OUR GREATEST ADVENTURE YET...

Eleven (nearly sleepless!) days so far and all is well.  Here's the first round of pics of the little critter--enjoy!!

https://plus.google.com/photos/106866973565951157311/albums/5801425889525214945?authkey=CKuc-sKX3rzrdA

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

Alexander has arrived! ¡Alexander ha llegado!

Alexander Siconolfi Palacio was born on Oct. 9th at 5:35pm, weighing 3.25 kg (7 lbs. 2 oz.)  Mother & baby are doing great!!

Alexander Siconolfi Palacio nació el 9 de octubre a las 17:35h, con un peso de 3,25 kg.  ¡Madre e hijo están estupendos!

:-)

BREAKING NEWS:

Sooo...against our better judgment, Luz and I have decided to go ahead and reproduce--yes, I'm gonna be a dad!!  Here's a picture of the little critter (sex unknown) from the 12-week ultrasound (in week 15 now, due date Oct. 5th, mother and fetus healthy and happy  :-)

***  UPDATE  ***

Due to recent changes, some of the older links to photos may not work.  If you would like to see those albums, please e-mail/FB me and I will send you the appropriate link.  Thanks!

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS...

No, this photo isn't from this past Christmas season, but it is a good place to start off with an interesting anecdote...  You see, here we have five generations of my mother's side of the family: yours truly as a baby, my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother!  Funnily enough, before heading home this xmas, through the magic of Facebook we discovered we had some long-lost relatives in South America (descendants of my great-great-grandmother's brother, who, instead of leaving Italy for the States, emigrated to Argentina, as many Italians did at the time).  They in turn told us more about the family back in Italy, with whom they've kept in contact, and were also able to give the exact details about when my great-great-grandmother arrived in New York as a teenager, and even where she first lived--yup, you guessed it: Little Italy!  And not just any ol' Littly Italy...right on Mulberry St. (140 to be exact, as per the next photo!)

So this was a time to spend with family...thankfully Mom is doing well; the surgery went smoothly and chemo is underway, and everything points to a full recovery.  She and Dad were happy to have us there, and we even surprised them by keeping Luz's arrival a secret (we told my mom that she couldn't take off from work, but then surprised her when I got there and told her I found a "stray" at the airport  ;)

All in all a wonderful visit--here's to a bright 2012 for everyone!  More pics below:

https://picasaweb.google.com/106866973565951157311/NY2011Xmas?authkey=Gv1sRgCMzh8tuchanH1gE

FREUDE, SCHÖNER GÖTTERFUNKEN!

So I was privileged enough to be able to sing Beethoven's 9th Symphony (the Ode to Joy) this past October at Madrid's Auditorio Nacional, with the Orfeón Donostiarra and the Filarmonía Choir and Orchestra--a truly incredible experience!  Click the link below to see some pics:

https://picasaweb.google.com/106866973565951157311/BeethovenS9th2011

APOCALYPSE NOW?

First, a 5.8 earthquake rocks NY. Then Hurricane Irene slams the eastern seaboard. Add to this the monumental blizzard we had when last we visited in December and you have a European wife who thinks that the 2012 Doomsday events have already begun in North America...  ;)

Natural disasters aside, had a great visit with family and friends--even got to "hunt down" some Amish out in Lancaster, and live out a childhood fantasy of running up the Rocky steps in Philly! Check out the pics below:

https://picasaweb.google.com/106866973565951157311/NY2011PASummer?authkey=Gv1sRgCKjt1raCs43E0AE

HARRY TRUMAN, DORIS DAY, RED CHINA...

So this summer Luz and I decided to head East again, this time to explore the wonder that is China: a country of contrasts, where old meets new, and communism pits itself against capitalism on a daily basis, each vying for the future of the nation and her people.

Our trip starts off in Beijing (Peking), the capital, where we visited the Forbidden City/Imperial Palace, and the famous (and infamous) Tiananmen Square, followed by more recent additions like the Olympic Park. From there we traveled north of the city to see the Great Wall--and yes, it is truly incredible!

Our next stop took us to Xi'an, ancient capital of China and home to the famous Terracotta warriors...and, more importantly, my good friend Spencer, a.k.a. "Faxing". Here we had the privilege of visiting him at his monastery, where he was in the process of becoming a fully-ordained monk (the first Westerner to do so on the mainland in this particular school of Buddhism!) It was great to see him, and find him so happy and at peace. The wonderful experience continued with his Chinese friends She Ming and Gao Qi, who, after taking us back to the city, proceeded to invite us out to dinner (which, subsequently, was by far the best meal we had on our trip :) and show us around--the epitome of hospitality and goodwill!

