This Months Version of Florentine Braheem:
* An Appropriate Fairwell to Italia (Snow)
* Seeing Friends and Family
* Interviews with Trey and Olivia
* Christmas Day (Natale)
* New Years
* The Difference in Gyms (Good stuff in this one!)
* Trey's Gameboy (Don't miss this story!)
As Always we hope you enjoy this issue of Florentine Braheem
Ciao
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
An Appropriate Fairwell (Snow)
I will certainly never forget this morning as long as I live. The time was 7:00 am on the 16th of December. A full day of packing for home would be in store for us upon awaking. I opened my eyes and looked out the window of our bedroom on to the terrace. Snow was falling, albeit a light flurry but for a California boy with two kids who have never seen snowfall, it seemed like a dream! I leaped out of bed and ran down the hall to get my cameras. From there I raced into the kid’s room and woke them out of a dead sleep. They looked startled when I shook them in bed, but as soon as they gathered themselves and caught a glimpse of the beauty outside, it was all forgotten!
There is something peaceful and truly beautiful about snowfall, and it’s even more magical when your vantage point is up high where you can watch it fall to the ground. The forest behind the castle provided for a true fairytale setting as we stared out the window off and on for nearly three hours, sipping our coffee and enjoying what seemed like a wonderful Italian send off for the first half of our journey.
The kids soaked it in and enjoyed every minute of it. They both raced out to the terrace and stuck their open mouths to the sky to catch their first snowflakes on their tongues. The snow didn’t stick on the ground when it hit, but even with only a light snowfall, it will go down as a very special morning indeed.
There is something peaceful and truly beautiful about snowfall, and it’s even more magical when your vantage point is up high where you can watch it fall to the ground. The forest behind the castle provided for a true fairytale setting as we stared out the window off and on for nearly three hours, sipping our coffee and enjoying what seemed like a wonderful Italian send off for the first half of our journey.
The kids soaked it in and enjoyed every minute of it. They both raced out to the terrace and stuck their open mouths to the sky to catch their first snowflakes on their tongues. The snow didn’t stick on the ground when it hit, but even with only a light snowfall, it will go down as a very special morning indeed.
Seeing Friends and Family
Our first sight of family was as soon as we cleared US customs. We were welcomed by my mom and dad as well as my niece Johanna and my sister Suzette at LAX with signs and huge smiles. It sure made us feel special and we were all glad to see friendly faces.
Florence has “The David”, The Duomo, The Ponte Vecchio and some of the best architecture and food in the world, but its missing one HUGE thing…All of YOU! In the end that’s what this visit home for the holidays was all about. Seeing friendly faces and sharing good times with those that we love. In the short period of time that we were back in “Cali” we were able to accomplish just that.
For me personally, my fondest memory of being home was seeing Trey and Olivia with their friends and grandparents. I’m not sure if you can quite appreciate the pressure and (Sure I’ll say it) guilt that one feels when you take your kids away from their friends, cousins and grandparents (Not to mention the feeling of taking the grandchildren away from your folks). We pretty much gave the kids “Cart Blanch” when it came to spending time with their friends and believe me they took full advantage of it. Trey has some very deep roots in our neighborhood in Thousand Oaks where he has four very close friends that he has known since he was only two years old. Much of his time was spent with his buddies Holden, Trevor, Alex and Conner. It seemed that for sixteen straight days he had a smile on his face and the “Five Musketeers” as I call them didn’t miss a beat. It was as if they had been together these entire five months. His days were filled with sleep overs, movie watching and ice skating with the Linke family when they visited us from San Diego. The one thing that I regret deeply was not capturing more photographs of Trey and his buddies. For more, see interview with Trey below.
For Olivia, her closest friends are her former schoolmate Brinn and her two cousins Madeline and Elizabeth. Livy was so excited that we were going to decorate a Christmas tree at our house and we were treated to a visit by Anna’s sister Felisha, her husband Larry and their daughter Madeline. The kids took over and hung all of the ornaments and it just seemed perfect to be home for the holidays. Livy also had her first ever sleep over with Brinn staying the night at our house. Ice skating was also a highlight for Livy who isn’t as nimble just yet on skates as her older brother, which was just fine by Anna and I. There’s something very special about skating around and ice rink while holding your little girls hand. For more, see interview with Olivia below.
For yours truly, it was nice to see my family again as it seemed like forever since they left that night in Pisa. It was also the first time that I had seen my father en law Edward in nearly five months and we were able to share some enjoyable conversations with one another including watching the blowout that was this years Rose Bowl.
I was able to finally dust off the golf clubs and put them to use quite a bit, playing with my buddies Rich Katz, Jim Jones and Nathan on numerous occasions. Mostly, it was just like old times and I was able to fall right back into my usual So Cal routine when in town.
Anna on the other hand had plenty of good times with her friends and family. Rather than my recount, I have decided to ask her the following questions:
Q: How did it feel to be home when you finally arrived, what were the thoughts that went through your mind?
