World Cup Preview, Part II

GROUP E:

Netherlands are the story here. I was almost prepared to pick them to win it all until the injury to Arjen Robben this past weekend which will keep him out at least for the first match, maybe more. With a healthy Robben, I personally think Holland are the strongest side in Europe, even better than Spain. They still enough to make a run at the prize but it’s hard to see them winning it without him, he is that much of a difference maker. It’s likely that at least one of their strikers - Kuyt, Van Persie, Huntelaar or star-in-waiting Eljerio Elia will challenge for the Golden Boot and they have possibly the world’s best playmaker in Wesley Sneijder directing the attack. The key for the Dutch will be how airtight their defense plays as they are breaking in a new goalkeeper in Maartin Stekelenburg after Edwin Van Der Saar’s international retirement. Watch out for defenseman Gregory Van Der Wiel who is on the verge of becoming the next big Dutch export. Holland are a solid team all around with enough in reserve to overcome the loss of Robben. They still remain my official darkhorse pick to left the Jules Rimet when all is said and done. A Quarterfinal matchup with the Brazilians looms which could well be the match of the tournament.

Denmark was quickly entering darkhorse territory themselves after an impressive qualifying campaign in which they easily topped a tough group that included Sweden and 2006 semifinalist Portugal. The Danes usually play solid ball but they might also be missing some key players due to injury. Simon Kjaer (who I know well as he plays in Serie A for Palermo) looks to be out for the opening match against the Netherlands. On offense they will go as far as Nicklas Bendtner takes them. They’ve had a poor run of form since qualifying and my guess is that they peaked too soon. With a good young nucleus of players like Bendtner, Kjaer and Daniel Agger, Denmark should in the hunt for the next WC again but I think they go home early from this one.

Cameroon are in a very tenuous position going into this tournament. Tabbed by most prognosticators as the most talented African team and the one that should go furthest, they currently have problems with the “spirit of the team”. Their all-everything striker Samuel Eto’o is unhappy about recent critical comments made by Cameroonian legend Roger Milla towards him and even threatened to quit the team over them. It’s no secret that Eto’o pretty much IS Cameroon so if he is unhappy or unmotivated, Cameroon will go home early. I’m betting on manager Paul LeGuen’s ability to keep the peace though and do just enough to finish second behind the Dutch. If the Indomitable Lions falter in their opening match to the Japanese, look for the team to fall apart and for the Danes to easily slide in second in this group.

Speaking of Japan, they’ve had a decent record of qualifying for the WC lately but have never won a match outside of their own country (2002). Don’t look for that streak to end here either, I think the best they can hope for in South Africa is picking up a draw or two. However, they have vowed to play an attacking style and indeed, they are coached by Brazilian legend Zico so they should at least be fun to watch.

My Picks:

1. The Netherlands
2. Cameroon
3. Denmark
4. Japan


GROUP F:

As you know, I’ve lived in Italy for the past 10 years (minus a 2 year stint in Germany) and have followed the Azzurri religiously in that time. So it’s no small thing for me to say that this is probably the weakest version I can remember. Here in Italy most people are trying to keep the faith and trying to say the right things but the truth is, few really expect this team to go much further than the quarterfinals. Had they been drawn in a tougher group there’d be worries about them not even getting out of the first round. This is an old group but a proud group so they should never be counted out but there’s little to make me think that they can recapture the magic of 4 years ago when they came out of nowhere to lift their 4th World Cup trophy, second only to Brazil. Their only playmaker, Pirlo, will be out at least the first 2 matches and there’s nobody else on the roster who can create like he does. His absence puts more pressure on Ricardo Montolivo and Andrea Cossu, both making their WC debuts. Up front they will probably rely on Alberto Gilardino and Iaquinta, both decent finishers, but neither has done much in International play. Toto DiNatale is the most prolific goal scorer in Serie A but has never been able to replicate that for La Nazionale for some reason. There’s hope in Italy that he might be the Toto Schillaci of this WC. Without Pirlo, much will be expected of Daniele DeRossi who might just be the best player on the current roster. The defense is, in a word, old. Fabio Cannavaro won the best player award in 2006 but he’s 37 now and has lost a little more than just a step. Ditto Zambrotta. The strongest defender is Giorgio Chiellini; if Italy are to go far, they will need one of their young defenders – either Bonucci, Criscito or Maggio – to step up big time. Between the sticks they are set with Gigi Buffon, still regarded as one of the top 2 or 3 goalkeepers in the world. It’s fashionable to be down on the Azzurri these days as the current team has not looked very impressive lately. But they are still Italy and should not be overlooked. Last time that happened was 4 years ago and looked how that turned out…

Paraguay figures to be Italy’s main challenger for top spot in this group. I don’t know too much about them but I do know that they usually raise their game considerably when they play in the World Cup. They should also be helped by the altitude and southern hemisphere climate. I’ve also seen enough of them to know that they can definitely score goals.

Slovakia are playing in their first World Cup but it figures to be a short lived experience. Their best player by far is Marek Hamsik who stars for Napoli in Italy’s Serie A. Best known for his crazy spiked hairdo, he is a dynamic playmaker, deadly finisher and will most likely be on the move to a much bigger club before too long (Inter have been rumored to have strong interest in him). Slovakia should go as far as he can take them. They were decisive in qualifying but in a pretty weak group and they give up a lot of goals which will not bode well for them at this World Cup. Second place is not out of the realm of possibility for this team though given the competition.

New Zealand, along with North Korea, are widely seen as the worst team in the tournament. I don’t see it that way. I’ve watched them play a few times and they are full of pluck and fight. On any given day they are capable of a shock upset, especially considering the fact that they’ll be playing in a familiar climate. They will most likely finish bottom of the group but they are hardly going to go down without a fight. I recall watching them come within a whisker of upsetting Italy in a friendly about a year ago, giving the mall they could handle before losing 4-3 in a very entertaining match. If they can carry the spirit they displayed in that match into the World Cup, they should at least provide a good show.

My Picks:

1. Italy
2. Paraguay
3. Slovakia
4. New Zealand



GROUP G:

The popular pick for the “Group of Death” but I disagree; no group that features North Korea can be considered a group of death in my eyes. Still, this should be a very entertaining group to watch. It all begins with Brazil of course. This should be a very different Brazil team than we’re used to seeing as they are built on a defense first mentality. And what a defense they have, maybe the best Brazilian defense I’ve ever seen. First you’ve got the twin pillars of Maicon and Lucio, both of whom anchored Inter’s historic Treble this past season. Lucio has been making a name for himself as perhaps the world’s best defender the past year or two but he is also dangerous carrying the ball forward. In addition, you’ve got Thiago Silva who was far and away AC Milan’s best defender this past season, plus Daniel Alves, Michael Bastos, Juan and Gilberto. This is a strong defense. Behind them is Julio Cesar, one of the top 2 or 3 keepers in the world and also a teammate of Lucio and Maicon at Inter.Dunga may have built this team on defense but they can still score a ton too. Up front they are lead by Luis Fabiano who is one of the most prolific Brazilian strikers ever (He is also my pick for the Golden Boot). He is joined by Robihno who is usually quickly dismissed by pundits as a bust for not living up to his enormous potential (and contract) in Europe but who saves his best performances for the Selecao. Their weakness is in the midfield though, which could prove costly. It may seem crazy to call any midfield that features Kaka a weak spot but he has been slowed by injuries the past year or so and has not looked himself for either Real Madrid or Brazil lately. He’s joined by Felipe Melo who has been in poor form for both club (Juventus) and country and who was somewhat of a surprise inclusion to the squad. If they end up against The Netherlands, poor midfield play could see them out of the tournament as players like Sneijder, Van Bommel and Van Der Vaart could eat them alive. Dunga took a huge gamble leaving both Ronaldinho and Pato at home this World Cup. If they don’t win it all, he will be crucified back home. I think he’ll be ok. Brazil are my pick to win the whole thing.

