I also went yesterday with Paola to a pool she goes to, not far from where I hope to be living soon. It's a very nice gym center and I hope to be able to subscribe and go there once I'm settled.
Since my stuff isnt here and it's getting cold, I went shopping today, bought an Italian suit in an outlet of Max Mara. Nice stuff and not terribly expensive.
Tomorrow I hope to go to an antique's market near the canals here (navigli).
So you see I keep busy. Monday - it's back to work... but only for two days. Hope you're all well.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Oriana Fallaci a pool and shopping
Im using the computer at the hotel so don't have much time to write. Today, I went to see an exhibit on the life of Oriana Fallaci, the Italian journalist who lived a very interesting life, went to dangerous places like Vietnam, Lebanon and other places and wrote about them, interviewed Sharon during the Lebanon war and many others. She became very anti fundamentalist Islam after 9.11 Seems she was also a big feminist. Fascinating life. A few links to more info about Fallaci: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriana_Fallaci, http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/06/05/060605fa_fact
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Raining in Milan
It's raining here in Milan and it got cold all of a sudden. I don't have much clothes for colder weather. I will probably have to go out and buy stuff, shoes and shirts with long sleeves - unless it gets warmer again. I don't imagine that my stuff will arrive fast enough for me to get to my winter clothes in time, but who knows? miracles happen sometimes.
Today I went with Gili (the one whom I met on the street - sister of Ronit from the Export Institute, studying here) to an interesting exhibition of photographs by Gian Paolo Barbieri - a big fashion photographer. He's taken countless pictures for Vogue with beautiful, famous models whom he got all dressed up and staged them in special ways. I liked his black and white pictures better, something almost startling about his color photos (very vivid colors). The thing is - the people photographed are so beautiful - and most of us aren't, it's depressing that these become the standard of what's beautiful. There were also some great photos of Audrey Hepburn, Nurayev, Sofia Loren, Angelica Houston. Interesting.
It's fashion week here, as I already mentioned and there's this ad on the streets of this model who is suffering from anorexia - the ad is actually against these same standards of beauty and slimness which make models eat too little, use drugs and so on, in an effort to stay thin enough to fit the standards required.
What else? Am reading Meir Shalev's "Al Yona va Na'ar" (on a pigeon and a young man). I've never read Meir Shalev's books before. I'm told he has better books than this one, but so far I'm enjoying it very much. His use of Hebrew is great and it also feels like he's properly researched the topics he's writing about.
Am still eating ice cream. Out of this world. It seems the Italians have gone into the European mode of winter regarding ice cream - no ice cream, you might catch a cold....
Tomorrow, I'm going to check out the English book stores (maybe I should be reading in Italian?!) there seems to be 4 or 5 bookstores dedicated to books in English. Might also go to a pool with Paola.
Got to run. Bye for now.
Today I went with Gili (the one whom I met on the street - sister of Ronit from the Export Institute, studying here) to an interesting exhibition of photographs by Gian Paolo Barbieri - a big fashion photographer. He's taken countless pictures for Vogue with beautiful, famous models whom he got all dressed up and staged them in special ways. I liked his black and white pictures better, something almost startling about his color photos (very vivid colors). The thing is - the people photographed are so beautiful - and most of us aren't, it's depressing that these become the standard of what's beautiful. There were also some great photos of Audrey Hepburn, Nurayev, Sofia Loren, Angelica Houston. Interesting.
It's fashion week here, as I already mentioned and there's this ad on the streets of this model who is suffering from anorexia - the ad is actually against these same standards of beauty and slimness which make models eat too little, use drugs and so on, in an effort to stay thin enough to fit the standards required.
What else? Am reading Meir Shalev's "Al Yona va Na'ar" (on a pigeon and a young man). I've never read Meir Shalev's books before. I'm told he has better books than this one, but so far I'm enjoying it very much. His use of Hebrew is great and it also feels like he's properly researched the topics he's writing about.
Am still eating ice cream. Out of this world. It seems the Italians have gone into the European mode of winter regarding ice cream - no ice cream, you might catch a cold....
