Category: Viaggi

It rains where it’s already wet!

I went to the office of an air company to ask information regarding a ticket to Europe.
They were kind and efficient.
I asked about possible discounts and they answered that special prices are available for diplomats and UN people.
An ill-proportioned salary and a combination of different privileges are not sufficient for them, they also pay less to travel.
The existence of those advantages, benefits and rewards tend to reproduce that world where someone is in and the others stay out.
It appeals to factors stronger than the financial ones, those of status, class, privilege.

digestione

Screen life


It?s a strange way of life. The relation with the local environment mediated by the window, at home or in the car.

Because of security, for lack of energy, as it is more simple this way.

Form time to time, some relax in the garden, swimming pool and ping pong, even more distant from here.

Around the office the bats fly around in huge groups, and I wonder if they create the same problems as for petrol stations in Piazza Esedra.

‘o Vesuvio

I was urged to write something interesting, because I am preparing a collection of 2004 blog’s notes as a Christmas gift for the family (“how mean” someone will comment).

And it had to be robust and appealing, as the last inputs have been quite weak.

And obviously an image was needed, because images make a better blog (and for sure a better gift).

Then, this is the Vesuvio volcano.

But I do not know what to say.

Bruxelles

Bruxelles is a quiet place. Ordered and well organised; before going out, you can check on the internet at which point is the bus you want to get.

It?s plenty of little restaurants, cafès, brasseries. People are generally courteous.

Yes, the sky is often grey, but I see the sun almost every time I come. And I come often, lately.

Volare, oh oh.

To keep the routine, I planned travelling to Italy and then to Bruxelles.

November the 17th, I bought a flight ticket to Rome by Volare, low-cost Italian company.

The cost was probably too low, as the company declared failure on the 19th.

Nobody called, no e-mail messages, but, as usual, a family information (this time coming from my sister) informing about the situation (she had bought another ticket to Paris).

It’s not my lucky month, and still there is a week to go.

War

War is a word I never thought I would be obliged to use in relation with my personal circumstances.

I considered it a concept of history to study in the books or news from faraway, to watch in the TV.

Here the war is beginning (again) ‘normally’ with no emphasis and no tragedy.

The same as it was when Italy participated in the Kosovo war.

Once again, after many years. Or perhaps not so many.

Alloco

One of the local dishes is the fried banana that you may admire below.

It’s good, it’s sweet, it’s fried and oily and wouldn’t be welcomed at the annual lunch of the World association of nutritionist.

Fried food is common on the Ivorian table, banana, igname, potatoes and any sort of meat.

Sometimes, to have a break, I have dinner with an apple.

it’s hot

OK, here is Africa, therefore it’s hot. But until now the weather was kind, not warm not fresh, and it was understandable to expect the same for the following weeks.

But not. It is hot, perhaps not as hot as in N’djamena, neither as some months in Cambodia, but quite hot. Hottish.

Luckily my new car (I have got it now, see it below) has got la clim, so that, challenging the notorious weakness of my throat, I can survive. So far.

car

new car

Thursday night I invited the friends out for dinner, to celebrate the purchase of my new car.
We went to the Lebanese restaurant and the food was very good. We had chicken marinated in garlic and lemon, the meze and some desserts.
The place was nice, the people pleasant and everything was OK.

Except for the fact that I had no new car.

After a long wait, and having in my hands the car’s documentation and the photocopy of the owner’s ID with photo, I noticed that that man was not the same I had in front of me.
He said he was a representative, I could speak with his wife, I could visit his home.
Surprised for my surprise the man left to get hold of the owner.

They are not back, so far.