CRISTINA BALMA-TIVOLA

KRI "muovere [k] liberamente [ri]" | STI "stare [s] in moto [ti]" | NA "effetto [ā] del soffio vitale delle acque [n]"

Fortuitous Encounters (I’m Doing Art!, My Extended Family, and the Perception of Self Within a Place)

“Don’t try, do!”. This sentence resounds in my ears as a mantra since when I’m here. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do much up now, but I’m slowly beginning. A guy physically stopped me one evening on my way home, whilst I was still in a temporary flat I rent for one week in Shoreditch. “Come inside and visit my Read more…


It’s All London Baby (Complaining the English Way, Hygienic Norms, and Some Healthy Confusion)!

I had a wonderful dinner last Thursday with a few (girl)friends – where I learnt to complain in the English way. “Complaining the English way” means that instead of mumbling and telling yourself you will never go again in a place you disliked for something due to the service or the food, you make it notice to the manager of Read more…


Picturing London (The Map Room Is Open)

Do not trust maps, in London, they don’t tell the truth: what you think is nearby on the map, will always be elsewhere in the reality. Walking is something I do really enjoy. Covering neverending distances is something I enjoy less, but still is a wonderful way to get to know a place. When I don’t walk, I observe this Read more…


The Conquer of a Space (Flat-hunting, a Room on My Own, and Banksy)

“There’s nothing more permanent then the temporary” (Greek said). But at least this time it was wrong: it took something like 20 days to found a place, but I eventually did. Mankind can be perverse when has to deal with the chance to gain money by any means, as you can desume by Mr Captain of the Rant‘s poem Trust Read more…


Is This an Ordinary Day (a Walk in Camden, Unexpected Kindness, and British Good Food)?

Waking up quite early in the morning last Saturday – 4 cats around are not really the best company to sleep as long as you would like to! – I made up my mind to get to Camden Lock Market and have a walk around there before meeting in the afternoon with the London Art & Culture group. I took Read more…


Chronicles from the Underworld (Lost in the Supermarket, Kultur Shock, and Another Little Sister)

Another day wandering around – still not knowing what to do next months, and taking the day off to go shopping and then relaxing, as I needed to… Went to Tesco in the area of Hackney Central Station: “I’m lost in the supermarket / I can no longer shop happily”. Little differences for an anonymous non-place. I found my way Read more…