July 25, 2014

THE GERUND. but just the present tense one, and some odds and ends and little pieces of string


Firstly, for today, here is a little video about pieces of string. This is one of my all time favourite songs and videos in the world. I like this concept of pieces of string, it always reminded me of the creative process. We collect little things that jump out of every day life and need to be saved and absorbed and treasured, and one day, maybe,(because it doesn`t alllways happen. It`s not a rule) they'll suddenly find their home and appear in a painting or on a card or a hand made treasure box. They need time to sleep and grow and wander.. 

Maybe it is like that with all the  little bits of Italiano words that I hope I am remembering! or at least they are somehow being stored somewhere somehow to one day be retrieved and properly remembered. Perhaps I mustnt worry about which words are the most important, which grammar "thing" is the most urgent etc etc and rather just collect little shiny pieces of string!
Like:  "tapetto davanti al focolare" It will come in handy one day I am sure!



Let us start:

T
oday Mauri explained `THE GERUND` to me.
I have a great confession to make, which is getting more prevelant by the day in "Opperation Italiano Emmersion", and that is this:
I know almost NO English Grammar, never mind Italian!
So, every time Mauri explains a new little Ìtalian "thing" to me, he has to start with a `little` English grammar lesson.. followed by then trying to explain and "translate"into Italiano which is extremely challenging, mostly because Italiano is a visual feeling sort of language, where as English is a more practical doing language. Often in Italiano, you have to decide which word or rule to apply based on "if it sounds nice or right" sort of thing.  I find it completely fascinating and I find myself wishing to remember every little word and expression, but alas.. but it is quite hard! 
So I am getting double grammar lessons now. Goodness knows how I passed English in high school, not having an ounce of learned grammar in my brain!!


THE GERUND (present tense only for now)

The Gerund in Italian is not exactly the same as the Gerund in English. In English we say:
I am singing. we are running. you are walking. Its the "ing" words.

So, very simply, as a introduction: In Italiano, we turn a verb into an "ing" verb, like this:

Verbs ending in ARE, change their ending to ANDO
Verbs ending in IRE or ERE, change their ending to ENDO

Then, to use the verb, you have to include the verb STARE (to be, to stay) before the "ing" (ANDO-ENDO) word:

(Io) sto               I am
(Tu) stai                  You are
(Lui-Lei) sta           He She is
(Noi) stiamo          We are
(Voi) statte            You pl are
(Loro) stanno     They, these are

Per Essempio:

Leggere       Stai leggendo           You are reading
Mangiare      Sta Mangiando           He She is eating

Dormire       Stanno Dormendo         They are sleeping
Fare          Sto Facendo             I am doing, making
Ascoltare     Stiamo Ascoltando       We are listening  
Aprire        Loro aprendo            They are opening
Capire        Sto Capendo             I am understanding
Andare        Stiamo Andando          We are going
Provare       Statte Provando         You (pl)are trying
Aspettare     Stai Aspettando         You are waiting, lingering
Lavorare      Loro Lavorando          They are working
Abitare       Stiamo Abitando         We are living/dwelling
Girare        Sto Girando             I am turning/twisting/ going around
Cantare       Stiamo Cantando         We are singing
Guardare      Stanno Guardando        They are looking/watching
Insegnare     Statte Insgnando        You (pl)are teaching
Crescere      Sta Crescendo           He she is growing
Chiamare      Stanno Chiamando        They are calling
Correre       Sto Correndo            I am running
Comprare      Stai Comprando          You are buying
Smettere      Sta Smettendo           He/she is stopping, quitting, interrupting
Sentire       Stiammo Sentendo        We are hearing/sensing/feeling
Uscire        Statte Uscendo          You (pl)are leaving/exiting/spilling over
Ricordare     Sto Ricordando          I am remembering
Avere         Sto Avendo              Having... 