AA: “It felt like I never left initially. I was glad to be in my house with my things and the comforts of the US. I felt very missed by my family and friends which is always nice. I pretty much just fell right back into the same routine.”
Q: You we able to spend quality time with all of your close friends, including Diane, Denny, Andrea and your sisters. What are some of your memories of the time with them?
AA: “There is really nothing in particular that I would site, it was more about the quality of time with them that made it very special to me. “Being” together was really nice.”
Q: Was home (Thousand Oaks) as you remember it? What surprised you about your time at home?AA: “It was EXACTLY as I left it.”
Q: We’ve talked a lot in previous blogs about Italy and how exciting and different it is for you, were you looking forward to returning when it was time to leave and if so why?
AA: “Most definitely yes I was looking forward to coming back. Why, because I’m in love with Florence. It exits me. Its beautiful and visually stimulating. Its just so completely different in EVERY way from where we live. Even the bad parts. Its old, its historic, its inconvenient some times, but no two days are ever really the same where at home the way of life is like a photo copy. Same thing over and over again.”
Q: Now that you’re back in Italy, tell us how it feels.
AA: “It feels like I never left. I feel very excited to be back in my life here. Its just wonderful. I guess what it is is that I don’t feel confined here. I don’t have to live so much of my life in a car. It feels great to ride the motorino again and walk among the people.”
Florence has “The David”, The Duomo, The Ponte Vecchio and some of the best architecture and food in the world, but its missing one HUGE thing…All of YOU! In the end that’s what this visit home for the holidays was all about. Seeing friendly faces and sharing good times with those that we love. In the short period of time that we were back in “Cali” we were able to accomplish just that.
For me personally, my fondest memory of being home was seeing Trey and Olivia with their friends and grandparents. I’m not sure if you can quite appreciate the pressure and (Sure I’ll say it) guilt that one feels when you take your kids away from their friends, cousins and grandparents (Not to mention the feeling of taking the grandchildren away from your folks). We pretty much gave the kids “Cart Blanch” when it came to spending time with their friends and believe me they took full advantage of it. Trey has some very deep roots in our neighborhood in Thousand Oaks where he has four very close friends that he has known since he was only two years old. Much of his time was spent with his buddies Holden, Trevor, Alex and Conner. It seemed that for sixteen straight days he had a smile on his face and the “Five Musketeers” as I call them didn’t miss a beat. It was as if they had been together these entire five months. His days were filled with sleep overs, movie watching and ice skating with the Linke family when they visited us from San Diego. The one thing that I regret deeply was not capturing more photographs of Trey and his buddies. For more, see interview with Trey below.
For Olivia, her closest friends are her former schoolmate Brinn and her two cousins Madeline and Elizabeth. Livy was so excited that we were going to decorate a Christmas tree at our house and we were treated to a visit by Anna’s sister Felisha, her husband Larry and their daughter Madeline. The kids took over and hung all of the ornaments and it just seemed perfect to be home for the holidays. Livy also had her first ever sleep over with Brinn staying the night at our house. Ice skating was also a highlight for Livy who isn’t as nimble just yet on skates as her older brother, which was just fine by Anna and I. There’s something very special about skating around and ice rink while holding your little girls hand. For more, see interview with Olivia below.
For yours truly, it was nice to see my family again as it seemed like forever since they left that night in Pisa. It was also the first time that I had seen my father en law Edward in nearly five months and we were able to share some enjoyable conversations with one another including watching the blowout that was this years Rose Bowl.
I was able to finally dust off the golf clubs and put them to use quite a bit, playing with my buddies Rich Katz, Jim Jones and Nathan on numerous occasions. Mostly, it was just like old times and I was able to fall right back into my usual So Cal routine when in town.
Anna on the other hand had plenty of good times with her friends and family. Rather than my recount, I have decided to ask her the following questions:
Q: How did it feel to be home when you finally arrived, what were the thoughts that went through your mind?
AA: “It felt like I never left initially. I was glad to be in my house with my things and the comforts of the US. I felt very missed by my family and friends which is always nice. I pretty much just fell right back into the same routine.”
Q: You we able to spend quality time with all of your close friends, including Diane, Denny, Andrea and your sisters. What are some of your memories of the time with them?
AA: “There is really nothing in particular that I would site, it was more about the quality of time with them that made it very special to me. “Being” together was really nice.”
Q: Was home (Thousand Oaks) as you remember it? What surprised you about your time at home?AA: “It was EXACTLY as I left it.”
Q: We’ve talked a lot in previous blogs about Italy and how exciting and different it is for you, were you looking forward to returning when it was time to leave and if so why?
AA: “Most definitely yes I was looking forward to coming back. Why, because I’m in love with Florence. It exits me. Its beautiful and visually stimulating. Its just so completely different in EVERY way from where we live. Even the bad parts. Its old, its historic, its inconvenient some times, but no two days are ever really the same where at home the way of life is like a photo copy. Same thing over and over again.”
