Nereo Zane has just posted a great video showing some of the warm-up
and parade activity on the Grand Canal during Regata Storica.
http://www.vogaveneta.it/video-gallery/287-regata-storica-2013.html
Monday, December 30, 2013
Friday, December 27, 2013
Pellegrino
My dear friend Joe Gibbons of Boston sent this in recently.
This is a photo of my father in law, Pellegrino Ragosa.
Those that were close to him called him Bill.
Unfortunately Bill passed away earlier this month.
We miss him terribly. Bill played accordion for 7 years aboard our gondolas here in Boston. He entertained with his old fashioned style of playing the standards from the past. Our guests really enjoyed Bill and often request him. Bill was from Avallino, Italy and was often seen sitting on our gondola bench telling story's to the young gondoliers. Bill played the accordion as a teenager back in the late 1940s and early 1950s. For 43 years his old accordion sat idle until his daughter, Camille and I convinced him once again to bring it to life and to share his talent!. We all have great memories of him and the gondola culture will not be the same here in Boston without him. We salute you Pellegrino R.I.P.
Bill was lovingly laid to rest on December 13, 2013
Someone once said that "a team is nothing without it's players",
and nothing could be more accurate in the gondola business.
Pellegrino and his instrument had a positive impact on countless cruises;
he was a true blessing, he will be missed, but he'll never be forgotten.
The Boston gondola operation has been long been known for their live musicians, many of whom were mentioned in the post "Live Music in Boston", including Pellegrino.
Those that were close to him called him Bill.
Unfortunately Bill passed away earlier this month.
We miss him terribly. Bill played accordion for 7 years aboard our gondolas here in Boston. He entertained with his old fashioned style of playing the standards from the past. Our guests really enjoyed Bill and often request him. Bill was from Avallino, Italy and was often seen sitting on our gondola bench telling story's to the young gondoliers. Bill played the accordion as a teenager back in the late 1940s and early 1950s. For 43 years his old accordion sat idle until his daughter, Camille and I convinced him once again to bring it to life and to share his talent!. We all have great memories of him and the gondola culture will not be the same here in Boston without him. We salute you Pellegrino R.I.P.
Bill was lovingly laid to rest on December 13, 2013
Someone once said that "a team is nothing without it's players",
and nothing could be more accurate in the gondola business.
Pellegrino and his instrument had a positive impact on countless cruises;
he was a true blessing, he will be missed, but he'll never be forgotten.
The Boston gondola operation has been long been known for their live musicians, many of whom were mentioned in the post "Live Music in Boston", including Pellegrino.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Origami
Christmas greetings from our friend Uwe Kunze (aka "Carlo") in northern Germany:
Hello Greg,
I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
My daughter has given to me this wonderful Japanese Origami artwork.
She knows what I´m dreaming of.
We still have to wait 5 more months to be back on the water day and night with The Black Magic....
In January I´m in Venice and meeting some old friends from G.S.V.V.M.
- Carlo
Merry Christmas, Carlo.
Stay warm and enjoy Venezia in January.
I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
My daughter has given to me this wonderful Japanese Origami artwork.
She knows what I´m dreaming of.
We still have to wait 5 more months to be back on the water day and night with The Black Magic....
In January I´m in Venice and meeting some old friends from G.S.V.V.M.
- Carlo
Merry Christmas, Carlo.
Stay warm and enjoy Venezia in January.
Club Photo for Christmas
photo courtesy Nereo Zane and GSVVM
Nereo Zane sent this one in just now.
Here's a nice group of rowers from the GSVVM posing in front of a club caorlina, and wishing us all a hearty "Buon Natale!"
Grazie Nereo, and Merry Christmas to you too, caro amico.
Nereo Zane sent this one in just now.
Here's a nice group of rowers from the GSVVM posing in front of a club caorlina, and wishing us all a hearty "Buon Natale!"
Grazie Nereo, and Merry Christmas to you too, caro amico.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Santa in Coronado
On his way around the world on Christmas Eve, Santa (aka Babbo Natale)
made a short stop in Coronado, California to do what only truly exeptional individuals do: row a gondola.
photo shamelessly stolen from the facebook page of The Gondola Company
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Just the Photo - Business as Usual
Just another gorgeous sunset, followed by ethereal colors at dusk.
Just another evening of calm breezes and cool but comfortable temps
in December.
This is the view from my "office"... it's also one of the reasons I keep
coming back to work.
Just business as usual in Southern California.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Boat Parade in Newport - Friday Night Lights
The Christmas boat parade in Newport was as lively and eye-catching tonight
as it ever is.
I was on the Contessa, a pupparin, with a fun young couple who thoroughly enjoyed front row seats to this great show.
After a short jaunt through the canals, we emerged just as the parade was making it's turn in front of our docks. A few other gondolas were already
lined up, so I pulled up alongside them.
Eventually there were at least six of us, all in a row and enjoying the spectacle.
Newport has more than one gondola operation, and I was happy to see
Mike Ruffino from the Gondola Company of Newport next to me.
A couple other guys from that operation were there, but I didn't get their names. As the parade plowed by, someone in a small boat with a loud sound system spotted us all and exclaimed "Wow, it's gondola city here!"
