Gnocchi night in Little Italy!

The end of the month signs, once more, the time to have another Gnocchi night. Pietro’s fame as a great chef must have gone around the island quite fast, as plenty of people showed throughout the night, with our immense joy and also worries, as we were not sure anymore we would have enough food to feed everybody. In Italy, culturally, it is very embarrassing not to have enough food to satisfy every guest’s appetite. So we shrink the ratio that everybody got, and the dinner turned out from being a typical Italian dinner in which, at the end of the dinner, everybody is just laying down on the floor staffed with food begging from some limoncello (that we do not have, and that it is used as a digestive), to a very healthy dinner in which everybody ate the right quantity of food… and the cake… Pietro surprised as all with the best cake anyone probably as ever seen on island…

Even the gnocchi producing line was under his supervision, and he added few changes that improved the gnocchi quality. I will share his methodology with you, if you feel like preparing the perfect gnocco for your partner, friends or just yourself.

1. boil the potatoes in the water with the skin still on. In this way they will absorb less water and you will need to use less flour. If you use old potatoes are even better, as they contain less water to start with.
2. when the potatoes are soft, peel them (in this way, too, you can take away just the surface skin, leaving most of the nutrients with the potato) and smash them
3. Pietro adds one egg for each kilo of smashed potato. Also add about 1/3 of flour (if you have 1 kilo of potato, add 0.33 kg of flour… more or less, with part is very artistic, you need a feeling of it…). Kneaded it all!
4. roll the mixture in line, and cut the gnocchi out. Roll each gnocco on a fork, to shape it with the three line on the top (that will help the sauce to stick to it.
5. Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water until the surface, then take them out with a strainer (do not throw the water! You will use it to boil the other gnocchi!)
6. put the cooked gnocchi on a fry pan and salte’ with the sauce (we make a carbonara sauce and a butter-herbs of Provence sauce).
7. Serve, eat and enjoy!!!

And we did enjoy them indeed! We had quite a mix crowd, lawyers, scientists and engineering of course, the full Argentinean family, Rusty the oceanographer visiting from Hawaii, Paul my ex visiting from Samoa (next island, the independent one)…Little Italy is really taking shape the way it is supposed to be!! :)

(everybody does something: cooking/cleaning/setting up the table/looking for beers...)

(Sara, Scott, Brian with baby Noa, and Rusty)
(Pietro, Paul and Mia)
(Time to eat!!!)
(Rusty and I preparing the cake!)

As for me… my knees hurt! I went to the clinic yesterday, and all they told me was that I did a great job cleaning the wounds, and they gave some antibiotic bombs to avoid infections… in such a hot and humid weather, they are very common. Then I went to look for the car, that mysteriously disappeared. I finally tracked it down in a garage in Vaitogi, that is the very last village where I want to go. I asked why the truck was taken there instead than at Oscar’s business as they were told to, and they said: “hum… it was making a funny noise from the back”… I turned black (I very rarely get upset, but this guys can really prove my patience). “of course, it is making some noise from the back! The truck is wrecked!”. The most stupid excuses! The towing company was hoping I would let the truck his friend’s garage to be fixed, since it was already there, and would get a percentage on the work. Island style. The police was even more disappointing. They were supposed to contact me on Sunday to do the report, but it never happened. I went to the police station to write my report of the accident, and they told me they did not know anything, and that I should wait until 7:00 pm for those guys that do the night shift to come back., Then they told me to go to Fagatogo (just before Pago Pago) to look for a guy that was following my case. In Fagatogo, they told me to go back to Tafuna’s police station to look for another guy… I wrote me report there, I got one for Alyssa to write too, and left frustrated. Well, the police is what it is, the health system is what it is… not working, not ideal, but after all this island wouldn’t be the same and as much fun with an organized functional system, where the prisoners are not allowed to “escape” to go to the airport to say goodbye to their mams, and where the doctors do actually read the medical card of the governor before prescribing him medicines he is allergic too… I foresee that this all process to get through the police report/insurance is going to last for a while… I guess one more reason to renew the contract! ;)

