A New Take on an Old Story

PINNED POST FROM ROBERTA'S DESK 

The Friends of Cama's story: it's all about a creative journey! 

Who are the Friends of Cama? 

The friends of Cama are the loyal customers I have served for many years at my family's workshop in Italy and who are following me on this blog, on the Facebook page, and on Twitter. 

Cama's story 

In 2011 Cama ran out of business and in that year I started a revival journey that has changed my life. In the beginning, it was a matter of finding ways to get the business restarted. None of the business solutions where I counted on others would work. No way I could merge with other workshops in my town. Other attempts failed. So I found myself forced to count on myself. My close friends, my brother and the thought of my beloved customers were still there.

The Friends of Cama: the biggest gift of all

What happened is that the previous year a group of customers had gathered in the United States to support Cama and they touched my heart. They called themselves: Friends of Cama. This is why I am so fond of this name.

But what could I do by myself? Almost nothing was related to ceramics. The workshop's production had soon been replaced by another supplier. We were out of the game.

So what could I do that was not already available in the market? I said to myself I would come up with something different and eventually present the ceramic collections in the future. Eventually.

The Friends of Cama blog 

A couple of years earlier I had started a blog where I wrote about Italian Renaissance art curiosities. I had been inspired by my family's traditional patterns that date back to the Renaissance period in Italy. So by way of art, I got interested to see the works of art in person. I started going to places in Italy. New horizons were opening up like never in the past.

Discovering Italy through my customers' eyes is still an amazing experience: I have seen places in Italy I had never visited before and even got interested in Italian cooking: the two things customers did during their stay in Italy when they visited us in Deruta. Shopping at our workshop was part of their activities.

My first approach with a cooking class: a disaster

I am amazed in got interested in Italian cooking as I am more a good fork, we say in Italy: Una buona forchetta. My approach to my first Italian cooking lesson was a disaster. However, cooking was meant to be a part of my journey with Cama. Indeed my family's workshop was specialized in dinnerware. I can always say, that I resumed my career by washing those dishes that we used to make! 

My Odyssey: distractions taking me away from my mission

Since 2011 my journey for Cama went through several interruptions due to the fact that I got distracted by many things around me. In the meantime, my vision of Cama grew stronger and stronger. What were only scattered visions, in the beginning, seem like falling into place? It takes a long time to make a dream come true. So I now know for sure that reviving Cama is my biggest life challenge. I am putting my heart and soul to make my dream happen and I am inviting you to follow my story on the Facebook page.

Do you like my story? Are you fond of life stories?

For everybody else who is not fond of life stories, the Friends of Cama Facebook page is an opportunity to armchair travel in Italy. I am on Facebook every day with new posts and blog updates. Forwarding posts to Twitter. Therefore I would be very happy if you shared my page with your friends.

New friends and my fiancé have joined me on my journey in the last couple of years. We are now a team. So I am pleased to welcome you and your friends to armchair traveling with us on the most amazing experience in my life!  - Roberta

            

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A unique armchair traveling experience from Italy

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A Couple More Steps Forward and...It's Paradise!

The Purgatory is the second book written by Dante Alighieri
about a life journey's story. 

The book is part of a famous trilogy called: Divine Comedy

I couldn't wait any longer to share something I discovered on the Purgatory image I posted the other day. The image was part of my blog post about evolution coming in threes. My great discovery is that right now I am close to Paradise. So I am there at the end of Purgatory.

Where do you think I am? You would never ever guess why and where I got stuck these past months in the Purgatory. There is a particular reason you may not aware of. It comes from my family name: Niccacci. I am stuck in the circle of gluttons!!! I only have two circles left and I am stuck with gluttons!

Indeed my last name Niccacci comes from an Italian nickname for glutton, gourmet and to some extent a person who likes the right things, meaning good food as an example and beautiful things. Such a person is defined as NICCA in our dialect. Niccacci is the corresponding noun to 'nicco' (masculine) and 'nicca' (feminine), which are adjectives.

It is such a relief when there is an answer to what is happening to us. In these past months, I have been eating everything that was at hand. The fridge would not open the door for me at a certain point anymore, so much he was tired of being opened every other minute. If only I had known the circle of gluttons was near the end of the Purgatory!

The circle of gluttons is before the last circle. The very last one is the circle of lust. I will skip on that. I will find a rope and climb on it to get to Paradise straight from the gluttons' circle. My great-grandparents, the original Niccacci family, will see me and help me get there with them. They will give me a hand. After all the connection is perfect: from the gluttons' circle to the authentic Niccacci family in Paradise.

