Let’s Take a Side Trip…to Japan!

Okay, I have a confession to make – I have been trying for weeks to figure out how to work a few of the hundreds of cool photos I took in Japan on our 2008 adventure into this blog.  The closest tie-in I can conjure up is that this is a blog about adventure and Japan was nothing if not an AMAZING adventure!  For some reason I fought the idea of a blog the entire 2008 trip, thinking it would be “work.”  Now that I realize I love blogging, I could look back with regret, but that wouldn’t be a very Buddhist thing to do (and Japan was as much about Buddhism as it was about food, as the pictures below can attest).  So what I will do instead is share a couple of the more amusing stories from that trip (that up until now had only been shared in an e-mail or postcard to a few) AND lots of photos!   I hope you Italy-philes will indulge me on this side trip…

Photos:

Anecdotes:

A Mountain, A Monk, and…Gorillas???

My mother-in-law (who is originally from Japan) thought a 4-day hike across the sacred mountains of Koyasan in Japan was the perfect way to celebrate her 77th birthday, starting with a stay at Haryoin Temple.  We realized we didn’t pack warm enough for the hike, so we walked into town to get thermal underwear.  As I cannot read Japanese, my mom-in-law picked out my package of long johns.  Back in our temple room I tried on the underwear, to find out they were so big I could pull them up to my neck.  Standing there in nothing but underwear pulled up to my neck (sorry, no photo) I heard a tap on the door; expecting it to be my mom-in-law and posing for her so we could have a good laugh I stated “dozo” (welcome, come in).  To my great surprise, it was the temple’s head monk that walked in the door!  In very Buddhist fashion, he made no notice of my ridiculous attire and proceeded in his task of lighting the incense in our room – but I was mortified!

In addition to the lack-of-preparedness for the temperature, my mom-in-law didn’t really research the terrain, so along the more-challenging-than-expecting hike, Steve and I would take turns carrying her pack while the other scoped-out the trail ahead (picture here, worth a thousand words):

One time when I was the scout, I heard tree branches breaking and saw 3 jet-black hairy figures bound through the trees ahead.  Not being the most educated naturalist, I could have sworn they were gorillas.  I was scared!  In order to warn Steve and my mother-in-law, I got a post-card from my pack and wrote “DANGER – GORILLAS – SERIOUSLY!!!” and put it in the middle of the trail weighed down with rocks (I specifically underlined AND capitalized the “SERIOUSLY” so they wouldn’t think I was being my usual smart aleck-y self).  As there are (duh) no gorillas in Japan (these turned out to be small black bears), they both thought I was kidding and had a great laugh, unaware of my fear and the need for caution                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Culture Shock

There are so many funny “culture shock” stories from this trip.  A few of them are captured in the photos above (e.g., the toilet, the KFC).  Another happened on one of the occasions where we would get home sick and try to do something we would do back home (like make “Mexican” food [with soy beans] or go to a cheesy matinee [36$ lesson]).  We decided to go to a gym and work out.  Just trying to be allowed in took 2 days as we could never seem to bring the proper equipment with us (second pair of clean shoes, bathing cap, etc.).  But the really hysterical part of the story happened the day we finally did work out.  As we learned, Japanese people like to work out with the heater cranked.  Combine that with my run on a treadmill and I was HOT and thirsty!  I kept trying to find a water fountain, but to no avail.  Finally, across the gym by the weights I spotted it – the ubiquitous vending machine…I was saved!  I hurried to the machine expecting to find water and all sorts of wonderfully strange exercise beverages.  Instead, right there, in the middle of a GYM, was a vending machine filled with….. CIGARETTES!!!



Tale of the (Dead) Panda
When we were in Tokyo we decided to venture out to the Ueno zoo since they had a giant panda (Ling Ling) and I had never seen one in person.  The anticipation built as we neared the zoo and encountered all sorts of panda-related items – giant statues, posters, vending carts with stuffed pandas, you name it!  The entrance to the zoo was similarly decorated with panda-phanelia.  When we got into the zoo, there was even a place to take your picture with a stuffed panda.  We excitedly went in the direction of the panda sign, but after at least 15 minutes of searching and walking in circles by cute (but little) pandas, we gave up and went to the information booth.  A women bowed her head and handed Steve a laminated piece of paper that said (in English) something close to “We apologize.  Ling Ling dead.  Please enjoy your day at zoo.”   It turns out that Ling Ling had passed away quite some time ago, but as we had already learned on our trip, refunds are really not heard of in Japan, so we did the best we could to heed the advice on the laminated paper and enjoy our day!  (Here is a picture of me making the Japanese “ja nai” sign [no, can’t, forbidden, not here] in front of the stuffed panda):

