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Diary

  Pizza dinner with colleagues 
Fabio, Waheed, and Naoko at pizzeria
(Fabio, Waheed, and Naoko in pizzeria)

[Naoko] 06 Jul. 2022
Fabio, Waheed, and I went out for dinner for the first time since Waheed arrived from Pakistan in March. I was in Belgium in March, Waheed had Ramadan in April, and we were busy for conferences and so on in May and June. Considering his religion, we went to a pizzeria and had pizza with vegetables on it, Margherita and Parmigiana.
  Vote 
Naoko at the Consulate Gerenal in Milan
(Noako at the Consulate General in Milan)

[Naoko] 02 Jul. 2022
Next Sunday, the House of Councillors elections will be held in Japan. Japanese nationals living abroad can also vote. Voting abroad is done in advance so that ballots can be mailed to Japan by the election day. Today I cast my vote at the Consulate General in Milan. The procedure reminded me of Japanese bureaucracy - that is, following the rules exactly, even if they seem redundant or time-consuming. My name and ID number I wrote on the envelop were checked four times by four different officials.
  Berserk translated into Italian 
Berserk Italian ver.
(Berserk translated into Italian)

[Naoko] 30 Jun. 2022
The Nerd Show was held last weekend in Bologna. My colleague told me how much fun it was, with lots of cosplayers, manga stores, and a live anime song singer. He bought Berserk as his first manga translated into Italian. I was happy that he remembered that it is my favorite manga. A year after the sudden death of its creator Miura, the sequel, produced by his childhood-friend manga artist and staff, was finally released, coincidentally on the same weekend.
  39th UIT conference in Gaeta 
Naoko at the conference venue
(Naoko at the conference venue)

[Naoko] 22 Jun. 2022
I attended the 39th UIT International Conference in Gaeta, a historic seaside town between Rome and Naples, with colleagues. The venue was a castle originally built at the end of the 5th century. It was the first time in three years that I had made a presentation in person at an international conference. Even though I am not very good at giving speeches in English, I realised that it is more fun to actually present in front of an audience.
  Hot summer is comming 
thermometer in the lab
(Thermometer in the lab)

[Naoko] 15 Jun. 2022
According to the weather forecast, Parma is likely to have a maximum temperature of 36°C this week. There is air conditioning in the office, but not in the laboratory. The temperature in the lab at 7pm today was 29-30°C. I was being trained for the hot and humid Japanese summer, but in fact not so much for indoors, as there is air conditioning almost everywhere.
  Hosting AIGE/IIETA Conference 

Naoko and her colleagues in the reception desk for AIGE conference
(Naoko and her colleagues at the reception desk)

[Naoko] 08 Jun. 2022
The 7th AIGE/IIETA International Conference and the 16th AIGE Conference were held at the University of Parma over the past two days. The topics covered all aspects of energy, including heat transfer and the environment. There were about 70 participants. The organisers, Fabio and our colleagues, have been preparing the conference for the past months. Thanks to their efforts, the conference went off without a hitch. I helped with the venue set-up and reception.
  A nice day out 
Giorgia and Naoko
(Giorgia and Naoko)

[Naoko] 30 May 2022
On Sunday afternoon, I went out with Giorgia, an Italian language teacher. I took her course last year and found it very interesting, not only for learning the language but also for the culture. I sent her an email, hoping to meet her. Since the course was fully online, this was first time for us to see each other in person. She spoke to me slowly in simple Italian and patiently understood my messed-up Italian (sometimes I gave up and spoke in English).
  Japanese manga artist trending on Twitter 
Internet article on Tgshi's twitter account
(Internet article reporting Togashi's twitter account)
[Naoko] 24 May 2022
Today I found the word “Togashi” in the Italian trending words. This is the name of a Japanese Manga artist, creator of very popular manga “Hunter x Hunter (HxH)”, which started 24 years ago. He is also famous for his slow drawing; HxH has not been updated for four years. Today, he opened an account on twitter, and just 12 hours later, with only one tweet (“Four more episodes for now”), he has gained 0.8M followers from all over the world. He is probably the Japanese who gained followers at the maximum rate.
https://www.polygon.com/23139449/hunter-x-hunter-manga-yoshihiro-togashi-twitter-update
  International Conference on Inverse Problems in Engineering (ICIPE22) 
Naoko at ICIPE22
(Naoko at ICIPE22)

[Naoko] 17 May 2022
It is first time for me to attend a conference in a field other than thermal and aerospace engineering. Unlike these, in this conference, every presentation has completely different target applications (e.g., food industry, civil engineering, and material science) and only the basic theory (i.e., inverse problem) is the common topic. It was not easy for me to follow the presentations, but it was an interesting and new experience.
  Peer review work 
reviewer_meme
(Reviewer meme drwan by REDPEN/BLACKPEN)

[Naoko] 12 May 2022
Peer-review is done by researchers on a voluntary basis. I always accept a review invitation if the topic is in my field, since I wouldn’t be where I am today without the review comments to my first paper. When I received them 11 years ago, I was impressed that someone read my paper so enthusiastically and gave me many insightful comments. I enjoyed responding them. Seeing me like that, my boss at that time encouraged me to advance to the doctoral programme. Until then, I’d never thought about becoming either a PhD holder or a researcher. (The image is one of my favourite “reviewer memes” – for a reminder to myself)
  CIBUS - food exhibition 
Cibus
(Naoko at CIBUS2022)

[Naoko] 07 May 2022
On Tuesday, Fabio, Waheed (PhD student) and I attended CIBUS. This is an international food exhibition that takes place every two years here in Parma. There were eight buildings in total, where new products were exhibited by everyone from local breweries to large, well-known companies. Having only attended technical/engineering exhibitions before, I was surprised by the colourful and sophisticated booths.
  Progress towards gender equality 
An article of "La Repubbulica"
(Article of "La Repubblica")

[Naoko] 28 Apr. 2022
I heard impressive news: the Constitutional Court stated that Italian children should be given both or either of their parents’ surname. Currently, only father’s surname is automatically given, even if the parents have separate ones. On the other hand, Japan is still the only country in the world that does not allow the separate surnames for married couples, despite years of controversy and the fact that women change their surname in 96 % of couples.
  Festa della Liberazione 
people gathering for rock concert
(People gathering for rock concert)

[Naoko] 25 Apr. 2022
Today is a national holiday to commemorate the country’s liberation from Nazis and fascist rule at the end or World War II. Several public events such as concerts were held in the city center of Parma, while last year they were not held due to the pandemic. A rock concert started at 9pm in the central square, and it was so crowded that it seemed as if all the young people in Parma had come to see it.
  Research paper for peer-reviewed journal 
papers of peer-reviewed journal
(papers of peer-reviewed journal )

[Naoko] 20 Apr. 2022
Writing papers for peer-reviewed journals is tough work, but it is an essential part of researcher’s job, and it brings joy when it is accepted. Yesterday we received good news that one of our papers was accepted by the journal and another has been published online. Today we submitted another new paper to the journal. In addition, I am currently working on two other papers. (image shows several papers in the PHP study)
  Hallerbos forest 
Fallerbos Forest
(Hallerbos Forest)

[Naoko] 15 Apr. 2022
I have been in Belgium for the Easter holidays. The Hallerbos Forest, located south of Brussels, is famous for its bluebells in bloom in mid (or late)-April. Thanks to my Windows login screen, I got to know it (coincidentally, it was displayed during my stay in Charleroi) and was eager to visit. The scenery was truly amazing and unlike anything I had ever seen before.
  Domenica delle Palme (Palm Sunday) 
Church at Palm Sunday
(Church in Palm Sunday)

[Naoko] 10 Apr. 2022
The last Sunday before Pasqua (Easter), called Domenica delle palme, is traditionally considered the day when Jesus entered to Jerusalem. The Bible says people welcomed him with laying palm branches on the road ahead of him. Olives, which were also considered a holy plant, were celebrated in church today and distributed to the people. I visited a church for a concert, after which I was also given branches while being told “buon fortuna (Good luck)!”.
  Parma Kendo Kai 
Jigeiko
("Jigeiko" - practice of Kendo)

[Naoko] 08 Apr. 2022
Last night I visited a practice session of the Parma Kendo Kai. Kendo is a Japanese martial art and I used to do it when I was in high school. Kendo is a relatively minor sports, so it was a big surprise to find a Kendo lovers’ association here in Parma. When I saw a man on campus wearing a sweatshirt with “パルマ剣道会/Parma Kendo Kai” written on it, I couldn’t help talking to him. Two months later, I finally had the opportunity to visit their dojo.
  Gifts from Japan welcomed me 
Package from Japan
(Package from Japan)

[Naoko] 01 Apr. 2022
At home and at university, gifts from my Japanese friends awaited me. They were sent from Japan before Christmas last year and arrived in Italy during my stay in Belgium in March. Japan Post suspended air services between Japan and Italy, so they were sent all the way by sea.
  Last day at Calyos 
Facility of Calyos
(Facility of Calyos)

[Naoko] 30 Mar. 2022
Two secondments to Calyos for a total of three months were a great experience for me. The most interesting part was working close to the commercial end-users of two-phase fluid devices and getting to know their requirements for the devices. I learnt that they have special requirements that I had never heard of or imagined. I was also remined of the need for models that helps PHP design, which is the goal of POTPLOS.
  Do I look like a local? 
MSCA postdoctoral fellowship
(Charleroi Sud station)

[Naoko] 26 Mar. 2022
Sometimes I am asked the direction or bus/train times in French by (presumably) local people, even when there are other people around. At first I wondered why they would ask me, because I am obviously not a “typical” Belgian in appearance. Now I guess the reason is this: because in this country there are many different ethnic groups living and everyone is expected to speak French (in some regions).
  MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship 2021 results  
MSCA postdoctoral fellowship
(MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship)

