Movin’

Yup, it’s finally time to get to the last of the major restoration projects that I’d like to see through completion. Namely the restoration of an Italian classic scooter in the Lambretta camp.

No doubt the debate will continue indefinitely regarding the merits of both machines but I have to admit a penchant for the 50’s curves of the Lambretta. That and the superior mechanics of such a machine. Which Lambretta do you ask? Well it’s of the late 50’s and very early 1960’s ilk; namely a Lambretta Li Series 2.

The journey in sourcing the machine (or parts there of), is quite fortuitous and includes contact from a true afficiando several streets over - of all places. This in itself is utterly amazing and has blessed the project from the outset. I tip me lid to the experience of such a connection and the coincidence that can plague each of our lives.

So what may it look like? The below is a restored Series 2:

And where am I up to? That would be rebuilding the engine with Mojo completing the finer details of inspection…

And collecting some of the more important body panels; the following is a side panel ready for bead blasting, primer and paint:

The BIG question is colour or colour scheme; a restoration to the original colours used in production or a modern take. Thought so…!

I was loathe to spell christmas with a capital C, and I think the loathing has stuck.  Not sure why.  (By the way, have I ever told you that I am in wonder and slight irritation that a capital letter follows a full stop?  The full stop is the marker - why do we need a capital??)

However, my point is that in Milan, christmas is a more demure affair.  I was not assaulted by carols (hearing them is another story), there were no giant baubles in my face 2 months prior to the big day. The primary display seems to be street-lighting.  It does take energy, but the items are reusable and more durable than, for example the horrid invention that is tinsel.  Here’s a few poor-quality photo examples:

This is the street that runs of Massi’s parents’ house street:

And of course, there’s those who overdo it.  This is the local shopping centre, which was blinding…

Finally, the other fave thing to do is have little Santa’s hanging out the window or, as in this case, off the balcony:

I started Italian language school this week.  It’s daunting.  All the students know more than me, and have the background knowledge of either Spanish or French.  At one point I literally felt like crying, but it’s probably true I cry easily ;-)  It’s actually liberating to be in this situation, because 1) I love being around people who can speak multiple languages (can’t wait to speak with you sans English Ames) and 2) I know there is no other way to do it but go forward; study and learn.  I really like that Italian is similar to Japanese in that it is generally pronounced phonetically and people speak very clearly.  Mi piace!  I’m learning that English is a very easy language to learn.  In the future, I’m interested to learn Spanish (an easy follow-on and refresher), an Aboriginal Australian language (though which one??), sign language and arabic.

I’m sitting in my favourite cafe that has wireless internet; Choco Cult:

This is my view:

As of this week, I finish scuola a 1.00, 5 days per week.  Monday, Thursday and Friday I then start work at 5 and thus while away my time either visiting this or another cafe and doing computer-based things, flaneuring or visiting secondhand shops.  I am having my most enjoyable, peaceful times yet in these moments.  In the secondhand shops - which are few, distant from the city centre and more like messy warehouses - I (pretend to) browse, and whilst doing so arrange the items so they are more attractive (saleable) or create more space.  One of these days I will ask to volunteer there and start doing a version of art with what I find.  For example, there was a tiny lamp shade sitting on it’s lonesome.  There was a lamp with a fitting and no shade.  Colour and texture-wise, they looked good together.  The shade was much smaller than would ordinarily be on the lamp, but I tried it, it fit perfectly and looked wonderfully quirky.  Don’t ask me why I didn’t take a photo!!

Speaking of which, Claire gave me the great idea when I was sorting my stuff prior to leaving for Italy, that if I’m finding something hard to part with, but I know I should, I can take a photo of it and have it that way.  I’ve found this idea very helpful with shopping also!!  Amy and Jamie, I thought of you guys when I saw this:

And no, I have been to the Post Office FOUR TIMES - three of those with Massi, and to three different Post Offices - and am still yet to send my New Years gifts.  The bureaucracy and poor service here is amazing.  I am reminded of my time in Japan, and will talk about this more some other time.  I think the secret to minimising culture shock lies in here somewhere…

Okay, I’ve already said this all once, then lost it in one fell click, so some of the shininess will be tarnished, but all the same…

On the way to my work, I pass a subway stop called Castello. Gee, I wonder what must be there… So I naturally think… I should get off and go one day. That day came about 2 weeks ago, and it was wonderful!!

