AICR News - sUMMeR 2010

The American International Club of Rome c/o Advicorp, via Parigi, 11, 6th floor, 00187 Rome, Italy

www.aicrome.org - aicr@ aicrome.orgTel. 06-45447625 / Fax 06-97254122

summer editionsummer edition

Upcoming Events AICR Fourth of July Celebration

TravelFregene

Business Controlled Language

AICR’s Proust Questionnaire

Member Profile Harold Bradley

Upcoming Events AICR Fourth of July Celebration

TravelFregene

Business Controlled Language

AICR’s Proust Questionnaire

Member Profile Harold Bradley

Contents

Board of Directors 2009/2010

Honorary PresidentDavid H. Thorne

U.S. Ambassador to Italy and to the Republic of San Marino

Honorary Vice PresidentsErtharin Cousin

U.S. Ambassador to the Rome-based U.N. Agencies for Food and Agriculture

Miguel Humberto DíazAmbassador of the United States

of America to the Holy See

officersPresident: Chris Curry

Vice President: Marco ElserTreasurer: Debra Biagini

Secretary: Jennifer Hawkins Micocci

Board MeMBersAntonella Amatucci Gianni

Loretta DusiniFabio Leoni

Carol MarkinoVincenzo Racana

Scotti Rhodes Marco RossiAnne Tasca

aicr news editorJennifer Hawkins Micocci

aicr news ProductionAlessandro Carafa Jacobini

aicr PHotograPHerAnna T. Ambrosini

aicr interiM office ManageMent assistant

Anna T. Ambrosini

3 Editor’s Letter 4 Upcoming Events5 Club News6 Travel Fregene9 AICR 4th of July Celebration11 Short List What’s hot now!12 Business Controlled Language13 Member Profile Harold Bradley17 Proust Questionnaire18 Discounts19 AICR Business Members19 AICR New Members

All articles are based on the information obtained at the time of their writing. Please contact us if you would like to add anything from your experience with AICR.

editor’s letter

Sometimes inspiration takes a while to foster. Where does it come from? And even more inquisitive: What inspires you? Just taking a walk through the streets

of Rome, be it amongst the hilly winds of Aventino or along the narrow paths of Garbatella vecchia, the inspiration bounds toward you. Rome enthuses with her beauty. Inspiration for peace, for art, for work… For living and breathing our daily lives. I have been inspired by our latest magazine issue and of the amazing life of our fellow AICR member, Harold Bradley; in his 80 years he has truly lived life, which is something to aspire towards.

I want to thank Danielle DeVine for her appealing profile, as well as, Joe Dougherty for his in depth explanation of controlled languages, for Vivian Weaver’s glimpse into her summer getaway in Fregene, and new member, Wendy Bathgate’s Proust. I am grateful for all my current and past writers, and I await some new contributors for a future issue. Wishing you a fantastic summer, whether in Rome or abroad, safe travels and I hope you take a moment to breathe in the inspiration that surrounds us all.

Jennifer Hawkins MicocciAICR News Editor

The Rome University of Fine Arts, (RUFA) legally recognised by Ministerial Decree (M.D. 04/10/2000), is the only private Art Academy in Rome able to issue educational qualifications equivalent to a degree of State Academy.Although The RUFA actively co-operates with the State Academy in order to create in Rome a cultural and didactic double-pole of institutions dedicated to Fine Arts, RUFA’s innovative teaching plan aims at developing all the aspects of students’ artistic sensitivity. For this reason each student is seen as a “subject” with his/her own potential, which has chosen to put the world of expression at the core of his/her life.As even the richest potential needs a human and didactic guide, RUFA’s teachers, through direct and serene relationships, will make the explorations of each student’s creative possibility pleasant and fruitful. In this context the teaching staff uses up-to-date methods, targeted to improve student’s creativity and professionalism.Together with “traditional” didactic structures, all RUFA students have modern laboratories at their disposal, where they can learn to use the newest Information Technology tools. Conventions, meetings, exhibitions (also of students’ works), that take place in a dedicated area of the Academy, put the RUFA in the middle of Rome’s cultural life, and make the same Academy a starting point for students’ positive insertion in the job market.All that is made possible as RUFA does not only mould future artists, stage designers, graphic and industrial designers and stylists, but also tries to develop their professionalism, taking into account cultural features and operating rules of our society.

prof. Alfio MongelliPresident of the "International Art Academy"

WWW.IAA.IT

upComing events

AICR Fourth of July CelebrationDonations: €25 adults, €10 students (13-18), €5 children (5-12), children aged 4 and under enter free. Advanced ticket purchase required.