Ok, so the difference between the Italiano Gerund and the English Gerund IS, as I understand it.
In English, you can make a statement like, I am singing, I am running, I am listening.
But in Italian, there should be two sentences, using the SAME subject but where one is dependent on the other.
Per Essempio:
Mangiando la pasta mi sono accorta che era cruda
- While eating the pasta, I realised it was raw
Avendo parlato a lungo, Il voce scompare
- Having spoken for a long time, the voice dissapears
Studiando cosi, passerai l`esame
- Because you are studying, you`ll pass the exam
Facendo cosi arriverai tardi
 If you do that (doing that), you`ll arrive late

I`ll add more later... diche Maureen

so basically THE GERUND lets you say things like:
If this, then that / while this, then that / having this, something that ... and so on. Sort of!
and thenn, there is the PAST gerund,  and the PERFECT gerund,  I think, but that is for another day!


Verbs for practising
The Gerund!
Lots of things including THE GERUND
More Gerund things

I must do Bibbs next, we have finished the book! now I must make a collection of the expressions and idioms.
and practice the Gerund!!

Oggi e Sabatto. Stiamo andando giocare!!  ciaooooooo tutti!




July 23, 2014

Coscienza Sporca! The guilt of the non happening verbs from The Last Outpost of Living in Drawings

A very quick little blog for today.

Ok so the verb experiment from Sunday has not gone quite according to plan. I can real off  - The Little Starting List - of present tense. Here goes, guarda! Io sono, tu sei, lui/lei e, noi siamo, voi siete loro sono... lalalalala...and I understand, sort of, the concept of when they should be used.  But!  I am struggling to make up proper sentences about real life, IN real life.

So I`ve been trying something else. I figured, ok maybe if I learn some more vocab, like collecting lego or crayons, that would be a good start for these illusive 'proper sentences'! and I might feel like there is a tiny bit of weight in my brain of a few more pieces of Italian, that might even be useful one day!

And, you can, after all,  make statements with a noun, babies do it!
Milk. book. bath. mama. Papino, Tata, sleep and so on. [well, Babacino is not QUITE there yet, but I am imagining on his behalf, and he will be there, soon, yikes. The mama is supposed to know more than the baby!! eek! A baby cannot live on crayons alone!]

I have a list from Mr Internet of the supposed 1000 most popular or most used Italian words, and I have lovely colour print outs of them, so, I am doing two things:

I am working through that list, writing down the translations, iether from this -wonderful dictionary full of words AND sentences galore- or ok, there even a few I actually already know!

And then, I am writing down things from stuff I`ve read off the internet for example from an article today
lo sfogo - outlet/ burst
alluinante - scary, amazing, unreal, wild, shocking
aggredita [from agredire] - attack, assault
pugno  - fist [full], punch, handful

and because I like to see and write with my hands, I am hoping something sinks in through the process, even just a word or two a day would help!

AND THEN, because running solves most things in the world, at least for me, then I am running and learning vocab. Also, running is one of the little bits of time when I am not busy doing other things like work and being with mio caro aritto and noi caro piccolo inbetween work, supper time, bath time and bedtime of the little growing scritcholo! and so on. And my priorities are obvious and quite unmovable.

So, yes, running. This might just work! Let us see!

Today I ran to and around the lovely Battersea Park, my favourite lunch time run, because I get to be in greenery and my feet can be on grass and sand, and there are not so many people and there is some space, to rest my eyes after offices and high rise buildings!

So, I took one of my sheets (foglio) of themed nouns, which this time was [some of the] things you find in a home. And then I sort of ran in the park, and read the list trying to memorise the Italian words and say them back to myself whilst running. And no doubt appearing quite strano...  I remember most of them! brava Maureen! there were not many.. small is good. one foot in front of the other.

The only ones I'm battling with are lenzuolo and paralume, oh and tendaggio, but Mauri says tendaggio is quite a grand word for a curtain, referring to rather palestrial type curtains, and normally we'd just use the word `tenda`  - which is also used for the English word tent - tenda da campeggio. Very good to know because for now I am off the hook of learning tendaggio, I can just learn tenda. Sticking to the simple words for now, as that is what Babacino will be learning.

At Battersea Park, there is a childrens Zoo, a gallery, water, and notable trees! and quite a lot more, but not in a crowded sort of way, thank goodness!

And not to mention the fact that its a regular spot for the London Self Transendence Run, organised by the Sri Chimnoy Athletics club.
So, you could say, this park is full of meditative qualities, I hope! which hopefully means the words will meditatively sink into my brain, somehow!!

here is a picture of our post supper table, our computers and my words!

now it is time to dream. buona notte tutti. A domani!


