WOW. Yesterday has been a great day for us at JICE school for the 3rd Matsuri Latino. What started three years ago as a small school international party became BIG. Nearly 200 people yesterday came and filled up the hall with amazing, exotic foods and drinks tables of seven different 'Latin' (as the language) countries: Italy, France, Spain, Mexico, Peru, Brazil and Argentina.
Itaria è qui
Some time ago I asked my mom to send me a map of Italy for my cuisine events. She sent me the one on the left (on the right the Two - not twin - Towers of Bologna, my hometown). After putting it on a wall I noticed that there was something strange. The poor region Puglia, the 'heel' of Italy, had been cut - no traces of the missing part... Pelagie Islands, usually under Sicily, also missing in action. However, in the northern part of the map, there's a HUGE portion of Switzerland. I checked the micro characters of the company that printed it: made in XZWYXX! Switzerland...
It has been a wonderful moment for meeting old and new friends. These my numbers: I spoke 6 languages, cooked 2 kilos of bucatini, collected around 5000 yen for the Italian Red Cross (for the last month's earthquake in Italy, with the priceless help of my friend Tomomi Sawahata), sold all my (only) 6 Moretti beers, ate at least 3 yummy cookies made by Gino Goya, sweated my only 1 Bologna Football Club (NOT Barcelona, damn, as 100 people asked me) t-shirt, broke 1 glass and gave countless but meaningful kisses to a bunch of wonderful women (to some men too).
I really want to say GRAZIE MILLE, どうもありがとうございました, MUCHISSIMAS GRACIAS, MUITO OBRIGADO, MERCI BEAUCOUP, THANKS A LOT to all the wonderful people that came to the party and made it possible, especially to the staff of the school, starting with the shining Maria Soledad Nerome. See you again in 2017 for the 4th edition of the Matsuri Latino!