On Saturday, July 3rd, from 5 p.m. to dusk we’ll cel-ebrate the anniversary of American Independence with the entire international community of Rome at a tradi-tional home-town style Fourth of July Picnic.

Great prizes in the raffle and free face-painting. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Retake Rome urban clean-up initiative. The US Marines Color Guard will conduct a flag cer-emony, soprano Lauren Broglia will perform the Na-tional Anthem and everyone can take part in our Patri-otic Sing-a-long. Traditional American games such as three-legged race, potato sack race, hula hoop and wa-ter balloon toss, plus ball games and frisbee. If you’d rather dance, get down to the sounds of 5-piece, all-live band The Doormats.

American Barbecue all day. Hotdogs and hamburgers, including veggie burgers, potato salad, pasta salad, ice cream, watermelon, ’Smores and more. Beverages will include water, Peroni beer and Pepsi from our Sponsors, plus wine and typical Tuscan treats from event Sponsor No,vo’lì. A true food extravaganza awaits you!

Address and directions to be provided after ticket pur-chase. Location easily accessible (Cassia Antica). For more info: www.aicrome.org or 06/45447625 Mon-Thu 9-12 a.m.

AICR would like to thank all our main sponsors and all the local businesses that have contributed a vast assortment of wonderful prizes for our Fourth of July Celebration Raffle! Contact AICR for sponsorship op-portunities that are still available.

AICR First Friday Happy Hour in AugustWhen: Friday, August 6th 2010 - Time: 6 to 8 p.m. Where: Leon’s Place, Hotel Philosophy, Via XX Settembre 90/94Comments: Free to attend, cash bar, complimentary hours d’oeuvres, MINIMUM ONE BEVERAGE PUR-CHASE please.**Note: There will be no First Friday Happy Hour in July. Please join us for our Fourth of July Celebration on Saturday, July 3rd.

Autumn EventsStay tuned for events planned for September 2010, including:• “Dolce Vita” Walking Tour with popular guide Michael Karris• Cooking classes• Networking for city professionals

Club news

AICR Dues: Renew Before June 30th and Avoid Late FeeThe AICR year runs from July 1st to June 30th every year, so the end of this Club year is fast approaching! Dues are €60 for Returning Members who pay by July 3rd, 2010 and €40 for students, retirees and second family members. To facilitate Club fiscal planning, a 10-euro late fee will be applied to all retuning members who pay after July 3rd, 2010. So why wait? *Note: Dues for new members (not returning) starting July 1st will be €65. Also, if you are a non-US citizen and decide to renew after October 2nd, 2010, you’ll need to reapply for membership and will be placed on a waiting list.

CONGRATULATIONS to Paolo Provvisionato, who has won a free ticket to our 2010 Fourth of July Celebration in our draw for members who renewed their dues in April!

2010/2011 AICR Elections: Results

Officers President: Vincenzo Racana Vice President: Marco Elser Treasurer: Debra Biagini Secretary: Jennifer Hawkins Micocci

AICR Business Memberships and Friends of AICR Program 2010-2011Would you like your business or service to have more visibility? AICR provides valuable exposure to Rome’s international, English-speaking business professionals and expats. With a reach of over a thousand of Rome’s socially active, multi-lingual and culturally aware professionals, AICR offers one-stop shopping for your marketing needs. Contact our office for further information on our pro-grams for the 2010/2011 year.

Non-officer Board positions (in alphabetical order)