July 20, 2014

Anchors and Post-It-Notes

Sunday 20 July,

The day after the lovely Chiltern 50km Ultra You gotta have a break from Italian SOME days! AND running gives you energy and helps with life and allows for more consuming of buono buono pane e pasta e dolci!
Reminds me, a little trivia: How me and Mio Marioto met!! We met in Madrid. At a race. Naturalmente...:)
The first running of the 100km Madrid to Segovia. Little did I know, that a few years later, we`d be sposato!! AND have the cutest 1 year old bambino in the world! So that`s the story in a very very few little words.. I shall try to find a picture of that that race a bit later, just for the record.

So back to blogging and Italian and emersion

Expat type BLOGS/SITES I HAVE FOUND THAT I LIKE, I hope they don`t mind me linking them [sites not in any particular order]. I think I have a few more, I`ll add them as we go along

Surviving Italy
Married to Italy
Unwilling Expat - The world from Sicily
The dangerously truthful diary of a Sicilian housewife
English Man in Italy
Ricks Rome
The Florence Diaries
Girl in Florence
Tim Parks - a great writer, and Brit living in Italy

And some language blogs-sites, some of which are a little repetition of yesterday, but right now, this is my transportable storage page!! aka "Anchors and Post-It-Notes"

Learning Italian
The Iceberg Project
Babel
Learn Italian for free, LOTS of excercises
DuoLingo
Learn Italian with Lucrezia, lots of lovely podcasts
Conjugate the verb
the BEST in my opinion on-line Italian-English dictionary

What I have recently grasped, I think. Ok its the basics but here goes. Firstly, I am only at the stage of present tense verbs, and a LITTLE of the possato prossomo, thanks to Lucrezia! and a TINY bit of futuro, but only for VERY few verbs mostly the ones out of the Bibs story book.
I am trying to get the present tense ones right first. AND I have understood the concept of a REFLEXIVE verb. That is something you do to yourself so like "farsi la barba" - I am shaving/doing my beard. In Italian, words used in different contexts can take on completely different meanings.
Fare for example,  can mean a whole list of things: to do, to make, to produce, to manufacture, to create, to be, to get.


Ok but the verbs I think are probably the most important in Italian, and which I know off by heart now and I need to Make Sentences with, more are

ESSERE - to be, to exist
Presente                             Passato Prossimo
io  sono                             io sono stato/stata       
tu  sei                              tu sei stato/stata
lui/lei è                            lui/lei stato/stata
noi siamo                            siamo stati/state
voi siete                            voi siete stati/state
loro sono                            Loro/loro sono stati/state

STARE - to be, to stay, remain, stand, be situated, live; to fit, depend (on); to be about to
Presente                            Passato Prossimo
io  sto                             io sono stato/stata       tu  stai                            tu sei stato/stata
lui/lei sta                         lui/lei stato/stati
noi stiamo                          siamo stato/stati
voi state                           voi siete stato/stati
loro stanno                         Loro/loro sono stato/stati

FARE to do, to make
Presente                            Passato Prossimo
io  faccio                          io ho fatto              
tu  fai                             tu hai fatto
lui/lei fa                          lui/lei a fatto
noi faciamo                         abbiamo fatto
voi fate                            avete fatto
loro fanno                          hanno fatto


AVERE to have
Presente                            Passato Prossimo
io  ho                              io ho avuto             
tu  hai                             tu hai avuto
lui/lei ha                          lui/lei ha avuto
noi abbiamo                         noi abbiamo avuto
voi avete                           voi avete avuto
loro hanno                          loro hanno avuto

Now I need to write sentences onto paper with my hands. Thats tonights job.

In the meantime, here are some of my pictures from yesterdays Chiltern Ultra!!! including mio Marito and Babacino, but they are not exactly in order..
And then here is something by Mio Marito about the race, as he does! - Maurizio Crispi`s all things Running Magazine


so this blog post isn`t entirely finished, really, but tomorrow is another day! I need to do work on making my Anchors and writing my Post-It-Notes!!

