[Naoko] 23 Mar. 2022
Today, the European Commission announced that out of 7521 applicants, 1025 have been awarded MSCA European Postdoctoral fellowships. A successful Japanese applicant contacted me to thank me. He said he wrote the proposal with learning how to write it by my blog posts. It was a great pleasure to know the posts helped the applicant, as it did last year. Congratulations to all the new MSCA fellows!
Naoko’s blog on MSCA-IF proposal writing (in Japanese):
https://note.com/finestra

  Sakura at University of Parma 
Lunch at Frites Day
(Sakura at UniPR campus)

[Naoko] 22 Mar. 2022
The national flower of Japan, the cherry blossom – or Sakura, represents a time of renewal and optimism. The pops of pink mark the ending of winter and signify the beginning of spring. Due to their quick blooming season, cherry blossoms also symbolize the transience of life, a major theme in Buddhism.
  Frites Day 
Lunch at Frites Day
(Naoko's lunch at Frites Day)

[Naoko] 16 Mar. 2022
In Calyos, every Wednesday is the “Frites Day”: the image shows today’s my lunch. You might think, “you also have a hamburger,” but, it is a sort of side dish. I first got to know Frites Day during my previous stay in Calyos. My colleague asked me “How about the French flies for lunch?” I thought “only French flies?”. Seeing my reaction, he added “You can also order hamburgers, if you want.” In fact, some colleagues had only frites for lunch.
  Dinner with colleagues in Calyos 
Milan, Flavio, and Naoko at a restaurant
(Flavio, Milan, and Naoko at a restaurant)

[Naoko] 15 Mar. 2022
Tonight I had dinner with Flavio and Milan. Flavio is a sort of my supervisor and Milan has recently started working. In Calyos, people go home after work and have dinner with their families, so they seldom go out to drink or a meal with their colleagues. I think it is quite the opposite of Japanese company especially in the past (now Japan is getting closer to the Calyos style.)
  Experiments at Calyos 
Fabio, Matteo, and Naoko at laboratory of Calyos
(Fabio, Matteo, and Naoko at labratory in Calyos)

[Naoko] 09 Mar. 2022
This week we conducted experiments of a heat pipe while acquiring infrared images. This heat pipe was tested by me during my previous stay in Calyos with changing the filling ratio and tilt angle in order to understand its basic characteristics. This time, the infrared images provided useful and interesting information to deepen our insight into its thermofluidic behaviour.
  Italian food outside of Italy? 
Fabio, Matteo, and Naoko at brewery
(Fabio, Matteo, and Naoko at a brewery)

[Naoko] 07 Mar. 2022
We went to a restaurant close to our accommodation. Several “Italian” food such as pasta were on the menu. However, neither Fabio nor Matteo ordered it. They said they usually don’t order Italian food outside of Italy, because it is totally different from real Italian food (I think this might be a common opinion of Italians - I’ve heard same thing from other Italians.)
  Strasbourg on the way to Charleroi 
Matteo and Naoko at restaurant in Strasbourg
(Matteo and Naoko at a restaurant in Strasbourg)

[Naoko] 05 Mar. 2022
From next Monday I will stay in Calyos, a Belgium manufacturer of two-phase devices, to perform experiments until end of March. This time I travelled with Matteo, a Ph.D student, by his car to bring an infrared camera. Leaving from Parma in the morning, we crossed the Switzerland and arrived in Strasbourg in the evening. For dinner, we had Baeckeoffe, a traditional casserole dish in this region.
  Viareggio Carnival 2022 
festival car at Viareggio carnival 2022
(Festival car at Viareggio Carnival 2022)

[Naoko] 01 Mar. 2022
Today is “Martedi grasso (fat Tuesday)”, the last day of the Carnival. Fabio, his mother, and I watched the parade of the Carnival in Viareggio. The Viareggio Carnival has 147-years history and one of the most famous Carnival in Italy. There were dozens of festival cars with huge paper characters on them, and to my surprise, many of the characters were moved around a lot manually (i.e., by human power). It was also interesting to see some characters with social and political expressions.
  Octopus 
Fish shop
(Fish shop)

[Naoko] 19 Feb. 2022
I went to the fish shop with Luca. What struck me was that they were selling octopus. When I was a child, I heard that in the West people don’t eat octopus because it looks like a devil, but this is not true. In some countries people don’t eat octopus for religions or other reasons, but it seems to be popular in Italy (or southern Europe for that matter). In fact, Luca bought an octopus.
  Lebanese food 
Colleagues with Lebanese food
(Luca and Matteo with Lebanese food)

[Naoko] 18 Feb. 2022
Yesterday I had Lebanese food for lunch. It was delivered from my colleague Luca’s favourite restaurant. According to him, there are some Lebanese restaurants in Parma. I thought there were a lot of people from this country or middle east, but the statistics say otherwise (people from Lebanon are 0.05% of the total population of Parma). Anyway, the food was very good.
  Custom-made sandwich 
Showcase in the sandwich shop
(Showcase in cafeteria)

[Naoko] 17 Feb. 2022
Today we had lunch at a cafeteria a few kilometres away from the campus. Here you can order a sandwich as you like, choosing the type of bread and ingredients. This kind of café is rare in Japan, but quite common here in Italy (or rather in Europe, maybe). There were several types of ham, and seasoned and fresh vegetables. I chose prosciutto crudo and radicchio.
  Santa Giulia Museum in Brescia 
Statues in Roman period in the museum
(Roman stone monument)

[Naoko] 13 Feb. 2022
One of the things that impresses me about Italy is that in every city there are museums with paintings, sculptures and artifacts from the region. In these museums it is possible to see works from at least several hundred years of time at once. I think this is a unique feature of Italian museum. Today I visited Santa Giulia Museum, which displays a wide range of objects from the Bronze Age (B.C. 12-22C) to the Renaissance (A.D. 16 C)!
  Sanremo 2022 
Naoko watching Sanremo2022
(Naoko watching Sanremo2022)

[Naoko] 01 Feb. 2022
The Sanremo music festival started tonight. Fabio and I watched it on TV together like last year. This festival is a competition of the singers, and they sing only new (unreleased) songs. This year, we scored each singer by ourselves. Out of twelve singers/groups, Giusy Ferreri, who sang the last, won with the highest score from both of us.
  A day of Leonardo da Vinci 
Naoko at Pinacoteca/biblioteca Ambronsiana
(Naoko at Pinacoteca/biblioteca Ambronsiana)

[Naoko] 29 Jan. 2022
I had wanted to see Leonardo’s autograph drawings since I visited his museum in Vinci last summer. Today, I saw 20 manuscripts of Codice Atlantico with Fabio and Giovanni at Pinacoteca/Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan. The book held by me in the image is a collection of Leonardo’s drawings given to me by Marcelo. In the evening, we saw Last Supper. It was a wonderful “Leonardo day”.
  Japanese new year mochi soup 
Japanese new year mochi soup
(Ozoni)

[Naoko] 26 Jan. 2022
Last night I invited Fabio to the dinner of Japanese home-cooking. Ozoni is a traditional soup with rice cakes (mochi) to celebrate the New Year and there are dozens of different types of ozoni depending on the region. My hometown is Osaka, but I couldn't get hold of the white miso that is essential for Osaka's ozoni, so I made a Tokyo style ozoni.
  History of Opera 
Naoko at Teatro reggio di Parma
(Naoko at Teatro Reggio di Parma)

[Naoko] 19 Jan. 2022
Last week I watched Carmen at the Teatro Reggio di Parma. It was a wonderful experience to see the opera in a 200-year-old opera house. Opera was born in Italy at the end of the 16th century. Thanks to the temporary exhibition on opera in Parma, I was able to see historical books, dresses, posters, and photographs including an old opera music book written in 1634.
  Day of the patron saint of Parma 
Scarpetta di Sant’Ilario
(Scarpetta di Sant’Ilario)

[Naoko] 13 Jan. 2022
In Italy, each town has its own patron saint and the day in memory of that saint is the town's feast day. Bishop St. Ilario has been the patron saint of Parma since the Middle Ages, and today (13 January) is the anniversary of his death: in memory of his miracle with a pair of shoes, today pastry shops sell shoe-shaped biscuits called scarpetta di Sant’Ilario (St. Ilario’s shoes).
  Eryngium 
Eryngium
(Eryngium)

[Naoko] 11 Jan. 2022
I often buy one cut flower from a florist. There had not been a big difference between the types of flowers sold in Italian and Japanese florists. Yesterday I found a flower I had never seen before. The name of the flower, the shop owner told me, is Eringium (Eryngium). According to information on the internet, this flower is native to Europe, especially in Mediterranean region, and it is difficult to survive in Japan due to the hot and humid climate.
  Winter activities in mountains 
snowshoeing
(Snowshoeing)

[Naoko] 04 Jan. 2022
In Bressanone, many tourists come for skiing, but even the tourist who is not a big fun of skiing (like me) can enjoy other winter activities. A Japanese friend told me that this is an attraction not to be found in Japanese ski resorts. I enjoyed hiking, tobogganing, and snowshoeing. The last two are not so common in Japan and it was my first time to try them.
  "Liora" in Bressanone/Brixen 
Video mapping "Liora"
(Video mapping "Liora")

[Naoko] 03 Jan. 2022
I left Bergamo and came to Bressanone (Brixen) via Verona. It is a small town near the bordar between Italy and Austria. In this area, called South Tirol, both Italian and German are spoken. Today I watched the video mapping projection show “Liora”. During the show, the performers sang and narrated first in German and then in Italian.
  Happy new year 2022! 
Night view of Bergamo
(Night view of Bergamo)

