)(( hannah mello ))(

Snippets of Chronology.

A chronological series of events.

- A weekend just outside our apartment steps, tasting special special Modenese and Emilia Romagna foods with two bottles of Lambrusco-- taking tons and tons of photos of families and individuals, faces and chefs. (A photo of me and my housemates eating Gnocco-- a Modenese specialty-- with our first Lambrusco is towards the end of this post...)

- An exploratory walk through Modena with camera in hand-- feeling strange not being on wheels, but remembering what it's like to explore on foot again... The feet photo and the two below it of Via San Giacomo are from that day...

- A post-sunset walk with a friend through a misty park-- the mist hanging along the bases of trees and enveloping lantern stems like dry ice...

- Renting a DVD and being able to see it in English. Christmas. Such Christmas. Loved it too. "Just Like Heaven". Worried it was cheesy at first, but was surprised. Laughed a TON.

- A night of dancing to the WORST music ever in a funny club outside of town.

- Going to a film (2 cinemas are literally a block away from where I live. It's ridiculously incredible being able to bike there and bike home.) directed by a famous Italian director that ended up being so intense and disturbing-- about a Ukrainian (sp?) prostitute

- Driving for the first time in Modena-- to a oil-drilling machinery-making company a half hour away-- and laughing so so hard with my 2 students-- the accountant and the factory control boy who had never before met. We had such a fun time. The whole lesson.

- Going out for "Halloween" which isn't celebrated at all (my students told me seriously-- 'No. It's not Halloween. Halloween is tomorrow.' They've only known really about Halloween 2 years ago or so in Italy.) with 2 boys and my Italian/British housemate Sofia. Sitting in one bar, only drinking one drink (my new favorite-- Caipirosca-- sp?-- con fragola) but laughing and talking and telling stories for 5 HOURS. 10:30 pm to 3:30 am. I went through phases. Not in this order, but....
1. Being completely disheartened, not understanding the Italian, and wanting to escape.
2. Understanding and laughing and feeling included but being silent.
3. Jumping in and doing quite well pace-wise and describing something or sharing my opinion.
4. Understanding and being attentive but spacing out and feeling so "other"...
5. Hearing the Italian, but thinking about how they were moving their faces passionately with emotion and moving their hands...
6. Being so so grateful for the compasssion of the boys breaking into English for my benefit on particular subjects.

- Waking up this morning to the TERRIBLY FRUSTRATING but beautiful neverending tolls of the Duomo bells on this All Saints Day holiday/festa senza lavoro (without work).

- Being here posting on my bed while listening to a Dan Allendar talk and hearing the live musica of a Brazilian group playing in my piazza below.

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Il Gusto di Modena -- the first event described:


















The cinema on Monday cheap-night with Sofia
seeing the disturbing film:

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I'm feeling more at home here in Modena-- although I've really come to terms with my absolute love for Napoli and the life rhythms of the south which are so so so so much more alive and soulful than here. But as I've been painting a series of works with Modenese architecture, I've been accepting and embracing this definitely-different but lovely world nonetheless.

Ok. A Saturday bike ride with Sofia awaits.
.... Ciao for now ....

posted by )(( hannah mello ))( @ 3:05 AM