by Ainsley Okoro
The English aren’t naturals when it comes to foreign languages – which may be why they spent hundreds of years ensuring the rest of the world spoke theirs.
As a Brit of a certain age, therefore, the five years in which I’ve tried to master Italian have been far from plain sailing.
Howlers that still make me cringe? Asking a Forte dei Marmi waitress where to leave la mancia (the tip)…only to end up enquiring what to do about la minchia (a crude term for the male genitals). Even worse was the time I confused ho scoperto (“I discovered”) with ho scopato (“I f*****”). It was only our second meeting – but I hope my future mother-in-law guessed what I wanted to say.
But all that trouble to learn the world’s most romantic language…only to find that half of Italy now seems to speak “Anglo-Italiano”, an ugly mishmash of English and Italian.
Accommodation for your visit to Florence? If gli hotel are fully booked, lo staff may point you to un bed and breakfast among i top in the area. Staying longer than a few days? Why not try un residence or un loft with un big open-space and equipped with tutti i comfort?
And being near the town centre should make it ideal to fare lo shopping at un shopping centre, boasting a wide range of i fashion outlet and i discount shop.
Just as bad is the media, where you learn Il Premier Silvio Berlusconi has misused il suo private jet to carry le showgirl and i VIP to i party at his villa. He is also said to have bedded una sexy escort. It’s not the first time il tycoon has committed un gaffe and the scandal has damaged il feeling between him and voters. Now he grumbles about il suo privacy and lo stress.
Following il summit di G8 in Italy – with altri leader such as Barack Obama and le first ladies – Berlusconi called un meeting of his cabinet to tie up un budget. But a journalist has un scoop – during briefing, Berlusconi blamed Il Ministro del Welfare for the deficit hitting un record.
But the worst offenders are beauty and gossip magazines: Madonna non è piu single. She’s found un nuovo boyfriend and she and il suo partner have been photographed in un resort. Fancy un po’ di restyling, Signora? Learn all about il beauty, gli accessory-must and i color this season – sono black and white. And il new look is un paio di jeans with un T-shirt extra large.
Elsewhere, una showgirl from un reality show is drinking i cocktail in un bar, before indulging in a spot of il clubbing then going home with un pop star from un boyband.
Surely Italian has enough words of its own that do the job just as well – velina rather than showgirl, spuntino instead of snack, il fine settimana, not weekend.
Little surprise that in 2008 the prestigious Dante Alighieri Society announced a campaign to halt the use of English in Italian. It’s going to be a tough task – Anglo-Italiano is now il nuovo trend…
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Ainsley Okoro works for the property for sale in Italy website Homes and Villas Abroad.com and specialises in Calabria property and Tuscany property
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday's False Friend
magazine v. magazzino
We like to read lots of magazines in the US. I grew up in a household that had about 15 titles delivered weekly or monthly. The word magazine can easily be mixed up with the Italian magazzino, which means warehouse. After printing, the magazines might stay in a magazzino before being sent to subscribers and newstands. Use the Italian word rivista to translate magazine.
Eng) A new Italian edition of 'Wired' magazine was launched this year.
It) Una nuova edizione italiana della rivista 'Wired' è uscita quest'anno.
We like to read lots of magazines in the US. I grew up in a household that had about 15 titles delivered weekly or monthly. The word magazine can easily be mixed up with the Italian magazzino, which means warehouse. After printing, the magazines might stay in a magazzino before being sent to subscribers and newstands. Use the Italian word rivista to translate magazine.
Eng) A new Italian edition of 'Wired' magazine was launched this year.
It) Una nuova edizione italiana della rivista 'Wired' è uscita quest'anno.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Oldest Botanical Garden in Europe
It's in Padua, mind you.
Founded in 1545 thanks to Professor Francesco Bonafede, who wanted to enrich his university seminars on the medicinal properties of plants.
I visited this Botanical Garden 222 years and 353 days after Johann Wolfgang Goethe visited it and was inspired to write about its palm tree, now one of the most prolific exotic tree types growing in Italy and the mediterranean.
The original is now housed in a gazebo su misura (custom-built).
These days, the huge old tree seems to be exploding in a big wild mess contained within some glass panes, but what is a palm tree still alive from 1585 supposed to look like anyway?
