Posts on nhaima

On living in the time zone

Sun, 23 Jul 2017 17:49:26 +0000

Here where I am, in Tokyo, it is evening — almost night.

Where you are there is still sun, and perhaps you are out somewhere eating an ice cream.

God, how I would love an ice cream right now — hazelnut and pistachio. And maybe some cream on top.

I really should be making dinner, but I have no desire to. I will smoke something, then sleep. Maybe, if Morpheus deigns to grant me the favour.

Perhaps first I will sink into the bath, water at 38 degrees to dissolve some of these thoughts.

The ofuro: something the Japanese cannot do without. It is more than a habit — it is an almost constant element of their daily life.

Today I needed to hear from you, but while I was trying to prise my eyes open after a somewhat sleepless night, you were going to bed, or perhaps already asleep. And who am I to interrupt your sleep? That precious moment of the day that I am beginning, a little, to forget what it feels like.

To tell the truth, I did pick up my phone, did open WhatsApp, was given a smile — but then I let it go.

I waited 8 hours.

7 time zones plus one. To give you at least enough time to get your coffee and realise a new day had begun; while mine was slowly drawing to a close.

I waited 8 hours.

8 hours imagining you awake and daydreaming about how you might have spent this last Sunday in May. Who knows what the weather is like where you live; I could find out in an instant, but I enjoy ignoring it and carrying on imagining.

Hints of everyday life

Fri, 22 Apr 2016 02:44:15 +0000

Interior, night. Room 503-A of the Akamonkai Nippori Ryo. It is the eve of the weekend and it all began only two weeks ago. It is raining; the wind has finally stopped chasing itself up the stairwell of this building, and I can now perceive almost every single sound — and silence — of the lives in these apartments.

The earth, however, is trembling. Light, constant, sometimes imperceptible; other times with more intention. It does so often, when you least expect it; and even though you know it will happen again, you never find yourself quite ready enough to go along with it.

Japan is like this — it trembles often — and little by little you get used to it; it is a bit like an uninvited friend who drops in unannounced every so often.

Though, to be honest, I do not know whether I will ever truly get used to it. But my days are slowly filling with habits and rituals, with a whole new everyday routine that I like, that makes me feel light, fresh, full of life, charged with an energy I had forgotten.

There is the 8:30 alarm for work, messages with the family who gets up early to go to the office and cannot wait to hear from me, and school that takes up most of my week. Then there is the 4:30 ritual — the phone call with the people I love, while I walk through the streets of Nippori towards the Main Campus library where my new classmates are waiting to study together; the walks around Yanaka, the shopping at Inageya, coffee for everyone on Sunday morning up on the terrace.

Bow to the East, course set for Tokyo

Fri, 18 Mar 2016 11:48:30 +0000

I do not know where to begin, so I will say it all in one breath: I am moving to Tokyo!

Yes, I made it! Those who know me a little will understand that this is practically a dream come true — and to tell the truth, I still cannot quite believe it entirely :D

I am in a very particular mix of feelings that are difficult to describe.

I am used to travelling alone and for long stretches — I have done so since I was young, since my school days — but this time it is quite different.

In the dimension of travel in which, for better or worse, I had always moved, I was at ease because I had no great worries; I knew with relative certainty when I would return, roughly what I would see and how I would get around; there was no fear or confusion, there was mainly excitement, joy, and a great deal of curiosity to visit and experience a new country and a culture unknown to me.

There was movement, however slow.

Now, by contrast, there is something entirely different, something opposite: there is “stability.” A stability that, even if temporary (perhaps — who knows), I am transplanting completely into another country.

Because in Tokyo I will go to school every day to study the Japanese language, I will have a home to share, a job, groceries to buy, bills to pay, a city to discover and friends to meet. In short, that “normal” life which, for better or worse, I have always led here in my hometown or in Ventotene during the diving season.

Palermo among my thoughts

Sun, 03 Jan 2016 18:01:03 +0000

It is her, the Palermo I miss. The one that is never spoken of, never told. The one that reveals itself, decadent and visceral, in the rain.

It is her, the Palermo of memories. The one you cannot see, the one that shouts at you and won’t let you sleep. The one that hides naked behind the facades of its palaces.

It is her, the Palermo of my thoughts. The one that bewitches you, ingratiating and brazen. The one that devours you and then spits you back out. The one that seduces you and drags you inside with it.

It is Palermo. The one I came to know, the one that swept me away. The only one I could call such.

My Expo 2015 in 10 shots +1

Fri, 22 May 2015 11:05:41 +0000

10 shots +1 from my Expo these past few days.

For me, Expo was a genuine experience, a continuous journey through every country in the world.

With every step, the urge to set off instantly and explore each country grew stronger and stronger.

No practical tips, no mini-guides, no list of pavilions you ought to see — the only advice I feel I can give you is: go!

Go, visit it, lose yourself among the pavilions, the food stalls, the children’s games, the lawns to lie on.

It will take you around the world, covering at most 20 kilometres :)

Pavilion Zero

Pavilion Zero — World food prices

Ecuador Pavilion

Japan Pavilion

Japan Pavilion — Food, innovation and technology

Mexico Pavilion

Italy Pavilion

The Tree of Life — Piazza Italia

Weighing anchor. Or: on the great journey that now begins

Mon, 30 Mar 2015 16:44:52 +0000

I thought long and hard about how to frame this post (wordplay aside); what “tone” to give it, what kind of message I wanted to convey, and which words to use as an opening.

There are many thoughts in my head and many emotions inside me; I tried to shed light on which ones I wanted to put down in black and white for you, but, as always, when I think too hard about something, when I try to "box it in" within certain boundaries, I cannot find my way out.

