Lox - Archived Entries for 2005 / 10

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Monday 31st October 2005 - Spaghetti Junction: Nothing much to report today, it was the first day of the textile fair to which we are showing the collection, and it was rather quiet.
I was expecting this result as the prducts this year are rather bad and generally we are not well known for good winter fabrics.

The day had its highest point around 2 PM when a massive strike of jet lag almost knocked me down. I then recovered when a big client came to speak about a claim that it's holding more than 300.000 Euro worth of goods, and finally we ended up at the usual spaghetti palce "Al Dente", the ONLY restaurant outside Italy where I can be convinced into eating pasta. The picture above depicts the two cooks (Okada and Hiroyama san)...
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Sunday 30th October 2005 - Old friends and new trends: Today it was quite a gloomy day, I woke up around 8 because I wanted to meet John who was leaving for Seattle to do his 3 weeks induction course for his new company.

It was great to see him again, even if it was for a short spell, it seemed like we had so much to talk about, time literally flew and off he went for the US.
We had a coffee near Shinjuku station and then he took the train to Narita.It's a shame I couldn't go to see him off at the platform, but I had to meet up with Carmine back at the hotel to go to Mejii Jingu, the biggest shrine in Tokyo, to show him some aspects of Japanese culture and to pray a little as I always do when I come to Japan.

Yes even if I do not believe in God, I believe that there is something, for me it doesn't have a name but this shrine seems one of the best places to get in touch with him/her/it. I am a bit of a strange person when it comes to beliefs, certainly I despise anything that has to do with religions as an institution, though I like and accepts many of the things that several religions want to convey.
I think of it of a more personal relationship with God, that cannot be channelled through fixed rituals, it has to be spontaneous...
After the visit we then moved to the fair hall, where we joined with the agent Kutsunigi san and Keiko. It is great to see them they are really great people and very goo friends before being marvellous business partners.
We then went back to the hotel, me and Carmine decided to have a look around the major shops so that Carmine could do a bit of research on his line of products, it was very interesting to see things under a designer point of view.
In the evening we ate one of the best kushiage I have ever had (kushiage being a series of morsels of different edibles, raging from vegetables to cheese, fish and meat, put on a stick and deep fried).
All in all a good day, getting ready for the fair, which is not going to be easy as the collection had a very nasty reaction from our clients and it'll be hard to convince people to take a look at it again (not to speak about ordering something!!!)...
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Friday 28th October 2005 - Day Tripping: The Beatles will forgive me for borrowing their song's title, but as usual going back to Japan is always like a "trip" for me.
I love it there's nothing I can do about it,
I am all nervous but ready to go, body is working at 101%, mind anticipating the people that I'll meet and the things that I'll do.
This time I was joined in my travels by Carmine a friend and a colleague of mine, he's the designer for a line that we do in our group and unlike most of the designers that I have met he's a great guy. Mind you, his background is an hard one, he really started as a Mr.Nobody and he managed to climb the ladder until getting the responsibility for a line. You have to praise things like that, it means something.
Carmine is taller than me, long hair, very big eyes that every now and then he opens VERY VERY widely, when he's talking. I think he must have some sort of nervous reactions or maybe he does that on purpose, certainly it catches your attention! He's always dressed very casual but with designers touches that tell you that he is not shoddy (like me) when putting on things. Of course he's irreprensible when we are at fairs and shows, comes from Naples and therefore he's got a strong southern accent, which adds another dash of uniqueness to his image. The exception that confirms my theory on designers and the like.

We had a short trip to Frankfurt and then off to the land of the rising sun for the usual 12 hours flight, this time on an old Lufthansa aircraft, this detail pissed us off quite a bit because the newer aircraft are BY far better.
At the time of me writing I am on the plane (see picture taken with the Night Vision option on the camera), is technically Saturday already, my mind is drifting with its pindaric flights to what it will happen during this trip, thinking of the people that I have left at the office and that I'll be contacting through emails and such...
I think about the crappy meal, I think that I don't want to get fat as usual when I travel to Japan, I think that I want to buy some shoes and electric gizmos, I think that I have a big meeting to discuss problems with a client. I think at the things that I want to download off the net, and I think that maybe the hotels might have set stricter firewall rules, I think that I want to see my friends in Florence, and all the things that I want.
I think about Rachele, my new niece, she's a week old today, and I wonder when wil I be able to see her...