I have been waiting to get to Paradise for two years now. Since the time I was in San Francisco in 2014 looking for an eligible partner. A partner I could not find at that time and I was forced to come back to Italy. It was like falling back to square one, to the book of Hell. If people only knew what I have been going through. So once I am in Paradise. I will stay there put and hold on to it!  

Aurora by Guercino: this is ideally what the conclusion of my journey with Cama should look like 

P.s. When I was in school I could not care less about the Divine Comedy. I am enjoying studying art and literature now because they mean something to me. The reason is there is a connection with my real life: my journey with CAMA. Works of art really take life now. They speak to me. I have always loved teaching and with the amazing experience I had in these past years I would have much to share with students:  about the importance of education and how studying could be turned into something useful and enjoyable if we knew what it is for. 

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Mission Accomplished!

Mission is accomplished. Reseach is completed.  Looking forward to put my project into practice. The first requirement to me is a friend in the United States who works in pairs with me. Working in pairs is very important to me. I hope I can meet someone willing to do something innovative with me. Follow my journey. Participate to the change. Follow my daily life story on my facebook page. 

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to the change. 

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FIVE IS A MAGICAL NUMBER

Festina Lente is my favorite saying. It literally means 'make haste slowly'
which is kind of cryptic if we are not aware of its deeper meaning.
Let's go through this meaning together. Let's dig in. 

My Festina Lente research is getting more and more interesting. 

Not only do I wish to believe that the FIVE putti are the virtues' symbols of Cosimo I de' Medici: carefulness, patience, silence, and wisdom which are the virtues of the soul (slowness) along with strength which is the virtue of action (speed). 

Strength empowers speed while in action. The rest of the virtues provide the slowness that is necessary to take the right steps forward. 

Isn't that an amazing image? 

However, experts say that there is no written literature about this fresco's description the way we see it. Our best endorsement would have been the famous Renaissance scholar Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574). Unfortunately, he doesn't mention any of what I am writing in his 'Ragionamenti' (tr. Insights).  

The tortoise symbol is everywhere in Palazzo Vecchio.
Cosimo I de' Medici's motto was Festina Lente. The
tortoise is his motto's symbol. 

Indeed at that time symbols to public messages through frescoes were accompanied by more pieces of information. That's why they were called didactic paintings. 

Therefore the number of putti could be just a fortuity. Nevertheless, the number five is not a fortuity from what we learn by studying the Medici's coat of arms. In particular Cosimo I de' Medici's family coat of arms. 

The Medici coat of arms was composed of orbs from the beginning of the family's history. In Italian, these orbs ('palle' in popular Italian, balls in English) are technically known as 'Bisanti' (metal uncoined disks whose name derives from the Byzantine coins, known as bezants.)

In the beginning, orbs were 11 red+ 1 blue, then 9 red+1 blue, 7 red+1 blue, and finally 5 red+ 1 blue as we know it nowadays. 

It was Cosimo I de' Medici who narrowed down the original 11 red orbs to 5 orbs as last. What seems to be quite a coincidence with Cosimo I's five virtues that were so dear to him. 

The Medici family coat of arms has five red orbs and one blue
orb. The blue orb equals the blue dot, the world.  What are
the five red orbs standing for? 

Unfortunately in this case as well as above there is no scientific confirmation from art historians that what we are writing is true. It's yet an interesting interpretation. I like this story. What if we were the first ones to come up with this discovery? How can we prove that we like this story so much to think of it as a true story?  

Alternatively, we could think of the orbs as the continents. We could take into consideration that the blue dot is the world and think of the Medici coat of arms as a symbol of power to extend all over the world. However, in the Renaissance period, they only admitted the existence of four continents, known as the four corners of the world. The world at that time was ruled by the number four: four seasons, four virtues, four cardinal directions, four elements. But it's prime numbers that are magical. And five is a magical number in particular because five is the number of the fingers that make one hand! 

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Renaissance curiosities.

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A TEN WEEK STARTUP STORY

A StartUp that's thinking outside the BOX

I am from Italy and currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I gave myself ten weeks total to get my startup going. My insight will take you first through my startup story by weeks up to date. That will be helping me a lot to look back to the steps done so far. Then we will head forward to the 10th and last week. Afterwards we will comment together along with the products' launch in the market. We will celebrate online and by throwing a party with the Friends of CAMA, the best clientele in the world. What is my startup about? Personal shopping services for American travelers in Italy. Welcome the ultimate startup story. Welcome the Friends of CAMA!

