MESAC - New Delhi 2011 (Same Same, but Different)

3 months of early morning trainings at 6am, Saturdays fully taken with swim meets and morning races, afternoons at the pool blowing the whistle while the team blows their soul out of each stroke...this is what it took to make it to MESAC, the Middle East South Asia Conference www.mesac.org, where schools from Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Delhi, Doha and Dubai get together to compete in different sports.
This year, for the first time, the swimming races were held at the American Embassy School of New Delhi!!! Pretty lucky for my first year of coaching!!!
It's a clear sunny morning in Dubai, at 11.30 Shalene (one of the other coaches) and I are waiting for 24 kids heading to the airport. Their laughs and smiles on the bus give me a boost of energy. The carelessness of their teenage years reminds me my little sister Bianca and their friends a few years ago...and if I make an harder jump back in my memory, they even remind me my own friends from high school and myself going on field trips with school. We didn't have fancy sports tournaments or other traveling opportunities, but there was that one "gita" (field trip) at the end of the senior year that everyone was waiting for with anticipation.
We spent a wonderful 4 days in Delhi: the kids fought for each spot on the podium while us, coaches, were loosing our voices inciting them at each lap. It was nice to watch them bonding with each other and making new friends.
And what to say about India?
I haven't seen much...and I don't want to sound one of those people who arbitrarily say: " OMG, India changed my life forever !!!" and they become all "spiritual" scheduling 8 yoga classes a week! India deserves more, it deserves genuineness and sincerity because that's what India gives you.  
Everything you see is true, it's essence of life and that includes, yes, misery and poverty but not only. The strongest powers of Delhi are its colors, the sounds, smells (surely bad sometimes but nice and unique more often than you'd think)...and the smiles. I've seen the most explosive laughs and propelling smiles ever! Indians are funny, they have good hearts and they're not afraid to show it, even if they're loosing their advantage in a bargain.
I haven't seen much, I know, but this is what I truly and briefly need to say about India.
I'll go back one day. I hope to see more, I hope to see Bombay and trace all the places described in the novel I'm reading right now "Shantaram". I hope Thomas will change his mind and will go with me one day. He has been there before and, let's say, he thinks it's enough. But Thomas is my favorite fellow traveller and I can't imagine a better person to travel India with...
Arrivederci India!

Wednesday Night Blues

While Thomas is gone for his MESAC volleyball tournament in Doha and I get ready to go to my MESAC swimming tournament in Delhi....  

Oman Road Trip, Nov. 2011

Eid Al Adha is the Muslim celebration that, thank God, or I should say thank Allah, gave us a whole week off from work!!!

Discovering the origin of this Eid was intriguing to me. While at ASD our Arabic teacher started to explain it to the kids, I thought I heard that story before... but as I don't know much about the Islamic religion and culture, I couldn't understand how that was so familiar to me.

Then I realized that what I found familiar was a part of the Bible that tells us pretty much the same thing, with slight little differences.

"Eid Al Adha" is translated as "Festival of Sacrifice". According to the Qurran, God asked Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience. Ibrahim and his son both accepted God's willingness with faith. Once their obedience was proven, God told Ibrahim he didn't have to carry on the killing of his Ishmael and asked him to sacrifice a goat instead.

This key event of the Muslim religion is present in the Old Testament as well. The only difference I could recall is that the name of Ibrahim is in its Jews version "Abraham" and the son who had to be sacrificed was not Ishmael, but Isaac.

Well it looks like Abramo, how we say in Italian, is a key figure in more than one religion: Muslims and Christians share the same belief that Prophet Mohammed and Christ descend from Ibrahim/Abraham's progeny. And so believe the Jews, who - still waiting for their Messiah - acknowledge the importance of Abraham in the Torah (corresponding pretty much to the Old Testament). 

I didn't know all these things and I found my self making reflections on how similar religions are, even when they seem so far away. Over a few conflicting interpretations of a scripture men have started to fight and the humanity grew apart, hating who didn't believe what they thought to be right.

Before our Eid break started, I talked to my colleague Samreen, as I often do. She's an educated Pakistani woman and my classroom neighbor. When I first got to ASD I was of intimidated by her. Honestly (and stupidly), her covered head and her conservative outfits made me feel uncomfortable with her. Like if we were coming from 2 different worlds. Gradually, the sense of discomfort disappeared and I discovered a very pleasant person in her. A woman that I can easily relate to, with whom I often laugh and that, for many reasons, I admire. 

She is a Muslim. a very convinced one and more than one time I have envied her strong faith. A dignified faith, that goes hand in hand with a high fascinating moral rectitude.