Rachele the last thought today is for you!
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Thursday 27th October 2005 - I almost forgot!: Today it was the last day in Italy before the long trip that lies ahead of me that will take me to Asia until the 20th of November.
As it happens before these kind of trips there are always a million things to do right at the last minute, but this time I have witnessed the highest concentration of them ever.

First of all I had to pack everything up, also at work, as I am leaving Friday around 6 in the morning and I need to carry home also the suitcase full of work related stuff.

Secondly, as anticipated some entries ago, today we had the big meeting with the bosses as they were going to explain about the move that our company is going to feature quite soon. Needless to say that this was quite an emotional and important appointment, also because after the Gunpowder Plot meeting, we managed to convince them to have a first meeting all together and not separated by offices as they wanted at first.

The meeting was quite boring, basically they went through the same presentation that they showed us in July, telling us how great are the other divisions and how crap we are, then they told us that from now on we have to elect one or two responsible per office that will have the task of coordinating office workers meeting and then report the critical points of this move and the possible solutions. Needless to say that the company will then decide later what to do and what not to do.
The meeting went by quite smoothly, nobody said anything (I had to bit my tongue, as if I was going to ruin their little show with my questions and argumentations I would have been fired on the spot), but the fact is that it was the last day for me and we had no time to meet.
Bottom line is that I had to call a couple of people and get them together in the evening to discuss what to say, so that at least I had done my part. I am really disappointed at my bosses (an I vented my anger by mail) because they knew from JUNE that I was leaving and they placed the first meeting right before I step on the plane! Moreover I wanted to coordinate my office, I could have done it, it would have been a great experience...

No need to cry over spilled milk...

While I was preparing to go my my boss approaches me and tells me that he doesn't agree at me leaving on Friday. I should have thought that something was brewing on there because he didn't have a go at me in quite some time, so I replied that I am landing on Saturday, I'll be in the hotel by midday and that on Sunday I have to work as we need to set up the stand.
He replies saying that I should have gone Saturday so that I could go straight to work on Sunday.
This really pissed me off, I am already nervous because I am leaving, I still have to pack and tonight I have to meet with my colleagues to speak about work, and now (he knew about my trip since June) you tell me that you don't agree?!?
Well then, I replied that I am not the only one in our company travelling of Friday to go abroad... TA DAN!! In two years he's bee travelling to the US at least once per season (twice an year) leaving on Friday afternoon, arriving more or less at the same hour, and spending the weekend with HIS WIFE in New York!!!!
He couldn't expect this retort (because he's dumb, anyone else in his position would have just told me "goodbye do your best"), so he just went on DENYING that he's ever done it!!!
Fortunately some of my colleagues were there; people started looking sideways, pretending that they are NOT listening to the argument, marvellous!!
Another slice of shit for this guy!
I cut it short saying that now there's nothing that can be done, he says that the rules for travelling abroad will change for the whole company (so far he tried to enforce hi special ones just with me), I say goodbye and in my mind hope never to see those rules applied for me!

Back to the castle, I start packing, have a great meeting with some great people that I will miss dearly when (if) I'll go away, and went to bed late for the 6 o clock early rise...
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Sunday 23rd October 2005 - Meanwhile in Switzerland...: The day was pretty much like the one before; cloudy, gloomy and cold.
The perfect day for some "inside" shopping.
As we decided to go to Ikea we got our car and moved towards the near Swiss border.

A small digression is needed, as being "border people" we have some special treatments from the government, as well as some limitations.
Apparently a new limitation is that you cannot cross with goods for more than 30 Euro per person, if you are living less than 20Km from the border.
This poses an interesting quest every time, having to device interesting hideouts for goods that we buy abroad.
Of course all these places are really stupid, very easy to find for any border guard, but they need to be so, otherwise we cannot play the usual "Oh my God, I forgot about that!" line.
To give a truthful and complete information we have NEVER been stopped (apart from when John was with us, but that's another story), nor we are sure about the value that we are allowed to buy.

Anyways, going back to Ikea we reached our target just in time before it started closing, had to fight for a parking spot (and they talk about "CIVIL" Switzerland!! See picture and the proper use of roundabouts!!).
Eventually we sneaked in, mixing into the swetting, stinking, screaming, farting, watch-that-kid-in-your-feetting, look-my-shoes-are-not-a-doormatting, could-you-please-put-that-elbow-somewhereelseing crowd (that I like SO much).

