Questa Vita Bella

Feb 9th 2016

NEW YORK

Well, Brooklyn to be specific. Crown Heights.

The room is small, but the bed is comfy and the roommates are sweet. There is a park nearby, a big park. It’s chilly and gray in the morning, but it’s nice. There’s a lake. It’s not Villa Pamphilj, but nothing is. Nothing will be.

Today in the elevator on the way up to the 12th floor I was standing next to another arriving workerbee. He was going to the 11th. I asked, “So, what’s on the 11th floor?”

“Web MD.”

“Oh, cool.”

And then he asked, “What’s on the 12th?”

I told him PBS, then asked him how long he’d worked in the building.

“Five years.” FIVE YEARS?! And you don’t even know who works on the floor above you? You’ve never bothered to ask? Do you have any interest in life? Life that doesn’t necessarily put more money in your bank account, but soothes your mind with common experience? Comfort, even?

These people, these business-minded-too-important-for-their-own-good-living-in-a-world-better-than-anyone-elses that don’t take the time to meet their neighbors… It baffles me! I knew every barista and baker in San Lorenzo after working there for 6 months. I just don’t get it. When did human interaction lose value? Why does everyone stick those damn earbuds in their heads and refuse to speak to each other on the subway? They just scowl, racing to some job that fills their pockets but not their hearts.

This is a very fine example of how I wanted my project to finish (the iPhone video, people staring at their phones). 

Inspiring, sad, and I want to change... But here I am typing these words while staring at my computer screen rather than talking about it with someone. Playing.  Meditating. Running. Chatting. Joking. Laughing.

Just sent my final evaluation to Prof Thomson.  One exam tomorrow, one on Tuesday, and I'm done with Spring 2014.

http://challispopkey.tumblr.com/

I have my first export completed.  Sent it to a few people in the states to get opinions.  Feels good having a real, exported, .mov file.

This week is spring break at John Cabot. This means half of the university, the study abroad students, have fled Rome and are exploring the continent of Europe.  Last year I did the same, trips to Berlin, Amsterdam, Greece, Barcelona, Mayorca, Paris, London...

My situation has changed a bit, financially and emotionally.   Giancarlo is here in Rome with me, and I love seeing him on the weekends.  We like to travel together. I'm also working both jobs, and babysitting little Mati, plus Rome to me is a spectacular vacation I get to enjoy every day. So much unknown, so much to explore.

Like this morning, I went on my daily run in Villa Pamphili.  When I got home, Daniela's mom, who is visiting from Sardinia, was preparing appetizers for our dinner tonight.  She invited me into the kitchen for a little cooking lesson "alla sarda."

First, we popped the flowers off all the zucchinis, which are the smaller light green ones.  Then we opened the flowers up and washed them out, they could be filled with bugs.  Then, the most important step, the "pastella", or batter.  Beat two eggs and slowly add flour until it gets to a pasta-like consistency. Then add milk to the point that the batter slides easily off the fork.  Then salt, to taste.  Pepper, "if there are no kids eating it."

Then start boiling the oil -- better to use vegetable or canola oil, olive oil is too heavy and too flavorful.  In the meantime, cut up small rectangles of Parmesan cheese and stick them inside the flowers.  Twist the tops shot, or the cheese will come out. If you have and like them, add sardines (we didn't).

When the oil starts to barely smoke, dip a flower in the batter, with your fingers, and lay it in the oil.  Do the same for all of the flowers, and when they start to turn golden on the outside flip them over.  They may start to mold together, thats OK, just separate them when you pull them out.  Both sides should be golden brown, not too burnt. 

Freshly fried are the best, the cheese is melted inside and the dough is light and crispy.  They are also good as cold appetizers.  Can't wait to eat them tonight, with Daniela's famous Sardinian pasta. 

Always learning. Grazie alla Nonna. Che saggezza.

Before

SNEAK PEAK! 

In the past week I've recorded the scenes of 8 actors, and myself.  Just missing my last male actor and it's time to edit. 

I have my first pieces of my "How to Speak Italian: With Your Hands!" project.  I filmed Flaminia and Claudia near the Tiber (Ponte Sisto) on Monday after class. I used the BlackMagic camera so I need to color correct the raw files, but they came out well!

I think in this way, speaking with their hands, Italians are just natural in front of the camera. We Americans maybe feel more comfortable having our lives publicized, but when it comes to body language we are definitely behind. 

Today in public speaking class Professor Connelly uttered the wisest words I've heard in my time at John Cabot. 

Connelly teaches at both the American University of Rome and John Cabot University, and a student asked him which one he would choose to attend.

He responded: "First you have to be happy geographically.  Because if you're not happy where you live, you'll never be able to commit yourself to your studies. And you're just wasting your time."

Maybe it only seems so wise to me because it's so pertinent to my life in the past six months. But it gave me shivers, in the most reassuring way possible. 

At this moment I couldn't be happier geographically. I wake up invigorated and charged every morning.

We had a great outdoor session of class today in Villa Sciarra, shooting broll footage for our tips video. Wow, Rome is gorgeous when the sun is out, I am so excited for spring. 

My tip for making your first video is to get the lighting right.  I created a darkly lit scene in the park to imitate my first video interview with Melanie Ellis of the Lane Area Ferret Shelter.  She was such a great character, as were the ferrets, and it was a shame I didn't even bring lights to the set.

Here's the video, for those who missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_W8JbS3YyA&list=UUsii46E1ZytR95VIR4A2kjQ&feature=c4-overview

I have certainly grown as a videographer.  It's nice looking back and seeing my improvements, being able to spot so many errors.  I'm going to be shooting with the nicest cinema cameras of my life on Saturday -- and I'll get the lighting right!  Hoping to shoot the 8 actors in 3 hours... is that way too ambitious? 

First Video produced for the JCU Web Communications Office, collaboration with Riccardo Pugliese.