Archive for April, 2009

For those of my readers who have been following my adventures and wondering – why can’t I do that? Well here’s a blog just for you. I’ve taken my expenses from my time here in Milan and complied them for those who are interested. Unfortunately for my engineering friends I can’t figure out how to make Wordpress MSOffice Excel compatible so you’ll have to deal with Microsoft word formatting. Sorry kids.

I’ve posted estimations of my costs as I don’t have all receipts (some cash transactions for lunch/dinners went without receipts or receipts were lost. As a rule I’ve guessed on the higher end. In addition I’ve not been living the thriftiest lifestyle; I’m here to take advantage while still traveling as cheaply as I can manage. That said I’ve made sure that if it’s something I might regret not seeing, I’ve spent the money and gone. As a final addendum I am a student and as such have a picture id from my university which has STUDENT printed in big bold letters. This single item has been the greatest boon to my living on the cheap. It provides free entry into museums, Universities, major discounts ranging from food to mass transit (I get an all access urban pass for 17 Euro a month). Even if you’re no longer a student having a photo document from your former university or summer community college ID is worth it.

Here are my costs for a 1 month and the total 3 month breakout:

3 months rent + 2 month deposit (350 Eur/Mo). Total cost 1800

Electricity split – 13.50 Eur/2 Mo.

Gas split (6 Mo intervals) 32.45

Rent and Housing (electricity/gas) for 3 months at 10 minutes from Duomo = 1845.95 Euro x 1.31 = 2418.95 USD

5-8 Eur for lunch 5 days a week for 3 mo – 176 Eur/Mo – (528 Eur – 3 Mo)

45 Eur/week supermarket 4 weeks per month = 180/Mo. 3 Mo = 540 Eur

Assorted eating out costs – Appertivi, dinners, drinking, Metro and Train tickets 10-60 Eur / week = at maximum 240 Eur/mo = 720 EUR for 3 months

Clothing – Two shirts and lightweight jacket – 65 Eur

Entertainment:

Dance Shoes: 65 Eur

Dance lessons 30 Eur Inscription fee and 10 Eur per week: 40 Eur + 11wks x 10 Eur = 110 Eur Total: 150 Eur/3mo

Total Living costs 3mo:
1845.95E – Housing
528+540 = 1068E – Food
720E – Eating out, parties, clubs, etc
130E – Clothing/Shoes
150E – Dancing & lessons
3913.95 Eur x 1.31 = 5127.27 USD At maximum

With averaged costs:

3433 Eur X 1.31 4498.27 USD
- 750 Deposit = 2683EUR X 1.31 = 3514.73 USD or 1171.57 per month.

Pretty reasonable: especially when you compare to the costs of living back at home in the U.S.

Car insurance $122/mo

Rent 450 + 2mo deposit 120 electricity + 35 for Water/trash/sewer ($1055)

$40-50/week Groceries

30-50/wk for eating out

40-60 for club cover and drinks etc

100/2wks gas = 1267

Then add discretionary costs like:

Internet/Cable– 25-50/mo

T.V. 25-30/mo

Cell phone costs 50-150/mo

Is around $1367/Mo ($200 more /mo) or $4101 ($587 more) per 3/months ($5385 including rent deposit). And these estimates are based off a conservative calculation using the lowest costs out of each of those estimates. With that in mind I’m living comfortably overseas for $900 less (3mo) than I would in the U.S. What’s more is that the figure includes my access to the city and Italy through cheap trains and mass transit. For those of you who are considering spending time overseas take this to heart. In addition contemplate that I am also living in the Richest per capita area in Europe (Milan and Veneto) – the financial capital of Italy, and its main industrial center thus my expenses here are even more than you might find elsewhere..
Hope this helps you think about your options!

Ciao Tutti!

