so not only did I enjoy rush hour traffic and pollution, but I also had sirens outside my windows at least 3 times an hour. The sirens could even be heard during telephone conversations with friends and family in America.
Once I got out of that situation and found a nice residential area to call home, the construction began again. For the first year, a new small condominium was being finished next to our house. No sooner was that project finished, than the property directly across the street decided to resume 20-year-old project for another larger building, including condos and commercial space.
The demolition of the old pillars began two years ago and the building has finally finished this summer. I can't believe the construction is over! There aren't the big trucks blocking traffic anymore. Our neighborhood parking spaces have been given back to us. The big box is standing and ready for occupancy with a big banner hanging with per informazioni (for information)and a telephone number.
It had gotten to the point that the sound of a jack-hammer was like a lullaby during my afternoon naps, when I could take them. Having silence is odd now.
Below is a picture of the project from our front lawn. What do you think? Would you want to live there? I must admit that although the area is great, this building doesn't look very inviting to me with its "pool" blue paint and bulky, restricted terraces. The condo has been named L'Ancora (The Anchor) and there is a big anchor as the focal point of the landscaping area in front. Padua only has canals and two rivers that run through or around it with virtually no boat traffic so I don't understand the symbolism.
My husband and I are making bets on what the commercial spaces will become. Will we get a take-away pizza joint? That would be convenient. Will a new perfume shop do business there? Or a small supermarket or green grocer? I guess we will find out by the end of the year. We haven't seen anyone move in yet. For now, the construction company has set up its offices in the second-floor office suite.
In the meantime, two new demolitions and new housing projects have started further down the street. The trucks are back in the neighborhood. It is just neverending.... but at least we can't hear their noise.
Funny thing is that my husband and I are looking to move again. Who knows what projects lurk around the new property. Maybe this time we will be the ones making the noise, especially if we find a house to fix-up.
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