What Do You Make?

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The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued: "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"…He said to another guest: "You're a teacher, Susan," he said. "Be honest. What do you make?"

Susan, who had a reputation of honesty and frankness, replied, "You want to know what I make?"

"I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor and an A- feel like a slap in the face if the student did not do his or her very best."

"You want to know what I make?"

"I make kids wonder."

"I make them question."

"I make them criticize."

"I make them apologize and mean it."

"I make them write."

"I make them read, read, read."

"I make them show all their work in math and hide it all on their final drafts in English."

"I elevate them to experience music and art and the joy in performance, so their lives are rich, full of kindness and culture, and they take pride in themselves and their accomplishments."

"I make them understand that if you have the brains, then follow your heart…and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you pay them no attention."

"You want to know what I make? I make a difference."

"By the way, what do you make?"

~Taylor Mali

Legami d'Amicizia e Amore ...Ties of Friendship and Love (Italiano e English)

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My sister-in-law and dear friend!

Donna and I met through AFS.

Da un punto di vista soggettivo, insieme all' amore , l'amicizia è un atteggiamento nei confronti degli altri, caratterizzato da una rilevante carica emotiva e fondante la vita sociale del singolo.

From a subjective point of view, together with the ' love , friendship is an attitude towards others, characterized by a significant emotional and fundamental social life of the individual.

In quasi tutte le culture, l'amicizia viene intesa e percepita come un rapporto alla pari, basato sul rispetto, la stima, e la disponibilità reciproca.

My teacher friends that I work with!

In almost all cultures, friendship and understanding is perceived as an equal relationship based on respect, esteem and mutual availability.

My dear friend from Matera, Italy.

Di tutti quei beni che la saggezza procura per la completa felicità della vita, il più grande di tutti è l'acquisto dell'amicizia.

"Of all those goods that wisdom attorney for the complete happiness of life, the greatest of all is the purchase of friendship"

 

History:

The friendship has been considered at all times one of the fundamental human experiences, and has been sanctified by all religions .

Ad esempio i Greci portavano come esempio di amicizia portata alle estreme conseguenze quella fra Oreste e Pilade .

For example, the Greeks as an example of friendship taken to extremes that between Orestes and Pylades .


Aristotle distinguishes three types of friendship:

* amicizia basata sul piacere; friendship based on pleasure;
* amicizia basata sull'interesse; friendship based on the interest;
* amicizia basata sulla bontà. friendship based on goodness.

"Un amico è una persona con cui posso essere sincero: in sua presenza posso pensare ad alta voce."

"A friend is someone that I can be sincere in his presence I think aloud."

As we said a group of friends consists of two or more persons to be rewarded with feelings of camaraderie , exclusivity and mutual interest.

Ci sono varie "gradazioni" e "sfumature" nei modi di intendere questo sentimento, tanto che, nelle varie culture, ci sono da sempre stati diversi modi di intendere e manifestare l'amicizia.

There are several "grades" and "nuances" in ways to understand this feeling, so that, in different cultures, there have always been different ways of understanding and expressions of friendship.

Russia

In Russia it is customary to give a few people the status of friend, but what is lost in quantity is more than recovered in intensity.

Solo fra amici ci si chiama per nome (o col diminutivo) mentre fra semplici "conoscenti" ci si chiama usando il nome completo, a cui si aggiunge anche il patronimico.

Only among friends called us by name (or with the diminutive) between straightforward as "friends" call you using your full name, to which is added the patronymic.

Gli amici possono essere colleghi di lavoro da lungo tempo, vicini con cui si scambiano visite o inviti a pranzo , ecc.

Friends may be colleagues working for a long time, neighbors with whom they exchange visits or invitations to lunch , etc..

Il contatto fisico fra amici è considerato cosa del tutto normale anche fra persone dello stesso sesso, che si abbracciano, si baciano e camminano in pubblico a braccetto o mano nella mano, senza il minimo imbarazzo o connotazione di tipo sessuale .

