A STRANGER IN A FAMILIAR LAND Arlene and I have just returned from a visit to the U.S. over a year and a half after our departure to become Expatriate residents of Italy. Emerging extended family health issues played a role in motivating the timing to make the trip back to America. And of course, we were missing our grandchildren, the rest of the family and many friends. But now, after a year and a half absence, going to America felt somehow different to me. I want to be sure Arlene has the widest latitude to give her own impressions of the American visit experience. So I will simply say at the outset, I am primarily expressing my own personal reflections. I have reached the stage of acclimation to Ascoli Piceno that in leaving for the U.S. I felt I was now leaving ‘home’ to go visit a distant but very familiar place. In setting out on this trip, I think neither one of us was entirely sure how we would react going back to the familiar, the easy and the comfortable. We knew we would be thrilled to see family and friends but would that make the leaving once again all the more difficult? And now having started to become more familiar with Italy, how would our new Expatriate experience in Ascoli look after getting a refreshed look at the homeland we are now ‘from?’ As I expected, arriving back in the U.S. was not the same as when I had previously returned from travel. When I showed my U.S. Passport to Immigration at Tampa, Florida and hearing, “Welcome Home,” I wasn’t feeling as though I was really coming ‘home.’ Yes, I was coming back to the sights and sounds I was accustomed to and where I could now look forward to being physically close to people who are very important in our lives. But in another sense, I wasn’t ‘coming back’ because I actually felt more like a visitor in the country where I was born and used to live. I have talked before about the transition to the Expatriate life where as I am acclimating, I gradually am becoming less and less of an outsider ‘observer’...

NEW YEAR PERSPECTIVE – 2015  About this time a year ago, I sat down and compiled some reflections on what had happened in the previous year. The year of 2013 was a period of some significant changes in our lives. It was a year in which speculations, the “just what if’s” and other assorted wonderings were translated into action – we actually became Expatriates in Italy. And then in 2014, we spent our first entire year in our Italian home. Last year’s reflection seemed to concentrate on the lingering question of trying to better understand the process that culminated in a substantial change in life-style. A curse of the aging process can involve wanting to be sure you not only did something positive but that you also did it for the right reasons. By the time we have reached a certain age we may have acquired enough bumps and bruises along the way to start to figure out that motive can have a pretty strong influence on outcome. At this juncture, we have been Elective Residents legally admitted into Italy for now a little over eighteen months. We still have, and will continue to maintain, our citizenship status in the U.S.A. Although we are not Italian Citizens, we have all the protections that the Italian Constitution affords any of its citizens. We also have been permitted to buy into the Italian National Health System (Tessera Sanitaria) by paying an annual premium. At the current U.S. Dollar to Euro exchange rate, that premium in the Provence of Ascoli Piceno works out to something like $465 for both of us for the entire year. In the process of joining the health system we chose our own primary care physician. We then made an appointment and met with him to establish a relationship and to provide him with the detailed health records we had brought with us from California. The Doctor spent nearly an hour with us and reviewed the records in detail asking questions as regards present status and reviewed our prescriptions. At the end of a very pleasant visit, we shook hands and were not charged a single Euro. And we understand, if immobilized, doctors here will make house calls....