After our far-too-brief stay in Xi'an, we were whisked away to Hangzhou (pron. HAHNG-JO), a beautiful city on the West Lake, south of Shanghai. This charming town (well, fairly large city actually) was full of natural beauty, and a plethora of pagodas and temples all waiting to be explored by the curious traveler...

Last, but not least, we went to Shanghai, a city symbolic of China's booming future. Here, more than anywhere else, it was clear that the Sleeping Tiger was indeed awakening: the sheer amount and speed of growth was simply overwhelming. The age-old debate of tradition vs. progress was more than evident as we strolled through the charming canals of the old town of Qibao, only to then take the metro to the futuristic financial district...

So what is the destiny of China?  Where does its future lie?  Only time will tell, but I for one think it definitely wouldn't hurt to continue studying Mandarin...  ;)  For now though, let's just sit back and enjoy the pics:

https://picasaweb.google.com/106866973565951157311/China2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCKXkkM7kk4zE2gE

FROM THE BIG APPLE TO THE BIG EASY...

So this Christmas we went home to NY for the holidays--and had a wonderful time, as usual, of course--then headed off to an unknown land (for both Luz and I): the curious state of Louisiana, and its flagship city, New Orleans. Now while New Orleans was always a city that I thought would be fun to visit, I had never realized just HOW fun, and interesting, and so was really pleasantly surprised...the fascinating French & Spanish colonial history and architecture, the majesty of the antebellum plantations, the spooky tales of ghosts and vampires alike, plus the great food, music, nightlife and all-around positive energy that this uniquely diverse cultural-melting-pot-of-a-city has to offer...and then combine that with the resilience of the people as they still struggle to come back from the catastrophe of Katrina, while never losing their abundantly friendly demeanor in the process!

Check out my Picasa albums for the pics...

https://picasaweb.google.com/106866973565951157311/FromTheBigAppleToTheBigEasy20102011?authkey=Gv1sRgCOauk-yOxqXhsQE

TREKKING THROUGH THE TROPICS...

Wow--it's been a long time since I've updated this blog. With that in mind I've decided it would be more feasible to just post the really interesting, "exotic" trips here on my travel blog, and leave the more mundane, day-to-day updates to the wonderful world of Facebook...

So, without further ado, here are the pics from our trip to Costa Rica this summer: a beautiful country in Central America full of impressive landscapes, amazing wildlife and friendly people...

https://picasaweb.google.com/106866973565951157311/CostaRica2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCLDvp9ifnf6QJQ

HOME SWEET HOME

Well nothing better to start off the new year than a new home--yes, we are officially homeowners! ...or more accurately, "people indebted to the bank for the next quarter of a century" ;)

So our holidays were spent signing documents and moving in, peppered by myriad trips to that furniture fantasia known as IKEA, but in the end all is well, and we're quite happy (except for an annoying episode with our heating, or the lack thereof, but that's a long story...)

Check out my online photo albums (Picasa) on the right side of this page to take a virtual tour of our new flat...of course the best way is to come out here and visit us in person--there's a guest room waiting! :)

LOVELY LISBON

Took advantage of the holiday weekend (Columbus Day, or "El Día de la Hispanidad" [Hispanic Day] as it's known here in Spain) to check out the Portuguese capital. Really enjoyed it, Lisbon is a great city, very beautiful and full of life--the fabulous weather didn't hurt either! I think the pics speak for themselves:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/Lisbon2009

AMERICAN ADVENTURES...

Our trip starts off in Mexico City, where we visit Luz's sister Ana...floating along the canals of Xochimilco, checking out the amazing museums, walking down ancient avenues under the shadow of imposing pyramids, meeting up with friends in nearby Puebla and looking out from a hilltop chapel to a distant volcano...

...then catching a plane to LA for a complete change of pace, embarking on a road trip that will take us through the Arizona desert to ancient Native American cliff dwellings, fascinating rock formations...the Grand Canyon, in all its splendor, followed by the "locura" of Las Vegas...ending up back in California to walk among the giant sequoias in Yosemite and following the coast up to San Francisco, full of wonderful visits with family and friends along the way...

...finally flying back from San Francisco to Madrid, but not before stopping home in NY to pay a surprise visit to my parents...all in all a very complete summer holiday (gotta love European vacation time! :)

Check out my Picasa page to see all the pics and share the adventure with me:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni

FROM THE COLD WAR TO THE CRADLE OF CALLAS...

Yes, although it may seem like an unlikely combination, we just got back from a little trip to both Berlin and Milan. We had a great time, first starting out in Berlin, rich in history with the fascinating remains of the Wall, and other poignant reminders of the Cold War era and the horrors of WWII. Plus modern Berlin is a really cool, hip city--we had a great time seeing the sites and hanging out with my friend Julius (who is living in Germany).

