The collapse of financial giants shakes the City

5,000 jobs have been lost today in Canary Wharf as Lehman Brothers collapse. In addition AIG, Manchester United sponsor, see its shares slide. Last week XL tour operator collapsed leaving 90,000 Britons stranded worldwide. What's next?

Londoners to decide on future of CC in West London

Boris Johnson is thinking to axe the Western extension of the Congestion Charge.
Shepherds Bush, where I live, is the nearest area to the CC border. Residents are complaining the lack of parking slots and the cost of using the car.
As a resident I can say that it's CRAZY to use the car in London and that a city with less cars means a city with faster buses and better public transport. And also in days in which the cost of petrol is too high, it means better savings....

Cornwall, July 2008

Beautiful place, tidy, clean...

The Capital changes its drinking habits...

31st May: to mark the last day in which alcohol is allowed on tube and buses thousands have gathered in undergrounds stations and train to make the journey of "normal" people a nightmare. Police had to closes some of the gates to stations and trains were late. Is this the best way to enjoy alcohol in a "civilized" European capital?

1st June: the ban starts, the situation is better (it's 01.40am) but just because the tube is close after midnight, I came back by bus and still there were people with drinks in Coke cans! Vomit and sick people everywhere.

Will the capital change its drinking habit from today? ... let's wait for next Friday.

(Pictures from BBC News)
















(Pictures from BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7429685.stm)

An Italian in UK writes to the President of the Italian Republic

Carissimo Presidente,
sono un'italiana residente all'estero ormai da diversi anni, ma nonostante questo sono sempre stata attaccata alla mia cara Italia. I suoi colori, la creatività, la vivacità, genuinità e ospitalità della nostra gente sono tutte cose che fino a pochi giorni fa venivano decantate all'estero come marchio dell'essere italiano e che tanto mi rendevano orgogliosa.

Come può ben immaginare, continuo a seguire tutti i fatti di attualità, di politica, di cronaca che riguardano il nostro Paese, e mi creda, mi rattrista dover confessare a Lei e prima ancora a me stessa che mi vergogno dell'Italia ritratta in questi giorni su tutte le prime pagine dei giornali nazionali e internazionali.

Signor Presidente ma che succede? Dove è finita la succitata "ospitalità" degli italiani? E' davvero possibile che il sentimento più forte che emerge nella popolazione sia ormai la paura dello straniero, del migrante, dell'immigrato?

La sicurezza è certamente un problema serio, ma non penso che il modo giusto di risolverlo sia quello di alimentare la paura e l'intolleranza nei confronti di persone comunitarie ed extracomunitarie. Piuttosto penso che una più attenta politica di integrazione sociale sia la soluzione al problema dell'Immigrazione che a mio avviso, non coincide (come il governo vuole far credere) con il problema della Sicurezza.

Siamo in EUROPA e credo sia assurdo leggere ancora sui giornali, titoli come "ragazza italiana violentata da un romeno". Con questo non voglio sminuire affatto la bruttura del reato, mi auguro soltanto che la giustizia faccia il suo corso indipendentemente da chi lo ha commesso. Quindi mi chiedo quale sia il bisogno di sottolineare la diversa nazionalità?

Sono una ricercatrice e il mio lavoro mi ha dato la possibilità di uscire fuori dai "nostri confini" e mi creda non ho mai trovato tanta intolleranza come quella che sta nascendo e che si sta alimentando negli ultimi tempi in Italia.

Adesso sono in Inghilterra e come lei sa qui di immigrati (comunitari ed extra comunitari) ce ne sono tanti, ma così tanti che non si può più fare una distinzione. Per farle solo un esempio, a Pasqua ero ad Oxford e in Chiesa ho assistito ad uno spettacolo meraviglioso: c'era tutto il mondo rappresentato in quella piccola Chiesa Cattolica. Mi colpì e mi commosse la diversità dei colori della pelle, dei costumi, ma al tempo stesso l'omogeneità e la coralità di tutte quelle persone.

Mi chiedo quando in Italia sarà possibile respirare quella stessa atmosfera di integrazione che si trova ormai nel resto d'Europa?