[Naoko] 01 Jan. 2022
I started the New Year in Bergamo. A few hours before midnight fireworks were already shot off, and after midnight there were tens and hundreds of them everywhere. Due to the pandemic, official events were cancelled, but people celebrated by setting off their own fireworks. It was a spectacle that I had never seen before. In Japan, on New Year's Day (as on any other day), fireworks are rarely set off all at once everywhere.
  Christmas lunch 
Christmas lunch with Fabio's family
(Christmas lunch with Fabio's family)

[Naoko] 26 Dec. 2021
I was invited to a luncheon with Fabio and his family. I had a lot of wonderful dishes prepared by his mother. I think there are some similarities between the way we spend Christmas in Italy and the way we spend New Year’s Day in Japan, although the religious significance are very different: we visit churches or shrines/temples at midnight (or later); we enjoy traditional dishes (that vary from region to region) with family and relatives all afternoon.
  Video mapping in Piazza Garibaldi 
Last image of video mapping
(Video mapping of Palazzo del Governatore)

[Naoko] 22 Dec. 2021
For the last four days, the city of Parma has organised a video mapping projection to mark the end of the year-long City of Culture. Every year one city is chosen as Italian City of Culture, and Parma has been chosen for 2020 (extended by one year due to the pandemic). The projection showed the things that have built Parma into a unique cultural city: music, art, foods, and people.
  Japanese singer at Christmas concert 
Concert at Chiesa di San Vitale
(Concert at Chiesa di San Vitale)

[Naoko] 19 Dec. 2021
During Christmas season, concerts are held in many churches in Europe. I went to listen to a concert today. It was a trio of transverse-flute, violincello, and harpsichord, with a soprano taking part in some of the pieces.. To my surprise, she was Japanese. (I was surprised because I didn’t know the performers beforehand.) It was a pleasure not only to listen to their music but also to talk with her after the concert.
  Concert of UniPR orchestra 
UniPR Christmas concert
(UniPR Christmas concert)

[Naoko] 17 Dec. 2021
The concert to celebrate Christmas was held at the headquarters of the university in the city centre. This was only my second visit there because I am always at the campus where the engineering department is located, several km away from the city centre. Before the concert there was a speech from the Rector (whom I had never seen before). The concert was wonderful.
  Graduation 
Cecilia, Luca, and Naoko
(Cecilia, Luca, and Naoko)

[Naoko] 10 Dec. 2021
Cecilia, a master’s student who studied PHP, passed her final exam (oral presentation) and graduated today. She looked wonderful in her laurel crown. There are three big differences on graduation between Italy and Japan: firstly, there are several graduation dates (in Japan it is only once a year in March); secondly, the students graduate on the same day as their final exams (in Japan it is about two months later); and finally, the students’ families, relatives, and friends gather at the university to celebrate the graduation (which is not the case in Japan). I also participated in her party.
  Christmas village 2021 
Fabio and Naoko in Christmas village
(Fabio and Naoko in Chrsitmas village)

[Naoko] 09 Dec. 2021
On the way home Fabio and I went shopping in the Christmas village, a seasonal market inside a big gardening shop. I bought an artificial red branch to attach to my poinsettia pot which I bought in the same shop last December. It has grown over the past year, but its colour has changed from red and green to all green. I got classical Christmas colours with the help of artificiality.
  Space travel 
model of Soyuz rocket
(Model of Soyuz rocket in Baikonur)

[Naoko] 08 Dec. 2021
Today, the Soyuz rocket with two Japanese crews on board was launched and successfully docked to the International Space Station (ISS), making them the first Japanese private astronauts to stay on the ISS. In 2016, I witnessed the launch of the Soyuz in Baikonur Cosmodrome in support of JAXA astronaut. One of the two crews was already interested in space travel on the Soyuz at that time. Today he finally made his dream come true. (The image shows a model of the Soyuz in the city of Baikonur, taken by me)
  Advent calendar 
Advent calendar
(Advent calendar)

[Naoko] 07 Dec. 2021
One of the things I got to know recently is an advent calendar - a special calendar for counting down the days in December leading up to Christmas eve. I bought one for my colleague’s daughter without realizing that it was a calendar. I thought it was simply a pastry. After that, Fabio gave me one as a gift. Every night, I open a paper window with a date on it and find a chocolate. It became one of my daily pleasures after dinner.
  Seminar for Japanese engineers 
Top page of Naoko's presentation
(Top page of Naoko's presentation)

[Naoko] 03 Dec. 2021
Last Friday I participated online in a seminar of The Heat Transfer Society of Japan Tokai Chapter, where I gave a presentation on the estimation of local heat flux in PHP. There was more than 70 participants and 6 presenters including me. Half of presenters belonged to companies and the others are from universities. There was also a panel discussion on technologies for carbon neutrality in 2050.
(Flyer of the seminar: website of The Heat Transfer Society of Japan Tokai Chapter)
https://www.htsj.or.jp/branch/tokai/HTSJ_tokai_colloquium_seminar202.html
  Seminar for students 
Students at seminar
(Students at seminar)

[Naoko] 01 Dec. 2021
Fabio organized a seminar in his course for the undergraduate and graduated students. Professor Nicola Paltrinieri from Norwegian University of Science and Technology gave a presentation on hydrogen energy strategy and risk management for it. I then made a 30 minutes-presentation of thermal management and PHP. Our two colleagues also presented on our experimental studies.
  Baths or Caracalla 
Bath of caracalla
(Bath of Caracalla)

[Naoko] 28 Nov. 2021
This weekend I visited Roma with Marcelo. During he went to the Colosseum, I went to the Baths of Caracalla, a huge public bath complex in ancient Roma. There are not only baths, but also swimming pools and gymnasiums, where the Romans used to exercise before taking a bath. We have similar facilities (in use today) in Japan, but the emphasis is more on relaxing in the bath. I enjoyed the visit, imaging what the baths were like in those days.
  Award plaque 
Luca and Naoko with award plaque
(Luca and Naoko with award plaque)

[Naoko] 25 Nov. 2021
I received a wooden plaque for the Don Ernst Award of the International Heat Pipe Conference/Symposium (IHPC/S) sent by Mrs. Ernst from the USA. This award was established in a memory of American physicist and inventor, Donald M. Ernst, by her and his friends in 2012. I sent her an e-mail to express my gratitude. She replied that hopefully we would meet in person at the next IHPC/S in Australia in February 2023.
  Naoko's birthday 
Fabio, Naoko, and colleagues at table
(Birthday party)

[Naoko] 23 Nov. 2021
Today is my 39th birthday. Fabio organized a surprise party with the colleagues. We enjoyed his wonderful homemade food. He also baked a cake for me! As a gift I received a beautiful scarf made of milk fibre. It was one of the best birthdays of my life.
  Christmas market in Trento 
Christmas tree and duomo
(Christmas tree and duomo in Trento)

[Naoko] 20 Nov. 2021
Marcelo and I visited Trento. The main purpose of our visit was a Christmas market which was started from today. He bought some Presepe (Christmas diorama) and I had a glass of hot wine. We happened to be there just as the Christmas tree was being lit up and the photo mapping was starting. It was fantastic!
  Okonomiyaki dinner 
okonomiyaki
(Okonomiyaki)

[Naoko] 19 Nov. 2021 
I invited Marcelo and Fabio for dinner and cooked okonomiyaki on Wednesday. It was Marcelo’s first time having okonomiyaki. I had not cooked it since March, so I rehearsed it last weekend. The taste was not good, even worse than in March. I referred to a recipe on the internet and added some ingredients on Wednesday, which improved it. I was happy to heat that it tasted good.
  Tobikko in the pokebowl 
pokebowl
(Pokebowl)

[Naoko] 16 Nov. 2021 
Recently, Marcelo and I have liked a Poke place that Fabio recommended to us. Tonight, for the toppings, I chose salmon and flying fish roe. I didn’t know the Italian word for this roe, so I pointed them out to the shop assistant. To my surprise, she said, “Tobikko?” This is exactly the Japanese word for this roe. (In Japanese, the name of the roe changes according to the fish.)
  Siena 
city view of Siena
(City view of Siena)

[Naoko] 14 Nov. 2021 
Marcelo and I visited in Siena yesterday. When we entered the city center through the gate, I felt as if we had arrived in another world. The city looked as if it is still in the Middle Ages. It is not only a tourist destination, but also a place where many locals live. We visited the Duomo and Palazzo Pubblico, where I was impressed by the wonderful fresco paintings.
  Time for lunch? 
canteen of UniPR
(Canteen of UniPR)

[Naoko] 10 Nov. 2021
In Italy it is common to have lunch between 1pm and 2pm. In Japan, it’s between12am and 1 pm. In my experience, it was the same in Belgium and the Netherlands. According to Marcelo, it is also the same in Brazil. My Spanish friend told me that in Spain they start having lunch at 2pm. I wonder what cultural background makes it different or the same in different countries. (The image shows the canteen on our campus)
  The longest covered walkway in the world 
portico di San Luca
(Portico di San Luca)

[Naoko] 06 Nov. 2021
Marcelo and I visited the Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca in Bologna. It is a church on the top of a hill and was first founded in the 12th century. There is an uninterrupted 3.8km-covered walkway from the city to the Sanctuary. We climbed up with occasional breaks in between. Some people were jogging. From the top of the cupola, I saw the hills in autumn colours.
  Homemade pizza 
Fabio and Naoko in front of pizza
(Homemade pizza)

[Naoko] 05 Nov. 2021
I learned how to make homemade pizza, including the dough, from Fabio. I never expected that I was able to make it by myself at home. The ingredient for the dough was simple: flour, water, olive oil, salt, and yeast. We made two large pizza and had them with Marcelo. The dough was crispy, which I liked. I was happy to hear that they tasted good.
  Awarded! 
portico di San Luca
(Photo of all authors)

