BUZZNET LOVE

As the new year blossoms, may the journey of your life be fragrant with new opportunities, your days be bright with new hopes and your heart be happy with love! Happy New Year! - Anonymous

All My Buzznet Friends Best Wishes For The New Year!!!

Click on your Sign and discover its character:

Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces Each Sign of the Zodiac is related to particular characteristics of human nature and to one of the four Elements (Fire, Earth, Air and Water). It can be cardinal, fixed or changeable. These will be illustrated on the following pages along with extra characteristics of the Signs.

Benazir Bhutto (IPA: [beːnəziːr b^ɦʊʈːoː]; English IPA: /ˈbɛ.nə.zɪr ˈbu.toʊ/;^[1] 21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who chaired the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated to the Socialist International. Bhutto was the first woman elected to lead a Muslim state, having been twice elected Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Bhutto was the eldest child of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a Pakistani of Sindhi descent, and Begum Nusrat Bhutto, a Pakistani of Iranian-Kurdish descent. Her paternal grandfather was Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, who came to Larkana Sindh before partition from his native town of Bhatto Kalan, which was situated in the Indian state of Haryana.

Bhutto was sworn in for the first time in 1988 at the age of 35, but was removed from office 20 months later under the order of then-president Ghulam Ishaq Khan on grounds of alleged corruption. In 1993 Bhutto was re-elected but was again removed in 1996 on similar charges, this time by President Farooq Leghari. Bhutto went into self-imposed exile in Dubai in 1998.

Bhutto returned to Pakistan on 18 October 2007, after reaching an understanding with President Musharraf by which she was granted amnesty and all corruption charges were withdrawn. She was assassinated on 27 December 2007, after departing a PPP rally in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi, two weeks before scheduled elections where she was a leading opposition candidate.

Native American and Italian reserves

I will soon be publishing the 2008 Calendar of Italy’s Lay Saints on this blog. Should there be any suggestions, write the name in the comments section, even though there is very little time remaining.


Introduction to the Calendar:
“Is it preferable to have a dead judge rather than a judge that has been transferred, derided, investigated or handed over? What is better, Livatino or De Magistris? This is the problem. Is it better to live under political-Mafia control or to fight back, as did Borsellino, Falcone and hundreds of our citizens, only to land up lying forgotten under a gravestone?
Those who mind their own business live to be a hundred years old, which is why we are amongst the longest-lived populations in the world today. No one knows how to stick his nose in his own affairs quite as well as the majority of Italians. There are, however, some small pockets of resistance. Only a few million people, less than 10%. For the time being they are only making noises, murmuring, moaning and blogging. They are like the native American reserves, the new Italian reserves. Our very own Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and Geronimo, and their names are Travaglio, Abbate, and Saviano.
The Lakota tribes tore up the Treaties they signed 150 years ago with the United States. They no longer consider themselves to be US citizens. The Sioux nation has unilaterally withdrawn from the rest of the Country. So far, the Italian Sioux have not quite got to this point. They wish to remain within the law. Their own law, obviously, because there is no remaining trace of any legality whatsoever in the politicians and lobby groups. A few million honest citizens are living in their own personal reserve, in an apartment with a variable interest rate mortgage, with family and friends. They form tiny enclaves, dotted all around the Country, awaiting the arrival of their Little Big Horn and the scalp of General Custer.
The gap between the honest and the dishonest sections of the Country is very evident. The delinquents are no longer in hiding. They no longer have anything to fear from the law. The Judiciary has been defeated, homogenised. Parliament is beyond the reach of the law, populated by servants, convicts and, with the odd good person here and there who landed up in Parliament purely by accident. None of these people were ever actually elected by the Italians.
The honest enclaves, however, are speaking to each other on the Web, they are gathering converts and are attempting to find some solutions at the local level. They curse the corrupt municipal councillors, block the construction of incinerators and fight for public water rights. They replace the politicians and become citizens that have been seconded to the political arena. Just as it should be in any civilized Country.
Virtually every block on the 2008 calendar has been filled, but there are no new fallen. At this point, all that needs to happen is some new law, some new interpretation, some new clause, some complacent newspaper editor who publishes confidential information, and the game is over: the judge becomes the guilty party. Politics has evolved and no longer needs to resort to TNT. In today’s world, Borsellino would still be alive. The CSM would have convicted him. Mastella would have demanded that he be transferred. The media would have crucified him. He would have ended up in an Italian reserve, the same reserve where Caselli ended up and where Forleo is headed.
At one time we wondered whether we die as Christian democrats, now we wonder whether we will die in a Country without any form of legality.
The Sioux used to scalp their enemies, we cannot even resort to that. Our enemies only wear little wigs and have plastic hair.” Beppe Grillo

Como

For the past several years we have opted to trade the freezing temperatures, snow and ice of the Toronto winter for winter Italian style. This winter no airlines were offering direct scheduled flights to Rome so we decided to fly round trip to Malpensa on Alitalia.