Q: Now that you’re back in Italy, tell us how it feels.
AA: “It feels like I never left. I feel very excited to be back in my life here. Its just wonderful. I guess what it is is that I don’t feel confined here. I don’t have to live so much of my life in a car. It feels great to ride the motorino again and walk among the people.”
Trey and Olivia (Their Interviews)
Interview with Trey
Q: Trey, when you arrived home, you named the front door of the house “The golden door. Why did you call it that and how did it feel to be home that night in your own bed?
TA: “Because I felt like the door was the gate to Heaven! It felt really comfortable with a spring mattress and it felt really great to be in my own bed.”
Q: Trey, two nights before we left for Florence, you cried for nearly twenty minutes in bed because you were so sad to be going back. Tell us how you felt?
TA: “I was feeling sad because I got to experience what it was like to have my old friends back. I got to play with them every day and I knew that I was going to miss them a lot. I also was sad because I was going to miss my family at home a lot (Grandmas and Uncles).”
Q: Tell us about your time with your buddies. What were some of your favorite moments back in Thousand Oaks with your friends?
TA: “My most favorite moment (Well I had two actually). One was when my friends and I were at the party and we had a lot of fun together ding dong ditching in the neighborhood and playing Guitar Hero on Play Station. The second favorite memory was when me, Conner, Tevor, Alex and Holden all got together and played in the park together and then went to our house and played ping pong and watched football.”
Q: Trey, you were able to spend a lot of time with your grandmothers and grandfathers when at home, including sleepovers at both places. Tell us about your time with them and what were some memories that you have?
TA: “I had a great time at both of their houses. I liked spending time with them and mostly during meals. It was when we got to talk the most with each other. I also liked seeing Ecco (Grandma Gina’s cat).”
Q: Trey, be honest, did you miss Italy at all when you were home in California and if so, what did you miss?
TA: “I missed some things and also didn’t miss things about Italy. I didn’t miss school, but I missed my friends in school. I also missed Simone, Lilly and the castle. I didn’t miss having to go into the room in the castle that I sleep in, but I like my own bedroom at home a lot better. I also didn’t miss the really bad internet connection and the small roads in Italy.”
Q: Trey tell us about your Christmas. What were some of the things that you received as gifts that you are happy about?
TA: “I was happy about getting nineteen different books and cant wait to read them. I also was happy to get a lot of gift cards to EB games and Best Buy so I could buy things for my Gameboy and so I could buy a PSP (Play Station Portable).”
Interview with Olivia:
Q: Livy, you’re now back in Italy and getting settled in again. Be honest, are you happy to be back or do you wish you were in California still?
OA: “I’m happy to be back to see kitty (Lilly) and my friends Georgia, Dia, Salma, Simone, Isabella and my teacher. Can I pick both places? I want to be in both places because I also miss my friends and family in California too.”
Q: Olivia, you were able to spend a lot of time with your grandmothers and grandfathers when at home, including sleepovers at both places. Tell us about your time with them and what were some memories that you have?
OA: “We had dinner at grandma “Ushi’s house and mommy and I built blocks at her house. I liked petting the kitty at grandma Gina’s house too. It was fun to sleep over with them. I missed them a lot.”
Q: Tell us about your time with your girlfriends and cousins. What were some of your favorite moments back in Thousand Oaks with them?
OA: “When I was sleeping over with Brinn was a lot of fun. It was my first sleepover with a friend that was my age. We had fun together. We played a game where I find her and she’s a puppy and has special powers. It was really fun!”
Q: Olivia, be honest, did you miss Italy at all when you were home in California and if so, what did you miss?
OA: “Yes and I missed kitty very much. I also missed my friends in Italy.”
Q: Olivia tell us about your Christmas. What were some of the things that you received as gifts that you are happy about?
OA: “I got an American Girl doll named Julie that I like a lot. I also got DVD’s (Hairspray) and watched movies with my mommy and you that were really funny like Dumb and Dumber and Planes Trains and Automobiles.”
Q: Trey, when you arrived home, you named the front door of the house “The golden door. Why did you call it that and how did it feel to be home that night in your own bed?
TA: “Because I felt like the door was the gate to Heaven! It felt really comfortable with a spring mattress and it felt really great to be in my own bed.”
Q: Trey, two nights before we left for Florence, you cried for nearly twenty minutes in bed because you were so sad to be going back. Tell us how you felt?
TA: “I was feeling sad because I got to experience what it was like to have my old friends back. I got to play with them every day and I knew that I was going to miss them a lot. I also was sad because I was going to miss my family at home a lot (Grandmas and Uncles).”
Q: Tell us about your time with your buddies. What were some of your favorite moments back in Thousand Oaks with your friends?
TA: “My most favorite moment (Well I had two actually). One was when my friends and I were at the party and we had a lot of fun together ding dong ditching in the neighborhood and playing Guitar Hero on Play Station. The second favorite memory was when me, Conner, Tevor, Alex and Holden all got together and played in the park together and then went to our house and played ping pong and watched football.”