The castle looked and felt just like the one I visited in Ireland… Are they ‘all the same’ish?

Outside the Castello was a temporary ‘Milano Snow Park’ with a fake ski opportunity, and a fake taboggan-thing opportunity, which I took up. When I purchased the ticket, the lady asked where my child was to secure the band to their arm. No, the ticket is for me ☺… This is me post 4 slides.

[oop! will add later!]

It was a lot of fun! There was a young man in a wheelchair outside the gate. He was watching. I asked his dad/carer/friend and him if he could get a piggy-back up and join in. They said no, so I told him my next slide was for him.

Into the castle I went, only to find that it was filled with museums!! I utilised my rapidly-expiring student card to purchase a one year pass to all of the museums for only ∈6.50!!! Needless to say, I began with the Museum of Decorative Arts!!

As soon as I entered the first room, I was reminded of the conversations I’d had with the lovely Marco Due/Rosso in which he felt people were burdened/constrained by belongings. He had a saying for it, which I’ve since forgotten. I understood what he was saying, but I couldn’t universally agree. After all, I love my things. I love having a shed to have things, modify things, create new things, store things for giving away. I generally know the story of all of my things, including my clothes. Today I am wearing the shoes that Mel gave me (which Noona Smith-Petersen likes hehe), the pants Rach gave me, which last night I refixed the buttons and the buttonhole of (satisfying), the warm top that Suze bought for me specifically for here, the coat Rach bought for me for Milano, and the ring I bought in Sydney many years ago, oh, and the socks that contained the gift from Bufana; the witch that visits Italy with lollies directly post Christmas. Often the stories are richer than this, but it’s nice to carry people around with me also. So for me, things are also people and memories and future possibilities… I don’t feel burdened.

As I wandered, these thoughts led me to the next: things have value if we give them value. How did the things get into this museum? Why are these things important? Or rather, why are they museum-worthy?

There were lots of Jesus’ and associated paraphernalia, and I figured they were important just because they were Jesus. Mind you, at first I thought everyone was Jesus, and then I remembered that back in the day most guys looked like Jesus… Anyway, I like the first 2 above coz they’re nude, and I usually see him with a loincloth. I like the last one because the skin is pushed up above the nails and, obviously, there’s a skull and cross-bone underneath which I’d never seen before and thought was wonderfully weird. Some of the Jesus’ such as the last one were made out of ivory, so that makes it ‘valuable’ in a different sense.

I imagine some things are valuable just because they’re old. My things will be old one day, and is it just because mine survive fires, etc that they may make it into a museum, and my neighbours vase will not?

Can things be fake? Or can they just be made out of less durable material? This thought occurred to me when I was looking at the vase section. Items in this museum were arranged into item – vases, cutlery, locks, jesus’ – and material made from: copper, ceramic, glass, porcelain, etc.

I love the way this plate has been restored. They haven’t tried to pretend it is perfect. I also like it when pieces are part stuck together (ie there is space between the broken pieces which are held together with wire, kind of like a partially constructed jigsaw). I would have loved the cup next to it. Notice it is broken at the base. I am reminded of the importance of the second-hand market (which is not strong here). If you’ve finished with something or it is broken to you, it doesn’t mean it belongs in the bin. Shopping second-hand also helps me reconcile some of my consumerist tendencies. More on this later

Finally… the Bike Adelaide blog is up and running after months of the yapping and the talking, and the wrenching… But now it is up and the ideas should come hopefully thick and fast for such a vibrant city; the minutiae… oh the minutiae… And authors and moderators definitely sought and very much welcome (including international…).