Then we headed over to Milan, where we strolled along the piazzas and marveled at the incredible Duomo (cathedral) and Da Vinci's notoriously famous (thanks to Dan Brown) fresco of "The Last Supper". It was also an opera pilgrimage pour moi, as we took advantage of our time there to see Stravinsky's "The Rake's Progress" at the Mecca of all opera houses, La Scala, as well as visiting the beautiful nearby town of Bergamo, birthplace of Donizetti. Enjoy the pics!

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni

ALCALÁ AND ADVENTURES...

Here are some pics from a visit with Luz's family in beautiful Alcalá de Henares, a small town near Madrid which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; home to Cervantes, and an impressive university.

Plus, some recent shots of some of the zany characters from my work with the children's theatre company, S.O.S. IN ACTION...check out my online albums to see them all:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni

DON PASQUALE & THE CREATION

Here are some photos and videos from my recent performance in the chorus of Donizetti's opera DON PASQUALE at the Teatro Real (Madrid's Royal Opera House)--an amazing experience, having the opportunity to work with some truly gifted artists on such an important stage.

You'll also find some tidbits from Haydn's oratorio DIE SCHÖPFUNG (THE CREATION) which I sung in the Iglesia de Los Jerónimos in Madrid, Spain, with the Federación Coral de Madrid: 150 voices, plus soloists and full orchestra--breathtaking! To enjoy these magical musical moments:

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/marcusgiovanni

MARCUS' UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

Hi everyone, just thought I'd let people know about some important performances I've got coming up, namely...

-

Mar. 21st (20:00):

Haydn's oratorio, THE CREATION, Iglesia de Los Jerónimos (Madrid, Spain)

-

Mar. 22nd (18:00), 24th & 26th (19:00):

Donizetti's opera, DON PASQUALE, Teatro Real (Madrid, Spain)

TICKETS: http://www.teatro-real.es/

-

And, of course, my continuing work with S.O.S. in Action Theatre and related appearances on Spanish TV as "Davey the Dog":

-

Daily (7:30, 14:30, 17:00):

KIDS CLUB: DAVEY AND FRIENDS, Aprende Inglés TV (Spain)

-

Hope to see you there!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH...

...all of us geeks! Yes, "Star Wars: The Exhibition" made its way to Madrid, and I was there like a Jawa at a flea market, faster than Han could make the Kessel run with Boba and a bevy of bounty hunters on his tail...

~

There is no try. I DO be a geek! :)

~

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/StarWarsExhibition2009

THE HOLIDAYS IN SNOWY (?!) SPAIN

Some pics from the holidays in Madrid and El Escorial, a nearby town (famous for its monastery, resting place of the Spanish royalty) where they decorate the streets with life-size Nativity scene figures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/HolidaysWinterInMadridDec2008Jan2009

MARCUS DISCOVERS THE MAGIC OF YOUTUBE...

Yes, it's true, Marcus is finally getting a handle on those newfangled computing-machines and how they functionate: I've learned how to edit videos, upload them to YouTube, and yes, even embed them here, in my blog!!

So, for starters, I'll begin with the long-awaited international debut of myself in a real live (well, pre-recorded actually) "Davey and Friends" episode, as that lovable dalmatian, Davey the Dog. No, it's not quite Shakespeare...or even Sesame Street for that matter...but hey, it's good, clean, somewhat educational doggy hijinks--who could ask for anything more?! To appreciate the full spectrum of my talent (and the very low budget of the show), take note that the script for this episode (and yes, even the soon-to-be-a-classic "Colors Song") was written by yours truly :) So here you have parts 1 and 2 of one of my favorite episodes (more to follow soon, stay tuned!)

[courtesy of the program "Kids Club: Davey and Friends" on "Aprende Inglés TV", and "S.O.S. in Action Theatre", Madrid, Spain]

[courtesy of the program "Kids Club: Davey and Friends" on "Aprende Inglés TV", and "S.O.S. in Action Theatre", Madrid, Spain]

Here's another clip, this time of me singing in Germany a few years ago with talented Mexican soprano Zura Medina (not the best quality video, nor my best performance, admittedly, but a decent clip nonetheless of one of my all-time favorite scenes, without a doubt one of the best ever written for the musical stage):

Marcus Giovanni and Zura Medina performing "Tonight" from WEST SIDE STORY at the Gummersbach Musikfestival in 2005 (near Cologne, Germany)

And one last clip: this is of an old newsreel we dug up of my great-grandparents (paternal), Cosimo and Carmela DiDonato, along with my great-uncles, from when they won the "Irish Sweepstakes" back in 1949...only $40,000, but back then it was enough to get them a decent house for the family in Yonkers--let's hope their luck runs in the family! (Dad, any idea what numbers they played??? :)

AS 2008 DRAWS TO A CLOSE...