People seem to be forgetting that Portugal made the semifinals 4 years ago. They are a dangerous team who have more to offer than Christiano Ronaldo. Up front, they finally may have found a striker who can take some of the scoring pressure off Ronaldo in Liedson, a Brazilian born naturalized citizen. They should be lively in the midfield as well although midfield artiste Deco is getting up in age although Tiago may be ready to take over anyway. Carvalho anchors the defense as always and is one of the better ones and the inclusion of Pepe only strengthens the unit. Losing Nani to injury takes away another scoring option but it might not be a huge loss given his inconsistency and I think Simao is a better option hands down. My view is that Portugal’s best chance at WC glory was 4 years ago and they couldn’t quite get over the hump. They should finish second in this group which means a second round match up with arch rival Spain awaits.

So far the biggest story leading up to the World Cup has been the unbelievable amount of injuries to key players. And no team has been as unlucky as the Ivory Coast in this regard as they will probably be without Didier Drogba, the heart and soul of the team and the one African player who was supposed to shine brightest at this cup. He suffered a broken arm in a friendly against Japan and although there is still hope that he might see the field, perhaps with a cast, he won’t be the same and neither will the Ivory Coast. In a different group they’d still be able to scrape through but they were unfortunate to draw Brazil and Portugal who I think would beat them even with a healthy Drogba.

Nobody really knows much about North Korea. Here in Italy, the mere mention of the name makes people shake their heads as they still talk about NK’s shock 1-0 over Italy in the 66 WC that saw Italy go home early. They’ll face Brazil in their opener but there’s no chance they can hope for a repeat of 1966 I’m afraid. They go three and out and head home early.

My Picks:

1. Brazil
2. Portugal
3. Ivory Coast
4. North Korea



GROUP H:

Spain are the odds on favorite to win World Cup 2010. It’s funny to think about that as, for most of their history, they were known as the biggest underachieving sides in every tournament they entered. I guess finally winning a major tournament (Euro 2008) changed people’s minds about Spain. I’m still not convinced though. Yes they are completely stacked. Yes, they have two of the world’s best strikers in Torres and Villa. Yes, they have one of the best midfields in the world with Iniesta, Xavi and Xabi Alonso. Yes, they have Iker Casillas in goal, one of the top keepers in the world. Despite all this, how far they go will depend on how well they defend. Puyol gets most of the press but Sergio Ramos was the star at Euro 2008 and Gerard Pique might just be their best defender these days. Nobody will be surprised if Spain win the World Cup this year but I don’t think they will. With all of their talent, they still suffer from mental lapses and tend to play down to the level of their competition at time (witness their loss to the US in last year’s Confederations Cup). They’ll win this group easily and should go very far, if not all the way, but in the end, they are still Spain and I think they will stumble, possibly against Argentina in the semifinal.

Chile should be fun to watch as they are the classic “all or nothing” team. If Humberto Suarez is back from his injury and fit, they should score a lot of goals – he was the leading scorer in South American qualifying as Chile finished second behind Brazil. They give up a lot of goals too which should prevent them from getting too far but it should be a fun ride. They are another team that could benefit from the tournament being held in a similar climate/altitude. If they do finish second as I predict, it will set up a dynamic second round matchup with Brazil. What a match that should be.

The Swiss have a pretty good track record of making tournaments but once they get there they seldom impress. The young generation that was being groomed for Euro 2008 never lived up to their potential and their best goal scoring threat, Alexander Frei, left practice yesterday with an injury. The Swiss always rely on defense – amazingly, they were the first team to get knocked out of a WC without conceding a single goal in 2006 – but in a group with Spain and Chile, their defense probably won’t be good enough. They were very fortunate to draw Spain in their opening match and they can somehow escape with a draw, they could very well go through. I say it doesn’t happen.

Honduras are just happy to be here. They benefitted from a weak qualifying group in which they finished level on points with Costa Rica but went through on goal differential. They probably couldn’t have asked for a better draw but it shouldn’t matter, they have little chance of going through despite some talented players such as David Suazo (plays for Genoa in Italy) and Wilson Palacios (Tottenham Hotspur, England).

My Picks:

1. Spain
2. Chile
3. Switzerland
4. Honduras





(More thoughts later on…)

World Cup Preview, Part I

Decided to come back to the blog, at least during the World Cup. Here goes...

GROUP A:

Strange group, very difficult to predict as all 4 teams are question marks. France would normally be heavy favorites here but they have been playing terrible lately and only qualified because of the infamous double hand ball by Thierry Henry. The injury to Diarra will hurt them more than most people realize and two of their more reliable strikers (Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri) will be watching the World Cup from home. They also have problems in defense as Eric Abidal and William Gallas have not clicked for some reason. I’ve never liked Gallas mainly because of his attitude and I can see that being a problem in a squad that seems on the verge of self destructing at any moment. They survived – and thrived – in 2006 mainly because of the leadership and midfield play of Zinedane Zidane. He won’t be there in 2010 and Yoann Gourcuff has yet to step up and fulfill the role as many (including me) predicted. France are a team that could just as easily make the semifinals as crash out of the first round.

Mexico are hard to get a handle on as they started out with a terrible qualifying campaign and were actually on the verge of not qualifying at all when they got smart and fired Sven-Goran Erikkson before it was too late and replaced him with Mexican coach extraordinaire Javier Aguire. Aguire turned things around quick and Mexico has been in fine form since the switch. Still, they have a young team without a lot of international experience and when your best player plies his trade in the MLS, well, let’s just say that doesn’t bode well for their chances.

Uruguay are the wild cards in this group. A lot of people are tabbing them to advance from this group mostly on the strength of their two world class strikers, Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez. They should score some goals but their defense is swiss cheese. They were actually the last team to qualify from the South American federation (CONMEBOL). If they are to go through, they will probably have to score a lot of goals as they will probably give up their share. If the defense can hold out, they could easily go through though.

Everyone has written off South Africa before the tournament has even started…everyone except me that is. I may be the only person in the world crazy enough to predict it but I honestly think the Befana Befana have a good chance of making it out of Group A for a few different reasons. For one thing, you cannot discount the effect of being hosts. Granted, they are probably the weakest hosts in the history of the tournament but are they really that much worse than the US team that shocked the world in 1994 and made it out of a group that included Columbia and Romania? I don’t think they are. Strange things happen when a country hosts a World Cup. How else do you explain the South Koreans making it all the way to the semifinal in 2002? There are other factors at work here too. For one thing, FIFA are corrupt. I’ve followed this World Cup closely and from the moment South Africa were announced as shock hosts, FIFA chief Sepp Blatter has talked non-stop about how much Africa deserves to host a WC and how the continent has been plundered by the rest of the world for years so it’s time to give something back (yes, he actually said that). Not only that, but FIFA have tried to stack the deck in favor of the African teams, even making sure no two African teams were drawn in the same group, presumably increasing the chances that more of them would make the second round. Then there’s the team itself. They endured a rough stretch but Parreira (won the WC as coach of Brazil in 94) seems to have put things together recently and they have enjoyed a good run of form at the right time. The player everyone knows is Steven Pienaar as he plays in the English Premiership for Everton but I like Katlego Mphela and think he could be a player to watch at this WC. Add all this together and I’m picking South Africa to advance from this round.

My Picks:

1. France
2. South Africa
3. Uruguay
4. Mexico


GROUP B:

Argentina are obviously the class of this group. There’s a lot to like about them, starting with the obvious – FIFA world player of the year Lionel Messi. Beyonf him, they also feature Sergio Aguera, Carlos Tevez, Diego Milito and Higuain so goals should not be a problem for them. Their defense, often overlooked, should be tough as well, led by Walter Samuel who played a big part in Inter winning the treble this past season. Some surprises in midfield however as stalwarts Javier Zanetti and Cambiasso were passed over in favor of Pastore and Maxi Rodriguez. That means it all could rely on Juan Sebastian Veron who has certainly seen better days. Argentina definitely has the talent to win the whole thing, especially since it’s being played outside Europe and in the southern hemisphere. They will win their group easily and go far but they won’t win it all for one reason: Diego Armando Maradona. More of a hindrance than anything, he’s been crap as a manager. He experimented way too much and tried too many different players and I just don’t think he has what it takes to guide a team to a WC title as a manager. I’m guessing he has at least one off the field episode before it’s all said and done.

Nigeria are my pick for the African team that goes the furthest in this WC. They were lucky to be drawn in a relatively easy group and should come second. Obafemi Martins has been one of the most consistent strikers over the past 10 years, never flashy but puts the bulge in the onion bag. They could sneak into the quarterfinals with an easy draw in the second round as well. On any other continent I wouldn’t give Nigeria much of a chance but they’ve been the more successful land competitive African teams over the past 20 years and I’m betting that playing on the continent will raise their game.

