Johannesburg skyline

One random summers day in Venice

La festa di San Giacomo, Perdaxius

Most Italian towns have patron saints for whom they have celebrations annually.  San Giacomo and Sant Anna are the patron saints for Perdaxius the little town in Sardinia. Every year they have a week long celebration in the main square which can consist of various activities. They also have the procession through the town, with horses, two ceremonial bulls and people who dress up in the old traditional clothes. There are also men who play their traditional flute the launeddas. Leaves of sage, basil and myrtle are strewn across the road leaving a wonderful scent when one follows the procession. 

Feeling at home in Perdaxius, Sardegna

This little town in the south-west of Sardinia reminds of South Africa (maybe like Worcester) - I feel so at home here. Being surrounded by a bunch of artists and friendly warm hosts makes me feel like I never want to leave.

Jardin des Tuileries, Paris

Bonjour Paris!

La bella vita

This year has already passed in such velocity that I find it hard to keep up with all the things that I need to and want to do in the time that I have left here - it includes writing anything on this blog. I have been reluctant also to write to personal things here lately, as I really don't know so much how I feel about sharing it all with strangers, and also that it would not interest people (judging from the statistics of my blog, it is not just my family reading it any more. But a few people have been sending me some worried messages after a few negative status updates on Facebook, and I have not had any time to write long letters to anyone, so I want to use this platform to send out a quick update.

Summer has arrived in Europe - albeit a very unstable one at that. It has been raining a lot this month, and we also had an earthquake (what a strange feeling to wake up and feel like you are on a boat) but the past few days have been just lovely out and I have been indulging in the things that make Italian summer wonderful.  I am still stressed because exams are right around the corner and I am still nowhere near anywhere in terms of preparation for it. Tonight however  Iv'e decided to take some time just to reflect a little bit on the things I am happy about and to breathe a little. So just as a remedy to all those who always here me complain about everything, here I list a few of the things I absolutely love about my life right now. 

I have handed in a thesis proposal on Friday which is a huge relief for the moment.

There are two things Italians are the best in making;  gelato and cappuccinos. Really there is no better pick me up then these. I would recommend people to come to Italy even just for these two things. 

Italian cooking. I learnt how to make eggplant parmegiano last week from one of our classmates. It was delicious. 

Cheap wine. In Italy you can still get a good wine even if it is cheap. In South Africa buying cheap wine is usually a bit of a gamble, you either end up with some good wine or really really bad wine. Here though, one can be sure of wine still being absolutely drinkable at 3 euros per bottle. (Sometimes even less if you find it on sale in the supermarkets).

Travel, It is so easy to travel from here. I am heading to Paris this weekend. I am so excited

I have great opportunities ahead. Going to take part in a program at the Dokumenta in Kassel. I am super super lucky. 

I have amazing friends all over the world. That makes me rich.

Lastly, I love these summer nights, they buzz, people are outside and the sun goes down late. Makes you feel like there are more hours in the day and when the sun sets it cools down a little and some nights you can even see two stars.

Bus , Sardinia 2011

2012 here we are!!!

Wow, my first post for 2012. Where have I been, its 1 February today? Well after a wonderful Christmas back in my homeland South Africa with family and friends (where the most activity lifting my hand to lift my glass of wine) I am back in Milan and preparing for exams,  a thesis proposal,  a trip to Berlin this weekend to go to this exhibition that the dear Carlo Spiga  is apart of. I hope I can take pictures of some of it.  I am a little bit scared though, they say it is going to -10 degrees. So while we knee deep in winter here, I will relish for a few minutes the summer days on South western coast of South Africa.  Buon Anno everybody!!!!

Looking towards Via Roma, Cagliari

Cagliari, Sardinia

Remembering Sardegna

Summer in Milan

Summer in Milan comes with a few challenges. Number one: the weather, with high  humidity (some days an average of 56) and temperature soaring up to 32 degrees  one really  starts to wish for a bedroom that does not face the late afternoon sun. I now wear tiny sun dresses for the most part and sit around in my underwear where possible.

Second challenge which comes along with the heat and the humidity is that of the mosquitoes. These bloodsucking parasites of Milan are super creatures; high level buildings and clothes are not a challenge to them. You will get bitten, and the bite stings. It also leaves very prominent pink bumps which if you scratch it looks like you have some skin disease.  And they will bite you several times, and they choose the places which are most uncomfortable for you like on your fingers, toes and the inside of you thigh, with the placement just right so that it would be inappropriate to scratch yourself in public. I have now counted 3 on each foot (of which 2 are on my toes), 2 on my one thigh, and one on the other, one on my finger, one on my knee, one behind my knee and one of my calf.  

Then there is the third challenge: EXAMS! Now the exams here in Italy are a completely different process than South Africa and if you are  not used to it the process can be compared to Chinese torture.

First of all, they refer to this exam often as an interrogation. Exams are done orally. One has 10 minutes to discus all you know with the teacher. In the most part it doesn’t start by them asking you question but it starts by them looking at you with eager empty faces and then them saying: “Start!” So there I sit in front of them and I hardly know where to start! So here I discovered my weakness, I am really good at preparing for written exams, and it requires you to prepare the minimum and you usually then have an hour to formulate your thoughts around the knowledge base.  It is not so easy to formulate something in 10 minutes that sounds like something, also I realised that I have a tendency to be distracted easily when I talk. I go from one point to a completely random point.  I felt at most part like I said nothing.

The worst part of the exam however was the way it is organised. Your timetable states the exam is on a specific date and starting at a specific time. You then show up at that time, and they circulate a paper on which you list your name, and then you wait for your turn according to that list –taking in consideration that some lectures needs coffee and smoke breaks. For example my first exam start at 9:30 but I only did my exam at 14:00. For the waiting part everyone else sits in the same class where you are being interrogated. So if the build up in the wait and listening to everyone else doing their exams (wondering if you are able to say as much as they just did) didn’t make you nervous enough, you have the entire class listening to you when you do yours. Exams in general I find painful, but these are a slow torture.

However I made it through and passed all of them with good marks, and now I still have four more to do in September which will end my first year of my masters.  Between the heat, the mosquitoes and exams however there are the great things:  Gelato, watermelons,  cappucio freddo (coffee and milk on ice), green parks, summer storms (which reminds me of home), summer holiday coming soon and then starting the first weekend in July the SUMMER SALE!! So if you excuse me I have to work some so that I can go do some shopping tomorrow.

--- To come: 

I still need to write about the Venice Biennial ---