Vilminore Di Scalve – 4-24-09 – 4-26-09
What a beautiful little village. Tucked away deep in the mountains above Bergamo is a small Italian village. High mountains and snow capped crags that ring the horizon. We’ve arrived after a little over an hour in the car from Milan. The night drive along the switchbacks and inclines was a harrowing test of mind and body. For my part I snored myself through the worst of it. It’s near 11pm and time to get inside. We climb to the third floor of a small home and prepare for the evening. Breaking open the supplies we nibble on chips and get some music going. The beds made and the house warmed by our arrival we celebrate the evening with hours passed staring up through our breath at the stars brilliantly shining above. The cold penetrates our blankets and shivering we file back inside. With a rush and a tumble we crawl deep under the thick blankets of our beds and see the last moments of Friday slip away.

Saturday morning we awake to the quiet sounds of birds and the silence of a mountain village. With a tumble and a start we open the windows and let in the warmth of spring morning. The hot sun beats warmth into the house as we heat hot water and prepare breakfast Italian style – Coffee. After coffee we take a few moments to enjoy the heat of the sun, bundle up and head out to explore the Town. We walk through ancient streets retro-fitted for cars. This town is picturesque down to the moss growing under the fountains. Colorful houses, an ornate and startling church and tower, and the mixture of collapsing houses with renovated and newer structures. What an adventure.

We marvel for a while and then head back toward the apartment, after all it’s almost time for lunch. Welcomed by the sun warmed room Giacomo heads into the kitchen to prepare our lunch. Frutta di mare an assembly of fish and seafood with a thick red pasta sauce, linguini type spaghetti and a fresh salad. As he goes to turn on the first burner on our stove it sputters and then puts out a steady low flame. Not nearly enough for cooking. We decide to try the other room’s stove and find its high flames suitable. We eat and then decide we’ve got to head out and explore the little valley. We start down a steep path and descend into the valley from our hilltop fortress. A small creek rushes its way pulled by gravity and we cross and head into the rolling grass covered meadows. Finding suitable area to rest we enjoy the sun and the beautiful views.
We then pack ourselves back up to the apartment. Head inside and start a fire in the iron wood stove tucked into the living room. Enjoying the heat and the sound of wood popping and burning Giacomo’s sister and her boyfriend arrive. We spend a few hours together and then take a drive out to the other small villages. Our drive ends and we head back to the house to get ready for our evening.
Back in the house we change and put on a few extra layers to prepare for the cold mountain night. We head out to a pizzeria and gobble some fresh Italian pizza. Then we head down to a local pub before heading back in for the night.
A good nights rest and we awoke early to head back to Milan,

Refreshed in mind and body for the weeks ahead.

Journal Summary 24-4-09 Closing shop:

These last two weeks have seen the close of my internship and the wrapping up of my time in Italy. I’ve been cataloging and summarizing my experiences – contemplating the information and value I take with me as I prepare to journey forward.

Every morning at 7 am I awoke, prepared for work. By 7:30 I left the house and walked to the metro station with my fellow sleep-deprived human beings. Down the steep steps, I stumbled into the Metro. Work culture dominates here. International culture as well. Italian values are ever present but muted in comparison to the countryside. More on that in a paragraph….After rising from the bowels of the underworld, I put on a great big grin and enter the consulate. Inside is a bastion of American customs, tradition and language. Work is a mixture of discovery, research, creation, and training in the proper way to socialize on a political level. As an essential part of each day I read two national newspapers and the International Herald Tribune. Keeping abreast of Italian national events and politics. Work is a joy.

Outside of work I find that for my Italian friends their culture is changed by Milan, by the city and the business and finance heart of Italy. Food is paramount; it is a vital – irrevocable part of Italian culture. When it comes to any decision or cultural comparison the first words spoken by an Italian are about the differences in food. The recent law passed on eating outside small restaurants? A prod against small ethnic shops that serve take out kebabs etc – non traditional Italian eating or food. Want to have a meeting? Lunch or dinner. Need to schedule some time to get to know someone or make friends? Better head to the local appertivo (buy 1 drink, eat as much as you want).

