Finally on holiday. Here in the south there’s my beautiful little island with its colorful and hidden streets. 💕 How nice it is to be here …
Write me if you feel like. I get back being happy sea 🌊
Have a great summer
Cambridge, July 2021
Why study a new language now is a good idea
Hi guys, this is my article published on La Dante in Cambridge’s blog (that you can find here). My experience abroad began a few years ago. From Naples (Italy) I moved to the Uk. In 2013, I spent about a year in London and after, many years in Cambridge. Despite the difficulties that a completely new life in a completely different country from mine has entailed, now, I can say that these have been years of great enrichment. The first huge frustration I felt as soon as I was in Great Britain was of course the new language. For a sociable Neapolitan “communicator” and journalist who loves the Italian language like me, I can assure you that not being able to express myself with the surrounding world was a terrible feeling. The language we use completely permeates our life, our interactions, as well as our way of seeing things and our freedom. Without this fundamental tool you feel lost. Now, after many courses, some exams, a Master’s degree at the Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, and some work experiences in the UK, I can say that I am totally grateful for the path I have taken which forced me to master my second language. The motivation to learn is important of course. I admit that given my very low level of love for the new language at the time, it came to my rescue the fact that, to some extent, I find myself forced to learn and practice English by the kind of life I had chosen: a new working and personal life in England. After all, I had always wanted to be able to use the most widespread language in the world, the ‘wildcard’ language, as I have always defined it. I thought about it strongly when during a trip to Norway, entering a little shop in Bergen, I missed a pair of earrings that I wanted to buy, but which, due to my clumsiness and shyness, was secured by another English tourist, or when I found myself for work in New York (wonderful city I fell in love with) and I could not exchange more than a couple of sentences with some nice patrons in a pub. The same happened when a group of American tourists tried to interact with me in Italy, on the island of Procida where I was during my summer holidays. What a frustration it was. Of course, knowing English makes you feel like a citizen of the world, confident that you can communicate with anyone. The potential of a language that is so useful and influential even in the professional field, can seriously make you feel capable of crossing doors almost anywhere. English is the most widely spoken language in the world, used by more than a quarter of the world population.
And therefore, I went from being too insecure even to order a coffee in any London bar, to working in a language school, as well as a European cultural center. At La Dante in Cambridge, where I have been working for a few years, I have certainly perfected my haltingly English, through phone calls, emails, marketing campaigns, presentations, social and cultural events and even radio broadcasts (the bilingual broadcasts of Radio Dante).
Cambridge, Uk
La Dante in Cambridge, which is one of the foreign branches of the Dante Alighieri Society, the Italian cultural institution that aims to protect and spread the Italian language and culture in the world, has allowed me to continue to have the fundamental bond with my country and its culture I needed, and at the same time to come into contact with cultures different from mine in an environment made up of people who love languages. ‘A different language is a different vision of life’, said the Italian film director Federico Fellini. It is definitely true. Language learning, in addition to the pleasure and opportunities it provides, is also known to be linked to a better mental health: it prevents cognitive decline by reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s or dementia, for example. This is because people who speak at least two languages develop their temporal lobes, which allow for the formation of new memories. This increases the number of neurons that make up our brain. In addition, people who speak more than one language become better at ‘problem solving’, at better analyzing their environment and at carrying out more activities simultaneously (multitasking). These are undoubtedly some of the benefits that bilingual or multilingual people can enjoy. Neuroplasticity, that is the ability of the nervous system to modify itself to form nerve connections, is greater in children, but the brains of adults can also be shaped and improved. So it’s really never too late to challenge yourself and have a super brain! You think that most of the students of Italian at La Dante in Cambridge are really ‘very adults’, mostly retirees or academic professors. They are passionate, good at always making new progress, and are more than awake and active.