Gee’s bridal shower and the end of the truckosaurous

Again I have to underline the fact the Samoans KNOW how to party. There are lots of laughing, dancing and drinking. Unluckily though even here there are people drinking and driving, and this fact signed the end of the blue truckosaurous last night (I still have my green truckosaurous), when a man decided to take a nap as he was driving and did not see the road turning, and neither our truck coming from the opposite side of the road…. But let’s go by order…

Gee, my coworker, is getting married next week (I saw more wedding and babies being born here in Samoa in last 2 years than in my entire life). Her sisters and brothers organized for her a bridal shower (addio al nubilato), and I had the honor of being invited.

(Gee doing her Siva)

(Mia, myself and Josie -she also works with me-)

Describing what happened to that party would never give a proper feeling of what it was being there. If you saw the movie “Priscilla, queen on the desert”, imagine that multiplies 10. One of the main attraction was in fact given by the “dream girls”, a group of 3 fa’fafine (of course 2 meters high, 1 meter large, and with the most striking dresses), dancing with a elaborated choreography that included full splits and panties showing… Then there was Gee’s ant, a big woman on her 50^th with a big bottom that loved doing lap dance on one of the poles that was holding the tend up. And there were cat walks, and “tiger” walk (on all 4s)… Mia and I felt speechless most of the night. The atmosphere was just so engaging, where any woman was a WOMAN, with all her humor and her sexuality, no matter age or size. A night without precedent, I wonder if there will ever be a sequel.

(the dream girls in one of their dance)

(this, you can imagine what it was...)

After the bridal shower, we went to the Mexican palace, that is the Argentinean house (but for most American south of the US there is only Mexico, and Argentina is part of Mexico –as they also speaks Mexican…- so, there you go…). It was Ayla birthday party celebration, and there was merengue music and more drinks and a swimming pool to which I could not resist. I just love soaking into the water looking at the moon and the stars…

Around 1:30, we decided it was time to go home. Perfect timing to find on our way a drunk driver that missed a turning and came on our line. Thanks god we all we were all wearing our seatbelt and were sitting in the front (not of the trunk). I turned to the right trying to avoid a full frontal, and the truck hit us on the front left side, slide along my side and re-hit the trunk, as our car was totally being pushed farther on the right. The man keep on “driving” for few meter, before crashing on the rock wall. Alyssa and Mia were fine, so I pulled the hand brake and jumped out the truckosauros to get that man outside his truck. Unlikely the hand brake did not work, and the truckosauros started sliding back, hitting me with the open door and dragging me for a couple of meter, until I lay flat on the door and let the door pass other me. What a stupid looking scene. The rockwall was there anyway, and the truckosarous stopped not far. I ran to get the man out his truck that was filling with gray smoke. The door was stocked, he looked quite unconscious... what a fright! Adrenaline come to my help (after I realized that even if I could have broken the window I could never been able to get that big man out from there) and I was finally able to open the door, after opening it few centimeters and then, having my back against the truck and pushing with my legs onto the door. The man looked like he just wake up from a dream (and probably he was) as I was trying to pull him out. In the meanwhile, Alyssa phoned the police and star shouting for help. A young guy ran to my help to get the man out… soon after the all neighborhoods came out, I called the Argentineans for support (and they also called a friend that is a lawyer) and soon there were about 20 people around, sitting, chatting, smoking.. waiting for the police. Even the drunk guy was nice enough to speak in English to us and to apologize. The police part was quite fast. The man that hit us was arrested with handcuffed on the spot (he was very drunk). Then the police took my name and phone number and told me they were going to phone me the next day for the report. (of course next day is Sunday and they never called). They did not even asked for Mia’s or Alyssa’s name. Luckily, none was seriously injured, just few scratches on my knees. Two morals: wear your seat belt and do not drink and drive!!!

