Tip-toeing around Edinburgh

It's Christmas night... The day has passed and it was a very good one...

Lots of food, lots of laughter, lots of napping too... so Italian!

And after all that my dad, my brother and I decided to go into town to experience a little bit of the festive Scottish spirit...

Never had I seen Princes street so deserted. Never had I seen it so quiet.

The expression "Ghost town" doesn't even cut it... There wasn't a single soul about!

How amazing!

The thing of which there was plenty about however, was ice!

After the heavy snowfalls of the past 2 days and the sub-freezing temperatures that did indeed granted the kid inside all of us a white Christmas, ice covered every single inch of pavement we put our feet on. It made our little expedition seem quite an adventure!

It was one of those occasions in which I wished I had taken up ice-skating when I had the chance to learn how to, one of those moments in which I wished I had forgotten I am Italian and fashionable and wore sturdy trainers rather than fancy boots (and there wasn't even anyone around to admire them!!!)... I almost landed on my "soft spot" a couple of times, ended up in hysterics laughing with my brother in the middle of the road.

He crossed Princess Street shamelessly without even having to look right and then left (and thank goodness because he may have gotten it the wrong way around being from another country!) skidding like a child...

The pace was much slower, the attention to detail enhanced...
Has anybody noticed that some of the Christmas lights outside John Lewis flicker and some don't?
Has any of you realised that the coffee cups in Costa on Castle street are stacked on the side of the coffee machine rather than on top of it at night?
And has anyone taken the time to look through the little fissure in the paper blocking the view inside the new Primark and gathered that if your wish is to go shopping there soon it ain't happening because the place is a completely empty concrete cell and the light bulbs are just hanging from metal hooks...
And also... Have you ever taken the time to see how beautiful the blue lights look on the trees that line Princes Street?

Oh, and I finally saw the infamous tram tracks... did we really pay all that money for that?!?
I'm sure they'll be great once they'll go, they just look a tad bit awkward now...

When the city is empty, when the hearts are happy, when your eyes are open, when ice becomes your play buddy... that's when you discover the place you live in... and it's beautiful!!!

Early Experiences in the Dissection Room

Learning by dissecting real bodies is nothing short of an amazing opportunity.That’s what I have always thought so it’s no surprise that the idea of entering the DR has been for all the months previous to coming to St Andrews a fix thought in my mind.

Several thoughts came to my mind.
What if I don’t like it?
My friend told me it smells of formaldehyde and my nose is quite sensitive… What does formaldehyde smells like anyway???
What if I get too emotional looking at my cadaver? I have seen my fair share of dead people already but I didn’t have to spend time with them for months so I was quite unsure of how I would have felt.

The only word that comes to my mind when I think at the first time I entered the DR is “awesome”. So exciting... I can tell everyone who knows me that I dissect real human bodies now!
I did get a bit emotional looking at 686, that’s how we call him and it’s quite weird to think of him as a number after all, just a couple of years ago, he was as alive as I am.
One thing that I found peculiar was that his face was covered… why? Shouldn’t we look at this person who gave us this amazing gift? Maybe it was done for those sweet young souls that are just out of school, those who don’t have seen much of what happens when you die… those who have seen nothing about an older body.
I didn’t like this fact so, when people weren’t watching, I did lift up the cloth and had a good look at 686’s face. At least now I know who I’m dealing with.You may disagree but I find this quite more respectful than keeping his face covered. My opinion though…

The first session in the DR left an exhilarating feeling in me, how cool!
The second time we went in and all of the successive ones it was like second nature. Get in, get your gloves on, tick your name off the register and wait for the demonstrator to come around.Sometimes we just work on models and body parts, some other times 686 is there to teach us.I wonder where do they hide him when the models are present instead.
Somehow I identify the DR with him and though I’m grateful for everything (models and body parts included) when 686 is not on display I miss him, silly me!

Last week we learnt everything about the heart and the cardiovascular system. Dr Wood pointed us in the right direction and let us find out the fact by ourselves before coming and check that we got it right. I love it, I love that we’re not spoon fed every tiny bit of information but we are given the tools to find out on our own. The most bizarre thing however was that he put 686’s heart in my hands and left me with it.
Oh dear! That’s a new experience…

Holding someone’s heart in the palm of your hands… it definitely has a complete different meaning to the expression we use as living people!
But I did it and it felt good… and while I was looking at it, pushing my fingers through the blood vessels and reaching the inside of the heart I felt professional, I felt curious, I felt amazed and I felt a little bit intrusive but all in all the most important thing that I have learnt so far in the DR is that being intrusive and curious is one of the best attitudes that a doctor in training (or not…) should have.

So forgive me for loving it!

Medical update...

Almost three weeks in and going crazy!

It's all good fun, loving the lectures, enchanted by the practicals (though most time I'm told to shut up not to spoil it for those who don't have much knowledge of first aid!) and bored by hand washing but understanding it's quite essential...

Workload: HUGE!!! If one takes it seriously of course...
I suppose my commuting back and forth from Edinburgh doesn't help either...

Thank goodness for amazing friends who offer me a place where to stay when it's needed and for those who offer to cat-sit when I do have to take up the offer of a place to stay.

Anything changed from the beginning? Yes and no...

Yes, I have made so many more new friends. Some similar to me, some very different, all of them enriching my experience in med-school!
In the space of three weeks I think I have learnt so much new stuff I couldn't even fathom to fit in my head but, lo and behold, it fits!!!
I've become an expert in tissues, bones, joints and muscles though I know that in a few weeks I'll look back and what is considered "an expert" tonight will be a beginner then...
I love that my lecturers start to recognise me... A few know me by name, by the fact that I am the crazy one commuting from Edi and the one they have to hide from if they see me in a corridor as I'll occasionally surprise them with random questions!!! :-) But I know they love it, really!!!

No, the fact that I still feel like I have won the lottery by entering here is still very much the same. Just tonight I read an article stating that this year about 30,000 students have not made it into university for lack of places... But I'm here...
The will of working hard is still very much present and growing with every new exciting thing we learn. I do tend to get a bit lost in things I find interesting rather than focus on the task we are given but that's just me and I suppose becoming a doctor requires having an inquisitive mind so yeah, I'm exploring my new realm now... I'm tired, a lot, oh but it's worth it!

We have to do loads of reflecting writing, I do reflect so much for that and then I don't feel like reflecting for the blog anymore but one day I'll look back on what I'm writing now and I'll smile... Can't certainly put on my reflective pieces some of the stuff I write on here...
It's good though, it helps me to consider a lot of things under a different perspective!

So all in all everything still shines... let's hope I'll feel the same after seeing my mid-semester assessment results!!!

To number 686...

