Casualità di Natale

This is my random post; Christmas edition.  :)

First. Our holiday plans are as follows: we are spending tomorrow, which is Christmas Eve (Vigilia di Natale), with Simone's side of the family, then Christmas with Daria's family, and the day after we are going to the Selva Gardenia mountains for a family reunion with Simone's father's Swiss cousins.  (I know right?!  Italians love to celebrate with family so much that they will celebrate with that far of an extension!).  I have good reason to look forward to the next few days!

A couple weeks ago we were starting to prepare for the family reunion and Simone told me that one of his father's Swiss cousins liked to brag about how much more organized the Swiss are, compared to the Italians, and boy did he show us!  He sent us detailed information about the hotel we will be staying in, what activities (which include a thermal spa!!) will be available during the day, and an agenda that we must follow the whole time.  Simone told me that his father complained to him that he did not want to go to a mandatory men's coffee meeting at 23.00 (11pm).  Haha!  What's more?  The cousin made a ballot to vote on the menu and had taken the time to write all of our names down, along with smiley faces to rate the dishes!  This is all for a one day vacation and the pride of a very precise Swiss.  We had a really good laugh.

I am constantly trying to come up with things to entertain my aupair kids and I remembered that my favorite book, growing up, was the "The Flower Fairies" by Cicely Mary Barker.  It's an adorable, creative book with beautiful drawings of fairies representing seasonal flowers.  Sara loved it and wrote it down in her letter to Baby Jesus.

Daria grew up believing that Baby Jesus brings her gifts on Christmas instead of Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) so her kids believe the same; very strongly I might add.  Since most everyone else around them believes in Santa they are really anti-Babbo.

 I discovered that Italians have the option to get their house blessed by a priest every year before Christmas. Che bello! How nice!

We got a girls day a little while ago, to do some shopping and the nanny came along with us too!  It was fun!  I was glad we invited the nanny because I felt bad she just comes to work and that's all, even though she's a big part of this family.

I am now confident in my relationship with Alina, the nanny.  We exchanged Christmas gifts this morning and it was so cute!  She gave me a beautiful gold necklace with black accents, and I gave her a decorated candle and the best-smelling soaps from a little Christmas market around Il Duomo.

Panettone and Pandoro are the only desserts you can find right now.  Their texture is like a giant muffin and is typical of Northern Italia.  The difference between the two is Panettone is original, with raisins and candied fruits inside, while Pandoro is plain with powdered sugar ontop.  Most children prefer Pandoro.  I have no preference!

Timberland, the shoe brand, is super popular for both genders during the winter.  I never could imagine those old snow boots in the closet back home in America could be cute, but they are at least how the Italian girls wear them.

La Befana is a WAY bigger deal than I thought.  Daria had to get some last minute shopping done this past Sabato, while I explored Il Portello (the mini outdoor mall nearby) with Sara and Matteo.  We stopped by a temporary holiday store and to my surprise I found statues, stockings, any decoration imaginable, of an ugly old witch!  At first I thought they were getting mixed up with Halloween but Sara said, "Sai La Befana?", and luckily I did know of her from one book I read every year, growing up.  I guess I will have to get to know her a little better, this upcoming Epiphany!

 

Goofing around Il Portello.

The closest thing I have seen to an American mall.

Sorry about the quality! I like how this brings you into the moment though.

He is so silly!

Have you ever tried to heat up wine?  Me neither!  But this Christmas season that will change!  Peimonte (aka Peidmont, the Italian region just west of Milan) has invented vin brulé.  You take vino rosso, boil it, add spices, and ecco! (The Italian version of voila).  The most commonly added spices are cinnamon and sugar.
 
The Nativity scene in Italian is "il presepe".  It sounds like Giuseppe (Joseph) to me so before it was confusing to me why St. Joseph was so popular.  Also, their scenes are very important and therefore rather large.

A very nice presepe in a store.

One of my tutoring family's.

And ours!

I am enjoying the differences so far, if you cannot tell!  Alot more to come of course, but in the mean time..

Buon Natale, a tutti! <3

Gloria A Dio

SO.  To fill you in on my exciting news..

I met an elderly Peruvian woman and she assured me she could find me a job in Italy; no problem.  I couldn't believe how nice, carefree, and open she was with me, it felt unreal.  It was however true.