QUANTA BASTA

By Larry & Arlene on Dec 24, 2014 in Blog | 1 comment

QUANTA BASTA Among the rich experiences and emerging insights that living full time in Italy for a year and a half has afforded is a deeper appreciation for Italian Cuisine. It goes without saying that what appears superficially as a cooking style thought to be inspired by economically disadvantaged, subsistence farming is anything but ‘impoverished.’ The contemporary American inclination to simplify complex matters does a disservice to the term ‘Italian Cuisine.’ An Italian would ask, “What part of Italy are you talking about?” Italy is a very rich mosaic of very localized sub-cultures, each with their own unique identity. Local cultural identity is expressed not only in language dialect but also in what comes to the table. Many Italians find amusing what passes for ‘Italian Cuisine’ in the U.S. Here in Italy, each unique, community is tied very closely to their surroundings. The products of local agriculture and what is locally available in the way of seafood and game are the basis of the local cuisine. Discerning Italian kitchens express preference for particular agricultural products based on the characteristics of the ground and even the farm that produced them. At its very best the Italian table presents very carefully selected fresh, seasonal, locally produced ingredients prepared with very close attention to detail. With that very special skill that is learned at the elbow of a practitioner of the true art of Italian regional cooking, a meal preparation is less an exercise of repeating a mechanized and closely quantified formula but more like an exercise in increasingly delicate flights of improvisation. If you ask a very successful Italian cook how to prepare a favorite dish, the reply you get might sound more like obfuscation – “just some of this then some of that.” When you persist and ask, “But how much of that?” The standard reply will most likely be, “Quanta Basta” – “Just Enough!” That response is deeply authentic. In the preparation of the meal, there is a total engagement with a goal in mind and a derived skill in understanding how to successfully move in that direction. At that level of involvement, there is an appreciation there will be subtle differences in the fresh local ingredients from one...

ADAPTABILITY In those delicious quiet moments retirement can afford, I find myself asking if I’m living the tired cliché of ‘dropping out!’ I hope not but there is a sense in which stepping back from the intruding intensity of modern life has become, frankly, refreshing. Arlene and I both came from the corporate world before retirement. Our experience was in a high technology environment in the midst of the information processing revolution. Nothing seemed to have a shorter half-life than yesterday’s new computer software algorithms. It was a guiding principle that survival depended on a high threshold for frustration in dealing with constant change. Who had time to think about it? The world in which we all live brings evidence the speed of technological innovation continues to be increasing at an ever more rapid rate. Many of these changes have been beneficial but change of this magnitude is not happening without complex consequences. Social scientists and humanist thinkers have been asking about the societal and interpersonal implications of this issue. The resulting ‘Futurist’ visionary movement began in earnest in the last half of the twentieth century. In particular, the question was raised as to whether contemporary society is adequately equipped to accommodate to technologies that are not only rapidly expanding but also becoming more and more difficult to comprehend. After the scientific revolution of the late eighteen-century it became apparent that significant changes in the intellectual climate were happening faster than society at large had a capacity to absorb. Novelists, including Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, began addressing this issue. Verne and Wells followed earlier commentators, such as Charles Dickens, who recognized the largely unforeseen negative consequences of rapid industrialization not adequately moderated by sensitivity to the human condition. The largely unforeseen implications of increasingly rapid change on society were later captured in the expression of the “Principle of Unintended Consequences.” In looking into this concept, I discovered sociologist Robert K. Merton popularized it in 1936. His analysis concerned itself with potential side effects of actions resulting in social change. If Merton were writing today, I suspect he would add the pressures of an intensely competitive globalized market economy. In the contemporary world, market share prospects of new...

CROWDS Every so often, we get a reminder how well our instincts have worked out in choosing the Expatriate lifestyle in Italy. At this point, in becoming more comfortable in Ascoli Piceno, awareness of the original relocation decision priorities has started to fade into the background. It seems we are so pleased with how our lives have turned out, we don’t feel much of a need to re-examine how we made the decision to settle in Ascoli in the first place. And then we have an experience that says, “Oh yes, these are some of the reasons we decided to live in Ascoli!” We just completed one of those ‘re-epiphanies.’ Three special friends from the San Diego area came to visit us early this September and have just returned to California. We spent three wonderful and very busy weeks with them. We met in Rome on their arrival and then spent five days in an endurance trial to see some of the sights. Then it was on to Ascoli for four days. As we suspected they would, our visitors found Ascoli a highlight of their Italian experience. Their exposure to Ascoli was made all the more immediate by the warm and positive personal equation that has also been so important to us. First, there was an extension of hospitality at the apartment of our ever-kind friend Jo during a day at the beach on the Adriatic. And then their visit was capped off by a very well attended, fun-filled welcoming party at the Ascoli family home of our very close friend, Serafino. Our American friends have commented these expressions of kindness were some of their fondest memories of their entire experience in Italy. In addition to welcoming our American friends, a delightful couple from Canada, who have just arrived to settle here, were also part of the festivities. Our new Canadian friends are an acquaintancship that was made through and as a result of this Blog. Having them also here in Ascoli, to finally be face-to-face, is a real pleasure for us. Next, it was on to four days in Florence and then four days in Venice. We had hoped that being beyond the July-August traditional summer tourist peak...

