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Prior to beginning the lesson for this blog, I acknowledge that in the larger cities of Italy it is not usually necessary to make reservations in Italian; the Italian staff usually speak basic English and often the languages of their European neighbors — French, Spanish or German.  Also, of course, in most cases, reservations can now be made over the internet on one’s computer or smart phone, without any human interaction at all! But I’ve found that a few phrases in Italian are always warmly welcomed by Italian servers and hotel receptionists, even in the larger cities, and can serve …

Born in poverty-stricken Calabria in 1932, my mother didn’t have the luxury of a formal education. When her father died of tuberculosis, she took to the nearby fields to pick figs, olives, grapes and whatever else the harsh soil would relinquish. Although my mom never took classes in literature, math and the sciences, as so many of us have been lucky enough to do, she had no less imagination, desire and drive. She saw to it that her children had all the things she was forced to do without so many years ago. Literature isn’t solely the realm of “Beowulf,” …

Heartbreaking images from the war in Ukraine have been dominating the news. Near the beginning of the war, the country’s leader, President Zelenskyy, made a video in front of a stunning historic building in Kiev. As compelling as his message was, I couldn’t help but notice the majestic structures behind him. So, I did some research and found an interesting Italian angle. One of the official presidential residences, the building is called the House of Chimaeras, and is a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture. It was built in the early 1900s by Polish architect Władysław Horodecki for his own use …

We often find comfort in our memories! Fond memories are wonderful not just because they sustain us in life’s calm or rough waters, but because they are self-replenishing: Every day brings us new memories that we store in our mental Rolodex files. When the time is right, we just send that Rolodex spinning until we hit upon the memory that will bring a smile to our face right when we need it. Fortunately, through readers of my column, St. Anthony parishioners, Spaghetti-Os members and and Pullman residents, I am often presented with great material that brings up many memories. I’ve …

To speak fluently in another language, it is important to know how to make comparisons. Every day we all compare the characteristics of one thing to another — larger vs. smaller, older vs. younger, better vs. worse — often while describing what we prefer. The Italian language uses precise sentence structures and specific prepositions when making comparisons that are not always identical to English. In this blog, we will explore several ways to make comparisons that use the Italian preposition di.  The good news is that Italian is consistent, and it is easy to learn the “Italian way” of thinking …

The Italian verb mettere and its reflexive counterpart mettersi are used in many colloquial expressions in Italy today.  It is important to “put in” the time to learn how to use mettere, both literally and figuratively, if one wants to speak Italian like a native! The Italian verb mettere is most often translated into English as “to put” or “to place.”  It can be used in a simple way, to describe moving an object from one place to another. Mettere is commonly used with the prepositions a, da, in and su  in many Italian expressions that have the connotation of “putting” …

Fifty is a nice round number and since I possess a 1972 Greater Roseland Area Directory and a 1972 Calumet Index Ninth Edition Greater Roseland Area Annual Yearbook, I thought it would be great if we could review what was happening 50 years ago. Roseland’s service organizations were the main topic of the Annual Yearbook. As we’re all aware, Roseland had many charitable service organizations that we or our parents belonged to. I know as a student at St. Willibrord’s High School, I was involved with the Lions Club through the Key Club Program, which got us out on the …

Last year was one of the wildest rides in recent memory for the real estate industry. For realtors representing their buyers, 2021 was one long, mad scramble to help clients buy their home, with realtors representing sellers facing challenges of their own. The perseverance and patience of buyers’ agents was deeply tested throughout the year. With home inventory shortages stacking the odds in favor of the sellers, winning calls for highest and best offers could be quite discouraging. On the financing end of things, buyers were rushing to prequalify for letters of pre-approval so that they were able to take …

Italian cinema lost one of its most iconic stars on Feb. 2 with the passing of Monica Vitti at the age of 90. She suffered from dementia and hadn’t made a public appearance in nearly 20 years, but her acting prowess and simple-yet-stunning beauty will echo for generations to come. Born Maria Luisa Ceciarelli in Rome on Nov. 3, 1931, Vitti pursued acting as a teenager. She started in amateur theater before her formal training at Rome’s National Academy of Dramatic Arts. Shortly after graduating in 1953, she toured Germany with an Italian acting troupe and then returned to her …

On March 14, 1891, in New Orleans, 11 Italians found not guilty in a murder trial were dragged from their jail cells by thousands of enraged citizens, who promptly shot and hanged them. More than eight decades later, on March 14, 1972, another assault on Italian immigrants took place, this time on a cultural level. On that day, “The Godfather” premiered at the Loew Loew’s Theater in New York. The epic gangster film broke box-office records and set the standard for movie blockbusters on the way to becoming an American classic, replete with memorable quotes like “Leave the gun. Take …