BOG CHILD

BOG CHILD

Sep 17, 2021 | BOOKS

This book was Lorenzo’s choice.
Published by Uovonero Bog child was written by Siobhan Dowd: born in London to Irish parents.

And it is Ireland, in particular Northern Ireland, that reading leads us to discover and get to know.

The so-called “main” story takes place in 1981 and is inspired by real events in Long Kesh.

In some way, therefore, I return to talk to you about The Troubles. 

In this book you can find Family, Honesty, Friendship, Hope, Sacrifice, but also surprise because very often things are not what they seem.

Siobhan Dowd was winner of the Andersen Prize in 2012, finalist for the Strega Prize and was awarded the Carnegie Medal posthumous.

… Unfortunately a cancer prevented her from continuing to write and interrupted her life at the age of 47.

Her personal story struck me a lot and as often happens to me, the feelings I feel lead me to find details that somehow find a relocation in my history and in my world.

In 1984, a year that occupies a particularly important place in my memories, Siobhan joined the PEN International, an organization that celebrates literature, defends free expression (and I emphasize this because lately it is becoming a much less obvious concept), protect writers at risk, support writers in exile, promote linguistic rights.

With the earnings and royalties from the sale of his books Siobhan wanted to give young people the opportunity to read and appreciate literature by founding The Siobhan Dowd Trust to support worthy projects.

Love for writing, love for freedom, love for kids, love for Ireland = maximum esteem.

And as for “Bog child” in Italy the title has been tranlated like this: The little girl forgotten by time… what else can these words mean?

IN MILAN COFFEE IS IN HURRY, IN NAPLES WITH THE THREE C, AND WHAT ABOUT DUBLIN?

IN MILAN COFFEE IS IN HURRY, IN NAPLES WITH THE THREE C, AND WHAT ABOUT DUBLIN?

Jul 31, 2021 | ITALY, MUSIC, WORLD

This is Laura’s question, in comments on whether Dublin is the second most coffee-obsessed capital.

About Milan I would say that there are no doubts.
Everything is hectic, everything is running, everything is accelerated.

By the way, since we are on the subject, I would even like to point out the new dates for Milano Caffè: from the first to the third of October, hoping that this year the event will return to be a live party.

But Caffè in Milan is also one of the most significant expressions of the Italian Enlightenment. I refer to the newspaper founded by Pietro Verri which, as Treccani suggests,  was printed in Brescia to escape Austrian censorship. Here you find the story.

Regarding the three C’s in Naples, I loved the way Laura told me about it, and I absolutely want to learn to absorb the “aroma” of this concept, which is also being together.

But since there is so much to say, I refer to a post dedicated to Al tavolo di Amalia just to share with you how nice it is to be in company, “at the table” of this blog which is a gold mine of information on Ischia and beyond.

I fell in love discovering traditions, real life stories, tales framed by the link with the sea and experiences of going back to origins.

So while I wait for the coffee at Amalia’s table to be ready as per the strict c c c rule, I try to answer Laura’s question: and what about Dublin?

A first answer can be found Tra Italia e Finlandia: laughing where Luisella tells us about her experience with Dublin Pubs.  I quote verbatim: pubs are known for being places where people go to drink ales,  which makes them legendary,  still you can find any beverage there:  even coffee!

Going on with the research, since I told you about Trinity College, I got the crazy idea of asking Professor David Berman, starting from the base of his study on coffee habits illustrated in an interview on The Irish Times. 

A beautiful exchange was born!
I will never stop thanking him properly.

Professor Berman first of all wanted me to talk to him about what coffee is for us in Italy.

So I would take this opportunity to ask you the same question in case you want to expose your personal idea.

And in the end we came to the conclusion that the Brew Smartly ranking has its foundation and reason to be, and reflects a change of habits especially in the last twenty years, compared to the classic beer or whiskey which represent a bit the immediate association of ideas when one thinks of Ireland.

It can therefore be concluded that it is not far from the truth to say that the Irish style has become more serious, more sober.

But the great thing is that from the considerations on the change, the question shifted to music!
No, I can’t explain how happy I am!

An example above all Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem

In the case of music, however, evolution does not lead to something like coffee.

On the contrary, it passes through the painful period known in history as The Troubles, or the civil war for the autonomy of the population of Northern Ireland divided between Catholics and Protestants.

Obviously my first thought goes to Dolores but there are many musical masterpieces that can be mentioned:

should I stop?
Do you want to add something?