...there's a lot to be thankful for. This year's been a pretty productive one for me: turned the big 3-0, successfully finished the Cambridge DELTA (ESL/EFL postgrad) and my Master's Degree in Music Therapy, made my Spanish television premiere as that infamous dalmation, Davey (clips to be posted soon, I promise!), sang in the UNESCO headquarters in Paris with the Spanish Actor's Union Choir, got cast to sing in the chorus of next spring's production of DON PASQUALE in the Teatro Real (Madrid's Royal Opera House) ...and oh yeah, GOT MARRIED!!

Most of all, though, I am thankful for the wonderful family and friends who have supported me along the way. It was great to see so many of you back in NY, and Luz and I really appreciate your sharing these special times with us.

To see the pics from our "2nd wedding" in NY (as well as our "2nd honeymoon" in Puerto Rico! :) and more, click the links below--and HAPPY HOLIDAYS / FELICES FIESTAS / BUONE FESTE to all!!!
https://picasaweb.google.com/106866973565951157311/WeddingDinnerTheSequelNewYork2008?authkey=Gv1sRgCOHp89yiv_vi6AE

~

https://picasaweb.google.com/106866973565951157311/PuertoRico2008?authkey=Gv1sRgCPGc0L2Dw-2-nwE

THANK YOU FOR COMING THROUGH AMERICA!!!

Yes, after eight long years I can finally be proud to tell people around the world that I'm American again! No, I don't expect Obama to magically fix all of America and the world's problems of course, but I do truly believe that he, along with a wisely-chosen cabinet and hopefully some bipartisan cooperation, will at least be able to start to undo some of the Bush-Cheney administration's gravest errors, and maybe even set the U.S. off in the bold new direction that it needs to take to regain international respect and truly evolve as a nation...

~ WEDDING & HONEYMOON ~

Yes, it's true, I've finally tied that notorious knot! We had a great time: music, food and fun was had by all--thanks so much to those of you who were able to attend! For those who couldn't make it, you can check out the pics below:

https://picasaweb.google.com/106866973565951157311/Wedding16Oct2008?authkey=Gv1sRgCKz7oue3wLj4CQ

Then of course the honeymoon!!! Yes, we went to beautiful Japan, a country truly rich in culture and natural beauty. A perfect blend of the modern and the traditional, we had the opportunity to travel extensively through the main island of Honshu for two weeks: whether visiting the enormous metropolis that is Tokyo, paying homage to the tragic past of Hiroshima, strolling down the Geisha-house-lined streets of imperial Kyoto or spending a peaceful night in a Buddhist temple, Japan, and its charming people, never ceased to amaze us:

https://picasaweb.google.com/106866973565951157311/JapanAndHelsinkiHoneymoon2008?authkey=Gv1sRgCPT9sJ-sj9mdhAE

SUMMER FUN IN SWITZERLAND... AND SEBÚLCOR?

Here are some pics from this past August, from Switzerland, where we were visiting our friends Fabián & Bea and Peter & Mónica (both Fabián and Peter are physicists, so we got to play with super-electron microscopes and liquid nitrogen!):

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/Switzerland2008#

Also, some shots of Sebúlcor, one of the small Spanish towns where I teach immersion courses:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/SebLcorLasHoces2008#

BUITRAGO...

A weekend getaway we took to Buitrago, a small medieval town about an hour north of Madrid; the hotel itself was great, built right inside of the orginal city walls, plus we did some hiking on a nearby trail, very relaxing:

-

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/Buitrago2008

THE WEDDING OF LEONOR & JOSÉ IGNACIO

Here are some pics from a wedding we went to recently, Luz's best friend's sister:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/BodaDeLeonorYJosIgnacio2008

GALICIA & PORTUGAL

Here are some photos from our recent trip through Galicia (northwestern Spain) and Portugal--a beautiful area, rich in culture and tradition and quite different from the south of the Iberian peninsula. Enjoy:

-

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/GaliciaPortugalEtc2008

SINGIN' 'N' SCRATCHIN'...

I guess it's time for a brief update on my latest adventures: in January I had the opportunity to sing at the UNESCO headquarters with the Coro de la Unión de Actores (Spanish Actors' Union Choir), great experience.

Now, quite busy working and studying the second year of my Music Therapy Master's. Apart from teaching English, I'm also on my way to Spanish stardom with the theatre company I work for here...they have hired us to do a bilingual Sesame Street/Blues Clues type cable TV show for young kids called Kids' Club: Davey and Friends. And who exactly is Davey you might ask???...Well, I think the pic says it all!