There were lights - lots of lights.
After most of the parade had passed through the basin in front of our office,
I rowed under the Lido bridge and managed to intercept the front of the procession once again, shooting video as they went by.
Many of the parade boats have someone on the microphone,
wishing everyone Merry Christmas.
When you're on a gondola, they like to talk to you.
Watch for the dragon's fire a few boats into the procession.
a few times, and each time there was a small boat flanking it - a boat that
had a clever 50's car facade on it.
And there was music, lots of music, different types of music blasting from the various parade boats as they plowed by.
The weather was pretty much exactly what we pray for this time of year:
clear sky, mildly cool temperature, and almost no wind.
December in California - it's terrible. Don't move here.
Sunset in Alamitos Bay
photo by Mark Schooling
A remarkable sunset sky over Alamitos Bay as one of the caorlinas
of Gondola Getaway passes homes decorated with Christmas lights.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Gator in the Bay
These images come from my friend Martha Lenoir-Beachem
who operates Las Olas Gondola in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
It seems that Southern California isn't the only place with Christmas
boat parades.
Here's Martha standing next to one heck of a creative piece.
I've seen a lot of clever and impressive things float by in boat parades,
but this may just have them all beat.
Not only does it have a huge alligator mouth,
but there's a crane inside which opens and closes those gaping jaws.
The whole thing is a creation of a guy named Lloyd Goradesky - artist and photographer, with a heart for the Everglades and all those critters who live in it.
You can learn more about Lloyd's "Gator in the Bay" on his website:
www.gatorinthebay.com
If Martha's smart, she'll stay out of the way of that thing on the water,
I hear that it it has a taste for gondolas.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Solar Powered Christmas Lights
photo by Konnor Boivin
We sent our gondolas out into the crazy madness that is
the Newport Harbor Parade of Lights.
Fifty-one weeks out of the year, our standard running lights
serve well - keeping other boats from colliding with ours,
but during parade it's a different story.
photo by Konnor Boivin
Visibility is survival out on the water, and in a black boat in the dark, you need more than just the little red and green up front and a white light on the tail.
This is where solar powered lighting systems come in mighty handy; they are
self-contained, and easy to mount on the boat.
My right-hand-man Steve Elkins did a great job of decorating these two gondolas.
photo by Steve Elkins
In twenty years on the back of a gondola, I've only been run into one time...and yes, it was during boat parade. The guy was driving a boat with christmas lights draped from the bow rails of his yacht.
The whole boat was lit up, and my guess is that he was pretty lit up too.
Nobody got hurt, and it ended well for the gondola too,
but it sure could have been worse.
Since then I have strong opinions when it comes to visibility on the water.
photo by Steve Elkins
Visibility is survival, but in this case it looks pretty good too.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Sunsets in December
photo by Carey Vandewalle
This time of year the sun rises and sets on a different arc than in summer, resulting in sunsets that can last longer and sometimes show more color.
Saturday, the 15th was no exception. Our clients were not disappointed.
Monday, December 16, 2013
"Gondola Culture" in America
The other day I was talking with someone about gondolas in America,
about how we all know each other and about how there really is a
"gondola culture" in this country.
With gondoliers rowing boats in
several locations, and a history of these operations going back decades,
the US has a “gondola culture”.
The word "culture" seems
to have many meanings, but simply put:
America's gondola culture consists of
several individuals,
who practice a similar craft,
share many of the same
traits and interests,
and to a certain extent, are only truly understood by
other members of the culture.
In addition, our gondola culture has some of it's
own lingo, protocols, mannerisms, and so forth. There are hierarchies,
"families",
and even feuds within the culture from time to time.
Of
course we take many of our cues from what goes on in Venice, Italy,
but we
interpret and adapt things to suit our unique locations.
Our whole world
revolves around this wonderful boat known as the gondola.
When you do something as unique as gondoliering,
sooner or later you'll realize that nobody understands what you do,
like someone else who does it too. Get a bunch of those people connected,
and you've got a sort of club. A few decades into it, and you've got a "culture".
American gondoliers use the same lingo, help each other out like brothers,
and enjoy working (or not working) together.
More importantly, most of these gondoliers love their job.
Sure, there may be a few jobs they'd rather do (astronaut, rock star, sultan, secret agent, Ferrari test driver) but within the realm of reality, there aren't that many vocations as enticing as this one.
In some of the gondola operations that have been in place long enough, hierarchies, rowing methods, preferences in clothing and footwear all come into play in the gondola culture.
Many gondola operations have also developed traditions - some are location-specific, while others can be observed in multiple servizi.
Because Southern California is home to nine separate gondola companies,
the gondola culture is strongest here. Get-togethers occur regularly,
gondoliers visit and row together in different harbors, and groups from the region participate in Vogalonga and other events in Venice.
But the culture exists in other parts of the country too, with enthusiastic rowers in locations in New England and the midwest - each with their own accent to the dialect that we all speak.
With all this in mind, it's no surprise that the recent national competition
(with gondoliers from eight different companies in several states),
almost felt more like a family reunion than a series of races.
When you're a gondolier, no one understands you like another gondolier.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Iceboating
"Two inches will hold the weight of a person,
four inches will hold the weight of a car"
He said, naming off some of the things about ice thickness that are basic information, that any Minnesotan knows.