And, well, I was driving Paul’s car, my ex, that I was going to sell today… I do not think the truckosauros will still be able to happily roam on the wild roads of Tutuila, but he died with honor giving his fragile frame to protect us. And I can probably get more money from the insurance than by selling it…

So, after all, it still was a nice night! All is well, what ends up well. (the victims of the accident the next day... Alyssa, Mia and I -still working removing asphalt from my knees..)

my job & contract renewal

This week has been crazy at work, but wonderful after work. My contract is finishing soon, in about 3 weeks, and I am thinking about renewing it. As this represent a new step of my life, I am valuating all the pros and the cons about it. Mainly, I am very passionate about the work I am doing here, I love the people I work with, and more importantly, I can see the results of our work. If you do not know me, or if you do anyway, you may still be wondering what kind of job is keeping me on the other side of the world respect home, in such a small and isolated island. And this comic (that my old boss posted in our office), in short, summarize why I am renewing…

("oh, eternal life is fine, but what I really like is getting to wear flip-flops all the time")

About my job, if you are American, you are probably familiar with EPA. I f you are not, please watch “the Simpson, the movie”: I work for the bad people that put that glass dome on top of Springfield. And as the movie, the big pollution problem here comes from pig waste disposal: Samoan do love their pigs! It is a big part of the traditional life-style. A proposed law 2 years ago to increase the setback of piggeries from human habitation from 50 feet away to 100 feet away did not pass because people in the government said things like “I told me pigs last night that I may have to move them away and they were sad” and “I love watching TV with my pigs and I do not want them to be that far away…”. But because of the high percentage of people sick with leptospirosis, we cannot really let piggery owner let their pigs poop into the streams and let them roaming, and so 2 years ago, AS EPA (American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency) lunched a Piggery Compliance Program. I came on board as the GIS Specialist, teaching people how to use the GPS to map ALL piggeries in American Samoa and creating a geodatabase (that is a database that also stores information of the exact location of the piggery –important in a place where physical addresses do not exist.). Recently, I published an article on Arc News that, with a readership of more than 600,000 around the world, is one of the main (or THE main?) GIS magazine. If you want to read it, you can find it at: http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/fall07articles/regulating-illegal.html ).

Our Piggery Compliance Program also won an Award from EPA last Monday, and I consider this a big achievement and I am proud to be part of it. For more information about the award look at: http://www.epa.gov/region09/awards/08/index.html. I still use GIS to support managers/engineers/enforcement officers in their work.

I am also looking at the water quality of the streams in American Samoa. This consists in monthly sampling, and lots of analysis. My goal is to publish one or two articles before finishing here, and since this is not going to happen in the next 3 weeks, by renewing the contract I will have more time to do it. I feel like I am doing a difference here, and it feels great!

I know many people out there are not happy about my decision of renewing, and here are some cons and pros I though about, I am posting them here for you, hoping that will help you understand why I am staying here...

Cons:

• The dollars worth nothing! What was a good salary 2 years ago, it is now very discrete! And being part of my life in Italy, where the Euro rules, this exchange rate does affect me a bit. So, if I renew, I won’t do it for the money for sure.
• I am far away from home. But after all, I do not have immediate family there anymore. My parents passed away, my brother is married… It could be depressing returning now…
• I miss my friends there. But I do love them a lot and love does not have boundaries. They are always here with me anyway. Plus, even in Italy I would still be so far away from my other friends around the world.
• The island is small. But it is still Neverland after all, and I am honored I had the luck to end up here. It is fun for a while!
• No single guys. But after all, who needs them? I am happy with my far away butterflies that make me happy and do not hurt me.
• No food. But the garden is going great! And with Pietro and Mia here, I really have to say I NEVER eat so well for so long in all my life. All we need is flour, eggs, milk, water… all things you can find quite easily even here.
• No Italians. But anyway, until June we will be in 3! For the next world cup I will make I can see some games off-island, maybe in the States in some “little Italy” community… And Skype still helps a lot to be in contact. Who knows, maybe I will be able to have more family to come and stay with me for a while…
• Danger. I have been in a couple of dangerous situations here, but I feel safe in this house now and I live with people and our house is surrounded by families all the time, so I feel much safer. Plus now we also have a man living with us, so it is perfect! And, you can anyway find bad apples all over the world, not just here.