L. Chris Curry Fabio Leoni Roberto G. Melaragno Marco Rossi

The American International Club of Rome6

aiCr travel

summer in FregeneBy Vivian Weaver

I’ve just moved to Fregene. It wasn’t on the agenda but my Roman landlord received a very good offer for the apartment where I was living, and consider-ing today’s economics, and that she’s an old friend, it was time to go . . . but where?As destiny would have it, I was having dinner with friends and telling them about my situation when one gal said, “I have an apartment in Fregene which will be empty from May to September. Do you want to live there?” Frankly, I had not thought about living so far from centro, but the idea of liv-ing at the beach for the summer was appealing, so here I am. The first impression of Fregene is that it is a sprawl-ing beach community but in reality, it’s a paese just like any other small Italian community, albeit spread out and not historic, as we’re used to in Italy. Arriving in May, before the summer folks and tourists, I received a warm welcome from all the shopkeepers. They were also very welcoming be-cause it’s been raining continuously and no one has been coming to the beach, thus any warm body is appreciated.I’m also lucky because my lovely landlord and her delightful sister-in-law are also my neighbors and they invite me along when they go to their fa-vorite bar to meet their friends. Having grown up here, they know everyone in town, and because of their introductions, I now buy fine wines, as well as other products, at wholesale prices from local distributers. Even more enjoyable, is that I’ve been welcomed into their social circle, which means in-vitations to people’s homes, and as some of those homes are located in “Villaggio Pescatore,” I’ve been enjoying the best aspects of the town.Villaggio Pescatore is the original section of Fre-gene, where the streets are narrow and second floor apartments offer breathtaking views of the sea. Last night I sat on the terrace of one of those

homes, sipping wine while watching the sun set, which was indeed splendid.Villaggio Pescatore is also where some of the best restaurants are located and last night’s dinner was offered by the owner of one of them. When we ar-rived to Concetta’s beautiful home – and I mean beautiful, the table was magnificently decorated with white orchids. Actually everything was white, as was the whole apartment. Following cocktails on the terrace, we moved to the dining room where five types of fish antipasti awaited us. Frankly I was impressed that our very sophisticated hostess was also such a creative chef, but it was only when we finished that course that I learned that she was the owner of the downstairs restaurant, Scialuppa, meaning life guard boat.“What do you want to eat next?” she asked as she named half a dozen options. “Wow!” I said; “You really are impressive to be able to prepare all those dishes.” At that she laughed and told me that she had not prepared anything but had simply called downstairs and the dishes were sent up. What a life! I could get comfortable here.Fregene has many beach clubs and among the more well known is Miraggio, which happens to be owned by my dear friend Sandro’s cousins Su-sanna and Alberto. By now we’ve been there a few times and everyone in the family knows me. This is important because I cannot afford beach club fees but would like to enjoy the occasional day at the beach as well as their gigantic pool.

aiCr travel

As for a summer job, I’ll be giving English lessons and already have three adult students and without doubt, when the summer people get here, the notic-es I’ve posted around town will bring new students: high school kids who failed English as well as those who want to perfect what they learned last year.In truth though, I’d also like to teach some swim-ming courses which I haven’t done since college. As a student, I was a Red Cross Water Safety In-structor and earned good money each summer. Water Safety Instructors also certify lifeguards, but although I swim really well and won plenty of races in my day, I was never physically large or strong enough to be a lifeguard at the sea.Instead, I gave swimming lessons at my town’s pool. I love teaching swimming – especially to women who have always been afraid of the water. Teaching someone to overcome fear is an incred-ibly rewarding experience, and I hope to have the opportunity to do so this summer.

Oh, I forgot to tell you. My home is a two-storey apartment about as far from the sea as you can get in Fregene – about 8 blocks away. But distance is not a problem as long as you have a bike. Given that the terrain is flat, getting around is fast and easy, and considering the summer traffic, a bike is much faster than a car.It’s also easy to go to the train station by bike but as some summer drivers are not respectful of cy-clists, and as the road is narrow, I’d recommend taking the bus to and from the station. There is one every 40 minutes and as they respect a schedule, it is easy to plan your trips to and from Rome.In general I look forward to the summer but for the moment, I’m off to the capital. It’s Tuesday: my day to take my grand nephews, who are 4 and 6, to the park to continue our explorations of the Caf-farella. But after that, it will be back to the peace and quiet of Fregene.

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preventing at the same time most common pathologies such as:

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The American International Club of Rome celebrates the anniversary of American Independence.

Come join us for fun and games. Bring your family and friends for a traditional home-town style celebration.

The open air event includes a program of sports, games for children, an American barbecue, a raffle, musical entertainment, sparklers and dancing.

Be sure to bring your appetite, your dancing shoes, the kids and your red, white and blue!

