Monthly archive: February 2008

A group of confidential, often scheming advisers; a cabal.

Read more about camarilla at Answers.com

Forcible seizure of another's property; plunder.

Read more about rapine at Answers.com

A faithful follower who carries out orders without question.

Read more about myrmidon at Answers.com

To engage in boisterous merrymaking; revel noisily. To behave in a blustering manner; swagger.

Read more about roister at Answers.com

A woman who assists another woman during labor and provides support to her, the infant, and the family after childbirth.

Read more about doula at Answers.com

Proper or sound condition. Mental or emotional state; spirits.

Read more about fettle at Answers.com

Very cautious; wary.

Read more about chary at Answers.com

People often ask me why on earth, being an European Economic Area (EEA) national living and working in the UK, I am planning to apply for UK citizenship.

I usually ramble about how I plan to live in the UK indefinitely, and I consider this my true one and only homeland, and what would happen if fascism were to grip Italy in its vile hold again (all references to the current Italian political crisis are very much intentional) and diplomatic ties were severed with Europe, and I would be kicked out of the UK?

I now have a more rational answer, which is

"EEA and Swiss nationals have the right to live and work in the United Kingdom. This is called the right of residence. You will only have the right of residence in the United Kingdom if:

1. you are an EEA or Swiss national; and
2. you are working in the United Kingdom; or
3. you are able to support yourself and family in the United Kingdom without the help of public funds."

So the day I cannot work and/or support myself without the help of public funds, I get the boot. Nice.

Now, where are those forms…?

Easily bent; supple.

Read more about lissom at Answers.com

A transposition of sounds of two or more words, especially a ludicrous one, such as Let me sew you to your sheet for Let me show you to your seat.

Read more about spoonerism at Answers.com

Over the last six months a reminder has been going off every Saturday to prompt me to go over my del.icio.us account and rename similar tags to avoid duplication.

Another reminder has been prompting me every month to delete tags that I only used once, and therefore considered to be too detailed and of little use.

I do use del.icio.us extensively to keep my bookmarks organised and synced across machines with the del.icio.us Firefox extension. It is therefore natural that I like my tags to be organised.

This is however taking away precious minutes from my life every week, and when my life flashes in front of me on my death bed I don't want it to be dotted by Saturday mornings spent renaming all the instances of 'weblog', 'blog' and 'blogs' to 'weblogs', just so that my world could be a tidier place.

I have therefore deleted the recurrent Outlook task and related reminders. What I thought was tag decluttering ended up cluttering my life with unnecessary obligations, and that is plain ghastly.

I trust the technology to become more and more intelligent and one day, hopefully soon, to be able perform these tasks for me. In the meantime, I accept to live in a little bit of a disorganised sea of data. It is not the end of the world. I can already set del.icio.us up to only show tags that have been used a minimum of 3 or 5 times anyway.

Mi hanno clonato il Bancomat
My debit card has been cloned
Literally: 'To-me (they) have cloned the cash/debit card'.

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080220_01.mp3]

Just my luck. Three days before going on holidays I notice that someone has just been using my debit card to withdraw over 900 pounds in Pakistan. Nationwide had already put a stop to the card even before I called them to block it, because five cash withdrawals in Lahore within a few hours, interspersed with transactions done in London at the very same time did look a bit suspicious to them.

However, I will not receive a new card before I leave, which means that I will not be able to withdraw cash in Australia (Nationwide's debit card is absolutely ace and lets you take cash out from your current account abroad with no charge whatsoever).

Qualcuno in Pakistan sta spendendo i miei soldi
Someone in Pakistan is spending my money
Literally: 'Someone in Pakistan is-in-the-process-of spending the my moneys'.

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080220_02.mp3]

If you want to find out more

• 'Bancomat' is a generic name for a cash card that doubles up as a debit card. I guess it should be called 'la carta Bancomat' (= 'the Bancomat card') but nobody does. Depending on the context, 'Bancomat' can also mean a cash point (ATM), as in 'Vado al Bancomat' (= 'I am going to the cash point'). I guess in this case it should be called 'lo sportello Bancomat' (= 'the bancomat counter') but nobody does.
• Very often, when in English you use the 'verb + -ing' form, in Italian you use a simple 'verb' form. 'I am going to Australia on Friday' = 'Vado in Australia venerdì' (have I mentioned it lately at all?). However, if you want to stress the fact that something is happening this very moment, you can use the 'stare + verb + ing' form. For example, if you call someone at dinner time you can ask 'Stai mangiando?' = 'Are you eating?'.
• Money is plural in Italian. So if you want to translate 'Money is important but not essential' in Italian you would say 'I soldi sono importanti ma non essenziali'. Yeah, right.

