Dec
31

Yuletide markets in Milan

2007 | Filed Under Milan | 1 Comment

If you go down to the centre of Milan over the next few days, you will probably notice that there are a couple of Christmas markets - one along Via Orefici and another down near Piazza San Babila. I had a quick look at the stalls, and there are some nice bits and bobs on offer.

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Dec
31

Just completed a security upgrade to my WordPress installation - Apologies for any inconvenience caused

2007 | Filed Under This blog | Leave a Comment

Sorry if my site went down while you were reading. WordPress released a new version and it resolved a security aspect that got me a little worried, so I decided to go ahead and install the upgrade. And it is Sunday evening and Christmas time, so I don’t think many will be hovering around here.
The site appears to be OK, but if you do have problems, please let me know.

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Dec
29

Prodi’s pretty picture

2007 | Filed Under Life in Italy | 12 Comments

In what could possibly be considered as one Italian equivalent to the UK Queen’s Christmas Day speech, Romano Prodi, Italy’s current hanging on by a thread prime minister, appeared to demonstrate that he is possibly a wee bit out of touch with life here in the Living Museum. He painted a rosy picture of an Italy in which things were getting better, although I’m not too sure Beppe Grillo and his supporters would necessarily agree with Mr P.

This is a preview of Prodi’s pretty picture. Read the full post (310 words, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

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Dec
29

Escape from Christmas

2007 | Filed Under Life in Italy | Leave a Comment

Well, the plan was to spend Christmas with the Italian in-laws down in Genova, and we did indeed manage to endure right up until the end of the Christmas day lunch. Then we high-tailed it back to Milan. A combination of dogs not getting on with one another, lively little son causing the downstairs neighbours to shout and knock on their ceiling every five minutes etc managed to dampen that good old Christmas spirit, and we found ourselves yearning for the, relative, tranquillity of Milan.

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Dec
24

I ‘cooked’ this up for Christmas:

2007 | Filed Under This blog | 1 Comment

Merry Christmas

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Dec
23

Furbo

2007 | Filed Under Culture | 2 Comments

I suspect that Gege’ Bau, who commented on one of my posts, may know something about the meaning of the Italian word ‘furbo’. In case you did not know, it means crafty, clever, smart, sharp, astute and sly. Not all at the same time, mind you. You need to know the context.

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Dec
19

One virtual Christmas card

2007 | Filed Under Work | 9 Comments

Here is the finished article, business version:

Christmasy Card

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Dec
19

Christmasy Photo

2007 | Filed Under Digital photography | 1 Comment

Here’s something I’m using for this year’s virtual Christmas cards:

Xmas

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Dec
19

Oops!

2007 | Filed Under This blog | Leave a Comment

While trying to make my Wordpress installation a little more secure, I overdid the security on my .htaccess file.  This caused a few errors to show up on my server log, and may have caused visitors some problems.  Sorry.

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Dec
17

Bribery, corruption, and blackmail

2007 | Filed Under Life in Italy | Leave a Comment

Yes, alas, I have to admit that both my other half and myself are guilty.  Everyday, often several times a day, we find ourselves having to use bribes, corruption and blackmail to get things done.  It’s our own fault, although I believe my Italian other half may have started us down this slippery slope.  Well, she will do anything for a quiet life.

As with many of these situations, things start out in a small way, but then the occasional bribe becomes more regular, and the blackmail becomes something of a way of life. Still, resorting to these heinous techniques becomes a necessity, especially in our household. Only today I found myself having to offer several bribes and use a small dose of blackmail to get my way. It was tough, but at least things went a lot smoother as a result, and, there really was no alternative, I can tell you. The precedent has been well and truly set, and there is no going back.

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Dec
17

Tackling lands of confusion

2007 | Filed Under Work | 5 Comments

Whilst trying to stand this sausage thing on its feet, I’ve discovered that it is not all that easy to find the information you need. In Italy, getting the right, well almost, information often means wasting half a day or so in some anonymous public office somewhere, clutching the inevitable numbered ticket. And often these offices are only open for half a day.

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Dec
13

Will it always be Christmas in Milan?

2007 | Filed Under Milan | 2 Comments

It’s not just me, there are more Christmas lights than ever before here in Milan. Apparently the reason behind this festive splurge on pretty lights is rising crime levels in the city and some kind of pact the city’s politicos have made with the residents. Well lit streets reduce the probability of people ending up being the victims of crime. Yes, I suppose there is some truth in that.

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