Archive for February, 2009

2009 – feb 28th
Last week of February in review
Bolzano, Bozen – a long day starting at 5am and ending at 7pm as we rolled back into Centrale Station. A week of hard work with extensive reward. Visiting the Last Supper – beautiful, the unbelievable power and money of religion… always evocative, it never fails to startle. The finalization of two more trips, Galileo’s works, and a U.N. Conference. Making new friends and exploring Milano…Eating, Dancing…Speaking.

Bolzano/Bozen is a beautiful Austrian/German/Italian town with a mixed population of German, Ladin, and Italians. Cool, refreshing, bella citta sequestered in a mountain valley, surrounded on all sides by the giant alpine foothills. Gorgeous architecture a mixture of Italian paints and colors with German engineering and style. Three major cathedrals, The “Ice Man” who was found in the alps, and great food. The city itself is interesting as it is separate from the Italian central government; it has its own provincial status and is a model of Federalism. It also has governmental provisions requiring the education of the population in their native language and the bi-linguistic publication of all public documents. The bi-lingual atmosphere is represented in every aspect – menus, street names, banners, parking garages… every person I encountered for my six hours in Bolzano/Bozen spoke Italian and German and probably more. Wonderful.

A lot of hard work this week, but some great rewards – Today I was able to visit the Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterful artwork which is housed here in Milano. A quick 5 minute walk from Cadorna, the Trienneli stop of the Red metro line. Enter the humidity controlled room and turn to your right. Magnificent… covering the center band of the far wall. I was struck by the size and details included by Da Vinci. His use of light, geometric shapes and the circular positioning of the characters was staggering. Combined with the lifelike representation of each body and the chorus of movement and reaction to Jesus’s proclamation resonated from the work. It is an essential piece to visit while in Milan. The work holds you in awe, each moment you notice a new facet, a different connotation from the work. Additionally, seeing the painting in person…being able to examine it at full size…is a completely different experience than looking at a picture.

I returned to the exciting news that I will get to attend a U.N. Conference as well as an exhibition celebrating the life and works/legacy of Galileo. I couldn’t be happier.

I’m looking forward to those events but on a more personal note I am excited for having worked with my fellows interns to orchestrate a tournament against the Marine’s here at Post. We will be having our social event tonight at my apartment around 7… I can’t wait. It should be a ton of fun and I’ve invited Italian friends and colleagues to join. The house should be positively stacked this evening.

I’ve begun work on writing some scripts for educational YouTube posts about Italian culture…understanding the intricacies…as well as survival tips when you first land in Italy. These are part of an independent program I’m doing to benefit the Barrett Honor’s students from ASU who are visiting Rome in June.
350+ photo’s added to facebook – Take that slow facebook uploader!

The Following represent my personal opinions and should in no way reflect the opinions of any other.

Each weekend I’ve been taking long walks through Milan. One of my favorites was last weekend – a great walk from Bocconi University down Viale Blingy to Ptza. XXIV di Marzo. After, I walked down along the canals and took photos of what I found. Many interesting little buildings. I found a cathedral which had been bombed and rebuilt, all the stained glass finally replaced. However, its front entrance was still covered in cement. The rose window and those facing the canals bricked up.

At the end of the shops along the canal was an old transportation depot which looked to have burned and never been rebuilt. I wandered inside and took some pictures in the areas that I felt were structurally safe enough to remain for more than a few seconds. It had been used extensively for the homeless population but it also looked like an area where stolen baggage and belongings were rifled through and then thrown into the rubble. I spent a little time there as I wanted to get some photos and some video. I also encountered two young girls doing the same. You’ll see them in two of my photos. They were nice but wary of another person being in such a possibly unsafe space. I’m sure they were freaked out as it was.