BBC, Cambridge, Uk
I personally got a taste for it too and, since this new era of smart working and lockdown began, I took advantage and started studying Spanish with online courses, always with mother tongue teachers from La Dante in Cambridge. Nothing more pleasant. Even after a busy day of work, nothing is more comfortable than staying in the warmth of your own home, without having to travel in the cold or for a long ride by car, etc. I take a seat in my living room for a couple of hours with classmates of all nationalities (in my class at the moment there are two Turks, one Russian and one English for example) and my very nice Spanish teacher. Leisure, together with the feeling of using your time productively in something that contributes to your personal and cultural growth, do the rest. Obviously I am looking forward to going to Spain to communicate with the locals in the local language, but for now, safe from viruses, I have been preparing myself for that moment.
I conclude with a quote from Francois Vaucluse who said: ‘Forgive them who speak only one language: they do not know what they do’. My wish for this new year to you is therefore to commit yourselves to learning a new language or to practice and deepen a second or third language that you already know or that you had started learning at school.
Please find my original article ”LEARNING LANGUAGES ONLINE DURING LOCKDOWN” here
Cows spotted in the city centre and in shops’ windows
Until the 4th of September 2021 walking in Cambridge’s streets will be even nicer and full of surprises…or should I say full of colourful cows 🐮 ! 😆 In fact about ninety cow sculptures will appear in Cambridge’s streets, parks and open spaces thanks to the Cows About Cambridge project.
Grafton Centre 
A supporter cow 
Parker’s Piece 
Parker’s Piece 
Mill Road 
New Square 
New Square 
New Square
The original initiative involves local artists and children who have decorated the nice animals, and aside from making the city quite enjoyable and fun, this will help raise money for Break, a charity that supports vulnerable children in the East of England.
More info here.
Check the map 
My favourite one with pink ears 💞 
Here she is 😁 
Very cool 
Look into my eyes 👀 
Fly me to the moon 
No tengo dinero 
What a clump! 😍😆 
At the Anglia Ruskin University ❣️
A little with me after very intense days
If there is one thing that pays off, that is being able to give oneself self-discipline to achieve one’s goals. It works. And step by step we get to where we have decided. Along with these sometimes tiring steps, then some pampering towards ourselves is a must. And tonight I slow down and listen to music all to myself 🎶
Cambridge, June 2021
Bank holiday weekend ahead
I love this place, I love my spot, and I keep feeling so grateful..I have a long weekend ahead and some time for myself.
I will rest,
I will read my books,
I will study for my “Life in the Uk exam” ,
I will workout,
and hopefully I will enjoy some sunshine as well.
Enjoy your weekend ahead and do not forget to jot down at least three things you are grateful for ❣️
Hey you, don’t give up, okay? and don’t stop shining
Just two lines to encourage those who pass by these parts. Hold on and learn from small setbacks and mistakes. They are experiences and great opportunities to improve, understand, work on yourself.
This weekend I wrote my article for Il Confronto Magazine and will soon share it here too. I talked about success, mistakes and self-education. Simple notions but which I find precious.
I feel grateful and confident. Lately I’ve learned to prioritize my well-being: get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet without refined foods, exercise. It is not always easy but it is important. I feel stronger and full of energy and with the will to do my best. 🙌☀️😁 I hope to transfer this mood to you too who are reading this! Have a good week!
No excuses, Do what makes you happy
It can be tiring but don’t stop working towards your dreams and goals. And when you need it, find the solution because, you know, it’s always there. And nothing is impossible. You are the architect of your life and you are a force. Don’t be lazy or fearful. No excuses. One bit at a time, do whatever moves you forward. Be happy..look, you already feel a little bit happier just thinking about it..☀️🙌🔥
Life in Cambridge goes on 
And I feel good 
Day off 
Doing my best 
A walk to TKMax and Waterstones 
Rainy days 
Dance under the storm
Power cut in Mill Road
For some hours, last evening, on Saturday 8th May, the habitants of Mill Road in Cambridge, have been out of power. The disruptions started soon after 21.30 until midnight when the power was restored (at 23.57). Power cuts also occurred in other parts of the city on the same day.
8th May 2021 
Power cut in central Cambridge
A Neapolitan in Cambridge 