Greece are Greece. They’ll keep 10-11 players behind the ball and look to take advantage on the counter attack. If they have any chance of going through, they will have to win their first two matches. Their two biggest assets are coach Otto Rehagel who consistently gets his teams to overachieve and hitman Theo Gekas.

South Korea has probably been the most successful Asian team in World Cup history. They always seem to make the final stages but have only once advanced past the first round – and even that deserves an asterisk as it was at home and due mostly to some very questionable refereeing in their favor (Like I said, FIFA are corrupt). Win or lose, they are usually fun to watch as they feature a lot of movement and are never afraid to take chances. Sort of like the anti-Greece. They’re led by JS Park who stars for Manchester United but is currently suffering from a hamstring injury that could see him miss some if not all of the tournament. They don’t have much else going for them though and I’m predicting a last place finish for them in Group B.

My Picks:

1. Argentina
2. Nigeria
3. Greece
4. South Korea


GROUP C:

All the focus is on England and the US but you would be wise not to overlook Slovenia or even Algeria, both of whom are capable of springing an upset. England should win this group but I don’t think it’s going to be the cakewalk that everyone is expecting. Losing Rio Ferdinand hurts them in the back and up front they need to pray that Rooney stays healthy. Seems like he picks up an injury at every major tournament England play in. They’re basically the same team that didn’t qualify for Euro 2008 with a couple differences, the biggest being Fabio Capello of course. Don’t overlook James Milner, he had a great season for Aston Villa and could be needed. England seem to be everyone’s fad pick to win it all for some reason but I still see weaknesses, not the least of which are in goal. Not only that but my feeling is that the altitude will affect them negatively. I’m always pulling for England and I’m hoping they go far. But I don’t see them winning it all. Regardless of whether they win the group or finish second, a tough draw will await them in the next round.

Being overseas for the past 12 years means that I am not as familiar as I probably should be with the US national team. I am a big fan of Clint Dempsey and I think he’s the most talented and dangerous player on the team, even more so than Landon Donovan. The US are not the most tactfully gifted team but what they lack in skill and organization, they more than make up for in grit and determination. That could be enough to get them through to the next round with this draw but they will have trouble against teams who are organized in attack. Onyewu was showing signs of being a star in the Confederations Cup last year and then tore up a knee tendon and lost an entire season. He still doesn’t look entirely healthy and the layoff seems to have left him rusty. That could really hurt the US. Fortunately they have Tim Howard in goal and he is the kind of keeper who could get hot and carry a team (similar to Kasey Keller in 02). I’m picking the US to advance in second place but I’m not entirely convinced that Slovenia will go through in their place.

Slovenia are a team devoid of stars but they are at least as good as the US tactically and they play in a much tougher qualifying region, having beaten a very strong Russia team to make the WC. They are the classic team that everyone overlooks and then springs a shock upset. Plus, they are from the Balkans and in case you’re not familiar with my “Balkans Principle”, it goes something like this – in every WC or European championships, there is almost always at least 1 team from the Balkans that surprises people and goes further than anyone predicted. Past examples are Romania and Bulgaria (1994), Croatia (1998), Turkey (2002), Greece (2004) and both Turkey and Croatia again (2008). The smart money is on Serbia for the Balkans Principle this year but don’t overlook Slovenia.

Algeria are best known for causing one the biggest upsets in WC history when they beat West Germany in 1982. On paper they don’t have much but they easily handled African champions Egypt in qualifying so they should not be taken lightly.

My Picks:

1. England
2. US
3. Slovenia
4. Algeria


GROUP D:

This is my pick for the real “Group of Death”. Germany are always Germany, Serbia are a very popular dark horse pick, Ghana have been the best team in Africa the past few years and the one who went the furthest 4 years ago and Australia have been coming on strong lately, making the knockout stages in 2006 before losing a heartbreaker to eventual champion Italy. All 4 teams have a realistic chance of going through here. Germany should win the group, even without Ballack, their midfield general. Schweinsteiger will step up and look for another youngster to make his mark, probably Mesut Ozil. Low needs to resist the temptation to stick with Miroslav Klose who is obviously past his prime. Podolski is their best option at striker now. He hasn’t had a good domestic season but always raises his game for the Mannschaft.

Serbia dominated their qualifying group, a group which included France. Since then they’ve looked disorganized and uninspired. Serbia are a defensive team and that’s what is expected to carry them far in this WC but I’m not convinced. While everyone seems to picking them as a darkhorse, I’m picking them as a darkhorse disappointment to crash out early.

Australia are a much better team than people give them credit for. They played out of their skulls in 2006 and bring back a similar team this year. I REALLY want to pick them second in this group for the simple fact that the tournament is in the southern hemisphere which might give them a slight edge. But I just can’t do it as I can’t see them recreating the same magic of the 06 team that took Italy to the wire.

Ghana suffered a major blow when Michael Essien was lost with injury. He’s the engine that makes them go. I am picking them to go through this group for 3 reasons. First, they have some young, dynamic talent such as Dominic Adiyiah who can really pressure defenses. Second, even without Essien, they came one or two bad calls from upsetting Brazil four years ago and can hang with almost any team in the world. And Third, they are from Africa. Not only does that mean they will get a mental boost by playing a WC in Africa but it also means that they could benefit from FIFA wanting very badly for African teams to have a good showing. Hint hint.

My Picks:

1. Germany
2. Ghana
3. Australia
4. Serbia



(For Part II, CLICK HERE)

Spent.

It's time for another sabbatical. I've got too many things going on lately and I'm a little burnt out so I'm taking a break from the blog for a little while. As with the last break, I don't know how long it will be, I'll just pick it back up when the spirit moves me.

Couple of videos from last week's snowstorm

Luca helps daddy shovel the walk:




And this is how Italians "shovel" their driveways:

Merry Christmas to all...

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:10~11

My favorite Christmas song of all time.

I hate snow.

We don't get much snow here but when we do it really sucks. As opposed to back home, where it snows a lot and often, a "snowstorm" here constitutes anything close to 6 inches. And the good thing is that it's usually gone within a week or less. When it does snow here though, things become very difficult. The Italians are terrible about plowing and clearing the roads. In fact, most European countries don't use salt, they use sand instead so the snow stays on the roads and gets packed in, making it worse. Not only that, but mixing snow and slippery roads with Italian drivers - who are terribly reckless even in the best of conditions - is nothing short of a recipe for disaster. Many of them drive in snow like it's not there which leads to many stupid accidents as well as cars sliding off the road and getting stuck or even overturned.

So anyway, we had our first snowstorm this past Saturday. It was good timing since I didn't have to drive anywhere. I actually enjoyed grabbing the shovel and clearing the driveway, so much so that I ended up shoveling three others as well, just to be a good Samaritan.

It snowed again yesterday, all day and we got quite a bit of snow. But this time it really sucked because it's a work day. Now, usually when we get a lot of snow, they end up closing the base so I was hoping they would do that because I am trying to avoid driving in the snow as much as possible. It's not that I don't know how, in fact quite the opposite is true; I grew up in New Hampshire so I'm no stranger to driving in the snow. You may remember that I recently purchased an AWD Volvo XC90. It will be arriving here around January 11th which is obviously horrible timing with all the snow the past few days. When it arrives, I'll be selling my Passat to a guy at work which Im using as my entire downpayment and a hefty one at that. I'm desperately trying to keep the car in perfect condition for the next few weeks until my Volvo comes in. And as you can imagine, I'm petrified that some reckless idiot will cause an accident. That would be very bad. Accordingly, I was praying that they'd close the base this morning so I wouldn't have to drive. But it was not to be. Instead, they issued a late work call - for 0900. This actually made things worse for me as I usually start work between 0700-0730 and if I waited another hour or two, the traffic would be a complete nightmare since the roads still aren't completely clear. So I decided to go in at my normal time when there aren't many cars on the road. We got so much snow yesterday and last night that the driveway and car were snowed in so I awoke at 0400 this morning, had my coffee, checked sports scores, email and Facebook as I always do, then went out and shoveled the driveway. My back is sore from all the shoveling the past few days so the hot shower felt great.

