You know that old joke that goes "How many...does it take to screw in a light bulb"?  It must have been written about Italians.  Check out this photo.  There are 9 men, that's NINE, trying to put up a small shade sail over part of our playground at school.  Four of those men are in suits with clipboards "directing", 3 are standing around with their hands in their pockets and 2 are actually doing something though it's taken an inordinate amount of time with much discussion and redoing.  Welcome to any physical labor workplace in Italy.

The guy looking at me with the shades is my archenemy - GianLuca

Every two weeks we have an International lunch at school.  Today it was American.  It was not good.  Have you ever been to a truck-stop or diner in the south with a buffet?  Everything on it is white or yellow, fried, mayo or potato, often all together.  That was lunch.  There was insipid mac and cheese, chicken fingers, french fries, grey hamburger patties in gravy, and cabbage in oil that they called cole slaw.  It was really sad.  This is what they think is American cooking.  The kids were thrilled.  Usually the meals are very healthy and vegetable heavy.  The soup was chowder!  I had been consulted on how to make it but alas my advice was not followed and there was no bacon fat, it was oil, and no fish stock, they cooked clams ahead of time and used the water.  Didn't have any flavor.  Oh the Shame I say!

Talking about food, our favorite market was raided by the FOOD POLICE, (very scary guys) today.  The raid was on the Nigerian street food vendors who evidently have been illegally selling (to other Africans) fried rats, muskrats and fish caught from the Po river here in the city.  There is sooooo much wrong with this.  Firstly, I would never eat ANYTHING that came out of this river!  Secondly,  rats and muskrats?  Really?  Thirdly, they were fried, dried and sold out of greasy paper bags on the sidewalk.  As little as these "delicacies" may have cost, they are beside the largest food market in Europe with ridiculously low prices!  Come on!  Hmmm.  Let me think.  Rat on a skewer or fresh asparagus and Pecorino cheese?  What'll it be?

On another note, I've been dog walking for a friend who has had an operation on her foot.  Duna is a beautiful, square yellow Lab and she loves me because I have two good feet.  How I miss having a dog!  But I must admit I do not miss the hair.  Tomorrow is a national holiday, Liberation Day, celebrating the end of occupation during WWII.  No school!  GP and I will take the dog for a long walk then come home to make dinner for MIL.  The weather has been beautiful so we'll eat outside and grill some sausage for her, a favorite.  If I ate like that woman I would have been dead years ago....  xxoo me

Duna