Since we would be arriving near Milano, we expanded our itinerary to include the northern destinations of Como, Verona, Venezia, Reggio Emilia and Magenta in addition to Firenze, Roma and Napoli.

We had 22 clear sunny days and 4 days with some rain. In the northern destinations, temperatures were 5-8 degrees Celsius; Firenze, Roma and Napoli were 8-14. Good weather, fewer tourists, seasonally lower rates in hotels, great sales in all the stores are all good reasons to continue to make this destination an annual habit.

As soon as our flight reservations and itinerary were in place, we ordered our rail passes from Rail Europe. We love the convenience of not waiting on line, lots of leg room, wide comfortable seats with space nearby for our luggage, and beverage and snack service on trains that require reservations. Trip planning is fun using the Flash interactive maps on the Rail Europe web site.

Our Alitalia flight was comfortable with ample leg room and we arrived on time at 08:15. One can go from Malpensa to Como Lago by bus or train directly from the airport. We opted for the Ferrovie Nord train and were able to catch the 09:15 which arrived in Como at 10:44, after a change at Saronno. The fare was 7 euro per person for 2nd class.

In Como, the Ferrovie Nord train station is located at the lakefront not far from the main square, Piazza Cavour. It was a five minute walk along the lake to the Piazza and the Hotel Metropole Suisse. Lake Como was sparkling, boats were bobbing and from the balcony of our lakefront room the sight of the snow capped mountains in the distance and the tiny villages tumbling down the rocky hillsides to the lakeside villas and resorts was glorious. This was a perfect venue for relaxing after a long flight.
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Since 1892 four generations of Cassanis have operated this historic hotel. The old has been beautifully preserved and blended with recent renovations. The rambling staircases, corridors and parlors with a variety of wallpapers, carpets and furnishings create a homey, restful environment. Our large bedroom and bathroom were tastefully furnished with all the requisite amenities. Most appreciated were the light fluffy comforter and four large, firm pillows which we put to good use later in the day as the sun was setting.

The National Tourist Office is next door to the Hotel Metropole Suisse in the building of the Lariano bank. The staff was happy to welcome us on this cool day in January and was extremely helpful. Marta Miuzzo, a local expert, provided useful guidance and ideas on making the most of our short stay.

Piazza Cavour is the waterfront center of the old city. All the boats and hydrofoils for lake excursions leave from here. The piazza was constructed (1871-1872) by filling-in the old port. The square gets flooded during periods of high water and possible solutions are under discussion.

Since the Ferrovie Nord Milano is a private train company and does not honor train passes, we did not bother to get our passes validated at Malpensa, electing instead to attend to it in Como. At the same time we purchased the reservations which were mandatory on some of the trains we had selected for our itinerary. Rather than wait until we were departing, we included a stop at the Stazione FF.SS. Como during one of our walks around the city.

Allessandro Volta invented the battery and discovered methane gas. The volt, the unit used to measure electric tension, is named after him. Como has dedicated a street, square, high school, scientific study center and a neo-classical temple (which houses a collection of his instruments and inventions) to their native son. Piazza A. Volta is a large friendly-feeling square dominated by a statue of Volta.

Via Armando Diaz is a lively and pretty commercial, shopping and eating street which leads to Piazza Della Vittoria, dedicated to the famous 5 days in 1848 when the Austrian garrison surrendered after being barricaded in the convent of St. Francesco. A monument to Garibaldi stands in the center and an imposing 40 meter medieval tower with two arches stands opposite.

