A glance at the world …

Snowy Rome

I left my blog a year ago, as it was too difficult for me to look after social media, blog, e-mail, etc.

Many things have been changed: my English is worst than before, in Rome is snowing, my activities are increased, and I’m on the “higher step” of the social technographics ladder, according to Charlene Li ‘Groundswell‘.

In spite of all that, I decided to come back to my blog, with a new/old look. The style is quite similar, but I changed the header picture, choosing between hundreds of shoots I took all around the world.

Eyes.

A glance it’s the simplest way to communicate when you meet unknown people, when you don’t know a language, when you’d like to express yourself without words.

As I wrote before, in spite of all new and old social media, this is the place I love most. Because  it has been my first experience as ‘creator’ in the net, because I need to share my experiences as a traveller (even though I still consider myself a tourist).

I’d like to thank again Becky Carroll: in her ‘Teaching Social Media’ class at UCSD I learned the importance of listening to the people, as the web is made by people. We often forget it …

Rome - Villa Pamphili

Social Media Week – February 7-11, 2011

February 7 -11, 2011

Next week it will be held an important event for Social Media.  Nine cities will host simultaneously The Social Media Week : from New York to Rome, San Francisco, Paris, Hong Kong, Toronto, London, Istanbul, Sao Paulo.

Every city has its onw agenda, hundreds of people involved in  free meeting and conferences.

I think it would be useful to attend some events also if you are in a different country. In my experience, even if we rightly consider the Net as a whole, there are many differences between countries, as for culture, technology, development.

I hope there will be also the opportunity to spread the voice about  Egypt protest, and talk about how people are using the Net in this situation, censorship, freedom, and so on.

So if you are in Rome … I suggest to not miss Colosseum, but also some Social Week’s events!

News from Rome: Flash mob for Peace

Dear All,

as you can imagine this is one of the best season for visiting Rome. Not too hot, nice weather, plenty of exhibitions.

But next Saturday  there will be a special event you can’t miss if you happen to be in Rome. The location will be one of most beautiful squares: Piazza del Popolo.

Hundreds of people will meet there for a Flash Mob in order to support the campaign ‘Internet for Peace’. All together, we’ll transform Piazza del People into a peace symbol.

Last November Internet was proposed as candidate for Nobel Peace Prize. Since that, many people have been working hard to support not only this proposal, but PEACE.

Shoot for change, Flash Mob Roma, and 100Tag are asking you to wear a coloured t-shirt (choose one color from the peace flag!), and bring – if it’s possible – a computer device, such as a mouse or a keyboard or an old motherboard.

Obviously … don’t forget a camera to shoot the event and partecipate  at Shoot4peace photo contest.

What else … an important aim, a beautiful location, a lot of fun!

WHEN: Saturday, May 29th

WHERE: Roma, Piazza del Popolo

LOCAL TIME: 4.55 pm

Don’t forget it’s a FLASH mob, so don’t be late!

www.flashmobroma.it

www.shoot4change.net

www.100tag.it

XVI Rome’s Marathon: a tribute to Abebe Bikila

Yesterday more than 15.000 people ran XVI Rome’s Marathon.  Even though  this race is not famous as the NYC Marathon, probably it is one of most spectacular.

It provides the runners unique historical surroundings. It starts beside Colosseum, then it takes place all along the main sites, so that you have the chance to run into history.

As I’m not a runner, my attention is focused on the social event. So that I was so moved by the winner and his tribute to another unforgettable Ethiopian runner: Abebe Bikila.

After 50 years from the triumph of Abebe Bikila at Rome Olympic Games held in 1960, the Ethiopian Siraj Gena won the 16th edition of the Marathon, dedicated to the legendary champion. 500 metres before finishing the race, he took off his shoes, and ran barefoot, like Abebe Bikila in 1960.

Looking at the images of this event, I recollected my experience in Konso, a small Ethiopian village. It was August 2005, and I was there as a tour guide after a trip all along Omo river valley. Our accommodation was in a small and simple guest house, where the people from the village used to watch TV. We attended with them the Athletics World Championship: 5.000 metres final race, a big challenge between Kenya and Ethiopia, which ended in a sprint for the line in the last lap.

I remember the room full of young men, their passion, the importance of the race, the ‘electric’ atmosphere, the excitement while waiting for the start.

I realized that only sports like running, marathons, can give a chance in a poor country. There’s no need of expensive equipment or famous trainers as in other sports.

The winner becomes a real symbol for all the people. Here a race can be really worthwhile.

Thank you guys, for this lesson …

2009: Barcamps in Rome

Hi All!

2009 starts with some good news for people interested in innovation, and social media. Two new barcamps will be held in Rome.

The first one is KublaiCamp and will be held next week, on January 24 th.

Kublai is project by Department of Economic Development, which aim is to develop creative projects with strong connections and roots to their regional area (territory), in order to create new opportunities.

The second one is Innovatori PA barcamp, and will be held on May. Innovatori PA

KublaiCamp

 means Public Administration Innovators, and it is a social network to create innovation in Italian Public Administration.

In my country, Public Administration has been always considered as something old, and slow. That’s the reason why these two barcamps represent something new, and important. Put together ideas to improve our system and give citizens the right to have a high quality service from Government.

 If you decide to visit Rome… join us!

Christmas news (2): holidays in Rome

Few days ago Brian, my friend from Stylexplorers, suggested me to prepare a ‘Top Ten’ for a Christmas in Rome. Not so easy to do, as Ihad to choose from different events, exhibitions, concerts, an so on.

This is not an ‘exhaustive’ list of all the events, I tried to mix different ideas for different tastes!