LA BELLA FIGURA              We have been both delighted and surprised to learn that some of our Italian friends have been reading the Blog. Our original intent was to produce some observations that might be useful to family and close friends back in the U.S. It is also a means for us to keep a personal journal to provide reflections on what is happening in the new direction our lives are taking. Our first surprise came in discovering that there were other people completely unknown to us who had come across the Blog and began to follow it. Out of that group of readers we have been contacted and some promising new acquaintanceships have begun to develop. A few of our Italians friends told us that they began reading the Blog out of curiosity. They said they found it was providing them with a mirror on how Italian life in Ascoli Piceno was being perceived by people from a very different place. One of our Italian friends commented on the Blog discussion of La Bella Figura saying he found no quarrel with what was said but only that an Italian perceives the La Bella Figura idea to be quite complex and nuanced. At core, the concept is rooted in the effect one has on others and how that perception can determine how people are themselves perceived. It is clear, this is not a simple, black-or-white issue, but is a very gradational continuum with all sorts of factors involved. In more common parlance, the idea of La Bella Figura can be misconstrued. La Bella Figura is more than just a commentary on a visual fashion presentation. La Bella Figura also includes a social interaction component. No matter how fashionably attired, a person displaying an overbearing arrogance or condescension would more likely be considered as embodying La Brutta Figura – the opposite of La Bella Figura. But for us, attempting to identify La Bella Figura or La Brutta Figura involves applying judgments grounded in experience from another place. Caution is, therefore, very much in order. Actually, by now we have accumulated enough interpersonal experience to include an occasional instance of inconsiderate or even rude behavior that sure...

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...

 Readers of this Blog are likely to have the impression I have a fixation on the subject of ‘Retirement.’ Since that is the stage of life I am in, I guess I am simply trying to gain some perspective on what has been going on in our lives. High on that list has been adjusting to becoming Expatriates in Italy. Getting acclimated to Italy still is, and will probably continue to be, an ongoing process. A short time ago, we passed the one-year anniversary of our arrival in Italy as ‘Elective Resident’ immigrants. On arrival, we began the process of becoming familiar with Ascoli Piceno. Our assessment stated elsewhere in this Blog remains the same – we are delighted with the choice of Ascoli to be our new home and so very grateful to our Ascolani friends for being so generously welcoming. Over this past year, some gradual changes have been taking place in how we are responding to this new environment. Not very long ago, as I was making my way along the cobblestones of Ascoli Piceno when I realized I was doing it in something of a leisurely saunter. I was not doing my usual ‘power walk’ to get to a destination without ‘wasting time.’ Having spent so many years in the highly intensive corporate world, appearing to be very seriously engaged was essential for survival. To compound matters, I grew up in New York City commuting to High School on the subway during rush hour. In that environment, if you weren’t in a hurry, you had better get out of the way. In something over a year, I feel I have gone through some level of metamorphosis. The initial stage was breaking through a conceptual barrier to entertain the idea of becoming Expatriates. Then came the challenge of seeing it through. It became revealing to discover how indoctrinated we had become to the idea that material possessions were a significant determinant in defining who we were. ‘Would we still be us without all this stuff?’ I’m happy to report that we are still ‘us,’ on the far side of the excess material divide. In fact, we feel like a much less burdened ‘us’ without dragging all...