Apr 19, 2009

Ciao before I take a break

Ciao my blogland friends. This week flew by in a flash!

After my escape to blissdom for the Easter holiday, the religious rituals and the Pasquetta picnic, the return to Rome and its daily routine gave me a chance to evaluate and understand how terribly fond of (and addicted to) blogging I am.

Cooking is my passion. Now, through the multi-dimensional blog world, I'm able to share my recipes, my stories and my thoughts regarding these and more, freely and in an ever expanding, stimulating dialogue with my blog friends.

My day is regulated by the blogroll. My hours carefully budgeted to an international clock. The rhythm of posts and comments is dictated by hemispheres and time zones. These range from early ones in the day from Australia and Asia, followed by the Europeans, the ones hailing from the beloved African continent, the Americas and Canada, starting with the Eastern coast first, followed by the Midwest and finally closed with the West coast of California and Oregon. I will not specify names, because you know who you are. And since there are many of you, I didn't want to post a long list of links. I will eventually, because I love dishing in the kitchen, but also opening doors for new visitors to come in, get acquainted, sit and lend a hand in the chopping and stirring, and adding their opinion to the conversation. My list of regulars grows, this means the formula works.

°*°*°

Tomorrow I start a new job. I will be employed on a film for 8 weeks, shooting in the city, on a sound stage in Cinecittà, and on location around the Lazio region.

Needless to say - considering my working hours on set, plus travel to and from there - means I will blog much less. I will not have half the necessary amount of time for posting, blog-hopping and commenting. Since I have become somewhat of an addict, it will be like going to weblog rehab.

It'll take time. Effort. Commitment. Drugs even. But that's how it is. My day will most always start at 6am, driving in the dawn lights to the designated set location. Getting inevitably lost and cursing at my GPS navigator, and sadly arriving to a lukewarn plastic cup of bad espresso. I will work for 5 solid hours with no break before lunch. With no phone calls to my baby boy because we record live sound. No time to amble carelessly at the farmer's market. And no time to blog-surf.

Lunch break on an Italian film set is paradoxically an insult. We eat packed lunches from a catering cardboard box, containing stale Bel Paese (sad) cheese and leathery prosciutto (oxymoron), overcooked pasta and a dry chicken drumstick. I'm seriously thinking of starting a catering service for the Rome-based film industry. It would be a guaranteed hit.

One more shot of pod coffee and back to work we go for another 4/5 hours. I drive wide-eyed back home in the dark and cuddle a sleeping toddler when I get there. Before diving head-first in the down pillows of my bed, perhaps I will quietly run to my laptop for a quickie. Just a little minute in blog land, before I surrender to Morpheus' capacious embrace.

Proofreading back, it sounds like I work in the mines of pre-WWII Belgium, I don't actually. I work in a very relaxed, easy going environment; surrounded by friends and often attractive men. I carry out a stimulating chore and I'm professionally challenged and excited by what I do: something fun and different every day. If I'm lucky and the project it worth it, I remind myself that I'm contributing to making a piece of art. Plus I get to hang out with celebrities. And to some, that's really something. I've sort of become immune to them, I am no longer star-struck. I have worked with the great and the near-great. Each star or wannabe has left a mark, a wink and smile. My greatest heart palpitations occurred at the beginning, when I was graced with the laid-back company of people like Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Jessica Lange, Vittorio Gassmann, Daniel Day Lewis, Spike Lee, Stefania Sandrelli, Bob Hoskins, Giancarlo Giannini, Leonardo DiCaprio, Willem Dafoe, Cameron Diaz...

Nowadays, all I really long for is to spend time with my son, the true superstar VIP of my life. My greatest masterpiece. My blockbuster epic hero: little E.



We'll binge again soon, I promise. In the meantime, feel free to peruse my archives. There's some old recipes I posted in January and February worth making before all the winter season produce leaves the scene.

Ciao for now,

Lola

32 comments:

  1. Being Internetless in Positano meant that I missed out on all your posts - I too have become addicted to your blog :)

    Your break will give me a chance to catch up. Make sure that you write about your exciting work - I love your writing!

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  2. Lola, lovely to come back and read your latest post. "Nowadays, all I really long for is to spend time with my son, the true superstar VIP of my life. My greatest masterpiece. My blockbuster epic hero: little E." You are a wise woman indeed! So happy for you to read that.

    Now to catch up on the other delicious posts I missed!

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  3. Beh, complimenti per la tua nuova avventura. 8 weeks is a long time. Continuo a leggerti ma sono stato un po' preso questi giorni per vari motivi. Ciao e un buffetto to your blockbuster epic hero!

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  4. Lola,
    so soon, and I feel like I am just getting to know you,
    but good luck and happy days and I'll look forward to your happy face, wonderful recipes and lively spirit when you return..
    Happy Days...

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  5. I will miss you, Bella Lola!
    Enjoy yourself as much as you can, we will still be here when you get back.xx♥

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  6. Good luck, Lola,

    I agree with Natalie. We'll be here.

    Tapping --- feet ---- waiting .....

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  7. If you run off with a movie star I'm going to be very, very unhappy. Well, okay, I'll be happy for you.

    Take care, amica mia. I used to work in broadcast production so I know that it is very hard work, with long days. We'll be sending you good energy from the blogosphere....and missing your daily presence.

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  8. Yes, Lola, you reminded us about real life, with work consuming every minute of the day. We'll look forward to the next post. Ciao, cara.

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  9. Wishing also for you to have a fabulous 8 weeks and hoping you get some earlier evenings at home and the treasure of reading to that sleepy little boy before bedtime. Until later, I'll do re-runs and golden oldies:>)

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  10. Well, although I'm glad you'll be working, I'll miss your posts! What exactly is your job?

