My time in Tokyo was great, and I’d like to share with you at least part of  the beauty I saw.

However, since I took more than 1000 pictures, it wasn’t easy to select just a few for this post. Hopefully it will work.
I leave it to them now, hoping they can deliver to you at least part of the beautiful feeling this city left me with.

The city

Food

Temples

Random

A big thanks to all my Japanese friends who made this vacation so spacial.
I’ll be back!

I really couldn’t wait to share with you my article published on Italian New York about the best trends by Italian fashion designers for this Fall/Winter season!

You will find all the best trends and the must pieces – from accessories to coats and shoes – but remember: you are the most important element! So don’t forget to Personalize every look!

Click here to read the article and yes, you are allowed to go shopping afterward!

To read more about Style on Italian New York click here

The world is so big and there are so many things to see and learn that I always say that the best way to live is travelling!

However, there are some places that are not in my “to visit asap” list, and not even in my “to visit maybe one day” list.  I guess everybody has preferences about countries or travel experiences that would better satisfy their curiosity.

When it happens to visit these unexpected places it might be a life changing trip.

I have never thought I would visit Japan… but it looks like it’s going to happen.

This trip is so important to me  because  is happening when everything in my life is changing for good. It’s a great opportunity that will give me the chance to recharge my mind and soul and come back to reality ready to enjoy whatever life has in stock for me.

I also will be visiting some friends that I haven’t seen for years, and it will beI know I’m going to have a great time.

It’s funny, looks like every big change in my life starts with a trip…. so I guess every trip is the trip of my life.

The past six months have been a rollercoaster that changed me as well as my life.

There are few things that I held on during this ride, trying to find some moments of peace and remember what life is about. Small things, I know, but sometimes it’s all it takes to smile, to feel things will get better, and we can find a way no matter what.

I thought it would be nice to blog about the good side of the past six months, and I’m going to start right now.

I made homemade pasta (click for the recipe) and homemade tomato sauce! It took me the whole weekend, but it was more than worthy.

In the past I often saw my father and other relatives making homemade pasta, but this was my very first experience, and it was great!
It’s an excellent way to live your home, stay in company, and at the same time doing something productive and healthy that will stay with you and your family for months.

It might sound snob, but now I have hard time using canned tomato sauce, and I can’t wait to do it all over again!

This was actually a great gift that I got, and we want to make is a family tradition!

Another good thing I did – and here I answer to all of you who wrote me wondering how things were going – it’s been going back to run. After shin splints, a stress fracture, and a pretty recent dislocated knee, I wasn’t of course able to achieve my goal to run my first 10k race.

As those of you who followed my running journey can probably understand, the disappointment was overwhelming, and the lack of motivation even worse.  I had to start over after every injury, and it was getting harder and harder.

I don’t even know how I started again, I just did.
I’m not even close to the training level that I was at the end of the winter, but I’m running. Every time I wonder why I’m doing it, but I feel alive.

I guess my goal still stands.
(Btw, where to you keep your key when you go running?)

to be continued…..

Here the first article, let me know what you think!
Much more to come…

“Dancing with the Stars” season 13 it’s only hours away, (premiere on Monday September 19) and what I want to share with you today it’s something a little different.

Let’s get to know a little better Elisabetta Canalis and her style, and all the reason why you should vote for her.

Click here to read the article

ElenaSC

Lots happened in my life the last 6 months, and I haven’t been able to take care of my blog. Hopefully things are going to get better very soon, and I have lots of surprises for you.

In the meantime I have to thank you for all the visits and comments I have received. It’s really touching to know that you didn’t forget about me, and were wondering how I was doing!

As I said already in the past, this blog is for you.

I’ll be back very soon.

ElenaSC

Sexy eh?!

Yes, exactly, not running for me since my right foot decided it was stressed and had a break down!

Dear foot, I totally understand your feeling, I’m often stressed myself, but don’t you think this is a little too much? And honestly, you had a very bad timing. It’s just a 10k race, not a marathon, and can you imagine what it would happen if I had a break down every time I’m not feeling good.

Please pull yourself together, I need you!

Love,

Elena

That was 3 weeks ago. It didn’t work. I have a stress fracture and an expected recovery period of 4 to 6 weeks.

It sucks! I can see only bad things happening to me:

- I cannot move
- I cannot going to work
- I cannot doing pretty much anything and I started hating TV since I saw more Tv shows in the last week that in the past 5 years.

Is there anything good in this whole experience? Let’s see…

- I have lots of time to think… which it’s not a good thing
- I could potentially sleep more… if it wasn’t for the pain
- I am actually find out who are good friends and who are not, which it’s always a good thing.
- I can read and write, this is a good one, and I got lots of good recipes that I can’t wait to try.

But beside that, spending my days on the couch is not fun.

I do not think I will have enough time to recover and train before the race, but I will do my best.

Lost of yoga for now, and when I say yoga I mean Yoga channel!

I hope to have good news soon. If you guys have any advice, please, I need them!

I’ll try to stay positive!

Read my running adventures here

I noticed CNN broadcast will start at 4 am on Apr 29… which is reasonable if you think it’s going to be 9 am in London, UK. But when I told my husband I was going to set up the alarm – it was a joke – I couldn’t hold it anymore, and he expressed to me how much he hate this Royal Wedding…. already.

I understand him, it’s a man thing.
Plus, I have to admit that this wedding is pretty much everywhere on TV, and since the only alternative seems to be the federal elections here in Canada, well… you can understand his frustration.

I think  there might be lots of people sharing his feelings, but it’s a big event, and I wonder how excited these two guys probably are.

I remember myself few days before my wedding! And I’m not a princess!

So, maybe, all those guys who hate this event could twist it to their advantage and propose to their girlfriends!!! – I am a genius! That is a YES for sure!!!

Could you imagine how it would be special to watch the Royal Wedding on TV few minutes after he proposes?!?!

OMG! I want to get married again!

I was expressing my disappointment for missing a month of training and basically my hard work to build my cardio.

What I learned from your comments, and I do trust my readers – many of them have also lots of experience in running, which I don’t – it’s that I have to be patient, consistent, and

I HAVE TO LISTEN TO MY BODY.

Ok, all good, but what when your body is telling you something wrong?

The last few weeks, looking for support and a way to get back my cardio, I have been reading lots of article about running, mainly on internet: running website/forum and blogs.

The other day I ran into an article (I wish I could remember where) that was talking about the wrong signs your body can give you, and how you can beat it.

Think about the famous “wall”: is it really a mental thing? How many times you feel your legs heavy and breathing become so hard after only 20 minutes?

So you start thinking it’s not a good day, maybe you didn’t drink enough water during the day, or you didn’t eat properly. You decide to listen to your body and not to push, perhaps running only 75% of what you should.

The reality is you are able to run more and better, and even if bad days do exist, sometimes you body can just ask you to stop and you have to keep going. Use you mind to beat that feeling, tell yourself you are not tired, breath deep and slow.

So now I’m confuse.

In part I agree with what the article: if I would stop every time I feel my body it’s asking me that…. Yeah, I probably would train. There are days where I feel good, but a good 60% I have to admit that I have to push, and I get tired too early.

Especially now that I coming back from an injury, and I am very body-conscious, I understand I have to learn when listen to my body and when not.

What do you thing about it?

For now, I have a long way to go.

After the commitment to my 2011 resolution, here I am sharing with you my very first natural body care recipe.
Thanks to friends, Internet, different books and magazine, I have been taking notes and discovering a brand new world. Even just going to one of those stores that sale organic and natural products and talking with them can be an excellent resource for who, like me, it’s a beginner of “I want to make the difference”.

This facial mask is great for shrinking your pores and light up again your face.

You need:
- one cold egg white (please use a fresh large egg, not those nasty egg whites in a box that should even being in your fridge!)
- one and 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch or white flour

Mix the two ingredients together until foamy.

It would probably look pretty liquid to you, but trust me, it will dry quickly.

Using your finger or a brush apply on you face and throat  avoiding eyes and lips. Let it dry for about 15-20 minutes. As I said, it will dry pretty tight, and you will probably feel itchy and unable to move you mouth. Try to relax.

I actually found it funny when I tried the first time: when it dries, you can see yourself with lots of wrinkle, and since the mask has not color, it really looks like your skin!

Rinse with warm water and apply moisturizer (do not miss my natural moisturizer recipes coming up!).

Do not store the mask, instead make it as need it and use once at week. The quantity is actually enough for two masks, so you could make it and share it with a friend!

Enjoy your skin!

For more info read her the Ingredients of natural body care and how I started this journey.

It turned out to be a old Italian song of one of the icons of Italian music: Adriano Celentano
Beside the great video, the best part of this song is that the lyric does not make any sense, but it sounds exactly like English.

You don’t believe me? Listen up….

And by the way, yes, this is exactly how  English sounds like to a non-English speaker!!!

Let me know what you think about it!!!!

Image via Wikipedia

I dreamed about you few nights ago.

You were sitting on the kitchen floor at your nonno‘s in Italy wearing a blue soft rompers and looking at my with big brown eyes. Your dad was close to you,  glowing of happiness.

I have never thought about myself as a mother, as a powerful shelter able to raise inside of me a little flower seed until it’s a bud ready to blossom.

I have never thought about you in my life. I have never thought you could be like spring, when every color, every butterfly, every melody makes you smile and re-discover what life is about.

I have never thought I would have started to think about you like I think about the salty ocean smell, the dream of a home with fireplace, and all the other things that make your heart warm.

I have never thought I would be missing something without you in my life, in the same way I thought I was never going to get married or pick up after somebody else’s dirty laundry. I guess these are things you out of love.

I’m writing to you today, because I know one day I will hold you in my arms. One day you will be a little flower bud inside of me, and then the spring’s sunshine for the rest of my life.

Too often we don’t say things to people when we feel them, and then, sometime, it’s too late. But I want to tell you this, I want to tell you this right now.

There is already so much love for you, no matter where you are right now. You dad loves you to death, and yes, he will even if you will be a girl.

And me…. I don’t really know what a mother is, or how she is supposed to talk, or act, or feel…. but when I picked you up from that kitchen floor at nonno‘s and I had you in my arms it really felt right.

I found one today, on Corriere della Sera.

