samneang.sin@gmail.com – Page 11

January 6, 2014

Extended My Last Two Vacation Days in Nice

5 January 2014

I have worked with a lot of foreign companies and have many foreign friends. They are quick to agree that the US have the worst vacation and sick day policies in the world.

This concept of working harder and longer hours, which is exacerbated by the rise of start-ups, where one is so passionate about one’s job, one is willing to do it freely and happily but I am going to admit, I hate it. If people truly love their job because it is their vision and goal in life, I’m very happy for them. But for the most part, people work to get by paying bills and keeping oneself with modern accommodation and luxury.
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January 5, 2014

Rainy Ride to Nice

4 January 2013

Cloud and rain clung tightly to Liguria, unloading more rain, as if the Northern Apennines have caught some lifeless prisoners and kept them swirling around the foot of its range like lost souls moaning for a way home but have lost their directions.

We took a cab ride from Genoa mid-morning and made our way through torrential downpour, fog, and humidity. We stopped only once at an Autogrill, which is the highway shops selling food, coffee, and gifts. Its food is much better than ones you would find in America.
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January 4, 2014

Tanti Auguri with Family Friends

3 January 2014

Another rainy and cloudy day hung over us like a sore thumb. I woke up late and quite miserable, wishing I were home. I hadn’t done any art work as I had wanted, my writing was stale, and my photographing halted by obligations. My vacation became less of a vacation. I try my best to be appreciative that someone paid for my trip. I never had to open my pocket for money. But it made me feel trapped and suffocated.
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January 3, 2014

Cloudy and Rainy visit to the Cemetery

2 January 2014

If one pays attention, one will find Liguria is a region bustling with elderly. I had thought maybe all the young kids ran off for more successful career but instead, I found out that like Florida is the haven for elderly in the States, Liguria is the Florida of Italy. Its warm climate, year-round, mild temperature, humid when rainy, arid when sunny, its beautiful coast and still within the Italian country was the likely region for retirees to set up their last few years. Many elderly Italians I’ve met rarely know English or any other language, which I find odd considering this notion that Europeans speak more than one language.
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January 2, 2014

Morning Seaside Walk in Nervi

1 January 2014

In Italy, it is tradition to wear something red for New Years and of course, in the old days, you would toss something old out the window. Apparently, people started to throw out tv or VCR, causing many deaths outside so there is no more throwing out of the window.

I didn’t have anything to throw out that is old and useless unless I consider throwing out my job. But I didn’t really waking up thinking about my job, which I think is a good thing, considering how much I dread going back.

My boyfriend suggested going to the passeggiata a mare, which he told me is very beautiful. A passeggiata is the Italian word for promenade. Do you think they call a prom, shortened from promenade, a pass, shortened form of passeggiata?
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January 1, 2014

Quiet Capodanno and Buon Anno

31 December 2013

Capodanno, which is New Years Eve in Italy, was relative quiet. However, I woke up starving. For an Asian girl like me, I’m never fully satisfied after a meal that isn’t rice. I was getting slightly homesick for congee and dried beef, papaya salad and fried chicken. Instead, lunch had been a light fare of boiled vegetables, salad, cured meat, and focaccia. Dinner had been an amazing homemade truffle risotto one night and an exceptional pepperoncino squid.

But what I would do for jasmine rice and fried egg with soy sauce. *sigh….
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December 30, 2013

Visiting Nonna (and Nonno’s) Courtship

29 December 2013

After a dream filled sleep, I woke up with a bucketful of writing inspiration. The rain clouds were rolling out and the sun was finally casting a spotlight over Bogliasco, its beauty vast and splendid.

I have always found northern Italy to be one of the most beautiful regions of Italy.
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December 29, 2013

Business Class into the Côte d’Azur

Drinking champagne on business class

28 December 2013

End of the year comes with a lot of reflections.

Fortunately, I was doing all my reflection in Liguria where the reflection is that of the Mediterranean Sea crashing against the black shores of the Italian Riviera.
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October 8, 2013

Corning’s Wineglass Marathon

The day of the race was dark and damp. Dawn barely cracked open her eyes as we mustered our way toward the village of Bath. Dense fog from the mountains rolled onto the highway, only 100 feet or so in front of us was visible in pitch black dawn.

Onwards to Geneva Street, we found Phillips Glass (after a few roundabouts unsure why Google map kept saying it was at the Family Dollar store) where several runners were prepping and boarding buses. A half marathon and a full marathon bus were carting off loads of runners to their starting point.
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October 7, 2013

Traveling to Corning, NY

September is like the worst month of the year. It’s the final quarter of work, the weather fluctuates between cold and hot, and the sun grows less by the day. I have always found September to be a miserable month of returning to the drudgery of habitual life. Maybe we have been trained that it’s the beginning of a new school year, a new beginning—school was miserable for me.
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