Uccellina Scomparsa

The scene is set. All around the city of Padova, you will find every wall and lamp-post covered with posters reading:  "Uccellina Scomparsa"

I have been completely trying to avoid updating this blog. The very reason for its creation was to update everyone on my life in Italy. ITALY. Yet here I am, still in England. In fact, I'm thinking of changing the name to "A Stressed Little Bird in Surbiton". Doesn't have quite the same ring to it though does it?


Unfortunately, the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano is still causing that airspace havoc I so nonchalantly mentioned in the tiniest font at the end of my last post. Clearly, the volcano doesn't take too well to being an afterthought written in footnote format. Oh and in case you were wondering, yes, I did copy and paste the name of the volcano from the BBC website. Seriously, what kind of name is that anyway? It looks like a word that results when an angry person types all and any keys on their keyboard. No wonder this volcano is mad, I would be too with a name like that. 


To be honest though, part of me believes this is Mother Nature finally getting its own back on the world. Buying a Prius is obviously not enough. Granted a volcanic ash cloud is not the most conventional revenge, but it sure got everyone's attention. With the introduction of low-budget airlines, came the unhealthy dependency of people on being airborne. [For an interesting article about a world without planes, see A World Without Planes]


Now, people are stranded in their holiday destinations, or worse yet, places they didn't expect to be. In one case, a plane from Delhi to England got diverted to Helsinki, Finland. Imagine having packed clothes for Delhi, with an average temperature of about 40 degrees, compared with the 6 degrees and snow you'd find yourself in right now when stranded in Helsinki.


Then there's the airlines themselves. They are suffering as much as, if not more than the passengers. Did you know that after September 11, air space over America was only closed for three days and even with some form of government bailout, two American domestic airlines ended up having to file for bankruptcy. That was after three days. Our air has been closed for five days so far. The workers in this industry must be anxious to see just how far-reaching the consequences are from this unexpected natural incident. Obviously, a large volcanic ash cloud is the last thing the economy needed. Who would've thought.


There is however a glimmer of hope for the economy. Fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers usually imported via air freight are perishing in storage in their various countries of origin. As usual the media, sniffing a story, has begun to drum up a rumour that our supermarket shelves will soon be empty. People will start panic-buying things as if it was the millennium all over again. In reality though, air freight only accounts for 0.5% of the UK's international movement of goods. If anything, it is only the exotic items which will most likely be temporarily extinct from British supermarket life. The real story here is therefore not how some dragon fruit or mango addict in Yorkshire will go into withdrawal shock should this ash cloud persist, but that the farmers that grow these products, who are often from poor countries, are losing much needed capital. 


However, as much as I can objectively comprehend the superior importance of all of the above, I can't help but just think ... why am I not in Italy yet? So yes, I am stuck in Surbiton. My dreams of Padova may be a little hazier to see through this volcanic cloud of ash, but this uccellina can still make out their outline. Eyjafjallajoekull can't possibly cause mayhem for much longer can it? 


Just to be on the safe side though, I ask that no one drink a Dr Pepper. That's probably how this all started. A passenger waiting to board their plane was craving that sugary carbonated goodness, cracked opened a can, and asked, "What's the worst that can happen?"