The nobility of Como used to live on Via Allesandro Volta. Today it is lined with elegant 19th century buildings. Number 60 & 62 is where Volta was born. It was a short walk from there to the train station. Fortunately it took us very little time to do the validation and purchase the reservations because we were hungry and tired, which would be remedied very quickly.
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We spotted a cute ristorante, I Due Monti, at Via Lambertenghi 24 just off via Diaz. It was at the end of the lunch period but the owner assured us we would not go hungry and to take as long as we wanted. The soft yellow walls and matching decor and graceful wood ceiling created a warm and friendly environment to match the owner's demeanor. The 11 euro lunch special included a choice of pasta, main dish, vegetable, wine or water and coffee. We chose penne with a rich tomato sauce and orchetta with broccoli and olive oil as our starters. Home style meat loaf and roast pork were comforting and the accompanying salad and spinach were fresh and tasty. The lovely house red and jetlag combined to create a state of total relaxation, meaning I almost fell asleep with my head in the roast pork! Delicious espresso came to the rescue. Excellent preparation and fair size portions made this lunch an incredible value.

The folks at the tourist office had told us that there was complimentary internet service available at the Municipio (town hall) on via V. Emanuelle right after via Indipendenza. Now that we had a second wind, we thought it was a good opportunity to check emails and delete spam.

The town hall has been housed in the Palazzo Porta Cernezzi since 1853. The staff was incredibly friendly and caring. While Linda was at the computer. I was sitting, daydreaming. A woman waved to me and beckoned me to follow her to a room next door with more computers and showed me to a chair at a table littered with magazines which she indicated were available for me to read. They were all in Italian but I dug right in to show my appreciation.
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Via V. Emanuele is one of the nicest shopping streets in Como with numerous boutiques, tempting pastry shops and attractive, ornate, wrought iron balconies. We managed to easily dismiss the boutiques but passing on the pastries was a real struggle. Tiredness won out, and as the clock struck 17:00 we were under our cozy comforters and on the way to dreamland.

We woke bright and early to a blue, sunny sky and the extraordinary spectacle of lake and landscape that make Como so unique and memorable. Thanks to the lake's geographic location it is blessed with an eco-climate that ensures relatively mild winters and vegetation that is unusual for its latitude. After a good long sleep and a delightful buffet breakfast in the hotel's gracious Imbacadero Restaurant, we were anxious to take advantage of the glorious weather.

It was a 10 minute walk along the lakefront to Piazza de Gasperi and the entrance to the funicolare to the pretty village of Brunate, high above the city with marvelous views of the surroundings. The first cable car left this station November 4th, 1894. For those technically curious; the maximum gradient ratio is 55 per cent, the railway is 1084 meters and the trip takes 6 minutes and 30 seconds. The Como to Brunate cable car is unique in Europe because of the speed of the journey. There are two intermediate stops, upper Como and Carescione, on request of passengers. Brunate is a popular small holiday resort and a starting point for numerous hiking, walking and biking tours. The 30 km pathway to Bellagio is one of the most popular. In good weather there is shelter and food available about halfway.
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The lake was calling and we embarked on a short excursion to view the magnificent historic villas up close while being entranced by the surrounding gentle hills and mountains. Lake Como is the deepest (410 meters) and narrowest (.43km between Torriggia and Cerano and 4.3km between Cadenabbia and Flumelatte) in Europe.

In Como the Villa Olmo is a grand example of the Lombardian neoclassical style. There is a large park with an Italian garden facing the lake and an English garden in the rear. As we passed and stopped briefly at Cernobbio, Moltasio and Torno, the Villas Erba, D'Este, Versace, Fontanelle, and many more (all with splendid parks and gardens), were aglow in the noon time sun. They all have a long history of ownership and change and today, for the most part, have turned into commercial ventures, such as resorts or museums.

We returned to via Diaz 41, for a perfect lunch-on-the-fly of pizza by the slice at Peach Pit. What's in a name? We grabbed a couple of stools and sat down to enjoy the tasty preparation.

Just down the street, at number 69, is L'Angolo di Vino, enoteca con degustazione, which looked inviting. We popped in and made a dinner reservation and continued on our way.

Piazza San Fedele is at the exact center of the old town. In Roman times it was the marketplace and at the end of the 19th Century, it was the grain market. Nowadays a flea market takes place here on Saturdays. Even though it has been restored on numerous occasions the Basilica of St. Fedele, perhaps the first Cathedral in Como, still conserves its ancient charm. The main entrance opens to the central nave to the right and left of which are two smaller lateral naves with women's galleries. The baptistery has frescoes of Giovanni Andrea De Magistris from 1504 and paintings by Carlo Carloni depicting the Mystery of the Passion. Opposite the square is the ancient baptistery of St. Giovanni in Atrio which is enclosed in a group of medieval houses.