Tomorrow, I'm going to check out the English book stores (maybe I should be reading in Italian?!) there seems to be 4 or 5 bookstores dedicated to books in English. Might also go to a pool with Paola.
Got to run. Bye for now.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Succot and apartments
So, looks like I've found an apartment. I've decided to take the one that's a bit farther away from the office, where Paola lives. It's got parking and a park nearby, it's quiet (really quiet, not the closed windows type of quiet) and the buildings are relatively new (about 5 years). I hope I'll be warm enough in the winter and not hot in the summer. Also, hopefully, I'll be happy there. Now I've got to deal with the approval of the security people, signing a contract, and getting my stuff. I hope this goes smoothly. I'll be happy to leave the hotel. There's nothing wrong with it - just seems I'm not really a hotel person (I meet many business people, mostly men, who don't seem to mind hotels, for me there's something very impersonal about them that doesn't make me very happy). Also, I'll be much closer in town than before which is also nice. These trips back and forth to Milano Due are not my cup of tea (which, by the way, hasn't changed from the time I was in the army schlepping back and forth from J-lem to Tel Aviv and back, at least at the beginning).
Looks like winter or at least fall is here. It started raining in the middle of the night - lightening, thunderstorms, and a lot of rain. and the temp. dropped considerably. The lights kept turning on and off in the hotel room. creepy. There seems to be a leak in my office from a terrace above our office. Hopefully, it's nothing major (we will have to deal with it during the holiday it seems so we don't come back and find a lake here. Also, I really don't want my new computer to get wet...). It's fashion week in Milan and there are many well dressed people walking around (actually, everyone seems to be well dressed here...). I hope it doesn't get too cold before my stuff arrives - I'll have to buy at least fall clothes otherwise.
That's about it. I hope to go see a photo exhbition and something on Oriana Fallaci (i hope that's how the name is spelt). In the meantime, hag sameach to everyone. and do write. I really like getting your comments, mail, etc.
Looks like winter or at least fall is here. It started raining in the middle of the night - lightening, thunderstorms, and a lot of rain. and the temp. dropped considerably. The lights kept turning on and off in the hotel room. creepy. There seems to be a leak in my office from a terrace above our office. Hopefully, it's nothing major (we will have to deal with it during the holiday it seems so we don't come back and find a lake here. Also, I really don't want my new computer to get wet...). It's fashion week in Milan and there are many well dressed people walking around (actually, everyone seems to be well dressed here...). I hope it doesn't get too cold before my stuff arrives - I'll have to buy at least fall clothes otherwise.
That's about it. I hope to go see a photo exhbition and something on Oriana Fallaci (i hope that's how the name is spelt). In the meantime, hag sameach to everyone. and do write. I really like getting your comments, mail, etc.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Apartments and a few other things
Hi Folks,
I wrote some things yesterday but they actually disappeared (it was a draft but seemed to have gotten lost somewhere inside the blog system). This will be a short entry because I've got to go back to the end of the world where my hotel is and it takes forever in the evening.
I'm still searching for an apartment. The two apartments which were serious candidates turned out to be noisy - motorcycles, trams, buses, cars, and.... church bells. I was told that this is life in the big city so I said, OK, but one can live on a side road, not ON the main street... So the search goes on. There is also the issue of the "box" a parking place for a car - the woman from the tourism office gave up on a car, but I don't think I want to give up on this one. And, the question of air conditioning - they're coming to the realization here in Milan that one does need air conditioning. That it's hotter than it seems and one would be happier if one had air conditioning in one's apartment....
Tomorrow I give my first presentation - which is another reason why I need to start the trip back to the hotel - so I can get a good night's rest and also prepare myself for this presentation. I hope it goes well.
Other than this - there are a million things to do here, workwise, I'm trying to keep track of everything.
The ice cream here definitely lives up to my expectations...
Shana tova to everyone, gmar hatima tova. and thanks for bearing with me, being patient with my very brief replies and reading my blog. I promise to go back to writing more extensively once I'm settled in a place of my own.