If you are one of those women who always wonder what men think about when they don’t think about sex, you can today thank Sheridan Simove, 39, that with his 200 pages book called “What Every Man Thinks About Apart From Sex” gives THE answer.

Too bad for you men, and I guess for us as well, the pages – all 200 – are completely blank.

But this is not the best part, yet. Could you believe this 200 blank pages book became a bestseller?
The book, sold out on Amazon.co.uk, sold more than Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, and even more than JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

I find it a brilliant idea! Don’t you think?
The book is not available in North America yet – at least I didn’t find it – but I’m sure it will be very soon.
I have few people who I really would like to get it for!!!

The author said that it was thinking to write a female version, but then he gave up because he didn’t want to spend 10 years of his life writing a book! So true!

Please share this post with the people you would buy this book for!

I would like share with you one of the many traditions of this island that everybody should visit.

All pictures are property of Elena_Sc’s bolg ©

To read more about “my” Sardinia click here

To read more about Italy click here

February wasn’t my lucky month. After I finally started to enjoy running and saw the first results of my 10k race training, I got shin splints followed by a bad cold.
Basically I didn’t run for almost a month, and since I started running in November, I lost about 25% of my total training.

I was ready to come back for a while, craving to run and getting upset for the time I was wasting, in top of everything, because of the cold.

I bought new shoes specifically for my feet, like most of you suggested me (btw running shoes should be more fashionable! Yes, I know. Sorry) and I stepped back on the treadmill.

If I have to be honest it feels I have lost even more than 25%. My cardio is totally off. I was approaching the 50 minutes run, and now it’s hard to finish 20 minutes!
Yes, I know, it was only the first day… it takes time…. whatever.

Anyway, I’m not writing to complain about the time I waisted in the last month, or the energy and effort I lost for no being consistent with the training. I’m writing because I’m back.

I want to run this race, and I will. I’m strong, I know I am, so I can do it.
It will take more work and time that it was supposed to, but that day, when I will pass the finish line, it will be all so worthy.

Now, that said, let’s be serious!

……..PEOPLE…… PLEASE HELP ME!!!!! My cardio is totally OFF!!!!

Just to make this straight, I hate moving, and I do not know anything about it.

In a perfect world that would be on my list: you do not need to move, ever.
If you get married or have kids you should be able to just push the “easy button” and get one more room, or a backyard, or a bathroom, or a studio, a walk-in closet, and why not, a great space just for yourself, for yoga and girls’ night….. Oh, shit! My little house is probably floating on the lake at this point!

Anyway, you know what I mean.

This move was totally unexpected, but thanks to my new attitude that brought me this year to deal with the terrible Canadian winter with my arms open (btw it didn’t work!) I can deal with this, I can make it!

Since I know there are lots of people who share my feeling about this life event (did you know moving is listed in the top 5 most stressful life events? If I thinks about it………….. Ok, no! Let’s move on)… where was I? Ah, ok, sharing! I would like to share with you all I can and all I know about moving.

Here what you need:

• – at least three months of mental preparation (which I didn’t have)
• – between a month and two weeks for packing (which I didn’t have)
• – lots of patience (which I don’t have)
• – lots of free time (which I don’t have)

Ok, let’s skip this part.

You really need:

• – a weekend of no rain, snow, or storm (trust me, things could get worse!)
• – lots of boxes, more than you think
• – lots of muscles, which sometime can be replaced by friends with muscles, or even better by a God’s hand: moving company
• – lots of patience (sorry, you really need that)

- I read somewhere you should start a list even before putting stuff in the first box, but I really do not have time for that. Also, a list of what? Of what I have to take with me? —>everything
Or a list of what is in every box? —->It’s all coming out anyway!
Colored stickers on the boxes wouldn’t work either for me: the best that I can do it’s grabbing a pen and writing “kitchen” on the top of the box.

- If you have to clean the place you are leaving, try not to leave all of it on the moving day: it could be just too much. This is why you have to consider not only the time you need to actually pack everything but also to clean up. Getting stuff in a box it’s only part of moving….

- Make sure to have enough cleaning supply, and a vacuum cleaner, so that you can clean up after the movers.

- Use the move to get rid of all your stuff you don’t need or don’t use anymore. This will reduce the numbers of items to bring with you to your new place, and will allow you to start a new fresh and lighter life. (Girls, it’s time to get rid of that old stuffed animal!)

- This will also take you back to the amount of boxes you need. Remember I said “more than you think”? In fact you will be using boxes not only for the moving itself and last-minute items on moving day, but also for items you want to give away. At the end of the packing you will probably find yourself using two boxes for old clothing to give to charity, one for books and magazines to donate to the local library, and another bunch of stuff you just want to ger rid of, or trash it.

- Stuffed your luggage with clothing, towels and sheets, and if it’s a long time you don’t use them there is also the chance you could find something inside. Remember that white top you thought you lost, and those two pair cute summer shoes? Did you check in your old suitcase? They could be there since the last time you moved.

- Keep with you your important  papers, such as documents and stuff, and safeguard valued items packing them with care.

- Collect all house keys and leave them with the new owners, your real estate agent or your ex (finally) landlord. Please make sure to take off that horrible key chain that you carryed for two years. Yes, I know, it was cute when you got it, but honestly… enough!

- Last but not least, remember to change your address for your bills, magazine subscriptions, banks, delivery of food, grocery or other items. You really want to avoid a dinner for free to the couple who is renting you old place, and even more, you don’t want her to read your Vogue!

When you are done, you are probably going to live between boxes for 2-6 months, so…. I really hope you love the new place much more than the old one. It makes it (almost) worthy. If you don’t, don’t worry, you can start everything over again.

In any case, there is a good chance you will be moving soon anyway, so…don’t get too comfortable!

P.S. Should I leave everything in the boxes just in case?

We got one, and it was soooo good!

Since that day I am craving for it…. even if I don’t even know what it is.

Egg ball, this is everything I know about it!

Have you ever tried?

Can anybody give me some more info and tell me if I can find it in Toronto?

Since I am not in Hollywood, but in Toronto, there is snow and wind outside. My red carpet will be inside… and it will be green (sorry, it wasn’t worth me buying a red one just to write a post on my blog! Wait a minute, I could have said I have a red one… nobody will know it anyway! Well, next time).

I picked just the perfect dress for this special night: it’s an apron…. so that I can make dinner at the same time! Genius!

Lots of newspapers and magazines are here ready for me: I have Metro -  from this morning on the subway – and Active, that has been on the table waiting for me for few days, and of course Vogue.

I have been also been practicing on my jokes overtime for lack of confidence, thanks to somebody who always tells me I am not funny! Of course I am!

Ok, lights go off and the music announces the beginning of the night! Here’s my awards.

• Actor in a Leading Role —-> my father. For the acting part I can certainly remember all the times he was acting like if everything was ok, like if he was ok. But nothing was. This is what good parents do: the sacrifice themselves for their kids’ happiness, and raise them with as much serenity as possible. For the leading role part… I don’t even need to explain this.
• Worst Actress in a Leading Role —-> that would be me. No acting skills at all. My face always says it all, I don’t even need to talk.  But I consider it a pretty good quality.
• Actress in a Supporting Role —-> a bitch! A real actress. The only thing she was supporting was her own wallet stepping on other people faces, feelings and ruin families. It will all come back to you girl, it will all come back.
• Animated Feature Film —-> few years ago I went to see Wall-E with a guy I was just starting to date. When we arriving at the theatre he told me: “Do you know what this is?” “No, what?’ “This is the first of many movies we are going to watch together!”. I smiled but in my head I tought “I am not that into you, I don’t even know if there will be another movie”. Well, I loved Wall-E…. and we are married now.
• Art Direction —->I loved a Raphael Mazzucco exposithion that I saw a while ago. Loved it.
• Costume Design —-> Lot’s of nominations here, but I have to really follow my feelings…. Madeline Gardner for making the best wedding gown ever, MINE!!!! (Shit! I should have worn it for tonight!!! This could have been the perfect occasion, and the man that I married could not have said anything to change my mind! Great, too late now!)
• Directing —-> I am a believer. Don’t ask me what I believe in, but I do believe. This is what matters. Does this mean this Oscar is going to my God gene?
• Documentary Feature —-> Lots of good documentaries this year, experiences that taught me a lot…. but the Oscar goes to my meeting with the Dalai Lama. Priceless.
• Documentary Short Subject —-> the history of cosmetics
• Film Editing —-> money. Because even if the story makes the movies and money doesn’t give you happiness, a good film editing make everything looks much better!
• Foreign Language Film —-> Learning English is still an adventure for me
• Makeup —-> the one that doesn’t kill you
• Music (Original Song) —-> Super Mario’s background music…. even if when we play I have to be Luigi because somebody else HAS to be Mario! Then the music gets stuck in my head for days.
• Short Film (Live Action) —-> My first few month of running, getting ready for my first 10k race. Live action baby!
• Sound Mixing —->my stomach, when I’m hungry!
• Visual Effects —->the lake in front of my house, and its power to remind me how lucky I am
• Writing (Original Screenplay) —-> the post that I am the most proud of: Italian food stereotypes, no grazie! published also by CNN website Eatocracy!
• Best Picture —->I have to give this to my husband, to write every day new and happy pages to our life together (I have to do this after what I wrote for the Animated Feature Film!!! Ooops!) .

Have a good night everybody!

I guess it depends the reasons that drives you to blog. This is mine.

I realized it was a mistake to start linking my post to Facebook because if I think about it, there is no other connection between me and my blog.

I don’t really talk about it, so people around me don’t necessarily know I have a blog.
This is because I honestly prefer getting feedback from people I don’t know, because I’m sure they will be honest and critical. (I just celebrated my 1000 comment! Thanks everybody!)

However, the fact that it’s clear who the blog’s author is, doesn’t give me all the freedom that I wish I had.

Life sometimes goes past imagination. I know for a fact that, if I were able to write everything I want, without repercussion, not only would I have much more readers/comments/tweets/happiness/shares/likes/emails, but I could actually write with no restriction about myself, the world around me, and simply life!

