Ciao Pittsburgh

By Alberto Amore

Romeo and Juliet is a ripoff. There, I said it.

Bill Shakespeare ripped it off just like he ripped off pretty much everything he did. He was a rapper of yesteryear, sampling, reshaping and reselling old songs that had been sung time and time again, but to a new audience, a British audience. It is a practice that has always been in play and copyright lawyers rub their collective hands together with the knowledge that it always will. But let’s be honest.

Do we want to hear the world’s greatest love story from the point of view of an Englishman? If you want your romance to be microwave spag bol, by all means, help yourself. However, if you want passion on a plate, if you want to be serenaded and romanced with the finest wines and the embrace of sun-kissed Mediterranean ingredients, then you need authentic Italian food. And as for romance, you may side with the land of Monty Python and Mr. Bean or you may look to the land of Casanova, Rudolph Valentino and Romeo and Giulietta.

In the Shakespearean version, when Juliet leans over the Balcony (as it is often portrayed) and calls out

“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

She is not asking where Romeo is, contrary to the direction of English teachers and Directors the world over. ‘Wherefore’ does not mean ‘Where’ nor did it in Shakespearean England. Wherefore would be understood as closer to why,  changing the lazy interpretation of ‘Where is Romeo?’ to ‘Why’ does this object of my love and adoration have to be he, a Montague, a member of a rival family.  [Read more…]

You can develop an optimistic outlook as easy as a habit of doing cardio every morning. Of course, willing to live and enjoy life is not a myth! Many people say that Italy is a country of optimistic people – and yes, if you compare Italy to other European or Northern countries, psychologists agree – this nation lives happier indeed. And none of the factors depend on the economics (which is not in the best state throughout the last decade). But people in Italy never cry over life and perceive things as they are. Maybe, there is something to learn for every other country?

NEW DAY, NEW LIFE

There is no reason to panic and forecast the end of the world. Whichever news the press will announce today, you don’t need to make an elephant out of a fly. This life principle is typical for the majority of Italians, which is not surprising, because the country has lived with Berlusconi for so many years, and the eternal crisis of the Italian economy is already almost a part of the local color. People here live and expect better things to come.

FACEBOOK IS A SOCIAL MEDIA MEANT FOR FRIENDSHIP, NOT FOR POLITICAL DEBATES

Italian profiles are always the best to look at on the social media – they all are sweet and positive. The majority of people post photos of their wives, children, memories from recent holidays and weekends. The links to the political articles are relatively rare and difficult to find. And quarrels between dissenters in the commentaries are not a normal phenomenon. For example, there are numerous cases where two Italians are both politicians, who represent competing parties, but they live perfectly together. [Read more…]