I use the Duomo square as a return point and I try to take new pictures each time I leave and enter it. These last two weekends have seen major political protests and on Saturday the 21st I encountered my first march. It was interesting to say the least. Hundreds of Black and Italian men with whistles and massive red flags marching. There were only a few Italians that I could see and the posters they marched with read FREE AFRICA –

I see remnants of the OBEY posters, a movement condemning media as propaganda. They remind me of a select few people who used to wear shirts for the movement years ago. I’m steadily tagging them as they come to mind. It’s interesting that only remnants of these posters remain. I wonder who initiated the movement to tear them down? The government? Interesting to find out.

The canals themselves are remnants of the city before Mussolini. They govern how the city was designed and how it was initially laid out. Very interesting to say the least. I’ll need to go through and find myself a map of the old canal system in order to better understand how Milan developed its different sectors – industrial, residential, etc.

I took a trip to Verbania which was amazing. We went to Lake Maggiore and visited the Prefect, Mayor, and the President of the Province. After, we had a working lunch and I had a chance to discuss energy initiatives and redevelopment projects in northern Italy with one of the President’s lunch guests. She has promised to send me a project she’s working on so that I may further my research. After. I convinced them to take a small rest stop in a beautiful lakeside town fenced in by the Alps and nestled into a bend in the lake. I took some great scenic photos and had a wonderful walk through the little town.

Economically and financially Italy is extremely interesting. Its highly conservative banking system saved it from the major credit and financial crunch in the last year, however, it is now starting to see some of the effects. As the city is set to begin waking up once again (spring is coming) it will be interesting to see how many of these closed doors and shops will stay open.

Politically, Italy is a mess..But I suppose that is well known. The system seeks increased federalism and the constitution calls for increased levels of autonomy however, the ability to actually enact it is lacking. It is difficult to gauge Italian political preference or support as a 45% vote preference is often the wining coalition – truly popular groups/individuals attain more like 60%+. Unlike the U.S. political system there are not simply 2 parties… but rather tens of parties and they run individually or as part of a coalition. Said coalitions ask that their members vote along party lines however they are not always able to secure their constituent’s votes. The fragmentation yields confusion and difficulty in finding any sort of accord. The votes in April and June will attempt to reform the process… if they pass. We’ll see.

Italian culture surprises me every day. The first few times you meet someone (unless you are introduced by a close friend of theirs) they are relatively reserved and formal. However, once you’re in, you’re in. Food, drink, conversations – it all becomes communal. A wonderful family substitute for travelers. It’s made my stay here much easier.

Friday Feb 20th 2009,

Today was a good day at work, instead of going to Bolzano – we changed our schedule to next week. I went to the Marine House after work for the Chili Cookoff! An annual event held by the Marine House in which consular employees bring chili which is then judged by colleagues. After everyone descends on the chili, conversation begins and people just focus on building community. I had a blast…played 3 games of pool and won 2/3…very fun.

The Marine House is near the consulate on one of the higher floors and has a wonderful balcony with a great view of the surrounding area. Inside is a full bar, dining room, recreation rooms and the Marine living quarters. A great place to host events.

We had six different types of chili – all of which were very tasty. From very spicy to moderately sweet – each type had its own texture and taste. I went for the combination approach and tossed them all together.

Time for a further update:
Today has been a wonderful sunny day as well. Unbelievable – each day is warmer and more beautiful than the last. Today the skies were bright. The Duomo and Alps were clear as if etched into crystal. I know it can’t last but the sun and warmer weather is a boon to my disposition. Work is still getting even better. I’m not sure when or if it will decrescendo but I hope it does not come too soon.

Today we took the new intern out and another employee of the consulate who are new. We went to Subway, bought a Panini Gustosa and after, went for a nice walk to the park and then back. The two girls were very nice although one does not speak English and is very shy – the other is Latin-Italian and from Rome. They are FSN Interns so a slightly different program but interns all the same! Both are cute and quite interesting. It should be nice to regularly include them in our lunch habits. Haha.

I got to practice the new salsa routine that I am learning from the Tropicana classes. It was a treat to say the least. I really enjoyed myself and I seem to be a pretty big hit in the classes. Italian bachata is… more than I’m used to, and let’s leave it at that.

