jumping through hoops

Since marijuana has become legal for all adults to use in California, the quality has significantly increased, commensurate with the prices of course, as the government has significantly taxed the distribution of such. However, I was surprised to see how common the use of it was even with Americans traveling from the East Coast, where it is not yet legal although the NYC mayor recently instructed the police to stop making arrests for marijuana usage.

Vaping has become more common and has made it a bit more challenging to determine whether someone is vaping tobacco or other products. Flavored cartridges with different strains have also added to the popularity. While in Rome, a taxi driver coyly asked us after realizing that we were Americans, if we had a spare charger for his vape that he could purchase. It could not be purchased in Italy and he had gone for months without being able to use his vape. Luckily, one of my travel companions had the same type and had a spare charger to give him. As she also knew she did not want to risk bringing an extra filler back into the states, he also got the lucky bonus of that as well.

Italy has gone back and forth over the last few decades in regards to legalizing marijuana. The Vatican is on its soil yet it also struggles with the Italian mafia and the questionable quality that may be consumed by its citizens who have obtained such products from these sources. Over the years, marijuana use has gone from illegal to decriminalized.

It was interesting to find out though how many people grew it for their own personal use, taking advantage of a loophole. Due to the obvious smells from growing a cannabis plant indoors, especially in apartment buildings in the North where it is not as warm throughout the year, Italians have gotten creative in their green thumb adventures. Technically, it is illegal to sell marijuana for personal use other than medicinal purposes, but it is not illegal to sell or purchase the seeds or to consume given the decriminalization efforts.

One man told me how he would plant the seeds annually in the countryside on others' properties and periodically check on his plants. He was happy to even provide his recommendations of the best varietal and hybrid seeds. Another laughingly shared how his friend tried to hide the obvious odor from neighbors in his apartment building. One pharmacist, who avoids using synthetic drugs himself, also is a source for his close friends as he is known for also being a cannabis horticulturist.

self service

Up in the hills of Valdobbiadene is an old stone house, nestled in the middle of a vineyard, that serves as an osteria (place that serves wine and simple food). However, other than basics like ingredients and tools for making your own coffee and simple outdoor furniture, there is no person managing or working at the osteria.

Parking at Osteria senz'Oste is ad hoc between the vines. My friend (crushing grapes), who has made annual excursions to Valdobbia-dene for harvesting took us there simply for the amazing views. However, he has always missed the signs leading to the prosecco vending machines. While he knew they existed, as one is located in the vineyards near the parking area, which doubles as parking for a wine tasting room, not affiliated with the osteria, he never loitered long enough to realize that people brought and/or bought items for a beautiful day in the sun and vineyards for a long and lazy aperitivo.

Following the signs takes one through paths up the hill, meandering through the vineyards until one gets to the top of the hill where there are larger vending machines to purchase bottles of different types of prosecco. Another vending machine provides water bottles and simple food that usually is provided with aperitivo. Plastic cups hang from the sides of the vending machines.

While there are picnic tables and benches at the top of the hill near the vending machines, the more intimate setting is below next to the vineyards at the side of the hill with pergolas covered with trailing vines and overhanging bunches of grapes.

We ended up spending an entire afternoon, sharing over seven bottles of prosecco between five people enjoying the company and beautiful atmosphere. We made a number of new friends with many groups sharing snacks, desserts and other bottles of wine, some of which were in unmarked bottles brought from home (moonshine). With overlapping languages with not all speaking any particular language, it became easier to understand each other being under the influence.

After harvesting that day from her family's vineyards, a woman who manages the inventory in the vending machines stopped by to check the stock, and coordinate with my friend on harvesting with her family the rest of the week. In her curiosity on how such a hodgepodge of different people had congregated together, she soon discovered that we represented U.S. (New York, Connecticut, Texas, and California), Vietnam, Japan, France, Switzerland and Italy (Meolo and Venice), with many just meeting each other that day. While some had left a bit earlier, she felt it was worthy of a Facebook post on the osteria's page. These moments with locals and new friends are some of the most amazing  and cherished memories from my travels.

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In the land of love, vending machines with various prophylactic sheaths are visible sporadically near town centers. They are even installed in schools in Rome. Safe sex is available 24/7 and most likely attributes to one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. The machines offer many options for every fancy.

Perhaps I am used to the American men who make any excuse to not use protection as it impacts their sensitivity, it was great that Italian men seemed always prepared, even if it was to ask friends for any spares. Rather than take the additional risk of potential breakage with ultra-thins on the market today, I also noticed that there was a tendency to use the thicker latex options.

In some cases, perhaps it was to prolong the experience with his partner. For others, it does cause some challenge in climaxing in the usual way, and other methods are used to finish. One man even joked that it is great for protection from any residual feces during anal. As Monty Python croons 'always look on the bright side of life'.

what's in a name?

Although most young people in Italy have taken more than 10 years of English as a second language course, many do not have the luxury of putting it into practice, so while many may understand parts of what I say, they tend to not feel confident to speak it. However, sometimes we take words for granted and while foreigners try to learn the meaning of words, oftentimes, there is no rhyme or reason to the grammatical rules or the etymology of the English language. Why is 'i before e except after c'?

Over dinner last night, an Italian man had asked me to confirm location of bridges. He had gotten Brooklyn Bridge confused with the Golden Gate Bridge. He grew up loving Brooklyn gum; however, I had never heard of that brand before. Brooklyn Gum is made in Lainate, Italy; was the first chewing gum produced in Italy in the mid-1950s; and is only sold in Italy. It comes in two flavors: spearmint and chlorophyll. Despite the flavor, chlorophyll does not taste green, if green were to have a taste. His favorite was spearmint so of course, I had to give it a taste test, which turned out to be like any other Wrigley spearmint gum. While I did find it on Amazon, it comes with the cost of importing it from Italy.