Porta Torre was erected in 1192 to strengthen the southern side of the town walls. It is a rare example of fortified Romanesque architecture. There are 3 solid sides while the 4th one, facing the town, is open with 4 rows of big coupled arches. Viale Cesare Battisti runs along the outside of the city walls and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the area beside the walls is lined with market stalls selling everything from food to clothing and household goods.

The neoclassic Teatro Sociale (opera house) is located in Piazza Verdi. It was built between 1811-1813. In order to build this theatre the gorgeous old castle called Torre Rotonda was demolished, which demolition was very controversial at the time. The city council, headed by Alessandro Volta, eventually authorized the demolition and the building.
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It was time for our first gelato and what a marvelous surprise! We were about to have what turned out to be the very best of the whole trip. Al Bottegone dei Gelati, via V. Emanuele 17 is owned by 2 young fellows who have been at it for 4 years. The flavors were rich and real without being too sweet (a common problem) and the texture was tantalizingly smooth. From the array of flavors, the choice was chocolate and nocciola for the lady and pistachio and chestnut for me. The panna was superb.

The Cathedral, Broletto and Clock Tower are all grouped together in the Piazza Duomo. Work on the Cathedral began in 1396 and finished toward the end of the 18th century, about 400 years. In order to build the cathedral the existing church of Santa Maria Maggiore had to be demolished. The main entrance has very rich decoration and is quite stunning. For some reason The "door of the frog" on the left hand side of the Cathedral has become a matter of folklore, perhaps because the sculpture of the frog was mutilated by vandals and that all that is left is a stump. The interior is large and imposing with 3 aisles and 10 pillars with arches of various widths. The stained glass windows are truly glorious, painted in vivid colors. The art work is dazzling from the 9 tapestries of the late 16th century to the gilded wood sculptures; it's a Cathedral not to be missed.

To the left of the Cathedral is the Broletto, built in 1215 and restored in 1899. This palace is built in layers of gray, white and red marble. In order to build the Cathedral two spans of arches and the main stairway of the Broletto were demolished. The stone tower next to the Broletto was rebuilt in 1927.

Silk has been one of the main elements of the history of Como. It was introduced in 1510. The beginning of silk manufacturing dates back to about 1554. Today the manufacturing has moved offshore, but the designing and production of the finished product remains an integral part of the local economy. We visited one of the Frey silk shops. Frey, in the silk business since 1899, designs and produces their own label goods as well as working with the designer industry. The collection of ties, scarves, jackets, shirts and lots more was gorgeous and, you know, you can always use one more tie and scarf.
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L'Angolo di Vino, via Diaz 69 had only been open for 2 months before we arrived and, judging from the activity, seems to have been well received. We were impressed with the crisp, contemporary design created by the use of light woods, stone and cool white paint. The front wine bar invites you in and the rear dining room beckons you to stay. The mother and daughter team, aided occasionally by father and son-in-law to be, are gracious and warm in their welcome and eager to assist in making choices.

The brief menu offers 3 antipasti, 5 primi, 4 secondi and 4 dulci. Nothing is priced higher than 9 euro. There is an outstanding wine selection; it too is reasonably priced. The house offered a delicious Prosecco, a Bisol from the Veneto region, always a wonderful way to start. The gnocchi alla boscaiola was incredible, tender rolls of pasta were dressed with a savory tomato, mushroom cream sauce. The special pasta of the day was spinach-filled ravioli in butter sauce, simply sensational. It came as no surprise to learn that the pasta is made fresh in-house each day. We enjoyed a Barbera d'Asti while waiting for our second courses. Stinco di maiale al forno, roasted pork on the bone in a reduction of juices, and entrecote alla senape, tender steak in mustard cream sauce, were served with polenta, roast potatoes and broccoli, superb. The dessert of the day was a must for us, chocolate bread cake with walnuts and raisins, laced with chocolate sauce - divine. We look forward to a return visit and hope there’ll be a table available next time.

In the morning we crossed the street and caught bus #7 at 10:26 (10 minutes late) to the front entrance of the train station. There was ample time to make our 11:06 to Firenze, which left right on schedule.

Como was the perfect place to spend our first two days in Italy.