Pros:

• I love my job. Plus I am learning a lot and I feel I am improving professionally everyday. I am publishing, winning awards, meeting important people that could help me in the future to find a job somewhere else.
• Experience and Commitment. It seems like it looks good (on curriculum) having experience living abroad, especially in such remote community. Renewing shows commitment for the work you are doing (and I have to say, I am very committed here!).
• I am so spoiled. The Agency helped me out so much during difficult moments, and there is always a good excuse for lunches, dinners, parties… and weddings, babies… They let me take a class every term at the community college, they support us exercising and being healthy plus a free gym subscription, and through a fitness program, in which every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we have to go either walking, running or paddling for at least ½ hour. I love the way they care about your health. I guess, a happy employ = more production. It is true, it works, I am a happy employ and it never bothers me to work after hours.
• I got my time. After the big 2007 fall, this is the perfect place to rest, take care of myself, relax, get straight up on my feet and get strong to conquer the world maybe sometimes next year.
• No guys. I put it in the cons, but it is a pros too. I am afraid of falling in the arms of the first nice guy I met, and by not having them around, I do not ran any risk! (well, there are few traps out there to be sincere, let’s see how good I will do! :)!!)
• This comic that my old boss attached in our office, says it all!!
• This is where I have lunch everyday…
  
• This is our local bar…

Wow, this is the longest and most boring post I entered so far I guess! My friends, I hope you understand why I am staying here longer and won’t hold it against me… I have plans to come and visit you all in June! From Oregon to Italy and Spain, trying Egypt too… Muchachita Linda!!! Tu eres un poco fuera de mano pero… bueno, si, la India me enteressa! October 2008???

weekend italiano

I just cannot believe that we are finally in 3 on the island. It may not seem like a big number, but to me it is just perfect. We are enough to go safely hiking in the jungle and enough to put up a nice choir with typical songs from the Alps. We are enough to enjoy big dinner and finish a bottle of wine each meal. And we are just enough to finish a packet of cigarette a day, chatting on the sofa’ on the porch.

Saturday was our fitness day, Sunday was our relax day.

After the celebration of Flag day, we continued the historical tradition by hiking to Massacre Bay on Saturday. On a far away Tuesday, the 11^th December 1787, two French boats, La boussale and Astrolabe, sailed away from this bay, after a skirmish took the lives of 39 Samoan and 12 French. What happened that day changes depending who tells the story: the Samoan say that the French were stealing their women; the French say that the Samoan were stealing the nails from the boats (Polynesian LOVED the nails from the first palagi boat, as they did not work metal). Today, this bay that once witnessed one of the first encounters between Samoan and palagi, is totally uninhabited and host a ghost village and a monument built by the French for the fallen French crew.

We started hiking from the village of A’asu, up in the mountain, and it took us 2 hours to get to the beach. None has clearly been there for a while, and the vegetation overgrow and hided the trail in numerous places. As I smartly forgot the machete, we spent a lot of time “cleaning” the trail (to be sure we would be able to find it on the way back). And, as the good Italian tradition wants, as soon as we got to the beach we had a great picnic, some rest and then we walked around exploring the village and looking for the French monument. The beach is not that spectacular (compare to others here on island), but the feeling of really being away from any road, any house, anything, it is just worth it.

Hiking up was so much easier, and in 1 ½ hour we were already back to the car. What made it easy was a full belly and all the typical songs from the Alps we were singing… “quando na’vema fora fora nela Val Sugana…”

(we are not hiding in the wood... we are following the trail...)

But the day was not over yet! At the main hotel of the island there was a fundraising to send a couple of dancing groups to Hawaii for a competition, and we had to support (plus we did not feel like cooking). The show included fire dancing and sivas (both Samoan and Cook island style), and a spot for the guests. That was me of course. Between all the guests in the hotel I was chosen to go up and dance with a guy. Very embarrassing as people here do know me, but, oh well, after all I won a bottle of champagne and a very sophisticated lava lava.

Sunday… the holy day to rest! Absolute rest.

