La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair With

La Bella Lingua My Love Affair With at Amazon

I feel at this time, fellow husbands, that I must warn you

about a circumstance that may only be specified as the most

horrendous and horrific scenario imaginable to the married

man. (Not counting the dream where you wake up next to

Richard Simmons.) I’m talking in regards to running into your old

girlfriend while you are with your wife.

A series of emotions will run through your system,

predominantly, blacking out. However, if you follow these

simple rules, you, too, will be capable to escape this chance

meeting unscathed.

Let’s say you and your wife are buying goods at the mall.

(Actually, men don’t go to the mall to shop. They go for

the feed court.) All of a sudden, coming in the opposite

direction, you see your ex-girlfriend.

First, don’t undertake to hide the fact that she was a former

girlfriend. But, if you may duck behind a large, potted

plant before she sees you, do it. You may always come up

with a heap of flimsy pardon to use on your wife as to why you

are skulking behind a huge fern. (“Oh, I thought I saw a

dollar back there.”)

Next, always introduce your wife to your ex-girlfriend,

emphasizing the word “ex”, and try to refrain from using such

terms as “former main-squeeze”, “cuddle-bunny”, or,

“love of my life.” Then, introduce your ex-girlfriend

to your wife. The pitfall to watch for here, guys, is

getting your wife’s name right. (“I’d like you to meet my

wife Mary, uh, Jane, uh, Mary-Jane, uh, Elliot.”) NOTE:

If you’ve gotten to this point in the introduction, it is

highly advisable that you find the nearest sharp object and

slash your wrists.

Keep in mind that as all three of you are standing there,

smiling stupidly at one another, you, the husband, are not

the only one experiencing all of these dissimilar emotions.

Your former girlfriend and wife are challenging their

imaginations. For instance, the girlfriend may be looking

over the circumstance and asking herself, “Why didn’t I duck

behind that potted plant when I had the chance?” Or, she

may be looking at your wife and observing, “The poor woman.

I wonder if he’s putting her through the same nightmare I

went through.”

Now your wife may be looking over your ex and asking,

“Alright, she’s attractive, but are those real?” Or, she

may be wondering, “Poor thing. I wonder if he put her

through the same nightmare I’m going through.”

The husband, being driven by his over-inflated ego, may only

ponder one scenario. “How may I get the two of them

involved in a romantic evening?” As enticing as this may

seem, guys, and even even though it may comprise the potential for

an entire column of it is own, the key thing to do not forget here

is to end this speech as quickly as possible. This

can be done in a number of ways:

1. Fake a heart attack.

2. Remember that you left the water running in the tub.

3. Find the nearest sharp object and slash your wrists.

If the circumstance must create that the two women involved

would like to have coffee or lunch together, beneath no

circumstances are you to leave them alone for a moment.

The thing to watch out for in this situation, men, is that

while you’re having coffee or lunch with two finelooking

women, the male ego kicks into overdrive. Avoid

reminiscing. (“Remember the night we made love in the

linen closet at the Chicago Sheraton?”) Or, (“How regarding

the time we went skinny-dipping at that church fund

raiser?”)

Saying goodbye must be as brief as possible. No kiss.

However, if your ex leans in for one, no tongue. Also, when

parting company, as you and your wife head in one direction,

don’t turn around to take one last look. This could be the

difference amid watching a full or partial football

season.

So, guys, follow these simple rules and you may be sleeping

in your own bed again within a few, short weeks.

La Bella Lingua My Love Affair With

“Italians say that somebody who acquires a new language ‘possesses’ it. In my case, Italian possesses me. With Italian racing like blood through my veins, I do in truth see with dissimilar eyes, listen with dissimilar ears, and drink in the world with all my senses…”

A celebration of the language and culture of Italy, La Bella Lingua is the story of how a language shaped a nation, told versus the backdrop of one woman’s personal quest to speak fluent Italian.

For any person who has been to Italy, the fantasy of living the Italian life is powerfully seductive. But to veritably become Italian, one will have to learn the language. This is how Dianne Hales begun her journey. In La Bella Lingua, she brings the story of her decades-long experience with the “the world’s most loved and lovable language” together with explorations of Italy’s history, literature, art, music, movies, lifestyle, and feed in a unfeigned opera amorosa—a labor of her love of Italy.

Throughout her original excursion in Italy—with “non parlo Italiano” as her only Italian phrase—Dianne delighted in the beauty of what she saw but craved comprehension of what she heard. And so she chose to populate the language. Over more than twenty-five years she has studied Italian in each way possible: through Berlitz, books, CDs, podcasts, private tutorials and speech groups, and, most importantly, huge blocks of time in Italy. In the procedure she found that Italian became not just a passion and a pleasure, but a passport into Italy’s storia and it is very soul. She offers charming perceptivities into what makes Italian the most in an emotional manner expressive of languages, from how the “pronto” (“Ready!”) Italians say when they answer the telephone conveys a sense of something coming alive, to how even standard things such as a towel (asciugamano) or handkerchief (fazzoletto) sound better in Italian.