Christmas in Finland

Finnish people believe that Father Christmas (Santa Claus) lives in the north part of Finland called Korvatunturi (or Lapland), north of the Arctic Circle. People from all over the world send letters to Santa Claus in Finland. (It is only fair to say that the people of Greenland say that, really, Father Christmas lives in Greenland!) There is a big tourist theme park called 'Christmas Land' in the north of Finland, near to where they say that Father Christmas lives.

In Finnish Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Hyvää Joulua'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Everyone tries to be at home for Christmas, including fishermen who try to get their boats into the harbour by December 21st, St. Thomas' Day

Animals are given their own Christmas in Finland, with farmers sometimes hanging a sheaf of wheat on a tree to be eaten and pecked at by the birds. Nuts and pieces of suet are also hung on trees in bags from the branches.

Everyone cleans their houses ready for the three holy days of Christmas - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Christmas Eve is very special, when people eat rice porridge and plum fruit juice in the morning. They will then decorate a spruce tree in the home. At midday, the 'peace of Christmas' is broadcast on radio and TV by the City Mayor of Turku (which is south Finland). In the evening, a traditional Christmas dinner is eaten. The meal will include 'casseroles' containing macaroni, rutabaga, carrot and potato, with cooked ham or turkey.

Christmas in Japan

Christmas is not widely celebrated in Japan as not many people there are Christians. However, several customs have come to Japan from the U.S.A. such as sending and receiving Christmas Cards and Presents.

In Japan, Christmas in known as more of a time to spread happiness rather than a religious celebration. Christmas eve is often celebrated more than Christmas Day. Christmas eve is thought of as a romantic day, in which couples spend together and exchange presents. In many ways it resembles valentines day celebrations in the U.K. and the USA

In Japanese Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Meri Kurisumasu'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Parties are often held for children, with games and dancing. Japanese Christmas Cake is a sponge cake decorated with trees, flowers and a figure of Santa Claus.

Fried chicken is often the traditional meal of Christmas day. It is the busiest time of year for restaurants such as KFC and people can place orders at their local fast food restaurant in advance!!!

The Japanese New Year (called 'o shogatsu') is more like a traditional Western Christmas. New year is the period where families get together, have a special meal, pray and send greetings cards. New year is celebrated over five days from December 31st to January 4th and is a very busy time.

Thank you to Sarah Marie Casey for her help in giving me information on Christmas in Japan!

Christmas in Holland

For most children in Holland, the most important day during the Christmas Celebrations is 6th December, St. Nicholas' day. St. Nicholas, called 'Sinter Klaas' in Holland, is where Santa Claus comes from. On the morning of St. Nicholas' Day, Sinter Klaas travels to Amsterdam in a boat, wearing his red bishop's robes. He travels with his servant called Black Peter. When Sinter Klaas and Black Peter come ashore from the boat, all of the local church bells ring in celebration. Sinter Klaas then leads a procession through Amsterdam, riding a white horse, to meet the Queen of Amsterdam in the Palace.

On St. Nicholas Eve, (5th December) children leave clogs or shoes out to be filled with presents. They also believe that if they leave some hay and carrots in their shoes for Sinter Klaas's horse, they will be left some sweets. Children are told that Black Peter keeps a record of all the things they have done in the past year in a book and that good children will get presents from Sinter Klaas, but bad children will get chased by Black Peter with a stick!! Dutch tradition says that he lives in Madrid, Spain and every year he chooses a different harbour to arrive in Holland, so as many children as possible get a chance to see him. Every town in Holland has a few Sinter Klaas helpers, dressed the same as Sinter Klaas who help give the presents out.

Sinter Klaas parties are often held on St. Nicholas Eve, where treasure hunt games are played with poems and riddles giving the clues. Children follow the clues to find little presents left by Sinter Klaas. Special biscuits and sweets are also eaten at the party. One type of biscuit is called 'letter blanket' or letter cake, which is made from marzipan or pastry. The biscuits are made in the shapes of the first letter of the peoples names who are at the party. Another sweet biscuit that is eaten at the parties (and the favourite of a Dutch friend of mine!) are 'pepernoot' which are made with cinnamon and spices in the pastry biscuit mix.