My creativity, my natural inspiration, the inner flow of my thoughts, my emotions, my very life — they switch off and vanish.

And so today, my usual cup of tea in hand, all at once letting everything else I was doing go, I opened this blank page and started writing.

In my mind it is clear what I want to say, cutting to the chase without too many roundabout tales and digressions.

I am working on a new project — or rather, on my project.

A big, difficult, exciting project that I cannot wait to set in motion.

A project that is on one hand "hard-won" but deeply desired; a project that obviously entails a journey, a great journey.

And it could hardly be otherwise, given my nature as a tireless traveller — which I have, in truth, never quite managed to tell you about.

Often these journeys, these projects, spring from great changes or events that happen during a person's life; and in my case, it is a little like that too.

Back to basics: travelling India with a backpack

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 12:58:12 +0000

I have always travelled; it is the strongest memory I have from childhood. I travelled a great deal with my grandparents during my primary-school years: in June, once school was out, they would take me with them to Calabria and bring me back to Rome in September, just in time for the new school year.

I also travelled quite a bit with my parents, up to the age of about 15 or 16 — skiing holidays, weekends away, my first big trip to the United States for a month, and summer holidays down by the sea in Calabria.

But above all I travelled an enormous amount on my own. And I started doing so very early. I have always been a girl with a strong desire for independence, which my mother knows well; she will probably never forget the days and nights I put her through with worry, because at 17 I was already leaving home — once to Turin, once to Pescara, once to the Netherlands to attend a large international hackers’ gathering. And I always travelled very light: in my backpack I kept only the essentials, a book, a notebook, and my inseparable CD player (a tremendous must-have at the time). I did not even know what a suitcase or a trolley bag was. I kept on like that for years — on Saturdays, the moment school ended at one o’clock, I would run to the station to catch the train and reach all those people the internet had given me and whom I absolutely wanted to meet.

Nordic Bloggers' Experience

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 21:07:32 +0000

Sometimes, more than with words, I like to tell the story of a place through images. There are places you can barely begin to explain in words — their light, their colours, the emotions they stir in you.

Helsinki and Stockholm are certainly among them, and that is why I chose 10 photographs, taken by me, to give you a sense of what this wonderful week of the Nordic Bloggers’ Experience was for me. A special thank-you once again to Inna-Pirjetta Lahti, Sebastian Canaves, Visit Finland and Visit Helsinki :)

[gallery type=“rectangular” ids=“7546,7547,7549,7548,7550,7551,7553,7552,7554,7555”]

Japan: Hiroshima, symbol of tragedy and rebirth

Tue, 14 Jan 2014 21:35:15 +0000

I believe that if you go to Japan — assuming you have enough days, of course — you cannot skip this city: a symbol of tragedy but, at the same time, also of human strength and the will to be reborn.

Hiroshima is the city razed to the ground on 6 August 1945 by the first atomic bomb dropped by the United States Air Force, which destroyed roughly 98% of its buildings and killed 70,000 people, with further deaths in the months that followed from radiation. Looking at Hiroshima today, with its skyscrapers and its modernity, one cannot grasp the immensity of the tragedy it endured; but you only have to reach the Peace Park to gaze upon the Atomic Bomb Dome, or set foot inside the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and everything becomes tremendously clear.

The “attractions” — if we want to call them that — of Hiroshima are almost entirely concentrated in a single area, making them easy to visit in half a day. You begin at the Peace Park, a vast park that draws hundreds of Japanese visitors every day, mostly students, within which stand the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and the monument dedicated to Sadako Sasaki.

The Atomic Bomb Dome — Photo by Simona Forti Sadako Sasaki was a child who survived the atomic bombing but later fell ill with leukaemia and, before dying, folded by hand a great many paper cranes, because an ancient legend says that if you manage to make a thousand cranes you may be granted a wish. It is not so much the monument itself, but the tens of thousands of origami cranes kept nearby, that make the whole thing deeply moving.

The origami cranes — Photo by Simona Forti

Just behind this monument, still inside the Peace Park, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands the Atomic Bomb Dome — the only building left standing after the bomb exploded. There are few words to describe it, let alone to describe the emotions its sight provokes. It sends shivers down your spine.

The Atomic Bomb Dome — Photo by Simona Forti

The Atomic Bomb Dome, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the headquarters of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, and what remains of it is partly the dome and some partial sides of the whole structure. The Atomic Bomb Dome is practically the best-known monument in Hiroshima and is the symbol of the city's destruction, but also of the strength with which the Japanese managed to rebuild an entire city literally from its rubble. Next to the monument, in all likelihood, you will encounter a man seated in a chair with a series of photographs hanging on a line. He is a man who, incredibly, survived both the blast and the illnesses contracted from the resulting radiation. He is there, asking nothing, to bear witness — to tell people like us, completely ignorant of what really happened, the truth about those terrible days.

Detail of the A-Bomb Dome — Photo by Simona Forti

The emotionally powerful journey you undertake through Hiroshima culminates in a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. It is undoubtedly the most harrowing part, where everything is recounted through images, reconstructions, and remnants of that dreadful August day. You are greeted by a photograph of a clock frozen at exactly 8:15, the moment the bomb exploded over Japanese soil, and then you move through a series of stark testimonies from the era. What struck me most? A digital day-counter showing the number of days elapsed since the first atomic bomb exploded: 24,732 — and the number of days since the last nuclear test: 70! (as of April 2013)

The day counter at the Peace Museum — Photo by Simona Forti

At this point, to ease the weight of the visit somewhat, I recommend taking the ferry from the port and heading to the nearby island of Miyajima — about 5 to 10 minutes away. You know that famous image of a great red torii standing immense in the middle of the water? That is precisely what you will see as soon as you arrive on the island. Miyajima is a sacred island of Japan where it is said that both men and gods dwell, and where legend has it that one can neither be born nor die. There are many temples to visit, above all the Daishouin Temple and the Yakushinyoraizazou Temple.