ADMISSION DONATION

Adult: €25 ★ Children: 5-12yrs €5 (4yrs and under free) ★ Students: €10 (under 19yrs)

ADVANCE PURCHASE NECESSARY

To purchase the tickets please contact AICR office www.aicrome.org - tel. 06 4544 7625 - aicr@aicrome.org

When: Saturday, July 3rd from 5pm to dusk - Where: Rome center (Cassia)

AG s.r.l. - Via A. Cagnoni, 3400124 Roma

Tel. 06.50.93.00.97Fax 06.50.93.80.28

e-mail: info@ag-italia.com

B18/12/01

A IMERICANNTERNATIONALCLUB of Rome

Saturday, July 3rd 2010

short list

Short List - What’s hot now!by Jennifer Hawkins Micocci

Movie: Eat Pray Love (Mangia Prega Ama). Did you see Julia Roberts last sum-mer around Rome? I saw her (or the back of her blonde head) at Caffè della Pace on via della Pace shooting scenes with the very handsome and very Italian Luca Argentero. Maybe I didn’t see her face-to-face, but that laugh of hers: it really is unmistakable. She was filming this summer’s upcoming motion picture, based on the best selling book, Eat Pray Love, about an American woman, struggling through her divorce, and combating it while spending a year in Italy, then India, and then Bali. Oh, and along the way she finds her guru and Javier Bardem too!

Album: The Laws of Illusion. It’s been seven years since Sarah McLachlan’s last album and 11 years since she spearheaded the all female music festival, Lilith Fair. The tour will hit many U.S. cities this summer, and continues to be a celebration of women in music, featuring artists such as: The Bangles, Sheryl Crow, Rihanna, Go-Go’s, Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris, Queen Latifah, Carly Simon and Suzanne Vega. And of course McLachlan will be playing tracks from her new album, The Laws of Illusion, plus her Grammy-winning hits.

Website: WineryInsider.com. Would you like to hold the key to a private cellar? The Winery Insider will allow you to do just that and enjoy wonderful wines from around the world. Want details? It’s an online shopping site, each wine sales event lasting from 24 to 72 hours with discounts up to 80% off retail. None of the wines are ever repeated so that you are truly immersed into the world of wine. It’s a thrifty way to ‘educate’ (with the likes of Podere la Cappella DOCG or a Weekend Pinot Extravaganza) and fill your at home cellar.

DVD: It’s Complicated. I’m sure by now even if you haven’t seen the wonderful-ly hilarious film, It’s Complicated, you’ve at least seen a scene or preview. Hmm, such as Meryl Streep doing an online video chat with Steve Martin (potential boyfriend); they both step away for a moment, in time for Alec Baldwin (Streep’s ex-husband) to enter her room, undress completely, covering his privates with the computer screen (video still intact). Oops, then Martin and Streep re-enter their rooms only to have a big surprise. It really is that funny.

Book: Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It may be vintage, but it’s just as hot now as it was in 1961 when it triumphed into the lives of American housewives. I must admit that it was my Italian husband, never before hearing of Julia Child, and completely inspired by last year’s film, Julie & Julia, that listed this quintessential cookbook at the top of his Christmas list. Beginning with soupe à l’oignon, we have indulged in pissaladière nicois (my favorite), coq au vin and even boeuf bour-guignon. With each recipe, detailed to the pinch, it is a pleasure cooking with the help of Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck, a bit of patience and plenty of butter!

AICR news Summer 2010 11

The American International Club of Rome12

business

Controlled Language: Less Ambiguity, Lower Costsby Joe Dougherty

Removing AmbiguityWritten communication should be as clear and concise as possible. Natural languages, however, are so flexible that they can easily lead to confus-ing and ambiguous, but grammatically correct, constructions. This is especially true of technical writing, where the addition of special vocabular-ies, writing styles, and complex grammar tends to render the text opaque not just to ordinary readers, but to experts as well. This problem is amplified by the translation process, where ambi-guities can lead to incorrect translations or slow down the entire process. The idea of Controlled Language (CL) was developed to counter the tendency of writers to use ambiguous, confusing or overly-specialized language, thus making the translation faster and more accurate.

What is Controlled LanguageA Controlled language (CL) is a subset of a natu-ral language, obtained by restricting the grammar and vocabulary in order to reduce or eliminate ambiguity and complexity. A controlled language is governed by a more strict set of rules that en-able authors to write content that is easy to under-stand. Content that is easy to understand is also easy to translate, and therefore human translators and machine translation systems produce better results when translating controlled language text. Controlled language is particularly useful for specialist content such as help documentation, technical specifications, technical reports and technical documentation.