Surprise presents are also given on St. Nicholas Day. This is a custom at the Sinter Klaas parties and often within classes at schools. The custom is that everyone's name in put into a hat and everyone picks another person's name - then they have to make a surprise present for that person. The presents are often things that the person would find useful with their favourite hobby. My Dutch friend had a recorder bag made for her at school. The presents come with a poem inside that gives a clue to who might have sent the present, but it is all meant to be a mystery! This is a similar custom to a present sending one in Germany.

Christmas Day itself is a much quieter day in Holland, with a Church Service and family meal. Sometimes there is a special Christmas Day 'Sunday School' in the afternoon at the church, where the Christmas Story and other traditional stories are told. My friend was given a book, an orange and biscuits. These are often the only presents children will get on Christmas Day because they have already received most of their presents on St. Nicholas Day.

On Christmas Eve night, Dutch Children believe that Santa Claus, (who is also call 'Christmas man' to avoid confusion with Sinter Klass!) comes from Lapland in Finland to deliver more presents!

In Dutch Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Prettige Kerstfeest'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Some languages below use different characters and alphabets, so I have spelt them in English as best I can!

Language:		Name:
	Albanian	Gëzuar Krishtlindjen
	Arabic	Eid Milad Majeed Which means 'Glorious Birth Feast'
	Belgium - Flemish Walloon	Vrolijk Kerstfeest djoyeus Noyé
	Bulgarian	'vesela 'koleda
	Chinese	Shengdan Kuaile
	Croatian (and Bosnian)	Èestit i sretan Božiæ
	Czech	Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce
	Danish	Glædelig Jul
	Estonian	Rõõmsaid Jõulupühi
	Finnish	Hyvää Joulua
	French	Joyeux Noël
	German	Frohe Weihnacht
	Greek	Kala Christougenna
	Hawaiian	Mele Kalikimaka
	Holland (Dutch)	Prettige Kerstfeest
	Hungarian	Kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket
	Icelandic	Gleðileg jól
	India - Hindi and Urdu Sanskrit Bengali Tamil	Bade Din ki Mubarak Krismasasya shubhkaamnaa Barodiner shubhechha janai Christhu Jayanthi Nalvaalthukal
	Iran (Farsi)	Christmas MobArak
	Irish - Gaelic	Nollaig Shona Dhuit
	Italian Sicilian	Buon Natale Bon Natali
	Japanese	Meri Kurisumasu
	Korean	Sung Tan Chuk Ha
	Latvian	Priecïgus Ziemassvºtkus
	Madagascar (Malagasy)	Tratra ny Noely
	Maltese	Il-Milied it-Tajjeb
	Malaysia - Bahasa/Malay Malayalam	Selamat Hari Natal Puthuvalsara Aashamsakal
	Nepali	Kreesmasko shubhkaamnaa
	New Zealand (Maori)	Meri Kirihimete
	Nigeria Hausa Yoruba Fulani Igbo (Ibo)	barka dà Kirsìmatì E ku odun, e ku iye'dun Jabbama be salla Kirismati Ekelere m gi maka Keresimesi na ubochi izizi afo ozo
	Norwegian	God Jul
	Philippines (Tagalog)	Maligayang Pasko
	Polish	Wesołych Świąt
	Portuguese	Feliz Natal or Boas Festas
	Romanian	Crặciun Fericit
	Russian	'S Rozhdestvom khristovym
	Rwanda (Kinyarwanda)	Noheli nziza
	Scotland (Scots) Gaelic	Blithe Yule Nollaig Chridheil
	Serbian	Srećan Božić or CPEЋAH БOЖИЋ !
	South Africa (Afrikaans)	Geseënde Kersfees
	Spanish Catalan Galician	Feliz Navidad Bon Nadal Bo Nadal
	Swedish	God Jul
	Thai	Suk sarn warn Christmas
	Turkish	Mutlu Noeller
	Uganda (Lugandan)	Seku Kulu
	Vietnamese	Chuć Mưǹg Giańg Sinh
	Welsh	Nadolig Llawen

Philipines: Maligayan Pasko!

Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Portuguese:Feliz Natal
Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha
Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!
Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele
Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Serbian: Hristos se rodi
Slovakian: Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh
Serb-Croatian: Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina
Serbian: Hristos se rodi. Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa

Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsian: Pace e salute
Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La Roo
Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian: Sretan Bozic
Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish: Glædelig Jul
Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
or Zalig Kerstfeast
English: Merry Christmas
Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian: Ruumsaid juulup|hi
Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua
Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French: Joyeux Noel
Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Galician: Bo Nada
Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr! German: Froehliche Weihnachten
Greek: Kala Christouyenna!
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka
Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi: Shub Naya Baras
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaian: Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket

Icelandic: Gledileg Jol
Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat
Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.
Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie
Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Jiberish: Mithag Crithagsigathmithags
Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus
Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu
Low Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik
Maltese: LL Milied Lt-tajjeb
Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori: Meri Kirihimete
Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh
Navajo: Merry Keshmish
Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul
Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado
Papiamento: Bon Pasco
Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo

Afrikaans Gesëende Kersfees
Albanese Gezur Krislinjden
Arabo Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Armeno Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azerbaijan Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Bahasa (Malesia) Selamat Hari Natal
Basco Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bengali Shuvo Naba Barsha
Boemo Vesele Vanoce
Bretone Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgaro Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Catalano Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!
Ceco Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Choctaw (Nativi americani, Oklahoma) Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Cinese (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Cinese (Mandarino) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Cingalese Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Coreano Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Croato: Sretan Bozic
Danese Glædelig Jul
Dutch (Pennsylvania) En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Eschimese (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto Gajan Kristnaskon
Estone Ruumsaid juulup|hi
Farsi Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Fiammingo Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
Filippino Maligayan Pasko!
Finlandese Hyvaa joulua
Francese Joyeux Noël
Frisone Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Gaelico (Scozia) Nollaig chridheil huibh
Gaelico Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!
Gallese Nadolig Llawen
Giapponese Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Greco Kala Christouyenna! Hamish
Hausa Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaaiano Mele Kalikimaka
Hindi Shub Naya Baras
Indonesiano Selamat Hari Natal
Inglese Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Iracheno Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irochese Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay
Islandese Gledileg Jol Isola di Man: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Latino Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latviano Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lituano Linksmu Kaledu
Macedone Sreken Bozhik
Maltese LL Milied Lt-tajjeb
Maori Meri Kirihimete
Navajo Merry Keshmish
Norvegese God Jul oppure Gledelig Jul
Occitano Pulit nadal e bona annado
Olandese Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! oppure Zalig Kerstfeast
Papua Nuova Guinea Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Polacco Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Portoghese (Brasile) Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo
Portoghese Feliz Natal
Rapa-Nui (Isola di Pasqua) Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rumeno Sarbatori vesele
Russo Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Samoa La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Serbo Hristos se rodi
Slovacco Sretan Bozic oppure Vesele vianoce
Sloveno Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto
Spagnolo Feliz Navidad
Svedese God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Tailandese Sawadee Pee Mai
Tedesco Fröhliche Weihnachten
Turco Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ucraino Srozhdestvom Kristovym
Ungherese Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Urdu Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Vietnamita Chung Mung Giang Sinh
Yoruba E ku odun, e ku iye'dun!

Work is a killer

photo from Leggonline.it

Yesterday at the “alla Scala” opera house, one minute’s silence was observed in honour of those that were burned alive at the Turin steel manufacturing.

Then, off we went with Wagner. State President Napolitano had just got back from the centenary celebrations for Mondadori, the writer D’Alema’s

publishing house handed to the psychodwarf on a platter thanks to Previti’s corruption of certain judges.
The top leaders were there, together with models with long legs and balcony-style boobs. It would appear that Pertini rushed to the serious burn unit of the

Turin hospital. It is said that he spent the night with the families. However, 1500 dead per year is more than worth a night out at the Scala.
The Government should call a special meeting of the Cabinet in order to implement urgent measures to improve workplace safety, however, this is a

government that does not even have the courage to receive the Dalai Lama. When people die as a result of empty fire extinguishers and 16-hour shifts, the

factory owner should be summarily thrown into jail, without passing go, and the factory should be shut down temporarily. The current centre-left

Government, with its two trade unionists in the Chamber and the Senate, and its trade unionist Minister of Labour, is making us hanker back to the days of

Berlusconi.
They are at each other’s throats for days on end because one soldier is killed in Afghanistan, a soldier who should not have been therein the first place,

while ignoring a slaughter that has been going on for two years now. Why is this? I don’t know what the answer is. The Maroni Law has only increased the

danger, because the temporary worker who is employed for only a few months does not have adequate time to learn the job, while the employer has no

interest whatsoever in investing in any form of training. This flood of illegal immigrants, who are often the first to become victims and who are never

legalised simply because it is not worthwhile. In the morning, the person who is unemployed doesn’t get to eat, but the one who is employed, leaves his

family in order to go and risk his life. The odds of getting a visit from the inspectors are the same as those of winning the Superenalotto, one chance in every

thirty years. We are absolutely top of the list in Europe as regards fatal accidents. In its latest report, the Transparency International organisation places Italy

in second place in Europe in terms of the corruption of political parties, our only saving grace being Bulgaria. Top of the list for work related deaths and

second for corrupt parties, could there just perhaps be some link?