Q: Trey, you were able to spend a lot of time with your grandmothers and grandfathers when at home, including sleepovers at both places. Tell us about your time with them and what were some memories that you have?
TA: “I had a great time at both of their houses. I liked spending time with them and mostly during meals. It was when we got to talk the most with each other. I also liked seeing Ecco (Grandma Gina’s cat).”
Q: Trey, be honest, did you miss Italy at all when you were home in California and if so, what did you miss?
TA: “I missed some things and also didn’t miss things about Italy. I didn’t miss school, but I missed my friends in school. I also missed Simone, Lilly and the castle. I didn’t miss having to go into the room in the castle that I sleep in, but I like my own bedroom at home a lot better. I also didn’t miss the really bad internet connection and the small roads in Italy.”
Q: Trey tell us about your Christmas. What were some of the things that you received as gifts that you are happy about?
TA: “I was happy about getting nineteen different books and cant wait to read them. I also was happy to get a lot of gift cards to EB games and Best Buy so I could buy things for my Gameboy and so I could buy a PSP (Play Station Portable).”
Interview with Olivia:
Q: Livy, you’re now back in Italy and getting settled in again. Be honest, are you happy to be back or do you wish you were in California still?
OA: “I’m happy to be back to see kitty (Lilly) and my friends Georgia, Dia, Salma, Simone, Isabella and my teacher. Can I pick both places? I want to be in both places because I also miss my friends and family in California too.”
Q: Olivia, you were able to spend a lot of time with your grandmothers and grandfathers when at home, including sleepovers at both places. Tell us about your time with them and what were some memories that you have?
OA: “We had dinner at grandma “Ushi’s house and mommy and I built blocks at her house. I liked petting the kitty at grandma Gina’s house too. It was fun to sleep over with them. I missed them a lot.”
Q: Tell us about your time with your girlfriends and cousins. What were some of your favorite moments back in Thousand Oaks with them?
OA: “When I was sleeping over with Brinn was a lot of fun. It was my first sleepover with a friend that was my age. We had fun together. We played a game where I find her and she’s a puppy and has special powers. It was really fun!”
Q: Olivia, be honest, did you miss Italy at all when you were home in California and if so, what did you miss?
OA: “Yes and I missed kitty very much. I also missed my friends in Italy.”
Q: Olivia tell us about your Christmas. What were some of the things that you received as gifts that you are happy about?
OA: “I got an American Girl doll named Julie that I like a lot. I also got DVD’s (Hairspray) and watched movies with my mommy and you that were really funny like Dumb and Dumber and Planes Trains and Automobiles.”
Christmas Day (Natale)
Christmas Day took on a special meaning this year as we were seeing many of our family members for the first time in many months. In total we had twenty two people at our house Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and the Silverman family) and braved the task of cooking dinner for the holiday. There was no deliberation between Anna and I regarding what to cook. We were simply looking for something easy and unique compared to the fare that we had been eating in Tuscany. One of the most famous Florentine dishes is “Bistecca Fiorentina” which is a four to five inch thick T-Bone steak grilled (More like seared) and served with a hack saw and a bottle of olive oil for drizzling on top. The word that comes to mind is “Barbaric” when thinking of Bistecca Fiorentina. The subsequent result is that we have not had a good steak in nearly five months and steak on the barby “American Style” seemed not only easy but just what the doctor ordered. The grilled steak was accompanied by rosemary potatoes roasted in the oven, a fresh green salad and grilled and sliced porcini mushroom caps basted in a fig balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil marinade. I don’t know about my guests, but the Braheem family sure as hell loved it! The best part is that it was easy, with little prep and little clean up.
For Trey and Olivia, the morning was all about opening gifts from mom and dad as well as Santa (This may be our last year with the secret in place, so Anna and I cherished the art of placing cookies on the plate with a glass of milk, only to have the cookies half eaten and mil consumed by sunrise). Trey received a tennis racket from mom and dad, dozens of books from friends and family (In total 19 different books!) and a couple of new games for his hand held game device. Olivia received a new “American Girl” doll, several books, a make up kit and a few movies on DVD. As usual, the kids loved every minute of it and celebrated when they got something that was on their list.
The morning was full of clean up for mom and dad and of course prep for the Christmas dinner. When the guests arrived, it was just like old times and at least for me my favorite Christmas in most all ways that I can remember. Everyone seemed happy, relaxed and most importantly the food seemed to please everyone (Especially Trey and Olivia!). Many times in the past, Christmas seemed like more of a hassle than what it was worth, with so much clean up and preparation for a short period of time that it left one wondering if all this was necessary in the end. For some reason this year it seemed so much easier. Perhaps this is because our perspective has changed a bit. It might just be that a little bit of the “Tranquille” (Relaxed) life of Italy was still inside of us, but for some reason I didn’t feel the usual stress when migrating through the day. This could also be greatly due to being so happy to be with family for the first time in a while. Life has a way of allowing you to take certain things for granted and believe me, when you don’t have access to things that you care about for a long time, it sure makes you appreciate them a lot more when you have them back.
