Buon compleanno cara me

Si, questa la domenica e' mio compleanno... ogni anno, mi sento molto triste e patetica sempre prima il giorno. Non io so perche, forse voglio essere giovane per sempre. For my avid blog audience (I didn't realise you guys are still following my journal), I declared: si, it's the shitty part of the year which I dread most - the 'B' word - where I up my age by 1 and embrace a year past 30 - officially leaping into my 30s. Hooray. Blah. Pui.

As usual, the drama queen in me has been acting depressed with each day nearer to the B'day - fuelled by a triple wave of PMS. I let out a blood-curdling, toe-curling scream of frustration in the office but it only vibrated off the walls. The migraine was f%cking killing me too. It didn't help that on Wednesday I got a massive hangover from just 3 bloody screwdrivers at a client's soiree and was still paying the price for the free drinks. I guessed it's my 31-year old system protesting to the alcohol. "Basta, va bene?" Carl nagged.

Sono molto felice che mia Italia ha vinto la coppa mondo e lo festeggiare, sto facendo 2 'Viva Italia!' feste con i miei amici questo fine settimana. I shall prepare a 6-course italiana cena - each piatto named after an Italian player... starting with the 'Toni-Piero-Pirlo' trio of antipasti, edged by the molto 'Grosso' squid ink pasta, the 'Cannavaro' baked stuffed pollo and finalmente il dolce -'The Buffon' finale grande of mista frutta cooked in vino rosso. Molto delizioso si?

La Domenica, I'm putting my rustic gnocchi skills to test and hope they turn out buonissimo for my food critics amici. M and E just came back from a glorious 3-week vacanza in Italia and lagged back plenty of proscuitto and parmiggiano from Parma, panforte, tartufo and vino from Tuscano, and limoncello and melone from Almafi. Oooh, non posso aspettare!

Allora, on this lonesome Friday night sulking a mia casa, I shall share one of my early poems and dedicate it to all of you. Live the life you dare to dream, no matter the nags, fears and insecurities. Buona notte amore. Baci.

Lunatic Lunedi
Monday's woeful child
I smiled a poignant frown
Filled with impassioned fervour
Grasping the metier of ardour
Thwarted but not bent
I prayed for a gem from heaven sent
Your heart will never be empty
Blissful you
The soul's stirred
Love's renewed.

Carl - Feb' 2000