The bounty:

1. Iron bowl in number of two units (complicated way to say: 2 iron bowls), I'll use them to cook they are well cool!
2. Soft plastic ice makers (strange shapes)
3. Ingenious coil used to keep shoes in shape when you don't use them..

Interesting points of shopping was the presence of actual people SLEEPING into the Ikea beds. Apparently they were holding a competition where people queued outside in the morning in their pyjamas in order to get into a bed. Ikea would feed them lunch and breakfast, and eventually they had to leave at 5, when they close, happy winners of a picture taken with a Polaroid.

Now... HOW SAD is that? I'd better not comment to avoid a lawsuit.

We eventually went back to Italy, hiding the goods better than a smuggler, and we drove to what I believe it's a proper shop.
Not to big, not to small, nice and knowledgeable staff. This time we had to buy a duvet, some pillows and some linens.
I managed to buy a duvet cover + pillowcases and bed linens, I really like them, really liked the fabric and all..
Marvellously, MR." I KNOW WHAT I BUY" managed to get the Single Bed Version and not the Double one, meaning that I had to swear and utter blasphemies all night because of that!!

Ace guy!
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Saturday 22nd October 2005 - Bit of Shopping: As it happens in these god-forsaken lands, every now and then a striding group of warehouse good sellers arrives near our place.

This was a good occasion for poking my head out of home, as the weather was rather crap and I didn't really feel like wandering around in the misty meadows that surround us.
Fact is I hate these sorts of markets.
They sell mostly garments and shoes, usually I liked going around these places with my mum when I was a kid, but now I can tell that the things that they are selling are actually CRAP (mostly because I know fabrics a little bit better compared to 20 years ago), and I end up slagging off all the things that people sell.
Funnily enough this point of view doesn't seem to be shared by females.
Marta knows about clothes and shoes more than me, but for some strange reasons all these "B-category" textiles end up attaching themselves to her hands in the same manner as flies stick to honey.
In the end the day at the market was a big session of "you don't really wanna buy that!!" or "Ohhh you don't need that crappy jumper!!" or "look at how bad is that fabric!!" or even "Enough of this Vader! Release him!".
Only one stall was worth looking at, a kitchen supplies seller. We bought two oil bricks and a potato peeler.

Plans to go more shopping on Sunday were needed as I was deeply unsatisfied. Ikea in Switzerland and a bed furnishing shop were to be the targets!
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Friday 21st October 2005 - Dilemma: Yesterday I have had a very nice dinner at Erika's home, and while talking with her husband Gianni the conversation had to fall on work.

He's a free lance designer, been working all his life in textile and textile prints, made a lot of experiences, and he was so shocked that people like me and Marta, both of us have at least a degree, didn't break the chains of paid employment to start something on our own. He always seems so full of ideas, to his eyes the "jump" to a free lance work is non existant.

My mate Matteo has been working for a long time as a free lance web designer, he wouldn't change his job for all the gold in the world (and he tells me of having turned down jobs for 3500 pounds/month in the past).

All of this made me think. I have a very "safe approach" to the job world, it might have been because my family always stessed the importance of having something to do, or it might be because our sociery tends to stigmatize being unemployed.

Still I can't seem to be able to take a decision for my present situation, I go over it a lot, but no action.
The knee situation obviously doesn't help, as I'd much rather get the surgery while "gently" covered by my employee status. But in January, if everything goes as planned, I might be walking again, doing rehab but walking.

Problem is: I don't seem to have a "plan".
I am not talking about the "killer app" or the greatest idea ever, even just a tiny winy plan on what to do and where to go would be sufficient. I know that I'd love to go back to Florence, but it seems so increadibly hard to go back there in something that it's not linked to this industry.

I think that I am a bit lost. 4 years of luxury, money, foolishness and all the rest are getting at me.

I feel a bit withered, sloppy, sparkless.... I am stuck!

Person of the Day:(nothing to do with the picture!!)
Today we speak of the past, my English teacher at the high school. I remember that she always came dressed very casual, bushy black hair sprouting curls randomly, long flowy skirts and oversized long sleeved tops. Always in a hurry, you could see through her black eyes that the brain was working on a gazzillion different things, and even though she had a very difficult situation at home, she was always fighting, alive and kicking.
She was one of the greatest teachers ever, blessed with the experience of living abroad she is nothing like the average teacher in Italy.
I remember her talking about Blake, Milton and all the rest, she had such power that it wasn't possible to avoid her wirlwind of enthusiasm and strenght. Or that day she brought Iron Maiden's "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" to listen, so that we could see how the masterpiece of S.T. Coleridge sipped through the years till modern times...
I don't know what she's up to now, I like to think that she' still there, teaching and guiding youngsters towards their future.

