This is an egg.

You can either continue saying ‘the white part of the egg,’ and the ‘yellow part of the egg’ in Italian, or you can take this opportunity to be fancy and use, albume and tuorlo. 
Albume = egg white (m. noun)
Tuorlo = egg yolk (m. noun)

Albume comes from the Latin, albus, or white. (I guess that’s where albino comes from too.)
Tuorlo comes from the Latin, torulus, meaning a round perturbation, much like the round yolk of an egg.

Italy may not be at the forefront of egg dishes or omelette-ry, so you’re probably not going to be asking for an egg white anything, but it’s still good to know… for like cake purposes maybe…

Example:
‘Mangio solo l’albume dell’uovo, perchè il tuorlo non è sano.’ – I only eat the egg white, because the yolk is not healthy.

Guttuso Exhibit Running until February 10

I am sure that you have all been enjoying this not-so-cold weather, but let’s face it, it won’t last forever! In anticipation of the upcoming wintry weather, probably, here’s a summary of most of the museum exhibits going on in Rome at the moment. You know, just in case you want to spend a day indoors, weather permitting.

At Palazzo delle Esposizioni
Via Nazionale, 194
Closed Mondays. Website.

Robert Doisneau. Paris en liberté: super famous French photographer and his Paris-centered works.
Running until February 3rd
On the Silk Road. Ancient Pathways Between East and West: 4,000 miles of the famous trade route split up into 6 rooms covering 6 important stops along the route.
Running until March 10
Nero su Bianco: words of a diary painted onto white walls, telling the story of a journey and distant worlds.
Running until March 10

At MAXXI
Via Guido Reni, 4a
Closed Mondays. Website.

L’Italia di Le Corbusier: an exhibit documenting the influence of Italy on the great architect, painter, and sculptor, Le Corbusier.
Running until February 17
Grazia Toderi. Mirabilia Urbis.: exhibit in honor of great artist, Grazia Toderi and her large video projections of Rome.
Running until March 3
Projections.: installations of moving images, electricity, sounds, and various technologies that radiate light.
Running until May 5

At Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea
Via delle Belle Arti, 131
Closed Mondays. Website.

Paul Klee e L’Italia: an exhibit analyzing the influence of Italy and Italian culture on the works of Paul Klee (and other painters as well).
Running until January 27
SHAY FRISCH. Campo 100535 B/N: the Israeli artist creates electric fields and currents in various forms to then see how they interact with surrounding spaces
Running until January 27

At MACRO
Via Nizza, 138
Closed Mondays. Website.

L’altra ego. Giosetta Fioroni, Marco Delogu: a collaboration of two artists unfolds in paintings, photos, lights, and more.
Running until December 2
Giulio Turcato. Stellare: an exhibit celebrating one of the most important Italian artists/painters of the second half of the 20th century.
Running until January 13
Urban Arena #2: the second edition of the museum’s Street Art project, showcasing two contemporary street artists.
Running until June 2

At MACRO Testaccio
Piazza Orazio Giustiniani, 4
Closed Mondays. Website.

Digital Life. Human Connections: the third edition of an exhibit dedicated to the encounter between art and new technologies (multimedia installations, interactive works, cinema, music).
Running until December 16
FOTOGRAFIA in collezione #2: a selection of works that were displayed in the past year at the museum, in collaboration with the International Photography Festival of Rome.
Running until December 16

At Scuderie del Quirinale
Via XXIV Maggio 16
Open everyday. Website.

Vermeer. The Golden Century of Dutch Art: the first exhibit in Italy celebrating the 17th century Dutch master, Johannes Vermeer. Works by his contemporaries also on display.
Running until January 20

At Complesso del Vittoriano
Via Di San Pietro In Carcere
Open everyday.

Guttoso. 1912-2012: works on display from one of the most famous Italian painters of the 20th century. Sicilian born, lived in Rome, communist, banned by the Church- all makes for a great exhibit.
Running until February 10

At Fondazione Roma Museo
Via Marco Minghetti, 17
Closed Mondays. Website.

Akbar. The Great Emperor of India: exhibit dedicated to one of the most enlightened sovereigns in history, Akbar, showcasing over 130 works detailing his good works while in power.
Running until February 3

Gingheri is always used with the verbs ‘essere in’ or ‘mettersi in,’ to be in, or to put yourself in, respectively. From what I can understand, ghingheri is an adjective mutated from the verb agghinghare, mutated from the verb abbigliare, or to dress, to clothe. Apparently, Tuscans used ‘essere in ghingheri‘ as a synonym to ‘essere in gala,’ AKA, all dressed up.