For Trey and Olivia, the morning was all about opening gifts from mom and dad as well as Santa (This may be our last year with the secret in place, so Anna and I cherished the art of placing cookies on the plate with a glass of milk, only to have the cookies half eaten and mil consumed by sunrise). Trey received a tennis racket from mom and dad, dozens of books from friends and family (In total 19 different books!) and a couple of new games for his hand held game device. Olivia received a new “American Girl” doll, several books, a make up kit and a few movies on DVD. As usual, the kids loved every minute of it and celebrated when they got something that was on their list.
The morning was full of clean up for mom and dad and of course prep for the Christmas dinner. When the guests arrived, it was just like old times and at least for me my favorite Christmas in most all ways that I can remember. Everyone seemed happy, relaxed and most importantly the food seemed to please everyone (Especially Trey and Olivia!). Many times in the past, Christmas seemed like more of a hassle than what it was worth, with so much clean up and preparation for a short period of time that it left one wondering if all this was necessary in the end. For some reason this year it seemed so much easier. Perhaps this is because our perspective has changed a bit. It might just be that a little bit of the “Tranquille” (Relaxed) life of Italy was still inside of us, but for some reason I didn’t feel the usual stress when migrating through the day. This could also be greatly due to being so happy to be with family for the first time in a while. Life has a way of allowing you to take certain things for granted and believe me, when you don’t have access to things that you care about for a long time, it sure makes you appreciate them a lot more when you have them back.
New Years Eve and Beyond
New Years Eve has always been my personal favorite holiday (Or at least for the last half of my life). Its more of a symbolic eve than anything else, with a reflection on the past twelve months and hopes and dreams galore for the next twelve and what they have in store for us. As a family, we have historically either had a dinner party at our house or been somewhere else in the world to ring in the New Year in style. Regardless, the Braheem family has always made a pretty big deal of New Years. This year we took a totally different path. As the year drew closer to its end, the planner in me realized “Heck we don’t have any plans for New Years Eve! What the hell are we going to do?” Anna suggested about two weeks prior that we simply lay low and spend it as a family. Frankly this seemed counter intuitive to what the holiday has historically represented, but on the flip side I didn’t see many other choices beside going out to a restaurant and hanging out with a bunch of strangers! We hunkered down at home and made a simple dinner with the kids, followed by a family movie on the couch. We decided to introduce the kids to one of our favorite funny films “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” with Steve Martin and John Candy. When we had the “Travel Day from Hell” on the way to Spain, we told the kids about how we were living our own PT&A (Literally) and they were immediately intrigued to see it ever since. I must say, it turned out to be a really nice and very different New Years Eve. There is something about your kids belly laughing that makes for a great night no matter where you are and what you’re doing!
The following day we packed (Man this turned out to be a much larger project that I would have ever figured!) and had a nice lunch with Anna’s parents. The tradition of watching bowl games all day while nursing and hang over never materialized (I couldn’t name one player on a college football team at this point anyway!) which did make it seem like a bit of a strange New Years Day, but we had lots to do prior to returning to Europe.
On the 2nd of January, we made our way to the airport and checked in nice and early (Yes we learned our lessons from the Spain trip :>) and had a nice long lunch with my mom and dad as well as my sister and niece at the airport before shoving off.
As the plane elevated its way skyward, I glanced out at the out across the Los Angeles skyline with a strange feeling that it will be six months until I see it again…
The following day we packed (Man this turned out to be a much larger project that I would have ever figured!) and had a nice lunch with Anna’s parents. The tradition of watching bowl games all day while nursing and hang over never materialized (I couldn’t name one player on a college football team at this point anyway!) which did make it seem like a bit of a strange New Years Day, but we had lots to do prior to returning to Europe.
On the 2nd of January, we made our way to the airport and checked in nice and early (Yes we learned our lessons from the Spain trip :>) and had a nice long lunch with my mom and dad as well as my sister and niece at the airport before shoving off.
As the plane elevated its way skyward, I glanced out at the out across the Los Angeles skyline with a strange feeling that it will be six months until I see it again…
The Difference in Gyms
Upon returning home, Anna and I were determined to carry on our tradition of religiously working out on a daily basis. Anna had been a member of the “Spectrum Club” locally prior to our departure, so we both got a two week pass to use their facilities over the holidays. I entered this new club with great curiosity to see how it differed from what I had become used to in Italia. The contrasts were dramatic…
The men’s locker room is a logical place to start especially since it’s the first place that I went upon receiving my pass. I guess the best way to describe the feeling was that of “Belonging” when I entered the facility. Something about every man having been circumcised that feels like home I guess :>)
Outside the locker room and on to the workout floor, things are glaringly different as well. The first challenge was making the adjustment to pounds from kilos. Since 2.2 pounds equals 1 kilo, you automatically feel stronger when lifting weights. The honeymoon was short lived however as I quickly realized that my Italian friends are wimps compared to my American brethren. I really shouldn’t have been surprised by this fact, but man there are many many more buffed and strong people (Both men and woman) at the US gym than that of Italy. Beyond the noticeable difference in size and strength, I also immediately noticed a lot less socializing in the American gym versus what I had become accustomed to in the palestra in Italia. This is something that I actually appreciate and highlights the good old American work ethic as being alive and well. Man, the folks at the Spectrum are for the most part all business compared to what I am used to seeing.