Signor Presidente spero tanto che Lei non permetterà al presente governo di inasprire i rapporti tra gli italiani e gli immigrati, spero che Lei alzi la voce davanti a ministri che giustificano e incitano alla pulizia dei campi rom, spero che Lei faccia tutto quello che è in suo potere per rendersi portavoce della necessità di migliorare la politica di integrazione sociale di cui l'Italia ha oggi bisogno per confrontarsi alla pari con il resto del mondo e d'Europa.

Fiduciosa nella sua persona e nell'importante carica istituzionale che lei ricopre, la ringrazio per la sua attenzione e le auguro buon lavoro.
Cordiali saluti,

Maria Vinci

(Pugliese, 34 anni, da 5 o 6 si dedica alla ricerca sul cancro. Ha studiato e lavorato a Milano (Ifom) e a Heidelberg in Germania. Ora si trova in Inghilterra)

Coldplay video filmed in Sicily

In April Coldplay have arrived in Sicily, Italy to shoot the video for the first single, Violet Hill, taken from Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends.

ARE THERE ANY DATES OR SHOWS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY MEMORABLE?
Being in Sicily when we got the news that Parachutes had gone to number 1.
Reviews and comments about Violet Hill

Italy shows its muscles

When I went to Nepal I was surprised that there was a good Italian restaurant in Pokkara, a city not far from the start of the Annapurna trail. Everywhere in the world there is an Italian pizzeria or shop. This means that Italy is a country with a long and strong emigration history. In order to say thanks to all the people who have given us the opportunity to live, work and study today the new Italian government is breaking the EU agreement chasing immigrates from the EU countries.

Italy found itself a weak country and the only way to hide the weakness (of its economy i.e.) is to show the power and strength against the poor and weak people.

Everyone is shocked here and as it usually happens only in these cases my friends or colleagues recall the fact that I am Italian....

Bon Jovi and Sciacca (in Italian!)

http://www.agrigentonotizie.it/notizie/leggi/24294/jon-bon-jovi-e-la-nostalgia-per-la-sua-sciacca.html

Finally!

Habemus Boris

The 1st of May London elected its Mayor, the Conservative Boris Johnson, editor of The Spectator (and occasionally BBC presenter), ending Ken Livingstone's eight-year reign at City Hall.
I went to vote in my old borough and it was funny. As an Italian it was weird not to see policemen at the polling station, situated in a council estate and not in a school. Very young staff, no queue (even at peak time), no identity check, no privacy when casting the vote. Very funny indeed, it seems like I was voting for the school rep when I was 13!
The campaign was also different compared to Italian election, no advertising for the candidate in the streets. Candidate have a limit spending including their personal expenses to campaign (i.e. travel).

Now London has changed like Rome.
My new constituency voted Boris for the 55%, Ken for 29%, Paddick for 8.40% e Green candidate for 3.30%.
My old constituency (where I voted) went for 49.50% for Ken, 29.50% for Boris, 10% for Paddick and 5% for Green.

Hopefully transportation would improve, street will be cleaner and crime beaten.

Paddick or Berry?

For the London Elects 2008 my polling station is miles away from where I live as I just moved to a new area. The 1st May I am expecting a big motivation to cross the capital and express my vote that will not go to Ken, sorry but his idea of transport in London is far away from what people really need.

Two years on...

The 19th of April 2006, after voting at the Italian general election, I came to UK without knowing why, for how long and what I was going to do.
Two years after (an other Italian general election, different result though) I consider myself a Londoner even if quite often I dream of an exotic place somewhere in the Far East. Sometimes I feel like I have been living in London for ages, I feel tired of tube and crowds and queues but that is what most of Londoners think of their city and that's why many of them end up in Australia or Africa.

Three jobs, two companies, four houses, two partners: life runs quickly in the Capital. No regrets at all just a pause to think about what next. What's next??? I really do not know, maybe another city but far away from the Old Continent.