Reaching Hiroshima is very easy via the Shinkansen bullet trains, which you can board using the JR Pass. It is about an hour from Kyoto and four from Tokyo. The JR Pass can also be used on the ferry to Miyajima.

Japan: the Ghibli Museum

Thu, 26 Dec 2013 16:59:54 +0000

A journey into the wonders of Japanese animation

For lovers of Japanese animation and of the master Hayao Miyazaki, there is a magical place that absolutely cannot be missed if you are travelling to Tokyo. This place is the Ghibli Museum of Art, situated in Mitaka, a district to the west of Tokyo, about 20 km from the centre, reachable in approximately 20 to 30 minutes from Shinjuku.

Museum exterior entrance - Photo by Marcello Barnaba

Visiting the museum is like stepping completely inside one of Miyazaki’s animated films, with all its magic, its fascination, its extraordinary genius. The Museum has been open since 2001 and was strongly desired — and entirely designed — by Hayao Miyazaki. Exactly as he does for his films, for the museum too he first sketched drawings and drafts and then handed everything to the team so they could create an incredible structure from them.

The Museum is situated inside a park, surrounded by greenery, and extends upwards rather than horizontally. At the entrance is a large, very high hall, where on one side you will find the cinema in which you can watch one of the short films projected exclusively at the museum, while on the other side a series of small rooms unfolds where you can observe and interact with the various animation mechanisms used for the production of the films.

Cinema ticket - Photo by Simona Forti

Going up to the next floor, there is then the room for younger visitors, where honestly I would have liked to go in myself. This room houses a large “Neko Bus” where children can play and have fun, sitting inside it just as in the film “My Neighbour Totoro” :-D On the same floor you will find the souvenir shop “Mamma Aiuto!” where you can buy absolutely everything! Pins, notebooks, plush toys, magnets, small towels, t-shirts, character figurines, and much more. A true paradise for lovers of his films.

India, that unexpected journey. That comes back again

Sat, 07 Dec 2013 23:17:36 +0000

I walked across India barefoot on impossible roads; I lived in an ashram as though it had always been my home; I meditated, for hours, inside the Temple of Peace on Earth in the presence of the largest mercury Shiva Lingam in India, in the shade of mango trees, sitting before my master’s mandir; I met people from all over the world and shared everything with them for days and days; I found peace, inner peace, the real kind — and now I know what it tastes like.

In that patch of land immersed in the forest, in the company of monkeys and peacocks, where time seems to stretch and bend under the effect of distortion; where a superhuman harmony reigns, never known before; where everything flows as it must flow, where the energy is so powerful that at certain moments it hits you completely.

Never, not ever, on that 4th of September a year ago while talking with my friend Alessandro, could I have imagined that all of this would happen to me, that life would change me so profoundly, and that I would find myself now here speaking of India, of my master, and of that spiritual — and surreal — utterly unexpected journey.

India: that absurd country for which you will never be prepared enough. That country that welcomes you with its deafening colours, the scent of incense, the smell of burning plastic along the roadsides, the reek of piss, street food, the pungent smell of coriander, the orange flowers used as temple offerings, stray dogs, children running naked and barefoot beneath bridges under construction, women dressed in their magnificent saris, rickshaws that hurtle at you from every direction. And because of which you risk your life every other moment.

Japan: Nara and the great Buddha

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 14:59:42 +0000

During our trip to Japan, among the smaller cities we visited near Kyoto, Nara is without doubt the one I loved most. Apparently small, it reveals itself in reality as a true gem. You only need to step out of the station, cross the first large junction, and you immediately find yourself walking along a small street full of delightful shops that leads you straight to the marvellous Nara Park. The park is one of the unmissable sights of this city, and almost all the places of greatest interest are found within it — and to our great astonishment it is home to some 1,200 deer that freely roam and interact with people! Which is why Nara is also known as the city of deer :)

Nara

Thanks to a well-made map that a lady at the information centre kindly gave us, we managed to take a long walk through the park visiting the main temples and sites. One of Japan's great qualities — excellent, I would say — is that everything is always well organised. One could almost travel without a guidebook, given the large amount of information that is often readily available at every station.

Japan: Kyoto and the allure of tradition

Wed, 26 Jun 2013 18:52:45 +0000

Kyoto was without doubt one of the cities that has remained most deeply in my heart.

Known above all as the city of the geisha — where you can still encounter them walking along the streets of the Gion district — Kyoto is the city you absolutely must not miss if you are seeking the atmosphere of Japanese tradition.

Shinto shrine at Fushimi Inari near Kyoto Although Kyoto is itself a vast city, with its enormous shopping centres, the lights and colours typical of Japan, it has managed to maintain and preserve its more traditional side — the one that makes you feel a little as though you are inside a film, that evokes wonderful sensations, that truly lets you see and understand Japanese culture. There is an infinite amount to see in Kyoto, so I will limit myself to telling you about what I visited and what I think is worth seeing.

Japan: Koyasan and the Buddhist temples

Fri, 21 Jun 2013 14:54:17 +0000

If there is one experience from my trip to Japan that has remained particularly close to my heart, it was without doubt the visit to the area of Koyasan and the overnight stay in one of the Buddhist temples.

Konpon Daito Pagoda

The Koyasan area takes its name from Mount Koya and is situated on the Kii Peninsula, in Wakayama Prefecture, not far from Osaka. Mount Koya, considered one of the most sacred places in Japan, was founded 12 centuries ago by the monk Kukai, also known as Kōbō-Daishi, and over time became the main centre of Shingon esoteric Buddhism, one of the largest and longest-lived schools of Japanese Buddhism. Mount Koya stands at roughly 800 metres above sea level and the entire area is rich in Buddhist temples and ancient monastic complexes, nestled in the green of nature, which offer board and lodging to travellers.