This is for you Ketty:

"Tiger tiger burning bright / in the forests of the night / what immortal hand or eye / could frame thy fearful simmetry?"
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Friday 21st October 2005 - Dilemma: Yesterday I have had a very nice dinner at Erika's home, and while talking with her husband Gianni the conversation had to fall on work.

He's a free lance designer, been working all his life in textile and textile prints, made a lot of experiences, and he was so shocked that people like me and Marta, both of us have at least a degree, didn't break the chains of paid employment to start something on our own. He always seems so full of ideas, to his eyes the "jump" to a free lance work is non existant.

My mate Matteo has been working for a long time as a free lance web designer, he wouldn't change his job for all the gold in the world (and he tells me of having turned down jobs for 3500 pounds/month in the past).

All of this made me think. I have a very "safe approach" to the job world, it might have been because my family always stessed the importance of having something to do, or it might be because our sociery tends to stigmatize being unemployed.

Still I can't seem to be able to take a decision for my present situation, I go over it a lot, but no action.
The knee situation obviously doesn't help, as I'd much rather get the surgery while "gently" covered by my employee status. But in January, if everything goes as planned, I might be walking again, doing rehab but walking.

Problem is: I don't seem to have a "plan".
I am not talking about the "killer app" or the greatest idea ever, even just a tiny winy plan on what to do and where to go would be sufficient. I know that I'd love to go back to Florence, but it seems so increadibly hard to go back there in something that it's not linked to this industry.

I think that I am a bit lost. 4 years of luxury, money, foolishness and all the rest are getting at me.

I feel a bit withered, sloppy, sparkless.... I am stuck!

Person of the Day:(nothing to do with the picture!!)
Today we speak of the past, my English teacher at the high school. I remember that she always came dressed very casual, bushy black hair sprouting curls randomly, long flowy skirts and oversized long sleeved tops. Always in a hurry, you could see through her black eyes that the brain was working on a gazzillion different things, and even though she had a very difficult situation at home, she was always fighting, alive and kicking.
She was one of the greatest teachers ever, blessed with the experience of living abroad she is nothing like the average teacher in Italy.
I remember her talking about Blake, Milton and all the rest, she had such power that it wasn't possible to avoid her wirlwind of enthusiasm and strenght. Or that day she brought Iron Maiden's "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" to listen, so that we could see how the masterpiece of S.T. Coleridge sipped through the years till modern times...
I don't know what she's up to now, I like to think that she' still there, teaching and guiding youngsters towards their future.

This is for you Ketty:

"Tiger tiger burning bright / in the forests of the night / what immortal hand or eye / could frame thy fearful simmetry?"
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Wednesday 19th October 2005 - False Start: Basically I was meaning to post something to try out my new spanky RSS feed, but NOTHING at all happened worth telling between Sunday and today.

To be very honest nothing has happened today too, but the historic decision to add pictures to every blog that I post.
Either a picture taken by me or something dug out from the net, but it has to have something in common with the concepts expressed in the actual post.
Communication is mostly word related, but it'll be a nice experiment to see what the images that I choose convey to people, and if readers will understand the link between the picture and the words.
I wish I was good at drawing, but since I am hopeless I have to use my photographic and internet scavenging talents to cover for it !

Today I have had a very nice exchange of anecdotes with a colleague of mine.

As it happens in our business there was a difference in touch between two samples of the same fabric, but my colleague was not able to make a decision on which among the two had to be approved.
As the direct sales responsible was missing she thought that she could ask the head designer about it.

Apparently after touching the two samples the reply was along the following lines:

"Oh but you see, this one is certainly the correct one. This sample SINGS more...... [melodramatic pause as if she's taken by a sudden LSD inducted trip, eyes staring at the void].... yes, it SINGS ! ", after this astoundingly complicated effort the designer had to take 4 days holiday having overworked the creative brain that she's been gifted with.

Things like these are getting so "normal" in our company that I am not shocked anymore, but what scares me is that everything seems to be moving towards a purely hedonistic and superficial content.