Another major difference is somewhat the inverse of the previous paragraph. There are a hell of a lot more fat people at the gym in America as well! This seems to be counter intuitive, however with a deeper look you find all the clues…
First off, Americans eat like crap compared to Europeans (This is fact, not opinion). Upon returning to the US, it was implicitly clear to me how poorly the average American eats. In all do respect to that former fat boy Jerrod, Subway is not the formula for healthy eating, in fact its horrible for you. Unfortunately so are a huge percentage of all fast food eateries in the US. The key difference is preservatives, which are consistent in most all American take out yet virtually doesn’t exist in Italy and much of the EU. The next key ingredient is that of High Fructose Corn Syrup. This stuff is a killer and is once again consistent in many beverages and snack foods in the US, where its difficult to find here in Italia on the back of any label. What you will find, is good old fashion sugar, which is much better for you than HFCS. Lastly, the difference in oil is dramatic. US residents take in mass quantities of vegetable oils and other types of hydrogenated and saturated oils, where Italians stick with the healthiest of all oil, Olive Oil.
Beyond that of food, as we have touched upon before, Italians get a lot more cardio activity in their daily routine than Americans. This consistent walking throughout the day is a key factor in why you see very little overweight Italians (To be honest I can’t really recall seeing any extremely overweight people. From a gym perspective, its also interesting to note that there are many more swimmers at the gym in Italy than there are at the Spectrum club. The lap pool in Italia is six lanes across and Olympic size in length. On any given morning, you will have at least two and sometimes three people in each lane swimming laps. The pool at Spectrum is half as long, with four lanes and is empty most of the time. I’m not sure where this love of swimming as an exercise activity comes from here in Italy, but its another interesting contrast from the US.
Lastly, and perhaps more glaringly is the quantity of food consumption. Don’t get me wrong, Italians don’t eat like birds and by no means do you see the kitchen skimping on portions like you may in a French restaurant. There are no Claim Jumpers or Cheesecake Factories in these parts. The portions are plentiful but not so obscene that you are forced by sight alone to consume more than is reasonable for the human digestive system.
Back to the gym. Another major difference is the one that intrigued me the most, the lobby! The lobby at the Spectrum Club is what I would have expected from any gym. Its about 200 square feet, with a two sitting chairs and a flat screen TV, just enough space to wait for your friend or spouse if you are finished working out prior to them. Even with the limited space, I can’t recall ever seeing both chairs occupied in the two weeks of working out there. The palestra on the other hand has a sitting area that I’m guessing is two thousand square feet, with a nice café and is constantly filled with people who meet for a coffee before exercising or have lunch following their workout. The same slow pace and social aspect of life here in Italy that influences the length of meals and patience put into preparing them has made its way into the gym environment.
Another major difference is the hours of operation (Not unlike store and restaurant hours). The Spectrum opens at 5:00 am and closes at 11:00 at night, seven days a week and nearly every day (It was closed on Christmas BUT open from 7:00 to 7:00 on New Years Day and open on both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve). The palestra in Italia opens at 8:30 and closes at 10:00 Monday through Saturday (Yup not till 8:30!) and is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 on Sunday! By far the busiest time is lunch time when the Italians have a two and a half hour lunch! Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day were closed! Hell, when I got The Spectrum Club on New Years morning at 7:45, I would have guessed I would be the only loser there who didn’t stay up past midnight! Nope, it was pretty full in fact! Ahhhh the constantly over achieving Americans that we are!
Its interesting when you think about it. The microenvironment that is the gym in America and palestra in Italia, is in many ways resembling of the macroenvironment that are the differences between the two societies as a whole. Americans are always looking to the future, always trying to strive for a finish line that they have created, always in a hurry to catch that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Italians are always in the moment, always interacting with each other and in many ways without a finish line that they are chasing.
The men’s locker room is a logical place to start especially since it’s the first place that I went upon receiving my pass. I guess the best way to describe the feeling was that of “Belonging” when I entered the facility. Something about every man having been circumcised that feels like home I guess :>)
Outside the locker room and on to the workout floor, things are glaringly different as well. The first challenge was making the adjustment to pounds from kilos. Since 2.2 pounds equals 1 kilo, you automatically feel stronger when lifting weights. The honeymoon was short lived however as I quickly realized that my Italian friends are wimps compared to my American brethren. I really shouldn’t have been surprised by this fact, but man there are many many more buffed and strong people (Both men and woman) at the US gym than that of Italy. Beyond the noticeable difference in size and strength, I also immediately noticed a lot less socializing in the American gym versus what I had become accustomed to in the palestra in Italia. This is something that I actually appreciate and highlights the good old American work ethic as being alive and well. Man, the folks at the Spectrum are for the most part all business compared to what I am used to seeing.