Am I a bad person if I wish to write the truth? If something happens why can’t I write about it? If my boss’s affair with the new intern or that loser who trys exclusively to pick up underaged girls (these are just examples)  has some kind of impact on my life, why can’t I write about it? With respect I mean, without saying who they are, but just telling stories about life.

Does this make me a bad person?

Why could writing a story – with no names, just a story – become a good chance to get fired, or fight with family members?

I’m not the one who does those things! I’m not the one who has a bad conscience! I just want to be free to take one’s cue from life around me.

If you read a story about somebody cheating on his wife, you do not think: “OMG! This is my sister writing about our friend”! You just read it and maybe see some of your own experiences in it.

I just wish my blog was anonymous, to talk about me and the world around me, to say things that everybody knows and everybody talks about…. behind everybody’s back!

That would be fun! Am I horrible?

If you have time it’s really worthy to make handmade pasta, especially for special occasions. It’s also perfect to spend a fun day with the whole family, getting involved kids in making a great and healthy meal. Make sure to have some volunteer to clean up afterwards!

INGREDIENTS:

300 gr all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
3 eggs
a pinch of salt

Sift the flour on the work surface forming it into volcano shaped mound with a well in the centre. Break the eggs into this and add the salt. With hands incorporate the eggs into the flour, gradually drawing the flour into the egg until it forms a coarse paste. Add a little more flour if the mixture seems too soft or sticky. With a spatula scrape together all the dough.

Clean you hands and the work surface, and lightly dust it with flour again. Knead the dough with palms of your hands, giving it lots of power. Work the dough for 10-15 minutes until the consistency is smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough in cling film or foil and leave it to rest for about 30 minutes.

Lightly flour the work surface again and a rolling pin. Gently roll out the rested dough, rotating in by quarter turns, to obtain a round sheet of pasta with a thickness of 2-3 mm. Cut the sheet into noodles or use to make lasagne or stuffed pasta.

You could also shape it to make different kind of pasta like farfalle, or cut it in simple and irregular rectangle, called maltagliati.

Dress with your favorite sauce, homemade of course!

Buon appetito!

Read more Italian recipes here

I have been running for about three months now, toward my goal of taking part (I mean finishing) of my first 10k race this summer.

Everything went great so far – with normal lack of motivation, and ever reaching my first running high, which scared me quite a bit – and I am (was) approaching my first 50 minutes run.

Then, pain. I mean…. PAIN!

“Shin splints” my husband told me about two months ago. It didn’t really mean anything for me, and since it wasn’t too bad I did not pay too much attention to it. I thought it was normal since I have never run before, and it was just my body trying to adjust.

I ran through it, only two or three times I took a day off, keeping running pretty much every other day.

But the pain, I mean PAIN – I have to pay respect to it – got more persistent. It decided to stay with me even during my days off, and  during the night, until it got everything I had.

It has been a week now without running, and the pain didn’t stop. I have hard time even walking and going down the stairs is a torture!

I try the ice, messages. I don’t know what else to do.

I am afraid I won’t be able to run the way I want to and I’m praying that rest will be the best medicine.

Also, since I’m not that trained, I think that when I will start running again I will have to start almost from the begin. All my hard work, all my sweat, all my energy and motivation…… I can’t believe it!

I’m commit to this, and I thought it was all in my hands. I thought I was going to be the key of my own success, and now…..

I have never thought I was going to miss running like this, especially since I’m running on the treadmill, due weather condition (Canadian winter).

What do I do?

Image via Wikipedia

Apparently there is a gene  that predispose a person toward religion.  Or at least this is what “somebody” told me.

“Are you serious?”
“Yes, of course! I read it on Reddit!”
“Please! Do you understand Reddit is not God?”
“Well, maybe I have the Reddit gene!”

Anyway, he got me curious, and I went to look it up.
According to Wikipedia,:

“The God gene hypothes is proposes that human beings inherit a set of genes that predisposes them towards spiritual or mystic experiences (…) According to this hypothesis, the God gene (VMAT2) is a physiological arrangement that produces the sensations associated, by some, with mystic experiences, including the presence of God or others, or more specifically spirituality as a state of mind (i.e. it does not encode or cause belief in God itself in spite of the “God gene” moniker)”

I’m confuse. Plus, it’s really hard for me to believe there is a connection between DNA and religion.
In fact I truly believe they are opposite.

Also, if this hypothesis were true, it would means we don’t really have possibility of choice. Like we can not pick our hair or eyes color, our skin tone or high, we wouldn’t be able to open ourselves to God in the same way somebody else does. All because of our genes!

Basically you could be a dyed blond, a sun tan salon addicted or a fake religious for the rest of your life. Hey, it’s not me, that’s what your DNA says!

Wow, that’s sad!

Even more sad if you think that everything that is genetic can be modified, or this is what science is working for.
Also, the worst conflicts have been, are and will be labeled with some kind of religious reason, which makes all this God gene thing pretty scary!

Well, if God exists, will he really put the faith on him in a little gene?

Image via Wikipedia

Please! Really?

I really don’t have anything against Valentine’s Day.
I am not single – actually happily married – and yes, I would love to get a nice chocolate today, but that’s all.

Valentine’s Day is a business, and we know that.
Ok, it’s an occasion to remember, celebrate, love….why not. As long as we have the right perception of the whole thing.

Personally, I talked about love few day ago. I want to talk about love tomorrow, and next week, and in four months, when nobody is expecting that, and maybe my Valentine will be really surprise.

I want to buy him something in a “non occasion day”, remember our love because is morning and I’m waking up beside him regardless of what the calendar says.

If we really need Feb 14 to talk about love, Christmas to remember of others, and Earth Day to turn off the light when we need a room, we have to really enjoy these chocolates today and eat them very very slow, because once they are gone we won’t have anything else.

Until next year!

Happy Valetine’s Day everybody!
Let’s commit today to love more often!

After a week of struggle and lack of motivation, I approached my longest run yet with determination.
It was my only day off for the week, and I took my time to relax and concentrate. I stretched  and warm up telling myself to go slow and just focusing on time.

When I stepped on the treadmill I knew I was going to finish not matter what, I just didn’t know how. I’m always afraid to lower the pace when I’m not suppose to.

Anyway, I was running fine at a comfortable pace, breathing and focusing. After about 10-15 minutes in my running, I was staring at the mirror in front on me, and something very strange happened.

I couldn’t feel my body anymore. I was running but I wasn’t.
I was breathing in a perfect way, slowly and deeply, with no struggle at all. It was like if I wasn’t moving. I felt VERY good, but in the same time I felt like outside of my own body.

I remember I thought: “Uh, so this is how it feels. When people run and enjoy it, they feel like this. I love it”.

After few minute I was feeling so good and breathing so well that I had a clear sensation that the whole experience wasn’t real. I thought I was dreaming, or I passed out and that was a kind of dream. I almost got scared at some point and I started to look around, to touch my face and focusing on my legs running because I needed to feel them. So I lost the “moment”.

When I talked to my husband about it, he told me: “That’s great. You got to your “running nirvana”. You know I have been training for years but I have never got to that point”.

I don’t know, maybe you guys can help me.
The only thing that I am sure about is that I got my motivation back, and that I want to be focus and have that experience again. But this time I won’t let the moment end so quickly.

Read more posts about running.

It’s not a case if, when I had a very hard moment and I wanted to quit, I asked my readers – through my post When you blog in a language that is not yours – to be honest and to help me to understand.

I started blogging less than 8 months ago, and I had lots of great moments. However I didn’t celebrate for my first 6 months, my 50,000 hits or my Freshly Pressed.

Today I would like to celebrate you on the other side of the screen, and in particular  the #1000 comment in my blog!
It could be you!

If I only had more time I know I would comment every single post that I read…. because this is what blogging is about, and I’m glad I started this experience!

Right now I’m closed to reach 1000 comments, and I really would love if everybody could celebrate this great community, the power of sharing and blogging leaving me a comment about your experience and what comments from readers mean to you.

Thank you so much to all of you, new and old readers!

I really don’t want to be mean, in fact I don’t have any reason to do that.
So, before you will, I am going to say it: no, it did not happen. No Italian man broke my heart leaving me with an insatiable need for revenge. Actually, if I have to tell it all, I do not judge, label or categorize people based on thier nationality or anything else beside the way they are.

However I feel I have to talk about this topic because everybody asks me about! And of course I will answer saying what I think. It’s just my opinion.

When I say I’m Italian, all the women look at me with freak smiles, whispering : “Uuuhh! Italian men!”, and I usually lift my shoulders forcing a smile and thinking: “If you say so”.

The truth is that Italian men are nothing special… (mmhh, did I say that out loud?). Well, please let me explain.

As a girl who was born in Italy, raised in Italy, and who spent my first quarter of century there, Italian men are the ones I was dealing with on a daily bases. At school, at home, on TV, on the street, that is the kind on man I grew up with as Italian, and like most of the things about life, you don’t really understand them until you get outside, look from a distance and maybe see something different.

The legend says Italian men are romantic gentlemen, but the reality is they want to take off your underwear much faster – if possible – than any other man. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if they know how to do it, and if this is what a woman is looking for.

Let’s say that, in some cases, it’s enough for them so say “I’m Italian” to pick up a woman. Something I will never understand, but that is why they like foreign women, even if  I also believe they simply see in them an easier prey.

These non Italian women should know that Italian men do not have any special power, and if they have one it does not work with Italian women. Maybe it’s just because we are used to it, but the compliments and beautiful words…. Whatever! They really do not make any deal with Italian women, who usually roll their eyes knowing that 99.9% are lies.

Forget the romance, sex moves the whole country, and that is why you see naked women on TV the whole day, or if a guy see’s a girl on the street he HAS TO GO to bother her…. otherwise he’s not a “man”.

I understand they can be charming, but the idea that all the Italian men are like Casanova is just wrong. It’s not even true that all of them know how to dress, or that they do not shower!

They work hard, they love their families and they love women, in all sizes an shapes. But can’t you say the same for all men?

They are just men who knows how to play because women – foreign women – approach them in a different way!

Also, Italians are funny and love life, but just because 80 percent of them read The Bible or Dante’s Divine Comedy – just because you HAVE TO in school – it doesn’t mean their pick-up lines are more poetic, and more important, it does not means they will love you more or better!