Appearences are ruling everyday life.....

Which reminds me that I'd better put that plum coloured jumper, it's this winter trend !!!.
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Saturday 15th October 2005 - Forms of Trash: This is bound to be the first post with a picture included! WOW!

Funnily enough, the picture is taken at the Vedano Olona dump!
Yes. ladies and gentlemen, we talk about rubbish today. It could be argued that the whole blog IS rubbish, but I feel no shame writing about my feelings and thoughts in a world that feeds us rubbish everyday.

Today I went to the dump, we have a brand new rubbish collection system here in Vedano, basically we have to separate:
1. Plastic
2. Tin foil and cans
3. Glass
4. Organic trash
5. Paper / Cardboard
6. Everything that doesn't fit the ones above

Up to this point it's not a bad thing, you have to be careful but you learn quickly. What drives me mad is the fact that the city hall didn't provide us with 6 different types of trash collectors.
NO, they instead devised these sort of garbage picking rotas, where in a fortnight everything gets collected once or twice. This means that if you travel and tomorrow it's plastic day, you skip it and start piling up trash in your house.
Bottom line, on Saturdays you get to unload it it all at the local dump, which I consider a waste of time since our taxes actually pay the garbage picking rota too!

Speaking of trash I have to spin the wheel of time to go back to Friday.
I was completely ill, with a tragic fever but I had to go to work as we had an important meeting with the style department. Apart from a friendly feeling that was as real as a 2 dollar note, I had to endure the usual designer bullshit once again.
This time the head designer denied that our collection is too "old", despite all the commercial staff, agents and CLIENTS said so!!! In a sad attempt of agreeing with everyone my boss turned the problem onto a semantic point of view, saying that by "old" we actually meant too static onto old fabric structures, and not exactly "old" as in fitted for crusty hags over 80 (which is what we meant).
My bad state and amount of crap flying made me want to throw up, but I managed to survive and spent the afternoon in bed.

Enough trash for this start of the weekend, let's hope the rest is better!
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Thursday 13th October 2005 - Steaming Cold: Nothing special to report. Received a mail from my boss who was praising my "refound will to collaborate"... I don't know where he got that, but it should be enough to get him off my back for a while.
What really took all of my attention was the bloody cold that Marta passed me.
I am feeling as if a lorry just drove over me, then as if someone put me 100 Kilometers under water where all sounds are strange and dumb... Oh well, let's hope it goes away, I have been taking these omeopathic pills, first time in my life.
Marta says they work so I thought I'd give it a go, tomorrow I should feel better.
Bought a nice steamer yesterday, we have been cooking for the last two days with it, it's MARVELLOUS. Vegetables actually taste as proper vegetables, all the leftover water can be used to make sauces and soups, it's great.
I'll post some recipes soon!
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Wednesday 12th October 2005 - Red Leaves: I have been looking at a tree outside the company today, it has been a slow day so far, and I have been wondering a little of places where I used to be.

England
I remember the very first time I went there by myself, it was to see Claire in Oxford. I must admit that the place is great for students, and the town is very typical as well, I completely fell in love both with England and with one of its inhabitant.
I remember walking by myself near the river, it was great, a lot of trees with red and yellow leaves, surrounding the small canal. Behind the trees lots of green plains, and even if the weather was not great, in a setting such as that it was impossible not to feel in peace with the world.
The canal bends into several serpentines, I was sitting with my back on a tree looking at an old man pushing forward his little boat with a long stick, very much like the "Gondolieri" do in Venice.

Hong Kong
It was a terribly humid day in October. Still hot and humid even during the Autumn season. I am sitting in a jacuzzi on the rooftop of the hotel, relaxing after the 4 hours flight that got me here. The sky is menacing rain any time soon, but the veranda is beautiful, makes a concrete city like Hong Kong look nice.
There are many flowers, but the eye catching point is the bonsai trees nicely arranged on a side of the court.
Some of them have yellow leaves, most of the others are green.
Looking at the beautiful shapes that man decided to give them, I am drawn to think that it really takes an artist to trim them, as the fight between what is natural and what is man-made has to remain in perfect balance.

