Christmas Santa Houses in Downtown a little Sad

Have you seen that little Santa's Village without the Santa in Piazza Ponte Rosso? They have these little wooden houses that would seem quaint anywhere else, especially if there was anything christmassy about their contents. The 5 euro hot dogs, no-stain tablecloths, 3 euro vin brulé, I don't think so.

I'm sorry, I am just not feeling it this year.

A Note about Busses

Here is my latest: as a regular bus rider in Trieste, I decided to write: Open Letter to Trieste Trasporti

http://internationalcommunicator.blogspot.it/2013/09/an-open-letter-to-trieste-trasporti.html

Just thought I would share, as this blog is about Trieste and living here!

Three Cheers for the Bora

Man that wind feels good.

 

You want to learn Perfect Triestino?

If you live in Trieste you had better learn some of the local dialect. Otherwise you will be doubly foreign. First because you don't speak Italian, second because you don't speak Triestine.

Now if you ask a Triestino if you should learn it or not, they will always say Noooo. First Italian, THEN Triestine. But they don't mean it. That whole inferiority complex about Triestino is fake. They love their dialect, and the more you can show that you do too, the faster you will make friends here.

Here is a little lesson for you.

Triestino:

Expression 1
Demo dei!

Pronunciation:
Day-moh day!

Meaning:
Let's Go! (Italian: Andiamo!)

Expression 2
Come xe?

Pronunciation:
Koh-may zay? (try to avoid the dipthongs if you can, may and zay are more  like the e sound in Bed)

Meaning 1:
How are you? (Italian: Come va?)
or
Meaning 2:
What the hell is up with you?

You are going to have to rely on tone of voice and/or context to decide which meaning it is. If someone yells it to you while you are on your bike in the street, it is probably the second, for example.

If you want to become truly fluent in Triestine dialect, I suggest you get your driver's license here. If you are American you can only use yours for a year anyway before you have to take the class (yes, THE CLASS) and then THE TEST.  In my driver's ed class there were 6 foreigners and 2 Triestini. The teacher asked us if we preferred Italian (six hands went up) or Triestino (two hands went up). Triestino won.

That's how I learned it. I've never regretted it either. I'm also happy I took the class. I'm a much better driver now, and much more aggressive.

What is up with Trieste's love affair with Concrete?

That's what I kept asking myself yesterday during my run. Where is the grass and why do hot places use so much concrete? The afternoons lately are unbearable because besides the hot sun, you've got these sidewalks and streets and buildings all made of concrete smoking up around your ankles. What we need around here are a couple of wide open fields. There are a few trees in the Giardino Pubblico (and thank goodness for that), but, that is the CENTER, where things are supposed to be beautiful, otherwise, WOW!

Now, I understand that the periphery of Trieste was meant to be more functional than esthetic, but whose idea was it to fill it with so many gigantic concrete buildings that hold on to heat so well? And what the aych was I thinking when I bought an apartment in one of them?! I'll tell you what, I found it in November, that's why. How could I have known?

Hmmph. The only answer is to eat as many popsicles and ice cream as possible.

Grooming Talk in Trieste

First, let's define. Grooming talk is that part of the conversation that we go through before either getting to the meaty part of the conversation or moving on with our day.

In English it is a game of tennis.

My serve: How are you?
Your return: Fine thanks, and you?
Ball in my court: Fine, thanks...

before moving on to more grooming talk about the (generally negative) weather conditions (no matter what time of year) or other banalities. Then the dance is over and it is decision time about whether or not to continue this thrilling conversation.

Easy peasy. Just remember, everything is always fine, even if it's the worst day of your life. Second important point, we do not ask about people because we actually want to know (that is what Facebook is for) and we do not tell people how we really are because we assume they do not care.

This game is flip-flopped for the Triestini. Let's say you just won the lottery.

My serve: Come xe?
You return shaking your head from side to side, looking down, then looking up to the sky for a moment, and then saying: Let's just say everything is okay.

or possibly a gentle shrug of the shoulders, a quick look up to the sky and a "Mah."

or possibly "How others want things" or "It's there, but gives me nothing (as in, say, life)".

And this is on the best day of your life!
Seriously.

Here is the other thing about people from Trieste. You can ask them anything in the world and their answer will be

"No. Not Possible." It comes out so fast there is no time for reflection. It is just a reaction.

But here is the secret. That's all it is. Give them time to think about it. A minute, a day, a week.

Then ask again. You will get your way, I promise, but never the first time you ask.

University of Trieste or the Cracker Barrel?

.

Good news!

There WILL be cilantro at the new international food store place I told you about.
Bad news: Same supplier as the Chinese store in Via Udine, so, Only on Fridays.
Good news: There are about 10 varieties of rice there.
Bad news: There is less variety in the bean section (unless you count lentils).
Bad news: There is nothing to eat on the spot. And places like that make me hungry. And when I say I want food to eat immediately, I am not talking about gnawing on a frozen Samosa.

However...

Good news: There are frozen Samosas.
Bad news: You have to deep fry them.
Bad news: When you deep fry things yourself you know exactly how bad deep frying things is for you.
Good news: Triestini don't seem to worry about these things.

