The Toads:
Filippo, poet, actor, friend, walked in my front door followed by a tall, lanky guy I didn't know. It seems Stefan, the tall, lanky guy, was looking for toads---that's right, big, brown, squishy-looking toads---if you weren't looking for them and they weren't moving, they'd look like a pile of dog pooh. Enough of an image for ya??
Stefan is a documentary filmmaker who was scouting locations for his next documentary about Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Storms and the ecosystems related to and interrelated with them. It seems when the earthquake occurred in L'Aquila, November, 2009, all the toads left the area. When we asked, "Why?" Stefan answered, "as far as we can tell, the increased electrical current drove the toads out of the water and away." Once the earthquake and aftershocks were over, the toads returned. And it seems we have the privilege of having the same kind of toads in our lake!! Who knew?? So with a scientist in tow, Stefan was going to do a two-day shoot of our toads!
We spent a lovely hour talking of documentary filmmaking, toads, directing and Stefan's background. He began as a dancer in Paris, evolved into a choreographer, wanted a larger canvas which took him to film. Then, he needed to make a living, so he learned how to edit film, both manually and digitally, which led to directing. He now is working for a film company directing and writing documentaries, while writing and directing films of interest for himself. Ahh, the life of an independent filmmaker!!
We thought the evening held some wine, a little food, an intimate conversation with Germana and Filippo...instead, we had an evening of discovery and exchanges in French, Italian and English accompanied by movie promos and promises of dinner next week. We have since seen Stefan twice, briefly, cuz he is working ya know, but we've got dvds of his work and his career to follow.
If we hadn't opened the door....
LTS, or Loren of the Train Station:
We were on our way to Bologna by train to catch the flight to Cyprus. The train was in retardo by 50 minutes or so, not unusual by Italian standards, so we entertained ourselves by walking up and down the train tracks looking at people. There are mostly Italians in our area, so we were surprised when a young woman--looking very Italian, I might add--asked us in English where we were from. Loren is from Manhattan, living with an Italian family for three months, teaching the kids English.
That's as far as it went when the train arrived....but I couldn't get her out of my head. What if she needed an American contact while here in Porto San Giorgio? What if something happened and she needed someone to intercede or help or stand up for her?? so I traversed the train and gave her our Calling Card (how very Victorian of us, huh?) That way she'd have our contact information in case she needed it.
LTS, a strong, independent, young woman, got in touch. We've had the pleasure of dinner with her several times, we met her parents, lovely people, and we've kept in email contact. LTS doesn't need us to intercede or help or stand up for her, she needed another set of American ears and eyes to help decipher this culture, to bounce ideas off of, to just talk. We had great fun; she's entertaining and bright and articulate with lots of life experiences and huge decisions in her future. How lucky are we to be a little part of that???
If I hadn't taken our Calling Card to the other end of the train....
Life on the Edge, or, Beyond my Comfort Zone:
The eight months we spent here last year were probably the lonliest 8 months of my life....I had my Gary, of course, but I contend one person alone can never fulfill all the needs of another. I need other people, lots of other people, in my life. I need exchanges that challenge, that titillate, that inform, that engross....the only way to ensure that is to put myself out there.
So, although I am fundamentally shy (because I hate rejection), I have girded my loins and stuck out my hand, handed out my card, began a conversation, asked a question...and I have been rewarded. By Katerina with whom I go to yoga and talk about art, by Gaye who shares my love for literature, by Elaine who is forthright and honest, by David and Lisa who open their home and hearts and love for Le Marche and share with us, by Luciana who stops and talks with me, no matter how busy she is, by Ian who is unravelling the mysteries of Tai Chi for us....
By Lynne and Germana and Sherri and Curly and Natan and Dicky and Federico and Anna Maria and John and Angela....
The toads (those lovely, lovely toads) come to the door, right up to the front door, and I have chosen to open it and let them in.
Filippo, poet, actor, friend, walked in my front door followed by a tall, lanky guy I didn't know. It seems Stefan, the tall, lanky guy, was looking for toads---that's right, big, brown, squishy-looking toads---if you weren't looking for them and they weren't moving, they'd look like a pile of dog pooh. Enough of an image for ya??
Stefan is a documentary filmmaker who was scouting locations for his next documentary about Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Storms and the ecosystems related to and interrelated with them. It seems when the earthquake occurred in L'Aquila, November, 2009, all the toads left the area. When we asked, "Why?" Stefan answered, "as far as we can tell, the increased electrical current drove the toads out of the water and away." Once the earthquake and aftershocks were over, the toads returned. And it seems we have the privilege of having the same kind of toads in our lake!! Who knew?? So with a scientist in tow, Stefan was going to do a two-day shoot of our toads!
We spent a lovely hour talking of documentary filmmaking, toads, directing and Stefan's background. He began as a dancer in Paris, evolved into a choreographer, wanted a larger canvas which took him to film. Then, he needed to make a living, so he learned how to edit film, both manually and digitally, which led to directing. He now is working for a film company directing and writing documentaries, while writing and directing films of interest for himself. Ahh, the life of an independent filmmaker!!
We thought the evening held some wine, a little food, an intimate conversation with Germana and Filippo...instead, we had an evening of discovery and exchanges in French, Italian and English accompanied by movie promos and promises of dinner next week. We have since seen Stefan twice, briefly, cuz he is working ya know, but we've got dvds of his work and his career to follow.
If we hadn't opened the door....
LTS, or Loren of the Train Station:
We were on our way to Bologna by train to catch the flight to Cyprus. The train was in retardo by 50 minutes or so, not unusual by Italian standards, so we entertained ourselves by walking up and down the train tracks looking at people. There are mostly Italians in our area, so we were surprised when a young woman--looking very Italian, I might add--asked us in English where we were from. Loren is from Manhattan, living with an Italian family for three months, teaching the kids English.
That's as far as it went when the train arrived....but I couldn't get her out of my head. What if she needed an American contact while here in Porto San Giorgio? What if something happened and she needed someone to intercede or help or stand up for her?? so I traversed the train and gave her our Calling Card (how very Victorian of us, huh?) That way she'd have our contact information in case she needed it.
LTS, a strong, independent, young woman, got in touch. We've had the pleasure of dinner with her several times, we met her parents, lovely people, and we've kept in email contact. LTS doesn't need us to intercede or help or stand up for her, she needed another set of American ears and eyes to help decipher this culture, to bounce ideas off of, to just talk. We had great fun; she's entertaining and bright and articulate with lots of life experiences and huge decisions in her future. How lucky are we to be a little part of that???
If I hadn't taken our Calling Card to the other end of the train....
Life on the Edge, or, Beyond my Comfort Zone:
The eight months we spent here last year were probably the lonliest 8 months of my life....I had my Gary, of course, but I contend one person alone can never fulfill all the needs of another. I need other people, lots of other people, in my life. I need exchanges that challenge, that titillate, that inform, that engross....the only way to ensure that is to put myself out there.
So, although I am fundamentally shy (because I hate rejection), I have girded my loins and stuck out my hand, handed out my card, began a conversation, asked a question...and I have been rewarded. By Katerina with whom I go to yoga and talk about art, by Gaye who shares my love for literature, by Elaine who is forthright and honest, by David and Lisa who open their home and hearts and love for Le Marche and share with us, by Luciana who stops and talks with me, no matter how busy she is, by Ian who is unravelling the mysteries of Tai Chi for us....
By Lynne and Germana and Sherri and Curly and Natan and Dicky and Federico and Anna Maria and John and Angela....
The toads (those lovely, lovely toads) come to the door, right up to the front door, and I have chosen to open it and let them in.