I wrote some things yesterday but they actually disappeared (it was a draft but seemed to have gotten lost somewhere inside the blog system). This will be a short entry because I've got to go back to the end of the world where my hotel is and it takes forever in the evening.
I'm still searching for an apartment. The two apartments which were serious candidates turned out to be noisy - motorcycles, trams, buses, cars, and.... church bells. I was told that this is life in the big city so I said, OK, but one can live on a side road, not ON the main street... So the search goes on. There is also the issue of the "box" a parking place for a car - the woman from the tourism office gave up on a car, but I don't think I want to give up on this one. And, the question of air conditioning - they're coming to the realization here in Milan that one does need air conditioning. That it's hotter than it seems and one would be happier if one had air conditioning in one's apartment....
Tomorrow I give my first presentation - which is another reason why I need to start the trip back to the hotel - so I can get a good night's rest and also prepare myself for this presentation. I hope it goes well.
Other than this - there are a million things to do here, workwise, I'm trying to keep track of everything.
The ice cream here definitely lives up to my expectations...
Shana tova to everyone, gmar hatima tova. and thanks for bearing with me, being patient with my very brief replies and reading my blog. I promise to go back to writing more extensively once I'm settled in a place of my own.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Rosh Hashana and apartments
OK folks. I'm going to try and write a blog instead of sending you mails. I'm new to this media so I would appreciate your comments and suggestions to make it easier and more interesting to read.
Right now, I'm waiting to see an apartment not far from here (where is here you might ask? I'm sitting in the office typing - but I swear this is all I'm doing here, no work today). I saw a nice apartment this morning. It's in a completely different area from the other one I'm considering. It's in an old building but completely refurbished. There's a nice portiere lady downstairs who I'm told is there all the time (I think she might live there). The apartment if on the 4th out of 5 floors which would probably make the security people happier. It's got one big bedroom and one smaller, a big living and dining room. It's sunny. The owner is willing to put in air conditioning with no extra cost to me, but there's no "box" (what's a box you wonder - a special parking place for the car) - so either you park on the street or you reserve a place in a lot nearby for about 150 euros a month. It's not the best deal, but it might work. It's slightly smaller than the other apartment, or at least feels like it, but the agency is nicer (I had a Danish lady who came to show me the apartment and there's no games with the price - that is, everything's included). One other problem - it's on a relatively big throughway, no trams but quite a bit of traffic. It seems a more international area than the other area I was looking into. There are Brits in the apartment above.
What else happened since my last mail? For the holiday meal I went with the rep. of Keren Hayesod and his family to an Israeli family - some people working for Alcatel. They were a start up bought by Alcatel. There were two others from the start up at the dinner and Kabat (security guy) El Al and his family. A lot of noise but a friendly lively dinner. They did "brachot" in the way we do it because the guy is of Sepharadi origin. But we ate figs instead of dates and no pumpkin. Tons of food.
The next day I went for lunch with a Jewish family here through a connection of my uncle - the Nissim-s. I didn't ask who they were in advance which could have been a problem. Luckily, I wore a sporty suit and not jeans... They turned out to be this very rich family - in the diamond business. The flower arrangement on the table alone was worth easily more than 100 euros... To say nothing of the jewellery they were wearing. The women in the family design jewellery. They were very lively and friendly. Told me a lot about Jewish life in Milan. The food was Persian. I hope I can maintain the connection with them without being considered a gold digger. They seem to be well connected in the community.
Then yesterday evening I was invited to a kidush in the hotel by the unofficial head of the Jewish community in Milano Due (where my hotel is). The guy has been living in the hotel for... 30 years!! I don't know how he does this. I've been there for 2 and a half weeks and am having trouble dealing with it (there's nothing wrong with it, it's just so impersonal...). Anyway, he got some young Rabbi from Jerusalem who can't see but doesn't wear glasses to come over and do the hag for/with them. He had another guy come to this small Kidush. He's been living in Milano for 50 years or so. He fought in the Independence War in Israel, from Bulgaria. An opera singer. Claims to have been a friend of Pavarotti's... A bizarre occasion. I'm glad I know what to do in a kidush. The opera singer didn't which was a bit of an embarrassment. But I left before the gefiltefish...