And today (Monday) as I was working, the Italians were home… cooking all day! Fresh pasta and ravioli… oh my! And I have to say this to make you understanding: Pietro, that is a professional chef, wants to experiment in the kitchen… all I have to do is sit and eat! My dream becoming true! I never want them to leave!!! I have no more words...

Flag Day (or Dependance Day)

Most countries proclaimed a national holiday on the day they were officially formed, they became a republic or independent from another country. American Samoa instead has a national holiday, or better, a national party, on the day they became a colony: flag day, or unofficially, dependence day.

(From the governor proclamation)

“On April 17, 1904, … the chiefs of Tutuila and Manu’a (3 islands west of here)…entered into agreements of cession…with the Government of the United States of America…. In return, the USA agreed to establish a good and sound government, protect traditional rights and property of the Samoan people, and promote the peace and welfare of the people….. NOW, THEREFORE, in honor of these momentus historical events, I… Governor of American Samoa, proclaim Flag Day will be celebrated on.. April 17, and continue until April 18, in American Samoa, for the observance of appropriate ceremonies, commemorating the raising of the Flag of the USA over AS. I further call upon the government and the people of AS to participate wholeheartedly in this year’s celebration….”

And if you lived here long enough, you know that Samoan do truly know how to through a killer party.

Personally, I have one more reason to celebrate: after 2 years of isolation (with a short visit from another Italian that was soon mistaken for a terrorist), on Wednesday the 16^th April 2008, at 5:20 pm, after Pietro put foot in American Samoa landing from Independent Samoa, I am not anymore the only Italian for miles and miles of empty sea. This can be extremely proving on a long ran, especially when Italy wins the world cup (calcio) and you are left alone to cheer surrounded with coconuts and bananas.

And next day, my cousin Mia arrived on the Hawaiian Thursday night flight. The Italian population tripled in only 2 days, showing a population growth that only samoan can emulate. And it is more to that: we are family.

To follow a chronological order, on Wednesday I picked up Pietro at the airport, we went home for a quick shower, and drove back to “down town” (Fagatogo village, if we can really call it this way) to see the United States Marine Band in concert. Although, the rain was too much even for my truckosauros (which name, to specify, was not given because it is a huge monster (big with big tires), but because it is very very ancient), and we decided to turn back and do something else instead. Apparently the rain was too much even for the marines that deleted the performance anyway. Since I have been missing from the island for a while, a dinner with the other palagis was very welcome!

Thursday was holiday, and I did not have to go to work. It is a great way to start the working routine after coming back from a 3 weeks holiday: 3 days working, followed by 4 days weekend. We went to the Stadium to watch performances (dancing and singing) organized by schools and villages. But the Flood was not over yet, and the field rapidly turned into something closer to quick sands. We saw the “Samoa Myth of Creation” and two bands playing, before the governor decided to postpone the other performances to the next day. It is very smart to plan 2 days of party instead of one! Now, I was very proud to be able to show Pie’ such a great samoan show, and with cancelled performances, I did not know where to take him. Plus the road to my house becomes a full white water stream and it is not drivable until the rain stops. Providentially Sam had a great idea. That do you do when it rains for two days and there are huge puddles anywhere? You go to play in the mud! After all, this is Neverland, why not?

I haven’t been sliding on wet grass since I was very little. The perfect place would be a place without stones, with a good green soft grass, and a nice slope ending in a big puddle. And Sam knew exactly where this perfect place was: the gulf curt (he also knew where the hole in the fence was). This is where the kids go to play when it rains, us included. Running, diving on the wet grass, and sliding into puddles was fun, but when Sam got a ball and we started playing rugby, things got much tougher. Especially with samoan kids, that at a tender age of 14 are already the equivalent of big calves. The pictures say it all.

Home again, shower, and then we got ready to go pick up my cousin Mia at the airport, as the island still was enjoying their dependence day, with free food and drink for everybody downtown.

Mia is here! As soon as she arrived, the italian’s traditions started: cigarettes and wine!

(I believed this particular needed to be highlighted. Doug (palagi with gray shirt) is a very tall guy, much much taller than me! can you see this young calf going for him??? man! Doug is brave!)