Anyway ladies, whatever it works for you. But if you are looking desperately for an Italian man, there are some things you need to know:

• Do not expect flowers every day, that won’t happen;
• Be ready to give up on your job and be a housewife. I’m not saying that will happen, but it’s a possibility;
• If you don’t cook, you will, so learn!
• If you cook, be ready to change everything you do. Your food will be always and perennially compare with his Mom’s. Good luck!
• They are not very familiar with stuff around the house, but if you are extra lucky you could find a man who cooks very very well. In that case, marry him!
• Do not, ever, plan anything for the weekend. Saturdays and Sundays the Serie A – Italia soccer league – is playing. Then, there is Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for all the different European championships.
• No surprise if he’s 35 and still lives with his family. I actually have  something to say about this. Even if Italian Moms don’t mind to take care of their “babies” much longer than needed, it’s also true that the situation in Italy right now, especially for young people, it’s pretty tough. Often guys are forced to stay at home simply because they don’t have a job.
• You will have sex EVERY TIME  you two will get together. They wouldn’t know what else to do with you;
• In the same way you cannot ask somebody to stop breathing, you cannot ask an Italian man to stop flirting, no matter what;
• Open your eyes: there are bad men everywhere, even in Italy. If you are one of those women who melts when hears “I’m Italian”, well, at least make sure it’s worthy!

Reading all this, however, does not make me think about Italian men, but just men.

No all the Italian men are the same, just because not all the men are the same. Cultural aspect can of course shape somebody personality, but this Italian men thing is just a legend.

But if we have to play the stereotype game, let me tell you: Casanova, Jersey Shore or Super Mario? Casanova all the way through!

If you what to understand women, read  What she really means: translation for men

To learn more about Italian culture, read Things you probably don’t know about Italy – Not the usual list

Read the top post Italian food stereotypes, no grazie!

Image via Wikipedia

No guys, don’t worry, I didn’t quit!
But if one day I will, please, please, make me feel worse than guilty and a horrible person without backbone!

Anyway, this is what happened –> phone conversation:

“Hello?”
“I lost it”
“What did you lose?”
“My motivation” (very sad voice)
“What are you talking about?”
“Running! I lost my motivation to run! You never understand me!” (Oopss!)
“Baby, it’s ok. You didn’t lose your motivation. Everybody has bad days. It’s ok, tomorrow will be better”

But it wasn’t.
That day I went running, and finished my work out with lots of struggle, but I told myself:  “If I did it today I can do it always”. Still, it didn’t work.

I found myself two days later at my desk at work thinking: “Today I have to go running, che palle! ” (typical Italian expression you say when something sucks!).

I don’t know why, I’m just not feeling right, or.. I’m just not feeling it anymore! That’s my fear.

I don’t like to start something I can not finish, and I do not commit easily to something. But it looks to me that all the enthusiasm is gone – like happens for everything that is just new, and not new new anymore!

It’s bad! Even if I’m still following my work out schedule, I find myself in the treadmill telling myself : “Wow! This sucks! I should blog about it!”.

Can you guys actually help me? Because I think it’s just me….I’m just…. maybe a bad week!

Does it happen to you at all?

Read more posts about running.

I started all this as “my natural 2011 resolution“, and the best part of my journey is learning how Mother Nature gave us everything we need.

From your local market you can select what is going to nourish your body, inside and out. Honey, cucumber, sugar, water and many more natural ingredients can help you to replace all those   products that have chemicals, anima”l blood”, and lots of bad stuff inside their sparkling packaging.

My suggestion is to use, as much as you can, natural ingredients like these describe below. Make your own body care product and save  the environment.

It’s also a great idea for girls night. In fact some recipe need to be made at the moment (it’s not possible to conserve most of them) and it’s better if you have somebody to share them with so that you do not waste anything.

- plain yogurt –> Rich of lactic acid, it helps to dissolve dead skin cells leaving toned and soft skin. It can be used as mask for all kind of skin. Pasteurized yogurt will work just fine, but try to use raw yogurt when possible. Make sure there are not additives or other stabilizers. You can apply one teaspoon of plain yogurt to the face and neck, and leave it on for 25 minute. If the mask starts to become runny, lie down. Rinse even if it’s not completely dry and follow with moisturizer. With time this mask can slightly bleaches and even skin tone.

- strawberry –> Did you know you can use the fruit and the leaves as body care ingredient? Strawberry pulp is really good to whiten teeth and freshen breath. Just smash a ripe medium sized strawberries and brush normally with your toothbrush. Rinse with water. You can do this every day and you will notice the difference. Also, infusion of strawberry leaves makes a very good astringent for oily or normal skin. Apply directly on pimples.

- honey –> It’s the perfect way to soft, moisture and hydrate your skin, increasing circulation and leaving a nice glow. Use raw honey (about 2-3 teaspoons) and apply a thin coat on your face, neck and chest. Leave on for 15 minutes, then pat the skin with our finger. Rinse using a cloth damped with hot water.

- sugar –> I learned about this one day when I got a manicure in a very nice spa. They use sugar as natural exfoliant. Use half teaspoon of sugar in damped hands and massage for a couple of minutes the all surface, finger by finger, and wrists. Rinse with warm water. It’s a great way to remove dead cells leaving soft skin. You can also use sugar for the res to your body when you take a shower, before or together the body wash.

These are only few example.
If you are still not sure if or why you should give up your “regular” body care products, I give you a very good reason. Read my post about Not just a pretty face by Stacy Malkan. It’s a life changing book. I truly believe that if you read this book you just cannot buy again those products.

Trust me, give it a try! At least you will be 1005 aware of what you are doing to yourself and your children.

Let me know!

Of course there is nothing better than nature!

Image via Wikipedia

Now, please let me say something.
I agree, in TV there is – possibly – much worse.
I agree, everybody is absolutely free to watch and like any TV show.

I actually don’t have anything against Jersey Shore as TV show, but it really bothers me A LOT the fact that they define themselves as Italian. Not only they depicts false image of Italians,  they actually represent a nasty and strongly negative Italian stereotype, and they do it well.

MTV said that the reason why is sending the cast to Italy is obvious: Jersey Shore is nominally about Italian-American culture and you can’t have Italian-American culture without Italy. So it’s sort of like they’re returning to their homeland.
The media also wrote that the cast is headed to the birthplace of the culture they love and live by.
Please! Everybody knows that the only Italian thing they have – and no all of them – is the last name. They don’t even speak Italian, and I wonder if they can point the country on the map.

Please do not believe Italian people are like that. Enjoy the show, the fights, the yelling, but please, do not identify Italian people with them.

And if I’m wrong, I’m asking to you Italian-American people: how many of you feel represented by them?

Well, at least now, those Jersey guys will be actually able to go to Italy – no that I care, but, you know…since they believe they are Italian…
I hope this new season will be able to show that they are not Italian at all, they do not belong there, and I’m pretty sure won’t be easy for them to interact with even the worse Italian tamarri!

Media also reported that the cast reacted very well to the news – yeah! They are going to Italy! Hello?! – but I suspect this has nothing to do with finding their roots. They can probably do their fighting, drinking, yelling and more everywhere, like they showed already.

Will happen something different in Italy?
Let’s see. I just think they need to be careful, calm, not to look for trouble. I know a couple of people who would have something to say about their hair and tan. So won’t be a smart move for them to say they represent the Italian-American people, at least for the 10 millions people who every week watch the show!

Enjoy the show responsibly!

One of the reasons why I should be proud it’s my running. After writing my first post about it, sharing with you my 2011 goal, I really got lots of energy from all your comments.

I am being consistent with my training, not excusing myself for lack of time or bad mood. Sometimes my very very (very) short experience takes me  in the wrong direction, but I’m working on it.

In two and a half months of training I have already learned a lot, not only about running, but about my body and even more important, my mind.

The fact that I used to see as the most negative (me running on the treadmill) it’s actually becoming my strength. In fact I read somewhere that running in the treadmill allows you to do something you cannot do running outside: training your mind.

I soon realized that my lack of confidence wasn’t only caused by the fact that I have never run before, but most of it was coming simply from my head. Training your mind and show it that you can actually do it it’s becoming my most important drive. Almost as important as my playlist.

I can not run without my music. Of course I have my “running “ playlist, and there are few songs that physically help me to run better, especially when my mind and body start to discuss whether or not they should stop.

Here my top ten playlist:

1. Waka Waka (Time for Africa) – Shakira
2. Release me – Agnes Carisson
3. PYT (Pretty Young Thing) – Michael Jackson
4. When love takes over – David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland
5. Get low – Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
6. Like a G6 – Far East Movement
7. One day in your life – Anastacia
8. L’aiuola – Gianluca Grignani
9. Raise your glass – Pink
10. È più forte di me – Ligabue

What’s yours?

Read more posts about running.

My post My natural 2011 resolution – which started my journey into body care without chemicals – got a comment form a reader – Greyt Vegan Life – who suggested a book about this topic:

“Have you read “Not Just A Pretty Face: The Ugly Side Of The Beauty Industry”? It’s a real eye-opener.”

As I wrote replying to the comment, I didn’t know of this book. I Googled it and read a bit about it. It really didn’t  take much for me to understand that it was a book that I needed to own.

I started reading it right away, and I couldn’t stop. The more the stories were terrible, the more I was freaking out, the more I wanted to know more. Cosmetics are scary, but more than that we are, we are scary.

The base concept is really simple: we have in our bodies lots of substance that don’t even exist in nature. We live longer but we are more sick.
Think about it: we all know somebody who has, had or died, for example, of cancer.

It’s true, we are what we eat, what we breath, and yes, what we put on our skin.

On the website Cosmeticsdatabase.com you can check millions of body care products (by brand or type of product), see how dangerous they are, and check every single ingredient to learn about the good and the bad.

I bet you will find yours (all the more common brands are on the database). Be prepared, it’s pretty terrible! Especially if you think that, because of these chemicals, mothers can infect their babies – even through breast milk – and even fathers (actually a pretty high percentage) can be the cause of future babies problems.

That day I came back from work and told my husband “I am throwing everything in the garbage”. He laughed.

I know, maybe I am overreacting.
Fine, I’m going to breath. I’m breathing.

