My first month in Japan

Hello everybody, it’s me, Phil and welcome to my world (blog).
In Japanese, I would say 久しぶり(hisashiburi) which means ”long time” that I don’t post here on my blog. It is actually more than one month since I have arrived here in Japan, but why did I not write about anything? I mean, there is a lot to say about Japan.

The reasons why I did not use yet my blog website are many. First of all, because I do not have enough time. Secondly because the first weeks it was really a huge cultural shock. I think I am getting used to the Japanese life style only now. Anyway, I do not to focus why I did not post because now I am actually doing it! YASSS! 

I do not know how to start because there are so many things I would like to say. As I mentioned before, initially it was just a little bit weird to be here in Japan because I dreamt so much about this country that probably I had some kind of idyllic image. Therefore, since I always had the idea of Japan stuck on my mind, when I arrived here it seemed to be all “fake”. I was wondering, “why I am here?”, “is it even real?”, “am I still dreaming?”.

Some weeks passed, I met so many people during this period, both Japanese and from many different countries around the world. I took so many pictures, actually more than 1,200! I still have a lot to learn about the Japanese culture and the Japanese culture itself, but right now I feel very motivated and every day I want to give my best before going to sleep at night. I can’t wait for many other new experiences in the following months in this amazing land!

I promise nothing. I usually have a personal diary where I write down everything my mind thinks. However, since I arrived in Japan I am writing nothing and only taking tons of pics. So I will try to keep active weekly my blog, and if I manage it maybe I could write also some posts directly in Japanese so I can both improve my Japanese and let Japanese people know about my opinions.

Hope you enjoyed this little post, and if there is something you want me to talk about in the next post, just comment below.

7 things you can't miss doing in Madrid

Hello eveyone! Welcome back to Monday’s post. As you may know, last week I was in Madrid and I spent six beautiful days in the Spanish capital city. But what to visit in this happy and colorful place? What are the things that you can’t miss? So, here there is a new #TravelNote: 7 things you can’t miss to visit in Madrid.

1) Being royal in Madrid

The Royal Palace is one of the most famous buildings in this city and still today it is the Spanish Royal Family residency. I recommend to have a walk at evening after dinner: you can find many street artists + the gardens are so amazing.

2) Go to "retire" at the parkAre you tired of life? Go to retire yourself to El Ritiro park (this is the meaning in Spanish “retire”). It is the biggest in the city, and it is very HUGE! There is even a lake inside where you can rent a boat and go around.

3) Egypt? You may think it is a photo taken in Egypt. No, it’s always Spain. Debod’s Temple is a gift from Egypt to Spain when was helped to save Nubia temples.

4) A little bit out from Madrid

This is not actually Madrid. It’s Toledo. It was the ancient city of Spain and here many peoples came: Arabs, Romans, Jews … indeed in this old little cute town you can find many churches, but also some synagogues.

5) A little bit of art

In Madrid there are two very important art museums: one is The Prado museum where you can find the most iconic paintings of Goya, Hieronymus Bosch, Tiziano, etc. The other museum is Reina Sofia museum: I suggest this one if you are a big fan of Salvador Dalì.

6) Eat Paella!

Paella is a traditional Spanish dish made of rise, and ingredients can be fish, meat or vegetables. I think it is so delicious!

7) Sunday Market

If you want to experience something different from the most famous spots full of tourists, and if it’s Sunday, I suggest the local market located in El rasto neighborhood. They sell EVERYTHING. From old-fashioned furniture to funny t-shirts.

8) Spend all your money on shopping!
YASSS. Go to Gran vía, the main and big commercial street and there you can find the most famous shops: H&M, Zara, and a Primark made of 5 floors!!!

And if you didn't watch it yet, here there is my vlog!

Coming back home

Hello dear readers, it’s me Phil who writes. And yes, I know it is a very long time since I wrote my last post here on my blog. Now another academic year is over, and I am not writing from my bedroom in Venice, instead in the kitchen in the house I grew up in Agrigento, Sicily. I came back on July 10th and it’s already one week I am here. And it was almost six months I didn’t see my family because I moved to Venice on August, then I came back for Christmas but just for one week.

It is very nice to see your parents and your brother after many months. However, to me summertime is always hard because you have to stop your daily routine, and literally do nothing. I mean, I do go out with friends, but it is just hard to me to just chill. Anyway, I guess that some boredom is not that bad sometimes. It’s just that Sicily and Venice are two completely different realities. Yes, it is always Italy, but there are so many differences between North and South. For instance, in Mestre, where I live in Venice, there are many green parks, here in Agrigento there aren’t, there are beaches. They are kind of a park, but you know, I don’t like that much to lay on the sand and get burned by the hot sun.

I had also written a post last year entitled “What it means to be Sicilian”, where I explained my weird relationship with this island: sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it. I just have weird feelings here. Nevertheless, I will try my best to enjoy these weeks here in Sicily and I am going to publish a new post every Monday! And next Monday I am not here in Sicily, but somewhere else. Can you guess where? Comment below.

And if you didn't, watch my latest video on YouTube!

What to do in a cold day in Zurich (Switzerland)

It is the most populated city in Switzerland, but not its capital city. I’m talking about Zurich!
As you maybe know, I didn’t go again to my Lady Gaga concert, because this time was CANCELLED! You can’t imagine how sad I felt. But that’s all another story. Now, with this new #TravelNote, I want to talk you about my nice day in this Swiss city.  