She invites readers to join her as she traces the evolution of Italian in the zesty graffiti on the walls of Pompeii, in Dante’s incandescent cantos, and in Boccaccio’s bawdy Decameron. She portrays how social graces stay woven into the fabric of Italian: even the chipper “ciao,” which does double obligation as “hi” and “bye,” reflects centuries of bella figura. And she exalts the glories of Italy’s feed and it is rich and often uproarious gastronomic language: Italians deftly describe somebody uptight as a baccala (dried cod), a busybody who noses into everything as a prezzemolo (parsley), a unworthy or banal movie as a polpettone (large meatball).

Like Dianne, readers of La Bella Lingua will find themselves innamorata, enchanted, by Italian, fascinated by it is saga, tantalized by it is adventures, addicted to it is sound, and ever eager to spend more time in it is company.

ReviewBook Description
“Italians say that an individual who acquires a new language ‘possesses’ it. In my case, Italian possesses me. With Italian racing like blood through my veins, I do in truth see with dissimilar eyes, listen with dissimilar ears, and drink in the world with all my senses…”

A celebration of the language and culture of Italy, La Bella Lingua is the story of how a language shaped a nation, told versus the backdrop of one woman’s personal quest to speak fluent Italian.

For anybody who has been to Italy, the fantasy of living the Italian life is powerfully seductive. But to veritably become Italian, one must learn the language. This is how Dianne Hales begun her journey. In La Bella Linguaa, she brings the story of her decades-long experience with the “the world’s most loved and lovable language” together with explorations of Italy’s history, literature, art, music, movies, life style and feed in a unfeigned opera amorosa—a labor of her love of Italy.

Throughout her initial excursion in Italy—with “non parlo Italiano” as her only Italian phrase—Dianne delighted in the beauty of what she saw but craved comprehension of what she heard. And so she chose to populate the language. Over more than twenty-five years she has studied Italian in each way possible through Berlitz, books, CDs, podcasts, private tutorials and speech groups, and, most importantly, huge blocks of time in Italy. In the routine she found that Italian became not just a passion and a pleasure, but a passport into Italy’s storia and it is very soul. She offers charming perceptivenesses into what it is that makes Italian the most with regard to emotions expressive of languages, from how the “pronto” (“Ready!”) Italians say when they answer the telephone conveys a sense of something coming alive, to how even popular things such as a towel (asciugamano) or handkerchief (fazzoletto) sound better in Italian.

She invites readers to join her as she traces the evolution of Italian in the zesty graffiti on the walls of Pompeii, in Dante’s incandescent cantos and in Boccaccio’s bawdy Decameron. She portrays how social graces stay woven into the fabric of Italian: even the chipper “ciao,” which does double obligation as “hi” and “bye,” reflects centuries of bella figura. And she exalts the glories of Italy’s feed and it is rich and oftentimes uproarious gastronomic language: Italians deftly describe someone uptight as a baccala (dried cod), a busybody who noses into everything as a prezzemolo (parsley), a despicable or banal movie as a polpettone (large meatball).

Like Dianne, readers of La Bella Lingua will find themselves innamorata, enchanted, by Italian, mesmerized by it is saga, tantalized by it is adventures, addicted to it is sound, and ever eager to spend more time in it is company.

Amazon Exclusive: A Q&A with Dianne Hales

Question: Why did you determine to write a book on Italian?

Dianne Hales: As a journalist, I recognise a outstanding story when I see one—and the story of how Italian became the world’s most enchanting language has everything: adventure, drama, passion, beauteous women, gallant heroes, unscrupulous scoundrels—not to mention glorious music and extremely pleasing food.

Question: Whom did you write this book for?

Dianne Hales: People who take delight in Italian food, music, art, film, travel and traditions. If you love Italy, you’ll love learning in regards to it is language. If you come from an Italian family, you’ll discover more regarding your heritage. If you’re studying Italian, you’ll find a new perspective that takes you beyond vocabulary and grammar. If you’re journeying to Italy, you’ll be grateful for more regarding the humans you meet and the places you visit. And if you’re an armchair adventurer—well, buckle your seat belt!

Question: Why and when did you start out studying Italian?

Dianne Hales: I decisive to study Italian more than twenty years ago so I could commune with the friendly humans we met on our travels in Italy. My goal was just to comprehend and be understood. However, the more Italian I learned, the more I wanted to know when it comes to Italian—where it came from, how it evolved, why it’s so musical and vibrant. I had so much fun in Italian classes and speech groups that I didn’t want to stop my Italian education—and I never have.

Question: How did you do go when it comes to researching La Bella Lingua?