[Naoko] 02 Nov. 2021
Our paper on PHP presented at International Heat Pipe Conference/Symposium (IHPC/IHPS2021) last month has been awarded “Don Ernst award”. This award is for the best papers presented in the conference and is divided in two categories: fundamental research and technical/technology applications. Our paper was awarded in the former category and the latter was won by colleagues from Calyos!
For more information (IHPC/IHPS2021 website):
http://heatpipe.ru/2020/donernst

  Second (or third) visit to Milano 
photo taken at Galleria
(Photo taken at Galleria)

[Naoko] 31 Oct. 2021
Marcelo and I visited Milan today. Thanks to Fabio and Giovanni’s guide, we visited the highlights of Milan. I was particularly interested in Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio, the oldest church in Milan. For lunch and snacks, we had delicious food from Puglia (Panzerotti: deep-fried bread), Firenze (Schiacciata: traditional bread sandwich), and Roma (Maritozzo: bread with whipped cream).
  Speak Italian in my dream 
photo taken in Piemonte
(Photo taken in Piemonte)

[Naoko] 29 Oct. 2021
This is a photo of Piemonte that my colleague took and showed to me a week ago. In this morning, I was getting on a bus in my dream. When I got off the bus, I saw the same scenery as in this photo. However, in my dream, I didn’t know where it was. I knew that it was not Parma. Google Maps didn’t show me the location, so I panicked. I asked someone nearby, “Dove siamo qui?” (where are we? – the correct way to say is “Dove siamo?”) It was the first time I had ever spoken in Italian in my dream.
  Marcelo and Naoko cooking 
Marcelo and Naoko cooking
(Photo taken in Piemonte)

[Naoko] 26 Oct. 2021
Under Fabio’s supervise, Marcelo and I tried cooking Italian food: an antipasto, pasta arrabbiata, and tiramisu. All of them were very good. I never expected that I would be able to make tiramisu at home.
   Cinque Terre 
Cinque Terre
(Cinque Terre)

[Naoko] 24 Oct. 2021
Yesterday, Marcello and I went to the Cinque Terre, scenic seaside five villages. We visited each village, traveling by train. We wanted to walk along the pedestrian passages along the sea, but unfortunately they were closed. The weather was fine and I enjoyed swimming in the sea. The water was clear and I could see a lot of fish.
  Fabio's home-cooked meal 
Marcella, Fabio, and Naoko
(Marcella, Fabio, and Naoko)

[Naoko] 19 Oct. 2021
Fabio invited Marcello and me for dinner. Marcello is a visiting professor at the University of Parma from Brazil. Fabio’s cooking was very good as always and I especially like his new pasta. I was interested to hear from Marcello about life in Brazil, because I have never been to South America.
  Bus trip from Belgium to Italy (and what happened at the border) 
view from bus window
(View from bus window)

[Naoko] 17 Oct. 2021
The bus left Brussels on Saturday evening and travelled for 13 hours through Luxemburg, France, and Switzerland. Entering Italy, the bus suddenly stopped. A few Italian police officers came into the bus and told us to get off with our luggage. At first I thought it was an ID check, but it wasn’t. When they brought a dog with them, I realized it was a drug raid. We had to stand outside for over half an hour while the dog sniffed us and our luggage. At the end nothing was found and we were released. (The image shows a view of Switzerland from the window)
  Antwerp 
Antwerp
(Antwerp)

[Naoko] 09 Oct. 2021
Last Saturday I visited Antwerp. A friend of mine whom I met in Mechelen last month showed me around the city. I had visited for only 1 hour 10 years ago on my way from Brussels to the Netherlands. I remembered some of the sights, but more than that I encountered new scenery. For lunch we had mussels, one of my favourite food.
  Naoko at lab 
Naoko working at lab
(Naoko at lab)

[Naoko] 08 Oct. 2021
I usually spend most of my day in the laboratory, working on PHP experiments. The company I am seconded to, Calyos, is a SME that designs and manufactures two-phase flow devices. The lab is always full of activity as we test and prepare several devices at the same time, including the company's flagship product, the loop heat pipe.
  Dinner at Brewery in Charleroi 
Fabio and Naoko in Brewery
(Fabio and Naoko at Brewery)

[Naoko] 06 Oct. 2021
I returned to Belgium on Monday. Fabio also came to Charleroi to have a meeting with my colleagues and me. We discussed the result of our tests so far and our future works. After the meeting, Fabio and I had a dinner at a restaurant with a brewery. We tried four different local beers. Fabio likes brown ale while I prefer pilsner.
  Beautiful mosaics in Ravenna 
mosaic of St. Andrew Chapel in Ravenna
(Mosaic of St. Andrew Chapel in Ravenna )

[Naoko] 02 Oct. 2021
Ravenna had been on my must-visit list for months. The interior of the churches, built in the 6th or 7th century, are decorated with beautiful mosaics. In fact, they were even greater than I had expected and I was overwhelmed by their magnificence (as is often the case in Italy). On my way back to Parma, I mistakenly got on the wrong train in the opposite direction. I remembered the nightmare of a fortnight ago, but this time I was fortunate enough to return.
  Lots of love today and beyond 
our colleague's wedding
(Our colleague's wedding day)

[Naoko] 26 Sep. 2021
One of our colleagues got married. The ceremony was held in a beautiful church in the morning and then we moved to a hotel with a lovely garden for the party. The bride (our colleague) was gorgeous and had a really happy smile on her face. It was a great pleasure to celebrate with them.26 Sep. 2021
One of our colleagues got married. The ceremony was held in a beautiful church in the morning and then we moved to a hotel with a lovely garden for the party. The bride (our colleague) was gorgeous and had a really happy smile on her face. It was a great pleasure to celebrate with them.
   European Researchers' Night #2 
european researchers' night
(From right to left: Fabio, Naoko, Luca)

[Naoko] 25 Sep. 2021
We had four demonstrations, each time with an audience of around 12 people. Due to the pandemic the number of the audience members was limited. The most common question from them was: “how are Heat pipe used in real life?” We explained that they are used in PCs, smartphones, satellites, snow-melting and much more.Our food engineering colleagues demonstrated how to cook popcorn, which was well received.
   European Researchers' Night 
european researchers' night
(Presentation of heat pipe)

[Naoko] 25 Sep. 2021
European Researchers’ Night is a research communication and promotion event taking place across EU Member States and Horizon 2020 (Horizon Europe) Associated Countries on the last Friday of September every year. We demonstrated a simple experiment to show how a heat pipe effectively transfer the heat by using infrared camera.
  First cappucino in 50 days 
Naoko at cafe in Parma
(Naoko at cafe in Parma)

[Naoko] 23 Sep. 2021
This morning Fabio gave me a ride to the campus. On the way, we had breakfast at a café. I had a cappuccino. I like cappuccinos, but I never had one in Belgium. For lunch we had pizza and for dinner I cooked pasta. I again realized that I am in Italy and that I like Italian food.
  Return to Parma 
Message on a door
(Welcome back message on the door)

[Naoko] 22 Sep. 2021
I came back to Parma temporally to participate a couple of important events. When I arrived home, I found a “Welcome back” message on the door. It was from the owner of the apartment. During my stay in Belgium, he sometimes came to ventilate my room and let me know that everything was fine in the room. His message made my heart warm.
  Thai / Vietnamese  foods 
Thai and vietnamese foods
(Thai and vietnamese foods in Charleroi)

[Naoko] 20 Sep. 2021
One of the things I like about Belgium is that there are many Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. These foods are my most favorites, same as Italian food. I particularly like Tom kha kai (coconut chicken soup, the bottom right image) and Pad Thai (stir-fried rice noodles, the other three images). All the images were taken in the restaurants in Charleroi
  A visit to Gent and long way home  
nigt view of Gent
(Nigt view of Gent)

[Naoko] 19 Sep. 2021
Yesterday was a long day. I enjoyed visiting Gent until late in the evening. I was happy to see the night view, which was the main purpose of this visit. The nightmare came after that. Due to a series of misfortunes, I was unable to reach Charleroi station. At 1:30am, I arrived at the station, 20 km away from Charleroi. There were no taxis or hotels. I decided to walk home, which took me three and half hours.
  Metro in Charleroi 
platform of metro station
(platform of metro station)

[Naoko] 15 Sep. 2021
I used the subway (metro) on my way home from work. I missed the last bus on the route I usually take, so I used an alternative route suggested by Google Map. At first, I waited for the bus, not realizing that Google Map was pointing me to the metro. I didn’t expect that the metro is available because all the stations I saw in Charleroi had been destroyed or closed. In fact, it only operates between a limited number of stations.
  Leuven (Louvain) 
Reuven
(Arenberg Castle)

[Naoko] 12 Sep. 2021
Leuven is a small city close to Bruxelles and has a university with nearly 600 years of history (KU Leuven). The departments of natural science are located in a huge campus outside of the city center. I walked there from the railway station via the city center. There are not only the faculty buildings but also a forest, some soccer fields, and even a castle (see the image) in the campus.