Practical ExamplesEvery natural language has its own unique gram-

mar, so the rules for controlled languages dif-fer from language to language. However, as an example, the following rules can be applied to many languages in order to reduce ambiguity.• Limit each sentence to 25 words. • Express only one idea per sentence. • Use the same sentence to express the same concept. • Create sentences that are grammatically complete. • Use a simple grammatical structure. • Use only the active form of verbs. • Repeat the noun instead of using a pronoun. • Use articles with every noun. • Use the simplest word when given a choice. These controlled language rules are examples of the CLOUT™ rule set (Controlled Language Optimized for Uniform Translation). Advance planning will be necessary—so it’s always best to work with an expert.

What’s in it for me?Translating text written in a Controlled Language will significantly improve the turnaround time while reducing the overall cost by up to 50% or more. Your product manuals will also be easier to understand, leading to another immediate ben-efit: fewer phone calls from customers with prob-lems. Besides the quality increase, your technical writers will also become more efficient as they increase their level of writing skills and they will be able to re-use previously written material more frequently, which may reduce your time to market. CL will limit the use of inconsistent ter-minology, encouraging reusability not only at the term level, but also at the phrase and sentence level, which is ideal for Content Management Systems. Ask your translation service provider, they can help you plan your CL project.

Joe Dougherty is the General Manager of Elanex Italy, the Italian branch of American language service pro-vider Elanex, Inc.

AICR news Summer 2010 13

member profile

Harold BradleyBy Danielle DeVine

The voice is the first thing that one notices about Harold Bradley. It inspires words normally reserved for describing wine: rich, smooth and velvety, with a timbre reminiscent of tobacco, molasses, and smoky nights at jazz clubs in Harlem, tinged with the lan-guid cadences of a lazy Louisiana river.That mellifluous voice takes center stage as Harold and his Jona’s Blues Band play at various venues around Italy. As one watches Harold performing with the ease and assurance of a consummate professional, the question comes to mind: How did Harold Bradley wind up in Rome singing the blues?As often happens amongst many expatriate love af-fairs with Italy, it all started with art. “I was earmarked for that,” Harold says, taking out a photograph of an early painting. It shows many different students in an American high school typical of the 1950’s, with a distinctly Norman Rockwell-esque feel to it. Indeed, “Norman Rockwell was my hero. I used to study his works in the Saturday Evening Post.” Even more impressive is that the entire painting was done from memory, with multiple figures placed harmoniously in space, even including a self-portrait of the artist himself: “that’s me there in the corner.” Such natural ability impressed Harold’s teachers from an early age, and he won prize after prize, in-cluding the Ingerstoll Art Award and a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago. “That was my objec-tive in life; that’s why I came to Italy… All I did was draw… In parks, churches, Villa Borhgese, people, boats, fishing… and then cars and automobiles… I was good in portraits, but I felt like in that genre there wasn’t enough vitality, so I started to draw machines and mechanical things, the ‘Machine’.”The first time Harold came to Italy was on a two week trip, seven days of which he spent in Rome. But before he made it back to Italy to fulfill his life-long dream of studying in the land of Michelangelo, his life took a few interesting detours; the first of which was winning a football scholarship to the Uni-versity of Iowa, where he went to study Fine Arts.

Although football proved to be a consuming avoca-tion, whose rigorous three month full-time training sessions each year left him little time to devote to other long held interests, such as clarinet playing, it did wind up saving his life and indirectly providing him a ticket to Italy. He was drafted to serve in the army just in time for the Korean War, and if it weren’t for the Marine Corps Recruitment Depot in San Di-ego discovering his talent for football, Harold might have wound up meeting the same tragic end as the rest of his company in the Korean War, all of whom perished. Instead, thanks to football, he went on to play in the NFL Championships, now known as the Superbowl, and won twice. But the greatest prize of all was the GI Bill, which permitted him to continue his post-graduate art studies in the land of Dante. “Florence and Perugia were my two choices, and I picked Perugia because it was closer to Rome.” While studying at the University of Perugia, he stumbled into acting. “Music friends from university said that they wanted to go to Assisi,” where A Tragic Night in Assisi was being filmed. Harold accompanied them, and was approached by someone who asked, “Have you ever done any acting? I’ll take you to the director. He might have a role for you… Would you like that?” Says Harold, “I thought, why not,” and he ended up play-ing the captain of the Saracens, “a mean character.” “Singing and acting came naturally… I had seen a lot of Neo-Realist films and noticed that black ac-tors were prominent… [I was] looking at actors like Johnny Kitzmiller and Dots Johnson, black men who lived and worked in Italy. Italy seemed like an art ha-ven for an ex-retired GI.” Parts in over 40 films followed, from 1960’s gladi-ator films (“I was in Anthony Quinn’s, Barabbas; I played a gladiator trainer who died in a fight to the death”), to Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. One of the most lighthearted roles was as the genie in Aladdin’s bottle in a Gianni Mo-randi film. A highlight of his film career was meeting the aforementioned Johnny Kitzmiller on the set of Uncle Tom’s Cabin; a film completed a month before Kitzmiller’s death.