Find it fresh here: http://bikeadelaide.org

Like the chewlog pomegranate and carrot cake; the recipe/promise of moistness is like 2005. Embedded.

Whilst looking for a previous post, I came across one titled Resolved; the 2007 New Years resolutions… Yup, it appears I have again been distracted - probably seventh year running now… Anyways for 2008 there will be quick runs on the board and are based upon the thoughts of 2007:

- “No dig” garden which satisfies the bent of local produce, potentially a community space and sustainability. Oh, apricots are currently on tap - lower yield due to the first hard prune the tree has had in years but damn them apricots are big and juicy!!

- Sustainable travel. Only use a car when absolutely necessary = no car in the driveway; it was never to be… Bike trailer; many little trips for anything really big. Scooter project for anything longer AND no travel if crazy hot or crazy wet; unnecessary travel is unnecessary travel why burden man or machine?

- More community. Full stop.

- Addressing the imbalance of producing versus consuming time. This is a tough argument and which should be addressed from the onset i.e. that available time should be in the balance devoted to activities that are producing something worthwhile e.g. building a chicken coop, creating a garden. Each of these producing activities will act to produce something to be consumed. Here lies the rub; is it efficient to do this as an individual or act within economies of scale to produce more efficiently? To produce something initially requires the consumption of goods to set yourself up. Act as a collective and this burden is dissipated and potentially knowledge to an individual. More community regardless. Oh and what able idleness? Came across a link from kottke.org which praised idleness…

- Music, music, music…

- Rationalise the operations.

I’ve been surprised by how strongly ‘please and thankyou’ is a part of my psyche. The idea of please and thankyou isn’t strong in Italy. They’re a pragmatic lot. I’m getting used to it, and while I understand that ‘please and thankyou’ can be an onerous imposition, I still believe in the general sentiment of being grateful and noticing the constant gifts of life. I think it adds to my happiness anyway.

Shopping, even window shopping, also adds to my happiness here Here’s a few particularly Milano shopping sights:

There are a lot of ‘curly bits’ around the place, and these Chairman Mao’s just caught my eye…

Antique, or at least, old style furniture, done (or re-done) in silver is all the rage, and I like it:

I’ve seen (and tried) the most awesome couches since being here. This one I’ve seen in a few shops in quite a range of materials (usually more flamboyant than what is shown above). It’s really cool. You make it up with different blocks of couch, as I think you can tell..

The building in the centre of the (rather poor) shot below is where I work. It’s a very very upmarket building. The elevator is the old style where you have a gate that you open, then 2 little doors inside. It’s like being in a movie going in that elevator. The walls of the building (where the stairs are and the entry) have the standard flower wallpaper pattern, but the difference is, is that the pattern is carved into the walls, not pasted on… I tutor two boys, Christian and Roberto (9 & with their Italian and English homework. My times tables are getting better every week I really enjoy the challenge of relating well to the boys (who never want to do their homework), while getting them to do their work and trying to inspire some joy with learning for them.

So… what do I think of Italy?

Well I miss the big blue sky of Australia. When I look at my pics of Ceduna and surrounds (which doesn’t occur infrequently) I feel all “awww” inside. The old buildings ARE nice. They are quaint. And it’s lovely to walk along and see frost and fog. I like fog both in the day, early evening and the night. Two days ago it was so foggy you could look at the sun and it was simply a glowing circle. I liked that moment.

But in the end, I’m not captured by the buildings. I’m not involved with them, whereas I am with Mother Nature. So I’m sure I’d really like some other parts of Italy, but I live in Milano, and I don’t have any pot plants.