Fear not, I will be sure to share the excruciatingly embarrassing video clips with everyone once the program starts to air...for now, enjoy some more photos by clicking below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/SpanishActorsUnionChoirUNESCOConcertInParisSOSInActionTheatre20072008

CHRISTMAS IN NY...AND FUN IN THE SUN!

Here we have some pics from some wonderful holidays spent at home in NY with family and friends. The weather was pretty good--and it was great to see everyone! Click here to see the photos (then on "Slideshow"):

-

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/NewYorkHolidays0708

-

The second part of our American adventure took us to the opposite end of the East Coast, where we ended up wrasslin' some gators and finding ourselves closer to Cuba than to the continent...Click below to see the pics from Miami, the Florida Keys and the Everglades:

-

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/Florida2008

THANKSGIVING IN SPAIN...

-

Just a quick entry, to wish everyone Happy Holidays/Felices Fiestas, and share these pics from a little Turkey-Day celebration we had here:

-

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/ThanksgivingMadrid2007

-

Also, the latest updates on me: busy!! I've (finally!) finished up my Cambridge DELTA post-grad work, and now focusing on the second year of my Music Therapy Master's (will be starting up my internship/residence work in January hopefully). Apart from that, I'm working as an EFL teacher, as well as acting with a theatre company called S.O.S. In Action (http://es.geocities.com/imtootsweet/) and singing with the Spanish Actors' Union Choir (http://www.corouniondeactores.com/), so all is going quite well.

-

Will be back in NY over the holidays, so hope to catch up with a lot of people...Best wishes and good cheer to all for the fastly-approaching New Year!

¡VIVA MÉXICO!

-

Vamos, ¡que México está padrísimo! An amazing trip, one of my all-time favorites. I had been to México before, but only to the border towns (like Tijuana, Acuña, etc.), so this time Luz and I chose to explore the Riviera Maya on the Yucatán Peninsula for nine days. We stayed in Playa del Carmen (about an hour south of Cancún), and from there did day trips to the numerous archeological sites and natural parks that the region has to offer.

-

An incredible experience, combining the impressive history and architecture of the ancient Mayan civilization with the rich and unique culture of present-day México and its wonderful people (que por cierto, son muy buena onda :) Equally impressive are the flora and fauna of the region, and of course the sublime Caribbean beaches. (I hope to be able to return to this beautiful country in the future when I have more time to dedicate, maybe even live there for a while as I have been looking into various volunteer programs to teach in some small villages near Chiapas, so we'll see...)

-

The above photo is of the Great Pyramid/Temple of Chichén-Itzá, sacred city of the Mayas and one of the recently named new Seven Wonders of World--click on the link below (then "Slideshow") for the rest:

-

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/MXicoRivieraMaya2007

AH, BELLE PARIS!

Gotta love Ryan Air: if you survive the trip (planes are kinda ghetto), you can visit this amazing city which is only two hours away from Madrid for about 50 EUR! Of course, once you get there watch out for those 7 EUR café au laits... The French capital is for me one of the most beautiful cities on earth (despite its inhabitants, who are, indeed, somewhat rude in general, even when one makes the effort to speak French [comme moi!]...although one can understand how they might be sick of toursits: in July and August the city is literally flooded, ad nauseam, and it makes it difficult and frustrating to do just about anything...)

Click here to see the photos (then "Slideshow"):

