The great-grandmother's recipe (Part II) (...continue from part I....) “I’ll spill the beans, my friend. You know that my great-grandmother had an excellent recipe to make a superb turkey in the oven.” “I bought a big turkey this morning and I started to follow the recipe. You know that the recipe must be followed closely….., well, I put the turkey in the balcony….” “This is a bit strange Joe. You did that because you were painting the kitchen, I suppose. And why didn’t you start to slice the turkey on a table in the living room? Today is snowing and it's beastly cold!" said I interrupting him. “No, I started my great-grandmother’s recipe before painting the kitchen” muttered Joe. “Ok! you have some problems then! Out on the streets there is a fierce wind, a cold so intense that also in the graveyards death people have a chill in their bones and have you sliced a dead turkey on your balcony, in the open air? Silence. “I never told you that the turkey was dead” replied Joe I gasped with surprise. “What do you mean?” Joe was as white as a sheet: “I mean that my great-grandmother used to live in a little farm and the recipe listed some things to do before cooking the turkey; the first one was to kill the turkey. But this stupid animal, when I release my hand from his neck, ran away in the kitchen. There was a terrible struggle, I had only my knife and I can’t reach the axe and the hammer but, in the end, I won! The kitchen, however, were completely covered with blood. And so, I had to clean and repaint it” I was staring him with amazement. My mouth was dry. “and…and… the turkey?” “Oh, no problem Joe! All told, I sliced it very well. I’ve only to pluck it the pieces" IMPORTANT! Any resemblance to real events and/or to real persons (or turkeys), living or dead, is purely coincidental

The great-grandmother's recipe (Part I) I went to see my friend Joe some hours before dinner on the Thanksgiving Day. When he opened the door, I found him with his suit covered in paint. I ask him: "What have you been doing? "Your clothes are covered in paint!" "I’ve been decorating the kitchen” he replied me. “What a great idea! Then, I suppose you don’t remember that you invited me and Mary for having a dinner with you this evening!” “No, don’t worry! I remember it very well. I’ll finish within 15 minutes. I’ll have five hours to get dinner ready and to lay the table before you come here”. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to have dinner with paint’s smell, couldn’t you wait to do it?” “No, no, it was impossibile, I wanted to cook a big turkey with the recipe of my great-grandmother” "How does this touch on the decoration of your kitchen?" Meanwhile, we came in the kitchen and I said: ”mmmhh, what a lovely smell! What have you been cooking?” “I’ve been baking a chocolate cake” Looking at Joe I exclaimed “But, I see that you’ve been crying” “Have you been crying?" “No, no” said Joe a little embarassed "I’ve been chopping onions” "I see, have you been putting onions in your chocolate cake?” I burst out laughing, “Absolutely no! ehm….., well, I’ve been telling you about the turkey!” “Yes!…tell me about this fabulous recipe” “Something went wrong with the turkey!”. “Joe, you seem a little under the weather, what the hell have you done with this turkey? “Oh Mark! I’m shaking on my legs, I’m afraid I’ll screw it up!” “Joe, what are you saying? I can’t understand a thing! Have you putting chocolate inside the turkey? Talk me and explain what you’ve done!!” “But….Oh Joe!" “You must talk turkey about this damned turkey! If you messed up the dinner I still have time to book a table at the restaurant! Get down to brass tacks!”

Present perfect continuous Could you explain why in the first phrase of this declaration of CDC Director about nurse's infection with Ebola, he use present perfect continuous? Using "I've heard....." is it wrong? "I've been hearing loud and clear from health care workers from around the country that they're worried, that they don't feel prepared to take care of a patient with Ebola," Frieden said.

The dive bar I went in a dive bar in the neighborhood of Seattle. There were a lot of ugly men, some strip-dancers and a heavy smoke of cigarettes. The music was loudly and I suddenly felt many eyes on my back. The bartender was a huge man without an ear and a scarface in his right cheek. I didn’t want to go in this place but I was very hungry after one thousands miles on a coach. The bartender said me: “What are you for?”. My answer came in a flash:”I have a terrible hunger. If you dont’t give something to eat, you will lose the other ear!”. Abrubtly, there was silence around me. “My godness!” I thought. "I must be mad! What an earth I could say that?”. Maybe I was completely worn out and my politeness was flown away. I saw two muscle heads turn their heads on me. “Pray to go to heaven without much pain! Pray to go there in not many pieces, pray……” “Ah! Guy! You are very nice! We have meat and potatoes for you and I’ll pay for your drinks. But you are sweating! Is is too hot for you?”. “No, no , don’t worry, sometimes I sweat when I realize what a lucky man I am.” (Gasp!)

The year in which I was born I live in Turin in the North-West of Italy. I have been living here since 1963 when I was born. In 1963 many important things happened. One of these was the famous speech of M. L. King in which he said:"I have a dream....". Another one was the first album by Beatles. Unfortunately, in 1963 J.F. Kennedy was killed. Just before my birth, USA and URSS had been defying in Cuba. If Krusciov hadn’t given up, avoiding to take your missiles to Cuba, I would have grown in a dark sky with some problems due to nuclear weapons.

My bucket list Today I learned a new idiom: “bucket list”. Bucket list is the list of things that you want to do in your life. You can use also another expression connected with this one: “to kick the bucket”. It is the same as to say that a person is dead (gasp!). Infact, when you want to do some things in your life, you hope to do them before you die. Kicking the bucket spilt all your dreams on the ground (what a pity!). Anyway, my first thing of my bucket list is to retire to Greece one day with my wife. This is a good way to live. Another thing of my bucket list is to take an IELTS exam and to get a good score. I don’t know if a IELTS test passed will be useful one day in Greece under the sun. but it doesn’t matter.

I’ve made a Public Video Pledge for the italki 2014 October Language Challenge If you want to see my video click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUppgm5au_8

A tale with mixed phrasal verbs I caught sight of her in the crowd. She made a beckoning and I went over (avvicinai) to her table: “How time does fly!” She said. “We’re none of us getting any younger! How are you?” “I’m not very well. I’m earning barely enough to keep body and soul together” “I’d like to have a chat with you some of this days” she said “as I’m startled (spaventata) by my neighbour. If you would want to help me, I’ll give you a lot of money” “Now, are you hungry?” “Yes, I’m starving”. “Well, I’ll have eggs and bacon and while they are being cooked, I’ll go to the toilet. Would you kindly order for me? Order what you like of course, I’ll pay for you”. My heart sank a little. “thank you mylady, I never mind to eat something”. “I fancy (immagino) you are very hungry” and she bound to the toilet. I ate gaily and I didn’t mind about the awkward situation so that a woman could pay for me the bill. I ate hot bread with melted butter and jam which I spread over it, a mutton chop and I thrust it down my throat in large voluptuous mouthfuls. I was past caring about my poor condition, I was only happy to fill my stomach. I was glad that God took a hand in the matter (to take a hand…prendersi cura). She addressed me brightly:”this restaurant is so far beyond your means, isn’t it? "Would you like anything else from bill of fare? Presently, I have to go home"