Dear number 686,

You don't know me yet and I still haven't had the pleasure to meet you though I'm looking forward to that happening in a couple of days.
Today I saw the place where we'll meet... It gets crowded and there will be many people in there so we won't really have a quiet time together but I'm sure we'll like each other... I already feel I like you!
And this is because you have given me an incredible gift that will help me become the doctor I aim to be and for this I'll be eternally grateful. Through your gift I'll gain knowledge, confidence and skills. I promise always to be respectful and try my best to do things right with you. I'll come prepared for our meetings and I'll be very careful to make the most of what I'll learn from you!

I'm glad we never met before, it would have made the next few months a bit awkward otherwise and I possibly wouldn't be able to enjoy your gift as much but this doesn't mean that I wouldn't have been curious to hear what you have done before coming to St Andrews... Who knows? Maybe one day I will find out...

I wish I could tell you a bit about myself, it seems a bit unfair that I'll be able to discover your innermost secrets and you don't even know my name.
I'm really looking forward to be with you and I am really appreciative and a bit emotional thinking that if it weren't for you and others like you I wouldn't have the amazing opportunity of discovering what makes our bodies so special!

So here is my thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to you my cadaver, one day I'll know your name but for the moment you're number 686 and I already feel like we have a connection!

Dona x

One week on...

Unbelievable...

After having wished for the moment I would start med school to come for what seemed to be an endless summer, a week has already passed and things will start to get serious from next Monday!

So how was my first week at St Andrews?

Well, I have to say:
"exciting" coming from the realisation that I am a proper doctor in training now,
"brilliant" thanks to all the new friends I have already made,
"inspiring" after all the talks from our lecturers and presentations of the university,
"a bit of a drag" after we have heard the same rules explained several times in a row though I supposed that, since it's quite important that us doctors behave professionally, it doesn't hurt to repeat them just a few extra times
"happy" because I am finally doing what I have wanted to do for just about a lifetime
"daunting" as of course pressure was put on us to perform to the best of our abilities
"fattening" thanks to the several social events that were organised to socialise with our classmates.

All considered, despite having to part with some blood to be tested for some diseases to make sure we're fit to practice, I am still living a dream and it's unlikely that this feeling will change anytime soon!

So bring on the real clinical stuff from next week, see the "baby-doctor" (as we have been defined by our lecturers) grow into someone that will be able to make the difference in people's lives...

I am ready, loving it and rearing to go!

Music to my ears

Though music it was not!

Saturday I headed towards Leuchars with a friend and his dad to see the airshow which takes place every year in September.

The weather was just perfect for such an event and even the 3 hours sitting in traffic we had to endure didn't curb the enthusiasm of assisting to such an amazing show.

The place was incredibly crowded and taking pictures was challenging to say the least but the day was fabulous and the flying displays were just incredible. Especially the one of the Red Arrows that painted the sky red white and blue in different shapes (including a heart!)

As I was standing there watching these flying machines sail effortlessly through the sky and hearing the blast of the engines I wondered how breathtaking it must be for a jet pilot to be able to do such things, to fly at that speed, to own the sky and to turn so many heads...

I had to take a picture close to one of these beautiful iron birds...

What an amazing day!

The new sister

She arrived just before I left to go on holiday in Italy... Gift (alas, to be returned) of a friend in need


A little bundle of fur, quite scared and aggressive; never I had heard a cat growl like a bear but she did give a very good demonstration of it.

The first few nights she slept close to me, in my bedroom with the door closed... after spending the first afternoon hiding under the bed she came out and started exploring.

Now she's unstoppable!

She eats any food that's left around, has put her two stepbrothers in line and she rules the house.
No place is off boundaries and she walks around like a queen in her castle...


This said, still at night she cuddles close to me with her head resting in the palm of my hand and she purrs looking at me with those beautiful, enticing, emerald eyes she was gifted with...

Welcome to your step-family India... you are the proof that any girl will always rule!



Love you loads already!!!

Back to school...

Well, I have been absent for a month or so...

Been on holiday, ate too much food, traveled around a bit, had fun with friends... even gave a bath to our dog!

But now the fun is over and it's time to get serious again (who me?!?)

In just over a week my adventure at St Andrew's will begin and though that will be so much fun in many ways it also needs to be taken seriously because that's my future... That's what will finish to make me the doctor I want to be and give me the tools to make the difference in people's lives.

I'm all sorted (have been for a while actually :-p)! Have my books, loads of stationery, coloured pens, pads to take notes, folders already set up on my laptop and yes, I even have all my folders colour co-ordinated with the subjects... In short, I need nothing else but my train tickets to get up there.

Wish me luck!!!

Befriending dinner

Oh, I have a soft spot for funny stories and this one really made my day!

It is about an unlikely friendship developed between a snake and his evening snack Gohan, the hamster.
Instead of gulping it down Aochan (the snake) took a liking in this unusual friend
They now share a cage and apparently some night Gohan falls asleep on top of his friend snake.

Now I suppose this is a very good way mother nature has to teach us about friendship, how it can conquer even the highest barriers, how it transcends background and species...
It really made me think... if animals can why is it so difficult for humans?!

Though as much as I appreciate the beauty of the story don't ever expect me to befriend my chocolate cake slice! :-)

A historic date...

I found this application on Facebook which can tell you what important historic events happened on the date of your birth on different years.

Even if I wasn't expecting to find anything interesting I decided that it was worth a try and went ahead to input 26th October 1973 (yes, I am that old!)
Here is a selection of the most relevant of the 149 events the application brought up...

Some of the events are more important than others but I have picked these specific ones because they all seemed interesting to me... so I added a little comment on the side

1994 - Jordan and Israel sign peace accord - There should be hope for everyone than...
1988 - U.S. - Soviet effort free 2 grey whales from frozen Arctic, Barrow, AK - Awesome!
1984 - "Baby Fae" gets baboon heart transplant, lives 21 days - Beginning of something big.
1973 - Dona Braghieri's Birthday! - Best reason to like this date???
1973 - President Nixon released 1st White House tapes on Watergate scandal - A mess...
1972 - Guided tours of Alcatraz (by Park Service) begin - I've taken one... they're scary...
1966 - 1st Pacific communications satellite launched, Intelsat 2 - Maybe should blame this for my high phone bills...
1958 - PanAm flies 1st transatlantic jet trip - New York to Paris - And the real holidays began!
1954 - Chevrolet unveils V-8 engine - My engine!
1950 - Mother Teresa found her Mission of Charity in Calcutta, India - Inspiring!
1938 - Du Pont named its new synthetic fiber "nylon" - Such a cool fabric!
1922 - Italian government resigns under pressure from fascists and Benito Mussolini - Oh well... we all have our dark spots
1916 - Margaret Sanger arrested for obscenity (advocating birth control) - She should see the world nowadays!
1912 - Woolwich Tunnel under Thames opens - No more need to swim
1900 - After 4 years of work, 1st section of New York subway opens - And now it's a labyrinth!
1863 - Soccer rules standardized; rugby starts as a separate game - The day the male population started to go downhill..
1863 - Worldwide Red Cross organized in Geneva - Had to put this one in for obvious reasons!
1861 - Pony Express ends - But I did love the idea of the Pony Express service...
1858 - Hamilton Smith patents rotary washing machine - A saint to housewives!
1749 - Georgia Colony reverses itself and rules slavery is legal - Hurray!
1524 - Spanish troops give Milan to France - Luckily we were only French for a short while! :-p
1492 - Lead pencils 1st used - where would the world be without lead pencils?