July 19, 2014

Flotsam and Jetsam and Falling Lego and Change

Starting: Sat 12 July, waiting for Mauri to arrive from Italy, while Babacino sleeps. Allora! Siammo Pronti!

I love that expression "flotsam and Jetsam" I think partly its the sound of it. I think it sounds like Lego falling from the sky into ice-cream or a swimming pool in summer. Maybe, today, it's the image that best describes and introduces my current status of brain and heart. In a good way! This is what it really means, just out of interest, in the spirit of 'le parole deliziose': flotsam and jetsam


Where to start, ok, so:  In the little spaces of time between work-shmerk, a bit of running, my adorable family which includes my lovely marito and "mio piccolo" anche "noi piccolo" a tiny cute boy called Babacino, who is ONE year and 2 weeks old, and life in general, in London, I have been slowly but surely immersing myself as much as I can in Italian-ness and Sicilian-ness.  


NEWS! :Our little family, have finally decided to bite the bullet and move our toys and story books bicycles and crayons, and what not, down south a bit, to-o-o-o-o Sicilia!! Palermo to be precise. The land of Fichi d'India's, cannoli, arancini, mountains of oranges & lemons, olives, loquats!(nespolo), melanzane, finnochio, gelato, amazing torte, caffè, millions of types of bread,the sea, mountains, sunshine, hundreds and thousands of years of visible beautiful history and nice warm family family family, and where kids rule for sure!


[Sicily, Palermo precisely, is where mio marito is from and kind of lives, when he is not spending most of his time here in London living with me and Babacino, making us delicious yummy Italian and Mauri-esc very edible and moorish creations! His whole family is truelly Sicillian, they've been there for 400 years! starting in Palazzo Adriano]

Mauri's family LOVE Babacino, so it will be wonderful for him to grow up with such a loving nurturing family and community

And that, in itself, is precisely what constitutes some of the loveliest and also somewhat challenging [there is the `small matter` of me finding a way to make money, and conversing in a new language, all at the same time!] findings of the "flotsam and Jetsam" in my brain right now!


Something I typically do in my various "emmersions" in life, I've had lots, is that I especially go in search of stories of real live people who've done (or made, because a lot of what I like to do is make things) similar. Maybe it feels as if its a sort of a licence to be sort of thing. or something like that!

I found a lovely little blog last night of an American in Calabria, which strictly speaking, although South of Italy, is not quite as South as Sicilia, but almost almost. I think it definitely qualifies for my `like` emmersion thing! and she talks about JUST that. So, it is in my collection, the start of my collection, guarda!!  bleedingespresso - start where you are


AND I found lots more lovely stranieri blogs! but I will add those another time. They are realy quite a cool bunch of blogs for me to look forward to!


I have a lot of language sites too f
or language learning. Firstly, by the by, thank you to the Internet!  

I like Duolingo and Babbel particularly, as well as the lovely Learn Italian with Lucrezia. Some of her videos are still a bit advanced for me, adesso, but are great for "a video a day", and to get used to sounds and sentences and the rhythm of Italian from a real Italian. I think I am really starting to get into this playing with Italian language, I hope I can keep going, with gusto!

ANOTHER really fun thing, which is definitely part of "emmersion" is: Before work, if there is time, I read one page a day of a book, its a learning thing. It was Mauri's idea, and the ritual goes like this:

I read the page, Mauri helps with procunciation.
I try to translate as much as I can. Mauri corrects and helps, and what is especially good is that he can enlighten me about all the myriad of wonderful idioms and expressions that are so much a part of Italian, full of imagery, crunchy moorish words, and history. On top of that Mauri can usually link words back to Latin and so it is quite an education. I hope that over time my  memory improves a bit! That would certainly help!
This is our book at the moment: Bibs



I want to start a blog, a new one, about Italy and operation emmersion! if the blog could be a manifestation to myself of self discipline of "stuff to achieve and do" and of the joy of the ride,that would be kind of cool. I`ve learned that journeys, of all kinds are better LIVED than endured to obtain an end result. End results are seldom sustainable happyness pills, its all in the journey and now.