So. When you make your new Triestino/a friend, point at him or her and say:

"You will be my friend, and you will deep fry my frozen samosas."

Wink.

I love Triestine Humor

I have heard this about 8 times this week. I am not kidding. I can't get enough of this line.

"THIS IS GREAT WEATHER FOR NOVEMBER."

How to make friends in Trieste

Choose people you kind of like.

Point at them.

Say "You will be my friend"

They say OK or NO.

That is what I did. Most people said OK.

The other way to make friends is to join a club-- Like the Associazione Italo Americana. Or a running group, or some other kind of club. That's how most people make friends if they didn't grow up here.

Note: Triestini don't really need you as a friend. They have a bunch already, some of whom they have known for a dog's age. Don't wait for them to invite you over for a "get-to-know-ya" dinner. It won't happen.

Instead, invite them. They will be surprised and really like it. They will want to be your friend after that. I guarantee it.

New Place with international food opening up!

Have you heard about this?
CURRY MIX (Impresa MIAF)
Via Torre Bianca 22/b 6pm

Inauguration of the new international food mart (Micro-company owned by a female entrepreneur named IRIN).

I can't wait to see what she's got!

A cure for the summer mixed grilling season

Yes, it is possible to go Veggie in Trieste. Here are some tips.

Tell your hosts (or Mother-in-law) you:

1. Are allergic to meat.
2. Don't like meat.
3. are allergic to all flesh (including human and fish).

These are the only strategies I have found that work.

Unless you want to become the star of a lengthy and embarassing conversation about how Wrong you are and/or what a Hippocrite you are (please do not wear leather that day), how you Must have a protein deficiency, please Never say:

"I am a vegetarian."

If you DO decide to go in that direction be prepared to explain exactly WHAT IT IS that you eat if you do not eat Meat.

Friends, feel free to be an Ambassador for the Beast, but do NOT say I didn't warn you!

Also, bring your own pasta salad on grilling day.

No one will notice.

You CAN Ride your Bike to Work in Trieste

But it is SCAREY!

I keep hoping I get the courage to become a Bike Person. I love the idea of using my body for transportation, but even though bikes are becoming more and more common in Trieste and I long to have the leggs of a bike courrier, I have not completely made the jump.

Here is why:

I took drivers' ed in Italy. I know what Triestine drivers have in their hearts. And it is NOT BICYCLE RIDERS. This means that in order to join in the cycling fun club you have to dig deep down inside and find what the Triestini call your CATTIVERIA, or what we can call our INNER BAD GIRL.This is the Wonder Woman you know you have in there somewhere who gives you the Courage to get on that Bike and ride it like it's a Motorin! Lots of Triestin girls have harnessed this energy and you can see them zipping in and out of traffic on their scooters. That is what I am talking about. I WANT THAT.

So I tried to go from my house out in the periferia in that area behind the cemetary (where I feared I would end up by the end of the day) to work downtown, and then back in the afternoon.

It was okay near my house. But the closer I got to downtown, the scareder (is that a word?) I got. in Via Carducci I lost my wits completely and went up on the sidewalk where I rode cautiously until I got pulled over by a cop (who was getting on his scooter) and told to get back in the street.

"But, I'm SCARED" I said.
"Then WALK your bike on the sidewalk" said he.
"Ok."  And that's what I did.

Until he was safely out of sight. Then I got impatient and rode my bike all the way through the pedestrian area to Ponte Rosso. I felt SO ATHLETIC, so FREE, so CATTIVA!!! I triumphantly got off my bike and carried it up  two floors (which in American would be three floors) to the Association office. There it sat for about a MONTH until I found the Baddy inside again and rode it (well, walked a lot of it) home again.

A word on Bagels

Bagels used to be the center of my world before I moved to Trieste. I got over them once I realized that my real passion was NOT the bagel but rather the CREAM CHEESE that goes on top. The bagel was merely a vehicle for getting as much of that stuff down the gullet as possible. Thank God, because even if you do have bagels, you probably don't have a proper toaster, and at that point you have opened the Ex-Pat Pandora's Box. Frightening.

Before this moment of clarity, however, I had lots of conversations about how to solve the Bagel Issue (just in case you are wondering what new ex-pats talk about for the first ten years of their new life).

The consensus was that you should not bother trying to make them yourself (this from people who tried to make them themselves). It's crazy to think that this becomes an option at some point, but if you had a window into my Google Soul, you would find all kinds of whacked-out searches for recipes for all the foods from home I missed  (not including velveeta or cheese wiz). Basically, it's a waste of time and they always taste like crap. Even if you boil them in potato water. I don't know what the secret is, maybe the air of New York, because in Trieste they just don't work. Case closed.

I wish I had a good substitution for you but, sadly, I don't. For this is a land of chalky Fete Biscottate in the morning.

Breakfast remains the one meal where there is serious room for improvement on the peninsula.

Do you know something I don't? If so, bring on some happy news. I could use it!