Japan: Tokyo, the great metropolis

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:38:58 +0000

Trying to talk about Tokyo and/or recommend some places to see in a single post is practically impossible. If I were to describe it in a few words I could say it is enormous, ever-changing, colourful and unexpected. As with all of Japan, Tokyo also changes quickly; you can pass from the incredible crowds of Shibuya to the almost provincial calm of Musashino — all within 20 minutes by metro.

A street in Musashino The districts — or rather the prefectures — are numerous, some very different from one another, and deciding which of them to go and visit was a task at which we only partly succeeded. But despite frequently consulting the Lonely Planet during the trip — which is very well done and particularly useful — I essentially let myself be guided by "chance" and instinct. That is my way of travelling. However much I try to draw up a rough itinerary to follow, I invariably end up upending it. I love getting lost in the back streets of neighbourhoods, getting off the metro at random stops and visiting places I had never even heard of. After all, Japan is a country that lends itself beautifully to this — it has so much to offer that you would never want to go back to the hotel.

India: user's manual

Sun, 26 May 2013 15:24:07 +0000

India: you either love it or you hate it. It knows no middle ground. It is the land of contrasts, a country that puts you to a stern test on several fronts but that also knows how to give you a great deal — everything that, for obvious reasons, our own country or culture could never provide. I loved it, and deeply so, and I suffered from the fact that on this trip I did not manage to see it as I would have wished. But in the end mine was only an au revoir and, having learned from what those 16 days taught me, I know I will go back better organised. As I was saying, India puts you to the test, starting with the heavily spiced and spicy food, with what you can see along the road as you walk through the cities — because poverty is considerable and very visible, especially in the outlying areas.

So what are the things we can do before and during our stay in India to enjoy it fully and serenely, without risking having it ruined by physical ailments or various discomforts?

Let us start with the hotel: as I had already said here before leaving, if you want a hotel that meets at least the minimum requirements of hygiene and decency, you must pay. Besides the classic Booking.com that everyone knows, what I would recommend is also having a look at Agoda.com, used predominantly for Asian destinations, where you often find hotels and deals that you would not find on other sites. If I may, spend a few extra hours of your time doing cross-checks on the hotels you have chosen. Look for reviews on TripAdvisor, Google reviews and other sites; and above all look carefully at the date of the most recent review. Do not trust those with reviews that are too old, otherwise you risk being caught out.

Japan on a budget (or almost)

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:57:06 +0000

Japan is one of those places to visit at least once in a lifetime. It is a marvellous country, a country where you truly understand what respect means — respect for other human beings and for the land — where everything works perfectly, where people tend towards collaboration and cooperation rather than individualism. It is a country that can change very quickly, even simply by passing from one street to the next; from the delirium of lights, colours and sounds of a certain Tokyo neighbourhood to the more traditional and ancient atmosphere of Kyoto.

It is a country where people are not, in truth, cold or impenetrable as is often believed or said; they are simply terribly shy, extremely careful not to disturb others — especially foreigners — and deeply honest. And it is not even true that it is such an expensive or unapproachable country as one might think. With the right precautions you can do a trip to Japan of 10 or 14 days without spending a fortune.

Buddhist Temple at Koyasan

India: what to pack

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:52:33 +0000

When I left for India in March I had a vague idea of what to pack; but now with the benefit of hindsight I feel I can give this advice to anyone who intends to travel to India and/or an ashram, as I did.

The list of things to bring was not actually that long, but they were all fairly important items. As I mentioned previously, India is a country where it is generally warm at any time of year — at least during the day. So you should favour light, comfortable clothing, preferably cotton or linen in light colours.

Photo by Simona Forti I therefore chose to bring some short-sleeved t-shirts but above all cotton kurtas and long tunics to pair with loose, non-fitted cotton trousers; a pair of light sandals and a pair of trainers.

India: when to go and how to prepare

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:23:49 +0000

When, a few months ago, I bought my ticket to India I knew nothing, or almost nothing, about this country in terms of organisation and travel tips. So I began a lengthy search to prepare myself, at least “practically”, in the best possible way. India is a very vast country; if you truly intend to see all of it you must make peace with needing at least 2 or 3 months available. I, this time, will have only 16 days and mine will be a somewhat particular journey, since I will be spending most of the time in an ashram — that of my teacher of Kriya Yoga.

Some cooks in an Ashram in Pune - Photo by Alessandro Ceccarelli

If you want to visit India, the first thing you must do is choose whether to go to Northern India or Southern India. If you look for printed guidebooks, or topics across the web, you will in fact find them divided in this way. For the same reason it is also difficult to define which period is meteorologically best, because the climatic factors are very diverse.

Japan: when to go and how to prepare

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:15:09 +0000

The trip to Japan, a lifelong dream finally come true. One of those journeys you have absolutely no plan to make but that almost happens by accident, thanks to an airline offer that lets you buy a return ticket at a truly affordable price. When I bought the ticket in December I had the possibility of choosing when to travel, somewhere between February and June.

After a great deal of searching, researching, and analysing, I chose late April for two main reasons: the first is that I have always wanted to witness the cherry blossom, which normally occurs between April and May; the second is that spring (March to May), together with autumn (September to November), is one of the best periods to visit. The climate during these periods is very pleasant, not particularly hot or cold, and so it lets you walk around the cities without any particular difficulty. It must be said, however, that late April is a holiday period in Japan — the Golden Week — so it is wise to book accommodation well in advance to avoid the risk of finding everything completely full.