Dianne Hales: I employed all the attainments I honed in decades as a journalist and textbook author. I took classes in Italian language, history and culture both in the U.S. and in Italy. I worked very almost with a fantasti Italian tutor in San Francisco. In Italy I went to the outstanding citadels of Italian, such as L’Accademia della Crusca and the Società Dante Alighieri, to consultation leading linguists and scholars. But my greatest resources turned out to be the Italian people, who have deep pride in their mother tongue and infinite longanimity with those who undertake to master it.

(Photo © Robert Hales)

From Publishers WeeklyIn this charming love letter to the language and culture of Italy, journalist Hales recounts her inebriation with Italian’s sounds and her lovesickness over it is phrases. Enamored of this lovely and lovable language, Hales immerses herself in Italian culture on a heap of trips to Italy in her undertake to live Italian. She comes to think of Italian as a lovable rascal, a clever, twinkle-eyed scamp that you can’t protest even when it plays you for a fool. Hales regales us with the mysteries of the language, such as when a color becomes more than hue. She tells us that yellow, for example, refers to a mystery because thrillers traditionally had yellow covers. In her rapture over the language, she likewise swoons over Italian creative writing of recognized artisti value (from Dante to Manzoni), opera (Verdi and Puccini) and cinema (Marcello Mastroianni and Fellini) as she rehearses the a good deal of ways in which the language has seductively slipped into Western culture and consciousness. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a section of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review“A praiseworthy feature of La Bella Lingua is the way Hales peppers her narrative with hundreds of Italian words, idioms, and figures of speech—all chosen with gusto and brio and distinctly translated into English—to introduce readers to the sonic and semantic seraglio that is the Italian language. A discerned chapter on ‘Irreverent Italian’ highlights la parolaccia, the earthy lexicon of invective and jocular sensuality that contemporary Italians imbibe with their mother’s milk but alien students of Italian seldom get to savor.” —Peter D’Epiro and Mary Desmond Pinkowish, writers of Sprezzatura: 50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World

“Dianne Hales is just when it comes to pitch perfective as she weaves the engaging story of her innamoramento with Italian, hitting the high notes of Italian culture…
a lovely, touching tribute to the galore fine civilizing gifts that Italy has shared with the world. Any smart traveler to Italy would want to read La Bella Lingua.
It’s not only readable and engaging but informative with regards to things not without apparent effort found in guidebooks and mutual tourist materials.” —Julia Conaway Bondanella & Peter Bondanella, writers and editors of The Italian Renaissance Reader, Italian Cinema, and the Cassell Dictionary of Italian Literature

“An ardent student, Dianne Hales takes us along on her delightful pilgrimage to the speaking heart of Italy. The rhythmic beat she comes to feel and love teaches her how to live, in pretty and idiomatic Italian, ‘a language as rich in flavors and varieties as Italian cooking.’ The reading pilgrim’s reward is this delicious feast of a book, a strong mix of cultural and spoken treasure.” —Susan Cahill, author of Desiring Italy and The Smiles of Rome

From the Hardcover edition.

Most helpful customer reviews

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful.
A must read for Italian language lovers
By Michelle Fabio, Bleeding Espresso
For anyone who has been enchanted by the always beautiful, often frustrating Italian language and tried to grasp its basics as well as its intricacies, Dianne’s tales will not only ring true but also comfort you.

From obscure word etymologies to entertaining anecdotes, La Bella Lingua will keep you turning pages, nodding along in agreement, laughing, and even learning–I picked up quite a few new words myself even though I’ve been living in Italy for six years now.

And Dianne’s writing? A sheer pleasure. Truly.

La Bella Lingua is a *must* for any lover of the Italian language and assolutamente warrants five espresso cups out of five.

~ Michelle Fabio
bleedingespresso.com

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
An Italian Vacation in a book
By V. X. KIRSCH
When I saw this book, I wanted to read it right away. I did so and as a result, I have fallen even more in love with the italian language.
When I was a student in Firenze years ago, before I knew much of the language, I used to read billboards and ads and think that the italian words were the most beautiful that I had ever seen without knowing what they meant.
This book covers all aspects of the language from historic to artistic to poetic to the not so poetic! I learned so much in every chapter that I hated to see it end. This book will take you on a memorable voyage over the landscape of what is truly the world’s most beautiful language.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful.
Grazie, Sra Hales!
By travelgo
As a languishing adult student of Italian, I am grateful for Sra Hales’ book and envious of her linguistic and cultural accomplishments. Her enjoyment of all things Italian both in Italy and her native San Francisco area are generously shared with the reader.
There are two improvements I would like to see in the next edition: More translations – a fair number of words weren’t translated and, if possible, a glossary.
I would also love a well-spoken unabridged audio version.
PS. I’ve added Mastroianni’s I Remember DVD to my Netflix list.

See all 39 customer reviews…