A message for Mumbai

“Religions are different roads converging to the same point. What does it matter that we take different roads, so long as we reach the same goal. Wherein is the cause for quarrelling?”

“I believe that the civilisation into which India has evolved is not to be beaten in the world. Nothing can equal the seeds sown by our ancestry. Rome went; Greece shared the same fate; the might of the Pharaohs was broken; Japan has become westernised; of China nothing can be said; but India is still, somehow or other, sound at the foundation.
Greece, Egypt, Rome — all have been erased from this world, yet we continue to exist. There is something in us, that our character never ceases from the face of this world, defying global hostility for centuries.”

“Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.”

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Source: photobucket.com

Cucina Confidential – Part 2

Ciao Bloggisti!

Due to popular demand, here’s a quick update on the kitchen situation. Yesterday, two men from Cappellini, our supplier, arrived early to start the long and arduous installation. It took them eight hours. Hopefully none of our cats were injured in the process (however, Beppa’s been missing for the last 24 hrs. Hmmm…).

Anyway, I am as pleased as punch to finally have my very own kitchen, one that my husband and I designed and that is actually younger than me. You see, our previous kitchen was a hand-me-down from the in-laws (when people move house in Italy, they usually take their kitchen furniture with them, cupboards and all). And before that I lived in rented apartments. So having a new kitchen that I could choose from top to bottom meant a lot to me.

 

There’s still some more plumbing and tiling work to do but here’s phase two of our new cucina:

 

 

View from the door. Unfortunately our pasty white dishwasher doesn’t

really match the rest of the decor. Maybe I’ll ask my son to “break” it. Heh heh!

 

My new Lofra range, big enough for a Palin turkey!

 

 

View of the junk-strewn U-shaped island

 

 

Yes, more furniture

 

 

The one bone of contention: a glass cabinet we’re not sure we really needed

 

Now, we don’t really remember whose idea the cabinet was (my husband insists it was mine. I have no recollection of making that decision whatsoever!). Anyway, it would be a good place to store wine glasses, teapots, cups, saucers, etc. The hubster thinks it’s useless and takes up valuable space. He wants to take it out asap and put it in another room, give it to the cats or something like that. I say we should wait and see if we can’t find a use for it in the kitchen. I don’t know why we didn’t think about it more when we designed the kitchen but it seemed like a good idea on paper.

So now I turn to you, my blogging buddies. Do you think the cabinet should stay or go? My marriage hinges on your decision. Grazie!!

 

p.s. Will post more pics as the kitchen progresses. Next up, the backsplash!!

Cucina confidential

Ciao Bloggisti!

I’m at home with a sick Diggy so I actually have a few minutes to write. Miracolo!!

Anyway, I just wanted to share some news with y’all. My baby is coming home tomorrow! It’s been a gestation period of over 18 months but tomorrow, it’s finally happening. My new kitchen is coming!!!

We moved to our new place at the beginning of 2007 and had to do some MAJOR renovations. Have you ever seen the Money Pit? Well, it wasn’t that bad but we basically had to fix up the place from top to bottom since the previous owners hadn’t done much maintenance inside or out. We even planned to create a new living room, kitchen, laundry room and garage from the junk-filled basement (Exhibit A).

Exhibit A; basement before renovation

As you can see, we had quite the job on our hands. Not only did we have to plan in detail with our architect/surveyor but we had to get various permits from the town, a bureaucratic nightmare but no surprise in this country. Then my husband had to coordinate the construction workers, electricians, plumber, tile installers, painters, etc. And of course, there were delays, burst pipes, suppliers gone AWOL, budget constraints. I was starting to lose hope that I wouldn’t have my dream kitchen until I was too old for solid food. But Santa’s giving me an early Christmas present this year and tomorrow I’m finally going to meet my bella cucina!

Here’s a sneak peak of our new and improved basement:

new hallway

location of u-shaped cooking area

my new fridge and oven, waiting forlornly

Will post more pics after the new kitchen furniture arrives. Gotta run now. Kiddie mini-emergency. Never a dull moment around here!

Will change come to Italy, too?

Ciao Bloggisti

Just thought I’d show you the POSITIVE coverage Barack Obama’s victory has been getting in the papers and magazines here in Italy. From what I’ve seen and heard, most Italians are thrilled by this historic event and hope that it will inspire a similar change in the country’s political class.

But it was class, or the lack thereof, that came to the forefront during  Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s press conference in Russia yesterday. His mindless, condescending comment about Barack Obama only goes to show how provincial and out of touch Italy’s politicians actually are. Now I don’t know what possessed that little man to say that – senility, vodka, too much Viagra.  Whatever it is, he’ll have to snap out of it soon because the country is changing. I took the subway yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to see how multicultural Milan has gotten over the last couple of years. There was a Muslim girl, a Filipino man, an Asian woman and an Italian guy standing on the platform in front of me, all reading the same page in the newspaper, all reading about Obama and the change that has come not only to America but to the world. Is Italy ready?