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/Paris2007

~~~~~

Then, we continue our trip south towards the French Basque Country, and then cross the border into Spain and San Sebastián in the Spanish Basque Country. Unfortunately, we had very little time to explore this beautiful city, but instead opted for a few days of quiet relaxation in the neighboring region of Cantabria where Luz's parents had rented an apartment for their summer holidays. Northern Spain is quite beautiful, and a strong contrast to the stereotypical images of sun and flamenco dancing that people associate with the south (Andalucia); the north is quite green, with beautiful rocky shores, quaint villages, and a climate similar to that of southern Ireland (meaning yes, unfortunately, lots of rain!)

Click here for the pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/SanSebastiNSantander2007

UPDATE

Wow, it's been a while since I've updated this blog... Hmm, let's see, well, after a very busy May and June, I finally finished my Cambridge DELTA (just have to make up one class this fall) and the first year of my Music Therapy Master's. Then, was very busy teaching some intensive summer courses, as well as doing gigs with "The Good Guys/S.O.S. Theatre", an interactive English-language touring theatre troupe. This fall looks to be much of the same, teaching intensives at my language school, touring on and off, and working on my Master's....

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

NOVEDADES

Vaya, hace tiempo que no actualizo este blog... Hmm, a ver, bueno, pues después de un par de meses muy ocupados (mayo y junio), por fin he terminado el Cambridge DELTA (solamente me queda un último trabajo para este otoño) y el primer año del Máster de Musicoterapia. Luego, he estado muy ocupado trabajando, dando cursos intensivos de inglés y también haciendo obras interactivas con "The Good Guys/S.O.S. Theatre", un grupo teatral que hace giras por toda España. Este otoño promete mucho de lo mismo, dando cursos intensivos en mi academia, actuando en obras, y trabajando para el Máster...

MORE MADRID MARKETING...

So for those of you who STILL haven't made it out to visit me here in Spain, here's yet another attempt to whet your traveling appetites with some more pics of my fair (adopted) city and its surroundings. These were taken mostly by Corey and Jesse on their visit here after our Easter trip to Italy. Click on the link below (then "Slideshow"). Enjoy!
-
http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/MadridSegoviaWCoreyAndJesse2007

IN SEARCH OF THE SICONOLFIs...

SICONOLFI
Italian (Neapolitan): from a medieval personal name derived from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements sigi ‘victory’ + wulf ‘wolf’.

-

This Easter Week, 2007, saw the search for my roots in the Region of Campania, southern Itlay. An amazing trip, Luz and I started off in Naples, with its chaotic charm (and amazing food!), where we met up with friends from home, Corey and Jeff. Then the ruins of Ercolano (Herculaneum) and Pompei, left by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD, followed by exploring the Isle of Capri and the Amalfi Coast. The most thrilling for me, however, was having the chance to trod the very same streets where my great-grandparents grew up, in the small town of "Sarno"...

-

The end of the trip found us back in Rome with more friends (Jesse and his girlfriend, and a former student of mine from Zoni Language School in NY, Santi). To follow my story and see the pics, simply click here (then on "Slideshow"):

-

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/PasquaInItaliaNapoliPompeiCapriLaCostieraAmalfitanaESarno2007

CHRISTMAS IN SPAIN (2006-2007)

Here's a mix of some holiday photos from this Dec.-Jan. which includes some shots from our apartment (and holiday party), dinner with the Palacio family, and then the trip with my folks from Madrid to Sevilla and Barcelona (slightly out of order, sorry, too lazy to organize them all). This photo is from Gaudí's amazing Park Güell in Barcelona; click on the link below to see the rest:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/ChristmasTripWithParentsSpainMadridSevillaBarcelona0607

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

¡¡¡FELICES FIESTAS!!!

BUONE FESTE!!!

MORE EXPLOITS ON THE IBERIAN PENINSULA...

Here are some photos from some of my more recent travels. The first set is from June, when Luz and I went with her sister and some friends from home (Julius, Dan, and Stavros) to the Rock of Gibraltar, Mijas and Málaga (Andalucía, Southern Spain), and Tangier (Morocco). Click here (then "Slideshow"):

--

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/MLagaGibraltarTNger2006#
--
Then we have the following photos from our most recent trip (last weekend) to Extremadura (Western Spain, where Luz's mother is from), where we visited Oropesa, Trujillo, Cáceres, Alburquerque, Valencia de Alcántara, Badajoz, and Mérida--as well as Marvão (Eastern Portugal). The Roman amphitheatre in Mérida (shown above) is especially impressive, as is the castle in Marvão, and the Old Town of Cáceres (the best preserved medieval quarter in Europe!) Click here (then on "Slideshow"):

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/ExtremaduraPortugal2006

--

CURRENTLY...

I am back in Madrid (living with Luz), and extremely busy between working and doing my Master's in Music Therapy as well as the Cambridge DELTA (advanced TEFL diploma)...

----------------------------------------------------------

ACTUALMENTE...

Estoy en Madrid de nuevo (viviendo con Luz), y bastante agobiado con el trabajo y los dos posgrados que estoy haciendo (un Máster en Musicoterapia y el Cambridge DELTA, título superior para la enseñanza de inglés)...

PD: Mis queridos hispanoparlantes, perdonadme por no haber traducido todo el blog al español (neanche all'italiano, ni au français, etc.)--¡pero eso ya es mucho curro! Así también practicáis el inglés un poco ;)

MORE INDIA: VOLUNTEER WORK