Photo by Piermaria Mendolicchio

Since my trip will last around 14 days, and I intend to move around enough to see a bit of the country without getting stuck in just one city, I preferred to use two cities as a “base” for sleeping so as not to have to keep moving from hotel to hotel with luggage in tow. My bases will be Kyoto and Tokyo plus one night in a Buddhist temple as an interlude between the two cities.

First snapshots from India

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:00:58 +0000

10:30 pm, we finally land in Mumbai. After a journey of almost 24 hours that began the previous night at my friend’s home, I finally set foot on Indian soil. A scent of incense accompanies us along the corridor that will take us out of the airport. The first impact is indescribable. Stimuli of every kind arrive from every direction; sounds, colours, smells mingling together. The chaos is incredible; our taxi has yet to arrive and while we wait I find myself unable to do anything but stand hypnotised by what I see before me. However much you may prepare by reading and reading articles, nothing turns out the way you expected or imagined. The impact is strong, at times overwhelming, and I must be honest — not always pleasant.

Our taxi finally arrives; we get in and I discover they drive on the left as in England. This alone, for those of us accustomed to driving on the other side, creates a certain unease; add to that the fact that Indians drive rather like maniacs and you’re guaranteed a heart attack every other moment. Forget every road rule you know, because here they don’t exist. Absurd overtaking, lanes unmarked, the chances of encountering absolutely anything on the road are extremely high. The other peculiarity is that everyone constantly honks their horn — it’s a delirium! But apparently it is simply their way, so much so that you find written on trucks and buses “Horn Ok Please”.

Pune - Simona Forti

We cross a suburban area where poverty appears naked and raw in its entirety. Small children walking barefoot near piles of rubbish or amid the dust and rubble of construction sites; powerful smells of food and something else not quite identifiable; tiny, vividly coloured temples rising up among shacks of every description. India is not a country that shines for its cleanliness — we know this well — so come to terms with it and go only if you have a great capacity for adaptation. And I’m not just talking about the physical kind.

The Hobbit: discovering New Zealand

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 17:45:24 +0000

It was perhaps the most anticipated film of the year, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, out for only a week and already breaking box-office records. Personally I had been eagerly awaiting it — I loved The Lord of the Rings intensely when it came out, and I knew that this time too Peter Jackson would not disappoint me! I will not recount the film here because I don’t want to spoil the experience for those who have not yet seen it, but I can certainly say that, in my view, it is absolutely marvellous! The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first part of the new trilogy inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien and is the prequel to The Lord of the Rings; indeed, the book The Hobbit was written chronologically first. This trilogy too was filmed almost entirely in that marvellous country that is New Zealand — capable of making anyone dream, even those who are not fans of the fantasy genre. If The Lord of the Rings already made you want to pack your bags and go in search of those vast green hills, this film will make you want to even more!

Production photo from "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"

Let us look together at what a possible itinerary might be for discovering New Zealand while reliving the magic of dwarves, elves, wizards and hobbits. The easiest way to begin this tour is to fly into Auckland, New Zealand’s most populous city with over 1.4 million inhabitants, located on the North Island. From there the first stop can only be Hobbiton! The village is genuinely visitable, since the perfectionist director Peter Jackson had it built at Matamata in the Waikato region. You can stroll along the paths trodden by Gandalf the Grey, climb gradually up the hill until you reach Bilbo Baggins’s house, genuinely built in stone and wood, from where his long adventure began.

Interview with Simonetta di Pippo: work, women and space

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 17:39:55 +0000

Simonetta di Pippo is an Italian astrophysicist who currently holds the role of Special Adviser to the Director General of the ESA — European Space Agency.

She is a woman with an impressive career to her name: for three years, from 2008 to 2011, she served as Director of Human Spaceflight at the Italian Space Agency; previously she worked on major international projects, including as ESA delegate to the ISS (International Space Station), European expert at NASA on the international Mars exploration programme, she contributed to the development of the Aurora programme for robotic solar system exploration, and in 2007 she was assigned responsibility for the mission of Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli, aboard Space Shuttle flight STS-120 — which many of you will likely remember for his intense Twitter activity during his last mission.

Author of the book “Astronauti”, and always devoted to her work and mission with great passion, committed to the popularisation of space exploration, I had the extreme pleasure and honour of interviewing her for the readers of Tiragraffi, at the last edition of Frontiers of Interaction, trying to understand her point of view on women in the space sector and on Italy as a protagonist in space exploration.

Simonetta di Pippo and Paolo Nespoli

In your life you have had an intense and glorious career. How and when did you decide to embark on this life and professional path? Was there a particular event that made you understand this was your road?

Cuba, a journey through time. Scattered impressions, part two

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:00:42 +0000

Maria la Gorda - Photo by Simona Forti

Thinking that Cuba can be covered in just two articles is absolutely impossible, but in this second “instalment” I will try to give you all those useful tips for planning your first trip to “Monkey Island”. Yes, because Cuba is practically Monkey Island, the game that accompanied the adolescence of so many of us! :-) As I mentioned in the previous post, it is important to plan your trip well; to decide what kind of itinerary to follow, which cities to visit, and above all how much time you have. To truly experience Cuba the best way is to rent a car. Don’t expect, however, to find yourself on comfortable paved roads ready to take you around the whole island in two weeks. Cuba has this great problem: it essentially has only two “roads” that can more or less be called such — the Autopista Nacional and the Carretera Central. The Autopista Nacional is the motorway, though not quite what we understand by the term. There are no tolls to pay; don’t expect large service stations or rest areas. It is simply a large two-lane road that crosses the island from West to East, from Pinar del Río all the way to Sancti Spíritus, passing through Havana. Together with the Carretera Central it is in the best condition for travelling. But the peculiarity of the Autopista lies in what you may encounter along the way. Street vendors of mango paste or guayaba on foot between the two carriageways; horse-drawn carts crossing from one direction to the other, simply passing over the Autopista with all the unhurried calm that characterises this island; groups of people standing under bridges waiting for “people-carrier” trucks to take them to the cities; farmers driving their animals to pasture.

