Italy (Northern Exposure) - Day 3

Some photos of Day 2 opening ceremony, marching segment.



Besana Marching Band

First Saturday in Italy. First concert. But first, what happened in the day...

We are supposed to attend a ceremony at the town hall; however it is unable to accomodate everyone, so most of us set off on a supermarket trip instead. For a moment, we become la NUS (pronounced "noose") Supermarket Shopping Symphony.



The meat section is always fascinating - at least to a meat-lover like me.


Residences in Besana always have their own gardens or little spots where they grow some shrubs or bushes that turn out magnificant - proof:


What needs stocking up in Italy, or at least this part of Italy, is bottled water. Drinking water, fizzy or normal, comes from bottles - somehow no one believes in boiling tap water. I buy a few huge bottles for myself and Ben to last for the next few days.

Lunch is a outdoor buffet-style affair at the park opposite the town square, otherwise known as Villa Filippini. Pretty good spread of food - proof:


After lunch, we adjourn to a nearby cafe for some coffee - someone's (Italian - Simeone? Reminds me of that tomboy in Bookworm Club...) treat. I abstain from espresso-neat, but almost charge up to the machine to try my hands on it, because its a Rancilio, the same brand that I'm seeing and touching and cleaning day-in, day-out.

Somehow, we break up into small groups and I find myself going around the park...

There's this tree in the park that's supposed to the biggest in the park, and possibly Besana(??).


I'll show you the way in:


This is how it looks like from the inside:


I settle on this spot:


After the park, we drop by the supermarket again. Nothing much; we head further down to the train station to pass our time.




Perhaps, this is Life symbolised...




Walking away, from the troubles in my life...

The train pulls into the station at abit after half past three.......


We head back to the town square to wait for our bus to Medolago. After some anxious moments and false information, la NUS Wind Symphony is now complete, hours before its maiden performance in Italy (discounting the NUS Band which took part in 1997 of course).


The REALLY old ones (minus the OLDEST ONE of course.)

Medolago is about an hour's ride from Besana - the bus never really hit the highway.



We reach our dinner place slightly after 1900hrs local time. Dinner is at this outdoor place; this elderly Italian guy who spoke articulate, if slow, English explain our dinner menu to us.

Dinner stretches us to our limits, both physically and temporally. The programme says we are up for performance at 2100hrs; we formed up just before 2100hrs for the street parade. It is a really funny sight - trying hard to memorise the national anthem and the three songs just before marching off. The parade route is longer than expected; a further surprise awaits us when we finish our parade. We (most of us anyway) end up rushing off looking for the bus, retriving our files and then scampering onstage to start performing.

I guess the performance is a hit with the locals. On the other hand, my mis-count affair with a particular piece begins on this night - I am to play the same part wrongly in all 3 public performances.

Each one of us receives a token gift at the end - ties for the guys, scarves for the gals. The local town band even invites us for a post-concert reception - free-flow of snacks and drinks.

And photos too.


I guess most of us head back to our host families feeling buoyed by the response we have had from the Medolago crowd, and secretly anticipating the same but magnified response from the Besana crowd the next evening. A pity I fail to catch the Lithuanian Army band perform their "thang" at the dopofestival; from the accolades they receive, they seem pretty awesome.

Meanwhile, its back to our haven in Montesiro, to our comforts of our room...

Marching awaits.....

Out.

~Ugly~

Italy (Northern Exposure) - Day 2

(Photos from Michele, Jennifer and my own)

Ugly's first breakfast on Italian soil - EBF tea, plus biscotti and biscotate over very fine and non-greasy butter. Ben feels like eating the whole block of butter for breakfast.

After breakfast, it is back to Besana for our first (and only) rehearsal.

Unpacking the instruments out of their bubble wrap sure takes up a fair bit of time.



It does not turn out that well. We choke, and I think our repertoire becomes the way it is based on this rehearsal.

On the brighter side of things, the compound outside the rehearsal venue provides ample opportunities for snapshots.



Lunch is at the communal canteen - we wait and wait.... and take photos while we wait.



While in the queue for food, Ugly helps some guys from the Columbian contingent take a photo - they give me something in return:



Ugly still feels abit paiseh that he has almost nothing on him that is worth exchanging as a token of friendship - he contemplates giving a pack, but decides not to - and silently laments on the severe ill-preparedness for this trip. It makes him wonder about the purpose(s) of the trip that he has neglected...

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

After lunch, we proceed for our very first sight-seeing tour of Italy - Lago di Lecco.

A wonderful and magnificant sight greets us upon our arrival.



Posing time:



Ugly spots a gelato shop and heads to try his hands (and tongue!) on "native" gelato for the maiden time!



We have about two hours to walk around the small town. Ugly decides to stick with the old-timers, Z-x and Jennifer.





Before we board the bus to head back for Besana, Ugly finds a vending machine that dispenses Coke - it turns out to be some kids' size of Coke in a can that one is unlikely to be found here.



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

After dinner, we head back to the piazza again for the opening concert by Banda Besana.



Can't remember if it is that very cold night, but Ugly remembers himself not staying too long for the concert.