The "tragicomic" things of life

Despite the title this is quite a sad post... A post that describes how disconcerting certain things can get...

Last night I got a call to go out and support a fire victim through a British Red Cross service we offer in conjunction with the fire brigades.

On arrival the fire was extinguished, the old lady whose house went up in smoke was with a neighbour and a friend looking after her and all that was left from the horror was just a river of water running from her flat, the charred walls and an acre smell of smoke.

Tragic - that something like this was done on purpose!
Tragic - that this poor lady has endured molestation from this other person for over 20 years.
Tragic - that there are people out there that would go to any extent to get what they want and when they don't succeed they retaliate in the most awful way.

Comic - it was done by a guy well past his 70's who apparently wants an affair with her!

Don't find it comic? I did...
As a matter of fact I had to get away from the scene to go and laugh quietly for a moment.
You don't understand? I'll explain...

Providing this service we see horrid things, families left without anything but the clothes they are wearing (sometimes not even much of that), people who are left stranded, with no place to go they can call their own, sometimes rejected by relatives because of a baby or a pet they have (yes, it has happened right before my eyes!) shivering in the cold, 90% of the times it happens while it's raining as weather doesn't care about poor people out on the street...

Most of the times we have people in our van, we give them what we can, keep them warm, listen without interrupting because from a starting silence a flow of emotion (and possibly tears) usually erupts.

But tonight I heard the story of this lady who was at the Bingo with a friend and came home to find her flat grilled by an older guy who just can't bare to be rejected... I was very supportive but then I left.

This is my way of coping with what I saw, we all have one...
Some of the fire fighters were discussing exactly the same!
Stereotypically a man like this should be at the pub with mates, or walking a dog, or betting on football as the greatest thrill but no, for passion he set fire to his "object of lust" 's flat...
Good grief!

Don't judge me badly... The private chuckle wasn't due to lack of respect for the lady (that's why it was kept private for starters) but my way of dealing with these things I face as I provide support to people...

Once home I took a shower to get the smell of smoke out of my hair and thinking I would have never seen the day in which I would be thankful for Bingo Halls but there it was, that day...

And another smile surfaced safe in the knowledge that at least the lady was unharmed though she didn't win anything...

Old time medicine

Since it's still holiday time I have plenty of free hours during the day to do what suits me.

It varies everyday but today was dedicated to mindless TV.

I don't usually spend time watching TV and never find anything too interesting save a few cooking programs and some fascinating documentaries on the Discovery channels so mostly I sit in the living room having the TV as a background noise...

In the afternoon, while I was searching for something that would induce a well deserved nap, I stumbled on a programme that instead tickled my curiosity.

It was a program on old-time medicine and how practitioners (mostly who didn't really have a clue!) travelled from town to town putting up quite a show in front of crowds...

I'm not sure about the healing properties of the concoctions they used to sell but certainly the entertainment value was outstanding.

Old time medicines contained everything from arsenic to opium and promised instant cures.

Winslow's Soothing Syrup was one of them, seen as indispensable to quiet babies and teething toddlers, it was based on a fantastic ingredient: Morphine!

Thank goodness today nobody would ever dream of calming down a baby by giving morphine (not that they'd confess to it at least!) but there are several other substances that were used at the beginning that we definitely wouldn't use in conventional medicines nowadays.

Opium was commonly used to control coughing

Arsenic and Mercury cured syphilis

Cocaine cured toothache

Heroin was given to help with asthma

Now, I am asthmatic, imagine me turning to my dad and trying to explain that the heroin I'd keep in my drawer only had curative purposes!!!

Some medicines simply took an all-round approach. In 1862, Mixer's Cancer and Scrofula Syrup claimed to treat "Cancer, Tumors, Erysipelas, Abscesses, Ulcers, Fever Sores, Goiter, Catarrh, Salt Rheum, Scald Head, Piles, Rheumatism, and ALL BLOOD DISEASES."

Goodness me, give me the formula for that and who needs med school for the next 6 years?!?

No doubt there will be more medical advances on the horizon that will make some of today's medicines outdated. So perhaps it's wise to avoid smugness.

All I know is that I found a few pictures that I want to share that really had me torn between horror and seriously thinking "Come on... you know it works!" :-)

Cocaine Toothache Drops - You'd end up so high that for sure you wouldn't feel the pain anymore

Bayer used to sell Heroin syrup as a non-addictive alternative to cocaine - REALLY?!?

Coca Wine - A Tonic... yeah, for sure

Syrup to calm babies - Opium and 46% alcohol... They would definitely sleep well on that! I know a few adults who calm down on a 4% alcohol!!!

The best plans are the ones NOT laid out...

I am an organised being... there is no denying it!

Some people would call me a "control freak" but honestly I don't mind if that means I know what is happening... I have to have everything laid out, square and sorted (way before it's needed...) so I can relax.

In September I'll start med school at St. Andrews university and since commuting from Edinburgh presents many options, Stu and I explored a few
So, in view of that, husband and I yesterday took a drive to Inverkeithing to visit the train station. Driving there in the morning and taking the train to Leuchars resulted being our choice for the cheapest and most convenient way to commute.

After having seen the station, the car park and having walked from the car park to the station to see how long it would take me, we decided that it was a good day for a drive and opted for the arrival station close to St. Andrews. Since we had seen where to start we might as well see where it ended and where I'd need to get the bus to get to uni.

So we set off towards Leuchars and once arrived there and seen what we needed to see we headed on to St Andrews. Weather was typical Scottish but we weren't discouraged... After all, when you live here you have to put up with it!

From Inverkeithing, I had called my friend Leia just to check if she was around and maybe have a coffee together when we arrived.

We met at Costa and what was supposed to be just a friendly coffee became a fantastic day of fun together. We moved from Costa to a pub, waited for Leia's boyfriend Andrew to join us after work, realised that "shy" Andrew close to my husband Stuart definitely wasn't so shy and moved over to his restaurant for dinner.

Had a massive bottle of wine, tons of food, weird (but delicious) ice-cream, an undrinkable cocktail that was drunk anyway and... took a couple of pictures!

Yeah... erm... well... funny!



Then we went to the Raisin pub, played pool, met new friends, chose cool songs from the juke-box and, after what seemed like a long long time, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways...