So I drove to work extremely cautiously this morning and still almost got in an accident because some moron was tailgating me since I was driving slower than usual and the roads are still slippery. Fortunately I got to the base without incident but there was more to come. The office that I work in is at the top of a small mountain. As you can guess, the roads were not cleared a single bit and there was no way the Passat was going to make it all the way so I had to park at the bottom and walk all the way up, in 7 inches of snow. Even better, it was sleeting when I started and it soon turned to rain. Thankfully I was smart enough to take my umbrella. I shudder to think about what else this day has in store for me.

BTW, here is the funny postscript to the story; When I pulled through the gate, I asked the Italian guard if he thought my car would make it up the mountain. He looked at my car and replied "Earlier, someone with an all wheel drive Volvo came in and made it...but I don't think you can do it in your car."

*Sigh*

Talk about pouring salt sand in my wound...

Christmas in Italy: Befana the Witch

In Italy they have Santa Claus - his name is Babo Natale - but, unlike most of the rest of the world, he is not the one who brings gifts to the children on Christmas. In Italy, children receive their gifts on the day of the Epiphany which is the day that the 3 Wise Men visited Jesus in the manger, celebrated on January 6th (although many Italians do the normal gifts-on-Christmas day thing). And the person who brings the gifts to the Italian children is a Witch named La Befana. Rather than try to describe La Befana in my own words, here's a description I pulled off some random website:

The Befana is a Christmas witch that comes 12 days after Christmas on January 6. January 6 is Epiphany and is a celebration of the visit by the three wise men to the baby Jesus. La Befana is derived from Epifania, the Italian for Epiphany.

In the distant past the people of Italy thought La Befana was evil. They rang clay bells and made noise to keep her away. Now she is viewed as a gentle spirit that will give gifts to the children of Italy.

According to the Italian legend, La Befana lived on the road the three wise men took on their journey to visit the baby Jesus. The three wise men on camels loaded down with gifts, approached La Befana’s house as she was busy working. They stopped to ask directions to Bethlehem and to ask if she could provide them with food and shelter for the night to see if she might join them on their journey. La Befana was too busy to talk to the wise men. Later she changed her mind and decided she should have gone with the wise men.

La Befana gathered up some gifts and set off in search of the Christ Child. Like the three wise men she followed the bright star shining in the sky. She was not able to find the stable where the Christ Child lay.

Befana did not give up and to this day is still looking in every home for the Christ Child. She flies on her broom to each house that is home to a child. La Befana leaves gifts in every house she visits in case one of them happens to be the Christ Child. If a child is particularly naughty she is said to leave a lump of coal in their house.

Some pics from the X Man's birthday

Yesterday was the X Man's 6th birthday. Since it was on a Monday, we celebrated it on Sunday as nobody works on that day. His friend Daniele's birthday is a couple days earlier (he's a year younger) so we ended up celebrating both at the same time. The wife made a cake and put both names on it along with both ages - 6 for the X Man and 5 for Daniele. (Please spare me the "Is the X Man 65 years old?!" jokes, I've heard them all already...)

Luca and the X Man in Venice

For those who haven't seen them yet...

Brian Kelly is the new Notre Dame coach.

It's time to wake the echoes my friend. Notre Dame have themselves a new coach and he seems to be the perfect fit: he's an Irish Catholic lad from Boston (Chelsea) who went to Assumption College (we used to play them in college). He's won at every level and every school that he's coached at.

Welcome to Notre Dame Nation Brian...we're looking forward to our return to glory!

So this is Christmas.

Christmas, as the song says, is the most wonderful time of the year. Seems like every year I get caught up in the Christmas spirit; usually all it takes is hearing a Christmas song or two. I revel in seeing the tree in our living room, all lit up. But for some reason I just haven't been feeling it this year. We're already into the second week of December now and normally by this time I'm singing "Deck the Halls" in my sleep. We put our tree up this past weekend and then watched "Emmitt Otter's Jugband Christmas". Emmitt Otter has been a Christmas fixture in the Thibodeau household since I was a kid and nothing puts me in the spirit more than watching Emmitt, Ma, Wendell, Doc Bullfrog and the hijinx of the Riverbottom Nightmare Gang every December. But it just didn't do it this year for the first time ever. I guess I've just got too much non-Christmas stuff going on this year, my mind is elsewhere and I'm feeling more stressed than usual. You might even say I'm feeling like a cotton headed ninny-muggins...

More College Tales - The Rebound.

So anyway, my freshman year was over and I was in rough shape academically. Not only was my GPA sitting at a paltry 2.00, but because of the Renaissance Art fiasco I had accumulated a mere 9 credits. I started wondering if maybe I wasn't college material after all and I probably would have thought long and hard about dropping out were it not for one thing: basic training.

As you probably already know, I had enlisted in the Army Reserves about a month before school started. I did this mostly for the college money as my father had informed me that there was no way he was going to just pay my whole way through college and I figured there was no other way. I enlisted under the "split option" program which means you do your basic training (aka boot camp) and your job school in the summers between school years. That meant that as soon as I finished my first year of college, I had about two weeks off, then headed down to lovely Fort Dix, New Jersey for basic training.

Basic training would have been a tremndous shock under any circumstances but after spending a year in college getting drunk every weekend and sleeping in most mornings when I didn't have class, well...let's just say it was quite a wake up call. While my classmates headed off to summer vacations or internships, I spent two months getting screamed at, being woken up at 0330 every morning, shining boots, doing push ups in the rain, running 5 miles, learning how to shoot various weapons and basically just trying to get through one day at a time. When you look back at it, it never seems that bad but when you're right in the middle of it things looked a whole lot worse. Everything changed for me about 2 or 3 weeks in. My squad had guard duty and I had drawn the 0200-0300 shift. When you're on guard duty you don't have much to do so most people, including myself, spend the hour writing letters to people back home. So that night I was sitting there trying to describe to people back home how much of a nightmare basic training was when it suddenly occured to me that the whole reason why I was putting myself through that was so that I could afford to get through college. And then I started thinking about my disastrous freshman year and I guess I must have realized the folly of putting myself through such hell if I wasn't going to be serious about school. Things changed for me that night. I finished basic training and went back to college with a renewed sense of purpose. I still had no idea what I wanted to do after I graduated but I figured that would work itself out, I just needed to get my grades up.

And I did. In fact, in my last three years at Franklin Pierce College I made the Dean's List every semester except one when I missed it by about a tenth of a percentage point. It's always stood as one of my proudest achievements (and I don't have many...).

Unfortunately my disastrous freshman year has always haunted me. For one thing it brought my overall GPA when I graduated down to a 2.8 which is nothing to be proud of, despite my subsequent good grades. Not only that but I was never able to make up the lost credits and ended up finishing 6 credits short of my degree which almost prevented me from graduating. Since I was 6 credits short, I had to go before a review board comprised of professors and faculty members and make a case for why I should be able to graduate with my class. I explained how I turned around my failings from freshman year and how I had completed every class needed for my degree and that the 6 credits were just electives which could easily be knocked out in a semester or two and they agreed to let me "walk". This means I would get to graduate with my classmates but instead of a degree, I would recieve a blank piece of paper. I would recieve the actual degree as soon as I finished those 2 or 3 classes. In the years that followed, I never had a problem getting hired for jobs that I'd applied for so I never bothered to finish those last couple classes. In the end, I didn't actually have to. Colleges can opt to award credits to students for military service as long it somewhat correlates to your degree. In 2003 I submitted a military "transcript" of all the training and schools I had completed with the military and asked them them to review to see if I could get a couple credits out of it. To my astonishment, they replied that what I had accomplished would easily cover my remaining handful of credits and so, a whole ten years after I graduated the first time, I finally received my degree.

The Wife and I

More college tales...

So when we last left our hero, he mentioned that he finished his first semester on academic probation. Let's pick it up there...

The root of my freshman year problems actually started my senior year of high school. I'd been accepted to FPC and it came time to pick my class schedule for freshman year but being a high school student, I knew absolutely nothing about how to do it so I went to see my guidance counselor. Your high school guidance counselor is supposed to be the expert on such things but I was unlucky to have a terrible guidance counselor. How terrible was he? Let's put it this way - when he "helped" me with my SAT application, I somehow ended up being scheduled to take the test in Kents Hill, Maine, a town on the Canadian border about 6 or 7 hours away, instead of in Nashua with all my classmates.