member profile

While in Perugia, he also started singing. “Amazing that I could. [That] could only happen in Italy. I came here with no significant training, only some clarinet and guitar, and those only because I wanted to be a sax player.” The only background he had in singing was “YMCA things… I was just one of the kids in my church, and just one of the kids in the YMCA.” He recalls, “Music was my accompaniment to sleep every night,” and it permeated the Bradley house-hold. He adds, “My father was a great jazz lover… Jazz masters like Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford, and Count Basie were the philosophers of my father… I came to Italy to do art, even though I loved music… I was very passionate about it because I loved listening to it… I was a great listener.”Harold managed to combine his love of painting and music in his dissertation on medieval and modern art history at La Sapi-enza, where he studied with the renowned Carlo Argan. Bosch, Brueghel and the Blues explored the parallels in the musical influ-ences on Brueghel and Bosch and those of the blues. “I used to listen a lot to [jazz great] Gerry Mulligan, and I was thinking about him when watching the Brueghel slides during class, and matching them to the sounds of Mulligan. So I started thinking about the Spanish influenced Flemish music that inspired Bosch and Brueghel, and the similarities between Spanish folk music and the Blues. They’re spiritual and surreal, full of images that don’t really exist except for in great imaginations. Even the simplest blues songs are tied to visions. Like they say, ‘blues is the music of the devil.’”One of his greatest satisfactions of his time in Italy has been his success in disseminating the music that he loves so fervently. “I’ve helped to motivate a lot. I’ve been an apripista, first of all in folk music busi-ness, international folk music and jazz. We put folk music and jazz, [together] in Folkstudio,” which he

founded in Trastevere in 1961. Folkstudio went on to become a celebrated musical force, featuring artists such as Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and Steve Lacy. Har-old also founded the Bronzeville American Gospel group, as well as St. John’s Singers. After seven years overseeing Folkstudio, his voca-tion as a painter played a fateful role once more and brought him back to his American roots. A commis-sion for a set of posthumous portraits of illustrious African American subjects took him back to Chi-

cago, and “an offer too big to refuse” to serve as a curator for the Illinois Arts Council kept him there. It was 1968, and the man whose childhood was marred by lynchings, saw that the civil rights movement had helped “to open things up professionally at that point.” As the curator of the Illinois Arts Council, Harold organized traveling exhibits, lec-tured, and organized installations for other visual arts. After a year and a half as curator, he accepted a teaching post at the University of Illinois to teach Special Appli-

cations of Art Education in high schools, a program designed for teachers without art history or applied arts training. He was then invited to join a team of teachers and professional artists at the Center for Up-grading Educational Services, where he spent three years assisting in the training of teachers in the opera-tion of new equipment, print making, and workshop organization. Given the choice between helping prisoners or in-mates of a mental institution, “I chose prisoners be-cause at that point in my life, in the 80’s, I had heard all of these stories about prisons, filled with people that nobody wants… Art could help and my way of doing things in art could help.” He spent seven years helping out at maximum security prison facility Jo-liet, where Al Capone had been an inmate, and a charcoal drawing he made of that time, of a prisoner looking over his shoulder and squinting in the sun,

The American International Club of Rome14

member profile

is both powerful and poignant, as is the melancholic self-portrait done by a young inmate.During his time in Chicago, as the “short” trip stretched into 20 years, Harold also continued acting in the theater. He met Langston Hughes at one point, and his favorite roles were those he played in Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh, and later in the Italian version of Driving Miss Daisy. As if those commit-ments weren’t enough, during his time back in “The City that Works,” Harold also started broadcasting as a cultural events reporter, first with PBS, then CBS, then NBC. But after 11 years of broadcasting, in ad-dition to his day job, as well as his continued involve-ment in theater and painting, his heavy schedule be-gan to take its toll. “I got four hours of sleep a night and didn’t see my kids… I was suffering a lot then.” On a 1987 trip to Europe to see family in Germany for Christmas, Harold stopped by the Eternal City, and decided to settle here for good. When asked if he is surprised by the career path his life has taken, Harold says simply, “I always admired