Japan
Red and Yellow leaves were like kings and queens in Wakabadai, the place where I lived.
My family there has a great house, surrounded by Asian trees, cut in very fancy shapes; the point of green that you get in Asia is VERY different from what you see in Europe, it's more vivid, brilliant.
Mixed with the other colours of the leaves, the scenery it's impressive.
I remember standing near the big lake that we had next to our house, me and my family were going there to have a sort of picnic. While they were walking down the hill, on a little path surrounded by some overgrown vegetation, I was standing still, admiring the lake surrounded by a sea of green, a melody of red and purple broken by blades of yellow every here and there. In the middle of all of this the blue lake, still, as if he wasn't bothered at all by his neighbours.
The lake, surrounded by a small forest, was a grand image.

Like in a movie, I am focusing on the small tree here in Italy, daydreaming. Slowly the image begins to shrink, getting further and further... I hear something... "Lorenzo bring me those analyses on the turnover!"... Boss' calling...

I wake up, I'd better go, the moment is lost but it was nice till it lasted...
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Friday 7th October - Monday 10th October 2005 - Florence and Old Ghosts: On Friday I got the company car to go back to Florence as today (Monday)I had to go to Prato (town near Florence) to visit some suppliers. The old ghosts to which I am referring to is the title, are no more no less than the usual work-related issues, or should I say, my boss-related issues, that every now and then come out to haunt me and to remind me that my life is not the perfect cup of tea.

This time, in the usual Friday afternoon meeting, I had to endure a series of attacks at my sales performance and selling methods that really required all my cold blood not to burst into screams and offences at my superior.
Of course I was not entirely able to shut my mouth and something DID come out, but all in all I left my workplace downhearted and generally unhappy about my life at present moment.
It's funny that when something like that happens I suddenly bring all the other aspects in life that don't make me happy and chuck them in the "unhappiness cauldron" just to make things worse.

Anyways I drove to Florence in a rather unpleasant state, upon arrival my mum was packing as she had to leave to see Alice (my sister) who's going to give birth to her new child.

The weekend started rather badly with heavy rain, it was 2 weeks that it rained up north and getting rain in Florence as well did not make me an happy bunny. Fortunately I managed to hook up with a friend from the last work, and had a good afternoon shopping round and chatting about old times.
In the evening nice after dinner with Francesco and other friends made the weekend in Florence already great.

Sunday featured lunch with my dad and dinner with Stefano and Francesco. I guess that when I get the surgery I will stay longer in Florence and I'll be able to re-enter the Florentine lifestyle.

That pause from work will also be important to take some decisions.

The "love story" with my current employer seems to be drawing to an end, finally I realize that the erratic management techniques that I have witnessed do not allow me to work properly and to be happy.
I need a change, badly. During that time I should be able to take the decision of what to do, if to go back to Prato for work, go back to live abroad somewhere or continue with this situation. After that I can make my moves in January and hopefully get the situation changed early into 2006...

Will I succeed in fulfilling this plan?
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Thursday 7th October 2005 - Weddigns: Today I was invited to Claudio and Miriam 's Wedding. Had to take a day off from work, which is not that bad after all, several other colleagues were invited too, as Claudio was working in our division until 6 months ago, and now has been moved to a different place (still within the same company though).

The day was rather bad, weather-wise, but all the rest was marvellous.

Had to dress up properly, funnily enough I wrote that rant on clothes few days earlier, and I was not in the mood for fancy dresses, but the occasion requires some proper suiting and even if I wanted to wear a nice purple jumper, I had to change that with a common shirt/tie combo after several comments made by Marta in the morning.

The wedding took place in the usual church setting.
I am much against this kind of ceremonies, and yet again the wedding served as a reminder that if I ever get married it will never be in a church. I really don't like it; it wouldn't have any meaning for me.
For many people it seems that marrying in a church has a special meaning, brings some special thrills. My point is that marriage is a contract in the end, I like the celebrations with my friends and family, but I cannot understand the church use in this. In the past they had a meaning, today it's just a show.
It's a church wedding more "valid" than another? I would feel a hypocrite if I was going to marry in a church, I don't believe in God, I'd do it just because this is the way it "should" be done.

Interestingly enough Marta seems to have the complete opposite opinion, she's a Christian believer after all and I guess it's understandable... I'll skip any comment on future plans and everything.

We then moved to the restaurant place after the ritual pictures, and we have had a marvellous wedding lunch, going from 14; 30 till 19:30 when we decided to leave. The menu was great, high quality and abundant.