Many people have asked me what exactly I was doing in India, besides wading through monsoon-flooded streets and watching goats get decapitated in ritual sacrifices (that's for another blog entry...) Did I have some program arranged to work at before going to Calcutta (Kolkata) or did I just show up there randomly and say "Hey, I'm here to help, what can I do?" The answer is, well, yeah.

It kinda goes like this....I've always wanted to do something like the Peace Corps, but wasn't quite ready for the two-year commitment that it entails. However, it turned out that one of my friends from university (and kindred traveling spirit!), Spencer, had already been living there for a few months, working as a volunteer with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity at Nirmal Hriday/Kalighat (Home for the Dying and the Destitute) so I decided that this would be a great moment to at least do what little I could. So I asked him for some advice and pointers (although he didn't really have too much of a plan when he arrived either, just kind of showed up and offered to help), and the rest is history.

I don't want to get into a long diatribe on my work with the sisters or put forth a complete analysis and critique of the conditions I encountered and the work that is done there (perhaps in another future entry...) Rather I will say that, in general, the sisters and volunteers (and of course the late Mother Teresa) truly give a great gift of themselves every day, offering love and care to those who need it most. Although I do have my issues with the Catholic Church, I enjoyed working with these nuns and the other volunteers (a very international group, many Europeans, Japanese, Koreans, etc.--really got to practice a plethora of languages!), and was especially impressed by their respect for all religions. They did not actively try to convert the patients to Christianity, and, for example, if a patient died while at the center their body would be sent to the appropriate temple or mosque, church, etc., for funeral services.

So what exactly did I do there? Well--besides occasionally acting as an interpreter--my duties were basically that of an orderly....with no formal training. Just showed up and did what the sisters or other volunteers asked me to, basic tasks like giving out food (and, eventually, "promoted" to giving out meds), washing dishes, cleaning up soiled clothes (and patients), giving massages and doing some rudimentary physical therapy and just spending time sitting down and talking with the patients. At first, one is quite paranoid about contracting some horrible disease like leprosy or TB or malaria and you wear gloves and masks and are constantly washing your hands...but then you reach a point when you realize that the best thing you can offer most of these people is a little human contact and love, and you start to relax (after having to clean out the infected remains of the socket where an eye once dwelt, I got past my scruples pretty quickly--in fact, quite surprised myself by handling it much better than I ever would have thought possible...)

Although it may sound quite depressing, it was really rather peaceful and beautiful. But the more uplifting of my work is reflected in the image above: a card made by my students at M.E.N.T.A.I.D., a school for mentally handicapped children where I volunteered as a music teacher. I happened upon this wonderful and enriching experience purely by accident... One day, my first week in Calcutta, I randomly met this English guy and we started chatting. Turned out that he was a musician, and that another friend of his, also a musician, had lived in Calcutta a couple of years ago and had worked as a music teacher at this school. Well, to make a long story short, he gave me the contact information and POOF, suddenly through the friend of a guy I hardly know I end up offering my services as a music teacher for the duration of my stay in Calcutta!

It was a beautiful experience, the children were SOOOO appreciative and enthusiastic (great precursor to my current Music Therapy studies). I taught them some of the basics of Western Music, while at the same time doing quite a bit of improvisation and musical storytelling with them on a potpourri of instruments--and learning quite a bit about the extremely rich tradition of Indian Music at the same time! In fact, looking back on it now, I couldn't honestly say who benefited more from our time together, the children or myself...

In short, hope to go back to this wonderful country to do more when I can (although thinking of doing a volunteer program as an English and/or music teacher in China or México next summer, so we'll see...)

OFF THE BEATEN PATH: INDIA, GETTING LOST
ON PURPOSE...

For me, one of the most amazing things one can do when traveling is to really try and immerse yourself in the culture. While it's all nice and good to marvel at the Taj Mahal or once in a while enjoy the food at a luxurious restaurant (which costs about 1/5 of what it would in the U.S. or Europe), the real beauty of traveling lies in meeting the native people and getting to know their culture, language, and traditions.

While I can't truly claim to have "lived like the locals" during my six weeks in India (the $4/night room with no hot water and a less-than-impeccable-mattress in the hostel where I chose to stay while volunteering in Calcutta would likely be considered rather luxurious to the 80% of Indians who get by on $1/day...although I imagine it would have been looked upon with disdain by many middle to upper class/caste Indians and most Westerners...), I think I can at least say that I made my best effort to learn the language (in this case Bengali, and some Hindi/Urdu) and make friends with the local people instead of just hanging out with other Western (and East Asian) tourists and volunteers (which of course I also did, and met some wonderful people as well).