The great find on my visit to the garden was seeing so many university students using it as a research source. It's not just a tourist trap in Padua, which means a lot. It's original aim as a study center has been maintained over the centuries. Some of the first experiments in botany occured here. Now, there are corners dedicated to regional species that are endangered and students analyze the plants' properties before it's too late. Other areas cultivate exotic plants (including North American varieties which is funny to see as "exotic", like a maple tree). Medicinal ones are kept in still other sections.
At one time, the university students had to take exams by going around the garden and producing the correct names of the various plants which their professors pointed to. Now that kind of visual memorization is no longer necessary. In its place, carefully handwritten signs denomiate the plant species for students and tourists. In the US, you would NEVER see handwriting in this situation. Here is a picture showing the name and Bolivian origin to some giant lily pads.
A pink lily in bloom
A cactus detail
Agave and aloe plants first came to Europe from Mexico through this garden. Other plants which are taken for granted by today's Italians but which came from other continents include the sunflower, tulip tree, lilac and hyacith.
A tree that has seen dozens of wars and survived bombing this past century, exposes its inner belly.
A historical evolution of the garden:
MD
The original plan for the garden. Each quadrant of plants formed a different design.
16th century pillars had very clear rules inscribed for its visitors as follows:
1. Do not knock at this gate before the date of St. Mark the Evangelist (25 April) or before 10 o'clock in the morning.
2. Whoever enters from the decumen gate must not go far from it.
3. In the garden, do not break off stalks, pick flowers, remove seeds of fruit or dig up roots.
4. Do not tread on small plants.
5. Do not damage the garden in any way.
6. Do not do anything against the Prefect's will.
7. Trespassers will be punished with fines, prison or exile.
MDC
The first enclosing walls were built in the 17th century to protect the plants from being stolen during the night.
MDCCC
When Padua's upperclass wanted to meander through beautiful gardens in their lovely attire on a Sunday afternoon, they decided to revamp the botanical one here in the shadows of St. Justine. The 1800's brought a flourish of decoration, statues, fountains above and around the circular walls of botanical garden and additional garden areas. The busts feature famous botanists.
MCM
In 1997, Padua's Botanical Garden was inducted into the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Some more pictures of "my walk in the park" in the Botanical Garden.
CENTRO DI ATENEO "ORTO BOTANICO DELL'UNIVERSITÀ DI PADOVA"
Via Orto Botanico, 15
35123 Padova - ITALY
tel. +390498272119
fax. +390498272120
ortobotanico@unipd.it
website.
Hours:
April-October: every day 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m., 3.00 - 7.00 p.m.
November-March: 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. (closed on public holidays)
Admission:
4€ regular
3€ reduced price
1€ students
Founded in 1545 thanks to Professor Francesco Bonafede, who wanted to enrich his university seminars on the medicinal properties of plants.
I visited this Botanical Garden 222 years and 353 days after Johann Wolfgang Goethe visited it and was inspired to write about its palm tree, now one of the most prolific exotic tree types growing in Italy and the mediterranean.
The original is now housed in a gazebo su misura (custom-built).
These days, the huge old tree seems to be exploding in a big wild mess contained within some glass panes, but what is a palm tree still alive from 1585 supposed to look like anyway?
The great find on my visit to the garden was seeing so many university students using it as a research source. It's not just a tourist trap in Padua, which means a lot. It's original aim as a study center has been maintained over the centuries. Some of the first experiments in botany occured here. Now, there are corners dedicated to regional species that are endangered and students analyze the plants' properties before it's too late. Other areas cultivate exotic plants (including North American varieties which is funny to see as "exotic", like a maple tree). Medicinal ones are kept in still other sections.
At one time, the university students had to take exams by going around the garden and producing the correct names of the various plants which their professors pointed to. Now that kind of visual memorization is no longer necessary. In its place, carefully handwritten signs denomiate the plant species for students and tourists. In the US, you would NEVER see handwriting in this situation. Here is a picture showing the name and Bolivian origin to some giant lily pads.
A pink lily in bloom
A cactus detail
Agave and aloe plants first came to Europe from Mexico through this garden. Other plants which are taken for granted by today's Italians but which came from other continents include the sunflower, tulip tree, lilac and hyacith.