Examples:
‘Ti sei messo in ghingheri per questa festa?!’ – You got all dressed up for this party?!

‘Guglielmo è tutto in ghingheri stasera.’ – Guglielmo is dressed very fancy tonight.

One example of said word-borrowing is moquette. This noun (f) is basically the French word for carpet. Italians use it in the same way: a fitted carpet, or wall-to-wall carpeting. Needless to say, fitted carpets are not the style of Roman apartments for the most part, but I do occasionally see an apartment listing that has a room with a moquette. To each his own…floor covering!

Example:
“Penso di mettere la moquette nella mia stanza da letto.” – I am thinking of putting a carpet in my bedroom.

It comes from the Latin furfur, meaning a bran (Merriam-Webster: “the edible broken seed coats of cereal grain separated from the flour or meal by sifting or bolting.”) Basically, a speck, a freckle, or a small disc.

Example:
Devo comprare lo shampoo contro la forfora.’ – I have to buy dandruff shampoo.

Note: I, personally, do not have to buy the dandruff shampoo, but the person in the example does. Just wanted to clarify…

Rock on!

Time to organize your music schedule! There are a bunch of artists coming to Italy in the coming months (mostly to Milan argh!), so what better way to see the country and catch a show?!

Tickets can be purchased on GreenTicket or TicketOne sites.

November
20th: Skunk Anansie at Rome’s Teatro Tendastrisce
20th: Francesco de Gregori at Rome’s Atlantico
24th: Zen Circus in Bologna
29th:  Alt-J at Rome’s Circolo degli Artisti
19th: Bat for Lashes in Milan

December
1st: Black Keys in Torino
3rd: Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson at Rome’s Granteatro
4th: Asaf Avidan at Rome’s Auditorium
4th: The Hives in Milan
7th: Goran Bregovic in Padova
8th: Club Dogo at Rome’s Orion
13th: The Vaccines in Milan
14th: Zen Circus in Torino

February
18th: The Raveonettes in Milan
19th: Sigur Ros in Assaggo (not far from Milan).
21st: Yellowcard at Rome’s Orion
23rd + 24th: Crystal Castles in Bologna then Milan
28th: Local Natives in Milan

March
7th: Negrita in Florence (other dates available in other cities as well).
10th: Yo La Tengo in Milan
11th: The Darkness in Milan
16th: Mumford & Sons at Rome’s Atlantico
19th: Of Monsters and Men at Rome’s Piper Club
24th: Eros Ramazzotti in Florence (other dates available in other cities as well).

May
6th: Lana del Rey at Rome’s Palalottomatica

June
19th: Lorenzo Jovanotti in Milan
29th: Bon Jovi in Milan

July
18th: Depeche Mode at Rome’s Olympic Stadium
19th: Motorhead in Vigevano (not too far from Milan).
28th: Roger Waters – The Wall Live at Rome’s Olympic Stadium

Salamelecco is an Italian noun (m) used mainly in its plural form, salamelecchi, meaning excessive formality, or ‘bowing and scraping.’ Basically, a big hoopla when saying hello. The word is used with the Italian verb to make, or fare, meaning to make a big deal when saluting someone: to bow and scrape in front of someone.
It’s not used very often, but I still think it’s pretty awesome, and definitely fun to say.

This phrase in Italian is taken from the Arabic salute, salam aleikum, meaning ‘peace be upon you.’ Italians have taken the popularly used Arabic greeting and adapted it to describe one who salutes with exaggerated reverence and unceremonious formality.
It must be said that its use in Italian is in slight mocking and jest of the Arabic salute.

Example:
‘Vorrei entrare senza fare mille salamelecchi.’ – I would like to get in without exaggerating greetings and hellos.

Bis also has a theatrical meaning: an encore. Used in this way, as an exclamation, it means ‘play that part again!’ In other words, a crowd screams out, ‘Bis! Bis!’ when they want to hear a certain part/song for the second time.

Examples:
‘La pasta è così buona, faccio un bis.‘ – The pasta is so good, I’m taking seconds. (I am taking a second portion.)

‘Kanye ha fatto il bis di Gold Digger, la mia canzone preferita!’ – Kanye played Gold Digger twice, my favorite song!’

A boccia also refers to the ball that is tossed, or bowled when playing bocce ball: bocce is the plural of boccia. Still a fun and popular game, bocce ball was played all the way back in ancient Rome!

Example:
‘Porta una boccia di prosecco a cena.’ – Bring a bottle of prosecco to dinner.