This evening, I'm invited to dinner at Paola's. She used to work here. She's a good friend and I like her. Also, I'm going to hear a concert this evening, so some culture as well.
I went to the Ambrosio (I think that's the name) library where they have some of Leonardo's notebooks. The pages they had on display from his notes are beautiful to look at. There's also one of his paintings (the Musician) and a few other good paintings (Carravagio, Raphael, and others). The building is also nice (like many Italian buildings).
I'm sampling many ice cream parlours. Haven't found the ONE yet but all are very nice.
That's about it for now. Got to go already. Will write more soon. and I'd love to hear your comments - as always.
Right now, I'm waiting to see an apartment not far from here (where is here you might ask? I'm sitting in the office typing - but I swear this is all I'm doing here, no work today). I saw a nice apartment this morning. It's in a completely different area from the other one I'm considering. It's in an old building but completely refurbished. There's a nice portiere lady downstairs who I'm told is there all the time (I think she might live there). The apartment if on the 4th out of 5 floors which would probably make the security people happier. It's got one big bedroom and one smaller, a big living and dining room. It's sunny. The owner is willing to put in air conditioning with no extra cost to me, but there's no "box" (what's a box you wonder - a special parking place for the car) - so either you park on the street or you reserve a place in a lot nearby for about 150 euros a month. It's not the best deal, but it might work. It's slightly smaller than the other apartment, or at least feels like it, but the agency is nicer (I had a Danish lady who came to show me the apartment and there's no games with the price - that is, everything's included). One other problem - it's on a relatively big throughway, no trams but quite a bit of traffic. It seems a more international area than the other area I was looking into. There are Brits in the apartment above.
What else happened since my last mail? For the holiday meal I went with the rep. of Keren Hayesod and his family to an Israeli family - some people working for Alcatel. They were a start up bought by Alcatel. There were two others from the start up at the dinner and Kabat (security guy) El Al and his family. A lot of noise but a friendly lively dinner. They did "brachot" in the way we do it because the guy is of Sepharadi origin. But we ate figs instead of dates and no pumpkin. Tons of food.
The next day I went for lunch with a Jewish family here through a connection of my uncle - the Nissim-s. I didn't ask who they were in advance which could have been a problem. Luckily, I wore a sporty suit and not jeans... They turned out to be this very rich family - in the diamond business. The flower arrangement on the table alone was worth easily more than 100 euros... To say nothing of the jewellery they were wearing. The women in the family design jewellery. They were very lively and friendly. Told me a lot about Jewish life in Milan. The food was Persian. I hope I can maintain the connection with them without being considered a gold digger. They seem to be well connected in the community.
Then yesterday evening I was invited to a kidush in the hotel by the unofficial head of the Jewish community in Milano Due (where my hotel is). The guy has been living in the hotel for... 30 years!! I don't know how he does this. I've been there for 2 and a half weeks and am having trouble dealing with it (there's nothing wrong with it, it's just so impersonal...). Anyway, he got some young Rabbi from Jerusalem who can't see but doesn't wear glasses to come over and do the hag for/with them. He had another guy come to this small Kidush. He's been living in Milano for 50 years or so. He fought in the Independence War in Israel, from Bulgaria. An opera singer. Claims to have been a friend of Pavarotti's... A bizarre occasion. I'm glad I know what to do in a kidush. The opera singer didn't which was a bit of an embarrassment. But I left before the gefiltefish...
This evening, I'm invited to dinner at Paola's. She used to work here. She's a good friend and I like her. Also, I'm going to hear a concert this evening, so some culture as well.
I went to the Ambrosio (I think that's the name) library where they have some of Leonardo's notebooks. The pages they had on display from his notes are beautiful to look at. There's also one of his paintings (the Musician) and a few other good paintings (Carravagio, Raphael, and others). The building is also nice (like many Italian buildings).
I'm sampling many ice cream parlours. Haven't found the ONE yet but all are very nice.
That's about it for now. Got to go already. Will write more soon. and I'd love to hear your comments - as always.