Reminds me, there is a wonderful book I read years ago, which I carry with me somewhere inside myself, when I remember! Its about art and creaivity but art is life, so, it applies directly to life. It is a great way to soften the path and give permission to play and make mistakes that can be transformed and turned around and made useable. Note to self to re-read, just bits. Books have a way of coming back to us at times when there is a need, they are quirky little creatures, books!
Here it is Trust the Process Sean McNiff


It would be awesome to connect with some of the other Sicilian and Italian expat bloggers, I am enjoying their posts a lot.  I think Ill add the links next time.

So, I need a name, and in my blog, I need to write things like
:

- what I am learning about Italy and Sicily and the culture
- what I am learning in my self and Me and Mauri Italian Lessons
- what is happening with our plans for moving!
AND any other little interesting or fascinating things about the whole topic.

[Part of that idea, I got from another amazing book Ive been reading for a few months now called La Bella Lingua by Dianne Hales. Highly recommended, both or the really fascinating information as well as the enthusiasm, ideas and encouragement that seeps from the pages]

Of course, I will keep living in drawings and my other blogs.

I NEED TO NOT TRY TO MAKE PERFECT OR DETAILED POSTS. JUST POSTS. 
Remember Sean McNiff.

For now I'm going to keep this post on livingindrawings and when I think of a name for my NEW blog, then I shall copy it, and it can be a start!


So, what I need to do as a kind of overall thing and framework...I need to  get really creative and figure out and play with the Flotsam &Jetusm of intrigue, excitement, trepidation, maybe a little fear and vulnerability, expansiveness and and and which is flying round my soul, my head, my feet.

Earth and Ground. I think a blog will help and work well. [as I tend to lose bits of paper and files saved on my computer. Enough broken crashed computers has taught me this!]

There is a wonderful quote I also found in my recent searching ramblings, which comes from a link in Bleeding Esspresso's blog, again,  mighty thanks! It comes from Pema Chordon and I've just ordered her book off Amazon


"If we want there to be peace in the world,

we have to be brave enough to soften what is rigid in our hearts,
to find the soft spot and stay with it. We have to have that kind of courage
and take that kind of responsibility. That`s the true practice of peace."
Pema Chodron

I think any kind of change, can often stir quite a lot up around older life patterns or experiences that we neatly pack away. We have to look at all of that stuff, if we want to do change properly. Im going to try!

Ok, leaving all the serious stuff for a while. For my next post, iether part of the new blog or this practice space, I will think of a name for my blog, and start storing some places to visit.
Eventually I might even be able to connect with these "stranieri" myself!

As you can see, and appologies for repeating myself profusely in this post, as it turns out! I am trying to find all sorts of ways to get in the part of my brain that best absorbs Italian. At the moment, TBH, I am finding it quite difficult even though I love love love the sound and the imagery and the whole way Italian works, or the bits I sort of understand so far. Its way less linear than English and way more complicated! but its steeped in depth and colour and quirks and humour. I am trying. watch this space. Today I sent an entire text message to mio marito, IN ITALIAN, whilst running a lovely 50km trail in the Chilterns. Of course, I COULD have been learning Italian instead, but.. its all about balance. Another message for the emmersion!

back to 12th July:
Oops, I think I need to make Babacino's lunch now before he wakes up, and then its off to collect mio MauritoMaurizio Crispi, who I called Mauri, from Liverpool Street Station after his little jaunt to Italy! YAY welcome home, me and Babacino are molto felici. And tomorrow we can read more of Bibs!

and 19th July:
Maybe tomorrow I'll try to add some pictures! and make sure all this writing makes at least some vague sense! ciao a tutti...





















20 July - RANDOM SICILIAN PHOTOS OF THE LIFE OF OUR LITTLE FAMILY. Another time I'll put pictures of the GRANDE famiglia!

July 4, 2014

A Letter to Gabriel on his very First Birthday!

Friday 20 June

To our dear little boy, Gabriel,(aka Babacino Crispi! ) Written by your Mummy

Today, a year ago, it was exactly ONE week  until you were born. 