Twin Cities native John Kerschbaum is a guy I've known for probably ten years now. I've rowed with him on expedition, in competition, and here in Newport during his annual visit for Valentine's Day. John is like a brother to me, we've heard each other's stories many times, but now and then he'll surprise me with something new - like iceboating.
John comes out to California each winter to row, because as you might have guessed, his gondolas aren't available for cruises in February.
The St. Croix River freezes in winter.
John wrote me the other day, telling me that his gondolas were out of the water for the season. he sent me a few photos of the boats, the property and this strange craft called an "Iceboat".
I had to call him on the phone. There were just too many questions.
He'd just gone out on one for the first time and was still riding the adrenaline wave as he told me about it.
I'd heard of iceboats, but mostly I'd heard of their land-sailing cousins that folks sail in the desert and on salt flats. Those vehicles travel on wheels, the thing John went sailing on was moving across the ice on steel blades.
"Different lakes and rivers freeze at different times and to different thicknesses.
The best scenario is when a lake freezes before the snows come, because once the snow falls on the ice, you can't skate on it."
John went on to describe things to me on the phone. We'd talked for years about things relating to water, but never about frozen water.
"Sometimes we go out skating with our life jackets on, wear spikes around our necks in case we fall through - we can use the spikes to climb out."
"You learn to read the cracks and look for bubbles under the ice"
"Usually you skate with friends, sometimes we skate with rope so we'll have something to haul someone out with".
My obvious next question: have you ever fallen through?
"I've never fallen through, but you always have to be ready"
"When you see ice fishermen, you know it's safe,
you can ask them how thick it is."
Like us crazy gondoliers, there's a whole culture of these iceboaters; they sail for fun, and compete too - it's called "ice yachting".
Before you laugh, consider the physics.
A sailboat has to plow through the water, a iceboat has almost no resistance.
With a skilled operator, an iceboat like the one John rode on can exceed 50 MPH in 10-12 mile per hour winds.
Other types have been clocked at over 100 MPH...that's enough to drag adrenaline junkies out into the cold windy winter conditions.
When I first rowed with John Kerschbaum, it was on an expedition down the Hudson River. At one overnight stopping point, John camped by the gondola and visited a maritime museum where he learned about some of the river travel of the past. He said that in the 1800's, river boat captains built iceboats because they got bored in winter.
Originally iceboats were actual boats that had been modified to travel on blades, and some on skis as well.
Today's iceboats are built according to certain criteria so they can fit into different sailing classes. The boat John went on was in the International DN Class - as is evident by the markings on the sail.
DN stands for Detroit News. In 1937 the Detroit News (newspaper) held a design contest and the winning design looked something like the boat in the photo.
Over sixty years later the International DN Class is one of the largest and most popular classes, with competitors in North America and Europe.
John told me that the iceboating is so great in his area, that he knows of a guy in Germany who keeps an iceboat in Minnesota and travels there each year just to sail across the ice.
Iceboating, just one more thing I have to try before I die.
four inches will hold the weight of a car"
He said, naming off some of the things about ice thickness that are basic information, that any Minnesotan knows.
Twin Cities native John Kerschbaum is a guy I've known for probably ten years now. I've rowed with him on expedition, in competition, and here in Newport during his annual visit for Valentine's Day. John is like a brother to me, we've heard each other's stories many times, but now and then he'll surprise me with something new - like iceboating.
John comes out to California each winter to row, because as you might have guessed, his gondolas aren't available for cruises in February.
The St. Croix River freezes in winter.
John wrote me the other day, telling me that his gondolas were out of the water for the season. he sent me a few photos of the boats, the property and this strange craft called an "Iceboat".
I had to call him on the phone. There were just too many questions.
He'd just gone out on one for the first time and was still riding the adrenaline wave as he told me about it.
I'd heard of iceboats, but mostly I'd heard of their land-sailing cousins that folks sail in the desert and on salt flats. Those vehicles travel on wheels, the thing John went sailing on was moving across the ice on steel blades.
"Different lakes and rivers freeze at different times and to different thicknesses.
The best scenario is when a lake freezes before the snows come, because once the snow falls on the ice, you can't skate on it."
John went on to describe things to me on the phone. We'd talked for years about things relating to water, but never about frozen water.
"Sometimes we go out skating with our life jackets on, wear spikes around our necks in case we fall through - we can use the spikes to climb out."
"You learn to read the cracks and look for bubbles under the ice"
"Usually you skate with friends, sometimes we skate with rope so we'll have something to haul someone out with".
My obvious next question: have you ever fallen through?
"I've never fallen through, but you always have to be ready"
"When you see ice fishermen, you know it's safe,
you can ask them how thick it is."
Like us crazy gondoliers, there's a whole culture of these iceboaters; they sail for fun, and compete too - it's called "ice yachting".
Before you laugh, consider the physics.
A sailboat has to plow through the water, a iceboat has almost no resistance.
With a skilled operator, an iceboat like the one John rode on can exceed 50 MPH in 10-12 mile per hour winds.
Other types have been clocked at over 100 MPH...that's enough to drag adrenaline junkies out into the cold windy winter conditions.