  Meet again 
Naoko and her friend
(Naoko and her friend)

[Naoko] 05 Sep. 2021
I met a friend of mine in Mechelen (Malines). He used to work in Spain and now he is in Belgium. We have known each other through work for 10 years now. This is the fourth time we’ve met in person, as we’ve mainly communicated by e-mail. Moreover, this is the first time we have talked for several hours away from work. We talked a lot about the past and our current lives. I was very happy to see him again.
  Brugge (Bruges) 
Brugge
(Brugge)

[Naoko] 04 Sep. 2021
Brugge is a city that I had wanted to visit ever since I saw a picture of its beautiful scenery several years ago. As I expected, the view of the canals with the greenery of the trees and classical buildings was wonderful. Thanks to the good weather, I enjoyed walking and cruising on a boat.
  A day at Cibus, part2 
Cibus 2
(Cibus 2)

[Fabio] 03 Sep. 2021
Cibus is the International Food Exhibition. It is the reference event for Italian agro-food, for the latest news and trends about food. The key ideas of this edition are "sustainable", "recyclable" and "natural".
  Cibus 
Cibus
(Cibus )

[Fabio] 02 Sep. 2021
Cibus is the International Food Exhibition. It is the reference event for Italian agro-food, for the latest news and trends about food. It takes place in Parma every year. It is an amazing (and tasteful) event.
  Maritozzo? 
maritozzo sold in Japan
(Maritozzo sold in Japan)

[Naoko] 02 Sep. 2021
My friend in Japan sent me three pictures of “maritozzo” sold there. According to her, it is an Italian pastry and the latest fad in Japan. However, I’ve never eaten or even seen them in Italy. I’ll try it when I come back to Parma! (The image contains messages from my friend.)
   What I witnessed in the bus 
bus
(Bus)

[Naoko] 30 Aug. 2021
I take the bus to work every day. In this evening, the bus unusually stayed at a bus stop for about a minutes after a passenger had boarded. At the next stop it stayed there a few minutes with the doors closed. Looking at the driver in the mirror, I saw he was asleep. The other passenger didn’t seem to notice. For a couple of minutes, I wondered whether I should wake him up or let him sleep to avoid the risk of a traffic accident. When I walked up to him, he woke up and started driving. I was relieved when we eventually arrived at our final destination.
  Bruxelles 
Bruxelles
(Bruxells)

[Naoko] 28 Aug. 2021
In this afternoon I visited Bruxelles. This was the second visit and the first time was in 2011. It was the first European city I visited. That was also my first overseas business trip and I was alone. I was a bit anxious, but at the same time I was excited about the new experience. Today I visited the same place I did 11 years ago and I remembered those days fondly.
  Frites (French fries) 
Frites
(Frites)

[Naoko] 25 Aug. 2021
A Belgium colleague of mine told me that French fries are one of the most typical Belgium foods. In fact, I didn’t know this, but its origin is in Belgium. What’s unique about them is that they are fried twice. On my way home, I bought a pack of fries for my diner. I chose the smallest pack, but it was enough for two dinners.
  Dinant 
Dinant
(Dinant)

[Naoko] 21 Aug. 2021
On Saturday I visited Dinant, a village in the gorge south of Charleroi. The views , both up from the bank of the Meuse and down from a cliff-top fortress are wonderful. I tried a local traditional beer “Leffe”. I usually don’t like bitterness in beer and cannot drink even one glass, but I really like this beer and I enjoyed drinking it. (Maybe because I chose a fruit-flavoured “Leffe ruby”.)
  Start of secondment 
street in Charleroi
(Street in Chalreroi)

[Naoko] 17 Aug. 2021
My secondment is to a company specialising in the design and manufacture of two-phase fluid devices. It's a great facility with everything you need for development - offices, a laboratory and a manufacturing site. I commute by bus and on foot. The weather has been poor and cold lately. In fact, the temperature is more than 10°C lower than in Parma.
  Arrival at Charleroi/Belgium 
view from airplane
(View from airplane)

[Naoko] 13 Aug. 2021
I’m in Charleroi, a city near Brussels, for my 2-month-secondment. Today I came here by plane from Bologna. The airport was crowded and I had to wait for one hour to drop off my baggage. Anyway, I could move to Belgium without any problems. It is not so far from Italy (100 min. by plane), but the town scape is different as well as the language. I miss Italy already.
  Museums in Parma 
Teatro Farnese
(Teatro Farnese)

[Naoko] 12 Aug. 2021
In this afternoon I visited museums in Palazzo Pilotta. This was my first visit to a museum in Parma. They were closed due to the pandemic when I came to Italy last year. When they reopened, my priority was to visit other cities. The museums were not crowded and I enjoyed wonderful paintings, a library, and a theatre. I was especially happy to see “La Scapigliata” by Leonardo da Vinci. Unfortunately, the archaeological museum was temporarily closed today, so I’ll visit it again.
  Aida at Verona Arena 
Verona opera festival
(Verona Opera Festival)

[Naoko] 08 Aug. 2021
I left Selva di Val Gardena and came to Verona. My main purpose is to see “Aida”. I’ve wanted to see it someday since I learned about it in my elementary school music textbook. For some reason, the story of the opera and the photo of the final act in my textbook left a deep impression on me. After 30 years, I was able to see it at a fantastic place, a Roman amphitheatre!
  Dolomiti 
Dolomiti
(Dolomiti)

[Naoko] 07 Aug. 2021
I’ve been in Selva di Val Gardena, a village in a valley surrounded by the Dolomites, since yesterday. I did a lot of hiking and enjoyed the spectacular views. I never thought I would be able to see this kind of landscape in my lifetime, because I thought it was something that only serious climbers could see. Thanks to the location and good maintenance, it was possible even with my poor equipment (12euro sneakers + conference backpack).
  Toscana 
San Gimignano
(San gimignano)

[Naoko] 01 Aug. 2021
I returned from the trip to Toscana. The image shows towers of San Gimingano, taken from a nearby field. I like the hilly landscape of Toscana with olive groves and vineyards. San Gimignano is a beautiful historic village with many tourists. Most of them came by car and I was almost the only tourist on the bus to and from the nearest railway station. Fortunately, the public transportation connections were good and I also enjoyed the train and bus journey.
  Da Vinci 
model of gold foil making machine
(Model of gold foil making machine)

[Naoko] 31 Jul. 2021
I’m traveling to Toscana (Tuscany) from Thursday. The first two days I visited Torre del Lago Puccini, where I saw Turandot at the Puccini opera festival and went to the beach. Today I moved on to San Gimignano. On the way I visited Vinci, the small village where Leonardo da Vinci was born. In the museum dedicated to him, models fabricated exactly as he had designed were shown with his sketches (copies). Although I was already familiar with some of his works, once again I was really impressed with this unparalleled genius.
  Summer in Parma and Japan 
fan in Naoko's flat
(Fan in Naoko's flat)

[Naoko] 26 Jul. 2021
In my flat there is a fan but no air conditioning. I used to be worried if I could survive without it. My parents also didn’t have air conditioning in their house in Japan. For me, it used to be a nightmare to spend the summer there. Last summer, after my father almost lost consciousness due to the hotness, they eventually installed air conditioning. In fact, every summer in Japan, hundreds of people die from heat stroke in their homes. The summers in Japan are much hotter and more humid than here.
  UniPR racing team 
UniPR racing team
(UniPR racing team)

[Naoko] 21 Jul. 2021
The University of Parma has a student racing team. The team leader kindly showed me their car. They share a big laboratory with us, but we have never communicated each other because our places are partitioned. I have only heard the sounds of their work; they work really hard every day from morning till evening. His description of their car was very interesting. They are going to race next month. Good luck to them!
  Horror movie night 
I giardino della paura
(I giardini della paula)

[Naoko] 15 Jul. 2021
From last night, “I Giardini della Paura” (The Gardens of Horrors) began. It is a kind of movie festival held every summer in Parma. Horror films are shown in a public garden and anyone can watch them for free. Fabio and I watched “Demoni” (Italy, 1985). It was little scary but funny in the end.
  Italy won UEFA EURO2020! 
Parading cars
(Parading cars)

[Naoko] 12 Jul. 2021
Last night, Italy defeated England at the final match. After the match, firecrackers rang out. For me, it was predictable, but what followed was beyond that. A number of cars began to parade through the street, honking their horn incessantly and waving the national flag. It went on for over an hour, until 2am. I felt the difference in culture. This would never happen in Japan. If it happens, people who feel it annoying will call the police to stop it.
  San Marino 
San Marino
(View from San Marino)

[Naoko] 11 Jul. 2021
I attended a conference in Ancona. Its main topic is energy engineering and I found some interesting presentations. After the conference, I visited Rimini and San Marino. The latter was the place of my dreams, but unfortunately not what I was expecting. It is a nice place, but too touristy. Perhaps I let my imagination run wild from the beautiful photos.
  Opera 
opera
(Opera at the garden of the palace in Colorno)

[Naoko] 07 Jul. 2021
Last night I saw “La Boheme” in the garden of the palace in Colorno. This is my first time to see an opera. The owner of my flat invited me, but he didn’t come due to the Italy vs Spain football match. I enjoyed the opera very much, although I could hardly catch what each singer was singing. Towards the end of the opera, the match was settled with an Italian victory and the town was in an uproar.
  Concert 
Orchestra concert
(Orchestra concert)

[Naoko] 05 Jul. 2021
Last night I went to an orchestra concert in the park. It was supposed to be held outdoors, but due to bad weather it was moved indoors. The park is close to my flat and I used to spend many weekends there during the lockdown. Whenever I saw the concert hall in the park, I wanted to listen to music there when the pandemic situation settles down. The concert was wonderful and I was happy to see my little dream come true.
  Japanese lunch 
Soba, rice, miso-soup and side dishes
(Soba, rice, miso-soup, and side dishes)

[Naoko] 03 Jul. 2021
One of the professors who attended the Japanese language course invited us for lunch. To my surprise, it was a real Japanese home-cooked meal and the taste was amazing. In particular, the simmered mackerel in miso(鯖の味噌煮) was fantastic. I know that it is not easy to cook well because I had often failed in the past. I never imagined that I would have such authentic Japanese dish in an Italian home.
  Cakes like jewels in a box 
cakes
(mini-cakes)

[Naoko] 28 Jun. 2021
Recently, two of our colleagues celebrated their birthdays. They both treated us to mini cakes like the one in the photo. The cakes looked gorgeous like jewels in a box! The taste was of course good.
  Genova 
potremoli scenary
(Beach at Boccadasse)