A tree that has seen dozens of wars and survived bombing this past century, exposes its inner belly.
A historical evolution of the garden:
MD
The original plan for the garden. Each quadrant of plants formed a different design.
16th century pillars had very clear rules inscribed for its visitors as follows:
1. Do not knock at this gate before the date of St. Mark the Evangelist (25 April) or before 10 o'clock in the morning.
2. Whoever enters from the decumen gate must not go far from it.
3. In the garden, do not break off stalks, pick flowers, remove seeds of fruit or dig up roots.
4. Do not tread on small plants.
5. Do not damage the garden in any way.
6. Do not do anything against the Prefect's will.
7. Trespassers will be punished with fines, prison or exile.
MDC
The first enclosing walls were built in the 17th century to protect the plants from being stolen during the night.
MDCCC
When Padua's upperclass wanted to meander through beautiful gardens in their lovely attire on a Sunday afternoon, they decided to revamp the botanical one here in the shadows of St. Justine. The 1800's brought a flourish of decoration, statues, fountains above and around the circular walls of botanical garden and additional garden areas. The busts feature famous botanists.
MCM
In 1997, Padua's Botanical Garden was inducted into the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Some more pictures of "my walk in the park" in the Botanical Garden.
CENTRO DI ATENEO "ORTO BOTANICO DELL'UNIVERSITÀ DI PADOVA"
Via Orto Botanico, 15
35123 Padova - ITALY
tel. +390498272119
fax. +390498272120
ortobotanico@unipd.it
website.
Hours:
April-October: every day 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m., 3.00 - 7.00 p.m.
November-March: 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. (closed on public holidays)
Admission:
4€ regular
3€ reduced price
1€ students
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Tour del Gelato: Los Andes
Eat a dream
That would be the flavor Sogno at Los Andes, an excellent gelateria in Padua which I am adding to the Tour del Gelato hosted by Ms. Adventures in Italy.
(Sogno ingredients: coconut and almonds)
Click here for the official Tour del Gelato blogroll.
As the name Los Andes reveals, the owners have a passion for South America and ice cream. Their delicious flavors include the normal line-up of vanilla, chocolate and fruit varieties, as well as Tierra del Fuego in honor of Chile's landscape and Mar del Plata. The South American tastes often include the ingredient Dulce de Leche, for an exotic flair.
The locals stop here on a Sunday afternoon while biking or strolling along the riverbanks nearby that cross through Terranegra, the neighborhood that houses Los Andes. During the week when school is in session, mothers and children get in line at the end of the school day from the English Language School of Padua. This means that lots of the kids found at Los Andes can speak English so they could even help you order your own cup or cone. I took this picture during the unofficial "children's hour" with tons of tots wandering around and salivating over their gelato.
If you are fending for yourself and need some pointers about how to order a good gelato on your own, consult this link from WhyGo Italy for excellent advice on vocabulary and gelato philosophy.
Outside Los Andes, at the corner of the Residence Terranegra
The husband and wife owners, Donato and Angelica, in front of their fruit shake section. This is a favorite for the ladies who want to eat something fresh without the guilt of a caloric gelato. Los Andes offers about 20 combinations with apple, orange, kiwi, pineapple, banana, ginger and more! Fruit shake is centrifuga in Italian.
The owners with their gelato assistant John from Colombia. The partitially-covered sign on the wall reads "il gelato artigianale per passione" (homemade ice cream with passion) and the flavors at Los Andes prove that statement both in the quality of their ingredients and obvious dedication.
Don't worry about fall and winter's arrival. Los Andes has special themes and launches for the changing seasons. Halloween will inspire flavors like la zucca assassina (Killer Pumpkin), la vedova nera (The Black Widow), il morso di Dracula (Dracula's Bite). Also for October, about 50 chocolate flavors will arrive at the gelataio's discretion ranging from white chocolate to 100% cocoa. An Angolo del Thé (tea corner) is planned for the winter where a high-quality selection of teas will be available to add to the gelato delights.