Friday: we chatted until 3 in the morning, and at 6am Pie’ came in our room to wake us up, pulling our toes and then going to prepare the coffee. How much I love this and how much I missed it! Not that all Italians wake up each other pulling toes, but I just missed so much all these little attentions… Why 6 am you may ask? We could not miss the fautasi race! Fautasi are huge 50-men 2-rows canoes. The paddler always paddles on the same side, and these boats can be incredibly fast. I could not find much about the history, but I can say that presently they are only used for the Flag Day race (and for about 1-2 months training before that). For the rest on the year, they rest in peace underneath big shelters.

(it is only 7:30 in the morning, but those guys on the background are already at their 3rd Vailimas...-local beer)

(pulling the Fautasi back into the shelter where it will rest in peace until next Flag Day)

Samoans have a very intense sense of humor (I always says that, if you want to live here, you must either have a good sense of humor, or you must develop it, or you will leave on next flight out): they love to laugh and to make people laughing, and this ooze on their shows.

We returned to the stadium with the idea of staying there for one hour or so, but the shows were so entreating that we stayed until 3.00 pm, way later our planned siesta time.

(we, the i-talians, Mia, myself, and Pietro, gained VIP status and free lunch... uhmm!)

In particular, a group from the neighbor island of Independent Samoa (they are a independent country, I guess it is nice they come for the party of the neighbor dependent island…) was just hysterical.

One of their singing/dancing was about woman abuse in the family, and they talked on how the husband would go to the pub and cheat with fa’fafine (samoan transvestite), then go home and hit their wives. Although, they would be hit back from the parents (maybe the wife parents, maybe his or maybe both, I could not get that). Husbands would also be hit back from the fa’fafine that would fell unloved and used. At the same time, the parent would hit the fa’fafine away from their sons/sons-in-law. I guess this tells a lot about samoan family. I will put the video on a separate entry…

(husbands flirting with fa'fafine at the pub meanwhile the wives are at home working)

Another singing/dancing replayed the misadventure of our governor that few months ago was operated in our hospital for appendicitis. All when well, a part the fact that he got an injection of penicillin (I believe it was that), even if he was allergic to it. He had to be evacuated on a special plane to a hospital in Hawaii (no, the governor does not have to wait for Thursday’s and Sunday’s flights in this cases. We probably do). They suggested that the Samoan medicine man could have done a better job. During the performance, it is hard for me to understand it all, and I wait to ask for translation from the people seated around me, but watching all these people laughing and crying around it is just as entreating as the story itself.

(Indipendent Samoa presented AS with lots immense tapas (above), lots of huge fine mats, and of course, roasted pigs)

Returned home, I passed out, as Pie’ experimented the new flour, water, yeast and oven seeking for the best pizza dough you can cook in Samoa. I believe Mia and Pie’ are enjoying the island as much as I am enjoying having them over. I was once more awaken very gently… “dinner is ready”…

Smile and life will smile back!

I asked my cousin to get me a man, so today my cousin's friend, Piero (or Pie') is arriving here! He was an italian cook in New Zealand and now he is going to be our private cook in the italian-bistro mansion (Don't miss Gnocchi night this month!) Isn't this a good life? Well, let's see... by the way, who said that Italian are not organized? Jajaja! And tomorrow my cousin Mia is finally coming! stay tuned!

Priceless

(Sunset over Anchorage, hiking back from the mountain)

Because life is short and unpredictable and you need to enjoy every little bit of it!!!

I am back to island life. That is, waking up at 6:00 in the morning, do some exercise, wear some flowering shirt, wear flip-flop, commute to work on my truckosaurous, do my work/chatting, changing the world, go home/shopping/visiting friends, read a book/write my blog/be artistic, make phone calls to off-island friends and family, go to bed before 10:00pm.
I am back to island life. Ready for this long 3 days working week, followed by a 4 days long weekend (Thursday is flag day, and Friday bridge). Mia is coming on Thursday!