It turned out to be an amazing day, despite the pouring rain, the blister on my foot caused by the new shoes (after all I wasn't really supposed to walk anywhere!!!) and even managed to take home a half sober husband... what a night!

So yeah, sometimes things done on the spur of the moment turn out just as great as the organised ones...

Though never ask me to apply the same principle when I'm dealing with school stuff... the control freak in me may just rebel!

Human Chimera

In ancient Greek mythology the Chimera was a monstrous animal whose body was composed of parts coming from different species: the body of a lioness, the head of a goat and a snake as a tail.
In Italian a Chimera is a foolish fantasy, something unreal (a bit like the animal I suppose)

In genetics a Chimera is an animal that has two or more different populations of genetically distinct cells that originated in different zygotes.
In vitro, embryos of a species are mixed with cells of another species to create an animal composed of different parts...

Sounds difficult?
Let's make it clearer...

Imagine a mother discovered one day that one of her two children was genetically not hers.
Suddenly the question becomes not “Who?” but rather “Huh?”

It's almost unheard of and yet it does happen... The mother is a human Chimera

The most common form of human chimera is called a blood chimera. This happens when fraternal twins share some portion of the same placenta. Each twin is genetically separate except for their blood, which has two distinct sets of genes, and even two distinct blood types.

What happened to "the mother" is a much rarer occurrence. Rather than a simple exchange of blood, "the mother and her fraternal twin" merged in utero, leaving only one fetus. The cells in her body are a mosaic of genes from both of the original embryos.

After a bit of research I found out that doctors at the University of Edinburgh in 1998 had a patient referred to them for an undescended left testicle. However, when they examined him they could not find a second one. Instead they found something unexpected, an ovary and a fallopian tube. This patient was a chimera formed from the fusion of male and female embryos.

And I thought I had it all figured out! ...

The Stanford Prison Experiment

"Prisoner 8612, against the wall!" The prisoner ignores the guard.
His mind is reeling. It feels like everything is pressing in on him, as though he is going mad.
"Against the wall!" the guard shouts again. "Come on, somebody get him back in line"
Suddenly 8612 wheels to face the guard. "Listen, if I have to be in here I am not going to put up with this... I mean, really!!!" The prisoner turns and grips one of his fellow prisoners by the arm. "I couldn't even get out" he hisses. There's a desperate edge to his voice. "They wouldn't let me out. You can't get out of here."
The other prisoners laugh nervously, but you can see it in their eyes - the sudden flash of panic. He couldn't get out? That means that this is an actual prison. And they're stuck inside

This is a brief account of an episode that happened during the Stanford Prison Experiment

Started as a game, 20 persons volunteered to spend two weeks in a fake jail in the basement of the Stanford Psychology Department, dressed up as prisoners and guards.

The idea of Philip Zimbardo was conceived to investigate what situations make good people turn bad. A prison sounded like the ideal place to get answers to his questions.
What makes prisons such violent places? Was it the character of the prisoners or the guards to blame? Or was it the structure of the prison itself that brought out the worst in people?

He ended up getting his answer quite fast and in a brutal way...

The researchers had held an orientation meeting for the guys playing the role of guards the day before the experiment, during which they told them that they could not physically harm the prisoners but they could use the type of language they preferred to insult them, they could withhold basic necessities such as food and blankets.
They could create in the prisoners feelings of boredom, a sense of fear to some degree, take away completely their privacy and individuality in various ways.
At night, when the guards thought the researchers weren't watching the worse type of abuses were used.

The experiment went so far that after just 36 hours into the two weeks one of the prisoner (8612) had to be released.
After 6 days the experiment was halted because the prisoners were mentally broken and the guards had turned into monsters.

This was just an experiment but it was a very good way to prove how power has a very poisoning effect on many people turning them in some cases into greedy, selfish, heartless beings. There was no need for the guards to punish the prisoners in that way, they were not told to abuse them but they did. Strong in the fact that they had unlimited power over the prisoners they used it in the worst way.

In my own little surroundings I have seen it happening too... even if on a small scale, when people got promoted to a new job and all of a sudden they were in charge of other workers... they became lazy, rude and demanding. Mind you, not all of them but I have seen my fair share of this happening... a bit too many times to consider it just a coincidence.

It makes me wonder if this is what happens to people who hold the utmost power in our countries, those who make decisions on our behalf, those who are caught stealing our money for their own benefit, cover their mischiefs so we don't find out since it would be only fair we asked for them to be removed from their places... are they like the guards?

I certainly hope not... but I fear I might be wrong on a few accounts...

Old/New Friends

Mexico was a magical place for many reasons but possibly the most important one and the one I feel I have to talk about has been giving me the opportunity to reconnect with two friends that were kind of "lost"

It wasn't Mexico "per se" but since it happened there it really made my holiday even more special.

I tend to protect the people I write about because I am of that nature so I won't give any names or too many details about them but their stories are pretty amazing and mean quite a lot to me so I want to share them.

One is a girl, a lovely girl who apparently at birth was diagnosed as not being able to survive past her 5th birthday (or there about), she's well past her 30s now and very well. This girl was a passenger a few years ago on one of the cruise ships I was travelling on.
Bond doesn't even cut it as a word to describe what united us.

"Someone" had a plan and she told me things that, even if at that moment I didn't realise, changed my life in so many ways they literally turned inside-out my reality making it exceptional.
She works as a missionary speaker now, has an amazing husband, got one of her dogs from a bush and is one of the persons I admire most amongst all my friends.

I met this girl only once in my life, have been in contact with her for years, lost her because life gets in the middle but found her again... and it was like if nothing had ever changed (or better, things had substantially changed for me but between us everything was just the same...)

The other friend is a guy, a very fascinating person who travelled a lot though, instead of sailing the seven seas, he flys the blue sky.

One day I helped a passenger sort out some problems with her excursions on the ship, and the next day again and the one after again... we became friends... we had dinner together on board a couple of nights and as she was about to disembark the ship she asked me if she could get my email for a guy she knew because she thought I was the "female" version of him and I would make an excellent friend.

I smiled, what a weird way of getting a friend!

But I did give her my email and I did receive a message from this guy a few weeks later.
The message got my answer, and then an answer back and soon this person became essential in a way I can't quite explain for me to get through the long months on the ship.
He got my thoughts and tales about my travels, I got his humor and reflections on daily life.

And I just loved it!

As for the girl, I have met this guy only once in my life, have been in contact with him for years, lost him because life gets in the middle but found him again... and it was like if nothing had ever changed... again.

I love that life challenges you in so many ways and then it surprises you with things you wouldn't expect and, as I'm getting to know my two old/new friends again, I can't help but being grateful for the memories they both brought back and the ones I know I'll build with them from now on.

Love to have you back guys!