The Salted Butter Conundrum

Triestini love salt. But not in their butter, as destiny would have it.

Don't worry! You can find salted butter at the big grocery stores like at the Torri shopping mall (centro commerciale), but the down side is that you have to go to the Torri shopping mall. It's a Danish brand called LURPAK. Costs an eye out of the head (as the Triestini would say). You may be able to find the same brand in one of the fancy little shops downtown, especially in the cavana area.

Or!

THE FREE OPTION:

You can make it yourself. Here is the recipe. Take 1/2 cup of regular, unsalted butter, set it out until it hits room temperature. Mix in 1/4 teaspoon of salt with a fork or with your fancy mixer. You can always add more salt if you need, but this ratio works for me. Add bread, dim the lights and you will feel like you are in the fanciest Supper Club in the Midwest.

Enjoy!

Where to get Cilantro (in your dreams)

The Cilantro Situation in Trieste is a DISASTER. Idem for avocados. Let's just say you can get your hands on them SOMETIMES but there are no guarantees.

I am updating this post at a distance of 3 years from when I wrote it to tell you that the situation has only gotten worse, not better.

For Cilantro:

Best Option: Grow it yourself.

I do not recommend having your mother-in-law grow it for you. I tried once with seeds that I smuggled in from the US. It grew perfectly, It was gorgeous, I dream of curries and soups when I think of it, but one day it was all gone. She let it all die (every delicious leaf) when she smelled it and realized it was completely different than parsely. Her explanation: NON MI PIASO! and a look of disdain. I heard my heart break.

Best Option for buying it: Curry Mix store (ask for Irene) in Via Torre Bianca

Call it CORIANDOLO FRESCO. And, no the dried seeds are NOT the same thing. Cilantro is cilantro.
It comes once a week normally. It used to come in on Fridays but check with her.

Good luck. and a GREAT ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITY if you ask me. Add Idaho potatoes to that plot of land and you will be in Business, even if I am your only client.

Where to get sour cream if you live in Trieste

I decided I wanted to do a series on SUBSTITUTIONS. We all know that, contrary to Italian belief, ALL peoples like to eat GOOD FOOD. Italian food is pretty good, but it doesn't include Sour Cream, and that is a pretty big problem for a lot of us foreigners.

So, if you are one of us, here is what you need to know.

Trieste doesn't use it. In fact, most Triestini will wrinkle up their button noses at the mention of PANNA ACIDA. Forgive them. They do not know any better. You cannot explain it to them and they will never learn until they go to America and decide that it is "cool" and tastes good. 

IN TRIESTE
Panna Acida. There is a little discount grocery store accross the street from the cemetary (I have already blogged about that place. It is the center of Trieste-- and You thought that was Piazza Unità. WRONG! All busses come and go and connect at the Cemetary, which is good news for Sour Cream lovers). It's next door to the flower shop. It's not the most elegant grocery store in town but the sour cream is on the back wall with the cheeses. It comes in a small yogurt-like container. The taste is okay. I think it is a little sweet, but it will do.

If you are in a bind, here is a recipe substitution. Take a package of mascarpone cheese and mix it with a large container of plain, full fat, unsweetened yogurt (read the ingredients to make sure there is no sugar in it). Mix it well as the mascarpone has a thicker consistency. I think this is the closest you can get to the real thing.

IN SLOVENIA
Kisla Smetana. Look in the yogurt section of any grocery store. The Slovenes love it and use it in sauces, on their meat, on their pizza (!!). You can always count on Slovenia for Sour Cream. We used to go to TUS but now that place seems to have upped the prices. Try Merkatur. That is where my Slovene friends get their groceries and apparently the meat is good too (if you're into that type of thing).

Remember, bread in Slovenia tastes better, too!

There you go! Enjoy your Mexican food (that you must make at home because you will not find a decent Mexican restaurant around here).

Stay tuned for news on Cilantro.

Happy Bavisela

Cristian and Eva punch it in at the finish, 2013
 

Few events liven up the city like the Bavisela Marathon/Halfie/Family fun run. I recommend it. I have done it every year (or almost) since I arrived in Trieste (it will be ten years in June, a gd lifetime, by the way!).

It changes every year, although the route has been more or less the same for the last few years, which is a good thing. There was a wack-o idea sometime around 2004 to try to make the route as flat and as repetitive as possible to try to attract more elite runners, but I think there was a general backlash on that one as 62% of the runners (minimum) slept through 3/4 of the run.

The quality of t-shirts and swag bags increases and decreases in no particular pattern, just like the events associated with the Bavisela. The fans are comotose, unless you count the fun run people. They are kind of fun, but they're not really watching the halfie/marathoners until the last stretch. So don't look for extrinsic rewards at the Bavi, unless your friends/family are waiting for you at the finish line.

There were a couple of years where the Bavisela felt like an important European run. It kind of lost that feeling at about the same time the organizers got busted for corruption. The new organizers have toned it down and brought in a kind of old-school, the-whole-town-is-involved authentic feel. I definitely like it better now. There is less pomp, but, at the same time, it's about the running again.

Trieste is definitely a running town.