Il Terribile Pescecane

It was about mid-July when I found myself like Pinocchio and swallowed up by a whale, only surfacing now as we look onto Christmas. Except that this phrase is something I would have only uttered before July– before I learned about the real stories penned by Carlo Collodi. Since then I have also learned a whole lot of other facts on Italy that were hitherto uninteresting.

The real story is that Pinocchio, while trying to escape his former owner, ran into the sea and was swallowed by a giant, asthmatic dogfish. It was inside where he met Geppetto and they swam to safety with the help of a friendly tuna. The dogfish was nicknamed “The Attila of fish and fishermen”– which I certainly don’t remember from the Disney cartoon. Furthermore, Collodi eventually grew tired of his popular character and actually killed him off at one stage. But Pinocchio lives on. So many truths and interpretations in the world, and I find myself now embarking upon an unexpected interpretation of my own story. I’m simply breathing new air and trying to interpret a different world based in Italy.

But I didn’t set out to write about Pinocchio. Instead, I just wanted to put up a post showing some entertaining notes hung onto a Christmas tree of wishes that I saw in Naples this weekend. I also spied one in Termini station as I left Rome yesterday, so it would appear to be a country-wide tradition.

Her people of all ages and backgrounds pen wishes to Babbo Natale, or Santa Claus. And my Italian is not great, but I will try to convey a bit about what each one means. Enjoy:

This person wants help with exams without having to study too much to succeed. Respect.
This person wants more panettone.
Make my boyfriend less idiotic.
This person just wants to be happy in 2020.
My and my brother to always be together.
This person wants lots of cash.
There is the religious sentiment at the top…but this person gets down to business as the end by asking for a big present.
This girl just wants harmony, a happy and healthy life, and to pass math class without retaking the exam (paying the debt for not passing) in September.
I just like that there was one written on a H&M bag. It is actually helping Santa a bit with his shopping.
Best wishes for everyone.

I didn’t leave a note on the tree, because I feel as though I have already been given far more than I ever could have asked for. Still, if I was being honest like many people on this tree, I would have asked for speed-mastery of the Italian language. But I have next year to learn to swim. The dogfish is gone for now, and I have a whole new narrative to follow. Life seems to be passing at light speed, but I am looking forward to holding on to whatever is next. Maybe I’ll get swallowed. Or simply finding myself in a new adventure and learning how to enjoy a new culture filled with panettone and a new accent. Here’s to a year of encountering big scary fish, and also moving forward which surrounded by a life filled with so many helpers, both seen and unseen.