LET’S PRETEND THAT

LET’S PRETEND THAT

Summer: time for travel, craving for levity.

I propose a surreal quiz to laugh with each other.  Are you ready to imagine?

Let’s pretend that …

you are traveling with people who make you feel good, whether family or friends.

First question: where are you going?

You are chatting about the last movie you saw while you are driving, but you feel a little tired. You see a motorway café, you stop and say: “I need a coffee, I’ll be right back.”

Twenty minutes later you aren’t back yet, so whoever was with you comes in looking for you and what do they see?

You singing standing on the counter like the girls from Coyote Ugly

but this is Italy, there are no microphones in the motorway cafés and you are holding a Rustic sandwich with ham, tomato, mozzarella salad and mayonnaise.

Second question: what are you singing?

Since you have been discovered, you invite them to join you.

Assumption 1:
They catch up with you and start singing with you in the Top Gun style.


Assumption 2:
someone decides to bite the Rustic sandwich 

Assumption 3:
they look at you dumbfounded and after the first moment when they are like salt statues they react by asking what the heck you are doing

Let’s pretend that …

you have to give an explanation: what happened after the coffee?

FILOSOFEGGIANDO IN ALLEGREZZA

FILOSOFEGGIANDO IN ALLEGREZZA

Filosofeggiando in allegrezza is the blog that gives us a new stage of the Journey from mug to mug, and now I have plenty of joyful serenity for these pictures too!

As you may have guessed, the photo below the title is from Spain: Galicia, and to be precise it is from the Vigo Book Festival

As Feiras do Libro de Galicia take place every year in various towns and cities in Galicia, in the spring and summer months, with stalls run by booksellers, and an extensive program of parallel activities, such as readings, meetings with authors, exhibitions, book presentations, etc., that make these events a meeting of great cultural interest.

The writer who most universalized Vigo was Jules Verne, in a passage from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Have you read it?

I missed it until my son brought it home from the elementary school library, but there’s always time to recover, right?

In Verne’s novel, the Vigo estuary hides very rich treasures from the Battle of the Bay or Battle of Rande.

“So, Mr. Aronnax (…), we are in that same bay of Vigo. It is up to you to unravel its mysteries.”

The battle took place on October 23, 1702 between the Anglo-Dutch and Spanish-French coalitions during the War of the Spanish Succession. Spanish galleons arrived at the Vigo estuary laden with the greatest treasure that had ever crossed the Atlantic: gold and silver, jewels…

“The sand was littered with those treasures. Then, laden with that precious booty, those men would return to the Nautilus, deposit their burdens and resume that inexhaustible fishery for gold and silver.”

Since then hundreds of dives have been made in the waters of the Vigo Estuary in search of treasure. Without going any further, six battle-related wrecks were located and identified in 2011.

Thus, don’t you think that the quote chosen to introduce the Festival:

THE BEST STORIES BEGIN WITH GOOD COFFEE

is simply perfect?

If you want to discover further interesting anecdotes about Galicia, don’t miss the description of the trip here on Filosfeggiando in Allegrezza

Speaking of precious things then, here are two coffees from Monforte de Lemos!

So after Verne we can also mention Miguel Cervantes’ El ingenioso caballero don Quijote de la Mancha, precisely with reference to the Count of Lemos.

But about Monforte de Lemos you can ind more details on Filosfeggiando in allegrezza in the second part of the report.

And what about you? Where have you had your coffee lately?

AFGHANISTAN WHERE GOD ONLY COMES TO WEEP

AFGHANISTAN WHERE GOD ONLY COMES TO WEEP

 

Afghanistan where God only comes to weep is the title of the book written by Siba Shakib that I read thanks to Vincenzo Franca e Francesco

Also with Siba Shakib I share month and year of birth

And in this video among other things she talks about sitting together and drinking coffee.

 

But this time the reading instead of a relaxing moment was particularly painful.

This book was still a journey, from which, however, I returned with a wound.

Afghanistan, where God only comes to weep.
I think the words chosen by the author as an introduction to her book are absolutely emblematic.

When I told about Denise Ho, Gabriella reminded how important it is to keep the focus on other realities as well, and surely the condition of women in Afghanistan is one of them.

