Un-United we stand!

We (Italians) are one of the most fascinating breeds on earth! We love to complain, and whine, and scream! We do always look good while doing so, because we are quite stylish and fashionable! Last month we went to vote and guess what? Nobody won! We are so "perfectly" divided in Italy that we can't even win an election, whether would the winner be an insane comedian, a multi-millionaire who has commited several crimes or a not so charismatic guy who loves to speak by metaphores! What is the problem? Is it that we are so tired we don't even care about who we vote for any longer? Is it that the choices were not so exciting? Why is it so hard to bring in some change? And when I talk about change I'm not chanting in ode to the mad/sad comedian! When the new mayor of Milan was elected in 2011 I went to Duomo square to celebrate with my friends. It was exhilariting, contagious, and I got an optimistic look back on my native country. I thought, that after all, maybe it could happen here too... maybe inside of me I was telling myself "Yes We Can"! It's a strange feeling for me being able to vote for two countries that are so different in their political ways. Anyway, going back to the reason of my worries and disbelief is the result of this past election. I can't believe it really happened, I can't believe that "we" don't know what we want! Adn since we don't know, and our political representive keep arguing and playing as kids at the playground, our President decided he had enough of this crap and he thought that he better give back the lead of the country to the one who had the least votes along with 10 "wise men"... no joke! They call them "the 10 wise men"! (we are in the land of the Pope after all!!!). So now we are back again with a Technical Government, rather than a political one that seems to have temper tantrums, and it will be lead by people who are mostly experts in finance, economics and such... not bad as a background... but maybe it would be nice if they had a clue about politics too!?!?!? And what about women??? Why aren't there any "wise women"??? I was quite delighted at the election of Laura Boldrini as President of Camera dei Deputati, a woman with a very extensive and succesful experience in politics and nonetheless in the UN. So now what? Now we will have to go vote again! Italian politics are a little like the games you play as a child and you almost always end up getting "sorry, try again, next time you'll be more lucky!". Will people forget who they voted for in two months and get an amazing new result?

Melancholic 2nd goodbye...

Once upon a time... or should I say twice upon a time, I moved to the US, the second time indeed to Florida. I was not too keen to be moving back to the US, quite honestly it was very stressful to leave behind (again) my family, friends and beautiful island. It was a deja-vue all too familiar to me... having to meet and make new friends over and over again, it has been my way of life since a very young age (oddly enough now it's the only way I cna see myself!). First landed in Panama City FL... WOW... just beautiful from a nature perspective.... gorgeous beaches, and doplhins, and birds of all shapes, sizes and colors... and NOTHING else! I decided that if Florida had to be my temporary home, then it had to be a little bigger than that. In within a couple of months I moved to Orlando. Although I always knew that it was a teporary fix, it was much bigger, it was much more multi-cultural and I found a job, that little I knew would have brought into my life some of my closest friends ever, the kind you call family! I started to work at British Airways Tours as a call center agent, I argued on the phone with people who wanted to book a room in Paris with the ocean view! or even better they wanted to get a euro-train pass to go from London to France (that's still ok and possible), to Africa and maybe Mexico! What?!?!? That's when I would put them on hold, gently hang up on them and go for a ciggy break with my awesome friends. Then what heppened? I actually got promoted to be a Trainer and I loved it!!! I got to travel a lot and I loved it!!! I got even closer to my Floridian circle of friends and I loved it!!! As all stories though, it had to end... British Airways Tours shut down and relocated to Jacksonville. I travelled that road so many times, Orlando-Jacksonville, Jacksonville-Orlando, through good times and bad times, blasting the music in my blue little Isuzu Amigo so loud that my ears would be ringing at the end of the ride. Listening to Moby, Outkast, Manu Chao and Madonna over and over and over. It was a little clip of my life, a little videoclip that included some wonderful people that luckily I still have in my life despite the distance. Why am I sharing all this? Because one of us, one of the friends from my treasured circle of trust, still works there and now she told me they are once again shutting down! It's so sad... I left that job in 2002, but I still have nice memories of it. It makes me sad that my friend and all the other people that worked so hard there are going to be left home! And it's all because of globalization, money, capitalism, money... eventually we become too expensive for large companies and they need to relocate where the dirty work is cheaper. Is it fair?