When I first rowed with John Kerschbaum, it was on an expedition down the Hudson River. At one overnight stopping point, John camped by the gondola and visited a maritime museum where he learned about some of the river travel of the past. He said that in the 1800's, river boat captains built iceboats because they got bored in winter.
Originally iceboats were actual boats that had been modified to travel on blades, and some on skis as well.
One sweet ride.
Today's iceboats are built according to certain criteria so they can fit into different sailing classes. The boat John went on was in the International DN Class - as is evident by the markings on the sail.
DN stands for Detroit News. In 1937 the Detroit News (newspaper) held a design contest and the winning design looked something like the boat in the photo.
Over sixty years later the International DN Class is one of the largest and most popular classes, with competitors in North America and Europe.
John told me that the iceboating is so great in his area, that he knows of a guy in Germany who keeps an iceboat in Minnesota and travels there each year just to sail across the ice.
Iceboating, just one more thing I have to try before I die.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Nationals Group Shot
Every time a bunch of us get together at Sunset Gondola,
we take at least one group photo.
At the U.S. Gondola Nationals this year we continued the tradition.
Earlier I posted a tribute photo to John Synco.
Here's another shot from the same session.
What's unique here is that about half the people in this photo had seen
these group shots before - here on the blog or facebook, but this was the
first time we were lucky enough to have them on hand to be in the photo.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Head to Head
Time trials are great - one boat, with competitors taking turns running the same course on it. Providing there's no change in wind and/or current, you'll get the most even playing field...but really, nothing is quite as exciting as head to head competition.
Having your competitor in a boat right next to you, trying to beat you,
not only adds to the excitement, but it makes for faster course times
from almost all rowers.
In a time trial: he'll give it his all,
and you'll give it your all,
but head to head, you'll both give a little more.
In the end, we all have a little more fuel in the tank than we thought we had.
Monday, December 9, 2013
The Song We All Know
What sounds better than a boatload of gondoliers singing together?
How about two boatloads.
On Sunday, October 27th, a bunch of us were hosted by Gondola Getaway
in Alamitos Bay. At a certain point along the route, the two big caorlinas
ended up side-tied beneath a bridge.
Stefano was presented his first place medal for the solo distance race
(see "Marathon Man" post), folks took turns singing songs, and then
we all sang the one song that everybody knew - with Derek "Luciano"
Sabatini expertly directing.
Yes, you've heard it before in the post "One Song", but the acoustics
and the mood are very different in this recording.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Hibernating in Minnesota
photo by John Kerschbaum
I just received this photo from John in Minnesota, who has wrapped his gondolas and put them to bed for the winter.
As his boats hibernate,
no doubt John will think about his adventures at Nationals last October,
plan on more camaraderie and competition in Providence next year,
and he'll probably come out and row with me here in California for Valentine's Day.
Stay warm, John.
I hope your boats enjoy their hibernation and awake in the spring,
ready for more cruising.
I just received this photo from John in Minnesota, who has wrapped his gondolas and put them to bed for the winter.
As his boats hibernate,
no doubt John will think about his adventures at Nationals last October,
plan on more camaraderie and competition in Providence next year,
and he'll probably come out and row with me here in California for Valentine's Day.
Stay warm, John.
I hope your boats enjoy their hibernation and awake in the spring,
ready for more cruising.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Fire in the Sky in Newport
The view off the back of the gondola a few nights ago as a few of the local
crew boats were congregating at the north end of the harbor.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Just the Photo - Rafaello
A moment captured by the camera on Saturday of the 2013 U.S. Gondola Nationals, one of the guys from Providence, Rafaello rowing and looking rather iconic.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
One Finger
Standing around and talking on the docks of the Gondola Getaway in Alamitos Bay, I noticed that my friend Peter Dever had a clever way to carry a forcola.
Spend enough time around gondolas (and their forcole), and you're bound to become acquainted with every contour and detail.
Peter discovered that with the right balance, he could hook one finger under the overhang of the testa.
He wasn't showig it off, but I noticed it.
My guess is that he's been doing it for many years.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Breaking the Ice
photo by Joe Gibbons
Joe in Boston shared a photo along with the following description of a problem that's unique to locations above a certain lattitude:
Hey Greg kinda funny but not!! Yesterday we had to remove the final pieces of equipment: docks, float ramps, and "Old Faithful" - our Boston Whaler.
We got quite a surprise with about three quarters of an inch of ice. That's Steve on the bow of the Boston Whaler smashing ice so we could tow our boarding dock.
Happy holidays everybody, bring on the snow!
Thanks for the report, Joe.
Glad you were able to get things wrapped up for winter.
I hope you get lots of snow soon for snowmobiling.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Fifty
Here's something you don't see very often (or ever).
A caorlina regatta is amazing to see, with nine boats, each rowed by six pumped up vogatori, plowing through the water and fighting for position.
Now imagine that it's not nine caorline...but fifty!
Think of the waves coming from a fleet of those big boats.
Nereo Zane caught the race which was part of the Festa Granda de S. Andrea.
See his post at:
Regata delle 50 caorline
There are lots of great photos.
Nereo includes details of the top four finishers, as well as the names of the guys in the boat that came in last.