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by Newmexicotoitaly on May 23, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on May 23, 2012

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Quirky Italian Red-Tape

Italy has LOTS of bureaucracy, much of which makes no sense.  This is not just me speaking from an ethnocentric point of view, this is what I have been told time and time again by Italians I have met (and have begun to experience).   I am sure once we move we will get to experience even more first-hand (which I will of course explain, with photos where appropriate), but for now I will share some of the quirkier red-tape I have already encountered (disclaimer – this is from personal observation, if it is not the “official” rules, feel free to correct me!)…

Stamp your ticket or pay a fine! In almost every train (except where you have a seat reservation) and on all buses, not only do you need to have a ticket, you need to validate it by stamping it in a machine (in trains, you do so in the station; in buses on board).  Unfortunately, not all tourist have read Rick Steves’ travel advice and realize the importance of validation.  If you don’t validate and get caught, it’s a €50 fine (“multa”).  No exceptions, no excuses.  Not only are you given a fine, but you are expected to pay it IMMEDIATELY.  On one bus in Rome we watched as the “bus police” told a tourist who did not have cash on him that they would accompany him to a bancomat (ATM), and sure enough, they escorted him off at the next stop!  If, as happened to me several times, the validation machine at the train station is not working (there’s lots at big stations, so we’re talking dinky ones), you need to actively search out the conductor to validate your ticket before they come around to check.  You are now officially forewarned!

Receipts, receipts, everywhere –  In Italy, receipts are MANDATORY.  Not only are they mandatory for the merchant to give (restaurant, mini-mart, veggie-stand, you name it), but they are mandatory for YOU – the consumer!  You must hold onto your receipt (ask for one if it’s not given) or you can be fined!!!  This obsessive need for receipts is one of the reasons for the next quirky cultural aspect…

No Garage Sales –  there are no garage sales in Italy.  A couple of weeks ago when I had posted about our “moving sale,”  my Italian teacher (who checks on my blog for topics to discuss in our Skype classes) asked me about these kinds of sales in the U.S.  She seemed genuinely surprised when I explained that you can find one on just about any block every weekend everywhere.  From what I understood (remember, this was all in Italian), if you wanted to have such a sale in Italy you’d need to 1) apply for a permit, 2) give all of your customer receipts (.25 receipt for that used cup anyone?), 3) file forms afterwards and 4) pay taxes.  So, while it is theoretically not impossible, you can see why it’s not done.  Apparently, if you want to sell anything in Italy you take it to a consignment store.

Your Choice – 1 or 4 year lease ONLY –  Okay, I still really don’t understand this one, but have been dealing with it on our new apartment.  All lease contracts in Italy are not only signed, but then registered with the government and only two types are acceptable – a year-long lease or a 4-year lease.  You might wonder (as I did) – “what if I know I want to live in the apartment for two years?”  Well, you have two choices there as well – take a one year lease, then another one-year lease, OR take a 4-year lease and then break it in a perfectly legal way (by giving 3 months notice).  I was very leery about a 4-year lease when we know we may only be in Italy for 2 years (Steve’s initial contract), but every single Italian person with whom I consulted (including our realtor) assured me that this is done all the time and totally normal since you are forced into a 4 year lease whether that’s your intention or not.  Logical, yes…?

There are many more areas where you must jump through hoops – I already told you about my efforts (customs forms, fees) to get a small box I had mailed from the US; there is also the matter of needing an official “fitness letter” from a doctor before you are allowed to participate in any organized runs (5k’s on up).  The scary part is I am pretty certain that I have only scratched the surface of red-tape with these experiences/information.  Stay tuned for more stories (which I am sure will be much funnier in hindsight than while I am experiencing them)!

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by Newmexicotoitaly on May 21, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Culture Shock, Italy, here we come!
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on May 21, 2012

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Traveling in Europe

Okay, I have to admit after writing that packing post and thinking about all of the work this adventure requires I had fleeting thoughts of retreat.  To redirect myself I re-read some of my own blog posts and decided to contemplate even more cool things about this move… and whatd’ya know – my enthusiasm was renewed!  On that note – ya know another totally awesome thing about living in Italy?  The rest of Europe!!!

I was watching a “No Reservations” episode from Croatia and it really hit me (in addition to the fact that I apparently watch way too much t.v.) that we will be living just a train ride or a €49 Ryanair flight away from everywhere else in Europe!  The way we can now get to Santa Fe, Colorado or Las Vegas, we will be able to go to Venice or Paris.  How cool is that?