Anyway, I took my course manual to him and asked for help. He perused the manual and read the requirements and said "It says here that you will have to take an art class and a music class as part of your core requirements so let's get them out of the way your first semester." I agreed, he told me which classes to enroll in and I did so. When he finished with his recommendations, I looked at my form and noticed there were only 4 classes instead of 5. To graduate with a degree, you'd need 120 credits and the average class was 3 credits so 5 classes per semester is the average (and recommended) course load. I asked him about this and he replied "You don't want to get overwhelmed your first semester of freshman year so it's best to take 4 classes instead of 5 and then you just make up the other 3 credits sometime in your next 3 and a half years, it's easy". Sounded good to me. So my first semester my classes were:

Art, Drama, Music
Renaissance Art
Science for the Citizen
English 101

Normally this might not have been a problem. However a couple weeks into my classes I discovered that the "Renaissance Art" course that my idiot guidance counselor had me enroll in was a freaking honors level art class for Art History majors. I don't know how in the world I was ever allowed to enroll in it in the first place - just about everyone in the class were juniors or seniors who were majoring in Art History and were all advanced. The only way the class would have made less sense to me was if it wer etaught in a foreign language (which a lot of it was actually). So I tried to switch out into a different class but by that time everything else was full and no other professors would accept new students. The only option I had was to drop the class but - and here's where it gets comical - I could not do so because I was only enrolled in 4 classes instead of the normal 5 and to be considered a full time student, you had to carry at least 4. I was stuck. I tried to grit it out but I was in so far over my head I had no chance. I completely bombed the class, finishing with a big, fat 'F'. I did ok in my other classes but the F in Renaissance Art brought my GPA down to 1.75. Anything below a 2.0 puts you on academic probation so there I was, a very inauspicious start to my college career.

Things didn't get any better over the semester break either. As I mentioned earlier, I thought I was interested in a career in radio. We had a campus radio station and I had a show that semester that I enjoyed. It was mostly just talking about sports but it was a nice break from classes. So during Christmas break I called up our local radio station, B106 and excitedly told the DJ that I was a college student and I was planning a career in radio and asked what advice or info he could give me. He told me "Well, I'm not going to lie to you. You're going to spend the first several years of your career bouncing around small towns in the middle of nowhere working the overnight shift for very little money. If you're lucky you might slip into an afternoon drive slot but that won't happen until you've got years of experience under your belt and even then you won't make much money". I hung up and suddenly realized that a career in radio was not for me. Mass Communications was the only thing I was remotely interested in majoring in so that was quite a kick in the nuts.

I sleepwalked through my classes second semester with no idea where I was headed and finished with a 2.25 GPA which was not good but combined with my first semester to put me exactly at a 2.0. I was off academic probation but just barely.

Next time I'll write about how I rebounded...

Franklin Pierce College University

I've been getting notices from my alma mater lately asking me to update all my information for the alumni association as they're trying to update all their records or something. It's been kind of reminding me a of my college days so I thought I'd write a bit about em.

My senior year of high school I applied to a total of 6 colleges; University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State, Castleton State, Franklin Pierce, Southern Vermont and, I think Keene State. The only one I really wanted to go to was UNH of course as almost all my friends were going there. So naturally, UNH was the only school of the 6 that I didn't get accepted to. I had toured Franklin Pierce College and liked their Mass Communication department so I decided on them as my second choice with my mind on a possible career in radio. FPC, at the time, was a small, private, liberal arts college tucked away in the southwestern corner of New Hampshire in a little town called Rindge, right on the Massachussets border. There is literally nothing there except the college but it sits on a lake with beautiful Mount Monadnock in the background overlooking the campus and it's such a gorgeous picture that many people choose it simply because of the view. Of course those same people spend most of their 4 years complaining that there's nothing to do. When I was there, the enrollment was somewhere around 1,300 students so it was very small and they were so big on the small town, family atmosphere that fraternities and sororities were not allowed. A year or two ago, Franklin Pierce College changed their name to Franklin Pierce University for reasons I've yet to fully comprehend.

Looking back, I would have loved to have gone to college far away from home, maybe even on the other side of the country...but I had enlisted in the Army Reserve to help pay for school and I'd have to drive back home for drills once a month so I opted to stay closer to home mostly for that reason. Of course it was my first time being on my own so even though I was only two hours away, it felt like a lot more.

I remember my first day pretty vividly. I had on my favorite pair of acid wash jeans with the legs pegged at the bottom - hey, it was 1989! - and a yellow shirt. My dorm room was tiny, barely enough room for me and my roomate. My roomate was from Connecticut, his name was Paul Keegan but everybody called him "Kegger". He was really tall, a basketball player, and we got along really well. He was pretty laid back, had a girlfriend back home, seldom studied and ended up dropping out due to terrible grades after the first semester. I myself finished my first semester on academic probation. But that's a story for the next post...

Back from the doctor - no mumps...YAY!

Doctor ruled out the mumps right away, saying the swelling is not in the area that mumps typically affect. After a full exam, she determined that it's just a virus that is making his lymph nodes on one side swell up considerably. Both he and Luca also got a PPD (TB) shot just to be safe. I thought it was strange that he might have the mumps as he's already received the MMR vaccination. Thank God I was right...

The X Man might have the mumps.

We're taking him to the doctor in about an hour to find out for sure but it certainly looks like the mumps. One side of his neck, underneath his ear is all swollen up and is painful. He's already had the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination when he was younger, he's not running a fever and doesn't feel sick but I can't imagine what else it could be.

I'll post an update upon returning from the doctor.

Commute.

You may recall that a few months back I made a post saying that, although I am happy to be back in Italy, all is not roses and sunshine. I believe the phrase I used was "Be careful what you wish for". I spent my entire two and a half years in Heidelberg trying like hell to get back here to Vicenza somehow, some way. People misunderstood that and took it as me not liking Heidelberg and Germany in general but nothing could have been further from the truth. We LOVED our life in Heidelberg. We loved everything about it except one thing - it wasn't Italy. But I often said, if I never got back to Italy, I would be very happy staying in Heidelberg.

When I got my old job back here I knew instantly that there were many things I would miss about Heidelberg. I have since come to realize that the thing I perhaps miss the most is the commute - or lack thereof - that I had. The base I worked at up there was within walking distance. A long walk to be sure, but walkable nonetheless. But driving there and back each day never took more than 10 minutes and in the morning with little to no traffic, it was not uncommon for me to reach the base in about 5 minutes.

Coming back to Italy, we were adamant that we wanted to live in our old town, Caldogno. We practically had roots there, many friends and neighbors which was a major reason why we wanted to come back here and we were fortunate to find a nice house only one street away from our old place. During my first 6 years here, one of the few things I really hated was the commute to and from the base. It took anywhere from 15-30 minutes but it was all traffic, lights and crazy drivers and was a considerable source of stress for me as I HATE sitting in traffic and even moreso dealing with idiotic drivers, which is commonplace in this country. So I get back here and find out that I'll be working at a satellite facility which is about 15 minutes away from the main base. And it just so happens that it's 15 minutes in the opposite direction. In other words, my hellish commute, such a source of stress for me, is double what it was last time I was here. There are basically only two routes to this base from my house and either way I go, I have to deal with traffic and crazy Italian drivers so it's usually the lesser of two evils. I also have to work an earlier schedule because if I leave the house later than 7-7:15 am, it will take me at least 45 minutes to get to work. This cuts into my ability to establish some kind of pre-work exercise routine in the morning.

I don't know why it stresses me out so much. I mean, it's not like driving in Boston, Rome, Naples, or a big city like that. It's just that sitting in a car in stop and go traffic for a half hour grates on my nerves. It's so bad that when I'm in the car on the way to and from work, I can literally feel my blood pressure go up and often get stress headaches. In the States it wasn't as bad because I listened to talk radio a lot which distracted me but there is no talk radio here. I sit there alone with my thoughts which, believe me, do not make very good company.

Anyway, there is a very good possibility that we will be relocating back to the main base within the next 2-3 years so I keep telling myself that it's not forever and will get better eventually but in the meantime everyday is a freaking nightmare driving to and from work. Definitely one of the worst parts of being back here.

