My busy wonderful holiday

 The new year opened with good and bad news. I had a good time in Italy visiting my mother, relatives and friends during the Christmas holidays and I was overjoyed to see my daughter Valentina and my granddaughter Violetta when I came back. The affection that surrounded me during gatherings and meetings, the ‘good tidings’ and renewed friendships I experienced both in England and in Italy were special. 

Before flying to Rome, I had a busy week at school exchanging cards and presents with students and colleagues, Christmas lunch, house Panto, carol service, secret Santa, the talent show and the social at the Sovereigns in Woking. We had a lot of fun dressing up with Christmas jumpers, fancy earrings and light up necklaces and funny hats. The best part was the talent show with dances, songs, choirs and jokes. A lot of prizes were distributed bringing confidence and joy to students and staff. 

Before leaving, I also managed to visit some elderly friends that live in Woking and in Guildford. They carry on well considering they are in their 80s and 90s. We updated each other about our health and exchanged cards and little presents. The weather was pretty challenging before Christmas. Frost covered my car every morning for a fortnight. I wore two layers plus a heavy coat, woollen hat, scarf and gloves. However, I managed to complete my Christmas shopping, attend all the social events, send cards, and spend a day in London too. I visited the exhibition on Lucian Freud at The Lightbox in Woking and attended the Panto at the London Palladium. ‘Lucian Freud and the World as a Sphere’ at the Lightbox is a juxtaposition or comparison of sorts of some important contemporary artists and the work of Lucian Freud to mark the centenary of his birth. The curator, Somaya Critchlow, also presents her grandfather’s artwork, who was professor of architecture, writer and geometer, Dr Keith Critchlow. Here is the link to my review:

https://wokingwriters.wordpress.com/2023/01/07/lucian-freud-and-the-soul-as-sphere/ 

In London I visited ‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’ at the V&A, ‘Lucian Freud: New Perspectives’ at the National Gallery and an intriguing one-room exhibition at The School of Historical Dress: ‘Our Collection by Colour No. 1 White’.

I also had a glimpse at ‘The Fabulous World of Dior’ at Harrods but could not visit the whole exhibition as the queue was too long and I had to attend the Panto that same day. Here are the links to the reviews I wrote for some of the exhibitions:

Lucian Freud: New Perspectives https://londongrip.co.uk/2023/01/lucian-freud-new-perspectives-review-by-carla-scarano/

White https://londongrip.co.uk/2023/01/white-review-by-carla-scarano/ 

I especially enjoyed Lucian Freud’s work, so important, skilled, absolutely overwhelming. The more than sixty works on display gave a comprehensive and insightful view of his development and career. I especially liked the nudes and some of the portraits and self-portraits. They reveal so many layers of meaning and texture that the compositions can be compared to the works of the old masters that Freud studied at the National Gallery. 

The Korean Wave was interesting too, though some parts about films, cosmetics, cars, software, songs, etc. looked like an advertising of sorts rather than a show. The Korean popular culture mixes traditional values linked to the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) and Confucianism with today’s way of living that includes consumerism, easy-going and self-indulgent lifestyle and is focused on entertainment and pleasure. The iconic song ‘Gangnam Style’ (2012) is an example of this approach; its rhythm and video are captivating and it was popular world-wide. I loved the section about fashion so colourful, with bold patterns and original designs; the clothes have references to the Korean traditional costume, the handbook, which features a long wide skirt and high waistline. There are loose links with the past both in stories, songs, pictures, K-Drama and the outfits on display. The Moon Jar was the best piece of the exhibition with its perfect shape that recalls the Confucian values of modesty, purity and honesty. It contrasts with the themes of social inequality and corruption that are present in some of the films, such as Parasite, that won the Palme D’Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2019. My favourite bit was the K-Pop Dance challenge in which you learned the moves of a dance following instructions and then had the chance to record your dance. Finally, your moves would become part of a collective dance. I had a go, of course, and enjoyed it tremendously.

The new year opened with news of deaths. Vivienne Westwood, Pelé and pope Benedict XVI; it was an endless mourning. And Covid is coming back from China, nine thousand deaths per day apparently, and with the sub-variant Kraken in the US. Honestly, the beginning of 2023 didn’t look good though I could see signs of hope in the King’s Christmas speech and in the appeal to the Italian people of the president Sergio Mattarella on New Year’s Eve. He pointed out how the Italian democracy is working well despite the crisis that is affecting not only Italy but most of the European countries, how Italy recovered after the pandemic and invited people to look at the future with optimism. He invoked peace, justice and freedom in a community spirit. I found his words uplifting. 

And here is a poem I wrote about the King’s speech:

King’s Speech

Christmas 2022

Love […] is a form of knowing

Shearon Olds, Komodo

In this time of great anxiety and hardship

a light shines from a cradle

in a little town a poor crib.

We all gather in hope, 

though the mighty are failing us 

and the wealthy have been sent empty away.

We look at the powerless – 

poverty contains salvation too – 

hoping that goodness and compassion happen

in the magical, stressful Christmas time;

the sharing of thoughts

solidarity with the poor for a night

shining light

bright, bright, bright.

I did some health checks in Italy and had an appointment with an endocrinologist specialised in adrenaline glands. From the tests I am not diabetic, my cholesterol and my heart are alright, my kidneys are alright though I have some stones. One of my adrenaline glands produces more cortisol than normal but it seems it is at a mild level and it is not clear which one it is as we have two. I will have more checks in Italy when I go back at Easter. I don’t think I need an operation to remove one of my adrenaline glands. Maybe they will prescribe some medication. My high blood pressure is a bit too high though I take tablets regularly. My potassium and calcium are a bit low but there is nothing to worry about. I had all the tests in a private laboratory. I paid 330 euros in total for twenty blood tests plus 24-hour urine test, ECG and kidney scan. I think I would have paid double or more in the UK. I feel confident and healthy on the whole and can manage to follow all my hobbies and passions as ever. I feel lucky.

The Panto, Jack and the Beanstalk, was a mesmerising show, full of light, unbelievable costumes and just before the interval a gigantic beanstalk popped up from the ground level. The plot was loose and there were plenty of puns on today’s political situation and on celebrities. I loved the exaggerated costumes, the glittering settings and the cheering, joyful atmosphere. It was my final treat. 

And here is a special winter delicacy, white brownies:

You need: 200 g of self-raising flour, 200 g of sugar, 100 g of butter, vanilla essence, 50 g of dry cranberries, 200 g of white chocolate, 2 beaten eggs, a pinch of salt. Some parchment paper.

Warm the butter, chocolate, sugar and vanilla essence in a saucepan. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the chocolate mixture and the salt. Soak the cranberries in warm water for five minutes then squeeze them and add to the mixture too. Finally fold in the flour. Spread the brownies mixture on an oven tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 180 C. When cool, cut it in squares and serve with cream.😍😋