Cuba, a journey through time. Scattered impressions, part one

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:24:36 +0000

During my travels in Cuba I always kept a diary of everything I saw and experienced, with the intention of writing about it on the blog.

But condensing into a few posts everything that Marcello and I lived through on two long trips is practically impossible; which is why a small ebook has been in the works for some time, which sooner or later I will finish and publish :)

Cuban Flag - Photo by Simona Forti

Cuba is an island that lets itself be loved. It captivates you completely but allows no middle ground; there are no great compromises. And it is not the way it is portrayed on television or in the papers: all salsa and cuba libre. It is so much more. It is like travelling back in time, where time in reality does not exist. It is as though it had stopped at some “space-time intersection” of parallel universes. You cannot discover it through a tourist guide: you have to live it. However many books you may read about Cuba, they will never be able to make you fully understand its richness. I am obviously starting from the assumption that you have no intention of doing the classic resort-only holiday with sad little souvenir shops. For that there is Varadero, for instance, but know that it has nothing to do with what Cuba really is. It is a country that knows how to enchant with its beaches, its music, its enormously lush nature, its mountains, its breathtaking sunsets, but above all with its people. Tireless inventors, always smiling and helpful. A people capable of conjuring the most absurd riquimbili to take you around the city.

DIY travel: where, how, when

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:21:31 +0000

Last time I talked a little about how to organise a trip, the important things to think about and what not to forget. What I didn’t cover, however, was how to actually choose where to sleep, where to eat, what to see, and most importantly how to buy your flights. I’m obviously starting from the assumption that you want to organise your trip entirely by yourself, or almost; otherwise, if you don’t want to think about absolutely anything, the only solution is to rely on a travel agency. Apart from a few rare exceptions such as Caesar Tour, I have always honestly preferred to avoid agencies and do everything myself. Once you have chosen your destination, the first thing to do is buy your ticket — ideally a few months in advance, so you can often save quite a lot of money. Ideally you would avoid peak seasons like July or August, but I understand that not everyone has the luxury of choosing when to go on holiday; so buying your ticket well in advance can prove very advantageous. In addition to the classic and better-known Expedia and eDreams, two other search engines I use constantly and find useful are Sky-Tours and Kayak. I often prefer these over the first two for their simplicity of use and their clean, navigable interface. It may seem trivial or of little importance, but a difficult-to-use and unclear website can leave the user bewildered and tempted to give up and head to a travel agency instead. Kayak also, once you register on the site, allows you to enter and create your trips, planning them by entering travel information and with the option of sharing them on social networks. Through the iPhone app it is also possible to always have them with you and consult them once you have departed.

My London

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:20:09 +0000

This is almost certainly not the first article you will read about London, but perhaps yet another in a long series telling you what to visit in the city, how to get around or where to stay. In reality this time I don’t want to offer you a proper mini-guide to London; rather, I want to tell you about London as it appeared to my eyes and how I still feel its absence. London is in some respects the city of “opposites” — the city where you can choose to plunge into the frenzy of people, sounds and colours right in the centre between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square; or to take refuge in search of peace and quiet in one of its many beautiful parks.

I remember in this regard one of the most beautiful Easter holidays I have ever spent, right in London, last year. It was Easter, 25 degrees, a warm and enveloping sun, and we — together with many other Londoners — lying on the grass of St. James’s Park, dozing and dreaming. It was not in the least the London I had so often read about: chaotic or noisy. Quite the contrary! It was like being in a different London, completely unlike how it is normally described; it was a calm, pleasant London, almost like a provincial town. London is the city that gives you the possibility of spending entire days immersed in art and culture, very often without paying a single pound. Places like the Tate Modern, or the immense British Museum, or the National Gallery are all absolutely free. Incredible works of art or entire periods of history made available to everyone, which you can choose to visit for whole days at a time. I remember the first day I arrived in London for the first time, on a morning in August many years ago — the very first sensation I felt, despite not knowing the city at all, was one of “home”. I knew nothing of London, beyond the few directions I had been given to reach the place where I would be staying. But its welcoming nature, its “internationality”, never truly made me feel like a foreigner.

DIY travel. Some tips on how to get organised

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:21:50 +0000

When you decide to set off on a trip, short or long, it is always wise to be organised in order to avoid unpleasant surprises along the way. If you intend to travel to the other side of the world for a few weeks, the best thing would be to begin preparations at least two or three months in advance. Ideally you will have already chosen your destination and perhaps even bought your flights :) Purchasing the ticket well in advance allows you to save considerably on cost. The first thing to check is your documents: verify that your passport has at least 6 months of validity; virtually every country now requires this, and the 6 months are counted from the moment you request entry, so it is a fundamental prerequisite you cannot overlook. Find out which visas are necessary, whether you need medical insurance, or whether you need any vaccinations. Very often you can request these documents online or at any travel agency, regardless of whether you bought your ticket or trip through them. Study the country you will be visiting: its culture, customs, what type of electrical voltage they use; perhaps learn a few words of the local language. Depending on the time of year you choose to travel, find out about the climate you will encounter so you can pack appropriately; if you also plan to go diving, find out about the water temperature: having a 3mm wetsuit in 20-degree water will leave you very cold :) If you are going to a tropical country, check whether you will be visiting during hurricane season; for this you might also need a windproof jacket to shelter from the rain or a lightweight waterproof.