In even running with food is Italian family. Most Italians live with their families until they outgrow the home. Even then it may be more important to move with the family than without. Unless there is no work to be found, sons and daughters stay with the family until marriage. Then they join another family unit and combine the two into one passionate, fierce conglomeration.

International culture has dulled this relationship to a point. As poignant as their culture is, a focus on isolationist individualism, combined with a material focus stemming from financial wealth and international trade, has begun to tear and push against the typical Italian customs. As business people become more international to meet the exported global business model, they must leave behind some of what makes them who they are.

Luckily this process is extremely prolonged for Italians, who seem to linger and resist any type of change. Their financial system resisted the worst of the economic crash because its banking system was so conservative and fragmented that there were no major institutions that could fail. However, Italy is an exporting country, and like every exporter, the meltdown of the market cut demand and has hit the export sector hard. These thoughts weigh heavily on the Italian mind as they culturally return to family core and community/central government safety nets to survive this decline. To see their return is a pleasure. A quick reversion to cultural identity from the general business format impressed upon them.

In the last few weeks a major disaster occurred in the central part of Italy. In L’Aquila a major earthquake shattered the town and its history. It is an example of how much of a city’s identity is held within the homes and families it contains. As plans for the reconstruction continue forward, Italian news have run repeated articles on how important it is to fix the ruined buildings and not tear them down. They reference three other cities destroyed by natural disasters where the residents left and would not return. Their history, the places that held so much cultural history and memory for them as well as for their family were destroyed, leveled, their history removed – they had no reason to return.

My final thoughts on Italy? A beautiful country full of strong-willed, traditional people who value community and history and the joys of life above the material demands of the world. Different and yet again similar to my own culture. Local history far outweighs country history. In many ways Italians are still culturally related to city states. Their homes and lives are based of their local histories combined with the national pride.

Ciao tutti!

Italian cultural perceptions:

My understanding of Italian culture is still in its infancy, but I’m noting a few things. Italian culture is strong, passionate and focused albeit outside of American cultural foci. The north and south are divided first and foremost by their histories and the historical influence of incoming conquerors. This is seconded only by their acceptance of international cultural shifts. In the north there is a stronger German and Swiss influence. This, combined with the north’s wealth and involvement in global and financial trade systems, is reflected in their cultural values. This change is still altering their perception of order, and precision.

In the south life is based on a different type of quality. Instead of material wealth, possessions and the need to acclimate to an American global business model…time spent with family, food, and enjoying life seems to outrank all else. Like any generalizations these are conceptions representing conclusions I’ve come to through limited exposure during my stay. They are not exhaustive.

I’ve been staying in Milan far to the north, an industrialized city trading with international partners. The people here are a mixture of northern and southern Italians with international residents rampant as well. It’s a melting pot which offers me a chance to see a specific type of person. One who chooses, whether for economic or personal reasons, to brave a metropolis in search of something.

As I’ve learned more about Italian culture its focus on life, food, and familial bonds is impressive. Many Italians live together in multi-family residences sharing space until the family grows too large or members must move away to find better work. Often children will live at home until getting married or finishing university. Additionally with multiple families living in apartment units and the lack of aversion to shared rooms (I personally live in a 2 bedroom apartment housing four students) there is a greater focus on community involvement. Dinner is often the center gathering point. An interesting break from the culture of isolation I’m used to in the U.S. where families are cut out of their communities, and there is a focus on independence and breaking from the family.

Language is also interesting. The difference between a friendly ciao and a buon giorno is night and day. As I learn and use more Italian I’m constantly reminded of the danger of mixing up the formal and informal tenses. For instance if I make a mistake and use the formal tense with an Italian friend or a girl I like it comes off as cold, disconnected and rude. But if I’m informal and greet an Italian I don’t know with ciao it is disrespectful and rude – Maleducato.

Look forward to seeing two of my youtube video’s up this weekend!

Ciao!

Saturday April 18th 2009:

Chiasso, Lugano, Milano – Pta. Garibaldi.

