moon eats star

(i)

the school's secretary (the one with a penchant for heavy, fluorescent, aubergine coloured eye shadow) learnt that i have a passion for graphology and immediately demanded for me to see her handwriting. well-aware of the local mania for anything to do with palmistry / fortune telling, before starting i went on and on and on about the scientific base of the analysis and study of handwriting; i then firmly stated graphology had nothing to do with stuff like horoscopes, face reading, coffee cup reading and superstition; i repeated myself a couple of times along these lines - while she was nodding vigourously and conceding very bored "tamaaaam", "ta-maaaaam" (alright, alright...) at every sentence i uttered. when i decided i had made my point very loud and very clear - to the extent i was starting to sound tedious to my own ears - i asked her "...right, so...anything you want to ask before i check your page??". she gave me a broad smile and excitedly said:

"yes. yes. i want to know - how many children will i have?!!!!!?"



(ii)

ramadam is in full swing and everything seems slower than usual. being august - the temperature is unbearably hot and it is shocking to think that - because of ramadam - apart from not eating all day people are requested NOT to drink ANYTHING either. had i to try anything of the kind i would collapse around 9.15 am! having said that - apparently most people trick the monstruous task by sleeping most of the day (!). the rest of them - if they are actually keeping up with the no-food no-water plan display visible symptoms of lethargic and confused behaviour. i see it especially with older vendors, shoe-polishers, waiters...they all seem to sport a dazed expression. the most blatant example is offered by our greengrocer - whom, for the past three days - has been glued to a chair in the shade down in the street with half opened eyes and an unshaved face. he stopped saying hi and greets everyone with a faint smile, sinking deeper and deeper in the back of his chair. he is starting to look like a patient trying to survive the effects of electrocution.

(iii)

am working with two doctors who are preparing to go to berlin for an international conference on psoriasis. the topic and nature of the material we cover in class are nothing short than unusual - yet i find it extremely interesting to learn more from them and sit back and listen. they are full of drive and passion and they really want to prove themselves. turkish doctors and medicine students definitely "get my vote" and unconditional respect and admiration. i see many qualities in them that i hardly see in most doctors back in italy or europe - regardless of age and career status. so...these two new students are a joy to teach. the only difficulty i have with our hours together is that - they are husband and wife and, possibly because of the shared profession...they seem to have a comedy tendency to compete with each other. which translates in petty and childlike exchanges like: "now...you talk...you say...you talk TOO MUCH... let ME explain for once!...c'mon, let me answer this one...ok, NOW it is my turn..." it makes me smile...but i feel like telling them...they should relax...i will never let any cat out of the bag with their professors in berlin. let alone with the nobel prize committee...

(iv)

teaching a secondary school class now - a gentle reminder of pre-pubescent awkwardness / clumsiness and disputable dress sense.

interestingly - they share the usual obsession with facebook of their older co-students...but they tend to be more subtle about it, avoiding to ask straight if you do have an account too. hence, they try to ask: "teacher, what is your surname? we have your name but not your surname..." which you do not need, i promise - i always answer, trying to drag back their minuscle attention span to "good, better, best" and "bad, worse, worst" and usually receiving as immediate feedback: "teacher. is your husband a turk?"

(v)
yesterday - on the way back from kindergarden - i was startled by the following sentence coming up from the pram i was pushing:

"mum...look at the red flag...the moon is EATING the tiny star!!"



(vi)

the owner of angel the pitbull has decided to scream something nutty every time i pass by. mainly for the amusement of the three elderly ladies running the bakery next to the shop where he sells towels. i have learnt to duck my head and speed my pace up - but he should definitely be cast for some fellini remake as he hollers:

"you know i like you sooooo much!!!" - "every time i see you i feel soooo good!!" - "hello - i love you!" - "you know i miss you when i do not seeeeee you!!".

judging from his energy - i kind of have the feeling he is not following much the whole ramadam routine...