Physical contact between friends is considered completely normal thing even among the same sex, that they embraced and kissed in public and walk arm in arm or hand in hand, without the slightest embarrassment or connotation sex .

Asia

Anche in Medio Oriente ed Asia centrale l'amicizia fra maschi, sebbene meno stretta che in Russia , tende ad essere particolarmente intima, e si accompagna con una grande quantità di effusioni fisiche di natura non sessuale, tenersi per mano, ecc.

Also in Middle East and Central Asia friendship between males, although less strict than in Russia tends to be very intimate, and is accompanied with a large amount of natural effusions of non-sexual nature, holding hands, etc..

Western

In Occidente i contatti fisici intimi hanno assunto nell'ultimo secolo una connotazione decisamente "sessuale", e praticarli fra amici è considerato un tabù , soprattutto fra maschi .

In the West, intimate physical contact took last century connotations very "sexual", and practice them with friends is considered a taboo , especially among males .

Tuttavia un modo appena accennato, quasi "rituale", di abbracciarsi e baciarsi può essere accettato, anche se solo in determinati contesti.

However, a way just mentioned, almost "ritual" of hugging and kissing is acceptable, though only in certain contexts.

Fanno eccezione i bambini, la cui amicizia può tradursi in manifestazioni di stretta intimità, che vengono soppresse successivamente per uniformarsi alle convenzioni sociali.

Exceptions are children, whose friendship may lead to demonstrations of close intimacy, which are subsequently removed to conform to social conventions.

A friend is so by Laura Pausini:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_CuvXbq0Ac

Amico by Renato Zero:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsLEZkhvsD4&feature=fvw

Don’t Judge a Restaurant by its Cover

To celebrate our anniversary we took a plane to Portland Maine. We rented a Ford Escape and drove through the coastline of Maine. The Burch and Pine trees led us to the Acadia National Park to start our adventures or shall I say tasting our way through the rocky coast of Maine and back down to Portland!

Part lll

Don’t Judge a Restaurant by its Cover!

We got off the plane and we were starved. We heard that Maine’s nightlife ends about 9 PM. We got our rental car, plugged in our gps and looked for a restaurant before the sun went down. It was 8:30 and we drove for miles. Our gps informed us that Schutty’s Restaurant was within a mile. We drove around in circles and we heard, “You have arrived!” We almost didn't stop because it just wasn't what we expected.

  

The little food trailer that we pulled up to was located to one side of a parking lot that was shared with a kayaking business and a church. 

It was a very neat, clean, inviting place, with seating at picnic tables with umbrellas. It was obvious that the owners took great care in the overall appearance of Schutty’s, as it was adorned with pretty flowering plants, as well as several tomato plants. There was plenty to choose from on the menu,

and we chose our first Lobster Roll. 

The rolls were grilled with butter and really enhanced the flavor of the lobster meat. The seafood was fresh caught and delivered the same day. Staff was extremely friendly, accommodating and service was prompt.

Later we learned that Schutty's Seafood was featured on WGME 13's "Road Trippin" with Dave Eid. 

Check out the sneak peek! It was awarded 5 stars by TripAdvisor...and do not judge a restaurant by its cover!

Copy and paste into your browser:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=270181176456833&set=vb.265355176939433&type=2&theater

Tasting our way through the Rocky Coast of Maine - Part II

To celebrate our anniversary we took a plane to Portland Maine. We rented a Ford Escape and drove through the coastline of Maine. The Burch and Pine trees led us to the Acadia National Park to start our adventures or shall I say tasting our way through the rocky coast of Maine and back down to Portland! We met some wonderful local people and they made some recommendations where and what to eat to “wet our palates!”

Part II

The vibe at this prominent Maine bistro was simultaneously rustic and refined. The bistro encircled the exposed-brick walls and lustrous mahogany wood furniture.