10 ideas for a Christmas in Rome: style and tradition

• Arts and Tradition

1. On Christmas time, you can’t miss the traditional Christmas Tree and the Nativity scene in Piazza San Pietro. Best after sunset, when everything lights up!

2. Strolling in Piazza Navona, Campo de’ Fiori, and visit the stylish boutiques at via del Governo Vecchio.

3. There is a unique, important exhibition at Scuderie del Quirinale: Giovanni Bellini, one of the best painter of 15th century – http://english.scuderiequirinale.it/canale.asp?id=756

• Music

4 . A special concert in an unusual place for tourists: the unknown outskirts of Rome. If you are interested in visiting the ‘other side’ of Rome, you’ll have a great chance on December 22^nd, when the Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballè will held a concert inside Santa Maria Madre del Redentore church, in the outskirts Tor Bella Monaca. – http://www.fogliarini.it/Santa_Maria_Madre_del_Redentore.htm

5. Nativity concert: on December 24^th, in the suggestive location of Piazza di Spagna, a gospel concert by Earnet Pugh and the Assembly Washington DC

• Shopping and Food

6. A fashion shopping tour and a pleasant ‘salon’: after a shopping tour in the best Italian boutiques, visiting via Borgognona, via Condotti and all around Piazza di Spagna, stop for a rest at Ciampini Caffè in Piazza in Lucina. You can choose between a ‘tartufo’ cake or a ‘cassata’ or many other different gluttonies!

After this rest, just in front of Ciampini’ you can spend some time at ‘Profumeria Materozzoli’, one of the most ancient perfume’s boutique in Rome, where it’s possible to buy hard-to-find scents from Italy, France, and Britain. – http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/italy/rome/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154654669389 – http://www.ciampini.net/

7. If you’d like to buy some traditional sweets from one the best chocolatier, you can go to ‘Moriondo e Gariglio’, not far from Pantheon. Traditional ‘torrone’ chocolate Christamas trees, pralines …. http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/italy/rome/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154654669385

8. Taste the world: food, music, and entertainment in the multicultural Piazza Vittorio: on Dec 18^th India and Bangladesh, on Dec 20^th Arabian world, on Dec 21^st food from Italy, on Dec 26^th everything from China

http://www.060608.it/it/content/itemEvent/area/eventi_e_spettacoli/itm/33452

9. Christmas Ice skating: if you like ice skating, you’ll find a beautiful rink at the Auditorium designed by the ‘archistar’ Renzo Piano. Until the end of January. At the same place, there is also a nice Christmas market, and an intensive concerts program. www.auditorium.com

Last but not the least … Celebrate the New Year’s Eve with hundreds of people in front of Colosseum, close to Fori Imperiali. Free live music and dance with big concert of Italian popstars (Gianna Nannini and Baustelle)

Enjoy your stay!

A place where you can buy special Italian souvenirs

It’s a real pleasure for me to read and tell you about good news from Rome.

Just few days ago a new shop opened in Rome. Well, what about the news???

The news is that I’m talking about a very special shop. The Italian name of the shop is “La bottega dei sapori e dei saperi della legalità” (it sounds like “flavors and legality store”, and it is managed by the association ‘Libera’.

“Libera” represents 1300 small associations composed by students, farmers, common people, which daily fight against mafia.

All goods the store sells are produced in the lands confiscated to the mafia.

In the store’s shelves you can find excellent tomato sauce, pasta, olive oil, wine, legumes.

So, if you’d like to take home some good Italian food and help people to fight for a right cause, don’t miss to visit this store!

“La bottega dei sapori e dei saperi della legalità” – Via dei Prefetti 23 (no far from Piazza Navona and Pantheon)

http://piolatorre.blogspot.com/

RomeCamp2008

If you are planning to visit Rome, and you’d like to understand what is happening with technologies and social media in Italy, I suggest you to attend Romecamp2008, that it will be held on November 21st and 22.

As you probably know, barcamp is an open conference, with user-generated contents focused on web technologies, society, open source, etc.

The main topics of Romecamp2008 will focus on how technologies can improve our future, by affecting our society, and changing our environment.

People will talk about green marketing, social media, open sources, SEO. And there will be some debates on different social media experiences. A lot of stuff!

I’m so excited to attend my first barcamp and to report about it on my blog!

If you want to subscribe to Romebarcamp or for any further information, these are the links:

http://barcamp.org/romecamp2008
http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=54168490461
www.romecamp.it

A gift from Belfast

A Guide to Belfast

Today’s topic is related to my deep love and interest in travelling. I’d like to talk to you about something different from the other posts I wrote. No social media, no technology, no environment, no poverty. But literature and books!

A friend of mine (thank you so much, Ivo!) spent last week end in Belfast, and brought me a wonderful Belfast Literary Guide.

Let me better explain. Belfast Tourism Development Unit published a Belfast’s literary guide. That is, the city narrated thorugh the life of many writers and their books.

There is a mix of local and international writers, each one with his different feelings about the city.

Unknown corners and famous buildings, hidden streets, and libraries, hotels, squares, you can discover Belfast through the words, the poems, the books of some writer.

As every time I leave, either for a short or a long trip, I spend a lot of time choosing the right books and music, I believe this is a really great idea. It helps you not only to discober a place, but also to know a writer and his words. It assists you in finding old atmospheres or just something you can’t catch at a first glance.

In Rome, we don’t have such a guide, but I’d like to suggest you to visit a place where it’s possible to ‘build’ your personal reading path about a city, a country, a journey: “La libreria del viaggiatore” (The traveller’s bookshop). There are no other bookshops in Rome like this one, with the same atmosphere. Don’t miss it. And if you go to Belfast, don’t miss The Belfast Literary Guide.

Enjoy your reading … and your trip!