Leave me your experiences in the comments, do you agree with me or did I miss anything important?
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Okay, this is the blog post that everyone wants. So grab your prosecco and pull up a chair, let’s discuss the global appeal of Italian men. Let’s start off with the superficial basics. If you have any taste in men at all, it’s almost impossible to deny the classically revered features of the Italians- the strong noses (here there is a fine balance required, let’s be honest), the even stronger jawlines, the thick eyelashes that look better than mine with two layers of falsies…just the eyes in general. Sometimes I think that the Romans invented bedroom eyes. Italians also have gorgeous coloring, that is of course, if that’s the look you’re into. In the north, they are tall, (less) dark, and handsome. Traditionally things get a little shorter and tannier towards the south and the hair increases (everywhere). But that’s still hot because hello, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine folks. And of course, there are blonde Italians, there are redhead Italians, because God is good. Personally, I’m a sucker for your tall, dark, and handsome type, hence my choice of husband although he could work on his tan a bit during the winter months. But despite all those adjectives, I think the Italians have 50% of their sex appeal in their eyes and the other 50% in their swag. Indeed, I have used the word swag in this post. It’s really the best word to describe this because it’s this innate, inner confidence and style that just emanates from every Italian, women included. Some tourists however, see it as arrogance. But I like my men with confidence (as do a lot of women I imagine based on the success of 50 Shades of Grey…!), call it arrogance if you will, it’s attractive paired with green eyes. On that note, you get some superb eye colors in Italy ranging from ice blue to the green that you thought was the stuff of urban legends. If you can’t tell already, I also adore green eyes (again, see husband choice). Moving on, Italian men tend to have style that most other men only dare dream about, or have to follow a step-by-step article in GQ to attain. They are also big on personal grooming, sometimes their eyebrows are more on fleek than mine. This is often associated with being excessively metrosexual but I assure you, no one is kicking an Italian out of bed for having too perfect eyebrows. Unless they are a forma di rondine, then yes, you are being kicked out, actually you are not being invited in at all. Finally, the last factor in all this appeal is passion. Italians, men and women, are so passionate about everything that they do (cough, cough...) and passion is sexy, I assure you there might be no bigger turn on than going to a soccer match with your Italian man and watching him watch his team win. That is passion personified if I ever saw it. Forget oysters, champagne, and strawberries, let’s go to San Siro!
Leave me your experiences in the comments, do you agree with me or did I miss anything important?
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It rained the entire weekend in Italy and while that's good news for our dry front lawn, it sure dampens any notion I might have to venture outside. If you feel the same way, don't despair, the first Sunday of every month is actually free museum day all over this great country. Here's a picture of me perusing the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan yesterday. While art might not be everyone's cup of tea, I personally think it's a brilliant way to spend a rainy day and one of the perks of living in Europe. Where else in the world can you surround yourself with the paintings that you've seen in the pages of glossy art magazines? The famous pieces are endless, the Pinacoteca di Brera hosts some of the most recognizable paintings (even for non-art history grads) such as The Kiss by Francesco Hayez and Caravaggio's Cena in Emmaus. Below I've listed the participating museums in Milan so now you can mark you calendars for the first Sunday every month!
Happy Humpday from a very cloudy and cold Northern Italy. Yesterday night it hailed here in Bergamo; lately Italy has been experiencing a climate similar to that of the tropics- super high humidity, hot days and storm-ridden nights. Anyways, I'm not complaining because the air conditioning is still broken in my car and when it rains, everything cools down and I can actually make it home without having to change my entire outfit after (Italy and India are the only two places I've literally sweat through my clothes while doing nothing!). My post today is just a little musing on the difference between honeymoon destinations if you're North American vs. Italian. I just noticed that of course, geography plays a part and everyone wants their luna di miele to be an extra special trip so the tendency is to go as far away as possible. For Italians, that often means the USA, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Some also do choose Africa or Asia as well. One of the most "classic" honeymoon trips for young Italians is actually to do a cross-USA road trip starting from New York City and ending up in Los Angeles. Then they usually tag on some beach time at the end either in Hawaii or Mexico or the Caribbean. What an epic trip eh?! Sometimes I wish I were Italian and seeing America for the first time in this way, I just have the impression that it must truly be the trip of a lifetime, everything would seem so different and foreign if you were seeing it with fresh eyes. In contrast, North Americans often choose romantic Europe, especially Italy, for a honeymoon, although we do share a mutual love of Hawaii as well. Massi and I have been beyond fortunate to have travelled to many typical honeymooner destinations together including Hawaii, Cuba, and Mexico and then well, we live in Italy so in fact, had a very difficult time in choosing something that would impart a certain sensation of fascination and wonder to a trip that is supposed to be both romantic and 'once in a lifetime'. My initial idea was actually DisneyWorld because our first "international" trip together was DisneyLand (approximately three months after meeting each other!) and I thought it could be a perfect way to make everything come full circle, plus, we adore being kids and had an absolute blast in Anaheim. However, the only problem with this idea was that for us, it couldn't really be classified as the trip of a lifetime. So after much debate and discussion, we finally confirmed our honeymoon over the weekend. Any guesses from the photo where we are headed?