Once we were seated, our server reviewed the menu and explained the three to five course meals. The larger course meals had smaller portions to sample more foods. Surprisingly for Maine, there was not a large amount of seafood on the menu, but the food was all locally grown – Farm to Table. We marveled over the choices and pondered the menu.  We were intrigued by the novel ingredients: Roasted squash soup with piccalilli, lemon and a marshmallow on top; truffle lobster “mac & cheese” with butter-poached Maine lobster with a cheese blend and shaved black truffle; bangs island mussels with cherry peppers and chive butter; artisanal cheese course with seasonal fruit compote, crostini and candied nuts; chilled cucumber soup with crème fraiche and lobster; roasted squab with broccoli, shallots and fole gras; etc… We opted to try the 5-course meal to sample the creative art forms from chef Corry who received many accolades such as "food and wine's" best new chef of 2007, and chef of the year (2011) from the Maine Restaurant Association.

 

First, the chef brought out one of his samples. It was delicious! Thank you hubby for saving one for me! The cravings began!

With great anticipation the food was evenly paced coming to the table:

Roasted Squash Soup

Mussels with cherry peppers and chive butter

 

Beet and goat cheese salad with a variety of pureed beets

Roasted crisp chicken with gnocchi and tomatoes

Artisanal cheese course

Chocolate and cherries

Steve and Michelle Corry, the proprietors of five fifty-five, arrived in Portland with a passionate vision and a wide-spread of experience in the restaurant industry.

Steve began his culinary career as a brew master at several breweries in Northern California. He attended the New England Culinary Institute in Burlington Vermont. When he graduated in 2001, he returned to California to work at Domaine Chandon in Napa Valley. Before he opened 555, he served as the sous chef at Grissini's Restaurant (part of white barn inn corporation).

Michelle is a graduate of Boston University with a bachelor's degree in hotel and restaurant administration. She has worked at numerous prestigious establishments, including the French Laundry in Napa, Arrows in Ogunquit, and the White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, Maine.

This scruptious meal alone was worth the trip to Portland ME!

Tasting our way through the Rocky Coast of Maine

To celebrate our anniversary we took a plane to Portland Maine. We rented a Ford Escape and drove through the coastline of Maine. The Burch and Pine trees led us to the Acadia National Park to start our adventures or shall I say tasting our way through the rocky coast of Maine and back down to Portland! We met some wonderful local people and they made some recommendations where and what to eat to “wet our palates!”

Part I

I will take a “Seven Napkin Burger” please!

"I will take a 'Seven Napkin Burger' please!" We stopped by Owls Head General Store on 2 South Shore Drive in Owls Head. At the center of nearly every small village in Midcoast Maine, an independently-run general store has historically been the hub of activity for that community. They offer not just the grocery store food and home and school supplies, but also provide a central meeting place for the townspeople, fishermen, and tourists to stop and chat about the weather and a little bit about this and that. 

The Owls Head General Store is an inviting, warm,  and cozy place, where you can have a cup of coffee, tea, coco, read your iphone, meet people and sit at one of the tables, inside while you wait for your burger. The cute little shelves are stocked with homemade whoopie pies and glass cookie jars filled with old-fashioned penny candy. Also, there is a place to purchase souvenir t-shirts, post cards, and bumper stickers, the stock in trade of visitors from away who are drawn in by Summer day trips to the quaint little historic town of  lighthouses.

 So, what is a “Seven Napkin Burger?” The burger is about an 8 oz. beef burger with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup on a bun. The burger got its name because it takes 7 napkins to clean up your hands and face after devouring the most scrumptious beef patty known to mankind! 

  

Later I learned that the Food Network Magazine crowned the store’s “Seven Napkin Burger” the very best in Maine, as part of their “50 Burgers, 50 States” featured in the June/July 2009 issue. 

 

By the way, it was a “Five Napkin Burger” for my husband! I was impressed!  

What’s for dinner?

Villa Heaven - the Paradise on the Earth of Sardinia

 

From Naples we took a voyage over an emerald sea, past characteristic coves and beaches of snow-white sand to Sardinia. Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean.

 
















Situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Sardinia is a mainly mountainous region, without high peaks, with a vast and charming, yet bittersweet, natural environment. The islands great surfaces are still preserved with their natural composition, luxuriant woods with even millenary trees, small desert areas and marshes inhabited by deer, wild horses and rapacious birds. 