12 2007年12月

カーポベルデのひるかにの戦争

カーポベルデのビーチで野ひるか

今日はカーポベルデの女性の話で、現在の物語について話したい。

狼もういない、狼の代わりにアメリカの船基地と核の潜水艦がある。赤ずきんはプーチンさんではなくて、ひるかとアメリカの夢の軍備を持っている国になった。私たちに軍備を挙げるために、アメリカ人は健康保険も持っていないね！かわいそうだね！

“ベッペさん、こんにちわ！家の彼女はカーポベルデの出身だ。カーポベルデはきれいで清純な諸島だ。あそこで何が起こっているか次を読んでください：

悪いニュース、日曜日朝４時に電話で何が起こっていて連絡されました。夜１時にチャべと言う所の隣に、モッロ・デ・アレヤと言う所に、初めて１０匹、次１００匹、３００匹ひるかが海辺に付きました。朝６時にカーポベルデの出身と外国人もひるかを救って見る為にビーチへ行った。私たちはひるか４０匹ぐらい外海に持っていたけど、また彼らは海辺に帰った。９時間ぐらいこんなことをやって見たけど、ひるかを手伝ってあげるのはやっぱり無理だったね！やっぱりひるかは死にたかったね。そんな風にわたしは感じたね！本当に寂しいだね！ひるかは泣きながらただ死にたかったね！私たちは頑張ったのに、ひるかが皆なくなったね！ひるかを埋葬するしかなかったね！

次の月曜日リウを建てる隣でまたひるかの７０匹は海辺に付きました。今回色々な試みでひるかが水に入れられて、５匹だけはなくなった。

日曜日までこんな事件について立てた仮説は船とか潜水艦の音波水中探機のせいで、ひるかが道に迷ったかひるかは気が狂った仮説だった。

けど、今日私たちはよく分かるね！この事件の責任があるは人間だ。どしてかと言うと、最近アメリカ核の潜水艦はサオ・ビンチェンテに着いたことを確認された。テレビでニュースが出た。土曜日に現象があったとき、潜水艦が新しいアメリカ船基地を建っている場所で見られた。土曜日の夜から日曜日の朝にかけてひるか２６５匹が海辺に来た。悪いことは、これからまたひるか４００匹が来ている。カーポベルデのラジオはこの連絡をした。同じ連絡は港湾監督事務所から確かめられました。

砂漠と大洋はいつも私たちの心にあったらいいだと思う“。カーポベルデの女性より。

Free Tibet

The Dalai Lama gave me the honour of a private audience in Milan. The Pope refused to meet with him, as did Italy’s President Napolitano, while Premier Prodi was nowhere to be seen and didn’t want the Dalai Lama anywhere near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Chamber and the Senate decided not to meet him officially. Milan’s Mayor Moratti chose to exercise caution, so she will see him, but together with a group of other Nobel Prize winners so as not to attract too much attention. It is said that she intends to dress up as a nun so as not to be recognised. Only Regional Governor Formigoni, let’s give merit where it is due, will be meeting him officially. We have reached the very peak of cowardice. In addition to being the spiritual leader and temporal leader of all Tibetans, the Dalai Lama has also been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In the days when China was simply communist, the Dalai Lama was welcome everywhere, while now that China has become hyper-capitalist, suddenly the Dalai Lama is being avoided. The God of Money is by far the most powerful of the Italian deities. There are temples in his honour in every town centre and, in fact, these have become the new churches, namely, the banks and the insurance companies.
Here we have one of the most important men on earth, being treated like a dog in Church. Confindustria, Italy’s Chamber of Industry, is safe for the time being, Italy a little less so. What difference is there between Chinese democracy and ours? Only one! Over there, they still have the death penalty and they simply shoot you. Here, instead, we isolate you, we slander your name and we transfer you away. We only kill you if it becomes absolutely necessary. Ours is a kind dictatorship. Murder is only used as a last resort.

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