Rosa the Angel and the Shameless Plea

My friend Rosa has taken to appearing, like an angel, at times I am feeling alone. I have mentioned Rosa before. She is the older woman that took me on a nature walk and then to her home to overfeed me lunch on my first day here in Otranto. From the photos of her children and grandchildren I guess her age to be about 70. But a very fit 70. She, unlike my teachers and fellow students has much patience for my imperfect Italian and does not try to correct all my mistakes. We understand each other well enough.

I was sitting in the park studying yesterday and she appeared beside me on the bench. First she told me I look very beautiful... like an angel, and then she called me Madonna!. wow. My wild heart zooms back from California. Come stai? (how are you?) she asks and I told her I was not so good today. I told her I was feeling a little sad and lonely, a bit homesick and I was worried about running out of money. She said "You need to find a husband!" ha ha ha! (What is this some Catholic conspiracy to usurp the goddess AGAIN.)

She told me to follow her and at first I panicked. I did not want another stuffing, but also did not want to be rude. But she headed in the opposite direction of her home, so I followed her. She led me through the old historical part of town, down several narrow streets and up many flights of stairs till we came to a tower overlook of the city and the port I was unaware of. She said that this was a place to pray.

After some quiet moments taking in the beauty. I thanked her for showing me this place. I told her I loved Otranto and it's kind people. Then I told her that I think I am getting too old to start searching for a husband and that I might even be starting menopause soon. "BOH!" she says. You just need to eat more garlic and cipollina (bitter little onions), then I would feel better. She said more prayer would help too. I told her that we had no cipollina in America and she looked stricken. I told her I had to go home to rest and she kissed me on both cheeks "Ciao Madonna" and disappeared down a narrow street.

OKAY.

Now here is that shameless plea for money that I warned you about. It's not that I planned poorly or greatly underestimated the cost of this venture. On the contrary I came amazingly close to nailing it. But there have been a few factors... unforseen occurences that have blown my budget and made me have to appeal for a little help now. I estimated that this trip would cost a total of 12k for almost 3 months and that is exactly what I raised for making it. 3k of that would have been my running money or daily expense funds. But the unforseen occurences were this:

First several of the people I worked for either forgot to pay me, avoided paying me, or miscalculated what they owed me.. to the total of $1850. Then we had a heating gas increase that more than doubled the heating costs for Jan, Feb, and March. We had the longest coldest period on record (quote from Blue Star Gas Co. when I called crying), and I had some really ancient leaky windows in my house that needed replacing. The increase reached $800 more than heating has ever costed me for 3 months. One month the bill was $600!.

Then the debacle with British Airways losing my luggage for 12 days made me have to spend over $300 to get by till my luggage arrived. I will be joining a class action suit against the airline that is started and we may get a minimum of $5000 each. But this will take months... or even years to accomplish. So I found myself more than $3k short of my budget. I have borrowed $1500 so far hoping I could get a few people who owe me to pay up... but no luck on that so far.

I need about $1500 dollars to cover several expenses that are coming up very quickly. I have to book a flight from Bari It. to Amsterdam, soon. I have to stay in hotels for 14 days. I have to ship several boxes of things home before I leave here. And I have to repay Enzo for many cash outlays he made on my behalf, before I leave Italy. And then there is a cookbook I want/need.

I am not living high here. I go out to a cheap retaurant about once a week, unless a fellow student offers to treat. The only unforseen expense I have had has been the Internet cafe which I have had to use because my laptop was destroyed by the horrifying trip, the lost luggage outlay, and the fact the dollar fell 40 cents since I started planning this trip.

SO, if you are reading this and you are one of those people who forgot (or avoided paying me) this would be a very good time to do so.

Or , if you are one of those 25 kids I sheltered and mothered for a time, Mothers Day is coming up and this would be a great way to show me your appreciation and love.

Or, if you are one of those people who have benefitted from the 38k hours of volunteer works or the nearly 6mil in funds I raised for environmental protection and community services (EPIC, Richard's mission, KMUD, Humboldt Watershed Council, Stable Slopes, etc) in the last 12 years (without a vacation!) this would be a very good time to make a donation. I just checked I have $28 dollars left in my account, till Friday and a small amount coming in for the first week or two of May!

My account is at the Community Credit Union of Southern Humboldt. Account #7442. The website is here:
http://www.ccush.org/

I think you can make a deposit online or by phone if you have a credit card. Or you can go directly to the bank or just stop by my house and give the money to my daughters who will make a deposit for me.

I promise that if you send me a donation/gift at this time, when I return home I will invite you over and treat you to the sights, sounds, smells and flavors of Southern Italy. Or give you free pasta making lessons whichever you prefer.

Blessing: Not alone anymore! A new roomate... Josie from The Hague and she is inviting me to her home, instead of a hotel for 4 days after I leave Italy. Loes, the pressure is off for those 4 days. I can come on the 6th as originaly planned. I'll come after I leave the Hague if that works for you.

Thank You! Better go now... 3€ per hour... love u