As I am always traveling on budget, when I come back from a trip I always check how much I spent, to learn from mistake and be more careful next time. As I travel, I try just to enjoy being there!
This is what 3 days in San Francisco, 17 days in Alaska, and 3 days in Oregon cost me:

• Transportation: ~600 (car rental and gas)
  
• Food: ~800 (I ate nearly every day at restaurants!)
  
• Books and art works: ~200
• Presents for people I met on the way: ~80
• Presents for me (includes warm clothing and technical hiking gear): ~300
• Fun activities: ~150

Although, these are what I returned with:

• A weekend in San Francisco with James Bond: priceless
• Kayaking above the San Andres fault: priceless
• Meeting the clan of the chemistry cave bear: priceless
• Being the tannest person in the room: priceless ;)
  
• Going mushing with 11 super trained dogs: priceless
• Going mushing with my own dog team: priceless
• Seeing a grizzly foot print in the fresh snow and getting safe to the cabin in the middle of nowhere before dark and without being eaten: priceless
• Drinking hot chocolate in a warm cabin when outside is incredibly cold: priceless
• Soaking in a hot spring when 2 Japaneses, 1 Spanish, Dave and a very interesting girl from California: priceless
• Seeing the Northern light: priceless
• Going on a bush plane for a whole day and trying to land on (not so) frozen river: priceless
• Looking up, opening the mouth and letting snowflakes falling in it: priceless
• Hiking on top of a mountain on fresh snow and saying the greatest sunset over Anchorage: priceless
• Food, food, food, food…: priceless
• Long chats with SnowDave: priceless ;)
  
• Going to Whittier the shittier and discovering that is not so bad after all: priceless
• Sleeping with Suka: priceless ;)
• A weekend in Oregon: very priceless
• Dancing salsa as I have not done for a while: priceless
• Laughing, hugging, being with friends: priceless
  

Act5: my big fat treasure box

A popular Italian proverb says “chi trova un amico, trova un tesoro”. “Who finds a friend, finds a treasure”. And I have to say that Oregon is one of my richest treasure boxes. Being back in Oregon was in the middle between a jump in the past, and recognition of my present. Because no matter where I am or what I do, it is always me. By finding my friends, I also found myself. I felt good. As I walked on campus people came to me saying they were glad I was back. “No, I am here only for weekend” was my sad answer, as somewhere in my heart, a voice was telling me I should go back there. I cannot believe people still remember me, and how easy is to talk with all of them, as if I really have been missing for 2 weeks instead than 2 years. But after all this is part of who I am: suddenly appearing at somebody’s door without pre-advice. I do not believe in “Farewell” (as, I won’t see you again). I wonder now if Renato from Brazil is like me in this, and this is why we meet randomly in unthinkable places.
I saw my advisors, which fulfilled me with compliments and boosted my ego “is the job you are doing challenging enough for you?” I think this is one of the best compliments I ever received. It is challenging, but it feels great to see the results. Our program back in Neverland just won an award from the big EPA boss in back in Washington DC.
Friday night Liz and Biniam organized a party in my honor. We had a bit potluck as we used to have, and spent the all night chatting and telling stories. The winner story is definitely the one that describes how Rob broke his toes. I will write it at the end of the post for the ones that know Rob… there is a new girl in town, Maria from Spain! Another identity thief, but do not worry Maria Jose, you are always first in our heart! But it was funny how much she looked like our Maria, preparing Spanish tortillas, carefully cut into squares, and how she ditched us for breakfast because she had to clean the restroom!

And, of course, what a better way to end (or start!) the night than going to the Platinum for some good, healthy salsa dancing! What a good timing to be there! Well, I guess I am just good about timing! Biniam even got unexpected ningera (Eritrean fermented bread) that was perfect for his Eritrean dinner! Dancing was great. Noel and Carlos were there, they taught me to dance 8 years ago, the first time I lived in Corvallis (from Latin “cor” = heart, “vallis” = of the valley). I wish Fernando was there too, the number 1 dancer in Oregon! Dancing with Noel was very close to dirty dancing but, oh well, I can do once a year, right? And then it is the man to blame, I am only a woman following! :)

Saturday morning we met to have breakfast at a very American-looking place, and then we decided to enjoy the rest of the day playing Frisbee-golf at the Willamette Park. Just like the old time! I wish this weekend would have never ended!