San Francisco in and out. What to see in just 3 days

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 14:09:58 +0000

I had barely returned last week from my first diving trip in the Philippines when I was already off again, bound for San Francisco! Alas, I had only 4 days available, as I was accompanying my partner for work reasons, but they were enough to show him the main attractions. To be entirely honest, I’m not particularly fond of the United States, but San Francisco has that certain something that, even 15 years ago, left me enchanted. Three days and so much to see: where to begin? We started at Pier 39, a San Francisco classic. A place full of shops, typical tourist shopping and restaurants. So if you love giving gadgets and kitsch objects as gifts, this is the place for you: from Alcatraz souvenirs to Golden Gate ones, to shops selling exclusively every imaginable type of magnet. We went there to admire the clusters of sea lions basking in the sun on wooden platforms, happily posing for the multitude of tourists who stroll the pier every day.

Another interesting thing to visit, if you love the sea and the marine world, is without doubt the Aquarium of the Bay. After a first room with tanks containing fish of various kinds, you descend to the lower floor where the real spectacle awaits: an underwater tunnel from which you can admire large tunas, elegant manta rays and beautiful sharks. You’ll feel as though you are truly underwater alongside them! Of course it’s not the same thrill as when I dive, but I must say it comes remarkably close :-) Once at Pier 39 you need only continue along the Embarcadero, reach Fisherman’s Wharf and admire the Golden Gate in all its grandeur, which at sunset always offers beautiful photographic moments.

Space Valentine's Day

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:54:27 +0000

I’m not fond of Valentine’s Day, nor of the consumerism and compulsive, almost diabetic spamming that comes with it.

But I love science and space exploration, and I simply could not remain indifferent to this little gem: a delightful greeting video produced by the ESA :)

So, best wishes to all those in love with science :)

Below 2012. Give a well in Africa for Christmas.

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:43:26 +0000

This year too, the association I belong to, 12 Scatti, has produced the Below underwater photography calendar, which you can see in preview.

And this year too I have decided to put it on sale online via Blomming :)

Obviously it can also be purchased simply by contacting me!

What I want to be clear about is that 100% of the proceeds reaches its destination; this is because we have no administrative costs. We have no physical premises and therefore no rent, utility bills, etc.

We do not pay photographers’ royalties because they are donated to us; so everything you choose to give to the association arrives in full.

In just over 4 years we have built no fewer than 37 wells for clean drinking water!!

Other figures..:

Below 2006 1,398 calendars distributed

€10,188.00 donated to charity + a contribution of €19,812.00 from Acea S.p.A.

Below 2007 2,040 calendars distributed

€15,408.00 donated to charity + a contribution of €17,392.00 from Acea S.p.A.

Below 2008 8,841 calendars distributed

€61,683.00 donated to charity + a contribution of €16,400.00 from Acea S.p.A.

Below 2009 13,320 calendars distributed

€73,632.00 donated to charity + a contribution of €20,000.00 from Acea S.p.A.

Below 2010 10,008 calendars distributed

€74,930.00 donated to charity + a contribution of €20,000.00 from Acea S.p.A.

Below 2011 9,840 calendars distributed

€124,099.00 donated to charity (including €15,830.40 from the 5x1000 scheme for 2008 and €12,520.71 from the 5x1000 for 2009)

The calendar costs €10; if you are in Rome you can contact me (all my contact details are here on the blog) and collect it in person, otherwise I can send it.

Burkina Faso 2011: diario di viaggio degli ultimi giorni. #12scatti

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:17:23 +0000

Here I am again with the rest of the travel diary I promised you. I know very well it is a very long post… but it is really worth taking a little time to read it in full. I didn’t have the heart to “break it up” further, and I didn’t want to interrupt the flow of events recounted here too much :)

I am finishing organising the photos they took to publish them, and I am also finishing editing the various videos they shot; some are truly wonderful.

I hope you find it an enjoyable read :)

Simona

Day 5 (Wednesday the 16th)

Definitely the most gruelling day!

Departure at the usual time, after breakfast. Destination Mogtedo to visit 4 villages; in order:

Bomborè V6
Rapadama V7
Mancarga V5
Bessin-Noghin

The road to Mogtedo is long, but nothing compared to what awaits us…

Bomborè V6

There is a market at Mogtedo.

Along the dirt track we turn onto, immediately on the left an endless stream of people on foot, on carts pulled by tired little donkeys, motorbikes and bicycles loaded to the absolute limit of anything your imagination can conjure up, and more.

Crates heaving with chickens, goats with all four legs tied in a bundle lying inside semi-cylindrical baskets, not exactly comfortable… All of it enveloped in a reddish dust cloud, stirred up by the wind from all this to-and-fro of people and engines.

The track does not take long to become a mere trace through the bush, which keeps crossing other trail traces, perpendicular, converging, oblique, diverging (which makes you wonder, why did Marcel take this one and not that one, or that other one…), and also parallel ones where it is necessary to go around the most uneven and water-eroded sections to cross the dried-up river beds.

Burkina Faso 2011: diario di viaggio dei primi 4 giorni. #12scatti

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:00:34 +0000

As last year, my mother and her partner went to Burkina Faso to visit the current state of the wells built together with the association 12 Scatti per l’Africa, which I have already told you about in this post.

I have to admit I regret not having thought earlier to explain to her how Twitter works, so she could tell the story live as she was experiencing it. So I decided to do it for her.

I relay on Twitter what she tells me via text message :) in real time: the moment she writes to me I write to you, because I like the idea of making you part of this, of giving you a real firsthand account from the field :) I decided to use the hashtag #12scatti as it recalls the name of our association.