versatility.” In fact, that’s one of the reasons he joined the AICR around 1967. “In those days it was more of the American businessmen’s club. I always liked the idea of an artist being a business man. I always tried to be a business man.”After 48 years of marriage, three grown children, and a lifetime full of artistic adventures, Harold’s only unfulfilled wish is: “I might have stuck more to visual arts over the years, although, I always did cycles of drawings.” He still continues with his musi-cal, artistic, and educational endeavors, volunteering to teach American folk songs and spirituals in local elementary schools. A one man painting show is in the works, and a CD of live musical performance is to be recorded before summer. In addition, he just fin-ished working on a film by Nanni Moretti, and when he talks about that recent project, he reveals one of his secrets to staying so dynamic despite his 80 years of age. “He called me out of the blue,” and Harold accepted the role with relish, “Feels like I’m starting all over again.”

C o l o r C u t S t y l ePiazza Del Popolo 3 | Roma 00187T 06 3600 6284 | noisalon@alice.it

www.noisalon.com

What is your idea of perfect happiness?Being surrounded by those you love, contributing to society in a positive way, and of course floating on your back in the sea or ocean without a care in the world.

What is your greatest fear? Not recognizing what you have when you have it.

Which living person do you most admire?I really cannot limit it to one person; there are so many inspirational living people whom I admire for different reasons.

Who are your favorite writers? Barbara Kingsolver, Margaret Atwood and many others I haven’t read yet.

Which talent would you most like to have? To be able to inspire goodness in people.

What or who is the greatest love of your life? Life itself.

When and where were you happiest? There have been so many happy moments in my life, but as far as the ability to be able to recognize them at the time...I think I have recently further developed this, so therefore I am happiest right now!

What is your most marked characteristic?Genuineness.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? All of my interpersonal relationships and creating a life for myself in Rome.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Bridget Jones.

proust Questionnaire

Wendy was born in Honolulu and lived the first 25 years of her life changing cities frequently due to a Navy family. ‘Home’ is now a combination of Rome and Seattle which is the last place she lived before moving to Rome in fall of 1999. As an occupation, she’s a freelance EFL teacher but is often working on various other projects. Her latest, GAIA Girls Camp, a creativity based self-esteem building summer camp for girls, is just getting off the ground. Wendy enjoys all the new people she meets and the new opportunities that are constantly being presented… And overall, after more than 10 years Wendy still truly enjoys her life in Rome.

AICR’s Proust Questionnaire with wendy Bathgate

AICR news Summer 2010 17

The American International Club of Rome14

aiCr business members & disCounts

20,00 € discount off for the first visit to the Osteopath, Naturopath, Heilpraktiker who specializes in: Stress, digest & back problems, massage for chronic constipation, hemorrhoids, gastritis, bad circulation, heavy legs, insom-nia. www.eng.adamski-method.net, Studio via Catone 21 Metro San Pietro 349/3607677 - 06/97605733

Avis offers up to 10% off on all rentals in Italy. To make a reservation visit www.avisautonoleggio.it/aicrome or call 199 100 133 and quote your Avis worldwide discount (AWD) number W465200 Soprano soloist Lauren Broglia available for weddings, wedding receptions, cocktail parties, special events & holi-day occasions, http://www.laurenbroglia.com artconcerts@tiscali.it 392120 3361. Discount available according to event. 10% discount on Italian language courses at CIAO ITALIA Center for Italian language and culture. Guaranteed quick results, relaxing environment, on/off site. Tel./Fax 06/4814084 - Via delle Frasche, 5 (Via dei Serpenti) www.ciao-italia.it info@ciao-italia.it

10% discount off language and cultural awareness training from GLOBAL TRAINING. Italian, Chinese, German, English, ...; specials: legal language, language+ Golf; cul-tural awareness: China, India, Italy, Germany; www.language-culture.de; info@language-culture.de; Via Frattina, 89, 00187 Roma; Tel. 0039.3391288422

Rome University of Fine Arts (RUFA): 10% discount on the open courses + one free trial lessonwww.iaa.it/eng/open.htmVia Benaco 2 - 00199 - Rome Phone and Fax 06.8586.5917

Order personalized floral designs by DebraFlower for that special touch and have them delivered free (Rome and within 5 km. outside Raccordo). Weddings! Events! Parties! debra.flower@email.it, www.debraflower.com, www.debra-flower.blogspot.com, www.debraflowerit.blogspot.com