A ruffle or flounce on a garment. A piece of showy ornamentation.

Read more about furbelow at Answers.com

Che ora è?
What time is it?
Literally: 'What time is (it)?'

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080219_01.mp3]

We are travelling to Australia in three days and I have no idea how my body will react to the long journey and the eleven hour time difference, as I've never travelled so far or across so many time zones.

My sleeping pattern being already somewhat erratic, I thought I could tweak it some more and get used to Australian time as soon as possible.

So now I have breakfast at 8pm, then I go to the gym, I have lunch at 1am and then try and stay up as long as I can.

I will then sleep until 9, go to work later than usual, and leave work later than usual too.

The objective is to stay awake during the London to Hong Kong flight (UK night time, Australia day time), then sleep on the Hong Kong to Sydney flight (Australia night time) and arrive fresh as a rose on Sunday morning.

Instead, I just feel shattered, and a bit confused.

Ho sonno e voglio dormire
I am sleepy and want to sleep
Literally: '(I) have sleep and (I) want to-sleep'.

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080219_02.mp3]

To pamper. A pet, especially a pet lamb.

Read more about cosset at Answers.com

Non c'è niente di buono alla TV
There is nothing good on TV
Literally: 'Not there-is nothing of good at-the TV'.

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080218_01.mp3]

And by TV I mean what's available to watch on Freeview.

A parte Skins. E Torchwood.
Apart from Skins. And Torchwood.
Literally: 'At part Skins. And Torchwood.'

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080218_02.mp3]

If you want to find out more

In Italian it is perfectly correct to have double negatives: so 'There is nothing' must be translated with 'There isn't nothing' ('Non c'è niente'). Similarly, 'Non c'è nessuno' (= 'There isn't nobody').

1. You no longer need to fill in any paperwork to pay a cheque into your account. Just hand in the cheque in your name and your debit card over the counter, and it's done. At least with Nationwide.
2. Styrofoam cups will be around forever, whereas banana peels biodegrade in just three weeks, newspaper in one month, cotton in three months and wool in one year. Via Life After Humans video preview.
3. Firefox doesn't break lines at hyphens, whereas IE does.
4. Nick Kamen's I Promised Myself was covered by Dead Or Alive, by A-Teens and more recently by Operación Triunfo's José Galisteo.
5. Robbie Nevil (who had a few hits in 1986, among which C'est La Vie) co-wrote three songs on the High School Musical soundtrack.
6. Travellers who 'smuggle' poppy seeds face Dubai jail. And that's the ordinary poppy seeds found on bread or pastries.
7. Peaches and Feist were roommates.

Here are the websites I bookmarked into my del.icio.us account over the past seven days:

• Microsoft Popfly
  Online visual tools for building Web pages and mashups and a social network where you can host, share, rate, comment and even remix creations from others. Public Beta, free, requires Silverlight.
• ScanCafe
  'ScanCafe provides the safest, easiest, and most affordable slide scanning, photo scanning, negative scanning, and photo restoration in the industry.' (approx 0.27 USD/paper photo)

You know, the kind of stuff that you keep just in case, or that you got for free:

The stuff in the left half of the picture can go.

Stuff in the middle can go in my opinion, but it's not mine and I need to ask Dr B. permission to throw away (I so want to hear why a household where hair clippers are used once a week on a number two still needs to have a comb and a brush).

I intend to keep only the stuff on the right:

• 4 mini plastic ducks from Virgin Atlantic (hanging inside the bathroom cabinet);
• travel sewing kit;
• travel ear cleaning buds, wrapped;
• small metal box (now used to keep paper clips), branded with the company Dr B. used to work for;
• small plastic box (now used to keep earplugs);
• old Pit Rock deodorant, perfect travelling size.

Characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness. Having the quality or characteristics of oil or ointment; slippery.

Read more about unctuous at Answers.com

Venerdì parto per l'Australia
On Friday I am leaving for Australia
Literally: 'Friday (I) leave for the Australia'.

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080217_01.mp3]

On Friday night I am flying to Australia, but because of the time difference and the very long journey, I will arrive on Sunday morning.

I have never travelled so far.

Arrivo domenica
I am arriving on Sunday
Literally: '(I) arrive Sunday'

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080217_02.mp3]

If you want to find out more

1. The first letter of days of the week does not take an upper case in Italian.
2. You do not need to put any word in front of the days of the week when you say you are doing something 'on' that day. 'Parto sabato', 'Arrivo domenica', 'Ci vediamo lunedì'.
3. The names of countries take the article ('the') in front of them. Some are masculine (il Portogallo, il Brasile, il Libano), some feminine (la Francia, la Colombia, la Malesia), some plural (gli Stati Uniti).