Rough morning, long night. What is this idea of time? What is it that makes us consider time itself as a diminishing resource? Is not time eternal, without count, without a defined beginning and end? I must believe so. Clocks, timezones, time itself. Time is a measure invented to discover and chronicle our movement through existence. How is it then that you can “lose an hour”? The time has passed regardless, the movement is the same, how can you alter the count?

So strange.

7 am alarm goes off. 7:10 alarm is still going off….7:15 alright, I get it. I wake up, stumble to the shower. I’d gone to sleep at 3:45 the night before, slept on a couch around 2:30 in the morning and up at 5 the day before…that and bed at 2am and awake at seven on Wednesday…I was running a touch low.

Out of the shower and to the station. I’ve got a train to catch. Hop on the train and off I go, stop over in Monza, pick up a traveling companion. It’s off to Switzerland, Chiasso the Italian/Swiss border town and then Lugano a beautiful city built into the cliffs surrounding northern Lake Lugano.

In Chiasso I visited the Dogana (customs) in the train station, police station, at the physical border, as well in the custom’s office. Apparently, as soon as Switzerland joined the Schengen pact they destroyed every last remaining official stamp allowing immigration into their country. After all, only airports and international ports would have need of checking in non-Shengen people.

Without stamp and lacking the fulfillment of my touristic desire for a stamp we continued on to Lugano. Lugano is a town (56,719 inhabitants, a total of 130,000 people in the agglomeration) in the south of Switzerland. It is in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy. The city lies on Lake Lugano. Its warm summers and the fact that in recent years it has attracted an ever growing number of celebrities, entertainers and successful athletes, has gained it the nickname of the “Monte Carlo of Switzerland”. It is the 9th largest city of Switzerland by population.

My companion and I spent the day together visiting Lugano and enjoying the clandestine beauty of a city built into the lake. I’ve uploaded pictures on Facebook of the trip. Take a peek.

We headed back to Chiasso, picked up a commuter train to Milan, and I headed home to sleep. Little did I know that after dinner and reading the final two books in C. Descry’s series I’d get to bed after 2am.

Journal Entry April 16th 2009 Thursday:

After work I made my way home. Rushed through my clothes looking for a decent outfit for the night. April’s a nice time of year and the warm weather, sunny morning, and beautiful Italian afternoon had convinced me I’d be fine with a light shirt and jeans. I tossed some wax in my hair and rumbled out of the house. Four clicks to the left and I left the security of my apartment for a spring evening.

With a quick jog and a little dodging I hopped over to the tram, swiped my all access Urban pass and rode the jilting tumbling machine toward Porta Romana. I’d be early today – maybe the station would have a surprise waiting for me. Three minutes of stretching and fighting the machines sways and I was on foot once again. Across the tracks, dodge a car, then an old woman with an umbrella… Umbrella? But its sunny? A quick chuckle to myself and I’d climbed into the gaping maw of the urban monster. Another swipe of the pass and a dangerous brush with the tined entities counting each morsel and I’d made it to the trains.

Yellow line… Porta Romana to Centrale…Centrale to Monza…Monza to dinner. I wonder what we’ll eat? She alluded to something; I’m excited for the surprise.

Centrale. I’m on the commuter, an extra 1.60 E, in the suburbs, clock hits seven pm. Train met me at the station, thirty minutes earlier than the commuter I’d expected. It’d be fun to take it, lets have an adventure. Now, I’m waiting in Monza. Outside the station, I nudged my ride…she’ll arrive in a few.

Blue car, red car, yellow car, blue car, black car, white, white, green…. Blue! That’s got to be her. She passed me. Didn’t see me, I was enjoying the park at the station she was probably looking at the other side of the street. Where I should have been. Guess its time to call.

Meet her on the other side. Alright, rush through the station back under the track and up on the other edge. Barren, industrial, bus lot. Ugly I preferred the other, wait… there’s her car.

European cars are bloody tiny. My knees against the dash, my head almost on the roof. Oh well, the company is what’s important. We talk, greet each other, a deep hug and then off we go. She’s excited. We’ll try Chinese. Italian Chinese? Nope. Food’s mediocre, conversation and company is exceptional.