The importance of waking up every day and taking care of yourself…Then making sure that you take advantage of your surroundings in order to better explore the area you are in… now that’s something important! I can’t tell you how easy it is to just stay in bed after going to sleep at 2-3 in the morning and waking up at 7 for work. That schedule for the week alone is tough but then having a weekend packed full of adventures awaiting you…wow. It’s tough but worth it to muster up your courage and face the big bright world. I couldn’t imagine being here and not exploring the city. Now because of work I also get to explore more of the Italian countryside without the hassle of needing to rent a car. Wonderful…
Survival in Italy is about attitude. Perseverance and strength of will. The desire to try, to attempt, to drag your self-confidence through the mud as you muddle and distort Italian in an attempt to communicate… it is hard and sometimes it can be downright frustrating to not know the language. Not be able to fully express yourself. But that frustration is only fuel. It pushes your anima forward. At the end of the day, the absolute value is positive… (for you math kids you should get a chuckle).

I need to spend more time reading, but every day is so packed with responsibility at work that it’s not entirely feasible. I am reading, thinking, focused on work from 7:30 when I’m dressed and out the door until 6pm when I stumble down into the metro. Then it’s about food, talking with my roommates, discussion on Italian culture and what we will eat. After its time for some writing maybe a few minutes of quiet relaxation reading The Emperor’s handbook – the only book I was able to bring with me – I really wish I had one of dad’s manuscripts. But by the time I’ve finished those quiet few minutes its 11pm…time to pick up the paper, watch some Italian news, and try to read to get the words and language flowing in my brain before I sleep. 1:00 in the morning rolls around and I’ve got to get everything posted, pictures uploaded… then its crash and burn. Rinse, repeat.

I’ve got to say that I’ve found a great online radio station that provides free streaming music. It definitely helps keep me focused. Some of the projects I’m responsible for allow me to lay the groundwork for people’s future… what an unbelievable opportunity.

Verbania, a lake resort town by definition, is increasingly interesting. Textile-based industry which shut down, the city itself is steeped in a different history. Villa’s owned by Lombardy wealthy were built into the islands in the lake creating gem’s of 17th + century art and architecture. I hope you enjoyed the few photos I was able to get up on Facebook. Alex is working hard to get a gallery set up for me so that soon I’ll be hosting the photos on my Blog instead of having to link out. It will also allow me to include photos in my posts so I can show you my favorites. I deeply enjoyed my short trip up into the mountains and am looking forward to a visit to the Last Supper next week as well as a visit to the Germanic-Italian town of Bolzano. Another week stuffed full to say the least. My to-do list is steadily growing as projects come under the revision phase and new projects are started. There’s an endless amount of work to be done. I’m still doing well, not over burdened but keeping my plate full enough to keep my mind from straying.

As the weather warms there seems to be an increase in the feral cat population. They are springing up all over the place. And fashion seems to have taken note *see my photo’s from Viale Torino. I’ll start work on Italian customs as preliminaries for my independent study and am building research for my Urban systems studies… working hard but playing hard too. The best combination.

Wow. Where to start? Monday? Tuesday? Wednesday Morning? WHOA. What a blast these last few days have been. Something seething, something writhing to the surface. Excitement, uncertainty, realization… amazing.

Lets start with Monday, the 9th sunny day in a row in rainy, foggy, Milano. I’d like to invite you to take a walk with me. First we’ll head out from the yellow metropolitan line through the Montenapoleone station. Take some pictures of the exit and off we go, down the main street and into the heart of one of the most expensive districts in Milano. The one place you can go to spend over 1000euro on a pair of jeans. Beautiful girls, beautiful shops, beautiful scenery.

Take a turn and jog down Viale Turrati. Pass the Consulate and take a walk to the local high school. Jog a right, now a left, and we’re back at the metro. Jump on the yellow line to Duomo, tag in at Duomo and switch to the red line M1. Take M1 to Cadorna and take a walk to the closest park. See the design museum and Savoy’s fabled castle… or rather its remnants. Not much survives the vicious war machines that tear through the ages, rubble and cats… ohh yeah… Cats. Back to the Duomo. Snap some random shots and away we go wandering down Viale Torino. Fashion for the girls – long blonde and no faces.