Yes, Los Andes is off the beaten track of Padua's tourist areas but well worth the trip. Even the Gambero Rosso agrees, based of what I hear! Take bus line 4 south from the city center to the final stop "Terranegra" (about 10-15 minute ride) and continue north a couple of blocks to get your cooling gelato thrill next the Alì supermarket in the Residence Terranegra complex on the left.
A good idea might be to come out of the city center after a day of touring Giotto and Saint Anthony wonders, have a delicious gelato or centrifuga and then walk those calories off along the nearby riverbank, just like the locals do! It's a slowfood philosophy gelato solution!
Los Andes di Furlan Donato
Gelateria Artigianale-Caffetteria
Via Mons. G. Fortin, 43
35128 Padova (Terranegra)
tel and fax: 049.8022382
closed on Tuesdays
Friday, September 18, 2009
Friday's False Friend
taste v. tasto
Taste is one of the most powerful senses and we love to use it abundantly when we live and visit Italy. But the similar word in Italian, tasto, refers to a key on a keyboard, many of which I am using to create this post. Translate taste into gusto for best results.
Eng) Wine has a different taste based on the region where it is produced.
It) Il vino ha un gusto diverso in base alla regione dove viene prodotto.
Taste is one of the most powerful senses and we love to use it abundantly when we live and visit Italy. But the similar word in Italian, tasto, refers to a key on a keyboard, many of which I am using to create this post. Translate taste into gusto for best results.
Eng) Wine has a different taste based on the region where it is produced.
It) Il vino ha un gusto diverso in base alla regione dove viene prodotto.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
A Glutton for American Food!
I amazed myself the other day by my reaction as I walked down the aisles of an American supermarket after 2 years of not touching US soil. It was like I was a kid in a candy shop. Yes, there were mounds of candy because this particular supermarket, located on an American military base, had a special section dedicated to Halloween candy even though that holiday is a month and a half away. But I really wasn't interested in the candy since Italy makes better varieties, especially when talking about chocolate, for example.
My eyes bulged to see great big bags of Tostido tortilla chips and salsa, chocolate chip cookies, humus, fluffy and soft Wonder hamburger rolls, cheap peanut butter, maple syrup, pancake mix, rice pilaf, cranberry juice and root beer. I went a bit crazy filling up my cart. Even basic ingredients like brown sugar and oats were a treat to find and buy for future recipes.
I live in a land of excellent food but some things are missed here in the bel paese. A question for other expats: which foods do you crave when abroad? Do you share any of mine?
Some of the American food truely tastes good. Some has become rare to see in Europe so therefore it takes on greater importance for me. Other foods bring back memories of childhood.
At checkout, it was the best $50 spent in a long time!
My eyes bulged to see great big bags of Tostido tortilla chips and salsa, chocolate chip cookies, humus, fluffy and soft Wonder hamburger rolls, cheap peanut butter, maple syrup, pancake mix, rice pilaf, cranberry juice and root beer. I went a bit crazy filling up my cart. Even basic ingredients like brown sugar and oats were a treat to find and buy for future recipes.
I live in a land of excellent food but some things are missed here in the bel paese. A question for other expats: which foods do you crave when abroad? Do you share any of mine?
Some of the American food truely tastes good. Some has become rare to see in Europe so therefore it takes on greater importance for me. Other foods bring back memories of childhood.
At checkout, it was the best $50 spent in a long time!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Rain in Concert
It's the first day of real rain in Padua in months. I cannot believe that I was actually happy to get soaked today while returning home from the city center on my bike. The grass has been dying for a good drink of rainwater. This is unusual because the Veneto is defined by its abundant rain during the fall and winter, yet this summer has been dry indeed. Maybe this rain is the turning point to introduce this year's fall temperatures to Padua.
In honor of this welcome rainfall, I would like to share a lovely video of rain in concert which a French friend, Florence, sent to me a while ago. All I know is that it is entitled "La pluie" (The rain [in French]) She is from another very rainy area in Europe: Brittany, France. So without further ado, may I present this video:
In honor of this welcome rainfall, I would like to share a lovely video of rain in concert which a French friend, Florence, sent to me a while ago. All I know is that it is entitled "La pluie" (The rain [in French]) She is from another very rainy area in Europe: Brittany, France. So without further ado, may I present this video:
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