If you're new here, you might want to catch up with our backstory here. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE RELATED POSTS: International Love Stories Left My Heart in Dublin, Ireland International Love Stories: A Tall, Dark, and Handsome Spaniard Today's blog post is actually just a checklist of things that need to be done prior to getting married in Italy. It is the list that was given to me by Massi's sister to help us keep in mind the numerous amount of tasks to be considered prior to the big day. I've included it in both her original version in Italian with my notes in English. Hope that it's helpful to some of you! Especially if you're a non-Italian planning a wedding to an Italian...there were alot of aspects that are traditional to weddings here that I had absolutely no clue about! Of course, in the end, it's your day so you can organize it and include/exclude whatever you like but the following is a list that would apply to a very traditional (also, religious- Roman Catholic) wedding day:
N.B. If you're not Italian, you will also need to check with your native country (call the Embassy in Italy) to see what documents you require in order to get the civil marriage certificate and you cannot leave this until the last moment! Lista x Matrimonio/To-Do List for the Wedding Ceremony: - Lista nozze o comunque far sapere agli invitati cosa volete che vi regalino/Complete a wedding registry or at the very least, you need to tell people what you would like to be gifted for the wedding - Scelta delle fedi. Conta che di solito richiedono almeno 3 settimane per procurarvele e incidere nome e data. Ci sono diversi modelli, grandezze e bombature, i tipi classici sono 3./Choosing rings. This typically requires at least 3 weeks from start to finish to have them ordered and inscribed with names. There are different styles that vary according to width and shape but there are three classic models that most people choose. *This is different from North America because Italians still go very classic (as in, a gold band) for wedding rings. They don't necessarily have matching "sets" with band that matches your engagement ring, for example. - Honeymoon, decidere, organizzare, prenotare/Decide and book the honeymoon. - Noleggio o scelta auto sposi/Choose and rent the newlywed car. *Again, different from North America where we might use a limo. Here, you usually rent a very particular kind of car whether it's a luxury car or an antique one! Messa: Dovete decidere/For the Mass (if you're having a religious ceremony): •preghiere/prayers •chi legge cosa/who will read what •i canti/hymns •quale versione della promessa inserire (io prendo te come legittimo sposo.... Ci sono varie versioni)/which vows you want to use as there are various versions •offertorio, dovete decidere chi e cosa porterá degli oggetti all'altare. Ed eventualmente trovare gli oggetti/for offerings to the church, you need to decide what to bring to the altar and who will bring them and eventually find and purchase these objects •Tutto questo va scritto e impaginato nel libretto della messa/all of this then needs to be assembled into the mass program; if you're organizing a bilingual/bicultural wedding like we did you will also need to have both languages in the program Bomboniere/Party Favors: •per i genitori/a specific gift for each set of parents •per i testimoni/for your witnesses •per gli invitati al pranzo/for all-day guests (coming to the ceremony and the reception) •per gli invitati la sera (di soluto solo il sacchetto di confetti)/for those just coming to the evening portion (usually people give a little bag of confetti) Inviti/Invitations: •x il pranzo/for the reception •x la sera/for those just being invited to the dance portion Other (Miscellaneous): -Bigliettini da inserire nei sacchettini dei confetti/thank you cards to put inside the little bags of confetti -Scelta musica in chiesa/music for the church -Scelta musica ristorante (controlla chi deve preoccuparsi della SIAE e dovrai portare il documento che accerta che la siae sia stata pagata al ristorante)/music for the restaurant (and you need to get a "music license" from SIAE that allows you to have live music/a DJ at the venue; this can now be done online instead of going to the SIAE office -Organizzazione giochi/scherzi/animazione al ristorante ed eventualmente fuori dalla chiesa/organization of wedding games and entertainment during the dance and also, during the exit from the church -Fotografo/photographer -Fiorista/florist; you will need flowers for... •fiori chiesa/the church •bouquet sposa/the bouquet •auto/the car - Parrucchiere/hair and makeup -Cuscino fedi/cushion for the wedding rings - Damigelle o paggetti/attendants, flowergirls, ringbearers etc. -Menu: Di solito é da confermare il numero di invitati e richieste speciali (bambini, vegetariani, vegani, allergie...)