Rowers of the caorlina that crossed the finish line last were given the name "Regatanti da Caorlina dei Morti" or "Rowers of Caorlina of the Dead".
It's one thing to come in last in a field of nine boats, but fifty?
I can't imagine it.
If two boats were fighting for the 49th place finish,
I bet that would be almost as interesting as the race for first.
A caorlina regatta is amazing to see, with nine boats, each rowed by six pumped up vogatori, plowing through the water and fighting for position.
Now imagine that it's not nine caorline...but fifty!
Think of the waves coming from a fleet of those big boats.
Nereo Zane caught the race which was part of the Festa Granda de S. Andrea.
See his post at:
Regata delle 50 caorline
There are lots of great photos.
Nereo includes details of the top four finishers, as well as the names of the guys in the boat that came in last.
Rowers of the caorlina that crossed the finish line last were given the name "Regatanti da Caorlina dei Morti" or "Rowers of Caorlina of the Dead".
It's one thing to come in last in a field of nine boats, but fifty?
I can't imagine it.
If two boats were fighting for the 49th place finish,
I bet that would be almost as interesting as the race for first.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Ready and Waiting
They are long and sleek, glossy black ambassadors of the city of Venice.
Thirty-six feel long (give or take), asymmetric, and each built by hand,
there is nothing in the world quite like a Venetian gondola.
This photo was shot at the servizio across from the railway station.
More photos from that sequence can be seen in the post"
"Servizio Gondola Ferrovia".
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Being the Only Gondolier in the Room
I sat down to write a post on the subject of family gatherings and kept going back to something I posted two years ago.
Finally I decided to just post it here with some minor tweaking.
Why reinvent the wheel?
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah and tomorrow is our official day to give thanks here in the US (but I believe most of us should give thanks every day).
Here's my repost:
On your way out the door soon to a family gathering?
If so, you're probably experiencing a range of emotions.
We love our relatives, well, most of us love most of them.
They are genetically the most similar to us, but get them in a room together and you'll see both similarities and differences.
In many families there are recognizable common traits - whether appearance or personality based.
The shared physical traits don't cause any problems, but sometimes similar personalities don't get along...especially if people have had enough time together in the past to get sick of each other.
Welcome to the family gathering!
Why am I waxing on about family dynamics right now?
Because now, more than ever, you're likely to find yourself in a room full of relatives.
Between Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas eve, Christmas day, and New Years, just about everyone ends up in a room, house, apartment or other place full of relatives and/or friends.
If you're like me, you're one of the "weird ones".
Yes, there will be people at these parties who have "real jobs"
(and probably don't like their jobs nearly as much as you do).
There will be drunk relatives who can't help but belt out a bad version of
"O Sole Mio" when they see you walk in the door (and they will be certain that nobody else has ever come up with something so clever).
There will be folks who think that you push off the bottom with a pole,
jet skiers who think they can fully identify with your craft,
and someone who wonders why your college degree isn't being put to
better use (again with the whole "real job" mindset).
With a few exceptions, each of you reading this will probably be the only gondolier in the room.
My hope for all of you is that in the coming days you'll enjoy these gatherings.
After all, as a gondolier, you are an exceptional human being,
(no bias here, I swear)
and with great power comes great responsibility.
Let's look at some of the folks you'll encounter.
These are caricatures but many of them do exist.
I've also thrown in a few "do's and don'ts" for your consideration.
The Singing Uncle
As gondoliers we have an unusual variety of skill sets.
Most of us can outsing just about everyone in the room.
Really, you'd be surprised how bad an out-of-practice relative can sound when compared to someone who sings for a living.
Some sound even worse after a few drinks (then again, others might sound better).
So when that drunk uncle greets you with his best "O Sole Mio",
just laugh. Laugh like it really IS funny.
It may be hard to do, but no matter how much it might annoy you,
remember that he's doing it because he likes you.
It would be considered bad form to then blow him away with YOUR best "O Sole Mio". Instead, if you feel up to the challenge, teach him how to sing it right.
This may or may not be easy (or worth doing) depending on how drunk your uncle is. In no time, you and your drunk uncle can be serenading the whole place, whether they like it or not. Believe me, it's fun...in an obnoxious way.
Caution: if you do the job too well, your uncle might ask for a job.
The Tough-Guy Cousin
He's bigger than you, lifts weights, loves mixed martial arts,
and his favorite movie is Fight Club.
If you were to tell him that Venetian rowing was a "sport",
he'd probably laugh out loud at you.
(show him a copy of the sports page from last month and maybe he'll change his tune - if not, ask if he's ever been in the sports page).
Watch football on the couch next to him and you'll learn almost everything you need to know about him. Almost.
There's one thing that you and your cousin may not be aware of:
there's a good chance that his smaller cousin
(the gondolier)
could beat him in arm wrestling!
Caution: before you allow things to go there, and before you whip the guy in arm wrestling, remember that,
He's bigger than you, lifts weights, loves mixed martial arts,
and his favorite movie is Fight Club.
The Parents Who Paid For Your Education
Insert your own pulp and clichés here. You know them better than I do.
Maybe they didn't actually pay your college tuition, but they raised you.