Another major difference is somewhat the inverse of the previous paragraph. There are a hell of a lot more fat people at the gym in America as well! This seems to be counter intuitive, however with a deeper look you find all the clues…
First off, Americans eat like crap compared to Europeans (This is fact, not opinion). Upon returning to the US, it was implicitly clear to me how poorly the average American eats. In all do respect to that former fat boy Jerrod, Subway is not the formula for healthy eating, in fact its horrible for you. Unfortunately so are a huge percentage of all fast food eateries in the US. The key difference is preservatives, which are consistent in most all American take out yet virtually doesn’t exist in Italy and much of the EU. The next key ingredient is that of High Fructose Corn Syrup. This stuff is a killer and is once again consistent in many beverages and snack foods in the US, where its difficult to find here in Italia on the back of any label. What you will find, is good old fashion sugar, which is much better for you than HFCS. Lastly, the difference in oil is dramatic. US residents take in mass quantities of vegetable oils and other types of hydrogenated and saturated oils, where Italians stick with the healthiest of all oil, Olive Oil.
Beyond that of food, as we have touched upon before, Italians get a lot more cardio activity in their daily routine than Americans. This consistent walking throughout the day is a key factor in why you see very little overweight Italians (To be honest I can’t really recall seeing any extremely overweight people. From a gym perspective, its also interesting to note that there are many more swimmers at the gym in Italy than there are at the Spectrum club. The lap pool in Italia is six lanes across and Olympic size in length. On any given morning, you will have at least two and sometimes three people in each lane swimming laps. The pool at Spectrum is half as long, with four lanes and is empty most of the time. I’m not sure where this love of swimming as an exercise activity comes from here in Italy, but its another interesting contrast from the US.
Lastly, and perhaps more glaringly is the quantity of food consumption. Don’t get me wrong, Italians don’t eat like birds and by no means do you see the kitchen skimping on portions like you may in a French restaurant. There are no Claim Jumpers or Cheesecake Factories in these parts. The portions are plentiful but not so obscene that you are forced by sight alone to consume more than is reasonable for the human digestive system.
Back to the gym. Another major difference is the one that intrigued me the most, the lobby! The lobby at the Spectrum Club is what I would have expected from any gym. Its about 200 square feet, with a two sitting chairs and a flat screen TV, just enough space to wait for your friend or spouse if you are finished working out prior to them. Even with the limited space, I can’t recall ever seeing both chairs occupied in the two weeks of working out there. The palestra on the other hand has a sitting area that I’m guessing is two thousand square feet, with a nice café and is constantly filled with people who meet for a coffee before exercising or have lunch following their workout. The same slow pace and social aspect of life here in Italy that influences the length of meals and patience put into preparing them has made its way into the gym environment.
Another major difference is the hours of operation (Not unlike store and restaurant hours). The Spectrum opens at 5:00 am and closes at 11:00 at night, seven days a week and nearly every day (It was closed on Christmas BUT open from 7:00 to 7:00 on New Years Day and open on both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve). The palestra in Italia opens at 8:30 and closes at 10:00 Monday through Saturday (Yup not till 8:30!) and is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 on Sunday! By far the busiest time is lunch time when the Italians have a two and a half hour lunch! Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day were closed! Hell, when I got The Spectrum Club on New Years morning at 7:45, I would have guessed I would be the only loser there who didn’t stay up past midnight! Nope, it was pretty full in fact! Ahhhh the constantly over achieving Americans that we are!
Its interesting when you think about it. The microenvironment that is the gym in America and palestra in Italia, is in many ways resembling of the macroenvironment that are the differences between the two societies as a whole. Americans are always looking to the future, always trying to strive for a finish line that they have created, always in a hurry to catch that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Italians are always in the moment, always interacting with each other and in many ways without a finish line that they are chasing.
Trey's Gameboy (This is a great story!)
I never wrote about this unfortunate event in blogs past, perhaps in an effort to try to erase a bad memory. It took place on our initial journey to Italia in August and contributed to the rocky beginning that now seems like a distant memory. I have often stated that I may attend the Olympics one day (Likely the summer variety) as a proud father watching his son compete. That is, if they make video game playing an Olympic sport! Trey has had a fixation for video games since he was about four and at times we have pondered sending him to “Betty Ford” to kick the habit.