When we traveled in 2008 we got to visit many amazing places (and yes, eat lots of yummy food), so I thought I’d reminisce about a few of those and share a few pics from that adventure.  (If you think I am also subliminally trying to tempt you to come to Italy, you are right!).

There were the more famous places, where we had fabulous experiences, including Paris (I took a pastry class at Le Cordon Bleu, we saw the city and the Eiffel Tower decked out for the holidays and climbed the stairs at Notre Dame) and Barcelona (where we went to the amazing La Boqueria food market and spent days exploring the architecture of Antoni Gaudí).  Then there were the lesser known places, where we also had fab, though more “quirky” experiences, such as the breathtaking Plitvice park in Croatia (which we almost never saw as we got stranded in the middle of nowhere Croatia by an ornery bus driver, but were rescued by nice folks at a lodge, who served us the bbq, pictured below [one is a pig, the other…we have no idea!]), Ljubljana in Slovenia (funky cool Euro vibe meets old communist architecture), Brugge in Belgium (where the best chocolates in the world are made…and maybe somewhat known after the Colin Farrell movie “In Bruges”), Orvieto in Italy (where the incredible [and twisted] Signorelli fresco, “The Damned” is painted in a church, and the first place I ever tried real truffles [shaved onto my pasta] – YUM!), and Bath in England (a town so picturesque and storybook-like I seriously expected Hansel & Gretel to come skipping out of the houses).

Here are photos of the places I just described…  Come check it out for yourself!

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by Newmexicotoitaly on May 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Art, Diversions to Other Places, Food, Italy, here we come!
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on May 18, 2012

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Packing for Italy

I suppose this is “Part II” of my earlier “Moving Sale” post…

Now that I have started packing in earnest I am at a complete loss.  I swear our house has become a clown car – every time I think I’ve emptied out some closet, room, cabinet, etc., more stuff appears!  And I keep going back and forth about what to ship – one day I feel strongly about having our wood block print from Kyoto hanging in our new home, the next day I think staring at the granny-flower-paintings already there might be an interesting change of pace.  Then, the next day, I think we may get a bit homesick if we have nothing from our past with us.  But then, the day after that I think as long as we have each other and Skype (okay, and thedailyshow.com), we have everything we need…

Honestly, at this point, I have only ventured to seal two small boxes of books – the rest of our stuff keeps playing musical chairs in and out of boxes.  I have a few pictures/paintings wrapped up all fancy in this picture kit I got at U-Haul, but can’t seem to get up the ambition to go the rest of the way and put them in the matching box.  What if they don’t make it to Italy?  What purpose would they serve stored here in our attic?  Arg!   I have a friend who, along with his wife and 3 kids, up and moved to New Zealand last year – he advised me that it’s nice to have some pictures, etc. from home – and he usually has good advice… but those pictures are so big and heavy…

I am ordinarily “the decider,”  but really can’t seem to make a decision here.  What do you think?  In the immortal words of the Clash – Should [our stuff] stay or should [it] go???

9 Comments
by Newmexicotoitaly on May 16, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Italy, here we come!
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on May 16, 2012

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Ode to Our “Old” Home (Albuquerque)

Since this blog is entitled “New Mexico to Italy,” I thought it was about time to give a shout-out to the place we’re leaving.  I also thought you readers from abroad would appreciate a view of this side of the pond (on a semi-related aside, my assignment for Italian class this week is to present this post in Italian – gasp!).   This is specifically about the place and not the people (you know who you are and that we’re gonna miss you!).  Here are just a few of the cool things about our current home we’re going to miss:

International Balloon Fiesta – this is the largest balloon festival in the world, with upwards of 800 balloons coming from all over the world each year (for 9 days in early in October).  In the morning they take off and in the evenings they stay tethered to the ground for a “balloon glow.”  Balloons are pretty common here (when the winds are calm I can always see at least few on my morning run) and we have been up in one a few times (the unwritten rule is that you “crew” – help man the balloon – to earn a flight).  I have no idea how we got on the topic of balloons in my school in Italy but everyone seemed amazed when I said they could come visit and go up in one – reminding me how truly special/unique the experience is!  Here are just a couple of the many hundreds of photos I have take over the years…


                                           

Sandia Mountain – this is the beautiful mountain that turns “sandia” (watermelon) colored in the evening.  It is great for hiking and skiing.  It is also the way I have not gotten lost for the past 18 years (you can see it from everywhere in town so you always know which way is East).  A couple of years ago I hiked up to the top (9 miles total, to over 10,000 ft.) and then took the tram down (the signs claim it is the world’s longest tram, but I have seen similar claims at other trams…).   (you can read more/see more photos here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandia_Mountains).

