So we’re done with 2008. As expected, this has been a tough year that brought us a worldwide economic downturn and many people who lost their job will remember it as one of the worst in their life. On the other hand we also had good news and lately I can feel a general sense of hope springing, at least in this part of the world. Who knows, are we in the middle of the avalanche effect and the real crisis has yet to come or have we reached the bottom already? We’ll see. Meanwhile I wish a wonderful 2009 everybody!
On Jan 1st 1999 a new currency was officially born: the Euro. It was the result of the efforts of most members of the European Union aiming to create a single currency to foster growth in the area, be strong against market storms and cut down on banking costs. That day the exchange rate with respect to the 11 initial participating currencies was set in stone and the European Central Bank took control. For three years the Euro remained something untangible, but on Jan 1st 2002 actual coins and notes were circulated and the now obsolete national money retired. Read the rest of this entry »
In Ferrara I used to sing in Coro Polifonico “Santo Spirito”, where we performed mostly baroque sacred music. I was very proud of that hobby, that allowed me to sing in prestigious theaters together with famed orchestras and world-class directors. Unfortunately when I moved to Florence I had to give up on this activity and I missed it a lot. I tried to look for something similar in my new location but couldn’t find anything that matched my time budget and my taste. Read the rest of this entry »
So… last time I blogged was months ago. Back then I was in Brazil. Where have I been since then? No, I was not kidnapped in a favela. No, I was not out of topics. Actually, I had many things to write. Just for starters I traveled back and forth to Brazil, drove to Berlin, joined a gospel choir and sung in a famous theatre. The problem is, I just got sucked into Facebook. Read the rest of this entry »