We docked in Arbatax. Arbatax is a small harbor in the Ogliastra region. The centre of this small town rises at the bottom of Cape Bellavista – territory enriched with the green-colored Mediterranean scrub and famous for the characteristic red rocks and the masses of granite located close to the harbor. As most people filled their pales with shells, I picked up the granite. I was trying to piece together the granite for my kitchen counters! However, I was reminded to leave the granite on the beach and there was a weight limit flying back to the states. Bummer!

The most heavenly dessert I have ever tasted on planet earth were the Seadas, a traditional Sardinian fritter. They are like a ravioli filled with sharp pecorino cheese, a flaky crust on the outside and topped with local warm honey, making for an intriguing and intense flavor. My husband and I ordered one dish to taste, after one bite, I told my hubby to order his own dish!

Seadas

We met with some dear friends  We had a picnic and they were roasting the wild boar. Outstanding! The boar did not need any seasonings or sauces. The flavor said it all! Bellissimo!

 

There are many scenic drives with breathtaking views out to the Sardinian islands. We will have to return to this Villa Heaven, the Paradise on the Earth to finish exploring Sardinia and to visit our local friends! Tanti auguri ai miei amici!

  

Driving in Naples and Visiting Avellino

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NAPLES

Naples is the capital of the Campania region. The city is the third most populated municipality (city proper) of Italy, but the second metropolitan area, after Milan. It was founded between the 7th and 6th centuries BC by the Greeks and was named Neapolis, which means new city.

I asked my students what was their favorite American food. Most of them replied, “PIZZA!” By far pizza has become America's favorite food over the past 50 years.

It is believed that Italians invented the pizza, however the origins go back to the ancient times. Long ago the Babylonians, Israelites, Egyptians and other ancient Middle Eastern cultures were eating flat, un-leaven bread that had been cooked in mud ovens. The bread was much like a pita, which is still common in Greece and the Middle East today. Further it is known that ancient Mediterranean people such as the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians were eating the bread, topped seasoned with olive oil and native spices.

The lower class of the Naples, Italy is believed to have created pizza in a more familiar fashion. In the late 1800s an Italian baker named Raffaele Esposito, was believed to have created a dish for visiting royalty. According to the story, the Italian monarch King Umberto and his consort, Queen “Margherita” were touring the area. In order to impress them and to show his patriotic fervor Raffaele chose to top flat bread with food that would best represent the colors of Italy: red tomato, white mozzarella cheese and green basil.

We stopped at the Caffetieria Medina for a quick expresso.

The king and queen were so impressed that word quickly reached the masses. The end results were that the dish was well received to the extent that others began to copy it. 

Driving in Naples

Oh My!!! My husband and I were standing at a corner road waiting for our friends to pick us up to take us to their home in Avellino. What did we see? 

We saw scooters from 2-6 people, one even had their family dog! No helmets! Scooters completed “U” turns when they missed their turns or made left-hand turns from the right lanes. If moving cars stopped, the scooters weaved in and out of lanes and even used sidewalks when necessary. As a pedestrian, I made sure all moving vehicles had the right of way. Horns were used like musical instruments.

Beep! Beep! B-E-E-P!!!!!!!

Hold onto your hats and watch the “Driving Lesson” from Naples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJG9uIHCRrk

 AVELLINO

We finally made it back to Avellino. Avellino is a town and commune, capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains 42 km (26 mi) north-east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento. 

There is nothing like the unique taste and texture of the largest fresh figs from Avellino. They are lusciously sweet with a texture that combines the chewiness of their flesh, the smoothness of their skin, and the crunchiness of their seeds.They just melt in your mouth!

Walking around Avellino.

 Our friend's cousin got married. We stayed an extra day in Avellino to experience this extraordinary and beautiful Italian wedding. Everyone in the town came to help celebrate this joyous event! And oh, did I mention the fresh caught seafood, home-made pasta and the wine? We celebrated from dawn to dusk.