[Naoko] 27 Jun. 2021
I spend this weekend in Genova. It was my first visit and I liked it. I was really happy to swim in the beautiful sea (I saw a lot of fishes!). I also liked the view of the harbour with its many boats and yachts. I was excited to get inside a submarine at the maritime museum. Generally, the inside of a submarine is rarely open to the public due to its high-level secrecy. Although it had been decommissioned nearly 20 years ago, it was very interesting.
  Pontremoli 
potremoli scenary
(view from castle)

[Naoko] 20 Jun. 2021
I visited the village of Pontremoli in the north of Tuscany. I enjoyed walking around the village and visiting the castle and the stone statue museum. For lunch, I had “testaroli”, a typical pasta from this region. I didn’t know about it beforehand, so I was surprised when it was served. It looked and tasted very different from other pastas (it was good, of course). Then I stumbled into a shop where I found very nice tableware and bought it. It is the work of an artist who lives near there.
  Japanese language class 
Japanese language course
(Teacher's presentation and Naoko)

[Naoko] 18 Jun. 2021
I was invited by a Japanese teacher to participate in an online course. It was held for the professors and researchers of the University of Parma. There were seven participants and everyone was studying very sincerely. What particularly struck me was that they said “tadaima” when they returned from the group work room to the main one. This is a typical Japanese greeting that we always say to our families or partners when we come home. Perhaps because I hadn’t said or heard it for months, it struck me unexpectedly.
  Museums in Cremona 
museo di violino
(violin museum)

[Naoko] 12 Jun. 2021
I visited Cremona today. One of the purposes was to visit museums: painting, archaeology, and violin. In the city museum (Museo Civico Ala Ponzone), I was the only visitor during the two hours I was there. I had exclusive access to wonderful paintings! In the violin museum, a Japanese staff kindly gave me valuable explanations. I’ll visit again to listen to the Stradivari violin performance.
  Aperitivo at winery 
aperitivo at winery
(aperitivo at winery)

[Naoko] 10 Jun. 2021
We enjoyed aperitivo at a winery close to Parma. It is a special seasonal one: the place is only open once a week during summer. We had a lovely time.
  Venezia 
Venezia- canale grande
(Venezia)

[Naoko] 06 Jun. 2021
I visited Venezia in this weekend. I think it is a unique city that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It is unbelievably amazing that it has been on the water for 1600 years, and yet the architecture has remained for hundreds of years. I enjoyed walking, taking a lot of waterbus (“vaporetto” in Italian) rides, visiting museums, and buying small glassware.
  Pizza lunch, again (2 months after) 
pizza lunch
(pizza lunch with colleagues)

[Naoko] 03 Jun. 2021
Sometimes one of my colleagues suggests, “How about a pizza for lunch?” Every time I was happy to take the suggestion, but the last time it was rejected because other colleagues said that a pizza was too heavy for lunch (I understand their point of view). Today, we were able to get enough consent to have a pizza delivered. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed lunch outside.
  Cycling in the hills 
view from hill
(view from top of the hill)

[Naoko] 30 May 2021
I went cycling for the first time since the beginning of April. So far, I’ve rode on the flat ground, but today I rode through hilly terrain. I struggled with the quite steep roads, but I was happy to see the beautiful scenery.
  Students 
Students
(Students at the hallways)

[Naoko] 27 May 2021
Lately, the hallways of the Engineering Department are filled with students studying. They were forced to stay home for more than a year due to the pandemic, but now the restrictions have been relaxed. What always impresses me is how diligent they are in their studies. It’s very different, at least compared to Japan when I was a student. It may be changed now, though.
  Reviewer2 jokes 
Reviewer2 meme
(Reviewer2 meme)

[Naoko] 25 May 2021
I spent most of last weekend revising my manuscript and preparing responses to the reviewers. Although I appreciated the opportunity to revise, it was really hard. These funny memes made me smile, relaxed and encouraged me. Searching for “reviewer2 meme”, you will find many.
https://twitter.com/PhilosophyMttrs/status/1056432895907295232/photo/1
http://jasonya.com/wp/your-manuscript-on-peer-review/

  Sad news 
Berserk comic volume 1
(Berserk comic vol.1)

[Naoko] 20 May 2021
I was deeply shocked to hear that Japanese Manga artist Miura Kentaro passed away at 54. I have been a fan of his most famous work, Berserk. It was started in 1989 and is still serialized in the magazine. We are no longer able to see the ending of the story. What I didn’t know, his work has inspired a lot of creators around the world. Millions of people have expressed their condolences on the Internet.
  Mishering 
Naoko's notebook
(Naoko's notebook)

[Naoko] 19 May 2021
Studying the imperative mood of Italian language, I realized that I misheard what Italian people often say. When they gently urged me to speak, it sounded like they were saying “Give me!”. I wondered why they used English words in this particular case, but I never thought that they were saying another word. The truth is, they said, “dimmi!” This means “tell me” in Italian. The pronunciation was similar (at least for me), so I had misheard for 6 months.
  Eurovision night with wonderful dinner 
Fabio and Naoko
(Eurovision and dinner)

[Naoko] 18 May 2021
Fabio invited me for the dinner. He cooked “tortelli d’erbetta” (typical pasta of Parma) and salad with “salra tonno”. We also enjoyed his great home-made rice cake. During the dinner, we watched Eurovision. I found five or six favourite teams, but, unfortunately some of them were not selected for Grand Final.
  Classmate 
Classmate
(Classmates)

[Naoko] 16 May 2021
I enjoyed aperitivo with a classmate of the Italian language course. We are the only two who have participated from the first course. Today we met in person for the first time because all the lessons were online. He is a master’s student and is from Rwanda. We talked about each other’s studies and life in Italy and home country.
  Fruits 
Fruits
(Strawberry and cherry)

[Naoko] 15 May 2021
Italy is full of wonderful food. One of my favorites is fresh domestic fruits which are available at affordable prices. There are domestic fruits in Japan as well, but generally they are expensive. In fact, some of them are sold as special gift items. Today I enjoyed the cherries and the strawberries that I rarely ate in Japan.
  Giro d'Italia 
Giro d'Italia
(Giro d'Italia)

[Naoko] 11 May 2021
The Giro d’Italia came to Parma. A couple of months ago, I heard about it from a few Japanese friends who are cycling fans. Honestly speaking, I didn't even know about the Giro d’Italia before that. They highly recommended me to watch it and told me that I am so lucky. Indeed, it was an impressive experience.
  Firenze 
Firenze
(Firenze)

[Naoko] 08 May 2021
I’ve visited Florence (Firenze) since yesterday. It is a fantastic city, as all my Japanese friends who visited have praised it. I spent several hours at museums and enjoyed watching the wonderful paintings. Thanks to Fabio and his family, I tasted some typical and very nice foods in Florence.
  Aperitivo 
Aperitivo
(Aperitivo)

[Naoko] 06 May 2021
We enjoyed “aperitivo”(aperitive) this evening. I got to know this Italian culture when I was in Japan and I looked forward to the opportunity to have it. I tried the spritzer, which I wanted to drink since I saw a lot of people enjoyed it in Milan. I got drunk with just one glass of the spritzer because I am not strong against alcohol.
  Breakfast at cafe 
cafe
(cafe)

[Naoko] 04 May 2021
One of my friends in Japan often says to me, “If I were you, I would stop by café and have a coffee every morning on my way to the campus”. That is his longing lifestyle in Italy. I usually have a breakfast at home. Eventually, Instead of him, I did it this morning. The cappuccino was very good and I decided to come here sometimes.
  Wonderful day at Milan 
MIlan
(Fabio and Naoko at Milan)

[Naoko] 02 May 2021
We are now able to go outside of the Emilia-Romagna under the new rules. Fabio and his family took me around Milan all day long. I found a lot of amazing places and buildings that I didn’t know at all. What I was most happy about was having lunch and walking while talking with them.
  Package from Japan 
package from Japan
(Package from Japan)

[Naoko] 29 Apr. 2021
I received a package sent by one of my best friends in Japan. It’s about 20 years since we met at the end of our teens. It was packed with various Japanese food, including a granola which I was crazy about at that time. Her thoughtfulness made me so happy.
  Yoga class 
Yoga class
(Yoga class)

[Naoko] 24 Apr. 2021
I joined the yoga class organized by the university in this morning. It was held outdoors and about 40 participants sat at a social distance. I couldn’t fully understand what the teacher explained in Italian, but I was able to keep up with the class, because she showed us the demonstration. I enjoyed it very much.
  Lunch with MSCA fellow from india 
Vinayak and Naoko
(Vinayak and Naoko)

[Naoko] 23 Apr. 2021
I was invited for the lunch by Vinayak, who is the another MSCA-IF-2019 fellow. He comes from southern India and cooked three kinds of authentic Indian curries: beans, vegetables, and chicken. He used the spices brought from India. Everything was very nice and I ate too much.
  The pizza of Osaka 
Naoko and Fabio showing Okonomiyaki
(Fabio and Naoko showing Okonomiyaki)

[Fabio] 20 Apr. 2021
This is my first homemade okonomiyaki, called also "pizza of Osaka". This is the first time Naoko cooled for a friend. It is rather uncommon, in Japan, cooking for friends because it is very intimate.
Unacceptable combination 
Ketchup and pasta
(Ketchup and pasta)

[Naoko] 19 Apr. 2021

I get to know that pasta seasoned with ketchup is one of the most unacceptable food for Italian people. Fabio called it a serious crime. In Japan, there is a popular ketchup-based spaghetti. I don’t know why, but we call it “Napolitan.” Therefore, some Japanese think it comes from Napoli (Naples). Of course not!
  Plants 
Poinsettia and basil
(Poinsettia and basil)

[Naoko] 17 Apr. 2021

The poinsettia which I bought in December survived this winter and has grown. I bought soil and a big pot at the garden shop and replanted it. I also bought a basil pot there. The poinsettia got a friend.
  Amaretti 
Amaretti
(Amaretti cake)

[Naoko] 11 Apr. 2021
Amaretti are traditional Italian biscuits. They are made of almonds, eggs, and sugar (no flour and butter!). They are often used as ingredients for cakes. I tried cooking an “amaretti and apple cake” with the amaretti that Fabio gave me. The surface of cake looks darker than that of picture in the recipe, but the taste was good.
  Burrata 
burrata
(Burrata)

[Naoko] 07 Apr. 2021
I tried a burrata for the first time. I leaned it from Fabio at the supermarket. It was a little surprise that there are several kinds of fresh cheese, because I only knew mozzarella. When I cut it, the cream flowed out from the inside. The taste was amazing!
  Happy Easter! 
easter-egg_PHP
(Happy Easter with PHP!)