/the menu at the restaurant usually requires confirmation for numbers and number of special meals required - Pensare all'offerta da dare x la chiesa/think about the donation to make to the church - Comprare/preparare ceste con fiocchi bianchi x le auto/buy and prepare baskets with white bows for the cars of wedding guests -Segnaposti tavoli: Decidere i nomi dei tavoli ed eventualmente la grafica/Placeholders: Decide on table names and any necessary graphics/illustrations you want -Suddivisione tavolate. Chi mettere a che tavolo./Table organization and where each guest will sit -Centrotavola: Alcuni ristoranti ci pensano loro, altri devi fare tu. Se questo é il caso devi parlare col tuo fiorista/The centerpieces at each table (some restaurants do this for you, others you need to ask the florist to do) -Confetti bianchi sciolti da portare in giro ai vicini di casa/ in ufficio/white confetti to take to your neighbors and to your co-workers -Pensare a dove far pernottare gli invitati- trasporto a ristorante/how to get your guests from the church to the restaurant and back to their hotels *applies if you are having guests come from overseas The photos used in this post were from the wedding of Massi's best friend. I think it's quite obvious from my writings that I'm a full-blown sap. Hopeless romantic right here, always have been, always will be. After a million hellos and goodbyes, teary mascara-smeared embraces, cheesy balloons and handwritten signs, I've come to adore that intro and closing bit of Love Actually more than ever. You know which scene I'm talking about, the airport one. I was reminded of that today because of an article seemingly completed off-topic and unrelated that's currently blowing up The New York Times as I type this: On Tinder, Off Sex by Rachel Pearl. Read it here. Anyways, there was an excerpt I had to pull to share here:
He photographed me while I packed my clothes, and I remember him telling me that airports are romantic because they’re where people come to understand what they feel about each other. What do you think? I'm definitely in agreement. It's quite possible that the hardest pull I've ever felt on my heartstrings was at Milano Malpensa, almost 8 years ago next February. Tiziano Ferro provided the solemn, yet somehow terrifyingly appropriate soundtrack to our parting- me back to Canada, Massi indefinitely in Italy. I remember it like it was yesterday - il regalo più grande was the song, the greatest gift. And you don't need much of an imagination to pinpoint what the song refers to. My good friend Sunmi created this video three years ago based on three weeks spent studying abroad on the Italian island of Ischia, in the town of Forio. At my alma mater, the University of Alberta, the Faculty of Pharmacy offers a course taught in Italy to its third year pharmacy students. This little film was used as a promotional video for upcoming years after us but I thought I'd share it here on the blog since it gives a cute, "interactive" view of an island that is normally overlooked in favor of more well-known names such as Capri. The commentary is by Sunmi.
It seems that the weather in my Canadian home has been pretty odd and I found these photos on Facebook yesterday that were taken in and around Calgary, thought they were beautiful (sorry for lack of credits, not sure who they belong to!). Look at those colors!
The times spent in a world away from May 4, 2007 to June 29, 2007. Nepal is a place beyond words and my life will forever be intertwined with the lives of the people I worked with. I volunteered at a women's wellness clinic called NAHUDA; the sisterhood there touched my heart and I know that I will return one day. These words were written almost eight years ago when I had just returned from a volunteer trip to Nepal. It's one of the places in the world that really became like home to me. The Nepalese people are simply some of the kindest and happiest you will ever meet, I consider it a true privilege to have met some of the people I did and I am sending out my prayers to Nepal today.