While visiting the gorgeous temples and palaces and volunteering (to which I hope to dedicate another entry to) were amazing experiences, some of the best times I had there were just sitting down in a local restaurant and chatting with the clientele...or enjoying a traditional Bengali meal as honored guests in the home of a newfound friend...or being invited to stay in a small village where the majority of people had never seen a Westerner before, and learning to play a game (called "carom," similar in concept to billiards) with local children or being invited to a cup of tea by people--who despite their extreme poverty--were unwilling to accept money from their "sahib" (important, respected person) guest.

The above photo is of some children playing football (soccer) on a muddy, makeshift field, complete with cows sitting stubbornly in partial obstruction of the goal. I distinctly remember this day, as I awoke to a flooded Calcutta (monsoon season), and had to take a rickshaw so that I could leave my hostel without getting soaked up to the waist in rather fetid, sewer-like water (later on I gave up on any remaining scruples though, and just "dove in" so to speak!) I decided to go and visit the Jain temple complex in the northern outskirts of Calcutta (Jainism is one of the many religions that the richly diverse cultural tapestry of India has to offer; they believe in complete nonviolence, and refuse to eat, or harm, even the smallest living creature). Well, after many transportation trials and tribulations to get there, I arrived to find the temple gardens converted into lakes, with a makeshift path of wooden benches to conduct the faithful to the temple proper. After removing my shoes and visiting the temple, I decided to explore a little. So, I just chose a direction and started walking.

Eventually I found myself in what could best be described as a "shanty town," more like a small village on the outskirts of the main city. As I penetrated deeper into the town, I noticed the increasing number of stares that I was drawing, a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. This was definitely not a place frequented by many tourists, and occasionally people asked me, "Where are you going? What are you looking for?" And I would respond, in broken Bengali, "No, I'm just walking..." Eventually I noticed that I was in a Muslim neighborhood, since there was a small mosque and all the signs were in Urdu (linguistically almost identical to Hindi, but coming from an Islamic background and written in the Perso-arabic script), so I used the Urdu (and universally Muslim) greeting, "Salaama lekum," when people addressed me. Well that seemed to win them over, and more and more people started coming over to speak to me, asking all sorts of questions, displaying a genuine curiosity in getting to know more about me and my culture.

After spending a while chatting in our fractured mélange of Bengali, Urdu and English, two boys offered to take me back to the main road in their cart (they were working, transporting lumber across the neighborhood). With a bit of hesitation at first, I accepted and we had a nice talk as we made our way back towards the city proper. When we arrived, I offered them a bit of money for their rickshaw-like services--but they adamantly refused.

MY PAST ADVENTURES...

Well, ideally this blog was started as a way to share pictures and anecdotes from my travels with friends and family. However, seeing as how I'm a little late in jumping on the blogging bandwagon (and FAR too lazy to upload all my photos, album by album), I've had to do some consolidation here: below, a small compilation of my favorite pics from some of the amazing experiences that I've been privileged enough to have, spanning over 10 years, 18 countries and 40 U.S. states (note: India is not represented here, see previous entry).

Maybe someday I'll go back and put captions on each individual photo (HA, yeah right!), but for now the fun lies in guessing where they are from. Heck, you can even make a game out of it (winner gets a free round of cerveza; must come to Madrid to collect prize in person :) Rules: 1 point if you guess the country correctly, 2 for the town or city, or 3 for the specific monument, neighborhood or occasion. Plus an additional bonus point for the year, and 2 more for guessing what exactly I was doing there (theatre/music gig, teaching, vacation, international espionage, etc ;) For example, for the above pic:

SPAIN, Pamplona, Festival of San Fermín (3 pts); 2002 (1 bonus pt), Marcus jumping around like an idiot after having run with the bulls (2 bonus pts) = 6 PTS

Here is the link to the photos (when the page opens click on "Slideshow" to see them better). Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/marcusgiovanni/MARCUSTRAVELPIXMIX

--

MY VERY FIRST ENTRY: INDIA...

So, here we go, I will start this thing with a little taste of my recent trip to India, though neither words nor pictures could ever truly do it justice. In the future, I will try to post the entries from the journal I kept while I was there (but let's be honest, who knows if I'll ever actually get around to doing it...)

Ok, here we have a collage of photos (some low quality, cell phone, oops) starting in Calcutta/Kolkata (West Bengal) where I volunteered for one month at Mother Teresa's Home for the Dying and the Destitute (Nirmal Hriday) and as a music teacher at M.E.N.T.A.I.D. (school for mentally handicapped children). Then, with Luz, traveling for about two weeks across Northern India...first Bodhgaya (where Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, reached enlightenment under the Bodhi tree), then Varanasi (sacred Hindu city, on the banks of the Ganges), then on to the Golden Triangle (Delhi with its Red Fort, the Jama Masjid, Qutab Minar; Agra, with, of course, the Taj Mahal; & Jaipur, The Pink City, with its palaces and the Amber Fort--not to mention the elephants and camels!! :) A truly unforgettable journey, filled with too many incredible experiences, and people, to even know where to begin...

Click on the link below to see the photos (then when the page opens just click on "Slideshow"):

https://picasaweb.google.com/106866973565951157311/India2006?authkey=Gv1sRgCP3al8a-4ZTwiQE

--