Impressive jobs and status symbol cars are nice, but at the end of the day,
a lot of parents really only want a few things for their children:
they want their sons and daughters to be happy, safe, and able to provide for themselves. In short, a lot of parents want to make sure they prepared you for the world.
Love your parents.
Tell them how much you enjoy this funky job we do.
If you own your gondola operation, remind them of your job security (especially in this economy).
Then, do what far too few of us do until someone is terminally ill:
Thank them - for a bunch of things - think about some of the sacrifices they made for you and thank accordingly.
Tell them that you love them.
Express in whatever way you deem appropriate, that they did a great job as parents.
Ok, enough of the mushy stuff, let's talk now about
The Women
There are aunts, grandmas, sisters, cousins, some are younger than you,
some are older, but they are all female.
Why is that important? because as a gondolier
you have a keen awareness of all things romantic.
Romance is a woman's true primary language.
Most guys think they know about romance, but in truth...
most guys don't.
Most guys know about as much about romance,
as most ladies know about football.
Sure there are exceptions, but you get my point.
Most guys need to take a "romance as a second language" class.
The women in the room won't want to hear about the rowing, the wind,
the drunk idiots hanging from bridges, no.
They want to hear about the romantic stuff.
Proposals, anniversaries, surprises, and 9 out of 10 will make some kind of swooning noise when you tell them about how some guy last week proposed to his girlfriend by floating a message in a bottle.
Heck, a gondolier can almost "hold court" with the women at a family gathering.
caution: do too good a job and someone might want to date you...and they're related to you!
The Guy Who's Better Than You
He's got a "real job". Maybe he's got more degrees.
He may wear a Rolex, and he's probably arrived in a car that's worth more than you make in a year.
He's better than you - just ask him - he'll tell you.
He's determined to be the one to die with the most toys...and he'll probably succeed in dying before you do.
The stress of his pursuits will help speed that along.
Be his friend to the best of your ability, not because someday you might need him, but because whether he knows it or not...someday he'll need you,
along with everyone else in the room.
He just doesn't realize it right now.
Oh, and this guy is a classic example of some guys in the romance department.
his idea of romance involves buying a woman's heart.
The Screaming Kids
Well, they might not be screaming when you get there,
but at some point they will surely make a lot of noise.
If presents are to be opened,
there WILL be screaming.
As a gondolier, you're probably more energetic than most of the adults there. And if you regularly pilot a small boat in challenging conditions,
you're surely able to handle the stress of screaming kids.
You've probably had a few screaming kids on your boat now and then.
If it's Christmas - play Santa.
No, you don't need to wear the suit (but that can be really fun),
just be the one who distributes the presents.
Make a big deal out of every gift. Inspire the screaming.
Heck, join in and do some screaming of your own.
I'm in my forties and I still love it!
The Geezers
These are the really old folks.
To the kids they are about as exciting as the furniture that they are sitting on, but to them - everything going on in the room is fantastic!
Every person in the room is somehow connected with them,
and in one way or another,
every person there...is there because of them.
I use the word "Geezer" for comedic reasons,
but also because I look forward to being one some day.
And I'm sure my great grandkids will find me about as exciting then as I found my great grandma when I was one of those "Screaming Kids".
The Apostle Paul said "be all things to all people".
I believe his message in that was to communicate in different ways for different kinds of people.
Speak to each person in a way they will best receive the message.
If you talk to the "screaming Kids" the way you would talk to your Great Grandma Ruth, they'll tune you out almost immediately.
More importantly, if you talk to your Great Grandma Ruth like you would to the "Screaming Kids", things will not go well.
The old folks would love to visit with you, to hear all about this unique job you have, and maybe impart some wisdom from their many years of experience.
Remember that they prefer things to move at a little slower pace, and may not hear as well as you do.
Take a breath, shift gears, and soak it up.
You are more than just your job - especially to the Geezers.
They've known you your whole life and have been proud of you since before you could ever realize it.
they see potential in you that you don't yet know about.
The time you spend with these folks is more valuable to you than you may realize...and it's more valuable to them than you can possibly imagine right now.
The Leading Ladies
There may be some women there who would like to get all the attention,
and then there are those who you should be sure to give credit and attention to.
Unless you came alone, the lady you came with should be at the top of your list.
There's an old saying in Texas:
"Dance with the one that brung you".
Wife, fiancee, girlfriend - if you arrived with her, you're gonna leave with her.
If she meant enough to you to bring her, tell her so, with your words and your actions.
This might sound elementary or silly, but it's an easy one to overlook.
If you're at a gathering of your family, you might want to disappear with the cousins you grew up playig with, or "occupy" the couch with the other guys to watch the game.
If this is your family, try not to abandon your lady - she might not know anyone else there.
The lady doing the cooking is often an unsung hero - sing to her.
She may be your mom, or another relative, but whoever she is, she's probably the only one working, and she deserves more credit than she'll probably get.
If you were going to sing for someone - sing to her.
And if you end up singing for everybody - sing in her honor.
If singing is not on your list of things to do, then raise a toast to the person or people who did the cooking.
Along the same lines, if your grandma baked a pie - tell her how much you loved it. She will beam.
Now, take a look around the room.
Is there someone who doesn't look like they want attention?
Maybe they're not having a good time?
