by DHales | Feb 26, 2019 | Uncategorized
On a chilly night in February, a gigantic silver balloon rises above a Venetian canal like a moon lassoed from the sky. Dangling below, an acrobat gyrates into a spinning star. Sky ballerinas with huge butterfly wings flutter around her. Giant ten-feet-high anemones...
by DHales | Feb 21, 2019 | Books, Education, Italy, Language, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Lately I’ve been spending time with a man other than my husband — everywhere from the kitchen when I’m cooking to the car when I’m driving. His name is Manu (Emanuele) Venditti, a native Italian who lives in Australia and teaches Italian, mainly on his youtube...
by DHales | Feb 11, 2019 | Books, culture, Current Affairs, Italy, Language, Romance, Sayings and expressions, Social behavior, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
“How do I love thee?” Elizabeth Barrett Browning asked. She counted the ways in English, but the passionate Italophile may well have chosen Italian when she whispered words of love. Why not? Like love itself, a dichiarazione d’amore (declaration of love) is...
by DHales | Feb 4, 2019 | Books, culture, Italy, Language, Social behavior, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
L’astrologia Astrology “What’s your sign?” (Di che segno sei?) The classic pick-up line may sound corny in English, but it can be a good conversation starter in Italy, where l'astrologia has been popular since the time of the ancient Romans. My Italian...
by DHales | Jan 31, 2019 | Books, culture, history, Italy, Language, Religion, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
La marmotta The groundhog I have always thought of February as un grande mese (a great month) for celebrations — of the American presidents Washington and Lincoln, Valentine’s Day, Carnevale, my parents’ wedding anniversary. My birthday (il mio...