All in all a great day, I was totally happy for Claudio and Miriam, and a bit envious because they are going to fly to the Mauritius islands on Monday!

At the end of the day, inevitably, I started wandering how would I organize my wedding.
First of all no churches, it has to be done in Florence's "Palazzo Vecchio" (the city hall). As for food I am quite puzzled, as I wouldn't know if I want to go for a posh place or not, but I am sure that I will not have any live band playing as I hate dancing! I'd like to invite the strict friends and family, not because I am stingy (which I am!!), but because I am not at ease thinking that the spotlight will be on me that day!

Having said that I am 100% positive that the counterpart (whoever she might be) will change it all, and I'll end up in a church with kids and millions of people and maybe even a speech or something. The simple thought of it makes me want to be the first "runaway groom" in history!!
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Tuesday 4th October 2005 - Old Shoes: It has been raining for the past 5 days in Italy.
That kind of rain that never seems to stop, it's cold, gloomy. And this was supposed to be the land of sun?!
Working in a textile factory we have some interesting people that roam around us. Style consultants (read: failed stylists), designers (in most cases read: people who cannot do anything), Trend researchers (read: experts in clairvoyance) and so on.
This is to introduce a concept that I frankly hate of italian culture and generally our company.
I'll start with the company.
There is no dress code. So, as far as I don't come with offensive clothes or naked, I think that I can dress up as I wish.
WRONG! Let's say that the comfortable stance of my boss on the matter is that designers and women in general can dress up as they wish, all the Area Managers should wear a shirt and tie. Of course this division cannot be enforced, but it's "advised", with not so subtle comments and such.
Of course I can't give a flying fuck about this idiotic situation and I just wear whatever I feel like.

In Italy we care a lot about appearances. We like to dress well, colour matched, trendy and cool all the way. It's like a brand for us, we are born italians so we have to do it. People look bad at you if that jumper is not the latest plum colour novelty.
I cannot say anything about it, mostly because I can't be arsed at what other people wear, doesn't change the way I think of them.

Unfortunately this also comes with the package of good looks here. Italians, especially elder people and all the ones that never lived abroad, seem to put a lot of importance in this feature.
I agree that you must wear something nice during an interview and so on, but once you know the person and you know her/his worth, does it changes a lot if she/he dresses more "casual"? Maybe even not following the latest trends?
Apparently this is the case.

From my experience people wearing nicer clothes and being complete idiots have always gotten the better treatments and even promotions over other individuals that were more talented but less "aggressive" on the clothes side.

I remember my old Granfhater, now passed to a better life. I had to go to a marriage, he got so upset because I wanted to wear a pair of shoes that were a casual but nice, instead of the typical leather coffins that you usually wear on such occasions. In the end I had to comply to his will, but I didn't like it.
Why are we so shallow? I admit that first impressions are important, but for people that know each other from a long time, is it necessary all this fuss?
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Sunday 2nd October 2005 - Water and Sauces: Nothing special to do today, so we decided to go to this big supermarket where we usually do not go. Here in Italy, unlike in England, we do not have "higher class" or "lower class" places.
We seem to be happy with an average supermarket (where you can find all the major brands), and another type of shop that we call "discount" where you find pretty much the same things but with unknown brands (considerably less expensive).

Generally speaking I quite despise this place where we went today. Mostly because the majority of the people who go there are UGLY. Yes, I generally don't care about how one looks, but this supermarket brings the worst out of me, and suddenly I care a lot.

Anyways, we went there because they had a special sale where you get 20% off everything that you buy, this money is not detracted from the bill, but given to you as a free voucher instead. Good way to clean the stocks but since we were in need of the expensive stuff (mostly soaps) we decided that it might have been good to go.

The other reason is that since the winter season is coming we need to start making the usual frozen sauces. During the day we do not have time to go back home during lunch break and cook a decent meal so we devised this clever method of making a lot of pasta sauce and then freeze it in ice cubes. 2/3 ice cubes serve 2 people, so when we come back home we just put some water to boiling and later get the pasta to mix with the sauce once it's cooked.

To make things short, we cooked 3 different types of sauces.

Funny side of the grocery shopping was the hideous amount of water that we have gotten during the loading/unloading of the several bags on the car.
As a matter of fact we have had a terrible weekend of rain... So much for the land of sun!!!
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Lox, Lorenzo... ME!!: A little introduction about the author and the blog itself. Plus contacts and CVs... You never know!
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