Sorry. I know there are lots of things I can not control, and I know we do not live in a perfect world.  But I can’t really get over the idea that one day my child could pay for my make up choice. That is really too much.

If I have to pay, getting sick, because this is the world we builded, the world we live in, that’s fine. How many bad things are we in without even knowing it? But it’s really hard to know there is the chance that somebody else will pay for you.

Thinking about it, somebody else will pay if I waste water, if I produce pollution, if I buy the wrong clothes (find out more about Water footprint: how the fashion industry and your shopping impact the Planet).

What to do then?

Well, now that I know it’s really difficult to look away and just come back to my life. Now that I know I have the power to make a choice, and I will. At the end of the day reading the tag before buying make up it’s something that I can live with, and is really worth while.

At this point going back is not even an option.

I will be posting soon natural body care recipes you can make easily at home. Subscribe to my blog and you won’t miss a post.

Think about those winter days, even better, winter weekends. It’s snowing outside and you are getting ready to relax with you favorite cup of tea, the armchair where you could spend days , and yes, your book.

I grow up with books all around me, literally.

My mother used to read all the time, as well as my grandmother, and when they didn’t have anything new to read, they would read an old one, and then another, without stopping. Growing up, I noticed the bookshelves were the first thing I was looking for when I was invited over to a friend, because it was an infallible way to better understand their personalities.

Don’t get me wrong, I love technology, but please, do not touch my books. I know my grandmother probably thought the same about email vs. letters written by hand, and my children and grandchildren  will look at me one day like an old dinosaurs.

It’s ok, call me “old school”, I’ll take it. But I am the one who had hard time buying second-hand books at school, or rent them from the library. Not all of them, but those that I knew I was going to look for in few years, and that I felt closer to me and to who I wanted to become as a person.

Books are personal, and I found myself selfish sometimes, not wanting to borrow those that I really couldn’t live without, because you never know if you are going to see them again!

My family’s love for books taught me also that they are the most precious gifts, but you should ALWAYS write an inscription.

I used to love when my Mum lent me one of the books she used to read in her teens. All of them have the date and inscription from my grandmother, my grandfather, friends or other members of the family.  I knew exactly when she had that book, from who and why. Some were actually my grandmother’s which made them little family’s treasure for me.
Sometimes there were notes on the side of the page, or I could find little pieces of paper and underlined sentences. Some pages were more yellow than others because she was coming back to read them over and over again. If it was a poem book, I could see signs of dried off tears. I knew what she was thinking when she was reading it, and learning about the story and the message from the author I was learning also about my family.

Now, try to do all this with a Kobo eReadr.

Yes, I’m sure there are good reasons to switch to one of those technological gadget, but it’s just not the same. Not for me.

It’s happening for newspaper, pictures, and lots of other things. I know, I’m aware of that and I actually like most of this techno-revolution. But about books… not in my life time, not in my house.

Writing an email it’s not the same as writing a letter by hand, but we do it anyway. So I know eReaders will become our new….. well, it’s fine, but please don’t call them “books”!.

Today I am sharing with you another Italian recipe from my kitchen in Italy: le zucchine ripiene, stuffed zucchini.

INGREDIENTS
800 gr zucchini
400 gr mince beef or pork
2 eggs
chopped onion
4 tbs parmigiano cheese
4 tbs breadcrumbs
olive oil
salt

Cook zucchini in boiling water with a little salt. Cut them in pieces about 1 inch tall and empty them with a teaspoon.

In a pan cook the onion and the meat with some olive oil and salt. When cooked, add the internal part of zucchini. Turn off the heat and add also 2 eggs, parmigiano cheese, and breadcrumbs. Add salt if needed.

Fill the zucchini, and if you have some leftover you can also make some meatballs (usually it’s the best part!)

Bake  in 200°C oven for 30  minutes.

Buon appetito!

Read more about food on ElenaSc’Blog

If you are looking for a technical article about running, please save your time. I do not know anything about it. I just recently found out I enjoy it, and I committed to finish my first 10k race. That’s all.

So, this is just a post of a beginner “runner” talking about her experience of running and her motivation.

As I said, I do not remember how I found my drive, but it might be watching – please do not laugh – The Biggest Loser! (I’m not overweight but I love that show).
I remember watching the last episode when the final four participants run a marathon (50 k), and I couldn’t believe they actually got to the finish line.
“If they can do it – I must have  thought – I can do it too”. Now I am training to run my first 10k race.

Starting to run wasn’t easy, but I find it even harder to actually find the time to train. I know it would be better for me to do it in the morning, but that means getting up at 6am, and I do not see that happening any time soon. However I notice I have my best performance in the evening, so I train after work, even if sometimes it gets pretty late.

It’s been only two months, and since it’s winter – not just winter actually, Canadian winter – I’m running on the treadmill, but I’m willing to start running outside as soon as I can (which will save me from losing focus on people leaving the gym and forgetting the TV on, or running on the treadmill not wearing sneakers, or running holding on the front of the treadmill with both arms like if they are ready to faint and then leaving without wiping the machine. Gross!)

Consistency is the number one factor in training: no matter how shitty I feel, I do not skip a day – I train 2-3 days a week. I am just a beginner, and I don’t really know what I’m doing, and if I’m doing it right, but if I’m feeling my heart getting stronger and my legs being able to run longer, maybe I’m doing something right.

As I mentioned, focusing is still a problem for me. I feel more confident when nobody else is at the gym, and even a wrong song in my running playlist can bother me. I am also very time and distance conscious (too much), at the point where I have to cover the display of the treadmill with the towel to better focus on running. It’s amazing how better I can run without checking the time every few minutes, and without worry if I’m going to slow or if I reached the time where I usually hit my wall mid-workout.

Lately I have found a very nice app for my phone (miCoach): it’s basically a running coach. You can pick your plan based on your goal, the race you want to run, the time you have available, etc. If you run with your music it’s fine, because you can select you playlist, and the only difference you will notice is the trainer’s voice telling you to increase or decrease your paste, guiding you in every aspect of your run. At the end, it will calculate your average speed, calories, burned, and you have the possibility to add notes, indicate how you felt about it.
I find it very helpful since I have not clue of how to properly get ready for a race.

Beside running, I pay a lot of attention to breathing, stretching and flexibility, trying to use yoga poses and exercises to improve my performance and avoid injures.

I also love talking about my training with my husband. He’s really  helpful and keeps my motivation alive. He’s been into his sport routine for years now, and even if he asks me often to go running together I want to build my confidence and strength before doing that, because I know I am not strong enough right now to go running with him.

I’m enjoying my adventure so far, getting interested about different aspects, finding out about mental tricks for runners and other cool stuff.

Do you run? I would love to hear your story.

Read more posts about running.

Have you read My natural 2011 resolution?

Tiramisu ( or how we say in Italy tiramisù) which literally means “pull me up”, is one of the most popular Italian cakes.
It is made of biscuits (usually savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks and mascarpone, and flavored with cocoa.

INGRIDIENTS:

500 gr mascarpone
6 eggs
6 tbs sugar
250 gr savoiardi (you can also use other kind of biscotti, light, finger-sized sponge cakes, commonly known as ladyfingers in the United States)
3 or 4 espresso coffee o coffee made with moka
unsweetened cocoa

Use two large bowl. In the first mix together yolks and sugar,and use the second to beat the egg whites until stiff. Then add mascarpone and egg whites to the first bowl, mixing slowly until creamy. (At this point you can also add some liquor if you like).

Put the unsweetened coffee in a soup bowl and dip the savoiardi.

Line them in a glass container and cover them with the cream. Repeat until the container is full. Sprinkle everything with unsweetened cocoa and put in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

Enjoy! Buon appetito!

Don’t miss the best food post of 2010: Italian hot Chocolate Recipe

Read more about food on ElenaSc’Blog

Maybe you have heard about some of these already, but this list has been completed and every meaning has been checked from women…. well, woman… me….on behalf of others…

1. Good: this is the word women use to end a conversation where they are right and you need to shut up;
2. Nothing: it’s the calm before the storm. She has something to say, and you’d better watch out. Usually, discussions that starts with “Nothing” end with “Good”;
3. As you like: it’s a woman way to tell you “F**k off”;
4. I don’t want to talk about it: she needs time to think how to make you pay for everything you are putting her through;
5. Five minutes: it means half hour if a woman is getting ready. But if she gave you 5 minute to finish doing whatever you are doing before  helping her to do whatever she is doing, she has probably already started the countdown;
6. Whatever: see #3
7. Don’t worry, I’ll do it: Be careful. It means that  she asked you to do something more than once, but now she is doing it. A little late for the man to ask: “What’s wrong?”. For the answer go back to #2.
8. I did it for you: she is lying, she would never do something only for you;
9. I have to get up early tomorrow: it means “Forget about it. Turn the other way and just sleep”.
10. Go ahead: it’s a challenge and not a permission. Just back off.
11. Heavy breath: this is in this list because it means more than words. It’s a non-verbal statement that men do not understand. When she is breathing heavy usually she’s also thinking you are stupid, and she’s wondering why she is wasting her time arguing with you about nothing (go back to #2 for the meaning of “nothing”);
12. Have fun at the party: man, watch your back! She is telling you “I do not want you to have fun at the party. I will be calling you and texting you every 5 minutes, and if you do not answer I will show up at the party in no time and kill whoever (because she already knows it will be a woman) is talking with you”. Then she will take care of you;
13. I’m not yelling: she knows she is yelling and she doesn’t care since she’s right!
14. I said please: she probably knows she is asking for something she doesn’t deserve, but she is testing your love;
15. Of course: don’t even believe she’s agreeing with you, she’s just planning something;
16. Ok: this is one of the most dangerous words a woman can ever say to a man. It means she is taking the time to decide about her revenge;
17. You don’t need to buy me a present: “just take care of the recycling and reorganize the garage”. You should take advantage of this, she could start asking for diamonds!
18. Thank you: if a woman thanks you do not ask any questions, she is just thanking you. There is only a very small condition: if she says “Thank you very much” that is just sarcasm. Do not say “You’re welcome” because she will reply “as you like” (see #3);
19. We need: she is trying to tell you she wants something but she is being nice and you should appreciate it.
20. We need to talk: she has something to complain about (there is probably why she talks a lot);
21. We: I;
22. You never listen: “you need to agree with me”;
23. You don’t understand me: why do you do this to her? This is bad, you don’t have any excuse!
24. Your son: your son.

