Cristina Zenato

What an extraordinary woman ... an extraordinary life.

Speaking five different languages, Italian, English, German, French and Spanish, Cristina became a tour de force – a PADI, NAUI, SSI, SDI, open water instructor, NSS-CDS full cave instructor, Extended Range Instructor, TDI advanced Nitrox with decompression procedure and more ...

Cristina has a natural ‘gift’, some would say, with Sharks. Practicing a little known technique of rubbing and manipulating her fingers across the ampullae of Lorenzini, the visible dots [electro-receptive sensory organs] all around a shark’s head and face, she induces a tonic immobility. To the observer, this looks like a shark falling asleep right in her lap. Last fall a Blue shark appeared to fall asleep in her hands, on the surface. As she caressed the beautiful ten foot ocean traveler, the fact that she had no chain-mail suit on this occasion never seemed to cross her mind.

These last few days ...

These last few days have been a psychedelic whirl ... somehow. 

No drugs were taken, I hasten to add.

If I attempt to put past few days together, I would tell you that we had a horrific random shooting here in Belgium, where more than 120 were injured and 5 were killed. I was told about it when it was still breaking news and no one knew what was happening.  It left me disorientated at the end of the day.

Then there was my 17 hour marathon Friday but as it ended with red wine and time spent with a lovely friend, I shouldn't complain.  

Actually, that day was a little surreal, in terms of all I experienced.  Even the train trip home took on an odd quality when a lovely older Moroccan woman next to me started talking and ended up getting me to try her Coco Chanel perfume.  The 'odd' could be applied when you realise she spoke French and Arabic and I spoke English and Nederlands.  No language in common but when has that ever stopped me ...  There was much laughter and family photographs were exchanged and smiled over

Saturday and Sunday were spent in the company of the truly delicious Miss 7, who came out to street Christmas party with us in the evening.  The street party where Gert and I, along with others, spent some time trying to help a guy who collapsed there.  It was a relief when the ambulance arrived. 

We stayed on for a while, catching up with good people, most especially the 'justice of the peace' who married us back in 2006.  Sunday I look at the 'chaos' on my desk (let's not call it mess) and realised I had an Eithopian cross (pictured above), a Turkish prayer bracelet and necklace from Lhasa, all lying next to each other here. 

I love the stories and relics that pop up in this crazybeautiful life I sometimes get to lead.

But mostly, if I had to explain this absence from blogging, I would tell you it's because I've been working on this new website.  The website where there is still work to be done but perhaps I just have to throw out here in front of me.  I always want things perfect and, of course, nothing is ever 'perfect enough'. 

So, here I am, launching this new website.  More work to be done in the days ahead. I hope you enjoy it.  The url should switch to www.dimackey.com but for now, it is here.

Emily Dubner and Baking for Good

Emily Dubner is the founder and CEO of Baking for Good, an online bakery shop inspired by the idea of a bake sale. 15% of the proceeds from every purchase of brownies, cookies, and other sweet treats goes to a charity the customer chooses. Baking for Good is a one-stop shop for cookie gifts that give back.  You can read more about her story over here.

I loved the idea of Emily’s business but was even more delighted when I learned that my lovely friend, Stefano, had contributed to this year’s Christmas gift boxes.

Wander on over and read all about it in Seeing Stars.

You can make your orders here.

'It Rained So Hard', Karen Bowles

It rained so hard

I was carrying around

word droplets in my shoes,

shaking them from my hair

and jacket,

watching them

gather in

shallow pools

of speech

all around my feet.

I can dip my toe

and come back

with a sentence

sliding down my

skin

with moisturizing

conversation.

If I open my mouth

to the sky

and stretch my wings,

hands upraised,

I will gather the

letters into a

little pile

and knit them into

a distinctive hat

you can wear

in the falling

words

to remind you

 

 

I am a sound upon
your lips
and a full-length novel
in your heart

I found this exquisite poem, by Karen Bowles, and just had to share.  There is more coming but for the moment, I’m letting the poem stand mostly on its own. 

For those who wish to know more, the poem comes from the website Luciole Press ...La Luciole is French for “The Firefly.”

“This multi-purpose arts publication, with a blog which is updated daily, is an effort to bring light and dark together in the same field. It seeks to cover many subjects, focusing especially on anything related to the arts, poetry, travel, commentary, ideas, and celebration of all cultures.

Buon Sapore di Barbara Savoia & C.

This morning, Lorenzo kindly allowed me to tag along with him as he made his daily walk through the city, buying produce for his vegan cafe, cibi e libri in Via Ravecca.

And while wandering, he introduced me to Barbara and Rossana, at their fruit and vegetable shop at Via di Pre 96-98r.  They are the last of the Genovese selling fruit and vegetables on Via Pre, a street where a truly international population operates today.  I took a few photographs and will add them some time soon but for the moment, a glimpse of this lovely little shop here in Genova.