The next day

Tuesday was off to a great start. Rode up north to Verbania. Got some great photos including one of me and the boss! Hope you enjoy. It’s gorgeous and scenic. Michael gave me a book detailing the highlights of the province. We had a very interesting meal with the President of the province, mayor of Verbania comune, and the prefect. It was a blast to say the least. The little towns around the lake and the high Alps towering over are stunning. Did I mention cats yet? There seem to be quite a few popping up all over the place.

To view these photo’s please visit www.facebook.com and visit my profile under David Nathaniel Berger –

Ciao Tutti! Come state? Io sto bene. Oggi Io ho fatto una passegiata alle navigli e anche il Duomo. Ho preso molto foto, ma piú io ho giocate Basketball. Questa sera io andro al Tropicana per ballo Salsa, Bachata e Cha Cha!

Today I went for a great walk from Bocconi Univeristy down Viale Blingy to Ptza. XXIV di Marzo. After, I walked down along the canals and took foto’s of what I found. Many interesting little buildings. I found a cathedral which had been bombed and rebuilt…all the stained glass finally replaced. However its front entrance was still covered in cement. The rose window and those facing the canals were bricked up. At the end of the shops along the canal was an old transportation depot which looked to have burned and never been rebuilt. I wandered inside and took some pictures in the areas I felt it was structurally safe enough to remain for more than a few seconds. It had been used extensively for the homeless population but it also looked like an area where stolen baggage and belonging were rifled through and then thrown into the rubble. I spent as little time there as I needed to get some foto’s and some video. I also encountered two young girls doing the same. You’ll see in two of my foto’s the two girls are there. They were nice but wary of another person being in the space. I’m sure they were as freaked out as it was.

I see remnants of the OBEY posters. They remind me of a select few people who used to wear shirts for the movement years ago. I’m steadily tagging them as they come to mind. Its interesting that only remnants of these posters remain. I wonder who initiated the movement to tear them down? The government? Interesting to find out.

The canals themselves are remnants of the city before Mussolini. They govern how the city was designed and how it was initially laid out. Very interesting to say the least. I’ll need to go through and find myself a map of the old canal system in order to better understand how Milan developed its different sectors – Industrial, Residential, etc.

I walked my way to the Duomo and took some photo’s of the second protest I’ve seen this weekend. Then wandered my way through the massive mall and headed home. Dinner with Nico, Leo, Leo’s friend, and maybe Mimo. There’s a big soccer game tonight, but I don’t want to watch it. Instead I’ll try to head to Tropicana and get some good old fashioned dancing in.

It’s a three day weekend here. So I’m pretty stoked.

Ciao tutti!

An interesting conversation…

Thought provoking to say the least, a startling opportunity to reevaluate priorities… a moment of self introspection and appraise what makes my anima and cuore satisfied.

Last night I had an amazing time at the Consul Generals Residence. We tried seven different types of wines presented by a sommelier paired with different chocolates in honor of Valentines Day. Three sweet, two strong with bitter herbs, and one middle of the road. We finished with a grappa… 38% alcohol gasoline…. The chocolates were from Madagascar, Amazonas, Ghana, and Ecuador. They ranged from 35% cocoa to over 80% dark bitter cocoa. An excellent night, but my favorite part of the evening had to have been my conversation with a colleague.