I went to visit Dawn at her new beautiful house and then got ready to leave. Elly and her family were waiting for us in Portland for dinner and some chat, we (Biniam, Liz and I) spend the night there so they could drive me at the airport early in the morning. Elly’s dad is happy to walk me to the altar if I will ever get worried. That also makes me fells so much stronger.

Definitely this weekend was a confidence booster. The all holiday was great, I finally had a holiday all for myself in which finally, I was not leaving the island to take care of other business, but I was actually thinking about me. All about ME, ME, ME, ME!!! Wow, it fells good! I feel stronger now, I got that power back! I love you all guys, I will come and visit any chance I will be given (or I will be taking! :)!).

(the holy rite of closing the mystical box that will get me energy for the next months on island)

(Elly's dad making the box security proof... you know those people at the airport are always after your food!)

(this is what italian take with them when they move to a small island... pasta Barilla!! because "dove c'e' Barilla, c'e' casa" "Your home is where Barilla is")

Ah, and Elly and Liz decided to call it “the Barbi’s spell” rather than the “Barbi’s curse”, it sounds much better, don’t you think so Trevor? Plus Maria does not want me to be a witch! Jajaja!
And James Bond, can we squeeze a weekend in Oregon too? My friends want to meet you too.

I was so ready to miss that flight to return to the island, but, oh well, I guess I am still too responsible! My cousin Mia is coming on next flight, and I am ready for a new adventure!!

Act5: superestar in Oregon

Saturday morning: I am in bed right now, yesterday i had one of the best days of the year. It is the magic of Corvallis, the place where i lived for 4 years total, 1 year in 2000-2001 as an exchange undergraduate student (my university was the University of Bangor, North Wales), and 3 more years during my master from 2003-2006. Here I am the Barbi Superestar con los ojos vierde muriajuana (with mariujuana-green eyes). It came from a song, some people started calling me this way, and then, at the same time, people in Wales too.
I landed in Portland thursday morning, Elly came to pick me up at the airport and we went straight to have some indian food (how much i miss it!!!) with Trevor, Elly's boyfriend who is also Tyson's brother (Maria Jose's husband). Then we went to visit Trevor's (and Tyson's) grandparents, that lived just closed by. Trevor's grandparents spoiled us a lot when we were in Oregon, not to count all the Thanks Giving dinner's we had with them. Thank Giving days here where a constants migration between Trevor's two set of grandparents, and then Elly's family. Trevor's told me about his hypothesis of the "Barbara's curse". He says when people meet me, they never forget me. I thought he was exagerrating a lot, but maybe now i started believing him, many people confirmed. Since people in Corvallis where still busy with work, we stopped at the place where Elly works as a massage therapist, and we spoiled ourselves with a foot massage, tea and chocolates! After all, after 12 hours on a plane, i deserve it! :)

I arrived in Corvallis. I am staying with Biniam and Liz. Biniam used to be my roommate, but to me it is much more than just a roommate, he is like a brother. He used to live across the road from me, and used to come nearly everyday to get some food from me. My very developed italian man-feeding personality would not allow me to say no, so after a while we decided we should move together so i could cook for him everyday and try to fatten him up. I worked hard on it, but i never succeded, he is still so skinny!!!
As I entered into their new house, it was like a jump in the past, as most of the forniture it actually used to be mine. For Elly was even more so, since i got most of the forniture from her family. As she entered she standed in front of the dining table and said "oh my god, the table of the childhood!!!!).

Dinner: time to go to my preferite indian restaurant (again!). As I entered, the waiters hugged my and asked me where I have been all this time. They took my menu away and said they knew what i wanted: chicken tikka massala. What a great evening, we laughed a lot, and we were toward the last people to leave the place. I wished the day would never end.

Great for a first day in Oregon... tomorrow i will tell you more about the weekend... now I am in Elly's house (tomorrow morning i am going back to the island!!) Thanks guys!!!