Category Society
All You Can Do Is Dance
I wasn’t sure how to react, so at first, I kept silent. Sitting on my couch were two people expounding an obviously bizarre conspiracy theory. It was apparent they believed every word. The internet has been a great boon to those who think the world is against them. You can always find someone, somewhere who […]
David and Goliath
If this is the big time, where are the fans? The stadium is empty. Mind you, Lazio is the ‘other’ Rome club in Serie A football (soccer), the top tier of the sport in Italy. Roma is much more popular. Still, on a Saturday afternoon, on a holiday weekend, I would have expected more than […]
Easter In The Square
It seemed somewhat appropriate to head for St. Peter’s Square on Easter morning, even if I am not Roman Catholic. Tradition is important to me, and there is so much history, especially church history, in Rome. I think you could probably attend a different church every Sunday for 20 years and not visit them all. […]
Stadium Security
When the National Hockey League introduced airport-style scanners in their arenas I complained here. I thought such measures would make going to a game a hassle, and, like in airports, wondered if it was worth it. This past weekend I went to a football (soccer) game in Rome, Lazio versus Benevento. The security measures there […]
Thoughts For This Easter Morning
The foundations of the earth shook when the words were first uttered. Angels danced with joy. Christ is risen! Friday had been about despair and shattered dreams. How could everything have gone so wrong? It wasn’t supposed to end like this! But it was. God had a plan. Christ is risen! Saturday was no better […]
The Easter Tree
Okay, it isn’t really a tree and eggs have only a tenuous connection to Easter. But these were on display just down our street, right in front of St. Cyriak church. I figured they were colourful enough to warrant their own post. Don’t recall seeing any similar displays in Canada, but maybe I’m just not […]
Who Needs Grammar?
Many years ago, I had some friends who moved to an Arabic speaking country to open a business. That meant learning the language. I don’t remember much of what they used to say about that country, but I do remember the pronouncement that “Arabic is stinking hard,” a sentence with I would nod appreciatively but […]
On The Road Again (Cultural Differences XII)
Got my new driver’s licence this week. It was quite the process. I knew before moving to Germany that I would need a German driver’s licence, that foreigners were only permitted six months grace before they had to be local. What I didn’t realize was the difference in the procedure for obtaining a licence compared […]
The Crosswalk (Cultural Differences XI)
Maybe I’m reading too much into one instance, but…. Canadians for the most part are rule followers. It is part of our national psyche. Our Constitution promises us “peace order and good government” where our neighbors to the south aspire to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” (These days they probably are wishing for […]
The Other Church
I’m sure there’s a story behind this church, though I ‘m not sure what it is. One of these days I will ask. It is a modern building, looks to me like a 1970s interior. I didn’t see the name out front, but the city website says it is St. Bernard. (In Canada municipalities don’t […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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