We rumble back into the car, at six feet three inches 230 lbs I stuff my body in remembering the clowns at a carnival. The algae, shrimp, bamboo, funghi (mushrooms), and shrimp cakes are settling in my stomach. We decide we need something hot to drink. Italy’s spring is right on schedule. Temperature has dropped and weather’s turned nasty. Rain pelts the metal beast and cold permeates its hardened armor.

Ten minutes, singing with the radio and we’ve arrived. Big complex, looks like a farming commune, surrounded by fields… is that rice? We walk alongside the edges of the three story complex, find the gate. Enter into the courtyard and then we’re inside Samsara. I asked if she knew what the name meant. She wasn’t sure so we talked about it. It was the beginning of a very interesting conversation. Samsara is the Hindu belief in the endless cycle of birth, life, and death ending in rebirth. I had a black tea and we enjoyed a quiet drink on the sequestered second floor. We made our way back to the train station and I waited for the last train.

The metal and plastic monster meandered into the station. It was thirty minutes late. It came to a rest and I prepared to board. The portals stayed closed. Angered I called out to the men inside. For two minutes I called and knocked on the doors. The train was without handles or levels to open the doors from the outside. Then the train began its journey towards Milan. Senza gente. 30 minutes late and it wouldn’t let us board. The monster rumbled on into the rain. As I stood on the platform the rain turned to hail and the ice did nothing to cool my frustration.

I called my host and begged for a place to stay. We arranged for me to sleep on the couch. Cold, upset and disappointed I went back to the house, nestled myself on the couch and prepared for an early start so I could make it to work.

Saturday
Saturday morning I awoke and decided to take advantage of a quiet day in a quiet apartment. My roommates have all abandoned Milan for the warmth and comfort of family and friends to celebrate the Easter holiday. The house quiet and clean, I settled into the couch and started on the second of C. Descry’s Triology: The Brothers Shikoku. The first book, The Daughters of Onoto, flew by and I couldn’t wait to get into the second. Descry’s got a great writing style, descriptive yet quick-witted and a corny sense of humor. I’d recommend the series. (You can find the books and more on the author at www.Cdescry.com).

As the day came to a close I showered, went for a quick walk and headed to the McDonalds in Piazza 24 di Maggio to meet up with Annamaria, Valeria and Fabrizia. After dinner we went our separate ways and I meandered home excited for Sunday and Monday. On Sunday I made my way to Monza and had Pasqua pranzo with Gabriella’s family. What a treat! We had fish inside deviled eggs, pasta with funghi (mushrooms) and peas and lamb. Excellent lunch and marvelous company. It was a real pleasure to be invited into her home and to meet her family and watch an Easter lunch Italian style.

We returned to Milan (she drove me home) and I made dinner…A mixture of breaded eggplant, steamed broccoli and cucumber, sautéed onions garlic and cucumber and finished with fresh slices of pineapple.
I gave a basic salsa lesson and then it was off to bed for me.

Monday I met up with Gabri again and we headed to Monza to meet her friends. We stopped at her house and Gabri picked up some salmon and grilled veggies. Then off we went into Monza. We arrived at the park a little after 12:50 and spent 40 minutes looking for parking. Every square inch of parkable space was taken and there was hardly any green visible in the stretch of bodies and grills choking the park. The mass of humanity was nearly unbelievable. We finally lucked out and grabbed a space ten minutes walk from Gabri’s friends. We grabbed the food and headed over. There were about 30 of Gabri’s Italian friends at the park. We enjoyed the afternoon (until 7) lazily eating in the sun. We had a mixture of steaks, pork chops, bacon, wine, beer, fresh salsa (tomatoes and basil) breads and hookah. A beautiful day with a beautiful girl. Piccola amore.

Piú Dopo!

More to come from a wonderful easter weekend spent in Milano!