New pictures of Luca

Should be here by Christmas...

Thanks to my buddy Wayne who got me a great deal...

The Wall.

The Berlin Wall has been in the news quite a bit recently as yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the day it officially "fell". All the news coverage really takes me back to my own personal experiences with the Wall, limited though they are.

I was born in the early 70's and so growing up the Cold War was going strong and it often inspired much of the culture we were exposed to growing up. There were the James Bond movies whose villians usually were, or had dealings with, Soviet Union. And of course, Pink Floyd's 'The Wall". There were also popular songs about the Cold War. One song in particular made me much more aware of Germany's role in the Cold War and that was "99 Red Baloons" by Nena. Nena was a German pop singer and as the song gained popularity in the early 80's, the original German version - "99 Luftballoons" was also released. I developed a bit of interest in Germany and Berlin and the Wall in particular. I remember President Reagan's famous "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" speech in 1987. And I remember watching news footage the day the Wall finally fell and Berlin became a united city again. I'll never forget the images and the joy and celebrations...you just could not help feeling the enormity of what was happening. But alas, I was in my freshman year of college and was too preoccupied with other things to really take it all in.

In 1998 I joined the Army and went to Germany. I was a bit older than most of the other people in my company so I had much more interest in the history of the country and being stationed there, I was just constantly inundated by the history I'd only read about or seen on TV growing up. It was probably the main reason why I became so enamored with Europe to be honest. I took my first trip to Berlin in the spring of 2000 and spent a few days touring around, taking in as much of it as I could. I was completely floored. It was like being in a living museum. So much of the history I grew up learning was literally all around me; the platz where Hitler held book burnings, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the remnants of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie...I was just overcome. I spent several hours in the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and could have spent several more if I'd had time. The Checkpoint Charlie museum is filled with the history of the Berlin Wall, complete with photos and stories of hundreds of escape attempts (there were about 5,000 successful attempts). It was, by far, one of the most amazing museums I've ever seen. As I was seeing all of this, I just kept thinking to myself "This was all happening while I was growing up a world away." Seeing what those people were going through compared to what I had in the US at the same time, it just made me realize how lucky I was. I also went up into the Fernsehturm, the 1,200 feet tall TV tower in the former East Berlin. There's a revolving restaurant at the top now and I sat there drinking a beer staring down at Berlin...it was so high up that you could literally see what used to be East Berlin and what used to be West Berlin, even 11 years after the Wall had come down. But there was construction everywhere and I just had the feeling that if I came back a few years later, I probably wouldn't even recognize the city. And I was right.

A few years later, in 2003, I had a great opportunity to see Berlin again, completely free. I had to go there for work but all I had to do was bring some passports up there to an Army officer and then wait for him to process some visas. The process took a week so I basically had nothing to do except sightsee for the whole week which was right up my alley. I spent an entire afternoon in the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and then walked around looking at the few pieces of the Wall that still stood, most now covered with graffiti. But sure enough, the city had changed. So much of it was new and nowhere was the city's progress more evident than Potsdamer Platz - once a veritable wasteland, it's now a modern area with some futuristic looking buildings and bustling city traffic.

The Berlin Wall has really become one of the most inspiring and influential parts of my European experience. I'm still fascinated by the history of it and the stories of the people who were affected by it. The most memorable moment for me came during my first trip to Berlin; as I was sitting in an outdoor cafe enjoying a beer and taking in the scene around me, I noticed that there were elderly people all around me, just sitting there eating and chatting and it struck me how similar Berlin is to any other major city I've been in like Paris, Rome or London. Then the thought occured to me as I watched the old people who were probably in their 80's...imagine the history that those people have witnessed in their lives. Everything I learned in school or saw in the movies - the rise of Hitler, World War 2, the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Berlin and Germany - these people personally witnessed all of it.

Just made me realize how much I have to learn.

(I've got a bunch of pictures of the Wall, the escape attempts, the Fernsehturm and more on my website: Click Here.)

SITREP

In case anyone is interested, here's an update on what's going on in our world...

Wife and kid came back last weekend after 5 weeks in the Philippines visiting her family. Since they've been back Luca has become an insufferable mama's boy. He's 18 months old now and he's still breastfeeding. This might be normal, I don't know, but the X Man stopped after 7 months. In Luca's case, it's obviously a comfort thing. Also, he can't stand to be away from the wife for a second and is constantly clinging to her. It's impossible for her to cook or clean or do much else. We have found one thing that helps a bit though - we put some Sesame Street videos on Youtube and he'll sit and watch them for a while with no fuss. He's still adjusting to the time change and usually wakes up in the wee hours. He's at his happiest when he wakes up too, just wants to play and dance. And man, can he dance. I've never seen a kid who loves to dance as much as Luca. The first sound of any kind of music he stops what he's doing and starts shaking his behind. And not just to music either, he'll dance at anything. The wife has a really funny video of him in the Philippines, her father was sawing a board and he was dancing to the sound of the saw going back and forth. He's got some moves too, I really need to capture him on video and post it to Youtube. We had a firend over for dinner this past weekend and he just could not stop laughing all night watching Luca dance.

The X Man is doing great in school although the schedule is rough on him. the Italian public schools are free but have a shortage of money so not everybody gets to go Monday - Friday for a full day. Kids who have one parent that doesn't work (like the X Man) go to school half a day (8:15 - 1:15) Monday through Saturday. I totally hate this. I mean seriously, making a kid go to school on Saturday?! That's just cruel. Plus it ruins our weekend as we pretty much lose Saturday. It seems to be taking its toll on him too, he's starting to dislike going to school. everyday he asks how many more days he has to go and often pulls the "I don't feel good" routine in the morning.

We're also having trouble with the X Man's behaviour lately. He obviously doesn't like not being the center of attention and often acts out to get some attention back on him. He was good while the wife and kid were away but since they've been back he's reverted to his old ways. I try to be patient but find myself yelling at him a lot which I don't like because I've inherited my dad's bad temper and the last thing I want is for him to grow up scared of me the way I often was with my dad. Also, the X Man's car addiction has been replaced by a Transformers obsession. Whereas he used to not go anywhere without a car in his hand, now he will seldom be seen without one of his Transformers in his hands. Every day day he begs us to watch the Transformers cartoon on Youtube. He is truly obsessed.

On the homefront, things are fine as well. The wife currently is down with the flu - in fact, I'm leaving work soon to go take care of the baby so she can rest and recover. I'm sure i'll be coming down with it soon as well, not looking forward to that. I'm also in the market for a new car and will be test driving a new Volvo XC90 this week. I've already got a loan in place and will be selling the Passat to use as a down payment so if the test drive goes well, I'll be buying the Volvo. We've got friends coming down from Germany and up from Florence for Thanksgiving in a few weeks so we're looking forward to that.

That's pretty much it for now. If you read this, then consider yourself caught up on things...

Me and the X Man

Devil's Forest Pub, Venice

Happy Birthday Tay-Tay

Regrets.

The Wife and Kid are Home

Great to have the little guy home
And it looks like they left just in time as another typhoon battered Manila a few hours after they left and several flights were cancelled. But it's great to have them home and have things back to normal a little bit. Luca is still adjusting but he seems to have developed some bad habits during his time away. He's become a complete mama's boy and even worse he is prone to throwing temper tantrums. That's something the X Man never did so it's new territory for me. I may have to call Supernanny if it keeps up. But he's still as cute as ever and still completely addicted to dancing. I'm hoping to post some cute videos of him dancing in the next few weeks.

I Don't Particularly Care for MPs.

I've never really been one to buck authority. I do believe we need laws in a society and the military is no exception. Despite this, I cannot stand military policemen ("MPs" for short). They are some of the most arrogant, hypocritical people I've ever met in the military. I'm sure there are some really good ones but I've met and observed so many bad ones that it's impossible for me to have a favorable opinion of them, especially when you see them doing the very things they are so fond of giving other people tickets for such as speeding or parking in no parking areas. They get a little bit of authority and it goes right to their heads and affects their ability to use common sense and reason. For example, an MP on base once gave me a ticket for going 13 MPH in a 10 MPH zone. I assure you, I am not kidding.

