November email home

Ciao a Tutti,

I have just realised that my next email after this will be a Christmas round up & I know that you have all been waiting, possibly with your breath bated for the instalment that is Famglia McManoos in Magenta.

Tudor started Scuola Media in September which has brought new & interesting challenges, not least trying to work out whether a timetable exists & what Antologia actually is, I am still unsure but it appears to be history & grammatica all rolled into one. Tudor didn't get a timetable for the first couple of weeks, this is apparently completely normal and because a provisional timetable is created at the start of the school year during which the teachers argue/fight over whether they actually want this slot or that slot or this day or that day and once all that is settled the children get there confirmed timetable. There is space in Tudor's school diary for the provisional & final timetable so I figure there is some truth to this.

Tara has the same teachers as last year which makes my life much easier and the same class which is lovely. My Mums continue to sort my life out for me, telling when & where I need to be. One conversation which got slightly confused was when I was told that assemblea was at 10.30, a note was also in Tara's diary. Tara & I duly arrived for school at 8.30 only to find nobody at school. I then discovered that assemblea does not mean assembly for parents at 10.30; it means don't come into school until 10.30.

I have become involved in a group called Magenta del Mondo (Magenta & the world). The highlight of the groups year is to present an evening of food of the country of their origin. A weekend of festivities about the world & regions of Italy also included the Rosary being said in 6 languages. An event my husband/children & 2 friends that were visiting at the time declined to attend. I was detailed to speak the English section. I had a mild panic attack at the start of the evening when the Ugandan Nun in a fetching powder blue habit having completed her 1 Our Father and 10 Hail Mary’s then launched into something else which even I recognised as Italian and was joined by all in the church. ‘What’s that?’ I whispered to my (English speaking) friend next to me. ‘I’m not sure’ was the reply, leaving me breathing once again. But I can get through half an Our Father in English no problem so the evening went well.

Obviously I was UK and ended up giving a talk about afternoon tea in ITALIAN to about 150 people. It was easily the most scary thing I have done. I had all of the talk translated for me & everyone was told beforehand this was the first time I had spoken in Italian in front of a crowd. Mamma Mia. Having told everyone a cup of tea was just the cure for most ills I needed a large Gin & Tonic at the end of the event. I did get a very lovely round of applause at the end, possibly because everyone was pleased I had finished massacring the Italian language.

The Sunday we were back to church having declined the opportunity to parade through the streets in English/ Welsh /Scottish costume (Irish being covered by another family) I somehow ended up having to distribute bidding prayers in Spanish/ Moldavian & French to the various representatives of aforementioned countries. After mass each region of Italy set up food & drink from the regions & international food was provided by our Mondo group. I discovered Meloncello was lovely & smooth, Limoncello could knock you back, you cannot have enough red wine before lunch, and Irish coffee was the perfect pick me up before Hugh & I staggered home with 2 disgusted children who thought their parents had drunk far too much. The range of food was fantastic. Thankfully the Sicilian table was not serving Pecorino cheese with fly larva embedded in it, and having been told that the Italians are like vultures at this event grabbing food I feel I represented Britain well in the Food Grabbing event and will consider the Olympics should it become an Olympic sport.

Our travelling around Italy continue a pace with the leaning tower of Pisa and Lucca having been ticked off the list. Pisa was ok, and has been done, Lucca is a walled city and just beautiful set in the middle of Tuscan hills. If you do ever choose to visit Lucca check the website because what we thought would be a quiet November Sunday morning stroll through a quaint town was marred slightly by the Largest Comic Book fair in Europe and 30,000 extra costumed revellers. We do have some unique memories of Batman, Wonder Woman and other cartoon characters in otherwise deserted ancient streets. Lunch outside a pizzeria (it was warm enough to eat outside) was enlivened by Dan Dare & the Grim Reaper walking past.

Flu has hit Italy and so I have 2 small children home today suffering from various ailments. I think my Italian is improving. Although I'm convinced the advice home from school about Influenza A included go to confession.


My vocabulary is increasing- cough, cold, bad (insert part of body), plaster (for cut knees: due to Tudor trying to skateboard kneeling up down a slope- don't try it). Thanks to Occhio alle Speca (its like Tony De Angele from Jimmy Young for those of a certain age) a food programme on every morning my food vocab is expanding. 'Ready Steady Cook' in Italian is also a highlight and I can now answer the 'Who wants to be a Millionaire' questions. I'm up to €10,000 which is reasonable. I do like the fact I can watch the crappiest telly on the grounds it is improving my Italian.

The Ice Rink is up in the Piazza now for winter and the shops are starting to fill with Christmas goodies. The lights are up in the streets and we are awaiting Saint Ambrosia day (he is the patron saint of Milan & sweet milk sauces) for the lights to switch on.

Lots of Love

Signora McManoos

Ps mossies have gone nearly, we have cockroaches instead.