Superfluity; excess.

Read more about nimiety at Answers.com

Quanti telefonini hai?
How many mobile phones have you got?
Literally: 'How-many mini-telephones (you) have?'

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080216_01.mp3]

Things may have changed now, but last time I lived in Italy (2001) it was not uncommon for people to have two or more mobile phone numbers.

Sometimes I would see them carry more than one handset. Sometimes they would only use one phone but keep a couple of extra SIM cards in their wallet (one with a cheap day calling rate, another that is more convenient at night, and a special one just to conduct extra-marital affairs, run shady deals or carry on business for that second and third unofficial, undeclared black economy jobs.

Io ne ho tre, ma ne uso solo uno.
I have got three, but only use one.
Literally: 'I of-them have three, but of-them (I) use only one'.

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080216_02.mp3]

If you want to find out more

'Ne' can roughly be translated as 'of it' or 'of them'. It is used to replace a word that has previously been mentioned. It is placed before the action that refers to it, for example 'Ne voglio poco' = 'I want a little (of it)'.

Mobile phone can be translated in Italian with either 'cellulare' or 'telefonino'. Telefonino literally means 'small telephone' and is perhaps more widely used and slightly more colloquial.

At the top in the photo below, the four mobile phones I have donated to Oxfam today. Dr B. wanted me to sell them on eBay, but I did not think it was worth the hassle. Besides, they can help Oxfam raise some money.

At the bottom in the photo, the three phones I am keeping. The one on the far right is my current one, the one in the middle is my first smartphone with GPS, the one on the left is a back-up handset.

To rob of goods by force, especially in time of war; pillage: plunder a village. To seize wrongfully or by force; steal: plundered the supplies.

Read more about plunder at Answers.com

A bit of a long story, and one where I don't come appear to be particularly bright. Bear with me.

During the Christmas break 2002, the friend I shared a flat went to see his family in Ireland and came back a captured leprechaun in a can for me:

I only had a vague idea of what a leprechaun was, so I thanked him politely and read the instructions on the tin that said:

DIRECTIONS:

1. Close all windows in room and pull across curtain
2. Open can carefully keeping your eyes fixed firmly on his face (blink and he's gone)
3. Make him promise to behave (leprechauns must keep their word)
4. Extract secret location of crock of gold

GOOD LUCK!

I shook the can, it made no sound, it felt empty. I asked my friend if there really was a leprechaun inside, he replied 'Of course there is'. I was none the wiser, his answer may very well have been ironic. I decided that one day I was going to open the can in the dark and make a wish.

Five years later, the can was still unopened, and kept in a box out of sight! So the other day I took it to our windowless bathroom, closed the door, switched off the light, removed the plastic top from the can, unsealed it by pulling on the ring… and I felt something fluffy and fuzzy brushing at my hand:

I switched on the light. There actually was a leprechaun in the can:

And damn, I was so startled I forgot to make a wish. If it works retroactively, how about 'I wish I was not such a gullible git?'

Sono a casa con il raffreddore
I am at home with a cold
Literally: '(I) am at home with the cold'.

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080215_01.mp3]

And that is all I can say today. You can click on the audio files and hear my croaky voice (it was worse this morning though).

Ho anche la tosse
I have also got a cough
Literally: '(I) have also the cough'.

[audio:http://www.bitful.com/audio/080215_02.mp3]

Not so easy, this one, because of the memories involved:

In September 2002, when I moved into the flat I shared with a friend in Tooting Bec, a friend from NYC came to see us. He is an artist, and after an afternoon spent sightseeing he came back and gave me three postcards that I put into standard Ikea frames and placed just above my bedroom door.

Since then I have moved twice, and never found a place to display them. I cannot believe they I have kept them in a box for four years and never once did I think that perhaps I did not need them. So bye.

The fourth frame is from a charity shop and I like the fact that it is made out of a carpentry ruler (I am sure there is a more accurate technical name for it, but you know what I mean I hope).

I am hesitating a lot about it because I still like it, even if it goes with absolutely nothing we have at home. However, not only has it been kept in a box for four years, but the back stand is broken and useless.

I am going to keep the postcard (a reproduction of the old Vauxhall Gardens refreshments price list, with a theatre invitation from a friend on the back), then bye to this frame too.

To scatter (a liquid) in drops or small splashes. To spot, splash, or soil. To sully the reputation of; defame.

Read more about spatter at Answers.com

This was an easy one.

On the left in the photo below:

• Contact lens solution travel size bottle that has been opened since September 2007? Gone.
• Several spare contact lens cases that come with every new bottle of solution? Gone.

On the right:

• Solution and case that are currently being used, and a spare case? Kept.