The Fiery Food Show – this is the HUGE spicy food festival here that we have been attending for most of the past 17 years (first weekend of March).  There are hundreds of booths where you can taste-test the latest in spicy foods – some are so hot that you get a sticker or some-other trinket if you can actually stand to try them!  Here I am with my sister-in-law a few years ago (and here she is after tasting something VERY spicy!):

Run for the Zoo (and other runs) – I really love running in New Mexico.  Except for the middle of summer, it is almost always perfect weather here in the mornings for a run and there are so many cool organized runs.  I started off with 5k’s, then after many years worked up to 10k’s, then finally to half marathons.  The biggest and most fun is the “Run for the Zoo,”  where you actually run both for the zoo (it’s a fund-raiser) and through the back of the zoo (in how many 10k’s do you get to wave to elephants?!).  Just ran this year’s on May 6.

 

Huevos Rancheros (and all other Mexican, Tex-Mex and New Mexican food!) – It’s always about the food with me!  The best thing about food in New Mexico is the Hatch green chile.  Every year at the end of the summer, the chile is harvested in Hatch, NM, and brought to groceries and stands all over the state.  The tradition is you buy a huge sack full and then wait in line outside to have it roasted in a big roaster (you can pick from gringo mild to HOT – we like it HOT!).  You bring it home and peel it (an all day affair, and one which we learned the hard way our first year here requires wearing gloves!), then bag it up and freeze it to see you through the year of green chile stews, huevos rancheros, green-chile-cheese fries, and just about anything else you can to add green chile to.  YUM!

There are many more great things about Albuquerque – the nearly perpetual sunshine, rollerblading along the Bosque (nature area that runs along the Rio Grande), our very cool Zoo and BioPark, funky Nob Hill where you can stroll and shop and eat outside (closest thing we have to a European city center).  And, yes, there are also not-so-great things we won’t miss… hearing about yet another visitor having their vehicle/belongings stolen from a motel parking lot, the fact that police have shot and killed dozens of people in the past couple of years, Walmart (and the other Walmart, and the smaller, but no less annoying Walmart), the spring winds, and having to drive almost everywhere!  But, as with most things, I am sure we will look back with rose-colored glasses and miss the balloon-filled sky come October…

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by Newmexicotoitaly on May 14, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Balloon Fiesta, Diversions to Other Places, Food, Italy, here we come!, New Mexico
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on May 14, 2012

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Flying with Pets

So, moving to Italy isn’t only a fairytale about delicious food, the perfect cappuccino and beautiful art.  There’s the “real” side of what this adventure involves as well.  This is a post about one of the less-glamorous aspects….

It seems that getting our cats to Italy is a bigger project than getting us there!  We have been working on this off and on for the past couple of months, and in earnest for several days in a row.  There seriously aren’t words to convey the exasperation we are both feeling at this point…

Surprisingly, getting the cats “Italy-approved” doesn’t seem to be that big a task (we haven’t done it yet, so I am knocking on wood as I say this, as well as knocking on a table leg [the Italian equivalent]).  They need a check-up, to be micro-chipped (they are), basic shots and a veterinary certificate (and a size-appropriate pet kennel).  What has become a HUGE project is finding a kosher way to fly them there without killing them.  I really can’t go through everything we’ve gone through to try and get the right tickets on a pet-friendly airline – in part because my head will explode if I have to recount the entire ordeal, and in part because I don’t want you to either fall asleep or for YOUR head to explode (depending on your natural tendency).  To sum up:

I had to book my ticket separately from Steve because while his school will reimburse his ticket, they will not reimburse mine, and since they’re running about $1700 right now for the summer, I needed to use my American Airlines air miles.   What I learned, though, was that American does not let cats on board to Europe (despite being told it was okay, booking the ticket, having to cancel the ticket, and so on)  AND you cannot fly with them in cargo (which we didn’t want to do anyway) if the weather IS or IS FORECAST to be 84 degrees or higher (29 celsius) at any point on the trip (which pretty much makes leaving Albuquerque in early August impossible).  To make my VERY LONG story short (well, shorter), after 2 days on hold, online, etc., I finally got the right person on the other end (he rocks!) who told me Iberia air DOES let cats on-board AND they are “one world” partners with American, so I can book with miles (which he did for me).  Of course, there are a limited number of pets allowed on board, so you have to get them reservations as well (175 euros).  So, me and one cat were finally set.