We talked about his experience in high school when he had the opportunity to pioneer a trip to Ecuador and spend ten days working hard and living with the natives. We talked about the opportunities given to Alex and me by our parent’s decision to take us out of the public education system and backpack around Europe for a year. Every 2-3 days changing cities…exploring and finding new people culture and experiences. The changes that those travels wrought are ever present. Our discussion really brought home how much I enjoy working with my hands and seeing an immediate result at the end of the day. The reward of sitting down after a long days work with the knowledge that someone’s life is better…

Its created a conflict, and I think I’ll have to go back and experience a much more hands-on career opportunity as well. So far I’ve researched, and met and spoken with some very interesting people, but the trade is in knowledge, and the actual realization of our efforts aren’t tangible. Don’t misinterpret, I enjoy what I’m doing, however my conversation has awakened my desire to experience a lifestyle where every day I see tangible results. Which of these career paths is more rewarding for me I’m not sure, but I want to find out.

Journal Feb 13th 09.
2009 – 2 – 13
13 – 2 – 09
Today.
Friday, February 13, 2009. Skip that…Cut it up a bit… Today, Friday the 13th. A great day. I’ve always considered 13 to be a reasonably lucky number. I have always had good luck on Friday the 13th. I’m not sure where the tradition comes from, or what culture so vehemently believes that Friday the 13th is such an unlucky day. Someone should explain it to me.
I had a wonderful day today. I met with some Italian leghisti. Got to go for a walk and talk with a professor as well. Really interesting information different outlooks on the current situation here in Italy. Every day here is a day of discovery, interesting facts and increased learning. Our purpose is to provide analytical commentary, to understand, convert, flesh out, and fill the void around cold hard facts… I won’t lie its hard work, but I’ve got to say that it is very rewarding. The last series of days I’ve gotten a chance to spend some time with the two young gentlemen who are my mentors. They’ve provided invaluable insight into Foreign Service as well as offered examples and anecdotes from their experiences.
I’ve got to admit there are few things in the world that can motivate me more than praise and confidence in ability. These conversations have reaffirmed my decision to come here and the value it will add to my life. I understand that I’ve got a bit of a learning curve, especially when it comes to my comprehension and deciphering of the Italian language, and yet I can’t help but be excited by the progress I’ve already made. As I learn more and understand what kind of final products I need to produce I am becoming more confident.
A wonderful feeling.
The world is an amazing place; surviving in its many different cultures is difficult to say the least. But understanding a basic framework upon which you can adapt and integrate yourself instantly is the skill set that the Foreign Service offers. There is no one thing that you can be sure to learn while serving, except that change and adaptation to your environment are essential to your survival.
Some things I’ve learned so far:
How to survive in Italy with only a few simple phrases:
Buon Giorno. Come Sta? Io sono benino. Mi dispiace per mio italiano ma, io cerco per un _______
It’s a polite phrase for finding anything you might be looking for. It automatically introduces you as a polite adult and by using the formal (sta), offers interest in how the other person feels without being disrespectful. It continues by telling them your okay…Not amazing, nor so so, but in typical Italian fashion – Ok. Then the phrase apologizes for your Italian – which gives you free reign to slaughter pronunciation or conjugation and sets up a conversation in which your Italian counterpart is seeking the gist of what you’re saying instead of focusing on the words you’re saying. Finally it lets them know that you’re looking for something… all in 18 words. Amazing.
Next – Come se dice? How do you say –
Costo? – Cost?
Pagare – Io Pago – Pay
Beyond this the attempt to speak Italian means much more than the actual content. Even if you have to speak mostly in English, beginning with the above phrase, “Buon Giorno/Sera (good day/evening). Come Sta? Io sono benino. Mi dispiace per me italiano ma,” is a base phrase that is an attempt at Italian. After that phrase if you need to say, “mi dispiace ma io ho bisogno di parlare inglese” or “Parla piano per favore” (speak slowly please) the Italian person you are speaking with is much more likely to be accommodating and will work to help you fill out your sentences, walk with you to what your trying to find, and most importantly be much more friendly. The attempt sets an understanding of good will and distinguishes you from most tourists who couldn’t care less about the people and their language.
I will continue to add more phrases throughout my blog and add a summary at the end of what I’ve learned and enjoyed while here.
Ciao tutti!