If you've ever met me, you'd know within five minutes that I'm a sucker for sappy anything, so the Tiffany & Co. ads always get me. I guess this must have been from their Valentine's Day campaign. So watch it and feel cheery and warm and fuzzy on your weekend!
A story from Canada has got Canadians around the world grinning from ear to ear again and I wanted to share it here- basically a store in Toronto forgot to turn on the alarm system after closing, even leaving the door open. Security cameras then recorded people entering the store, realizing not a soul was around, and leaving without touching a single thing. As the writer of the article below wrote: Only in Canada folks. Only in Canada. That's something I miss but there's not just one word to describe it...Integrity? Honesty? Canadian-ness?
Happy Monday! Monday is intense cleaning day here in our Italian abode. Before I get my hands dirty, I wanted to write a quick post from the weekend. Saturday we went to Verona to look at furniture for the house and ended up getting our Valentine's Day gift to ourselves- a coat hanger and a little table for the living room (will photograph for a later post). Valentine's Day, as cheesy as it is, will always hold a special place in our hearts; the photograph above is from February 14th on my first visit to Italy and five years later on the same day, we got engaged. Massi cooked his usual annual Valentine's meal, one of my favorite pasta dishes- Spaghetti allo Scoglio. It was his first re-attempt at cooking since coming home to Italy six months ago and we both agreed he lost his culinary touch just like he's losing some English and says things like 'Puffo is pulling out the wires of the duvet cover' (=Puffo is pulling out the threads of the duvet cover). I think one of the best things about being a mixed couple is that we get to have all these hilarious language slip-up moments together in English and Italian. It's a good lesson in learning to laugh at yourself.
I was eighteen when I packed my first backpack and bought my first Eurail pass. I had to choose three bordering countries and I had gone with France, Switzerland, and Germany. I would be volunteering in Nepal for about two months beforehand before making my way to Europe and it was there that I first heard about couchsurfing. I had met one of those wonderful, hippie couples who had spent the last few years flitting from one country to the next whilst working on farms and rice fields, or something of the like. They spoke so highly of it that I was hooked. I immediately signed-up, sent out requests, and within a week, I had couches in Paris, Berlin, and a couchsurfing event to attend in Zurich. My first couch was with a girl (I did this on purpose as I was still skeptical) who turned out to be French-Chinese (= instant Asian connection) and to my surprise, she ended up giving me a set of keys to the apartment and told me to come and go as I pleased. It was unbelievable, like having my own free Parisian apartment for a few days. I remember she also let me eat whatever she had in her fridge as long as I replenished some stock before leaving and to this day I'm still trying to find the chocolate malt soy milk she always had- I swear I drank an entire litre of that stuff. Berlin and Zurich were equally wonderful and I ended up making friends who I would go back to visit more than once over the next few years. When I returned home to Canada, to my parent's dismay, I insisted on hosting people on our family room couch to pay back the global hospitality I had received. And we did host, quite a few young travellers who were making their way through Western Canada. I revelled in hearing their stories and I even once hosted an Australian who had to come Edmonton in hopes of wooing back a girl he had met a couple months before. I loved being a part of the story, even though if I remember correctly, it didn't end with happily ever after. After Europe's couchsurfing experience, I moved on to Asia and my girlfriend (Autumn) and I had arguably some of our most memorable travel moments ever in Beijing- our hosts were home-grown Americans who spoke perfect Mandarin. Because of them (they were rather stylish and in-the-know), we hung out at some of the most amazing bars and lounges on that side of the world like Philippe Starck-designed eatery and lounge, LAN. I still can't forget the bathrooms there, I remember velvet walls and chaise lounges. It was with these hosts that Autumn was nearly knocked into a concussion by a pole-dancing Chinese cross-dresser, luckily she narrowly escaped, but couchsurfing experiences like these gave us the kind of travel stories that most people only dream about (and they afforded us prime seating at any hostel table...!). It's so unfortunate to see stories like the article above where a few bad people are ruining such a beautiful concept for others and causing people to be fearful of couchsurfing. Any idea like this (take Uber for example) that is based on trust and the goodness of others, will always have the potential to be taken advantage of. Couchsurfing does offer a variety of security measures such as name and address verification and linking to Facebook accounts. In my opinion, the greatest security measure is the ability of members to review a host.