The base here is one of the worst I've seen. Part ofthe problem is that most of the MPs here are Reserve or National Guard units that come here for a few weeks to do their time, then go home. They throw on the uniform and suddenly they all think they're freaking Serpico. And to make matters worse, most of them are young E3's or E4's which means they've only been doing it for a couple years or less. They are not content to come to Italy for a few weeks, do their job, enjoy the sights and go home. Nay, they feel they must leave a trail of ridiculous tickets and harassing traffic stops in their wake. Consider this story...

We have a shoppette on base which is like a little convenient store. It's the kind of place where people run into real quick to pick something up or drop a movie rental off. There's an expansive area in front where you are not supposed to park at but people do all the time when they are just dropping a movie off as it takes about 20 seconds to run in and run out. About 5 years ago I was on base with the wife and the X Man (who was just a baby) in the car and we needed to return a movie. There were no parking spots and I didn't want to have to unhook the baby seat and carry him in so I pulled up to the front and told the wife to run in and drop it off. No sooner did she get out of the car when I noticed an MP car so I backed out so as not to get a ticket. As soon as I did, the sirens came on and he proceeded to follow me with the sirens blaring as I parked in an open spot. I can hear him on the radio calling it in and then a few minutes later he gets out of his cruiser and slowly walks to my window WITH HIS HAND ON HIS GUN. I'm watching all of this thinking "WTF, do you think me and my newborn baby are packing heat?!". He asks for the usual documents and I tried to explain that I was just dropping my wife off to return a movie but it didn't matter, he tells me "When I see you stopped in front of the shoppette, for all I know, you could be inside doing your grocery shopping". Seriously, he saw my wife get out of the car and he saw me sitting in the drivers seat with a baby in the back. He then proceeded to hold me there for TWENTY minutes while he ran my info and then let me off with a warning to "Watch yourself next time" as he might not be as lenient.

Thank you Cagney, say hi to Lacey for me...

Well I had another incident this morning. We had a cold snap last week and one of my headlights went out. Changing a headlight on my car is no small feat, the entire thing has to be removed and replaced and it's way above my knowledge and skill level. Since I had to go to Germany for work this past week I figured I'd get it fixed when I got back. So I'm driving onto the base this morning and sure enough, there's a reservist MP who takes my ID, then asks me to turn my headlights on for him. When he sees one of them is out he tells me to pull into the temporary holding area and asks for my license, registration, proof of insurance, etc. Then he disappears for 15 minutes before I even get a chance to explain that it just went out and that I just got back from Germany so I haven't had a chance to get it fixed. He comes back, gives me a ticket and asks me if I have any questions. My reply was "Yeah, here's a question, how am I supposed to get my headlight fixed right away when it takes two weeks to get an appointment at the garage on base?". The kid looks at me and says, very condescendingly "You can change a headlight yourself". Well, I started to go off on him about how replacing a headlight on my car is a big job and that I just got back from Germany but then remembered that MPs are complete dickheads so I just stopped my self and said "Nevermind, just give me the damned ticket."

There is a reason why the MPs are the most hated people on military bases. If anyone has any MP stories, please feel free to share in the comments section...

The Wife Comes Home Tomorrow.

Thank God.

Headed to Germany for a few days...

Be back on Wednesday.

Dinner at the Neighbors.

Our neighbors are Calabrese, that is, they are from the region of Italy named Calabria. Calabria is found way down south, in the "toe" area of Italy that is kicking the island of Sicily. Giorgia and Daniele are their names and they also have three daughters, two who live with them and one who lives in town, and a grandson, little Daniele who I previously wrote about on here. Giorgia is a teacher in the X Man's school and she is wonderful, we love her to death. The whole family is great actually and we love having them as neighbors. In typical Italian fashion, they always want to have us over for dinner. Although I love eating dinner over there, I have to decline sometimes for a couple reasons; first, like most Italians, they eat dinner very late, usually around 8 or 8:30. That's just way too late for me as I'm usually in bed by 9 since I get up around 0430 for work. Also, dinner at their house means way too much food for me. A normal Italian meal has 4 or 5 different courses, then they force dessert on you and then maybe some cheese or fruit afterwards, not to mention the vino flowing freely throughout the meal...it's just too much for me, especially late at night.

With the wife away, I think Giorgia took pity on me and the first week asked me to come have dinner with them. I didn't want to be rude but I explained that they eat too late and that I'm usually in bed around 9 so I would have to pass. She understood and was not offended but since I mentioned that weekends were better since I don't work, she wanted to invite me on a weekend but every weekend so far has been either full or they have been in Tuscany visitng her brother. She invited us for lunch this past Sunday but we had plans to be in Venice all day so I had to decline once again but I felt bad so I agreed to come to dinner on Wednesday. It worked out perfectly as there is an American kid named Jeremy staying with me this week, he is the son of a girl I went to school with back home. He's a freshman in college spending his first semester in Florence on an exchange program and he's on semester break so I offered for him to come up here if he wanted to see Venice and experience some real Italian culture. Well, let me tell you, if you want real Italian culture, go to dinner at an Italian's house.

We ended up eating around 8 and what a freaking meal. Antipasto was prosciutto crudo from Tuscany, then bigoli all'anitra (fat pasta with duck meat) which is a speciality of the Veneto region where live. After that they brought out a huge plate of homemade polpette done in Calabria style. Polpette is similar to a meatball except it's mostly flat instead of round and they make theirs with meat, cheese, parsley, cream and one or two other ingredients I can't recall. Absolutely delicious. Along with the polpette was a big plate of a special sweet salsiccia (sausage) from Asiago, the famous alpine town nearby known mostly for it's cheese. As a contorni (side dish), there was also a huge plate of steak fries (which I avoided) and a big bowl of salad. I was completely stuffed but then Daniele insisted on bringing out the big block of Asiago cheese and then a big bowl of roasted chestnuts. Dessert was a torta (cake) with pear on top. We also had three different kinds of vino.

The food was amazing but the best part of the night, as it often is, was the fellowship. The entire evening was spent with us learning a lot of Italian language and culture as well as introducing the neighbors to a lot of American language and culture. That kind of thing has always been one of my favorite parts of living in Italy. And it was quite an experience for Jeremy as well, as he was able to practice his Italian and the look on his face was priceless and I'm certain that he will keep that experience in his mind forever.

I didn't get any pics from dinner but I found a few online of some of the dishes:

Prosciutto Crudo
Bigoli all'anitra

Polpette

Update on the Wife

The main reason the wife and kid went back to the Philippines was because her family had decided to hold a huge family reunion this month. Unfortunately the typhoons came one after the other and her family's farm was hit hard, losing all of their crops before they had a chance to harvest them. the reunion was scheduled for Saturday, October 17th and I was wondering if they would even still have it since they are still recovering from the floods but I heard from the wife on Saturday and she said that all of her aunts and uncles and other relatives showed up and that it was a fantastic time. She says it was weird seeing family members that she hasn't seen in 20 years and I can just imagine but I could sense the excitement at it all. She says that everything is fine and the recovery is going well. Her family is just in love with Luca and having a ball with him and he is enjoying himself quite a bit, playing with his cousins and grandparents. hopefully she's taking a lot of pictures and videos so I can post some of them when they get back. They're arriving back in Milan on Saturday, October 31st.

On the homefront everything is well. I had another great weekend with the X Man. We spent the day in Venice again yesterday and he was well behaved and didn't whine a bit, I was quite surprised. When we got home he went right over to Daniele's house for the rest fo the evening before going back to Giampi and Agnese's house for the week.

Sometimes I Wish I Were Italian. Or Irish. Or...

I'm French. More specifically, I'm French Canadian. 100%. As far as I know, there is only French blood running through my veins. Both my mother's and father's side of the family can be traced immediately back to Canada, most of them to Quebec. Growing up, French Canadians - lovingly referred to as Canucks - were predominant in my neighborhood, my town and my schools. Most of my classmates had last names like Levesque, Francoeur, Boucher, Gagnon or Cote and many were fluent in French. Most of my older relatives spoke French and when I got to high school I started learning French partly because I wanted to feel like part of my heritage. After college my brother and I went to Montreal and Quebec a couple times and for the first time I saw where my family had come from. When I got to Europe in 1998, I cherished every trip to France because I wanted to sort of get in touch with my ancestry and culture. I even got a tattoo of the Fleur-de-Lis, the symbol of Quebec (also their flag).