Ciao Tutti! Come state? Io sto bene. Clase sono buono, Lavoro sono buono, miei superiori sono intersanti e a domani io vado alla casa del Consul General e la prossima settimana io andro alle norte Piemonte. Molto interesante. Io studio molto e la prossima settimana e molto importante che io parlo buon italiano. Formale… tutto formale. Io penso piú e piú in italiano. Quando io penso tutto in Italian io so la lingua. Ma io ho bisogno di studio piú in questo momento.

Io ascoltavo alle musica american, italiano, e mangio tutto. Vita e bella. Ballo molto e a me piace gli italiani.

Today I went to the market and bought a rack of pork ribs, deep fried veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber), and then I went and bought a ¼ kilo of three different tipi of olives. It was a great meal and came out pretty cheap – around 8 euro. I may go running with the other interns tomorrow or maybe just enjoy the evening at the CG’s residence. I’m very excited for work next week although my workload is steadily increasing. I’m still managing it well but have a good amount of work which I’m doing using parallel processing.

Not much to report besides that. Enjoying the city, enjoying my roommates and colleagues company. Missing the U.S. a little but have enough work to do that I’m too immersed to miss too much. English is spoken at the consulate… its like a bastion of American culture…outside is Italy – beautiful Italy. I need to adventure more into the city but with work I find that oftentime I need to mind the consequences of waking up the next morning at 7am and spending a full work day in the office.

Last few days have been beautiful, and on a separate note from work, I’m advancing my research into the structure and economic changeover happening here in Milan. Its pretty neat because I can look at the city and use the decades of experience from the FSN’s at the consulate to help fill in gaps in my understanding. I will also be able to forward my paper to them to make sure it’s all factually correct… nice to have direct access to the sources.

Beginning to fill out the structure of my Independent study. Should be really interesting to get it done.

Arrivaderla!

Journal Tuesday Feb 10th.

Ciao Raggazzi! Come state? Io sto bene. Il lavoro va bene e io andro con i miei superiori al Nord d’Italia. Studio molto e io ho scritto un po. Ma, per lavoro io ho letto più. Parlo un po più ogni giorno.

Oggi è un buon giorno. Perche oggi, il sole e brilliante, il vento tranquillo e il aire e claro. Al consulato io ho visto i piedi degli alpi. Ancora questi weekend io andro alle casa delle CG. E dopo andro a ballare ai discoteci.

In il futuro io spero di vedere il sud d’Italia. Forse posso vedere a Puglia, Napoli, e Roma. Ma forse con lavoro io andro.

Last night I went dancing and got to go to both the intermediate and the basic salsa and bachata lessons. What fun. I then stayed until 2 am and went home to sleep. Different start but great fun regardless!

Work has been great and I’m getting a solid workload so I can thoroughly work through the day. Having projects to work on that involve the other staff members has been a ton of fun as well. All in all I’m enjoying work more every day. I started going to the gym at the consulate and although I have only gone twice am trying to start a habit of going 3 times a week. It should help with the atrophy of my upper body. Legs are getting stronger every day from walking everywhere, but I haven’t had much in the way of maintaining my upper body.

Today’s weather was beautiful, and I got some great shots of the Duomo and the alps as I see them every day. Although I must say today was spectacular because the smog level for the city was surprisingly low. At sunset the sky turned purplish red and I got a few pictures of the Duomo. I haven’t seen how they turned out… I’m excited though.

Watching the progress of the Stimulus bill and the disaster that’s building due to Arizona’s abandonment of essential services is frustrating at best. I’m in shock that Arizonan law makers could be ignorant enough to believe that crippling the school system after the amount of protests against the cuts would result in their re-election. I hope every one of the slimy snakes gets the axe. Seeing the changes coming to ASU through the letters published by the administration is disheartening at the least. I cannot express how disappointed I am. It’s been on my mind for the past six days… smoldering.

As for the city…with the sun everything brightens up. 3rd day like this in the past week. Amazing, hopefully a sign of weather to come, almost like a tease of summer.

Not much else to report.

Ciao Raggazzi