Buondì.
Hai dormito bene? Io no.
My wife had to go in for a minor operation at some absurd hour this morning (don’t surgeons sleep?)
So Roomie and I kept each other company for what felt like the longest night of my life. I swear I was awake at every number of the clock from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m., and only slept properly for the final hour, until the alarm woke us at seven.
First she did that sort of animal thing, like cats do, using her claws on anything reachable, while fast asleep herself, mind. Perhaps it’s instinctive behaviour, to create a safe space for the night, I don’t know. It wasn’t so safe at my end of the claws.
Then there was the full routine of tossing and turning in search of just the right position. At one point she ended up standing on her head in bed, or nearly, and certainly tried out every other option, many of them involving climbing onto or over me, repeatedly.
Next I was treated to half an hour of explosive farting, perhaps a consequence of the vegetable soup I’d fed her for dinner hours before. That didn’t wake HER up.
Between two and three in the morning we coughed. Actually, mostly she coughed, while I lay awake and worried. OMG! What if Stefi wakes up from her anesthetic to find her beloved pet at death’s door? It’ll be all my fault, for not getting out of bed to find the cough syrup…
But then, at the coldest point of the night, which seems to come at around four or five a.m., things calmed down, the cough stopped, covers stayed on. I could asleep, at last!
Until the alarm went off on my phone, signalling a new set of solo challenges: breakfast, ablutions, dressing, a crowded bus ride into town, and finally handing her over to the professionals, for the next seven hours or so.
So here I am, at our Italian school, sitting in my wife’s seat at the reception desk. Utterly knackered.
Lessons have started, there’s happy chat and laughter seeping under classroom doors to either side of me, so nothing much to do.
I’ll give this article a quick proofreading once-over, then head down the street to the bar, for lots of strong coffee!
A venerdì.
P.S.
Over the last couple of months we’ve been publishing ‘easy reader’ ebooks based on famous Italian operas.
The first was a simplified text + audio version of Nabucco, one of composer Verdi’s most famous operas. Next we did Puccini’s romantic classic, Turandot, then another Puccini weepy, La Bohème. This week we’re back to Verdi, and his Rigoletto.
Grab yourself a copy at the 25% launch discount price and, besides saving a couple of pounds, you’ll liven up your language studies with this interesting skills practice material, while learning about Italian culture at the same time!
Court jester to a sex-addicted aristocrat, Rigoletto earns a nice living mocking the courtiers whose wives his boss seduces, safe in the knowledge that the Duke he amuses will protect him. But then his many enemies learn that Rigoletto has a secret…
Begin with the ‘easy reader’ ebook before, perhaps, seeking out a recording of the opera on Youtube. Our material is written to help learners understand and enjoy the Verdi’s production, in the original Italian! Or just use this original Italian reading/listening practice material to add a little variety to your study program.
- .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
- 5 chapters (based on the act structure of the opera) to read and listen to
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
- Suitable for students at pre-intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Download your copy by Sunday 27th November and you’ll save 25%, compared to the usual ‘easy reader’ price of £7.99, so just £5.99!
Buy Rigoletto, just £5.99 | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) | Opera | Catalog
How do I access my ebook?
When your order is ‘completed’ (normally, immediately after your payment), a download link will be automatically emailed to you. It’s valid for 7 days and 3 download attempts so please save a copy of the .pdf ebook in a safe place. Other versions of the ebook (.mobi/Kindle-compatible, .epub) cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them.
P.P.S.
Don’t forget to read/listen to Tuesday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news.
This week they’re having their bi-monthly appeal for donations. The site is free to accesss, so donations from users pay for the writers and the website hosting.
If you’ve used the ‘easy news’ website to improve your Italian, visit the Donate page and send whatever you can afford, to help them out.
They’ll appreciate it.
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OnlineItalianClub.com | EasyItalianNews.com | Shop (ebooks) | Shop (online lessons)
Asli Oysul says
Salve Daniel, mi dispiace per quell’operazione di Stefi. Ma spero che lei guarisca presto. Un abbraccio a voi due.
Daniel says
Grazie, Asli!