As I was waiting for my tram back home, after the Mass at Duomo, two English-speaking tourists were trying to get directions from this woman but were having alot of trouble since she only speaks Italian and Spanish.  I stepped in immediately because the futbol stadium, they were going to, was right around where I am living.  After I gave them instructions, I got on the first tram that arrived without realizing it was the wrong one.  (It's difficult to remember to check the number because there are so many numbers that pass by one stop!)  But God knew what He was doing.

The woman boarded the same tram, sat next to me, and started talking to me like I was her best friend.  She told me all about how she got transferred from Peru to Torino (Turin) because she is the human resources director of a company and also a teacher, nurse, and lawyer.  (Don't ask me how one woman could do all that in her lifetime!)  

She asked about myself afterwards, and was genuinely interested to get to know me.  The first thing I said is my memorized line, "Vorrei vivere in Italia quindi devo trovare un lavoro" ("I want to live in Italy so I have to find a job").  She looked at me, and then without any hesitations, said she could find me work.  Now, I do not know much about the legal part of working in Italy so I have been praying hard to be guided through that part and to hear that my prayers were answered, was incomprehensible.  So just like that this wonder woman took all my fears away.

She then invited me out to lunch in Chinatown (yes, Milan has a China town!) and I found out she talks to everyone who she finds simpatico (nice)!  It was really incredible to watch.  I found out she is a strong Catholic too, and she offered that I could live with her when I am finished aupairing!  I am so comfortable with her.  She has a passion for singing and dancing; no matter who is watching!  (I even found out she keeps a journal of songs she makes up to perform.)  The entire time I kept repeating "Non ci credo!" ("I don't believe this!").

After lunch, I went around with her as she did some shopping.  She kept telling the shopkeepers I was her niece and was so happy about it.  She likes giving hugs and kisses! It's the Peruvian culture. Then she invited me to dinner at her house, to meet her daughter!  (BTW if you are wondering where the heck my host family is, they were in Germany for the weekend, however Sundays are my day off!)  Her daughter, Jessica, is 36 years old and speaks a little English but we just stuck with Italian.  We enjoyed a great Spanish meal and I have been visiting them every Sunday since then.

Last week I talked to her boss on the phone and got his contact information.  He does not speak very good English but I am to meet him on Sunday, January 19th and bring all of my documents as if I am applying for work!  For some reason I am not very nervous about it.  I am fully relying on My Savior. 

It all was something else.  I know it sounds too good to be true (believe me!) but for some reason I really trust this caring woman and all I can do for now is keep praying for things to go smoothly on the 19th.  (Your prayers are welcomed too because there is nothing set in place yet!)  She later told me that she has taken three years of Psychology and knew right away, after seeing me help those tourists and looking in my eyes, that I am a good person.

When I met her, I said my little prayer of thanksgiving, "Thank you, Dear Lord, thank you so much."

I think it is only fitting that her name is Gloria.

La Santa Messa e Le Meraviglie

Last Sunday was the first one of Advent, for those who did not know already, and my host family went to Germany for the weekend.  I stayed behind because they were flying and it would have been too much trouble.  I had a wonderful start to my Advent season, however.

On Saturday I tutored three families in the morning then made a surprise visit to my past aupair family, from over the summer.  It had snowed that morning, and although it did not stick, it was COLD. However, seeing Nicoletta's reaction to me showing up would have been worth trudging through a blizzard.  She was outside playing with her neighbor friend, Sophie, and her beautiful white golden retriever named Sam.  I ran to her screaming her name like a crazy person.  I missed her and it was a happy little reunion.  I promised to make more visits especially with Christmas break around the corner.

Sunday was even better.  I had squished all those tutoring sessions in the day before so I could go to Mass at Il Duomo.  There were violet decorations and flowers surrounding the altar and many people in attendance.  I was glad to find out that they block almost all of the cathedral off to tourists on Sundays, to preserve the celebration, because that is the negative part about stunning Catholic churches.  (BTW, I no longer consider myself a tourist since I can now give directions to lost tourists...plus downtown Milan is not big at all.)  The Mass was lovely and I noticed that the lectors always ask the priest for a blessing before reading.  I think it adds a nice reverence for what is about to be said.

And on my way home, as I was enjoying such a peaceful moment, I met a woman who might just be the answer to what I am searching for, in Italy....but I will go into that later.

La Scala Teatro

I figured out how to see inside the famous theater, La Scala, without having to pay 200 Euros!  Mission accomplished.  I was hoping I would get to see it, in all it's grandeur, for myself.  And I even got to see the museum too!

 

Piazza della Scala

Giuseppe Verdi's piano

I loved this picture in the museum.