Steve’s ordeal was even longer and more convoluted, and as I write this we have close to $5,000.00 of cancelled airfare on our credit card that supposedly will be credited.  To try and sum up – he tried booking on United (he was doing this after I learned American would NOT work, before I discovered Iberia would), who claims (both online and on the phone) to allow pets on board to Europe; Steve booked the ticket and then called to add the cat, they said he couldn’t, he cancelled the ticket.   Come to find out – and let me help anyone here who ever hopes to fly to Italy with a pet – Iberia air (with a stop in Madrid) is about the ONLY way to get this done.   Seems simple enough once we figured this out (relatively speaking), so Steve calls Iberia, and without rehashing the details, TWICE gets booked (without them explaining) on one of their codeshares with American (who, as you recall, does NOT allow the cat on board).  It is only on Iberia aircraft itself that you can have the pets.  Anyway, three bookings and an entire day of calls and being on hold later, Steve is now booked on 2 of the same 3 legs to Italy as I, and the other cat is welcome (or so we believe at this point – stay tuned).

PLEASE, if you ever know anyone trying to get to Italy with a pet, send them to this post, cause I hate for other people’s heads to have to explode!  Onward and forward…

5 Comments
by Newmexicotoitaly on May 11, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Italy, here we come!
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on May 11, 2012

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The Perfect Cappuccino

I am not a coffee drinker (in New Mexico).   I actually went for 40 years without drinking a cup of coffee (until our first trip to Italy).  I never understood why people were always drinking coffee, there are coffee makers in every office, Starbucks on every block (okay, I still don’t totally get that one).  I was pretty certain I would live out my days never having drunk a cup of coffee.  Then, I went to Italy…

In Italy, coffee is an art form.  And not one of those fancy Michelangelo, wait-in-line for hours art forms – an art form widely available to the masses (starting at about .80 euro).

At the school in Bologna, every day we had a (working) break between classes where all the students and teachers would go to the bar and have a beverage (and perhaps a pastry or panino) and practice our Italian by just having casual conversations (okay, ONCE in a while, we would break into English, but only to get some matter of great importance dealt with, and never in ear-shot of the teachers).  As an aside – “bar” in Italy is not what you think of when you hear “bar” in the U.S. – on literally every block there is at least one bar, and while most of them do serve alcohol of some sort, they all serve coffee beverages and some small snacks (pastries and/or panini).  The bars open very early and they are THE place to stop for breakfast (a coffee drink and pastry is the norm).   Anyway, back to our class trips to the bar…

I decided that every day I would try a different beverage – aqua frizzante, tè, caffe macchiato, etc.  The caffe macchiato was yummy – and my first serious foray into the coffee beverage selections.  After that, I tried a old-fashioned caffe, and my taste-testing was on a roll.  But then I had a cappuccino.  And the next day…I had another cappuccino.  And the next day… (you can see where this is going).  Seriously, I have no idea what they do that is so special, but the coffee, and especially the cappuccino, in Italy are like no coffee-based beverage I have ever had in the U.S.  Here, I think the coffee is bitter and has an after-taste; in Italy, the coffee is smooth as silk, and sweet, and…DIVINE!

And cappuccino…well…beyond divine!  A properly made cappuccino is actually 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, topped with 1/3 foamy milk.   The top is a beautiful foam, sometimes enhanced by decorative swirling, or a creative dusting of coca powder.   I looked forward to this little treat every day and after I discovered them I had one pretty much daily until I left (though I still think in volume I had more gelato).  I have to admit, I missed cappuccino when I got back so much that I went to a cooking store here and bought a little hand-held milk foamer (works pretty well!).  (We had already gotten a “nespresso” machine on ebay after Steve tried one the last time we visited Italy).  Now I can simulate, but by no means replicate, the wonder that is an Italian-made cappuccino. (As a cultural aside, while other caffe drinks are consumed throughout the day, cappuccino are reserved for before noon).

If you think Starbucks has a comprehensive selection, almost any bar in Italy can make any number of coffee drinks, including the “basic” caffe (espresso) to caffe macchiato (espresso with a splash of milk), caffe corretto (“correct coffee” – espresso with a drop of liquor), and yes, even caffee Americano (espresso with lots of water). For a fairly complete list and description of types of coffee you can order at an Italian bar go to: http://www.yourguidetoitaly.com/types-of-italian-coffee.html.  Salute!

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by Newmexicotoitaly on May 9, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Newmexicotoitaly on May 9, 2012

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