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  11. And drive safely!

    greetings from oz!

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  12. Isn't it annoying when everyday life gets in the way of our blogs. I mean how inconsiderate. Laundry, work, family. I don't know why us bloggers put up with these intrusions.
    Not that we are addicted or anything. We can stop any time we want to. Yes we can. We can but we just don't want to right now. Gotta go.
    Ciao.

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  13. ahhh, just as i found your site...oh well, will read through old posts. be safe, travel light, see you soon.

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  14. Well, you will be missed, but you have given me much material to read away why I await your return! The picture of your son is absolutely priceless... a true superstar!

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  15. Thank you, my friends. I didn't want this to sound like a definite hiatus, rather an anticipated apology for my inconsistent future posting. I will try to make it here almost every day, I promise.

    Ciao and thanks again for the enthusiasm, it's my fuel.

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  16. I was going to encourage you to tell us about your film work but with such high profiles I guess that probably can't happen. I'd love to have a few vignettes though, of a regular day, even without the names. How the actors hold their heads, where they put their hands, how they laugh. That would be sweet. Otherwise, we'll all wait for you. Your grace is addictive.

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  17. Great Post. I love your style. Very refreshing indeed. I am over from David's. Will come back for more, as I think you are a treasure of great read. I love to read. Cheers.

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  18. Erin - I was planning to do exactly that, but with shyness in my heart. But now, since you're asking...
    Thank you, muse.

    Introspection - And sometimes I get carried away and write too much, so we're in for good conversation. I love to read too, so I'll come visit you, if that's alright.
    Thank you for your gracious comment.

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  19. Lola I don't think of you as leaving us. You are just preoccupied with making some cashola (how do you like my Itallian) for you and your gorgeous boy.

    A living must be made.

    Don't feel lonely today. Enjoy your best production. Your little E who looks amazing in that coat and hat and are they goggles.

    If I don't get to have you every day like a great glass of water, I will hope to have you like a great glass of water with a cherry on top every now and then over the next few weeks.

    Be well sweets.

    Love Renee xoxoxo

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  20. Haha, lovely! and so similar to my life and feelings, although my #1's are alot bigger than darling little E. It's still all a matter of time I remind myself, and not heart. It's so easy to see and "feel" the heart you put into everything you do Lola. Good luck with the new job and be well!
    love ♥
    lori

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  21. nice blog you have got there......

    and your son is cute... :)

    hey do visit my blog and have a go at my short stories and comment on them.....

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  22. Sono contenta di sapere che out there altre persone, come me, sono addicted al blog... Quando torniamo a casa all'Argentario e non ho connessione mi sento quasi sollevata e penso che mi disintossico un po'.
    Allora, come è andata la prima giornata di lavoro? Fai la costumista? Boh, tiro a indovinare... Comunque, visto da fuori, sembra un bellissimo lavoro. Ho un paio di amici che lavorano nel cinema a Roma, uno è un costumista e una un'assistente. Posso chiederti cosa state girando? Sono un po' curiosa....
    Baci e buon lavoro per questa produzione.
    Valeria

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  23. Good luck with the shoot!

    I had one of those lunches and I was SHOCKED.

    You should start a film catering company. Seriously. It's a niche that needs to be filled.

    What do they do for the big american productions?

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  24. Hi and thank you for taking the time to visit me.
    Yes there is life beyond blogging, which is wonderful, as it is what we bring to blogging... life!
    You are a very talented and generous woman. Thank you for all that you share.
    I too have a VIP little person in my life :-) I see in the photo that your little boy is a fan on spiderman :-)
    What do you do on set? I have worked in the area of props.

    best wishes Ribbon

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  25. Good luck with the project Lola, I hope it goes brilliantly well - and don't worry, eight weeks will fly by and we'll all still be here when you get back - okay, I won't be, I'll be gadding about in Europe, but I'll be back after that! :-)
    And meanwhile I'll console myself with your scrummy recipes!
    xxx

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  26. Renee - why is it every time you write something, I get emotional, with tears in my eyes? Thank you for that.
    Oh, and those would be ...er ...green Donald Duck shades.

    Lori ann - thank you so much. It's so hard to juggle motherhood and work! It's HARD! I want a non-job job.

    Muthu - thank you for stopping by, I'll come visit asap

    Valeria - E' andata bene come prima giornata, abbiamo preso un po' di pioggia in mezzo ai campi, ma va bene. Faccio la segretaria di edizione... chi sono i tuoi amici? Magari li conosco.

    Arlene - I'm serious, I will persue catering here! When the Americani come they bring out the good stuff, bbqed fish, steaks, salad bars and homemade pasta. But it costs big $$$

    Ribbon - Thank you so much for your lovely comment. My son is more of a Cars fan, although after Ratatouille and his mom always in the kitchen, he told me he wants to be a chef when he grows up.
    I've created a monster!

    Nicky - Should you, in your European wanderings, ever land in the boot-shaped Peninsula, do give me a ring!

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  27. Good Luck on your new adventure and hurry back.

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  28. Lola, I'll look forward to your descriptions of the quirky moments in your work.

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  29. Theresa - Thank you, I promise I'll be around as often as possible.

    Jennifer - There'll be many...

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  30. Bring them on. Your blogs are entertaining, inspirational and beautiful pieces of prose. I look forward to seeing what you have next to say to us readers. Complimenti - Sono fierissima di te! Break a leg on your new gig.
    Baci
    Dri

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  31. Lola! (la mia piccola nipotina di 2anni e mezzo si chiama Lola!). I really enjoy reading your posts!
    I hope you are all right, I suppose you're not working if it's pouring rain. My friend costumista is Stefano Giovani and my other friend is Marina, but I can't remember her surname...! Are you on Face book?

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