The fun part is that she was raised in a Catholic school (and that surprised me a lot!), but when I expressed my astonishment she said that, although at some stages of her childhood she really wanted to celebrate Christmas and sometimes she even thought she was a Christian, that type of education reinforced her own faith, somehow. Could you imagine the opposite? Can you imagine your parents...open-minded enough to send you to a Muslim School, without freaking out that you'll become the next Bin Laden? Well I doubt so and I admire Samreen's parents for making that choice. 

Samreen told me that this year she managed to organize her parents' trip to Mecca and she was so happy and proud about it. I knew that already, but for the first time I saw with my eyes and felt with my heart how important it is for a good Muslim to perform the Hajj in their pilgrimage to Mecca. I understood what it meant for Samreen and, once again, I felt good for her pure sense of commitment and duty. 

Other than that, that day, I had one of the most interesting and meaningful conversation I had in Dubai, so far. Samreen and I not only shared our thoughts about religions (and we both agreed that, in the end, they really are all the same) we also talked about art and cultures. About the beauties and masterpieces treasured in our European museums (that she widely visited on her many trips) and I realized how much she knows about my western culture...and how little I know about her middle-eastern culture. 

She gifted me with one of the best conversations of my new life in Dubai...I am not sure she could say the same about me. My ignorance about Islam makes me feel uncomfortable. I want to learn more about Samreen's culture and customs. 

In this post, I wanted to tell you about our trip to Oman, instead I came up with this mental quibble. 

I'm sleepy now, tomorrow I'm leaving for New Delhi and I still need to pack... but I WILL write about Oman. I will write about Thomas talking in English to a fisherman in Dibba who only spoke Arabic and about how we were the only tourists not driving a 4x4 in that part of the country ....

Meanwhile you can check the "trailer" and the "video" of our road trip! ENJOY!

The Trailer....

and the video... (yes for copyright reasons I couldn't upload it to YouTube). You need to click on the link below:

http://vimeo.com/31893061

My 28th "Happy Birthday"

Maria, a cute Spanish speaker in my class who is still learning English told me a few weeks ago: "You know miss Benedetta? Tomorrow I'll go to Juan's house for his Happy Birthday". A few days after, our new maid, Kumari, from Sri Lanka announced me: " Madame, on the 20th it's my Happy Birthday!!!".
I found their way of speaking extremely sweet and I realized that, no matter where you come from and what language you speak everybody expect their birthday to be special.

This year I wasn't quite sure about mine. I was afraid that being in Dubai for the first year without my family around nor the friends I have been celebrating with for the past 4 years in Tokyo, would have been a simple "Birthday" without "Happy".

I was wrong. On the night before, after a nice chit chat dinner with Femke (Thomas PE colleague), I went to Elizabeth's house to meet her cousin, Rob. Many friends were there and when it came up that my birthday was approaching in a few hours, I found myself blowing a candle on a date!!! LOL!!!
Perfect first birthday "cake" in the UAE, quite fitting!!!

 Alright, I confess...

before the date...we also had Tiramisu'!

The morning after, Wednesday 26th, I heard some noises coming from the kitchen while it was still dark.
Still too drowsy, I didn't realize what was going on...but at 6:10, 5 minutes before my usual alarm time, Thomas brought me breakfast in bed! Coffee, orange juice, "Pane e nutella" (bread and nutella), cereals and pain au chocolat! Yum yum! Simple ingredients to make the day starts just right! And I got my first present!!! On the flow of my recent main sport inclination, he got me a new complete tennis outfit: shoes, skirt and T-shirt! Now I will look like a serious player on the court...(until I start playing!) LOL!

My day at school has been filled with surprises and sweet presents. Weasy, the teacher I'm working with, gave me a coupon for a manicure and pedicure in a SPA, the children of our class came in with fancy gifts, flowers and soooo many sweet cards!!! I have been smiling and hugging all day.
The cutest thing was the book they made for me. Title: "All the reasons why we love Ms. Benedetta". Have a look and enjoy... I loved the way they drew me!!!

 

Fancy flowers from Yasmeen

 From Ryan

 Huge b-day card!