Also, there are tricky questions you men need to be aware of.

Tricky questions:

• Do you love me? —> Don’t you think I deserve an expansive present?
• How much do you love me? —> I did something you are not going to like
• Are you listening to me? —>Too late, you are dead!
• Did we finish the milk? —> You should go buy it
• Is dinner ok? —>Otherwise you can cook next time
• Did you hear that? —>I saw you where falling asleep
• Are you ready? —>Turn off the TV already!
• Am I fat? —>Tell me I am beautiful
• Was that the baby? —>You should get out of bed and rock him to sleep
• Where are you? —> Why aren’t you here?

Now, men, look right in front of you: you are on hidden camera. Who would never believe all this is true? Maybe only a man!

Deciding to have a new year resolution is a commitment for me, and finding out how this tradition was born gave me just that little push I needed.

Now I’m committed.

Everything built slowly during the whole of 2010: for work reasons I had the chance to meet  great people (like David Suzuki and His Holiness the Dalai Lama) living experience that really changed me. Coming back home I promised myself to treasure those life lessons and do my best in my everyday life.

The environment is of course the main priority as I learned it’s connected to the world’s main problems.

It’s not a coincidence if I decided to write about water footprint of fashion industry for Blog Day 2010,experience that again taught me a lot.

I have always paid attention to small things like turning the light off, saving water, and recycling. I also have a pretty good diet, rich of fruits and veggies, organic products and not too much meat, and I switched to green products like laundry soap, dishes soap and other cleaning products.
Now I’m ready to take the next step.

Knowing that I am not ready to become vegetarian (and honestly I don’t know if I’d ever be one), I set up a realistic goal for 2011: to use ONLY natural body care products.
When I say natural I mean:

• not tested on animals (read the companies that test on animals) ;
• without any chemicals;
• made with 100% vegetarian ingredients

• soap
• shampoo
• conditioner
• body soap
• body lotion
• face moisturizer
• hands lotion
• sunscreen
• deodorant
• toothpaste
• mouthwash
• make up: foundation, mascara, lipstick, blusher, lip liner, eye pencil,
• make up remover
• nail polish
• nail polish remover
• hair removal
• lip balm

The reason that drove me to commit myself to this 2011 resolution is simple:

U.S. researchers identified 10,500 industrial chemicals used as cosmetic ingredients, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxics, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers, degreasers and surfactants (From David Suzuki Foundation web site. Read more)

Nearly 90 percent of the 10,500 ingredients FDA has determined are used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the CIR, the FDA, or any other publicly accountable institution (From cosmeticsdatabase.com)

In fact, when we think about pollution, what do we think about? Probably not body care products, but some of the chemicals found in these products are not pretty at all. (Download here the David Suzuki Foundation report)

I also do not feel ok knowing I am using products that are tested on animals, and we are not talking only about mouse but cats and dogs (Read more here and here)

I spent the last four months trying to get rid of all the products I have at home – even if I know it wouldn’t be a big lost, I just didn’t feel to trash everything – and I did not purchase from companies that test on animals or products that contain chemicals, or animals ingredients.

Now that 2011 is at the door, and I will use only natural body care products. Whole Food and other small organic stores will become my sanctuary (even more if possible) and I won’t pay attention to sparkling commercial. I will still be beautiful, even more, without makeup tested on animals.

I will be also sharing with you some great natural recipes to make you own body care products that I found in the last few month, getting ready for this new year resolution, and I will be making them with you (some of them are really great and I know you do not want to miss them! You should subscribe to my blog just for them!)

I’m committed. Who is in?

Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread with ancient Roman origins became popular everywhere. Outside of Italy, however, it’s not easy to find a good one. The best definition of focaccia is probably cross between pizza and bread, which may be topped with herbs, cheese, olives, onion or just olive oil and salt.

It could also be stuffed with mortadella, prosciutto or cheese just like a sandwich.

INGREDIENTS:
500 gt all-purpose white flour
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
30 gr yeast
175 ml lukewarm water
25 gr coarse salt
a pinch of fine salt

In a large bowl add flour olive oil,  yeast dissolved in the water and a pinch of salt. Mix together until a very soft and smooth dough, adding water if necessary. Knead by hand for few minutes or until elastic. Place in a cover bowl and leave rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until double in size.

Preheat th oven to 400F (200C). Lightly oil a large baking tray and knock the dough. Gently press with fingertips dipped in olive oil until it covers the whole try. Brush with olive oil and make a little indentation here and there with your fingertips. Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Drizzle with more olive oil as soon as the bread comes out the oven. Let it cool and cut into squares or little pieces. Enjoy while still warm!

Who invented this New Year’s Resolutions business anyway?

Well, since the 2011 is knocking at the door, I have to decide if I’m going to be part of this again. So, I did my homework, and I found out it’s OUR FAULT!

When I say “our” I mean us, Italians…. well The Romans!

Looks like everything started with Janus, a fun mythical king, god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, endings and time. Janus has two heads facing opposite directions: one head looks back at the last year while the other looks forward to the new, so he can see simultaneously into the future and the past. This is why he was placed at the head of the Roman calendar (the name January comes from his name).

Romans believed that Janus could forgive transgressions, and many of them, looking for forgiveness, started to  give “him” gifts and make promises at the beginning of the new year. Also, they believed that Janus could bless their life giving protection for the entire year (Nice to see how we didn’t change after centuries!).

The tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year’s Eve evolved  from sacred trees for good fortune at nuts or coins imprinted to the god Janus,
Although the date for New Year’s Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year, and making resolutions surfaced while the mythical element of Janus was removed.

There are also religious parallels to this secular tradition. People may act similarly during the Christian fasting period of Lent, though the motive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of responsibility. During Judaism‘s New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one’s wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness.

Ok, I got it. It looks to me that the main concept behind the whole thing is to have self-improvement every year.
Do I want that? Of course I do.

Looking through the most popular goals for the new year I can see I have a very big margin of improvement:

• health: I’m good, thanks, but I hope not to quite exercising for lack of time, or just because I don’t feel like it;
• finances: if we talk about managing, I’m doing great with very few resources;
• education: there is so much I’d like to learn;
• job: next please!
• manage time and stress: lots of improvement needed
• take a trip: it’s time!
• be part of the community: I’m afraid the best I can do is saying “come over for dinner, I hope to have time to make a salad!”

This recipe is perfect with the Italian hot chocolate – Cioccolata in tazza

INGREDIENTS:
150 gr flour
7 gr baking powder
30 gr sugar
120 ml milk
1 egg
20 gr unsalted butter
1 tbs honey
Little pieces of apple and peaches

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients – beside the fruits – until combined. Spoon batter into 6 greased or paper-lined muffin cups and add few pieces of fruits in every cup. Bake  in 180°C oven for 15  minutes. When ready sprinkle with icing sugar.

FOR THE LEMON CREAM:
1 egg
2 ts sugar
1 ts of lemon and orange peel
1 ts lemon juice
1 ts unsalted butter

Mix all the ingredients in a small pot, put on very low heat and stir until the right consistency. Turn off the heat and let it cool down.

You can add a ts of cream in top of the pastry or serve it on the side.

Enjoy! Buon appetito!

It’s called Le mani nella marmellata (Hands on jam), and offer excellent Italian recipes to all of you who will make a donation of $5 to Unicef.

For more details click here

Thanks Antonella

Let me explain. For those of you who don’t know me, I am from Sardinia, a lovely Italian island in the Mediterranean sea.
I spent all my life, going to the beach pretty much from the Easter weekend to the end of September, and often longer.

That is why for me winter = +5ºC

No surprise then when I say Canadian winter is really a big deal for me. To be honest even Canadian people sometimes complain about their own winter, so please don’t blame me.

However, I have noticed that in the past couple of years my approach to winter has changed. Maybe because I have realized that complaining does not make anything better, but even more because of an algebraic equation that took me a while to get:

Canada + Winter = REALLY COLD

I do not complain anymore, I actually decided to make the most of it.

First I do not care if I look ridiculous when I walk on the street because I am covered: I will wear anything it’s going to make me feel warm. In fact, if I would ever soil myself with a fashion crime, I hope it’s going to happen during a snow storm, where you cannot see anything beside white, and especially you are just thinking about getting home and drink some warm eggnog instead of thinking I do not have a sense of style.

I have also realized that getting ready for winter can be fun, and it gives me one more reason to go shopping.

Picking a winter jacket can be tricky, that’s why you have to look for:

• quality
• hood
• pockets

Some times this means you have to sacrifice your taste for something warm that is going to keep you alive while you are waiting for the bus at -20ºC, but it also means you are allowed to buy yourself a nice and elegant coat for all those times when:

• you will see yourself in the mirror and will refuse to leave home looking like a sausage or a huge pickle (never buy a pink or green  winter jacket)
• you are going to look out the windows and decide to call a cab

Then there is the BASIC TOP FIVE MUST HAVE:

• boots
• gloves
• hat
• scarf
• lip balm

The SURVIVAL KIT is my favourite:

• knee socks
• hot chocolate
• tea
• hand lotion
• soft sweater

Finally, there are the best winter reliefs:

• ice skating
• Christmas
• eggnog
• earmuffs
• chocolate
• duvet
• Chai latte

They don’t make winter go away – I have learned nothing does -  but they make you feel better!

It doesn’t matter if every time I get outside the wind in my face feels like that day, when the airport door opened and the Canadian winter punched me right in the face for the very first time.
I know I will survive again.

P.S. If you see a snowman, please make sure it’s not me!

To be honest I do like Tim Hortons hot chocolate, but the real hot chocolate for me it’s something very different.

I remember waiting for my Mum to make me a cioccolata in tazza as badly as waiting for Christmas, and always seriously burning my tongue because I wasn’t able to wait to let it cold down.

Today I share with you this great and very easy recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
100 grams of dark chocolate,
1 tb potato starch or corn starch,
1 1/2 cups whole milk
sugar as needed

Melt chocolate in the milk over very low heat.
Remove from heat and let mixture rest for 10 minutes. Add the potato starch (or corn starch) and mix. Reheat until hot and whip until foamy.
Pour into individual cups and let it cold down.