DUBLIN IS THE SECOND MOST COFFEE-OBSESSED CAPITAL CITY

DUBLIN IS THE SECOND MOST COFFEE-OBSESSED CAPITAL CITY

Jul 16, 2021 | CULTURE, CULTURE, WHO CARES, WHO CARES

Quite bizarre title indeed, which obviously caught my eye: Ireland and coffee on the same sentence!

So you will forgive me if I overlook both Amsterdam (in first place) and the fact that the calculation developed by Brew Smartly falls into the extreme WHO CARES category, since they have invented an average between three variables:

Average rating.
Coffee shops per capita (per 100,000 people to take into account different population sizes).
Value of imports per capita (USD).

Find here the table with the total ranking.

In short, to quote “it’s a bit like dancing to math” but it’s still a reason to talk about Dublin and it shouldn’t be wasted laughing

So, for example, I take this opportunity to tell you about an unmissable digital exhibition: The Poetics of Print about the tradition of Irish printing and its role in the development of poetry that you find on the Trinity College library’s site.

Take the time to have look / click on it because it deserves: talking about Dublin has led us to beautiful things even about books.
What if I add another passion of mine?

At the Gaiety Teatre none other than James Joyce: The dead is scheduled and to follow, why not, the world premiere of Bedknobs and broomsticks which, however, I do not I know if I can imagine without the legendary Angela Landsbury aka Mrs. Jessica Fletcher

Isn’t it nice to be a little child again?
Then the magic is also knowing how to find atmospheres and stop moments like those in this shot

But let’s go back to the Dublin coffee shops: among the many I have chosen three.

The first for the name: Cloud cafe, and it is useless to repeat (read re-sing) the words I love of Carly Simon’s song, right?

The second because in a completely bizarre way it has as its symbol the manufacturing of footwear, wooden lasts and gestures that I have come to know and that have become part of my life for so many years now: Shoe Lane.
Not to mention the wonderful memory that the Singer machine gives me!

The third comes from a dream: a very stylish vintage van that I obviously envy, even if the logo would have been enough: Cocobrew. 

The dream has not only come true, but has grown and moved from van Cocobrew to the Temple bar district of which I leave you a look live with the cam while I wait for you to tell me something about Dublin.

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE

Apr 25, 2020 | PENDING COFFEE FOR, WOMEN, PENDING COFFEE FOR, ROCK, ROCK, VIDEO, VIDEO, WOMEN

No need to argue: everyone knows ZOMBIE of The Cranberries.

I can’t simply call it a song, to me it’s history.
It has recently exceeded one billion views on YouTube and I admit that some are mine.
A deserved success, which closes the circle of the previous song of the year proclamation at the 1995 MTV Awards.
Zombie was shot by Samuel Bayer, who also made the video of “Smells like teen Spirit” to be clear, but more than the undoubted quality, I would linger on the message and on the voice of Dolores O’Riordan.
Unfortunately now the first thing that is mentioned everywhere about her is the circumstance of death, but I would like to talk about life.
Not of her biography in detail, but I would particularly underline how she wrote this piece in a flash, after learning of the tragic death of two kids from a bomb.
Although the episode took place in Ireland in 1993, a specific sadly known context, Dolores has always avoided politicizing.
“In your head, in your head” Dolores repeats it, she invokes, she invites to think, it would seem banal and yet too often it is not.
Hers is a cry to unite, to awaken.
“Violence causes silence.”
I find that Dolores knows how to make this silence speak, she knows how to give voice to pain, she knows how to shout not anger, but the strength to say enough.
Zombie is against violence, against the inability to stop violence.
“This song’s our cry against man’s inhumanity to man; and man’s inhumanity to child.”
Dolores O’Riordan

I don’t know about you but as far as I’m concerned, the thought comes loud and clear and settles viscerally.
Her “another mother’s breaking heart” becomes mine.
Her voice, her unique way of singing, constitute the focal point: a catalyst, which allows the message to communicate all its disruptive despair.
“Zombie was inspired by a child’s death. His life was taken in the arm’s of his mother. She was shopping in London last year, and there was a bomb planted in a rubbish bin in London and he happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and he died. The reason the bomb was planted was because of a political territorial kind of thing that goes on in the North of Ireland and the UK. So the references to 1916 was when a contract was signed, which signed away the 6 counties to England. And it still goes on today: the war, the deaths, and the injustice.”
Dolores O’Riodan

Zombies who see and feel pain, yet do nothing.
Zombies not from horror movies and yet terribly scarier: us.

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