 It was the end of the week, and I was just finishing work,  that made you 39 weeks ‘almost’ old! You were born the following Friday at exactly 9.27 at night, after precisely 40 weeks worth of wriggly somersaulting and trying to explore my rib cage  every morning before work (which in hind-site I can only presume you were doing - based on your current devotion to exploring every possible nook and cranny you can find, the more hidden the better!) , and then us getting to know each other in a kind of unexplainable way. Perhaps only pictures, or dancing, or music  could get  even close to describing that most amazing journey, that I feel so privileged to have gone on. You and me totally together for 9 months solid, exactly! (as it turns out) . I used to sometimes wish your Papino could have a go to see what it was like! but he was with you too, 100%!

I loved every single day of our time together. Your Papino used to always ask me, from Italy, what is the Beetle doing now? And I would tell him how much you were eating, how much you were wriggling, when I thought you might be sleeping, and I’d play the ’ Il Piccolo Principe’ CD, from your Papino  to you (well to us! ) every morning before work.

Almost straight away, I decided that you were my very own little surprise Beetle’ (sort of like a scarab beetle) in my tummy, and Papino’s too, of course, just not in his tummy!  And you were known to the world as  Beetle.

The day you were born, after not not such a long time of that funny word  ‘labour’ ,  perhaps a few hours, you finally arrived, and jumped right into your Papino’s arms. (I wrote about all that stuff here> The start of the Birth Story of Gabriel, you can read it if you like, its not all yuk, I promise!). Anyway, as I was saying,  I could see you peeking out with your little glowing brown eyes that everyone has come to love,  and a shock of dark hair, already wriggling and being a Munka Punka! Your Papino was with us all the time, in the hours before you arrived, as steadfast as a big big baobab tree.  And, your granny from SA was there too. Your Granny is one of your biggest fans in the world!

As soon as you arrived, I knew  that you were Gabriel , it felt  perfect. You were one  resolute little fighter, but also a tiny soft beautiful little soul who’d already made his mark  in the world and in our lives in countless ways, and THAT in itself is an important wonderful story for another time!.. As it happens, while you were still our Beetle, me and your Papino had each thought of an idea for a name to give to you, for when you arrived, because of course we couldn’t always call you Beetle!  Your Papino thinking away while in Italy, and me ‘lo steso’ while in London.  We had no idea that we were in fact , at the same time,  thinking of the very same name - Gabriel!!  Although, for me, it had always been a name I loved and something I saved in my heart, for – just in case -  one day! And that ‘One Day’ arrived on Friday the 28th of June 2013, and brought us Gabriel Babacino Crispi!!

I still often wake up, with you right next to me in your little cot, and your Papino on the other side and it feels like a dream. Then I hear your little voice and I’m filled with joy and delight and it feels grounded and peaceful and wonderful to wake up so happy, knowing  that you and your Papino are there, again, just like yesterday and just like the day before.

Nowadays, most days, when I wake up, what I see exactly, is a  little scritcholo, (thats you!) standing up all by himself, in his little sleeping gro-bag (or not, with the weather so warm at your birthday time of year)  holding onto the rail peeking out over the top with the biggest cheekiest grin ever. And you do look the picture of cuteness especially with your golden wispy sticky-uppy-hair.  As soon as we look at each other, your little smile lights up your whole face, and you immediately fall down and I say “Oh dear, Boommm!” and we both laugh. And Then you clap your hands with glee, and we say Bati La Mani Bati La Mani, bravo bravo Babacino Bravo! And then if I haven’t remembered to move your cot far enough away from the shelf, your little hands reach out trying to open all the draws and grab any objects, books especially, that you can lay your hands on. And we have a little game about cheekiness!!

And then, it’s time for ‘a nice new nappy’ and ‘our day clothes! This definitely involves a LOT of cheekiness. As soon as you’re” tutto nudo!” you race up to the top of the bed laughing your little head off, and I have to go and chase you and pull you back by your feet and make sure you don’t jump onto the floor! Then, you are “Monello Monello  Cheeky Monkey” and sometimes “Macaroniedo!” , and I think you feel most proud of your cleverness at this time! 

 Eventually we get you into your day clothes followed by lots more hugs and kisses and your chatter box mummy talking probably the biggest lot of nonsense on earth, with Babacino following closely with increasing chattering by the day, if I may say so myself!  Your favourite sound at the moment Is daidaiii daidaiiii, and you wave your little hands in the air, doing some kind of finger acrobatics, often followed by more clapping. Perhaps one day, you will become a music conductor or a mime artist, or a wave the aeroplanes into the runway with the big coloured paddles.