Giovanni Intilla Consulting: Coaching, Cross-Cultural Training, Business Assistant. Helping you achieve your business and personal objectives in a better, faster and more cost effective way. Complimentary, no obligation first ses-sion. 15% off on all the services. www.intilla.com,giovanni.intilla@gmail.com, mobile: +39 339 2575 486

For AICR members and/or their relatives or friends traveling together: 20% discount on the basic rates for one way trans-fers & 10% discount on the basic rates for sightseeing,day trips and city tours. Customized services will be organized on demand. Italy Driving Guide www.italydrivinguide.com; info@italydrivinguide.com;

10% discount on all of NU SKIN products. Do you want to become younger? Would you give a new look to your face? Just 10/15 minutes of a miraculous anti age treatment to ob-tain fantastic results. Would you try it on your own face? Call or write for a free trial: Valentina: 06/8602738 mobile: 3474549915 valentinatiffany@hotmail.it.

Take advantage of important discounts at many local businesses, thanks to your AICR Membership.

aiCr business members

AICR thanks our Business Members who provide benefits for AICR members and support the Club.

Avis Autonoleggio - Rent a CarItalian Headquarters: Via Tiburtina 1231, 00131 Romemarketing@avis-autonoleggio.it Reservations: www.avisautonoleggio.it/aicromeCall Center: 199 100 133 (Outside Italy + 39 06 45 21 08 391)Quote Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number W465200

Fly Center SrLVia Salaria 825Tel. Fax 0688644276Fly.center@tiscali.it

Marymount International SchoolTel. 06 36 29 101 Fax: 06 36 30 1738Via di Villa Lauchli 180 marymount@marymountrome.org www.marymountrome.org

St. John’s UniversityVia Marcantonio Colonna, 21A Rome Italy 00192Tel. 06-393842 or Toll Free Number in Italy: 800 971736Fax: +39 06 39384200 - US Tel: +1 (212) 815-9216 Ext. 2info@stjohns.edu www.stjohns.edu/rome

CEO

Chief

VIPStudio Dentistico Marullo di Marullo Maria Nuri MD. DDSPiazza Salerno 6/ Via Imperia 1Tel.06-44291526 Cell.335-6236809marianuri.marullo@gmail.comwww.healthysmileinrome.com

Noi SalonPiazza del Popolo 3Tel. 06 36006284www.noisalon.com noisalon@alice.it

NO,VO’LI’ SasVia di Fontecornino53045 Sant’ Albino di Montepulciano (SI)az.agricola@no-vo-li.it www.no-vo-li.itTel. Fax: 0578/799166 Cell. 340.461.00.87

RUFA - Rome University of Fine ArtsVia Benaco, 2, 00199 RomeTel. Fax 06 85 86 5917www.unirufa.it rufa@iaa.it

Stefania Alessandrini SartoreTel. Fax 06 6871380www.stefaniaalessandrini.comstefania.alessandrini@gmail.it

Please join us in welcoming the following new members:

Pamela AmosEnglish Teacher

Wendy BathgateFreelance ESL

Will BeesonHigh Yield Bond Trader

Advicorp

Alexander CapilliAdvicorp

Preston CrissSecond Secretary

US Embassy to the Italian State

Carla De FinaCasa Pariolina

Residence & Cooking Classes

Antonella MaglioccoTax ManagerBanca d’Italia

Andrea Mandel-MantelloCEO

Advicorp

Wendy PaethGovernment Relations OfficerUN World Food Programme

Brooke Porter Andreini

Manuela TraldiLawyer

Studio Legale Traldi

aiCr new members

The American International Club of Rome c/o Advicorp, via Parigi, 11, 6th floor, 00187 Rome, Italy

www.aicrome.org - aicr@ aicrome.orgTel. 06-45447625 / Fax 06-97254122

Phone office hours are Mon – Thurs 9am – 12pm, walk-in office hours are Mondays from 11:00am to 1:00pm / Fridays from 1:00pm to 5:00pmThe AICR office location at via Parigi is for making dues/events payments and retrieving tickets only. For specific information about the Club or your membership status, please use phone, fax, or email.

Dinner Party at the Circolo Canottieri Aniene First Friday Happy Hour May (below)

Community Service Initiative Spring CleaningCocktail at the Roma Polo Club (below)

May Discussion on Money Lending in Rome Wine & Cheese Elections Night