[Fabio] 04 Apr. 2021
Our PHP looks like and Easer egg! Wishing you sunshine, good times and a very happy Easter!
 Picnic lunch 
Picnic lunch
(Picnic lunch)

[Naoko] 31 Mar. 2021
We had a picnic in the field between the buildings in the campus. The pizza were delivered from a pizzeria off campus. I tried “salsiccia and friarielli” and it was very good. What a lovely lunch it was!
 Daylight saving time 
Piazza Galibaldi
(Piazza Galibaldi)

[Naoko] 29 Mar. 2021
The daylight saving time has started last Sunday. It is still light out even at 8pm, as the photo shows. It was taken at 7:50pm in Piazza Garibaldi (main square of Parma). It is a bit strange but exciting, that the outside is still light even late in the evening.
 Strike, again 
Strada Galibaldi
(Strada Galibaldi)

[Naoko] 26 Mar. 2021
The bus didn’t come. Based on the previous experience, I assumed the reason was a strike and started to walk from the campus to my flat. I found that my assumption was correct at a bus stop on the way. I walked for 80 minutes, practicing pronunciation of Italian “r”. My legs and mouth (and tongue) got so tired!
 Polenta 
Polenta
(Polenta)

[Naoko] 24 Mar. 2021
Fabio cooked polenta for me. I had seen it in the book, but I misunderstood it as omelet or cake because of its yellow color. In fact, it was quite different from anything else. I like its mild taste. I remembered Japanese rice porridge.
 Made in Italy - Ligabue 
Made in Italy by Ligabue
(Made in Italy by Ligabue)

[Naoko] 23 Mar. 2021
A new (advanced) Italian language course started. Fortunately, I passed the previous one with an incredibly high score for me. On the first day, we leaned a song “Made in Italy” from Ligabue. I didn’t like it very much when I only listened to it. After the class, I watched the video and immediately became a fan of him.
 Cycling 
Rocca di San Vitale (Sala Baganza)
(Rocca di San Vitale, Sala Baganza)

[Naoko] 20 Mar. 2021
My colleague lent me a bike. I enjoyed cycling about 40 km round trip between Parma and Sala Baganza. I didn’t get tired at all, because the road was flat and the bike was pleasant to ride. Also, the view of lush green fields was great to see.
 Blooming! 
Flowers blooming
(Blooming flowers)

[Naoko] 15 Mar. 2021
Spring flowers started blooming. I remembered my favourite old poem: “my dear plum tree, send me your fragrance whenever east wind blows; remember spring even after your master is gone”. It was read over 1000 years ago, by a Japanese poet/politician who was expelled from Kyoto to Kyushu (500 km west of Kyoto) due to political incident. I like the sad but beautiful lyrics.
 Covid-19 war 
Vaccination sign at Parma
(Vaccination site at Parma)

[Fabio] 14 Mar. 2021
The whole Potplos team has been vaccinated. We are very lucky. Thanks Emilia Romagna and University of Parma.
 Exam of Italian language course 
Naoko's notebook
(Naoko's notebook)

[Naoko] 12 Mar. 2021
Today I took the exam online. When I woke up in this morning, I recognized that I had been thinking about “loro erano, loro hanno…(verb conjugation)” in my dream. Although I don’t have to pass it, I may have been nervous. The student who finished the exam earliest encouraged me just before leaving the site. I was still struggling to write texts and was glad to hear his encouragement.
 International Women's Day 
flower of mimosa
(Flower of mimosa)

[Naoko] 08 Mar. 2021
I got to know that mimosa is used as a gift for women today in Italy. I also learned and talked about Women’s Day in the Italian language course. Like many pre-modern people, my parents, especially my father, thought that girls’ education is far less important than boys’ (my brother’s). Fortunately for me, they eventually allowed me to go on the university and (unwillingly) supported my tuition. I sincerely wish that every girl in the world is never treated unfairly and has hope for her future.
 Cook Japanese food 
okonomiyaki and karaage
(Okonomiyaki and karaage)

[Naoko] 07 Mar. 2021
I cooked okonomiyaki (left side, vegetable pancake) and karaage (right, fried chicken) as a rehearsal to invite people. I don’t know why, but I’ve rarely missed Japanese food since I came to Italy. I bought soy source in an Asian food shop and other foodstuff in the supermarket. I expected the success since they looked and smelled good, but I disappointed when I tasted them.
 Sanremo 
Fabio and Naoko watching sanremo show
(Fabio and Naoko watcing Sanremo show)

[Fabio] 02 Mar. 2021
It is easier to explain to a Japanese girl thermodynamics than Sanremo show.
 Astronauts with disabilities 
interview on ESA parastronaut selection
(Top: ESA's parastronaut project, bottom: interview)

[Fabio] 01 Mar. 2021
Today, we were interviewed by ParmAteneo about the fact that ESA - European Space Agency opens the selection for astronauts to disabled people as well. The interview will be published soon. Thanks Camilla Ardissone and University of Parma.
 Hair cut 
Naoko during haircut
(Naoko during haircut)

[Naoko] 28 Feb. 2021
went to a hair salon which I often passed by on my way to the Cathedral. The stylists warmly welcomed me, even though we couldn’t communicate very much in Italian or English. A woman with a cool hairstyle cut my hair. It was interesting to have my haircut while standing for the first few minutes. I like her great work.
 Italian language course 
Italian language course
(Book of Italian language course)

[Naoko] 25 Feb. 2021
I take two hours a day online Italian classes from Monday to Thursday. I thought 2 hours would be quite tough, but it wasn’t at all. Using not only a book but also quiz and games, the teacher teaches us the grammar and Italian culture. The students joined from all over the world and, After wondering where to visit, I went to Piacenza, a historic city on the northwestern tip of Emilia-Romagna. I saw wonderful frescoes and paintings in several churches. At Piazza Cavalli, I was fascinated by two dynamic and vigorous equestrian statues created in the 17th century. I liked the duke on the horseback, but, unfortunately, I couldn’t take a good picture of his face due to the backlight.
 Last trip before new travel restriction 
Piazza Cavalli - Piacenza
(Piazza Cavalli, Piacenza)

[Naoko] 21 Feb. 2021
After wondering where to visit, I went to Piacenza, a historic city on the northwestern tip of Emilia-Romagna. I saw wonderful frescoes and paintings in several churches. At Piazza Cavalli, I was fascinated by two dynamic and vigorous equestrian statues created in the 17th century. I liked the duke on the horseback, but, unfortunately, I couldn’t take a good picture of his face due to the backlight.
 Sleeping beauty of Italy - Mantova 
Naoko at Mantova
(Naoko at Mantova)

[Naoko] 17 Feb. 2021
After leaving ITIS E. Fermi, we walked around Mantova. It is a quiet and beautiful city by the lakes, as it is called “sleeping beauty of Italy.” I thought it is fantastic that the city has both the lakes and historic architectures.
 Martedi grasso 
Italian language corse
(Italian language course)

[Naoko] 16 Feb. 2021
In the beginning of today’s Italian language class, the teacher asked us “is it a special Tuesday or normal one today?” Then she told us that today is the last day of the carnival. called “Martedi grasso (fat Tuesday).” People celebrate the carnival with eating a lot of sweets. Studying on the carnival, I understood why I found a dressed kid and a lot of confetti on the road this morning.
 Modena Cathedral 
Modena Cathedral
(Modena Cathedral)

[Naoko] 15 Feb. 2021
visited Modena. Today was a beautiful sunny day and I enjoyed walking around this small city. I joined a Mass at Modena Cathedral, which is one of the UNESCO World Heritages. I saw wonderful paintings and sculptures created in 13-15 centuries. It is amazing that such arts and architectures not only remain but also are still used, as they were at that time.
 Disgraceful news 
Mori reasignation
(News on reasignation of Tokyo 2020 Olympics Chief)

[Naoko] 13 Feb. 2021
I rarely find news about Japan on TV, even on satellite broadcasts. I felt disgraceful that one of them was the resignation of Tokyo Olympics chief Mr. Mori, who was widely blamed due to his sexist comments. In 2019, World Economic Forum reported that Japan’s gender gap index is 121st out of 153 countries (Italy is 76th). It’s a shame, but this was a symbolic news of Japan.
 Congratulations to new MSCA-IF winners! 
digital display and bus
(MSCA-IF-2020 image at European Comission's website)

[Naoko] 09 Feb. 2021
I heard the good news from a Japanese applicant. Last year I wrote blogs about my experience of proposal writing to promote MSCA-IF to Japanese researchers. She read them and asked me to review her proposal. I did it, remembering what was pointed out when mine was reviewed. At that time, I was also helped by people whom I had never met. I think I could pay it forward a bit.
 Waiting for bus 
digital display and bus
(Degital display and bus)