I love the accessibility of great exhibitions here. I’ve been to see the Vivienne Westwood exhibition documenting her clothing. In the end, for me, it wasn’t the clothes that were relevant or important; it was a wonderful resonance because of her resolve to do what she wanted to do, and to continue on, creating and moulding her life with the external changes, rather than butting into them or allowing them to rule. Similarly, I saw a brilliant and enormous black and white photographic exhibition documenting 30 years of this mans’ work (sorry, don’t remember his name… I’m bad…). At every turn I had a flurry of different thoughts running through my mind, and again, not really about whether I liked the photo or not, but about what is possible in life. About doing and taking action and living and enjoying and savouring. The great and wonderful expanse of opportunity that life presents us.
I also really love the subway. In the subway, everyone is equal; the old woman in her enormously over-sized fur coat; the ‘cool guy’ gently rubbing his mohawk on the overhead hand rail; we are all prone to swaying and bumping and we all have to get really close to one another at times. I love it when the train looks REALLY full and you just have to believe you can fit on. I’ve learnt to take my backpack off my back prior to boarding so as not to worry about it getting stuck in the closing doors or inadvertently pushing another passenger out with the slightest turn of my body.

Six weeks or so into my ‘Italy experience’ I became a little glum… I had seen three videos: one of a man building an ENORMOUS house/palace of cards, a woman dancing with her well-trained dog and another of Rodney Mullen skating…

Why couldn’t I do something really good, I thought… Why do I have to be so shit and boring and challenging and just be interested in politics and stuff. I was very annoyed at myself. I’m not even GOOD at knowing about ‘politics and stuff’, I’m just very interested and would rather spend my spare time learning or contributing more in this arena… and it annoys people… This was during my phase of wanting to grow my hair.

I pondered in an irritated fashion for a couple of days, and then I got my hair cut and realised two things: one, while those people are mastering skating or card building or dog training, they aren’t using their energy to hurt the world - and that’s great!! And two, I love my hair short and I’m okay, this is me!! I don’t have to look like everyone else, I don’t have to do or think what everyone else does. I can be interested and involved in politics and social issues and people don’t have to think that’s okay.

All very basic thoughts, but if the basics aren’t in place, one can feel very lost, and even move into depression or self-loathing. Moving to a new place means you take a look at yourself and others, and in looking, I re-realised I need to stay true to me

xo

For those of you who wanted to see the banal hair photos, this is how far my hair envy got to:

and post haircut:

Milano is, of course, the city of dog poo. There is an unspoken, unwritten code that one does not walk on the grass. And people love the rain because it washes the ‘pollution’ ‘away’. Yes…. At the local park, there is a fenced triangle. Curios. It is, of course, the dog toilet. This is a great idea, and if it was supplemented with people picking up their dog shit from the sidewalk, life could be different here… I have contemplated photo cataloguing the variously mushed poos. I myself have witnessed two such squishing moments and have also found myself checking my shoes ‘just in case’. Lucky thus far.

Okay, as for what this city is secondarily famous for: fashion, I am starting to warm to this stuff. Last year, and for most of my time thus far, I had found the fashion quite blasé/normal or way too scary bling bling for me. Visible bras and otherwise wearing under-apparel as a stand-alone garment does not seem to raise eyebrows. Diamontes and studs are standard. Visually, there are b-girls and b-boys everywhere, but I am told, and have learnt, that this is just the fashion. There is some pretty cool street fashion. I have found it difficult to find colour here. It’s like, if something is not black or grey, the colour is washed out; the same as if you’d washed two items and the black from one ran into the colour of the other. It’s quite sad, but also liberating when you do find colour (even if you can’t afford it).

But alas. I am finding my way and there are amazing items here (of course and dur). It does surprise me that they are not more prevalent, but they are certainly around. Barcelona was much more in-your-face as far as unique and awesome fashion goes. But yes, I’m just an inexperienced tourist.

Speaking of which, I love to flaneur the suburban streets, and it’s not uncommon to find what I call a ‘Mary shrine’:

I love how standard and boring everything looks in this shot, and then there’s Mary… (or someone else worth celebrating)

The food is of course wonderful, and I have not only put on pasta pudge, but also have enjoyed 1 or 2 desserts on 1 or 2 occasions…

Above is the ‘Oasi Rosa Foccacia’, one of my favourites. A large pizza base with fresh tomato, rocket, prosciutto and caprino cheese. m-mm.