Good Friday 2009 – April 10th 2009:

After a half day at work I left for lunch with Gabriella and Valeria. It was again a solemn reminder of this lifestyle although on an accelerated timetable. Today was Vale’s last day. We had a going away party for her. She received a certificate from the consular section and a few other gifts as well as a bunch of candy.

After the party Gabri, Vale, and I went out in search of food. We found a small restaurant and sat down. The girls ordered salads and I got a plate of ham with artichokes and grana formaggio. As we sat and chatted we enjoyed one of our last moments with Vale. We hope she’ll stop by for lunch these next few weeks, but I’ll be leaving in two weeks as well. It’s a valid example of life in transition. The best part of it is that in this day and age there are tools to help us all stay in contact. The use of Facebook will allow me to stay in touch. Wonderful.

Friday evening I headed to Tropicana and stayed from 10:30 until 3:15am. An excellent evening! The first four hours were spent dancing salsa, bachata and cha cha cha. Then, after was a bit of goofing off for the last half an hour.

I ran into some nice young Turkish girls who were there dancing with their friend. They were all from Istanbul (made me want to go even more) and I asked them for advice on where to go and what to see. I look forward to seeing them next Friday and getting another view of Istanbul. My friend Korhan has already stepped forward and done a colossal amount of work to help me. All without me asking…a great deed. As soon as I finalize the dates I’ll be there, I will have native guides and an inside look at the city. What a trip!!

I’ve been reviewing some of my photography and one my favorites is this foto from an abandoned transit center:

Another is this:

Interesting what a propensity I have toward finding and enjoying abandoned and condemned buildings. I don’t quite understand it but whenever I see them I want to go inside and explore the ruins. Fun.

I’m looking forward to an Easter spent with a beautiful young Italian woman and her friends. Appertivo today…Easter lunch tomorrow…cooking dinner Sunday and another lunch together on Monday.

Ciao Ragazzi! In boca a lupo!

Saturday evening – Modá concert and Monday – Biella.

Biella, Biella… aspett.. no, no…. nooo! Bella! Bella! Aha cos’è ragione! Giusto? La Citta Biella, con castelli e anche con birra, vino, cibo – risotto, salmone, gelatto, una macchina privata, e il sole piú forte. Ahh bel tempo, bel fortuna, tutto oggi e stato bello. Ma io ho voglio di passare il tempo con una ragazza speciale… A dopo.

Allora, comincia al sabato. Sabato sera dopo una lungha passeggiata a Porta Romana, Porta Ticinese, Porta Genova, Cadorna, Castello Sforza, Il Duomo e dopo ritornato alla casa. È possibile a trovare le foto a face book o, www.davidberger.net sotto ‘foto’.

Dopo la mia passeggiata ho mangiato un po di spaghetti con miei compagni di stanza, ho bevuto un po di acqua, e esci per Alcatraz. Alcatraz è un discotech in il Milano Nord, vicino la fermata maciachini (linea 3 – giallo.) A Alcatraz noi (Bella Gabri, Vivi, etc.) aspettano per il cominciare del concerto. Il concerto apro con la prima canzione di Modá e noi la ascoltammo. Una bella canzone delle Modá è Favola. Vedere sotto.

Dopo il concerto, noi siamo ritornati alle proprie case.

Domenica. – Lecco un altro posto.

Lunedi: Biella.

Noi lasciamo Milano alle 8:30 alla mattina. Guidiamo per un ora e mezza e arriviamo a Biella. Bellissima Biella. Con i castelli, gli italiani, cibo, vino, aerea chiara e più importante… IL SOLE!!!

Biella is a beautiful city set in northern Italy, at the foothills of the alps. Its clear air, provincial spirit and strong traditional Italian history brings Biella to life. Her rich history in food, beer, and provincial traditions make it a special place to visit. What a treat to visit a city that has the same symbol as our family, the Orso – bear, which is also my Italian nickname. In addition to being a beautiful city, the sun and company we held through our visit was exceptional. A wonderful visit! I’d recommend the city for its castles which sit above the city on the ridge line. Beautiful and majestic.