Moving to the West

After 2 years (this is a sharp 2 years period from 19th April 2006 to 19th April 2008!) spent in North London (N8 and N7) I am moving now to West London.
Shepherds Bush W12 is now my new area. Well known for its multi-ethnic population and some decadent areas, Shepherds Bush is also ready for a major regeneration. The new flat is in the Muslim area of W12, close to the mosque and hundreds of shops serving this community, including many falafel shops and excluding pubs, I haven't see any in a half mile radius. So no temptation for alcohol and other sins!!!

Oh my God....

Berlusconi is back, stronger then ever. Are Italian people's minds under control of Berlusconi owened media?

I was thinking this today in a BBC gym where I was listening to the results from Rome.
I felt free, free to listening that Berlusconi is a salesman, free to think that having a PM who controls the media, the football, the financial market and so on is not acceptable in a modern Western democracy.

I am happy to be free, I was happy not to watch Porta Aperta or similar tv programmes, today.

Italian elections 2008: waiting for results

Who will be the next Italian PM?
Tomorrow the results.

BBC interviewed 10 people from Palermo, Sicily, about their vote tomorrow:
- 6 are voting for Berlusconi
-3 are voting for Veltroni
-1 does not go to vote

CLICK HERE FOR THE EXTRACTS FROM THESE INTERVIEWS

International media has increased the coverage of the elections, with BBC sending Stephanie Holmes to Palermo, and I am here to suggest good articles to read:

Palermo heads to the polls again

Italy poll rivals make final push

Vote Berlusconi and you will get one month taxes off...

Why Italy's women are out of work

Palermo feels pinch ahead of polls

Berlusconi: Left has uglier women

Rivals pledge to revive ailing Italy

Italian politics hold back economy

Berlusconi boasts of 'good' Latin

Sicilian grow defiant of Mafia

My vote in a red mail box

My vote is traveling to Italy, hopefully the result will be red... as the mail box where I posted my envelope....

A Sicilian woman candidate at the Italian Elections in UK

Simona Milio is the candidate for the PD in the European electoral constituency for the Italian Elections 2008. She lives in London.
CV of Simona Milio

City Academy showcase on Fri 7th March

UPDATE* The showcase was really funny and I think good! It was my first time acting in English (with an Italian accent) in front of 200 people. Larissa (with her Aussie accent) and Tanya (with her Saffa accent) were great. In the picture the hall where we had the showcase. Cool! isn't it?


I will take part to the City Academy showcase on Friday 7th March from 7pm SHARP. This is where I attend my acting class. My part will be just few minutes, the play is Our Country's Good.
Unfortunately there is an entrance fee of 5 pounds, I think the money goes to a charity.
City Academy is located between Angel and Farringdon, close to the Amnesty International headquarter. Nearest tube: Angel (Northern Line), then bus 38 for few stops or 10 minutes walking towards Farringdon.
Address:
City Academy
Finsbury Town Hall
Rosebery Avenue
London EC1R 4RP

Italian "erections", when democracy is fucked up...

Old times... today

I found this picture on Flickr, this used to be the Communist Party headquarter in my home town in Sicily. Cool photo, isn'it?

Unbelievable Italy...

In the waiting room of the company dentist the news (BBC obviously!) flow on the screen. Four of the main news are about my country: the buffalo mozzarella infection, the rubbish shame in Naples, Mastella leaving his office as Minister and Cuffaro guilty in Mafia case. The other patients were really interested in those news, in their faces stupor and smiles... is Italy in Europe?
One week later, Thursday at 6pm, another appointment with the dentist: Prodi faces the Senato vote is the main news on the BBC screen. I have my visit and when I leave and pay at the reception Prodi lost already his job.
Difficult to explain to my colleagues that a minister who has problems with the justice and is not clean is able to lead to the resignation of the Prime Minister! How come someone who should leave his office because suspected of corruption is the one who stops the government working!
Difficult to explain it to myself as well...

Something rotten in state of Italy (BBC analysis)

Artshed

Hi, this is a video recorded over the Xmas holiday with my acting class mates here in London. It's slow, sorry, maybe you would prefer to prepare a coffee o go to the loo while it loads! Enjoy! (from DrowningStreet.co.uk)

WATCH