On July 1, the Human Rights Council concluded its 50th regular session after adopting 23 resolutions and held an urgent debate on the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. In a resolution, the Council reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by all women, girls and children in Afghanistan, including the right to freedom of movement, the right to education, the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including their sexual and reproductive health, the right to work and the right to access justice on an equal basis with others. The Council asked the High Commissioner to hold an enhanced interactive dialogue during its 51st session, with the participation of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan.

Yet these words seem sterile empty and useless: UN News on July 1 published a terrible “statistic”

The situation of women in Afghanistan is so desperate that they commit suicide at the rate of one or two a day.

DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP MODEL

DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP MODEL

Dynamic leadership model is the book published by Santelli Editore that Milan Krajnc is currently presenting in Italy.

Dr. Milan kindly sent me a picture of his coffee in Milan for the column “journey from mug to mug.” 

I thank him, with the best wishes for his book presentation tour.

Dynamic leadership model is a project to which he cares in a particular way, telling of how it basically involves future and humanity, according to the principle that man first takes care of his own goals.

The cornerstone is Nature.

Business and material goals must support personal goals, according to Dr. Milan’s model.

A truly optimal concept, especially in this black period on all fronts, not least work, don’t you think?

I have had the opportunity to hear the experiences of many people and honestly, despite all my cosmic pessimism, I would not have been able to imagine to what levels one falls, in terms of working conditions, in too many areas and in too many cases, unfortunately.

This is why I feel strong empathy, in particular with my classmates from the last course I attended: a heterogeneous yet complementary group, capable of cementing itself by turning into a truly beautiful friendship.

I hope you have no problems with your job, I hope you find it satisfying, I hope your merits are recognized and paid in a suitable manner.

I hope you can witness the satisfaction, the realization of dreams, the realization of your project, just like Milan with his Dynamic leadership model.

I TRENI DELLA FELICITÀ – HAPPINESS TRAINS

I TRENI DELLA FELICITÀ – HAPPINESS TRAINS

First of all, thank you very much Giovanni Rinaldi and Americo Marino for their great friendship: I am extremely honored.

For once I can truly say that the BEAUTIFUL stories continue.

It all started with an exchange of views, or perhaps I should say with an “exchange” that diverted the right train onto a different railway.

And the journey I made while reading the book Happiness trains was different because if “the outward journey” takes you back in time, the return is definitely directed to the future.

The future of children who have lived through a very painful historical moment, but who more than others teach us the true essence of life.

I suggest you to discover this story which I find absolutely essential due to the example it represents, so that we never forget that helping each other is the secret of happiness.

The misery that helps the other misery” this are words that contain exactly the spirit that animated the UDI, Women who have worked to ensure that children left alone following a mass arrest in retaliation for a strike, could find the affection and care that their parents were unable to give.

The key episode unfolds from Puglia but the significant scope has meant that the help was extended to children from other areas as well.
The book also mentions Pavia, and in fact I wonder if you have ever heard perhaps your grandparents telling about episodes of hospitality towards children from other areas.

I know for sure that in more recent times “in our place” we hosted children from Chernobyl, so who knows.

In fact, I was enchanted first of all because it is an oral tradition in the purest sense. The meticulous descriptions literally transport you to listen, as well as to read, just as I have always listened to the stories of my grandmothers.

There is a whole heritage of lives contained in the hearts of people that it would be wonderful to know, to witness, to spread, learning from the hands-on voice of those who have the great value of their experience to share.

Like Irma: I fell in love with her when I read her idea of “catasthematic” pleasure.

Or like Americo: her story of mothers in the plural sense was moving and enlightening to me at the same time.

In the month of May is Mother’s Day and I would say that my dedication will go to her MOMS.

It is understood that if Americo wants to tell something about them or add any other thoughts, he is welcome here.

Obviously the same is for Giovanni.

This time I struggle to stay in the time for a coffee, because the reflections that arise are many: only the memory of Mimì seeing the sea for the first time would be enough for a further parallel journey.

Then I simply let the train take off slowly hoping that the next destination will be a pleasant surprise, like the one that brought me to know Happiness trains.

THANK YOU!

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