List of things I will miss about Grenoble

1. Having a desk in an office that is not in an underground floor.
2. The window and the whiteboard in my office.
3. The possibility of going to work by bike.
4. Reading in the mornings in the bus, when the bike wasn't an option.
5. Bus drivers saying hello.
6. The extremely organized "prefecture", in which it getting a stay permit was almost a pleasure.
7. Italian verbs conjugated in passato remoto, courtesy of my Italian office mate.
8. My Italian office mate, and his curiosities about southern Italy.
9. Having amazing mountains all around.
10. Seeing snow in the mountains.
11. Spotify.
12. The desserts (and the substantial discounts) in the canteen.
13. The three towers of l'Île Verte.
14. The more than bearable summer.
15. The studio in which I lived, in a sixth floor, in front of a wonderful park.

Two Sentences (A Quick Capsule of Absurdity)

These are difficult days for Silvio Berlusconi because of judicial decisions. Earlier this week a court declared that he has to pay over 750 million euros to the media group that owns Repubblica, the main opposition newspaper. And during these days, a court is deciding whether the law he made to protect himself from being prosecuted (the Lodo Alfano) is constitutional or not. I don't know how things will end up. However, I want to remark two absurd sentences I have heard these days:

1. Umberto Bossi (who is Berlusconi buddy in the government coalition) , when asked about Berlusconi's problems with law said something like: "Well, we made very strong laws against mafia; justice going after Berlusconi was really a matter of time."
2. Berlusconi's attorneys in the constitutional court claim something like: "Law does not apply to everyone equally; since Berlusconi was elected by the people he's above all the others."

In case you were wondering: the main opposition party in Italy seems to be too busy to say something; they are currently fighting to each other so as to determine who will be the head of the party. It could happen that Berlusconi resigns and they are still fighting. Sigh.

Once again, poor Italy. But also once again: this is all Italians' fault, who complain a lot and do nothing.