Seek out the ones who are quietly hiding and at least ask them how they are doing, and if there's anything you can do for them.
Sure, loud carousing is what this time of year is known for,
but selfless caring is what it's really all about.
Blessings to you and your families from the Gondola Blog.
Finally I decided to just post it here with some minor tweaking.
Why reinvent the wheel?
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah and tomorrow is our official day to give thanks here in the US (but I believe most of us should give thanks every day).
Here's my repost:
On your way out the door soon to a family gathering?
If so, you're probably experiencing a range of emotions.
We love our relatives, well, most of us love most of them.
They are genetically the most similar to us, but get them in a room together and you'll see both similarities and differences.
In many families there are recognizable common traits - whether appearance or personality based.
The shared physical traits don't cause any problems, but sometimes similar personalities don't get along...especially if people have had enough time together in the past to get sick of each other.
Welcome to the family gathering!
Why am I waxing on about family dynamics right now?
Because now, more than ever, you're likely to find yourself in a room full of relatives.
Between Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas eve, Christmas day, and New Years, just about everyone ends up in a room, house, apartment or other place full of relatives and/or friends.
If you're like me, you're one of the "weird ones".
Yes, there will be people at these parties who have "real jobs"
(and probably don't like their jobs nearly as much as you do).
There will be drunk relatives who can't help but belt out a bad version of
"O Sole Mio" when they see you walk in the door (and they will be certain that nobody else has ever come up with something so clever).
There will be folks who think that you push off the bottom with a pole,
jet skiers who think they can fully identify with your craft,
and someone who wonders why your college degree isn't being put to
better use (again with the whole "real job" mindset).
With a few exceptions, each of you reading this will probably be the only gondolier in the room.
My hope for all of you is that in the coming days you'll enjoy these gatherings.
After all, as a gondolier, you are an exceptional human being,
(no bias here, I swear)
and with great power comes great responsibility.
Let's look at some of the folks you'll encounter.
These are caricatures but many of them do exist.
I've also thrown in a few "do's and don'ts" for your consideration.
The Singing Uncle
As gondoliers we have an unusual variety of skill sets.
Most of us can outsing just about everyone in the room.
Really, you'd be surprised how bad an out-of-practice relative can sound when compared to someone who sings for a living.
Some sound even worse after a few drinks (then again, others might sound better).
So when that drunk uncle greets you with his best "O Sole Mio",
just laugh. Laugh like it really IS funny.
It may be hard to do, but no matter how much it might annoy you,
remember that he's doing it because he likes you.
It would be considered bad form to then blow him away with YOUR best "O Sole Mio". Instead, if you feel up to the challenge, teach him how to sing it right.
This may or may not be easy (or worth doing) depending on how drunk your uncle is. In no time, you and your drunk uncle can be serenading the whole place, whether they like it or not. Believe me, it's fun...in an obnoxious way.
Caution: if you do the job too well, your uncle might ask for a job.
The Tough-Guy Cousin
He's bigger than you, lifts weights, loves mixed martial arts,
and his favorite movie is Fight Club.
If you were to tell him that Venetian rowing was a "sport",
he'd probably laugh out loud at you.
(show him a copy of the sports page from last month and maybe he'll change his tune - if not, ask if he's ever been in the sports page).
Watch football on the couch next to him and you'll learn almost everything you need to know about him. Almost.
There's one thing that you and your cousin may not be aware of:
there's a good chance that his smaller cousin
(the gondolier)
could beat him in arm wrestling!
Caution: before you allow things to go there, and before you whip the guy in arm wrestling, remember that,
He's bigger than you, lifts weights, loves mixed martial arts,
and his favorite movie is Fight Club.
The Parents Who Paid For Your Education
Insert your own pulp and clichés here. You know them better than I do.
Maybe they didn't actually pay your college tuition, but they raised you.
Impressive jobs and status symbol cars are nice, but at the end of the day,
a lot of parents really only want a few things for their children:
they want their sons and daughters to be happy, safe, and able to provide for themselves. In short, a lot of parents want to make sure they prepared you for the world.
Love your parents.
Tell them how much you enjoy this funky job we do.
If you own your gondola operation, remind them of your job security (especially in this economy).
Then, do what far too few of us do until someone is terminally ill:
Thank them - for a bunch of things - think about some of the sacrifices they made for you and thank accordingly.
Tell them that you love them.
Express in whatever way you deem appropriate, that they did a great job as parents.
Ok, enough of the mushy stuff, let's talk now about
The Women
There are aunts, grandmas, sisters, cousins, some are younger than you,
some are older, but they are all female.
Why is that important? because as a gondolier
you have a keen awareness of all things romantic.
Romance is a woman's true primary language.
Most guys think they know about romance, but in truth...
most guys don't.
Most guys know about as much about romance,
as most ladies know about football.
Sure there are exceptions, but you get my point.
Most guys need to take a "romance as a second language" class.
The women in the room won't want to hear about the rowing, the wind,
the drunk idiots hanging from bridges, no.
They want to hear about the romantic stuff.
Proposals, anniversaries, surprises, and 9 out of 10 will make some kind of swooning noise when you tell them about how some guy last week proposed to his girlfriend by floating a message in a bottle.
