Discover Puglia

Seems like all I do these days is write, translate or take care of business on-line. Even when I'm relaxing, I find myself in front of the pc screen either watching tv (isn't streaming wonderful for the ex-pat?) or obsessively entering giveaways! Feels like my portable is permanently attached to me at the wrists!

I have been enjoying myself recently, I must admit, writing articles about the Puglia region for Charming Italy. I've always been one of those "gosh, I'd like to be a writer types" (probably like many other people who love to read), but I've never felt the urgency of a topic I really wanted to express myself on nor a talent for fiction. Instead, writing about Puglia is great fun for me and just comes naturally. I know lots about this area after living here for 18 years (wow, has it really been that long?) and I have lots of ideas about interesting things to share with others.

Hop on over to Charming Italy and take a look at what this region (and others!) have to offer.

Have you heard of the Bari International Film & TV Festival?

It's not too late to enjoy this year's Carnival in Puglia!

An evening of feasting and bonfires at the Feast of Saint Anthony.

Discover Puglian Christmas culinary traditions.

Higher Education

I just found out today what course I will be teaching in this academic year at the University...the same course as last year. I'm happy to hear that, because I enjoy teaching second year writing and, as I have been doing it for a while, I feel quite confident that I know what I'm going on about in the classroom.

Every year my course is a bit different, because I like to experiment with a variety of approaches and materials, and also because the students are different and, so, create a different dynamic each time. I have chosen new books for this year and I'm looking forward to seeing how I can best use them in class.

I just wish that for once, we could have gotten started on time. Every year something happens to set back the start of the academic year. Classes "should" start at the beginning of October, yet here we are on the 14th and I just found out what I'll be teaching... I still don't know which professor I'll be collaborating with because they haven't gotten around to deciding that little detail just yet. Without the professor, the course can't start... I've got students emailing me asking when lessons will begin and I don't know what to tell them!

This year's delay is linked to a strike by the researchers who, at least in the English department, teach most of the course hours, but actually don't have teaching contracts. Last year we started a month late because they "forgot" to assign us classrooms...it's always something!

Hi, ho, hi, ho!

My 9:23 minutes commute in 1:30 minutes

mounted the canon sd750 with the gorilla pod on the bike to the office today...