Clever country

At the moment we must catch the sunshine as soon as we can.
Looking at the satellite pictures there's a big cloud right over Cancun so we know it's not going to shift in a couple of hours.


I feel a bit like at home, were it not for the difference in temperature, where literally everyone sprawls outdoor as soon as they can see a ray of sun. So it is here today...
Sitting on our terrace we wait for the sun to come out from behind a cloud to run by the pool and then run back 20 mins later when buckets of water are chucked down on us.


"What is the point in running back and forth from the room Dona?" Asks my long suffering husband who instead supports the school of thought that, since you're getting wet anyway, you might as well keep inside the pool.

And he may be right... the pool has a swim up bar (so typical in all inclusive resorts!) a restaurant built right on the edge of it, steps at different levels so you can decide how much of you is actually getting wet, a sheltered area for when it does rain and a proper section with chairs, Jacuzzis and cabañas for when the sun does come out.

I frown... "You know I get cold if I spend too much time in the water!" I try to explain...
Stuart laughs, he knows!


So I'm off to spend some time at the Spa which is covered and I leave hubby sitting at the swim up bar with friends thinking that besides the ruins and swimming with the dolphins this set-up is the reason why people come on holiday here.
Good weather, free drinks and food, amazing service (needs tipping however!)
And tipping makes the world go around, for sure it does in tourist destinations and it's while I ponder tipping that I realise that I have all the money in my bag and Stuart is left at the bar without any.

So I run back trying not to slip on the wet tiles (what a show if I did!) and tell him that I have the pesos and ask where does he want me to leave them
He chuckles and tells me he actually has taken the money from my bag.
"What? And where is it?" I ask
"In my pocket!" says he, like if it was the most natural thing to say... which it would hadn't it been that he was sitting in the pool.
"Eh?!?" is all I manage to answer back
And then he realises what is going through my brain and says "Oh, don't worry, the money is waterproof!"

So I stand there, a bit dumbfounded but not even that much.
Someone who likes logic like me cannot fail to appreciate the fact that, in a place where tipping is everything, they made it easy for those sitting at the swim up bar not to find an excuse for not carrying money on them or if the consumption of alcohol becomes too high and one forgets having money in the trunks pockets it would still be good for tipping after all...


What a clever country!

The Coffee House

This resort we're at in Cancun is awesome.... It even has a coffee house!
And though really you may not be tempted by a hot coffee when it's 32 degree C outside, the decor must be seen.

For those in the UK it resembles a lot to what you would find walking into a Costa Coffee, for those around the world imagine a Starbucks but with better coffee and dark red, warm tones and very comfortable large sofas.

The walls are tinted maroon and different size framed pictures of coffe mugs, coffee ads and coffee beans hang around.
There is a marble counter sitting on dark wood cabinets and a display of pastries and sandwiches that makes your mouth water just by thinking about it.

Walking past and looking in you feel a warm fuzz feeling growing inside.
This coffee house should be in a montain chalet somewhere in a ski resort, certainly not in Mexico!

This morning In went in... finally!

The sky outside dark with threatening clouds, the sea breeze feeling more like the one preceding a thunderstorm than the gentle refreshing breeze I'm used to find here, so I give into temptation and walk in looking for a nice latte and maybe some cream on top, just as an extra treat.

I look at the display, choose a fruit tart (amazing, by the way!) order my latte and sit down to wait. If the coffee is to compare with the tart it must be to die for.
I sit patiently, smile on my face thinking that a cool morning in Mexico actually has some positive sides and wondering if a latte in Cancun is the same as a latte in Edinburgh

5 minutes pass and still nothing...

Since I am the only guest in there I start wondering what can take someone so long to make a simple skinny latte and spray some whipped cream on... anyway, I wait.
After 5 more minutes the guy working behind the corner comes over and asks me to repeat the order again, I do... he looks a bit puzzled...

Ok I think, maybe latte means just milk like in Italy so I repeat again what I want, but this time I do it in Spanish and explain that I do want milk and coffee together. I even go to the extent of explaining that he can put the hot milk in before the coffee, and then add the foam at the end.

Suddenly his eyes light up, he has a eureka moment, takes my hand and asks me to follow him behind the counter just around the corner where I am presented with something that if I hadn't been gifted with the self control I possess this would have sent me down on the floor laughing like a maniac!

In front of me stands a coffee machine! But not a Costa/Starbucks-super-spaceship-mega-coffee-machine, it's more like a vending machine type of coffee machine, with small buttons telling me what will come up in my plastic cup and how much sugar will be added.
I smile, trying not to look suspicious, and point at the "cafe con leche" button.

I decide to pass on the whipped cream just in case the poor guy feels obliged to take me around the other corner and possibly introduce me to a cow needing to be milked or something...

Now I understand why this coffee house is in Mexico and not in the Colorado mountains...
Nonetheless, I am grateful for a warming cup since I'm cold and actually, the vending machine coffee ended up being quite good
:-)

Meet Pablo...

I have written about this on my Facebook status but not everyone can read that and it's such a funny story that it is calling to be told... so here it is...

6.15am is the time I get down to the pool since the day we arrived here in Cancun.
It may sound like awfully early in the morning but honestly, it's the same as 12.15pm in the UK so it's not so bad, actually, it's a heck of a lay in!

So, 6.15am I pick up the pool bag that I packed the night before with sunscreen, sunglasses, a bottle of water, room key and a book and make my way down trying not to wake up hubby.

The main reason why I do it is to get the best place by the pool, where it's sunny throughout the day and quite close to the bar (for hubby's sake!) and also to get one of the few floating mats that are available. They disappear pretty soon so I make a point of being there early to get it.

So early in the morning there is nobody around, the sunrise is gorgeous, rays of light breaking through the clouds and birds chirping with sounds I had never heard before.
So early I keep on napping on the pool chair and hear conversations between staff members... the few that are already working... That's how I met Pablo, the pool man.

I heard someone calling him one day while I was half asleep, that's how I know that his name is Pablo.
He is always there when I arrive.
Pablo cleans the pool, that's the only thing he does... all day long!
He uses a kind of machine when it's early and nobody is yet in the water and then later, once the sun is high and actually being in the water sounds like a wonderful relief from the liquid gold he goes in and, armed with a sponge and bucket, he scrapes all the walls down to get rid of the suntan lotion that plasters itself on the tiles... all day long!

I look at Pablo and think he looks pretty content with his job, he always smiles, a very funny crooked smile. He doesn't say much, not sure if it's because he's shy or because he thinks the only thing I can say in Spanish is "Hola Pablo", I have never really figured it out...
But we have formed a really cool bond that goes like this, every morning at 6.15am

"Buenos dias senora!"
"Hola Pablo"
"Cafe?"
"Oh... gracias Pablo!"