By that time, when you’re all dressed and ready for your day with your Papino,  your Papino has actually been awake for a few hours already, squirrelling away in his den, writing stories, collecting delicious morsels of information or reading his myriad of books positioned around the flat, on a great variety surfaces. “Happy Banana!” we say, “Happy banana, happy banana” (and that is another story all together, for another another time, how “happy banana” came about! Although, I think maybe your Papi has written the Happy Banana story already, we shall have to look at his internet story book and see!) .. followed by family hugs and cups of tea for the Mummy and the Papi.

If it’s a work day, which most days are, and it’s still early enough, which usually it is,  then we have some time to play before the Mummy has to go to work. This often involves you turning into a real live cheeky little monkey, again,  crawling as fast as you can into whatever space you can find, that is not in the middle of the room. Your preference in these matters is to go under chairs under tables, through the easel and your favourite, onto the little balcony to  stare at the world, including through the wooden floor boards to the balconies below. Naturally, like any little cheeky monkey you are also on the lookout at all times for things to put in your mouth and that is a full time occupation and mystery in itself!

Because we’re talking about the morning, I’ll explain a little bit about you and your Papino.  Your Papino has the very important and best job in the world, he looks after you all day, while I go to work.  In the morning, maybe because I look after you in the night time, the minute you see your Papino, when we do the Happy Banana Happy Banana bit, your face is filled with anticipation, and your little legs start wriggling and squirming and your little arms shoot out  and grab onto him, like a little koala bear. Sometimes he hides  away and you can hear him but not see him, you peer into  his ‘office’   ( the far side of the dining room table ) looking for him. “Dove Papino? Dove?” and you look even harder. No matter what time of day, or how many times you see your Papino, you always react in the same way, so thrilled and delighted to see him. I think you absolutely adore your Papino. I feel such pride to see such a natural wonderful bond between you two. I try to wish and believe the memory into your bones and your heart (and mine too!). Though, I am sure, it is happening very well all by itself.

I am writing this, because I wanted to write you a little letter , (which is turning out to be not so little)  before you turn one, and while I remember the details and little things of how you were when you were nearly  one. And then one day, if you ask me ‘what was I like when I was a baby?”, I’ll look into my heart and tell you all the feelings I remember and all the little things I can recall about you, and I’ll have a little box of saved up things to show you, and for you to keep. But, I wanted to write it down too, so that I don’t miss things and so that you can read it and hopefully you’ll know,  how much you were and are cherished and how every single moment with you, even when you are sleeping  is a privilege and a joy.

So, what are you like?  Well, you have quite a dark skin, it  is very Mediterranean I think.  A lot of people say you look like your Papino because of your dark skin and your deep brown eyes. I like that, that you look like your Papino. I think its ok that you don’t really look like me, because I think we share some kinds of feelings, and responses to the world. We take our time to get to know people, we don’t like big loud noises, we wake up easily from sounds, we both love hugs and kisses and affection, and we love to be bare foot with sunshine on our skin. We love to watch hanging mobiles and light falling on different things , AND we both love bananas and yoghurt and anything sweet!! And most of all we both love your Papino and my Mauri to pieces! That’s a good start, don’t you think?  
But also, you are different, and your own little person. Every day with you is a surprise. You’ve just started giving  your toys to your Papino. I think it shows how much you love him. I think you are learning how to be, from your Papino!

You love things that roll or turn, and balls  especially soccer balls. You can spot a game of football, from a mile off. Your little legs go crazy and you start squealing. We’ll have to try you out at ‘Little Kickers’ as soon as you can run! You love dogs too, any kind of dog, even big giant sheep dogs. You can see them or spot them in the biggest crowd, and you crane your little neck as far as it can go to keep watching the dog. I think you are wishing it to come and say hello to you! And that reminds me, you're also really affectionate, which I am so happy about and love about you. I hope you stay that way! I don’t know yet if that is your personality, or if its because we've always made a point of carrying you close to us in a sling, when you were tiny, and having lots and lots of family hugs and kisses, which a kid, or a grown-up for that matter, can NEVER have too many of! I hope that you can be comfortable being you, being Babacino, and that starts with the basics, authentic human contact, and thats what affection is all about! I shall have to write about that some more.. its a great topic Babacino, and of course it is very Italian, so tutto posto!!