Well, first of all I want to tell you how we (my mom and me) arrived to Zurich. By bus! Yes! From Venice till Zurich. The bus was the famous “FlixBus” and if you don’t know this bus company, I highly recommend you. They organize trips all around Europe and the prices are quite chips.
It was also very nice to observe all the snowy mountain villages. I am not used to see certain views (I come from Sicily!).
When we arrived in Zurich, in the evening, the temperature was not that cold. But when we woke up the day after, everything was white!!! It was a true surprise! Even though then the snow turned into rain. 

After we had breakfast, we took the tram (in the city there is no tube, but the tram is very comfortable), and directed ourselves to the city center. It was very nice walking through the picturesque streets, and the houses, are just so cute!!! They look like the one of marzipan. The main monuments to visit are Grossmünster, which is the ancient Dom of the city, where the Swiss Protestant reform has begun under Ulrico Zwingli, who also translated the Bible into German. Another important church is Fraumünster with its gothic style. If you go in summer time it is also very nice to have a tour around the lake with the ferry, but I don’t think it is the case when it is snowing. Anyway, if you feel cold outside, you can also visit the National Museum in front of the main train station. I personally find it very interesting and found many fun facts. For instance, did you know that muesli was created in Switzerland? (I always eat yoghurt with muesli at morning).

I think Zurich is a very quite but beautiful big city that you need to visit at least once in your life. But just some few warnings before you go.
1) Prices! It’s VERY VERY EXPENSIVE. Especially food. I bought two Brezels, you know I much I paid? 10 francs! In euro, it’s around 8.
2) Don’t come on Sundays. If you want to go shopping it is not a great idea since almost every shop is closed.
3) If you can’t stand cold weather, don’t come on winter. I would suggest you on early autumn. When I went there on September the weather was really perfect!

I hope you liked this TravelNote. See you next Thursday for a new one!
And if you want to see more pictures, just follow me on Instagram.

フィルの短い自己紹介

皆さん、こんばんは！今、イタリアに午後１１時２２分です。私の部屋で書いています。私の名前はフィルで、私のブログ「フィルの世界」へようこそ。
短い自己紹介をしたいです。私はイタリア人で、21歳です。シチリアで生まれましたが、今はヴェネジアに住んでいます。どうしてですか。ヴェネジアの大学で日本語勉強しているからです。日本の文化に興味あるし、日本でイタリア語や英語の先生になるし、私の夢は日本に住むことです。
毎週の火曜日、日本語で私について記事書きたいです。そして、私の言語の能力を改良します。
文法や正字法のミスがあると、コメントをしてください。よろしくお願いします。
今、寝に行きます。お休みなさい！

I'm back!!!

Hello everybody! After a long break here on my blog, I’m finally back writing. How are you? What did you do in these last months?
Me, I’m pretty fine. I’m always in Venice, studying my favorite language Japanese. Kanjis (ideograms), role-plays, exercises every day. Sometimes it is hard, not the language itself, but university life in general. Anyway, it’s ok in this way. I like difficult things and put myself into challenges.

Now I am sitting in my room, I just had a shower. Night is my favorite part of the day. I mean there is nothing of more fascinating than a sleeping city, looking at the stars, and just dream. To dream to walk in infinite spaces. Yeah, I know, I dream too much, but how can I not dream in a city like Venice?

This is just a brief coming-back blog column “Phil’s diary”. Every Monday a new piece of my diary.
Good night, and do not forget to dream!

OMG! I AM SO ALONE!

”Do you go alone to the cinema?”, “Who do you go with?”, “Aren’t you scared to do things alone?”, “Well, of course you can do things alone, you’re boy, I’m girl”.
These are some of the things that some people most tell me when they find out that I have done something “alone”. I don’t really understand why, but some people seem kind of shocked when I say I do something alone. Others perhaps even think that I am asocial or that I don’t have a “social life”. I don’t really get why some people have this fear to be “alone”. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! There are more than 7 billion people who live in your same planet! Do you think it is not enough? You may answer me :”I don’t know 7 billion people, I am always alone”. - Aren’t you a person? You’re not alone, believe me. You are with you, and with yourself. Just you and yourself. Is it just me who thinks it is nice to have some moments only for you?

I am writing this post because I’ve noticed that some people, especially the youngest have a bad conceit of being “alone”. To not have someone on your side when you’re going to the beach or going to shop is considered uncool. Just why? If I go to eat an ice scream with nobody, it does not mean that I do not friends. The same if I go to watch a horror movie at the cinema. You know what it actually means? It means that my friends don’t enjoy creepy stuff, and that’s ok, we are all different and we have different tastes, but I won’t never renounce watching a film that I have been waiting for so long. And then I also got as answer :”You know, it’s different. You’re a boy, you can do it. I am a girl. It’s dangerous for me”. – Honey, listen up. I explain you everything. It’s not that I am a boy and you’re a girl. It’s just that I love myself, I am not scared to share what I love with myself, and I'm not going to lose what I want to do just because I do not find someone who wants to do that thing. Moreover, you’re very sexist if you think that girls can do less than boys.

I wanted to write this post so bad because I'm so sorry to see people that are stuck just because of the stupid society that puts the wrong ideas in your minds. Truly, if there is anything you like to do, do not stop for any reason! You are not alone, you’re with you and yourself, and then in the street you might find some new mates, who knows it!