And that's about it... Pablo disappears and, though I honestly doubt that his duties include being my butler in the morning, he does it.
I tried to tip him a couple of times for such dedication to customer service but he refused and then looked so embarrassed that I gave up... I just smile and thank him profusely. That seems to do the trick.

Throughout the day he passes by my chair, nods and says "Senora" kind of acknowleging the fact that I'm there... "Pablo" I answer, kind of doing the same.

And so it went, day after day after day of my holiday...
Till 2 days ago when Pablo handed me my coffee coming from the left side of my pool chair rather than from the right as he usually does.
This new position allowed me to see something and made me freeze.
WHAT?!? How did I not see this before???

I looked at him and, after having turned of a funny shade of red with shame I asked him in Spanish "Is your name Rafael?!?"
He looked around like somebody caught with the hands in the cookie jar and nodded.
Just that... Not an explanation of why in the world he let me call him Pablo for 11 days without ever correcting me!
And what did I end up doing? I broke out in the loudest laughter you have ever heard, thinking what a Muppet I was and this melted "Pablo" too and he started smiling, and then a bit wider, until when he ended up bent in hysterics as well with me and in broken English he told me "I like Pablo"

So after we finished our fit of laughter he went his own way, back to scrub the side of the pool

And this morning it went again...
"Buenos dias senora!"
"Hola Pablo"
"Cafe?"
"Oh... gracias Pablo!"

Both of us still laughing... guess it will be "Pablo" forever now!

Wonderful creation

Today is sunny and warm, like all the previous days of our holiday here in Mexico.

Today I have spent about 8 hours by the pool soaking up some rays and thinking about how blessed I am, like all the previous days of our holiday here in Mexico.

Today I have decided to leave my husband enjoy our new friends and come up to the room on my own to nap a bit and read a beautiful book I managed to rummage in the pool butler's trolley.
So I did and, after about an hour of reading I closed the book, sighed and looked ahead staring right at the ocean and thinking this is heaven.

Heaven, what a beautiful word this is!

And I found myself wondering how is Heaven going to be... The Bible tells me something about it but I also know that eyes have not seen and ears have not heard of the wonders waiting for us there... So it's only human to try and guess...

Ocean? There must be an ocean...
Sand? Light? Wind? Animals? How much different is it going to be from what we are used to know here?

This is probably one of the best holidays I've ever had and it's so special... the feeling that this was created for us to enjoy, the new friends we have met, the things we are so glad to experience, the laughter we're delighted to share and all the memories we're making to keep us warm when we'll be back in our country.

How is Heaven going to be than? Knowing that friends will be forever, that memories will never fade, that God will really be "at hand" and we'll enjoy not only his creation but Him as well.

A bit pointless at this point in time to play the guessing game and though it's fun it certainly doesn't give me any answers.

The only thing that's sure is that Heaven is going to be amazing, though we can't comprehend to which extent now, and that this wonderful creation is just a little taste of the future that's lovingly laid ahead for us... How exciting!!!

Buenas noches señorita!

... which, for those who don't speak Spanish, means 'good evening miss'...
We have been here in Cancun for almost a week now and last night was the 1st night I was out on my own.
By "out" I mean at the restaurant in the resort and by "alone" I mean husbandless...
Because Stuart has this AMAZING ability to get sick every single time we go on a long holiday together. He did it in Maldives, in the Red Sea, in Mexico last year and this year again!!!
He has an evil cold... not quite the flu like the other times, but since we are in Mexico, sending him around the resort with the sniffles would equal to sending him into immediate quarantine with this swine flu business...
So, while I was sitting in the room whim him praying the bug wouldn't spread over to my side and hoping my dear husband wasn't bound to turn into bacon soon, he told me to go and enjoy the evening rather than sit bored in our suite.

At first I didn't want to but then I got quite hungry (being vegetarian in Mexico is a curse!) and the room service does't really offer anything for 'my kind of people' other than a salad so, won over by the idea of the massive evening buffet, I left promising to be back soon.

In these past days people have developed a healthy respect for Stuart, they nod when he passes by (6ft2' husband is hard not to notice close to little me), they greet us and it's quite obvious that he is the head of the family and he's in charge even if I am the one speaking Spanish.
But last night it was quite different and I had fun making some considerations on how things change when some constants become variables...


First of all it was the smile of the host at the restaurant - Buenas noches señorita!
"Hello" I said and proceeded to explain that my husband wasn't going to join me for dinner as he wasn't feeling very well (that would make me a Mrs by the way, not a Miss as they insist in calling me!)
His smile enlarged even more (if at all possible) while he escorted me to my table.
Immediately I had 2 waiters by my side
Two? - I thought... Why two? when we never seen more than one every 10 minutes...
But then, it was a lonely señorita having dinner... that's why!
Don't take me wrong, the resort's service is outstanding, not a single bad word can be said about it, pure luxury, but last night any kind of expectation was super exceeded.

The buffet wasn't a buffet anymore, I got taken any kind of vegetarian food there was on offer and asked about a million times if I wished anything extra cooked especially for me by the chef
I decided to see what would happen if I pushed it a bit and in perfect local language asked if it was possible to have an omelette and palm hearts... not the easiest to find...
I thought the waiters were going to burst with excitement at my request and sure enough I got my weird order in less than 5 minutes, piping hot on the table...
I thanked everyone for their kindness, left a nice tip (well deserved I have to say!) and moved on to a little barefoot walk by the pools.
You should see this place, is as exciting in the evening lit by candles as it is in the day by the sun.

Everyone talked to me - Buenas noches señorita - and I always smiled allowing a few kind words for all the pool guys busy preparing the place for another busy day tomorrow.
All quite taken aback that I spoke their language (the majority of guests here are Americans and apparently they rarely speak it) and fascinated by my long flight from the UK and an unsually lengthy stay of two weeks comparede to the average 1 week one.

I got offered drinks, tales of Mayan gods, a few words on tides and the sand level of the beach and then finally I made it back to the room but not before meeting the lady who turns down the room at night who gave me a beautiful bright smile and greeted me with a "Buenas noches señora Kane" and, despite all the attention I got during the evening, her greeting was what made me feel sooo good!

A good night out?

It's friday night (or more Saturday very early morning) and I can't sleep...
So I looked out the window and saw two guys and a girl staggering home after a night out in the town... NOT a pretty sight!

Since when I live here in Scotland I am trying to understand what makes a person go out on a lovely evening looking like a human and then show up back home in the middle of the night (or there about...) looking more like a slug than a person.

What is the appeal of spending loads of money on alcohol to then see it all going down the drain (and I do literally mean DOWN THE DRAIN) a few hours later.

I'm sure this post may elicit some offended responses from some of my friends but this is my place to express my opinions so I don't really care...

