CHAOS OR CHARM Or maybe it is chaotic – charm that you sense in trying to acclimate to life in Italy. In so many ways, Italians are attractive people. There is that sense of personal pride that requires a person to be attentive to making La Bella Figura – that ingrained sense that is so impossible to adequately translate into English. To say it means ‘ to make a good impression’ is to just scratch the surface of the concept. The dynamic to have a positive sense of yourself is something every Italian must acquire while still in the womb. I recall a commentary being made by Simon Schama on the making of a documentary series on Italian artists. Schama remarked that it was necessary to cast Italian actors for the roles, “because it was impossible to teach non-Italians to walk like that!” Italians seem to naturally project a positive sense of self. To sit at a table with a glass of wine on the main piazza during the evening passaggiata is to study a demonstration of spontaneous choreography. So many Italians we see of every age group and gender seem to walk with an upright posture and grace that makes so many us from across the pond seem stoop-shouldered and downright slovenly. Even young Italians in conversation with you stand erect, poised and look you straight in the eye with a pleasant engagement that is immediately captivating. I’m completely out of my element and way below the necessary pay grade to offer any observations on fashion. I leave that to the resident expert who has always demonstrated an exceptional personal talent in that area. I will simply observe that it seems a rare occurrence for an Italian of any age or gender to be seen in public in what would clearly be considered bad taste. We have yet to encounter anything approaching the apparitions of non-existent taste that regularly frequent American shopping malls – Dio Grazie! In this central region of Italy, there is a fascinating genetic blend of the various strains of people who make up Italy. There are the dark haired and flashing dark eyes more common to the south and fair complexioned, blue-eyed, northern featured...

I shouldn’t have done it – procrastinated so long – has it really been four months since my last post?  My plan was to enjoy our American visitors in May and June and to write about it in July and August. I had forgotten that July is the month of the Quintana and there is so much to do and see. Fortunately Larry has still been productive and posting once a month. Some friends have even checked in to be sure I’m okay. Consider this post a small start. I am a bit overwhelmed with all I have to tell you, assuming some of you continue to want to hear every detail (encouragement about now would be good). I have to admit to a bad case of summer fever, or as I am sure my Mom would call it – laziness, which has also spilled over into my Italian lanaguage studies. When not trying to keep up with our younger friends, all I want to do is sit on a beach, read trashy novels, watch movies and give my brain a break. I’ve come up with all manner of distractions to keep my Italian teacher, Serafino, from teaching me any new words. I’ve managed to divert him into long talks about each other’s interests, served multi-course lunches, requested a lesson on hand gestures, and I even talked him into field trips to the mountains and the beach – to practice Italian, of course. Ah, but he is nothing if not intelligent and saw right through my charade.   He’s fed up with my tactics and is now insisting that I refocus – referring to our next lesson as Hell’s Italian (take-off of Hell’s Kitchen) – Oh Merda! We can’t believe we have already been in Ascoli a year – everything has moved so fast it seems like it was just a couple months ago when we arrived, dazed and confused, in a city we had never been in a region we had never visited. Then we were welcomed, shephereded, encouraged and incorporated into the wonderful life of this beautiful little city. Every once in a while we still stop, look at each other and say – “OMG, we live...

LOGISTICS            When we were in the process of trying to decide how to become Expatriates, we read about anything we could get our hands on to look over the shoulders of people who had already done it to see what we could learn.  Since we started this Blog, we have been honored to have been contacted by some people who are looking at this lifestyle and are trying to determine what might fit for them.  What follows is in response to some of the questions we have been asked on very basic logistical issues.  Some have been interested to know not only what we did but what were the driving factors behind the decisions. These were our reasons that seemed to work for us. They are not our prescription for everyone. Our hope is this will stimulate thinking for others to determine what might be best for them.  Happy Planning! An acknowledgement to Italy Magazine for their article, Tips on How To Be A Happy Expat in the 1 August 2014 edition of their on-line resource. For anyone not already familiar with that site, we recommend a visit. What follows are some of our thoughts on a few basic logistical issues, the choice of setting in which to live, whether to rent or purchase a home and whether to buy a car? These reflections come from the current stage of our Expatriate experience. They reflect our priorities that are bound to be different for other people. As much as anything, we hope these ideas provide a framework for those considering the Expatriate life to decide what is best for them and the unique lifestyle they are seeking. As a preamble, there have been some general goals behind our decision making process. High on the list has been a desire to keep things as simple, free of stress and as cost effective as possible. Another guiding principle for us was to keep at a minimum the necessity of interacting with the Italian bureaucracy. If that isn’t already something you think about from past experience, once here, it probably will be. Town or Country? – Location, Location, Location -Where do you want to call home? Our preference...