Life in the villages of Burkina Faso is not easy at all; my mother and her partner (last year they were four, this year just the two of them) are staying at the nuns’ establishment, which also has a hospital and an internet connection through which my mother managed to send me the travel diary of the first few days and a photo!

I decided to post the travel diary, written jointly, just as it is in its entirety :) with the typos, the perhaps misspelled village names, and the table of wells to visit; complete with Massimo’s irony and my mother Rita’s sensitivity :)

Here and there you will find small notes written by me, simply to explain what is being mentioned :)

IFAD: Governing Council 2011

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:55:37 +0000

Last Saturday, 19 February, I had the opportunity — or rather, I would say the honour — of attending the 34th Governing Council of IFAD in Rome. The event brought together delegates from 167 IFAD member countries who, alongside international figures, young leaders from farming communities, and high-level institutional representatives, debated how to guarantee food security, strengthen smallholder farmers, and how to support — and above all encourage — young people living in rural areas of developing countries.

Opening the proceedings, Fund President Kanayo F. Nwanze said that IFAD is working to build stronger and more dynamic rural economies, which will in turn give momentum to the agency’s efforts to eradicate rural poverty. “The programmes and projects we support are creating the conditions for smallholder farmers and the entire rural poor to become small entrepreneurs in the new emerging markets.”

The Board of Governors was also attended by Kofi Annan, Chair of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and former Secretary-General of the United Nations, together with Princess Haya Al Hussein, UN Messenger of Peace, who touched on a fundamental point of discussion that was later taken up in the afternoon during a round table in plenary session: “making agriculture more attractive to young people with ambition and initiative.” “They are the generation needed for sustainable change to occur.”

This is a theme that has always been very close to my heart, one that touches me personally. For years I have followed and supported the Slow Food movement founded by Carlo Petrini, who was the protagonist of the round table held during the afternoon — a round table I was very happy to attend.

We WELL it! And you?

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:19:14 +0000

For some years now I have been a supporting member of a non-profit association called “12 scatti” (12 Shots). The association was founded with the aim of helping children in Burkina Faso (Ivory Coast), who die every day from diseases caused by the lack of clean drinking water, through the construction of wells that make this indispensable resource available to ensure survival.

The funds needed for well construction are raised through the distribution of calendars we produce ourselves, with a minimum contribution of €10. The calendar, long known as Below, is made with beautiful underwater photographs taken by volunteer photographers. Here you can see a preview of the 2011 calendar: http://www.12scatti.org/below/11/defin/elenco-foto.html

I want to make clear that the association directly oversees, with no intermediaries, the production process, the quality of materials used, and the relevant construction costs. As every year, I take part in distributing and “selling” the calendar for fundraising, and this year I decided to do it differently, using a new online service I have been testing for some time and which I find genuinely charming and very useful: Blomming. The calendar can be purchased on Blomming at this address: http://blomming.com/mm/nhaima/items/328 for €10, payable via PayPal, bank transfer, or postal order. Shipping costs this year will be free :)

In the hope of welcoming you among us as supporting members, I leave you with some photos taken last year during a trip to Burkina Faso. The Italian woman you see in the photos is my mother ;)

Moments for Drinking Tea

Mon, 18 May 2009 00:45:43 +0000

From “Ch’a Shu” Hsu-Tze-Shu (Ming Dynasty)

In moments of leisure
When poetry wearies us
When thoughts are confused
Following the rhythm of songs
When the music falls silent
Living in solitude
Devoting oneself to refined pastimes
Conversing late into the night
Studying on a sunny day
In the bridal chamber
Entertaining guests of distinction
Hosting intellectuals or beautiful young women
Paying visits to friends returned from afar
In fine weather
When the sky is covered in clouds
Watching boats glide along the river
Among trees and bamboo
When flowers bloom and birds sing
On warm days by a lotus lake
Burning incense in the courtyard
After the guests have gone
When the young have gone out
Visiting secluded temples
Gazing at springs and steep ravines…

Litania contro la paura Bene Gesserit

Wed, 06 May 2009 00:52:22 +0000

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

~ Frank Herbert

Balance

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:45:13 +0000

It all comes down to balance, which is no easy thing to achieve. To self-awareness. Trying not to let oneself be dragged down by those low human instincts — so devoid of meaning — that make you lose sight of what truly matters.

When a Tool Becomes an Addiction

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:11:27 +0000

There are those who are aware of it and those who are not. And perhaps that is the key to getting out of it. Or perhaps it is only so for “us” who have in truth already been through it, fallen all the way in, and then managed to climb back out and detox ourselves from it. But to what extent can this permeate and influence our lives, down to every smallest thing — reactions, thoughts, attitudes? Completely. And when do we manage to realise this? If ever it even happens. Are we still in time? Perhaps, speaking personally, each one of us would say yes; for my part, without a doubt. But for this society, for all of humanity, I now harbour serious doubts — if not outright no hope at all. It will unfortunately be an ever-growing crescendo. Web 2.0 surrounds us, haunts us, subjugates us. We have it everywhere. Through the computer at home, at the office, on our mobile phones, wandering through shops, through the gaming console, on television. We will reach the point where we can vocally command our home to change our Facebook status the way Jimi in Nirvana used to tell his to run him a hot bath. It is so pervasive, so invasive, that it turns up in your everyday life constantly and continuously, like brushing your teeth in the morning before you go out. And when small sensations, connected to real, living people, yet mediated through this tool, pass through your soul and body — then you understand you have reached that point. The point at which you must reclaim your life entirely, without it being falsified, altered, and dissociated, and without the lives of others — perhaps even people you no longer wanted to be connected to in any way — interfering with your own.

Creatives Team Roma Est @ London, Regent's Street Apple Store

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:54:15 +0000

And here is our lovely group photo at the end of the 5-day training =)