Here are some of my tips for staying safe while couchsurfing:
The backstory on this is that my mom was extremely, extremely concerned that I wouldn't be able to find suitable tampons in Italy and she ended up stashing a supply in my luggage. But lo' and behold, it's a miracle...turns out Italy has Tampax. Alleluia!
Wanted to share this photo of Massi's mistress, he's been spending alot of time on her (hehe) since he's been back in Italy. She is quite fun-loving though and perfectly color-coordinated to our casa (in the background), so I will let her stick around as long as she takes me to Bellagio every now and then.
Nothing beats Halloween in Canada and it was the perfect "last" Halloween with good friends, new and old. I really cannot think of something more definitively Alberta than Fireball whiskey shots at a country club, with me dressed as Wonder Woman, screaming the lyrics to Long, Hot, Summer by Keith Urban on the first day of November. Thanks for a great night friends.
To boudoir or not to boudoir, that is the question. And the answer is absolutely! As many of my girlfriends are getting hitched this upcoming year, I thought I would post about getting boudoir photos done for a groom's gift. I was initially extremely nervous because who really wants to stand around in lingerie in front of a stranger for an hour? Especially when standing around really means posing awkwardly for what you hope will miraculously produce a Victoria's Secret print ad. And I have to say, miracles do happen. I was so happy with the experience, even more so than with the photographs (which turned out jaw-dropping gorgeous, my friends could not believe it was me!). Interestingly, one of the first questions the photographers asked me was whether this was for myself or for someone else and I was rather inclined to say myself. The way I approached the boudoir experience was actually in regarding it as an end goal. After I purchased the package, I immediately signed-up for personal training with Infinite Fitness. That was five months and eight pounds ago and it is thanks to them that I got these photos taken. I think every woman should consider doing a boudoir session, it turned out to be a great self-motivator for me. As Samantha Jones said- you'll be able to look back at them when you're eighty and think, damn I was hot! And of course, they make a great groom's gift...you're welcome Massi. Today marks the turning of seasons for many people. What a melancholy feeling I get from feeling the crisp air in the evenings. While I love autumn, there is nothing quite like summer. Oggi è il primo giorno di una stagione nuova per tanta gente. Che malinconia sentire l'aria fresca durante le sere. Anche se mi piace l'autunno, non c'è paragone con l'estate vero? It is now the season of fashion weeks, September issue Vogue, pumpkin spice lattes, post-pumpkin spice latte guilt, knits, and stacked heeled boots. Before the oranges and reds take over in Canada, here is one last photograph of beautiful green all the way from Italy. Photographed by Massi.
Thank you to friends, family, and colleagues near and far for making my 26th birthday so wonderful, despite the fact that I worked all day and it was a Monday to boot. Grazie mille to Massi for the surprise bouquet delivery that made me (and all the females in the pharmacy) break down in tears! This is going to be a huge year, the year that I move to Italy and follow a dream. Stay tuned for the next 365 days of my year of being 26. Tomorrow's post will be the recipe for my signature Waldorf Astoria (Red Velvet) Cake which is the cake shown above that I baked for myself...!
Tonight I had the wonderful pleasure of attending an advance screening of The Trip to Italy with many thanks to the Italian Speakers of Edmonton group (sorry I have not attended an event in while...). I mainly went for the scenery, a term I use to refer to both the sweeping Tuscan hills and the equally breath-taking shots of abundant plates of pasta. There was one line in the film that I very much appreciated when Steve Coogan admits that if he had to be exiled somewhere, Italy would be first on his list. I feel similarly about my own impending exile. Cheers!/Stasera ho avuto il gran piacere di essere una dei primi a vedere il film nuovo The Trip to Italy (Il Viaggio in Italia), grazie al gruppo Meetup. Volevo vederlo solo per i paesaggi e ovviamente per il cibo,..! Cin cin!
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Curator:Jasmine is a (former) pharmacist turned freelance writer, foodie, and fashionista from Alberta, Canada living "the sweet life" in Bergamo, Italy.
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