His girlfriend, on the other hand, asked why fellatio is called 'blowjob', when it generally involves sucking. While the origin of the slang is up for debate ranging from slang for prostitute as 'blowsy' to the climatic result of an orgasm being referred to as 'blow', it would seem to be a bit ironic to call it such. Some of the Italians with bellies that night started to joke that they got a lot of 'blowjobs' which explained the size of their gut sticking out while drawing attention to the one Italian-American who was on the slimmer side and whom therefore, did not benefit from blowjobs based on that logic. The reality hitting a bit close to home, causing a bit of unwanted tension carrying over from reclaiming the cunt (part 8).

On the flip side, Italians also have slang that may not be so intuitive. Limone, which is the word for lemon, is also slang for French kissing (kissing with tongue). The verb version is limonare. Similar to blowjob, there is a bit of debate on its origin, ranging from the kitchen utensil used to squeeze lemons resembling a tongue to fruit vendors in Lombardia selling lemons in pairs.

Scopare could either mean to sweep or to fuck. While usually a tree is masculine ('o' ending) and its fruit is feminine ('a' ending) (e.g., melo for apple tree and mela for apple), fico represents both the fig tree and its fruit, as fica is slang for cunt (also spelt figa, with sfiga meaning bad luck). Quite the tongue twister, making it easy to get one's tongue tied.

thelma & louise (part 1)

Over the weekend, I met Thelma, a hybrid of the Siberian Husky breed. Her mistress is named Louise, although her mistress' boyfriend was in charge of her for that weekend. She appeared gentle as she went from bar to bar, oftentimes just planting herself in the middle of the crowd and establishing herself as the center of attention. She seemed to ignore other dogs, especially the loud ones much smaller than her, and minded her own business, or rather having a mind of her own.

The next day, Paola and Valentina drove four hours to join us in Valdobbiadene. The two met more than 15 years before, and Paola is older than Valentina's mother. Yet, proving that soulmates come in all shapes, sizes and age, the two ladies have traveled together for years and have the most amazing stories of crashing private parties and meeting the rich and famous as if they belonged. One is a Virgo Sun and Libra Ascending while the other is a Libra Sun with Virgo Ascending. Paola is a designer and is the epitome of the Italian fashionista while Valentina is a singer who galavants and entertains throughout Europe.

Both document their lives via Instagram. Yet unlike others who create their lives via social media, they truly have a natural zest for life while living in the moment and following their dreams, engaging with anyone and everyone around them. They were both more about giving than receiving, including creating memorable moments for their loved ones. Their energy is contagious and even in the simplicity of wardrobe changes and taking pictures with them, it was more about having fun rather than looking for perfection.

for whom the bell tolls

In trying to find some personal works of a new friend (reclaiming the cunt (part 8)) that he had noted was online, I chanced upon his rendition of the crash of TWA 843 when he was 11.  Like UA 93, its flight plan was from NYC to San Francisco. On the eve of 9/11, it seemed too similar to be completely coincidental, especially after he told me how he had to change his flight for a business trip to Hong Kong from Sunday to Tuesday. It then hit me that Tuesday would be 9/11. The terrorism that plagued the Twin Towers in 2001 was also on a Tuesday.

In May, I decided that it was finally time to visit Freedom Tower and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. For years I had avoided the area every time I visited NYC but after full circle (part 7), I felt mentally ready. Had I not been there with some foreign friends, I probably would have spent a longer time to process everything, but it was for the best that I did not as it was time to move forward from the moment. 

While there was much controversy during the last decade on the entire rebuilding and memorial that caused it to be delayed, I think they did as best as they could to make it a touching and respectful tribute to the lives lost. This includes putting a white rose next to a victim's name on his/her birthday, as well as a wall with a quote from Virgil that separates the museum from the vault where they have placed the remains of nearly 8,000 unidentified human remains. The quote is not without controversy itself as some questioned it in the context of its original intent vs. the meaning that the museum's creators wanted to relay. In its original context, it would apply more to the terrorists than the victims. 

At the time, one of the most haunting visions for me was a photo of an unknown person who jumped from the building to escape the burning heat of the fire from the planes. Many of my coworkers who were at the office that day have nightmares from seeing people dropping from the sky in person. It was not a surprise to see that there was an alcove with a video tribute to these bold men and women who made such a difficult decision in how to die, especially since it is said that burning to death is the most painful way to die. It was the only place in the museum that had a big box of tissues at the end with a trashcan full of used tissues.

To think that there are children, including those who are a year away from adulthood, who were not  even alive then. However, the death toll and aftermath of the event continues. Experts estimate that by the end of this year, there will be more deaths from the health issues of the first responders and those who lived near Ground Zero than there were from the initial terror act itself. One of my close friends has been approved to receive 9/11 funds for health issues. While she was on her honeymoon in Italy on 9/11, she and her husband lived across the street from the Twin Towers.

While they were frustrated that they could not access their apartment for months, they have now regretted moving back as soon as the government cleared people to do so. They are convinced that they lost their first child because of the toxins in the air. Doctors could not pinpoint why they had to make a very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy; however, the autopsy, while inconclusive, showed evidence of holes in lungs and other deformities that confirmed the necessity to do so.

Now, she is left with respiratory, sinus and joint problems that has her going to numerous specialists without an end in sight. The museum had a section at the end dedicated to the first responders and the voluminous health issues plaguing the first responders afterwards. Perhaps because it is so close to home for me and impacting a love one so significantly, I felt that the tribute was insufficient. The creators of the museum could take a page out of the museum in Hiroshima (boom of the 'shrooms) dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombs in its coverage of the continuing effects of such human tragedy.