Day 2 ended pretty much the same way had previous night, except that I can shower with warm water now.

The first concert awaits in Day 3.....

Out.

~Ugly~

Italy (Northern Exposure) - Day 1

We finally touch down at Mapensa - Ugly sent my first SMS to my sis to inform that I'm fine and well.

While everyone can't wait to get to Besana (at least this is what I think), what Ugly can't wait is to start on my DFS fags - ten packs over ten days to finish, and Ugly's gone 11+ hours awake without a single stick.

*shivers*


A vehicular bridge outside the airport

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

An hour drive from Mapensa is where Besana Brianza is.

Sunny and breezy weather, the smell of fresh air, and.... no mozzies!


The Hosts and Hostesses (Photo courtesy of Huijuan a.k.a 'Jane')

Generous servings of chips and tidbits plus drinks are served while we await to be called and paired up with our host families.

Is amongst the last to leave the piazza - our hostess was late.


The town church

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

Our host family coincidentally shares some relation and building with ZX's and Yang's family.

And our hosts are parents of 'Jane' and Min's hostess lol.

Ben and Ugly share a cosy room with a good view of the suburbs.




One shock we get when we step into the house is that our hostess (Adriana) does not remove her footwear - after some attempt to convey that our practice is to do otherwise, we nonetheless decided to follow the Romans do when in Rome.

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

Lunch turns out to be a simple fare of spaghetti.

Or so we thought - the noodles serve as appetiser.

The ham, the bread, the vino rosso with fizzy water, the greens, the fruits, the cafe that came after that - we are looking forward to dinner already hah.

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

After lunch, we arranged to meet up with the Hui sisters and ZX to go shopping.

By foot.



Sight-seeing

After a relatively long walk avoiding the big trucks and some asking for directions, we finally arrive at Ipael supermercato. The Hui sisters begin their Italy shopping spree, while Ben, ZX and Ugly go for something more practical - aiming to quench our thirst.

Our return journey takes us back at Besana town square, but not before we rest our legs at the nearby Villa Filipini.


Part of the Shoppers - 'Jane' is the photographer (Photo courtesy of Huijuan a.k.a 'Jane')

Dinner remains vague - its filling and that's all that matters.

The beautiful daughter of ZX's hosts offers to drive the 3 of us to the town square to watch the town band in rehearsal.

First evening in Italy and we observe that sunset doesn't begin until 9pm.

The Besana Band was very powering. Ugly hopes that the concert venue won't make us so grossly overpowering when our turn comes to take to the stage.


Banda Besana in action

Day 1 nears its end - the beautiful daughter comes to drive us back.

Ugly stupidly showers in cold water, before Ben updates me on how the hot water will come about.

A smooth transition to Italy, Ugly will say.

Oh, and it looks like Italians in general look younger than their ages suggest. Is it the vino? *grin*

Day 2 and a rehearsal awaits.

Out.

~Ugly~

Italy (Northern Exposure) - Day 0

11AM?!

My last-minute prep for the trip seems to be endangered by my reluctantness to climb out of bed.

The "casualty list" from JP included a waist pouch with a holder for a water bottle, wet tissues and 7D dried mangoes (best mangoes in the world - for the host family).

My luggage is now filled to the brim - how to bring stuff for everyone, I wonder...

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

Ah Gong ain't around when I took my leave, so I only bidded farewell to mom this time.

Cabbing to school is definitely cheaper than cabbing to the airport - but even then, I have to drag my luggage to Central Library first, because I can't renew the books I have in hand.

In some way, its good because Fate let me bump into QZ - we went to the Graduate Division to submit some documents and then had a drink + a stick before we headed towards CFA.

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

Yong Kiat and a few others were already there, the lorry also just reached only.

Within half an hour, we load the stuff up, and I have Yong Kiat as company on the lorry ride to Changi.

Last time round for the Thailand trip, it was me driving. Somehow this time round, it feels more comforting to be driven off.

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

Miscellanous issues to be settled upon reaching the airport.

Most important - taking photos.


Our first (Italy) section photo (after countless attempts - most of the time, it's 60% or 80%)

There's always this fear-of-being-homesick feeling just before embarking on a long journey. I feel sicky and worn-out already while waiting to board. Anxiety? Excitement?


My neighbours

But then, the first part is the easy part. Transit is a tense, tiring wait - making sure that nothing goes wrong in this early part of the trip is essential I guess, especially in a foreign place.


Travellator


The waiting game

Finally, we lift off after midnight. And I knock out.

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

Almost misses out on the inflight meal - luckily they still have extra. Ben sits out of this meal though - probably thinking of his beau in his extended dream(s)...

After makan, I become the willing/reluctant slave to the in-flight entertainment. Maybe I will only get a chance to take such a long-distance flight in my next life...


Sunlight peeking out of Darkness - Feels like I'm in the movie Armageddon/any other end-of-the-world disaster movie...



Are these the Alps?

Nothing very eventful happens onboard - erm, well, maybe there is.... but that's just it.

Day 1 shall start upon touch down in Mapensa.

Hopefully.

Out.

~ Ugly ~