In Palermo, a few weeks ago when we went to visit, we think, that you had learned your first word, which was “da” which we kind of figured might  be short for Frida (Frida is your Papino’s dog in Palermo. She is quite old now, she knew Franci when he was little too!) . Even now, when we say “Frida” you look around for her, and when you cant see her, your little face looks a bit forlorn. Somewhere or somehow you remember something to do with Frida. I think you are already making attachments and connections

You’ll quite happily crawl at the speed of sound right across Tata’s house back and forth chasing Frida just for the possibility of  being able to touch her fur. When you do manage to get near to her, like in Tatas car, we have to say “piano piano, careful careful” and show you how to stroke Frida without wanting to pull half her hair out in excitement and affection.

And now it’s Sunday the 29th of June, the day after your birthday, you’re fast asleep in your little rocking chair next to your Papino who is fast asleep with his book on his head! We've been out for a nice long walk with Tata, looking at boats, stopping to play on the swings and the see-saw and the slides, stopping for coffee and we even stopped on a little beach on the side of the Thames, and your Papino made a video!

Already when I read back on what I wrote a week ago, you’ve changed. Now you reach up and practice your standing all over the house, you’re getting excellent at standing and your Papino tells me you even walked from one side of the table to the other all by yourself when I was at work! 


Yesterday we had a party for you, with balloons and everything. I think you loved the balloons the most, AND of course some sneaky tastes of ice-cream. I think you were quite fascinated by all these mad grown-ups singing a funny song and all staring at you, and then your Papino blew out the candles of your cake. Gabriel Babacino , I must confess, I did really try to make you a cake for your birthday, I wanted to make you something with my hands. But I never quite managed, I tried 3 times!  Next year will be better! I have a whole year to practice. I always want there to be something made with our hands when we have family celebrations, and even just any time, its important, its about care, and creativity and connection and giving and its about communication and stories and making beautiful memories out of every day life.  (End of Lecture!)

Zio Tata came all the way from Italy to your party!! It was such fun!! And Kaelin and Kyle had icecream in South Africa for you, and Dindsy sent us the pictures, one day we’ll have to invite them, with your granny to your party!
What else can I tell you Babacino? Well since I started writing this little letter to you, I have realised that if I were to write down all the things about you on that month or that week or even that day, you change and develop so fast, and you are so full of surprises all the time, that I would never finish writing it down, or wanting to tell you everything! So maybe I’ll just write you more letters over time, and tell you little things as we go. I suppose what I can say, which doesn’t change, is that without a doubt, me and your Papino love you soooooooo much, and every day we love you even more, and every day I realise that it IS possible to love what you think you love the most, even more!   I hope that is how our family will stay, for ever!

Oh, I forgot, I have to mention dancing! You love to bop around to music, I think its partly a baby thing, but for me, its definitely a Gabriel thing too. When you hear music, you start bouncing and bopping your head, your whole little body reacts to music. There are certain CDs you like the most at the moment, like ‘Sette veli intorno al re’. The first song has children singing, and you love it and bounce around an extra amount! And the other one you love is “The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Mandela Long Walk to Freedom’ That you love!! One from your mummys country and one from your Papino’s country I’ll keep them for you!!

Lots of love and Happy Banana Happy Banana Buon Compliano Babacino! We Love you Gabriel, from Mummy and Papino xx

And here are some pictures, well a LOT of pictures, I can never choose just a few, its impossible!! They are from just before your birthday, your first birthday! and just after.  Theyre in a bit of a funny order too... but I hope you like them Babacino!! They are all about you and our family!!   (Except that we would have loved Kaelin and Kyle and Dindsy to be here, but they are far far away in Africa, but we'll visit them again one day or they can visit us!! but there are pictures here of them eating ice-cream for you, in the middle of winter in SA, they’re the pictures right at the end)

So, I'm going to end this now, its already way past your birthday time! I better start collecting again for my next letter! Watch this space, oh Babacino followers!! xxx lots of love Babacino's Mummy!