Call it different culture, call it different generation but I honestly can't grasp the fascination with pubs and nightclubs. I love dancing, I honestly do and if I could find a club which plays the kind of music I like at a decent volume (because my ears do work still quite well and anything over 90 decibels is annoying!), with decent people around (I don't like to be looked at like if I were a walking burger!) and which served possibly a couple of alcoholic drinks tops per person (because as I said, I don't understand the "getting pissed" fascination) I'd love to go...
But seen the habits around here I would most probably be one of the very few customers there... and I do still wonder why...

I'm not pointing the finger but yes, I am being a bit judgemental about it.

Because I strictly avoid many places I would maybe like just because people go there to get wasted and, though I am not imposing what I wouldn't do on others, I find it unnerving when they try to do that to me. Some people on alcohol get violent and that's not my cup of tea.

Whoever says that alcohol makes you forget things is not telling the truth... it makes hard to remember what you have done the night before but while you're doing it you're honestly conscious of what you are doing, alcohol just takes away the inhibition... Often that's not a good thing because if one wouldn't "normally" do it than you can bet that on most occasions it shouldn't be done!

"It" being whatever!

Don't take me wrong, I do sometimes enjoy a glass of wine, I can always find some good thing to celebrate, but a glass of wine is not 15 pints of beer gulped down in a ridiculously minimal amount of time.

And again, I understand the special occasion, that's fine, but does the ritual have to be repeated every weekend or even worse every second night?

And why a good dinner, a walk and a movie don't cut it anymore? Or has it ever happened up here that a good dinner and a movie were thought of as "a good night oot"?

I don't get it (yes I AM thick!) and I don't see the appeal of girls waking down the road back home looking like trash, speaking even worse, guys who can barely stand and stop puking at every street corner.

£100 for a "good" night out? Thanks but I'd rather be a £15-cheap-date with popcorn at a sci-fi movie... At least escaping from reality on a spaceship is a bit more grand than vomiting when I get home... if I can hold it till there...

Slip, Slop, Slap

Slip- Slop- Slap is the name of a health campaign in Australia exhorting people to "slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat".
Well, no better way to greet these past days of glorious weather we had in Scotland.
I did welcome my brother with a certain degree of apprehension as for him, coming from Italy, the weather here is never good enough...
This weekend however it surpassed our wildest expectations gifting us of the chance for a open air BBQ

and an unlikely trip to the beach including being able to put our feet in the water...


Quite an occasion, especially considering that the weather was pretty miserable in Italy and Dani escaped the rain to come here and get suntanned, beyond belief!
We used the days to relax, laze about in the sun and do a bit of sightseeing. Edinburgh is stunning in the sun! :-)

A few rays of sun and Scottish people go crazy. Guys walking around town shirtless and well, let's face it, some of them, proudly sporting a hefty beer belly that really didn't need to be shown but I guess it's all part of summer as we know it up here.

Every little green patch of town covered in people sunbathing, some red as lobsters, some white as the moon but all with a big smile on their face.

So I am not sure if "Slip- Slop- Slap" will work up here as well...
Certainly we tend to "slip" shirts OFF and hats are usually not "slopped" on since we just got rid of them after a long winter but maybe "slapping" on the sunscreen is the one advise Scottish people will take.
Wasn't that the title of a song saying "If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it"?...

Maybe we should listen!

Summer with my best friend

It has been over two months since when Stuart has left to join his ship in India and tonight finally he'll be coming home.

It's quite hard to explain how we endure this kind of lifestyle... I guess we are used to it by now...

I study, volunteer, read, watch movies, teach Sunday school, learn to play the piano, write a book and see friends all here in Edinburgh... He works in India 6 months a year!
On top of that sometimes he goes off to do some temp work... I suppose it's my fault since when I'm under exam I reckon I must not be the most chilled person walking on this planet :-S

I see my husband a total of 4 to 6 months a year which for some people would be impossible to bear... but we make it... and possibly it's the reason why we're so strong together as we try to make the most of the time we have.

This summer is going to be special, we have the whole two months together to enjoy. For the first time since we met 4 years ago there will be absolutely NOTHING to do but enjoy each other's company...
No exams, no clinical placements, no problems, no work... Just me and my best friend!

I can't think of anything better, and I smile at all the daft things we'll end up doing.
We seem to always end up laughing about anything... or to tell the truth I get all uptight about stuff and he just tells me "yes dear" and pulls a funny face which inevitably ends up in a massive laugh.

Our life is perfect the way it is, though people most time don't understand it.

We have time apart and time together, we give each other space but at the same time we experience life together, we're on equal levels and follow each other's lead when necessary.

So I have a big grin on my face today, Stuart is coming home and we have an amazing summer to share before life goes back to normal... or at least to what it's normal for us!

The jet-set life....

2.07am and blogging...
It has been a crazy past few days and I had no time whatsoever to think about what to post so here I am, late at night (or is it early in the morning?) pondering my experience in Monaco.

I had a great time, and though it was expected, it's always nice to realise that work can actually be good fun.

We had a day to prepare and 4 days of really hard work on the track.

What people don't realise it's that the Formula 1 GP is not the only race that goes on in Monaco over the week, there are a lot of other races which require car tuning, trials and competition.

So we do spend pretty much 4 days solid on the race track, in the heat, breathing humid air, eating packed lunches and wearing a uniform that, though looking quite smart, isn't of the finest Egyptian cotton (if you know what I mean...)

This said, one cannot really complain... The food is excellent and abundant, the place is amazing and the company is the finest, with many opportunities for cultural exchanges, for making new friendships and for strengthening some old ones too.

Monaco Red Cross' hospitality is of the highest standard!

I am happy I managed to be part of the team again this year because, by the look of it, I won't be able to join in next year due to exam schedule.

Here are a few pictures that sum up pretty well our 5 incredible days...
Volunteering can be exciting, you know?!?

Welcome to a week of madness... though it's a good one most of the time!

Relaxing before the insanity begins

I found an old friend

The British Team

Guarding the VIP stands

Friendship Drinks - Italy and Belgium united

The Tunnel Team

After all had finished... The people gone... Waiting to be stood off...
I may have crashed... a little...

The little things we tend to miss

A world-class, extremely famous musician, playing on a priceless violin stops at a corner of a street in Washington. From a small case, he removes his instrument and places the case open at his feet. He throws in a few dollars as seed money and begins to play.

The musician is Joshua Bell but nobody recognised him

He is simply described as "a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap"

One wonders... People who rushed past, perhaps flipping spare change, what would they have done if they had realized that they were getting a free front seat at a performance that they would never get another chance at again?

What do we simply throw out as useless, meaningless, even stupid... just because we don't have a reason or the time to really look at it's value?

Someone argued that it was the musician's fault if his value wasn't recognised... apparently he didn't engage with the crowd. He needs a stage and the street needs to be made into a stage by the musician, it doesn't become a stage on its own.