While sitting in the Air France lounge at LAX, about one hour prior to departure on the 7th of August, Trey asked us if we had seen his Gameboy DS case that housed not only the video game consol itself, but his entire library of video games (Somewhere between 20 and 25 amassed over a five year period). The unfortunate fact is that no one in the Braheem clan had seen hide nor hair of the little black bag. An immediate look of panic raced across his face (Not like this was the most celebrated day of his eight year old life anyway, given the fact that he was leaving ALL he knew at the time. In fact, one might say that his DS served the same comforting purpose that a pacifier does to a three week old).
Ours minds immediately shifted into “Sleuth Mode”, “Did you leave it in the vehicle that drove us to the airport? “I asked, “Honey did you leave it on the belt when we went through radar an hour ago?” asked Anna. “I bet you left it at home” is the conclusion we came to in the end. This prompted an immediate call to Emily our house sitter who is living at our home during our one year journey abroad. We hadn’t even left American soil and we had already made Emily the captain of a massive “APB” for Trey’s Gameboy.
“Don’t worry buddy, I’m sure that when we land in Italy in fifteen hours that Emily will have found it and we can have her Fed-X it to us”, I said. Fifteen hours later we received the bad news that it was no where to be found (And believe me she looked everywhere). It was bad enough that he lost his $150.00 gameboy, but much worse that his life history of games was gone as well. We could replace the gameboy in Italy, but finding all those games was a futile cause because they would all be in Italian and impossible for him to read. The only conclusion that we could all draw (Especially because Trey insisted that he had it with him in the car on the way to the airport) was that he left it on the screening belt (Security check) at the airport. In the end, I must say, he took it about as well as I could ever imagine. Hell, I almost cried FOR him! The silver lining in this story is that he suddenly had a lot of free time on his hands, time that he soon filled with his new found hobby of reading! Not a bad trade off in mine and Anna’s minds.
Why do I tell this story some five months after it occurred, with the loss of his gameboy a faded memory? The answer lies in the most bizarre occurrence of the entire sixteen days back in California. On January 1st, I was sitting in our family room, packing DVD’s for our trip when Anna sat down on the floor in front of me, looked at me straight in the eye and said “You’re never going to believe this one” and slid Trey’s gameboy bag in front of me, complete with his consol and all of his games! My jaw dropped, I was simply shocked by the sight of it!
It seems that it somehow was kicked under Olivia’s bed all the way near the wall and had been under there for five months. Trey was at his buddy Trevor’s house when the lost treasure was found. His reaction when coming home is captured in the below photographs. Enjoy….
While sitting in the Air France lounge at LAX, about one hour prior to departure on the 7th of August, Trey asked us if we had seen his Gameboy DS case that housed not only the video game consol itself, but his entire library of video games (Somewhere between 20 and 25 amassed over a five year period). The unfortunate fact is that no one in the Braheem clan had seen hide nor hair of the little black bag. An immediate look of panic raced across his face (Not like this was the most celebrated day of his eight year old life anyway, given the fact that he was leaving ALL he knew at the time. In fact, one might say that his DS served the same comforting purpose that a pacifier does to a three week old).
Ours minds immediately shifted into “Sleuth Mode”, “Did you leave it in the vehicle that drove us to the airport? “I asked, “Honey did you leave it on the belt when we went through radar an hour ago?” asked Anna. “I bet you left it at home” is the conclusion we came to in the end. This prompted an immediate call to Emily our house sitter who is living at our home during our one year journey abroad. We hadn’t even left American soil and we had already made Emily the captain of a massive “APB” for Trey’s Gameboy.
“Don’t worry buddy, I’m sure that when we land in Italy in fifteen hours that Emily will have found it and we can have her Fed-X it to us”, I said. Fifteen hours later we received the bad news that it was no where to be found (And believe me she looked everywhere). It was bad enough that he lost his $150.00 gameboy, but much worse that his life history of games was gone as well. We could replace the gameboy in Italy, but finding all those games was a futile cause because they would all be in Italian and impossible for him to read. The only conclusion that we could all draw (Especially because Trey insisted that he had it with him in the car on the way to the airport) was that he left it on the screening belt (Security check) at the airport. In the end, I must say, he took it about as well as I could ever imagine. Hell, I almost cried FOR him! The silver lining in this story is that he suddenly had a lot of free time on his hands, time that he soon filled with his new found hobby of reading! Not a bad trade off in mine and Anna’s minds.
Why do I tell this story some five months after it occurred, with the loss of his gameboy a faded memory? The answer lies in the most bizarre occurrence of the entire sixteen days back in California. On January 1st, I was sitting in our family room, packing DVD’s for our trip when Anna sat down on the floor in front of me, looked at me straight in the eye and said “You’re never going to believe this one” and slid Trey’s gameboy bag in front of me, complete with his consol and all of his games! My jaw dropped, I was simply shocked by the sight of it!
It seems that it somehow was kicked under Olivia’s bed all the way near the wall and had been under there for five months. Trey was at his buddy Trevor’s house when the lost treasure was found. His reaction when coming home is captured in the below photographs. Enjoy….
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