In the afternoon, just before going home, my swim team sang me a funny "happy birthday song" version (they are awesome swimmers, but pretty bad singers!!!). I thought the surprises were over for the day, I was happy, overwhelmed and even tired...but my super hero Thomas took me out for dinner.
He asked around for a recommended restaurant on the beach. We went to Barasti at the Meridien Hotel:

 Barasti by night

We took a few pictures there, but one of my little angels of my class accidentally touched my camera and deleted all the shots of my birthday :(

A lovely evening, in a very nice place! I couldn't ask more for the day...but there was even more waiting for me at home. I got a phone call from my dad on my mobile and as soon as we got back I skyped them.
My whole family was having dinner together, let's say, in my honor!:)
My little sister Bianca apparently made a delicious dinner for my aunt Vanna, my uncle Giampalo, my sister Beatrice, my dad Fabio and his wife Moira. Then, happened that my mom was around and she joined the fun as well. I was happy to hear that my divorced parents have been mature and wise enough to have dinner together. I'm not saying that it should happen everyday, I know it can get pretty awkward,   but I'm glad they're learning how to spend time together for the sake of the family.
It was my birthday and it has been a blessing to see the people I love all in the same room chatting and laughing over a good meal! At the end of our talks, I even blew my candle. A"virtual", one this time, on a Skype video call!!!
Overall, an absolutely special and pleasant 28th year celebration!
Thank you everybody! I love you, I miss you... and I always keep you in my heart...every step I take!

Atlantis Bahamas 1996/ Dubai 2011

15 years after my first Atlantis experience, life takes be back to one of the most impressive resort hotel of the world. How privileged I was, at the age of 13, being in that paradise for a whole week with my mom and sisters? It was during the '96 Atlanta Olympic games. My dad was the head coach of the Italian national swim team and, that time, he took all of us with him. Before the official training started we all went to New York. I remember the excitement of that first family trip in the States. The feeling of being in a movie set, the urgency to find stores we could not find back home: gap, banana republic and the Disney store. The first time in a mall, the first time I've ever heard the word "mall", the amazed expressions of us, little girls, inside Fao Swarts, 5th avenue, the beautiful massive boutique of Ralph Lauren, having dinner at the top of a twisting skyscraper, going up the Empire State bldg., taking a picture on the top of the twin towers... 

After those fun days exploring THE city, we travelled down to Florida. A couple of days in insanely humid Faurt Lauderdale and just before the national team training started we left my dad at work and we flew to the Bahamas. Destination: Atlantis Paradise Island.
I was 13, Beatrice was 16 and Bianca was only 6. I had the best memories (although sometimes fuzzy) of that place. Our days spent at the beach, my mom constantly sunbathing on foreshore, constantly telling us not to swim too far from her. That thrill thinking that a great white sharks could have been just a few meters away...

And here I am, 15 years later back to the Atlantis hotel. But this time I'm on the other side of the world, in the heart of the fabulous Dubai Jumeirah palm and my mom and sisters have been replaced with my super duper hubby and a bunch of brand new friends. All new teacher at ASD.
Elizabeth, the new social studies HS teacher and the genius who organized this great trip, Jake, bio HS
teacher (I'll just say that after a few days the orientation in Dubai started I said to Thomas: "You know what? Io gli voglio gia' un po' bene!!!" literally something like "I already love him a bit!". Then we had Olga and Joe,  very nice couple we love to hang out with (respectively Russian and Canadian, Dance and PE HS teacher), Zully, Spanish/French MS teacher from Maracaibo - Venezuela (Yes, Italian people, Maracaibo really exists...is not just a song by Raffaella Carra'!!!) and Lorena, Mexican, elementary teacher and my personal Spanish tutor (I like to practice my poor Spanish with her!).

Well, this is the whole crew posing at the "sober" Atlantis lobby (everyone except Jake, who is taking the shot!)

And this is Jake!

Alright, enough with the silly photo editing and let's go back to the weekend...or well....
It wasn't really a weekend. It was a Monday and a Tuesday at the end of Ramadan, right before school started at the end of August.
We spent a first relaxing day between the beach (way too hot after a couple of morning hours) and the chilled swimming pool. A great party night (since it was still Ramadan the boys actuated their own drinking plan) and an even better second day at the spectacular water park!!!

This is the view from our suite

Dubai, the rest of the Jumeirah palm and the monorail is on the background

It's a hazy day and it's a common condition during the hottest time of the year.

Our bedroom :)

 

Many features of the room give my the chance to reminisce about the other, older, Caribbean  Atlantis I saw in the past! 

 

When lit up at night this arabesque building has an indescribable charm!

 Hello!!!

 

Yes, we know, life is really hard!

Sheik Thomas!

Olga and I!!!

 Let's pose!!!

 

 

Jake and I

 Sliding bathroom door....

 

coucou!

Another characteristic of Atlantis, either here or in the Bahamas: their astonishing aquariums! 

 

Every time it's just amazing to see all these sea creatures (although I prefer them in their natural habitat!) 

 Midnight Swim!

 

Awesome delicious room service breakfast!!!

THIS IS LIFE!!!!

 

Nemo and his friends...

 

Dory from "Finding Nemo"

 cute tiny fuzzy seahorse...

 

I knew I was a fish in my previous life! I didn't know I was   a grouper!