Heck, a gondolier can almost "hold court" with the women at a family gathering.
caution: do too good a job and someone might want to date you...and they're related to you!
The Guy Who's Better Than You
He's got a "real job". Maybe he's got more degrees.
He may wear a Rolex, and he's probably arrived in a car that's worth more than you make in a year.
He's better than you - just ask him - he'll tell you.
He's determined to be the one to die with the most toys...and he'll probably succeed in dying before you do.
The stress of his pursuits will help speed that along.
Be his friend to the best of your ability, not because someday you might need him, but because whether he knows it or not...someday he'll need you,
along with everyone else in the room.
He just doesn't realize it right now.
Oh, and this guy is a classic example of some guys in the romance department.
his idea of romance involves buying a woman's heart.
The Screaming Kids
Well, they might not be screaming when you get there,
but at some point they will surely make a lot of noise.
If presents are to be opened,
there WILL be screaming.
As a gondolier, you're probably more energetic than most of the adults there. And if you regularly pilot a small boat in challenging conditions,
you're surely able to handle the stress of screaming kids.
You've probably had a few screaming kids on your boat now and then.
If it's Christmas - play Santa.
No, you don't need to wear the suit (but that can be really fun),
just be the one who distributes the presents.
Make a big deal out of every gift. Inspire the screaming.
Heck, join in and do some screaming of your own.
I'm in my forties and I still love it!
The Geezers
These are the really old folks.
To the kids they are about as exciting as the furniture that they are sitting on, but to them - everything going on in the room is fantastic!
Every person in the room is somehow connected with them,
and in one way or another,
every person there...is there because of them.
I use the word "Geezer" for comedic reasons,
but also because I look forward to being one some day.
And I'm sure my great grandkids will find me about as exciting then as I found my great grandma when I was one of those "Screaming Kids".
The Apostle Paul said "be all things to all people".
I believe his message in that was to communicate in different ways for different kinds of people.
Speak to each person in a way they will best receive the message.
If you talk to the "screaming Kids" the way you would talk to your Great Grandma Ruth, they'll tune you out almost immediately.
More importantly, if you talk to your Great Grandma Ruth like you would to the "Screaming Kids", things will not go well.
The old folks would love to visit with you, to hear all about this unique job you have, and maybe impart some wisdom from their many years of experience.
Remember that they prefer things to move at a little slower pace, and may not hear as well as you do.
Take a breath, shift gears, and soak it up.
You are more than just your job - especially to the Geezers.
They've known you your whole life and have been proud of you since before you could ever realize it.
they see potential in you that you don't yet know about.
The time you spend with these folks is more valuable to you than you may realize...and it's more valuable to them than you can possibly imagine right now.
The Leading Ladies
There may be some women there who would like to get all the attention,
and then there are those who you should be sure to give credit and attention to.
Unless you came alone, the lady you came with should be at the top of your list.
There's an old saying in Texas:
"Dance with the one that brung you".
Wife, fiancee, girlfriend - if you arrived with her, you're gonna leave with her.
If she meant enough to you to bring her, tell her so, with your words and your actions.
This might sound elementary or silly, but it's an easy one to overlook.
If you're at a gathering of your family, you might want to disappear with the cousins you grew up playig with, or "occupy" the couch with the other guys to watch the game.
If this is your family, try not to abandon your lady - she might not know anyone else there.
The lady doing the cooking is often an unsung hero - sing to her.
She may be your mom, or another relative, but whoever she is, she's probably the only one working, and she deserves more credit than she'll probably get.
If you were going to sing for someone - sing to her.
And if you end up singing for everybody - sing in her honor.
If singing is not on your list of things to do, then raise a toast to the person or people who did the cooking.
Along the same lines, if your grandma baked a pie - tell her how much you loved it. She will beam.
Now, take a look around the room.
Is there someone who doesn't look like they want attention?
Maybe they're not having a good time?
Seek out the ones who are quietly hiding and at least ask them how they are doing, and if there's anything you can do for them.
Sure, loud carousing is what this time of year is known for,
but selfless caring is what it's really all about.
Blessings to you and your families from the Gondola Blog.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Providence 2014!
It has been announced that the US Gondola Nationals will be held next year in Providence, Rhode Island. The place where it all started, with the GondOlympics in 2012 will be the host city once again - with Marcello and his fellow gondoliers at La Gondola rolling out the red carpet for us all.
A new facebook organization page has been set up so people can stay updated.
go to U. S. Gondola Nationals
Many of you have probably already received at least one e-mail about this,
and I'm sure there will be further developments.
If you live on the East Coast, you'll enjoy the shorter commute.
If you're on the West Coast, start planning your trip - it will be well worth it.
The 2014 US Gondola Nationals will take place on Columbus Day weekend, October 11th-13th.
One of the things I'm really looking forward to, is seeing WaterFire - an event that is unique to Providence (learn more at waterfire.org). The gondoliers in Providence have rowed cruises along the WaterFire route for years (something I've been openly jealous of).
Marcello says:
I hope to offer as many visiting gondoliers as possible the opportunity to row during WaterFire, if they are inclined to do so.
Now, all I have to do is figure out how I'm gonna wait almost eleven months.
Well, that and train up for it.
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