You can serve the cioccolata with whipped cream, or cookies for dipping.

The consistency should be perfect to be eaten with a spoon, but you can reduce the potato starch quantity if you like it a little more liquid. Also, you can add sugar if the dark chocolate it’s too bitter for you.

Change it up with spices: you can add hot pepper powder, cinnamon, mint or any other flavor to customize this recipe for you and your family.

Have fun!

Try it with the new recipe: Little pastry with lemon cream

For more recipe click here

I’m not sure if you can “own” a language, or if it’s the language that “owns” us.

I started my blog six months ago, and I actually love it. I love the power of blogging and getting feedback from my readers.
However I am struggling.
English is not my first language, and I have never had the chance to attend a writing class – it’s of course on my to do list. But it’s not easy. I work until 8pm six days at week, for a pay check that pays rent and grocery. I think most people can understand.

Writing has always been part of me even before my birth. My grandmother was a strong feminist who didn’t feel ashamed to write about her mother wearing man’s clothes to be able to attend simple house parties. She has always written, as well as my Mum.

I started writing very early, and I have never stopped.
In my childhood my writing skills were reason of pride for me and my family, in my teens it was a way to express myself and go through difficult moments. Eventually I’ve also learned to express myself in different ways loving life again, but my first love will always be writing.

Sometimes writing is a need.

My decision to start a blog was connected to the decision to write in English. First because this is the language of the place where I live now, second because I really want to get better.

I presented my “naked” posts to the world knowing they were weak and I need to work hard.

In these six months I’ve had very nice response, lots of nice and kind comments. Feedback from people makes me much happier than big numbers in my site stats, but I can feel there is something wrong.

I just wish I was able to write as good as I write in Italian. I wish I could be able to use the language and shape it following my thoughts. I know what I can do, and now that I opened myself to the world I feel the pressure to do better.
I think my readers deserve it, and I know I have to give 100%. It’s not only for the readers, it’s for me.

But again, English is not my first language. I do not have the knowledge that I need. So maybe my 100% is just not enough! Maybe I’m just not able to write a blog in English.

Despite the fact that I don’t have lots of free time, I can really say I put a lot of work on my posts. It’s hard, but I enjoy it.
I can honestly say I do my best, but I do make lots of mistakes, mistakes that I don’t even see.

I’m aware of this. Sometimes I just want to quit.
I know there are people who clearly think my blog is poorly written and not enjoyable. It’s understandable: while surfing the Net, people want to read interesting topics and not deal with spelling and grammar mistakes.

So now, I am here, talking to you. It would be great to understand what you really and honestly think. I won’t get offended.
I don’t want to give up, but the purposes of my blog enjoying writing and make others enjoy what I write.

There is no enjoyment if I spend my time worried about the mistakes I do not see, and what the world is going to think about me.

Imagine being a chef, cooking is you passion. But when you have to cook for others you are not able to boil an egg.
What would you do?

(Leggi sotto la ricetta in italiano)

The culurgione is a filled hand made pasta, from Sardinia, Italy.

The typical product is guaranteed by the research of the ingredients, particularly flour, cheese, potatoes and mint, all strictly local.

My family Recipe

Dough ingredients:
250 gr. semolina
250 gr. white flour all purpose
3 tbs extra olive oil
1 ts salt
warm water as you need

Filling ingredients:
4 medium gold potato
50 gr. brine fresh sheep cheese
50 gr. pecorino cheese
fresh mint
4 tbs extra olive oil
1 clove chopped garlic

Mix together  semolina, flour, olive oil and salt, and slowly warm water until have a elastic and no sticky dough. Leave the pasta cover for 30 minutes.

Boil the potato in salt water, peel and mashed them. Add the cheese, fresh mint, garlic and the olive oil. Mix and add salt if needed. Leave the filling to rest for 60 minutes.

Roll the dough flat and cut disks 8 cm in diameter. Put the filling in the centre and fold it closing the dough edge pinching with the fingers.

Boil them in salt water until tender.

The best way to enjoy culurgiones is with a fresh tomato sauce with onion and basil, or a nice light ragù.

You can also freeze the uncooked culurgiones and cook them when you like put them in boil water without defrost them.

Enjoy!

Ricetta dei culurgiones sardi

Ingredienti per la pasta:
250 gr. di semola,
250 gr. di farina 00,
3 cucchiai di olio d’oliva,
1 cucchiaino di sale fino
acqua tiepida;

Ingredienti per il ripieno:
4 patate medie,
50 gr.di formaggio fresco di pecora in salamoia
50 gr. di pecorino grattugiato,
menta fresca,
4 cucchiai d’olio d’oliva,
1 spicchio d’aglio.

Per la pasta: unire la semola, la farina, l’olio, il sale e unire, poco alla volta, l’acqua sino a formare un impasto compatto ed elastico.Farlo riposare per 30 minuti.

Per il ripieno: schiacciare le patate e unire gli altri ingredienti; lasciar riposare il ripieno per circa 60 minuti.

Stendere la pasta e ricavarne dei dischi di 8 cm. di diametro.Sistemare una grossa noce di ripieno in ogni disco e chiudere la pasta pizzicandola lungo i bordi.

Cuocere in acqua salata per pochi minuti. Condire con sugo di polodoro e basilico o ragù.

I culurgiones crudi possono anche essere congelati.

Buon appetito!

The Brooke has recently published research that shows everything we try to hide every single Christmas: unwanted gifts!

Think about it: how many times did you smile unwrapping bubble bath, socks or a tie? How many times you gave them to somebody just because you had to get a present? Well, you are not the only one.

The study conducted by The Brooke as part of our campaign to highlight the importance of charity gift buying, shows how:

“most people believe gifts such as candles, Belgian chocolates and scarf sets are completely thoughtless.
Nearly 27% of people will give last year’s unwanted presents to someone else this Christmas, while 40% will give them to charity. With 6 out of 10 of those polled claiming to have received up to 5 gifts last Christmas which were neither liked or wanted”

Wow! 5 unwanted gifts last Christmas? That really sounds a lot to me!
And what about recycling presents? I have to admit I did that more than once, but now I’m thinking, if I didn’t like that gift, is giving it to somebody else the right thing to do?

Also, the study shows  unwanted gifts include hot chocolate sets, jewellery, moisturizer and calendars and 60% of people stated they would rather receive nothing at all for Christmas if it means avoiding ties, address books or soap on a string!

In the list also slippers, pyjamas, joke books and photo frames – photo frames are the worst ever! -   and nearly 8 out of 10 people claim they put great thought into what they buy people for Christmas, with 28% usually including gift receipts.

Reading more you can find out the aunties have been named and shamed as the worst for giving presents (14%), closely followed by work colleagues (13%) and grandparents (9%).

One in 10 people managed to return their unwanted gifts to the shop they were bought in, while 12 per cent binned the present as they couldn’t be bothered to do anything else with it.

Now that we know all this, why bother making sure every name on our list has been checked? Let’s focus on who we really love and give to the other side of the world just a cheap but honest smile. It will be more appreciated than our “fake” present!

I spent the last 48 hours trying to remember what my worst Christmas present was, and at the end I got it!
I tend to forget things that I don not like – actually I do not forget anything, I just decide not to remember – and that was not something mice to recall.
I was young and everything I wanted for Christmas was probably a Barbie…but I got a carpet! Yes, this is not one of my English writing mistake, I got a carpet: a floor covering made from thick woven fabric, for my tiny bedroom that would have rather to fill with Barbie’s stuff. It was grey and red… not even colorful or happy. I remember thanking the person and thinking “Great!”.
Yeah, that just wasn’t right!

And what was the worst thing I got for somebody? Lots and lots of photo frames. I’m terrible!

What about you? What is the worst Christmas present you got?

If you need a present for him, read: Christmas idea for him: look in the kids section

Talking specifically  about how we see the human body, what it is attractive and what we look for in a relationship, men and women are always labeled as two very distinct groups. This is why it was funny for me reading this article on The New York Times:

Men keen on a short-term relationship are more interested in checking out a woman’s body than are those looking for long-term love.

Never mind those last 10 pounds. According to a new study, men care more about a woman’s face than they do about her body when seeking a long-term relationship.

I remember asking men if they would prefer have a woman with a nice body or a nice face. The answer was “a nice face”, with the only explanation that you can work for a nice body, while the face… well that’s pretty much it!

But the part of the article that made me think is this:

Women treated bodies and faces alike, independent of short- or long-term interest. Men, however, made a distinction between face and figure, depending on their intent. Among male participants, 25 percent of those who were told to consider the person as a long-term partner chose to see the figure, compared with 51 percent who chose the body if they were looking at a potential short-term partner.

Here is how the authors explain it: a woman’s face and body signify different things, they say. To put it in clinical terms, facial features are cues of youth and health, and features like large eyes are feminine because “they are sensitive to the rise in estrogen levels that accompanies puberty and persists through a woman’s reproductive lifespan.” This would indicate long-term reproductive value; that is, the time a woman has left to reproduce.

The body, meanwhile, signifies fertility in the here and now. A young and comely pregnant woman, for example, would have a high reproductive value but zero current fertility potential — she is clearly already taken. Evolutionary psychology theory holds that men value current fertility (body) more in a short-term mate and reproductive value (face) in the long term. (Read more)

I wonder, is it really different for women? I mean, don’t we all look a man’s face first?
The article says that “women treated bodies and faces alike, independent of short or long-term interest”, but I do not think it’s true.

As well as men, if we focus on other part of the body, probably we are not looking for a log-term relationship either.

I think every human being prefers to share the life with a person with a pleasant face – “The face is a signifier of emotion and character,” said Roy F. Baumeister, the author of a new book, “Is There Anything Good About Men?” (Oxford University Press) – closing an eye on body imperfections.

If you could really pick one, would you marry a person with a perfect body and the ugliest face ever?

Let me know.

Read here the whole article on The New York Times

Read more about relationship: - Christmas idea for him: look in the kids section

- Just married? Read about divorce

- Canadian fetuses already have an online presence

- Family fight: how do you cut the onion?

- Does falling in love cost you friends?