So, does that mean that if you are great but nobody notices than you really are not that great?
And does it mean that if we don't recognise the value of what surrounds us it's not our fault but the thing/person's fault because it wasn't able to reach us, to keep us interested, to make us want to know more?


The world is so full of big, really meaningful things that it's the "little" things we really do tend to miss.

And yet this brings me to consider what defines something as "little".
Is it the being common? Or unknown? Or quiet? Or written in a different way? Or whispered? Or new?

And if it's little to me would it seem little to you as well?

Truth be told some people did put money in the violin case, some people, even without recognising the person recognised the value of the music, some people noticed...

And though this may make you think that in this fast paced world slowing down a bit may make you appreciate what is on your path, at the same time let's not forget that while we're enjoying the music, somewhere else, at another corner of the street there is another musician who is packing up and whose amazing music we'll never hear just because we were a tiny bit too slow...

It's logical...

Tonight I went for a movie marathon with my friend Dan.

We watched Angels & Demons to end the evening and before that we went to see the new Star Trek since he hadn't seen it yet.

I usually only go to see a movie more than once if I think it's really great and, since I thoroughly enjoyed it the first time, I didn't mind sitting through it again with my friend.

Like when a book is read a second time new details are taken in, the same was for me tonight.

Once passed the explosive special effects, the loud sounds, the fast paced action and the surprises, you start to see the complexity of the characters.
I have never been a real fan of the series (I think those who are call themselves 'Trekkies'). Possibly I have seen just a handful of episodes of the old TV series when I was a kid so I don't remember anything past some of the names and Mr Spock's pointy ears.

And tonight I was indeed intrigued by Mr Spock...

Yes you read it right! Not the pretty face, blue eyes and macho attitude of young Captain Kirk but the internal conflict, repressed emotions and insane logic of the pointy eared Vulcan...
While the internal struggle between the emotions coming from his human heritage and the deep rooted logic coming form his Vulcan half serves the purpose of the character on screen, I found fascinating how these traits are very much the same exact ones that can be fond in a real person.
As Spock struggles every moment to master the acceptance of these dualities in himself so do we, pulled by the two sides of the same coin.
The passion versus moderation, the mind versus the heart, the known versus the unknown...
Are we driven by our emotions or by our intellect?
And how do we reconcile those two things?

Some people more than others are prompt to follow their feelings while some others do rely on logic... This doesn't mean that the counterpart is absent, just dormant or voluntarily repressed.

After almost every consideration he makes, Spock ends the track of thoughts with the statement "It's logical"; almost as if, by saying it, he wanted to convince himself rather than those around him.

My brother and I are textbook examples of the two extremes, I feel more than I think and he thinks more than he feels... or so it seems. If a battle is going on inside you would never know, but this doesn't mean that it's not occurring.
Two voices in the same head, two points of view of the same scene... Why do we choose one rather than the other may depend on so many variables the outcome is hardly forseeable...
It's not what you see, it's what you are unlikely to see of a person that's alluring!

So tonight, while really enjoying the glamour of Hollywood's version of space on a big screen and agreeing on how it is only "logical" I'd make these kind of considerations, I asked myself:

"Would I suit pointy ears?"

Can I say yes???

A present for the whole family

This year has almost come to an end and though it has been really stressful and challenging, I have grown a lot through it and I feel I am more ready now to go ahead in my medical training than I have ever felt.

Since I passed all of my exams, dad got me a present... and a lovely one I must say!

You know how we Italians are known for being coffee addicts?

Well, here I am! And I know my husband is too...
So daddy got me a coffee machine.

Awesome!

It does all sorts of stuff, from proper espressos for when I'll need to stay awake while studying, to soothing hot chocolates for the cold Scottish winter nights, from fancy cappuccinos and lattes to entertain friends to steaming cups of tea to cure all problems...
I couldn't have wished for a better present!

I went to pick it up today, got home, unpacked it, run the cleaning cycle 5 times (no, it's not me being just me, it is in the instructions to run it 5 times!!!) and made myself a latte...



I can't even tell you how great it tasted, like properly made at Starbucks and maybe even better!

I turned around to pick up the box from the floor and rip it to get it in the recycle bin when I see that my two furry angels are enjoying the present in turn as well.

I laugh... and quite loudly

I get the coffees, they get the box!

A present perfect for the whole family than!

The stuff dreams are made of...

Well, possibly not my dreams... but they must be someone's dream for sure!
I did get quite excited about them though, my precious little creations!

So, here is how the story goes...

A few weeks ago I got sick at college, doctor said I was extremely stressed (may believe him...). Fact is that I was so poorly that I had to leave classes and go home. I must have looked pretty horrible since some of my lecturers even worried about me driving the one hour trip to get home.
Obviously since I'm writing this today, I made it!

Anyway, since I had to leave early I missed a chemistry lab practical with my group and I was told to join the second group which performed the aspirin synthesis experiment yesterday... and so I did.

I have to admit that out of all the practicals we have done, yesterdays' one was my favourite.

There is something really nice about working in a small group - just 3 of us - and having the lecturer right close by, supervising us but also able to have a good laugh while working.

So we did synthesise aspirin and, to my surprise, it was so simple that the next time I get a headache I may even try it at home myself rather than go buying it somewhere!

Or maybe not... See, some of the stuff we used had a powerful stink to it so, possibly, I'll leave the making to someone else.

Well, in the making I have witnessed some very cool things happening right in front of my eyes:

- the first thing was seeing crystals forming in the tube I was using.
"Yeah, big deal...." you may think, but you should have been there to see it! Since nothing was happening, Andrew, our chemistry lecturer, put a tiny crystal of aspirin (apparently it's called 'seed crystal') in the tube I was using and in seconds it started growing hugely just because finally the particles found a surface to attach to... I couldn't take my eyes off it!

These are actually not my crystals but it's to give you an idea of what happened...
all in the space of a few seconds...

- the second thing is that the first group of people doing the experiment had a bit more time than us so they left their crystals to dry in an oven while we did something different and flash dried them over a Bunsen burner. Somehow I got spike looking crystals... Andrew tried to explain me how they came about (something to see with direct deposit from gas to solid phase but it got lost somewhere in translation... sorry Andrew! :-p) but the fact is that they just looked amazing to me! So, as a proper geek (you people know me!!!), I had to take pictures of them and post them here. Aren't they just beautiful?!

So here we go, who would have said that I would have enjoyed a chemical experiment... I am discovering a lot about myself and I am quite impressed...
Or more simply put, I think I am becoming a sad person (in the affectionate way!) just like my lecturer...

Oh well, could be worse!

This post is also dedicated to my wonderful dad whose attempt to teach me 'acetylsalicylic acid' as one of my first words didn't go unnoticed! Obviously dad I have you to blame for a lot of what I am today!!! :-)