FromNowOn's activity

Surely the pdf has to be uploaded first (if it is sitting on your on pc at home).  Either that or it has to exist on the internet?

As you say, Gala, this is a very good book and I know that Allan had this one in the beginning.  However, now he is looking for a genuine Italian author with a fairly simple style, as his Italian has moved on considerably.

Thank you Alma for offering to lend books.  Perhaps you can make a recommendation for Allan who is looking for an Italian "grown-up author but who has a fairly simple style" to help his Italian along.

After reading through all the comments on the subject of how to finance "care" in your declining years, Gala's comment :  "The big difference will be the choice of places. If you have enough money, you will be able to afford a nice place and your family will be able to choose the one they think will be the best for you (and for themselves, so that they can come and visit you). Otherwise, you will have to accept whatever is offered and the government will deduct a high percentage of your pension and provide the difference."  stuck in mind because  I took the responsibility of finding a suitable retirement home for my aunt after her husband died.  At the time she was suffering from mild dementia.  She had good financial resources so there was no problem in moving her closer to the remaining family and we found a very nice private retirement home where they could manage her illness. She was reasonably happy there given she'd led a very active, independent life, up until then.   The BIG problem came a few years later when the dementia had developed to such a level where she was no longer able to make decisions for herself and the family was asked by the carehome concerned (in a sympathetic way) to move her on.   She needed a home that could offer a much higher level of care (an EMI Unit in England).  Despite finance not being an issue, she had enough money to see her cared for privately for the rest of her life, finding a private carehome with the right resources to manage her illness and make her comfortable was another matter.   She was not entitled to request entry to any of the national health funded EMI carehomes with their clean modern facilities and trained staff that we'd found in our area.  NO, because she was self funding, (she did receive a non means tested allowance from the government), we were given by the council a list of privately managed EMI carehomes that we could apply to. On inspecting all within 20 miles, we found them to be far more expensive than the council funded homes, and in most cases (not all) the furniture and furnishings were battered and tatty (because of the illnesses and disabilities of the residents), and often smelly and offputting.   The homes were run, of course,  as businesses. We live in an affluent area in the south of England with plenty of resources including homes run by well known private care companies.  In the end we chose a private EMI registered home with wonderful management and staff, but certainly, if my aunt had been in her right mind, she would have been horrified to see her standard of living so reduced.  This is getting very long, and I simply want to point out that if you develop a mental illness in your old age, having finance available to you does not guarantee the best care. I say, enjoy life now, and don’t aim to waste the childrens’ inheritance on what may turn out to be inferior EMI care. For myself, (and dementia runs in the family), I believe if the time comes and I need it, the government will offer better EMI care than any money I have left can buy for me. Sorry to be so depressing !!!!!!!!

Hello book people - I showed Allan (the other half of FromNowOn) the posts on books, and his comment is, "I would be particularly interested in hearing of some relatively easy Italian novels or short stories for someone still learning the language. I am beyond the very simple books written for school classrooms and want to know of a ‘grown-up’ author but who has a fairly simple style.   The only one I know of is Natalia Ginzburg who I find reasonably easy, but she writes about marriage and family life without exception. They’re not quite boys’ books!  Any other suggestions very welcome".Can anyone help him out? As for me, I am still at the stage of enjoying Annie Hawes and Tim Parks and their observations from people watching!

Alma, if you create a Book Group, I'll be one of the first to join.

Thank you for all this information.  Looks like we have a date for the rogito in 3 weeks and will come to Italy.  I think we are going to camp in our new apartment for a few days whilst we get a grip on all the things that will need sorting out .... internet high on the list!It all sounds too easy - if we can find the IT man that is!  If we don't succeed the first time, we'll be back for longer a few weeks later, and will have another go at getting him.  Will let you know whether we succeed. 

I have been looking at this earthquake monitoring site ever since you posted the link.  I see there was a 3.3 tremor last night in the Lunigiana area - looks like it was close to where we are buying our apartment.The link again: http://openmap.rm.ingv.it/gmaps/rec/en/Index.htm

Thank you for that answer.The Wi-fi solution doesn't really sound all that wonderful, even if it is value-for-money. Does it mean, even if you are within line-of-sight of a mast, you still have to go out into the garden to use it?  (I did appeal for non-tech answer!!).How are the 3 mobile charges changing?  They are currently advertising £10 for 1GB of usage, valid for 30 days.  Is this the old rate, or the new rate?Yes, I'm sure that I found the old thread somewhere, and remember someone suggesting a particular provider which gave good reception in the Villafranca area.  But I really can't find that posting again, however hard I search.