I don’t know about you, but I often have hard time to figure out what to buy in order to fill my Christmas list! However, I love to get present, and every year I remind myself that Christmas is supposed to be fun, and not stressful.

I have also noticed that the closer a person is to me, the harder it is to find a present.
Does it happen to you as well?
Maybe it’s just because I’m obsessed with finding the PERFECT present, that it doesn’t only makes the person happy, but it’s useful and makes it clear that I am the best! – Oops, that doesn’t sound good at all!

This is why my number one present, right now, has to be the one for my husband. I figured in few years of marriage it could change, but for now I do want to be his number one present as well- still doesn’t sound good!
The result to all this it’s me trying to capture everything is in his mind every time he watches something in some store, or when he comments some TV commercial – full time job from August to December!

But the other day I was hit by a brainwave: do you need the perfect present for him? Look in the kids section!
I was surfing the Internet, and I found the 20 Hot Toys for Christmas 2010. I do not have any kids, but I found few things that I could really consider to buy for my husband!

I know he would enjoy the first present on the list: the XBox Kinect. I guess it’s the new one, with no controllers. He says “Cool” every time we pass by to the store, and he seems to forget we have Nintendo Wii at home that we never use!

I know he would also have fun with the NERF N-Strike Stampede ECS Blaster “serious power is what most kids have been searching for” even if in the picture the guy that is using it is probably 17 – at least!

I skip quickly memory games, because I know they could give me hope and then break my heart. Memory is not a man skill!

However in the teen section I found lots of interesting. In his defence – and all men’s defence – I have to say that in this list there are items that can be good for adults as well.
Since he doesn’t have the possibility to buy a real one,  I know he would enjoy to play around with a Razor Pocket Rocket Miniature Electric Bike, or even worst with the Flybar or FlyJumpers. Good thing we don’t have a back yard.

I refuse to talk about video games. The reason is simple: the list would be too long, and  when he’s going to read my post, he will look at me upset and tell me: “You forgot Dragon Age” instead of “I am not a kid”!
That will make me smile knowing I got the PERFECT present for him!

P.S. To my husband: this is only a post! It will not be any video game for you under the Christmas tree!
If you don’t know what to get me, click here!

WARNING – A small but still remarkable percentage of readers found my previous post 10 things I don’t understand about Canada (and Usa???) offensive, and commented “You’ve been very insulting to a country that has welcomed you with open arms”. Replying that I have been talking about cinnamon and air-conditioned, and of course my post was ironic – like thousands for readers understood and wrote me about – I have to warn you. This post may contain humor that may not be suitable for an audience with unexpressed anger, lack of a sense of humor, lack of self-criticism, and serious disposition for conspiracy.

- If you find toilet paper in public restrooms, consider yourself very lucky. In fact Italian women always keep a small tissue pack in their purses for this reason.

- Lunch is a meal. It’s not a sandwich or a salad to go, it’s a meal. That’s why we need to go home for lunch and close all stores and offices between 12:30pm and 3 or 4pm. Do you want to shop at lunch time? Too bad!

- If you decide for some unknown reason to drive in Italy, be aware that motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles share the road with cars. Be ready to see them  zipping by on your left and right on a one-lane road. Be also ready to hit the throttle as soon as the light turns green: if you don’t, somebody could come to knock to your window with a rod that is usually in a car for all eventualities. No right turn on red! Also, if you see somebody moving his hands towards talking to you, DO NOT STOP your vehicle: that is not Italian gesture, it’s Italian threat! Good luck with the road signs!

- Pedestrians risk their life every day! They are actually a species threatened with extinction since everybody with a driver’s license owns a car. Too bad for you if you don’t have one, nobody is going to let you cross the street, no matter if it’s raining, if the light is green, or if you are old and with a walking stick.

- From early age, you have to wear designer clothes to be socially accepted, which makes the whole society pretty superficial and judgemental.

-  Soccer it’s a very big deal: if you wear your soccer t-shirt in the wrong city you are clearly asking to get beat up. Do not go to the stadium with kids. Do not  – EVER – say that a team is going to win or score before the end of the match: that’s considered bad luck, and people will really believe it’s your fault no matter what happens. Italians are all soccer coaches: they know better than everybody else who should play for their team.

- We do not go to church every week (or every month, only for weddings) and if we have a cross on our neck it’s probably just a fashion statement. Soccer it’s our religion, and sex is our salvation.

- Women watching is a national sport, the most important after soccer, and before eating. They look at you in a persistent way no matter what, and who is with you.

- There are things you are expected to be able to do by your 10th birthday: swimming, riding a bike, drinking grappa and play soccer (if you are a boy) or know your dream is to marry a soccer player and dance naked on TV (if you are a girl).

- If you are ready to dance naked you will get on TV in no time. We do not care about information. We cannot talk about politics, it’s just not nice to criticize somebody else’s womens….I mean work! It’s not nice! So if you watch TV you will see naked women and sexy commercials. Not that violent garbage you bad guys have in North America!

Italy is just a lot of stuff. It’s true, I did leave my country, and from time to time it disappoints me from time to time, but It’s my country. It gave me the “Italian glasses” that raised me and made me become who I am.

Read my controversial post 10 things I don’t understand about Canada.

Don’t miss what I learned in Canada about Italian people (coming up on my blog).

WARNING – A small but still remarkable percentage of readers found this post offensive, and somebody commented “You’ve been very insulting to a country that has welcomed you with open arms”. Replying that I have been talking about cinnamon and air-conditioned, and of course my post was ironic – like thousands for readers understood and wrote me about – I have to warn you. This post may contain humor that may not be suitable for an audience with unexpressed anger, lack of a sense of humor, lack of self-criticism, and serious disposition for conspiracy.

For all the people who missed my presentation (you can read here) everything came to my mind with the realization that every one of us wear a pair of glasses that filter the world around us. From here, with my “Italian glasses“, the top 10 things I do not understand about Canada.

First of all, I’d like to say that I’m talking about Canada because it’s been 5 years now that I have been living here. However, I won’t exclude that some of these things happen in the United States as well, which will make my post even more interesting!

Canada is a very great country, but there are things I really have a hard time to understand:

1. First of all, taxes. The reason is simple: if you have $5 in your wallet, and you want to buy something that costs $5, think twice. You can’t! In fact, due to Canadian taxes, the price of an item is NEVER what you read on the tag. This makes everything very….. frustrating!

2. Air conditioning. Ok, this is not only something that I don’t understand, but also a big issue. What is wrong with you people???  Why do I have to take with me a jacket in the summer  just to go to the grocery store? And keep a sweater at work because it’s so cold that I have goosebumps? This is much more than a fresh breeze in the hot muggy summer (which it’s not the reason why Canada is famous since probably there is a summer every 4 years) but we are talking about a strong polar storm that gets you as soon as the sliding doors open!!!! I don’t get it!

3. Last minute plans. “You know how Canadians are”! This is a typical sentence that comes up when we are talking about booking an appointment, meeting or even a dinner with friends with weeks in advance! “What about a brunch next mont?” Next month????? I suppose I will be still around, and I also suppose we will still be friends in a months time. However I have a hard time deciding what to have for dinner later, so I’m not really sure how we can do this. How about you call me whenever you are ready?!

4. Seal hunt. In Canada you can hunt pretty much everything. This is very disappointing. I have always considered this country one of the best in regards of green living. There are beautiful landscapes,  one-tenth of the world’s forests, and most of the people seem to care about the environment. They have wonderful people like David Suzuki who certainly said pretty important things about the country and the Planet. However sometimes I wonder if it’s all just in my head, if Canada is just as bad as any other country. For example, did you know that the federal government wants to put a price tag on polar bears???

5. Hockey vs. Soccer/football. I know you are already smiling, so let me get to the point: Canadians  don’t think soccer is a real sport! They make fun of soccer players because they fall down and complain like little girls while they play hockey and are tough! So tough that when they don’t play hockey they get busy pushing freaking teapots on ice with a big broom thinking that’s fun to play and to see.  They call it curling and play it on TV for hours! Well, let me tell you something: that is not a sport either, and for sure it’s not tough, it’s just insane!

6. Monarchy. Italy has really nothing to teach anybody about politics and democracy. In any case the presence of a monarchy in a country like Canada seems today something with not too much sense.

7. Everybody’s sorry. Coming from a country where it’s easier to get naked than to apologize about something, one of the first things you notice about Canadian people is that they say “I’m sorry” in any occasion, no matter what! Sometimes makes you think how kind these people are, other times….what are you guys so sorry about??!!

8. Cinnamon. This is another Canadian obsession: in cookies, soups, coffees, cakes, meat, pretty much everywhere! There is so much cinnamon in Canada that you can smell it when you walk on the street! I have never been a fan of this spice, but it never bother me at all because I have never lived completely surrounded by it!!!

9. Style. I’m sorry to say this, but Canadians have no sense of style! While it’s very nice to live in a country where nobody judges you for the way you dress – should I say “for your fashion crimes”??? – it can really be disturbing sometimes to watch! It really took me lots of work and energies, but it made me a better and more tolerant person. Still, not style! It really would take not much to understand that just because you have a designer bag it DOES NOT mean you have style!

10. Complains about weather. You have not excuses! I am Italian, born and grew up on an island where you can go to the beach pretty much 6 month per year. I have the right to complain about Canadian winter, and I don’t really do it. Why? Because it’s winter, and you are in Canada for God shake…. what do you aspect? Try not to wear t-shirt and flip-flop while it’s snowing, that could help you! Yes, I understand you are tough and you like hockey and not soccer…. So how come, after 6 month of winter (read snow, snow storm, -30ºC) if we pass +20ºC you tough guys melt like ice-cream on a bbq grill and lose your mind complaining about the heat??? Let me ask you: did you go to Florida in February only to make your co-workers upset and actually spent the whole week in your hotel room with AC watching curling on We-are-tough channel???

Ok, come on, where is your sense of humor???

Well, let me say that Canada it’s a great county, and that my “Italian glasses” don’t always make me see things in the right way. I’m learning. However, there are things I will never understand.

For all the people who now want a revenge, it’s coming! So don’t miss the things you need to know about Italy + the things I learned in Canada about Italian people (coming up on my blog).