[Naoko] 08 Feb. 2021
The bus didn’t arrive at the campus even 20 minutes after the departure time. There were three other people. No one knew why it didn’t come. We walked to outside the campus and kept waiting. After another 30 minutes, the bus finally came. When it stopped at a bus stop, I understood the reason. The digital display said, “due to strike.” I didn’t know it at all, because there are no displays at the campus but stop.
 A short trip to Bologna 
piazza maggiore bologna
(Bologna Piazza Maggiore )

[Naoko] 07 Feb. 2021
visited Bologna today. This is the first time I’ve been out of Parma since I came here. As a colleague from Bologna told me, it was quite different from Parma. It’s a big city with many tourists. A lot of arcades and reddish-coloured buildings left me an impression. I’d like to go again to visit libraries and museums that were closed today.
 Beautiful tone 
Pipe organ at Duomo
(Pipe organ of Parma Cathedral)

[Naoko] 31 Jan. 2021
Recently, I join a Mass at the Cathedral every weekend. I write down some of Father’s words that I can catch, and check their meaning at home. I’m sorry for the religious people, but my most favourite is pipe organ sound. The musician keeps playing for a few minutes after the Mass is over. I always stay and listen to it even after the people are gone.
 Virtual life 
online meeting
(Online meeting)

[Fabio] 27 Jan. 2021
COVID-19 doesn't stop Potplos. Virtual meetings can be, sometimens, also funny.
 Health insurance 
AUSL Parma
(AUSL Parma)

[Naoko] 27 Jan. 2021
I registered for national health insurance at AUSL (local health authority). This is my third insurance: one is Japanese one and the other is a private one. I think Italian insurance is great because it costs only 150 euros a year. In fact, it’s less than the monthly payments for Japanese national insurance. (I’ve still continued to pay it even after leaving Japan and being unpaid by Japanese organization!)
 Got the permission to stay in Italy 
Questura and Naoko's permesso di soggiorno
(Questura di Parma (top) and Naoko's card of "Permesso di Soggiorno" (bottom))

[Naoko] 25 Jan. 2021
Today I received “Permesso di soggiorno” at Questura di Parma. It took more than three months from the application, and seven months from the preparation for “nulla osta”. It was certainly a long and laborious procedure (but I think it’s still average or even shorter than usual). Thanks to the support of everyone involved, I finally got the official permission!
 Nice boys' beanies 
colleagues in frot of the bar
(Colleagues in front of the bar)

[Naoko] 21 Jan. 2021
It's been very cold these days. Everyday I go to a bar in the campus to buy a sandwich for lunch with my colleagues. We often have to wait outside due to the limited number of people in the bar. All three of them were wearing very nice beanies, which was impressive.
 Public campus 
A dog in the campus
(A dog in the campus)

[Naoko] 18 Jan. 2021
A cute dog was walking with his or her owner when I opened the door of our building. I often see people taking a walk or jogging in the campus, particularly on beautiful sunny days like today. I think it is one of the good points of our (or Italian) university. Even in Japan, university campuses are generally public place, but I used to rarely see such people or dogs.
 Cobblestone path 
cobblestone path
(Cobblestone path in Parma)

[Naoko] 16 Jan. 2021
Parma has many beautiful cobblestone paths. I enjoy not only the scenery but also the sounds. I don’t know why, but I like the sound of car tires running on cobblestones very much ever since I heard it first during my first trip to Europe. (The cobblestones are rarely seen in Japan.) The sound is something like a healing music for mey.
 Attractive visual displays 
a beautiful wondow display
(Beautiful dress and decorations)
[Naoko] 13 Jan. 2021
A beautiful green dress jumped out at me on my way home. I was fascinated by it and the fantastic decorations surrounding it and couldn’t get away from the window for a while (the shop was already closed). One of my favourites in Italy is attractive visual displays on the street. I always enjoy walking while seeing them even it is the same street every day.
 A comic came back to its homeland 
Dylan dog
(DYLAN DOG)

[Naoko] 09 Jan. 2021
The received the last package I sent from Japan, including this comic. It was a gift from my first Italian friend about 10 years ago. We met at European Space Agency’s facility in the Netherland, where he worked as an Infrared camera engineer. He loved comics and was more familiar with Japanese anime than me. Now I’m in Italy to conduct research using infrared camera. It is an interesting coincidence!
 Happy new year 
Parma cathedral
(Parma cathedral)

[Naoko] 05 Jan. 2021
The new year began with laud fireworks sounds heard here and there. I enjoyed them with opening all the windows in my house. It lasted at least 30 minutes, so in the end I was freezing. I joined the mass at Parma Cathedral (see the image) in the morning and evening of New Year’s Day. All the best wishes in 2021!
 Pizza night 
Pamela and Michiele
(Pamela and Michiele)

[Naoko] 27 Dec. 2020
I had a Napoli pizza with my colleague Pamela and her fiancé Michiele at their home. The pizza were delivered from Pamela’s favourite pizzeria. I learned that the Napoli pizza has a unique crust. She was busy translating Italian and English for him and me. A great meal with a lovely couple made me very happy.
 Shopping and eating 
Naoko in front of noodle shop
(Naoko in front of noodle shop)

[Naoko] 16 Dec. 2020
I went to a shuge shopping mall with Fabio. We bought some foods. On the way home, we took away Japanese noodles and some fried foods. The shop was very crowded with customers who bought noodles and sushi. I was glad to see the Japanese (or Asian, at least) food shop is popular. I enjoyed the dinner my flat.
 Christmas village 
Naoko at chirsmas village
(Naoko at Chrismas village)

[Naoko] 10 Dec. 2020
I went to a special shop for Christmas decoration with Fabio. The most interesting was Christmas diorama. I’ve never seen it in Japan. There were many miniatures and some of them were so realistic! I was impressed by the beautiful poinsettias, too, and I bought one of them. I happily welcomed the first and only plant in my flat.
 Cooking! 
Naoko's cooking
(Foccaccia and minestrone)

[Naoko] 05 Dec. 2020
I cooked focaccia and minestrone with referring to a book written by famous food blogger Benedetta Rossi. It’s a gift from Fabio. I had not cooked more than boiling pasta and mixing it with a bottled sauce since I came to Italy. I like it, but I found the one I cooked was also good. I’ll try to cook all recipes in the book one by one.
  First snow in Parma 
Fabio and Naoko at campus
(Fabio and Naoko at campus)

[Naoko] 02 Dec. 2020
The first snow of this winter has fallen in Parma. To my surprise, Fabio predicted it exactly yesterday afternoon. In the morning, there wasn’t much snow in the city center, so I went to the campus by bus as usual. As I approached there, the scenery gradually turned white. The campus was covered in a blanket of snow!
 Naoko's birthday 
Naoko's birthday
(from the left: Fabio, Naoko, Sara, and Pamela)

[Naoko] 23 Nov. 2020
Today is my birthday. I bought a pistachio cream cake (I love pistachios!) on my way to the university and I celebrated with my colleagues after the lunch. It was the first time for me to celebrate the birthday with colleagues on 23 November since it is a national holiday of Japan (Labor Thanksgiving Day). I’m glad it isn’t a holiday in Italy!
 Sushi in Italy 
Sushi at japanese restaurant
(Sushi at Japanese restaurant)

[Naoko] 14 Nov. 2020

I had a lunch at a Japanese restaurant with my colleague and her fiance. She told me it is the best in Parma. It was crowded as if to support her words. I enjoyed two kinds of sushi (the above is one of them). Both were great, while they were completely different from typical sushi in Japan. It is much simpler and mostly made of just rice and a raw fish. Thinking of my conservative Japanese friends, I wondered what they would say if they see them.
 Make espresso with "Moka" 
Naoko's moka
(Naoko's moka - coffee maker)
[Naoko] 7 Nov. 2020
One of my first experiences in Italy was making an espresso with a “moka”. For me, the espresso was something I drink at a cafe or made with an automatic machine and I never imagined making it myself. I learned how to use it on the internet. At first I was worried if I could make it well, but it was not difficult. (To be honest, I’m not sensitive for the taste of coffee, so I’m not sure whether it is really good or not.)
 Procedures to live in Italy 
Prefettura di Parma
(Prefettura di Parma)

[Naoko] 28 Oct. 2020

What I did first just after the quarantine is submitting “permesso di soggiorno” (residency permission) and finding a flat. Prior to that, I sent several messages to the real estate agents, but I never received the replies, so I gave up to find it on the internet. Thanks to my supervisor’s great support, I found a very nice flat in the city center in just two days! I went to the prefettura (prefectural office) to change the address because I submitted an application form (“KIT”) of permesso di soggiorno with my temporary address. I opened a bank account after signing a flat rental contract. The first week went by in these step-by-step activities to start a life in Italy.
 Arrived in Italy and two-weeks quarantine 
Fabio and Naoko at MXP
(Fabio and Naoko in his car at MXP, taken on 05/10/2020)

[Naoko] 18 Oct. 2020
After I moved fromMXP to Parma, I spent a self-quarantine at a temporary accommodation there. I didn’t go out at all except for a couple of times. It was a strange period I had never spent, but it was not harder than I imagined because Fabio and his colleagues cared about me a lot. I enjoyed Yoga sometimes with joining Japanese on-line class. (I was glad I hand-carried the yoga mat from Japan!) I was never required to report my health status nor take a swab test for 2 weeks. The quarantine ended on 18 October anyway.
  Left from Japan 
Tokyo Narita Airport
(Tokyo Narita Airport, taken on 04/10/2020)

[Naoko] 05 Oct. 2020
I  left Japan on the morning of 4 October 2020. There were only a few tourists at Tokyo Narita Airport, which was a sight I had never seen before while I have used it dozens of times. Almost all the shops and restaurants were closed. I found one or two passengers in each row on board Air France flight 275. In contrast, the flight from Paris to Milan was full. I took a Covid-19 PCR swab test upon arriving at Malpensa Airport (MXP) since Italian government declared it necessary for passengers from Paris, but, curiously enough, no one else took the test.


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