But the truth is, I've never felt much nationalistic or ethic pride in being French Canadian. Over the years I've come to be envious of people with other backgrounds. Italians, Irish, Germans, Mexicans, Filipinos, hell even Puerto Ricans. They have so much pride in their heritage and wear it like a badge of honor. Italian Americans and Irish Americans in particular, two of the proudest groups there are in the US. There are plenty of Italian Americans who are 3rd, 4th or even 5th generation but they can still speak the language and still identify themselves as more Italian than American. Italians have made a huge mark on the US with their food, culture, etc. Same with the Irish, I mean they even have their own holiday. All of these groups have identifiable cultures. French Canadians...not so much, unless you want to count meatpies, construction, sheetrock or drywall. Somehow, saying "Kiss me I'm French Canadian" doesn't have the same ring to it as "Kiss me I'm Irish" does.

The funny thing is, living in Italy for almost 10 years now I've developed a lot of Italian traits and can even speak the language decently. In some ways, I'm a lot more "Italian" than many of the real Italian Americans back in the US but because my blood is 100% French Canadian, I'll never part of the club. I've accepted that. But sometimes I wish that I WAS Italian. Or Irish. Or one of those other nationalities who have so much pride in their heritage. In the meantime, I guess I'll just have to say "Je me Souviens!"...and pass me another piece of meatpie.

5 Underrated 80's movies

1. Big Trouble in Little China

2. Adventures in Babysitting

3. F/X

4. Masquerade

5. Shoot to Kill

Love...Exciting and new...

A few weeks ago I finally got Sky Italia. Sky Italia is the satellite TV package in Italy, it's got about 800 channels ranging from sports to variety to movies to music. I'm loving it so far as I get all the soccer I can handle and occasionally a movie will come on that I haven't seen in a while (Last week it was "Major League"). One of my favorite channels is Fox Retro. As the name would imply, it shows a bunch of stuff from the 70's and 80's so I love it. i'm enjoying watching shows I haven't seen since I was a kid but I've been surprised at how many of them just don't hold up very well. There is one show however that is just as enjoyable now as it was 30 years ago: The Love Boat.

It comes on a few times a day and I'm loving it. It's amazing to see how many famous people were on it, every episode is like a who's who of American culture. The storylines are laughable, the acting is over the top, and the jokes are corny at best but I don't care. The Love Boat rocks. And the theme song! you cannot hear the Love Boat theme song and not feel happy. You just can't.

The Love Boat Theme Song

This pretty much sums me up...

Disaster.

I thought the worst of the storms was over in the Philippines but apparently I was wrong. Typhoon Parma completely destroyed the Pangasinan region, where the wife is staying with her family. I spoke to her on the phone yesterday and she described the devastation to me, it sounds really bad. The good news is that her family's house where they're staying somehow escaped the flooding and everyone is safe and sound. The bad news is that the farm and all of her family's crops - basically, their entire livelihood - have been lost to the flooding. The bridge that leads the highway was also destroyed but she says it should be fixed by the time they are supposed to come home at the end of the month. I was worried about Luca and told her that if it was really bad she might want to think about coming home early but she says the worst is over and the waters are already starting to go down. Plus, the house is fine so there's not really much danger for them at this point I guess. It's probably good that she's there right now as she can help them buy things that they really need to recover. We're going to do what we can to help them get back on their feet but I'm sure it won't be easy to recover from something like this. She sounded pretty upbeat about everything on the phone though so I'm not too worried about her and Luca.

In a way, it's kind of ironic; the last time they had a flood this bad was almost 20 years ago. In that flood they also lost everything and were so desperate that the wife, as the oldest girl in the family, had to go to Hong Kong and take a job as a domestic helper to help support the family. About 10 years after that, we met. And now she's back home visiting her family with our youngest kid and it happens all over again. At least this time she's in a much better position to help them...

The X Man and Daniele

One of the best things about coming back to Italy is that the X Man has started school and has plenty of friends his own age. We live in a duplex and the people who live in the other side have a grandson living with them named Daniele. Daniele is 4 years old, one year younger than the X Man and they've become best friends. Almost every day Daniele goes outside in the driveway which is separated from our front yard by a little wire fence, and starts his familiar chant: "Xavier...Xavier...Xavier..." and he will not stop until the X Man goes out to the terrazza and visits with him. It's actually kind of cute. Daniele asks everyday if Xavier can come to his house and he usually does. He probably spends more time next door than at home and often eats dinner over there. The neighbors absolutely love him and love having him over as he's a good influence on Daniele.

But things are not always rosy between the X Man and Daniele.

Daniele, although being a year younger, is bigger than the X Man. He's also a brute who doesn't always play well with others. When the X Man is with him, he becomes a lot more unruly than normal and suddenly has trouble listening to the wife and I. I've had to drop the hammer on him a few times and he seems to have learned his lesson. But overall, I'm happy that he has Daniele to hang out and play with, it's good for him to have a best friend. Yesterday, Daniele's grandmother picked up the X Man after school and he played with Daniele in their driveway. When I got home after work and walked up on the terrazza, the X Man was clinging to the fence and in a soft, weepy voice said "Daddy, I want to come home". I saw that he was crying so I asked what happened but he didn't want to say, he just kept saying he wanted to come home. So I went over and he met me at the end of the driveway and took my hand. I picked him up and told Daniele to tell his grandmother that I was taking him home but she was sitting on their steps and jumped up when she heard me and came over. Whatever had happened, she didn't see it and had no idea anything was wrong until she saw the the X Man was crying. When she asked him what happened, he told her that Daniele had hit him. Well she flipped out and started chasing Daniele around screaming at him, it was actually kind of comical. She apologized to me and I took the X Man home and he was fine. According to him, he wanted to "pick a flower for mommy because I miss her" and Daniele wouldn't let him and an argument ensued which resulted in Daniele hitting him several times.

I'm sure it's all been forgotten and Daniele will be outside today calling for him like every other day. But it looks like I'm going have to teach the X Man to defend himself...

Quick Update

Nothing much new to report. Got a few emails from the wife; her and Luca are doing fine. They haven't gotten hit too hard by the numerous tropical storms that are wreaking havoc on the Philippines fortunately but they've been having rain constantly which makes it impossible to do much except sit around the house. Because of this, she reports that she's pretty bored and ready to come home already. Luca seems to be doing fine except that he caught a little cold and has a runny nose. They all went to her mom's church on Sunday, when they walked in the congregation was singing some praise and worship songs and Luca is such a music nut that he promptly ran to the front and started dancing which made everybody just go crazy. He's become as popular as the X Man was when she took him there. It's great that her family is able to spend time with their grandkids.

On the homefront, everything is good albeit uneventful. I have to take a day off here and there to watch the X Man when Giampietro and Agnese go out of town which I always enjoy. It's a bit difficult but between them, myself and our next door neighbor Giorgia, we are able to make it work with his school. I was kind of worried that he didn't like being shuffled around between all of us but yesterday I told him "See, there are so many people that love you and want to spend time with you that we have to take turns!" and he got a big smile on his face. It was a great fatherhood moment for me. They don't happen to me very often but they do happen. Overall I think he likes staying with Giampi and Agnese most of the time. They are like grandparents to him and spoil him rotten which he loves. We're very lucky to have them in our lives.

That's pretty much it. I'll post another update next week or so.

Daddy and the X Man in Venice

Took the X Man to Venice today for a little while. Didn't take many photos but here they are:

Click me!

Wife and Kid Are Fine

For those who haven't been following, there is/was another huge typhoon that hit the Philippines this weekend called tropical storm Parma (How ironic). It was supposed to be even worse than the one that hit last weekend causing massive flooding and damage and almost 300 deaths.

Anyway, got an email from the wife this morning and she said they are fine, apparently the new storm all but passed right by them. All they got was some rain. For anyone who is curious, her family lives in the San Fabian area in the Pangasinan province, near Lingayen Gulf.

Joke of the Day

Q. Did you hear about about the man who got a viagra stuck in his throat?



A. He got a stiff neck.




Thank you, I'll be here all week...don't forget to tip your waitress and try the veal...