The First Week I settled down

No records of what I did the first week

The first week I arrived I was hoping to meet a friend of Cama who was in the city. However because of him getting busy with his clients, we did not meet. Whatever we do, we receive back. No matter what. Indeed it was originally my mistake from the time back in Italy. I didn't join this friend of Cama in Italy upon his invitation. And I missed a great opportunity of wishing him and his fiancée my best wishes. They were getting married in Italy by surprising their guests who were traveling with them. I will never forgive me for not going to the appointment that day!

The Second Week was a Surprise

I received the visit of a Cama customer who drove all the way from Arizona

We had been friends for many years but I had never known exactly that my business develpment assistant was about to show up at my house. She was driving from Arizona just to see me. That was incredible. Well, she stayed with me for a week. In that week we wrote down the Friends of Cama startup outlines.

The Third Week was just great!

I started writing down everything I did every day

While waiting for my outlines to be edited, I was feeling I was in the right place and in the right moment. Just a great feeling. I started writing down a to do's list. Receiving feedbacks from my Friends of Cama. Joined an association of entrepreneurs and networkers. Chinese New Year was starting the right way. A couple of horses were sitting on my fireplace. Looking at each other

The Fourth Week I started meeting new friends

Everybody would give me ideas

I was feeling so fortunate to have so many talented people around me. Everything spoke to me. From Italy my coach was also sending me excellent feedback about my page on facebook. For the first time in the five years of preparation we had spent together he said to me: ok, here we go. I started gathering all the information from the past that could be of help, I didn't want to waste any of the work done so far. I was about to get my revolution going. It was a revolution with love. I had wanted to make a change in the way of doing business for many years. From the beginning of my journey back in Italy.

The Fifth Week my brother joined the crew

I was so happy to have my brother back with me!

My brother Andrea has always been my best fan. He is younger and has always believed in my potentialities. He is the one who wanted me to be his beachhead for our family's company in the United States. However at that time we were not strong enough. As a ceramics workshop we depended on retail stores. In order to make a change it is necessary to be free. My quest for freedom was taking action. I was making my brother's vision come true.

The Sixth Week I went out scouting

My original scope of visiting the United States was looking for eligible partners

As a lean startup I wanted to be able to piggyback companies that were already established. So I went out scouting. together with my business development assistant skyping from Arizona. With the awareness of my success to come, I approached business discussions for the first time. But strangers who were not Friends of Cama were drawing me back. I cold not allow other people to do that.Nor take energies away from me. I started figuring out how to get the whip hand.

The Seventh Week I kept 

digging in

I had been productive on the facebook page and on my blog without interruption

I had spent most of my early hours by networking through facebook, twitter and by writing my blog posts. Working on the shopping services and shopping products. writing notes. I kept thinking I wanted to make my dream come true about my new way of doing business in unsetting economic times. This was my mission as a teacher, a caregiver and a shop keeper. This would have been my upgrade to my professional skills. Most of my skills are intangible. That's why I want so much to purveyor products again. I want to give life to my skills so that I feel part of this society again. I am gonna make it!

The 8th Week has just started and everything is heading us towards success

Join me on facebook and enjoy the most beautiful experience in my life!

Thank you for appreciating my startup story and for following me. I really wish to celebrate success and help other people reach their goals as creative startuppers. Because it is never too late and there are no limits to our dreams. It all starts with a wish. That's what I started with: lots of wishes!

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FriendsOfCama
Twitter profile: www.twitter.com/FriendsOfCama
Blog: www.FriendsOfCama.blogspot.com

TO BE CONTINUED...

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FIVE ITALIAN INTANGIBLE ARTS

Italy is world known for good food. You will never guess what
acknowledgment it has recently received. 

In 2008 Unesco created a dedicated arts program known as List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

This list includes all arts that are not translated into products of use. However contributing to the advance of our cultural world heritage as testimonials of our identity: a craft processing method (i.e. Violin traditional craftsmanship in Cremona), a community singing art (Sardinian Pastoral Songs), a unique theater performing art (Sicilian Puppet Theater), and a community popular tradition  (Celebrations of big shoulder-borne processional structures whose files are currently under process). 

These examples are actually four out of the five intangible arts coming from Italy. The fifth art is being shared with other countries belonging to the Mediterranean Sea. These countries are as follows: Greece, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Cyprus, Croatia, and Italy. What do you think this art is? I would have never thought about it. Give it a guess. It's the Mediterranean diet! 

The Mediterranean sea from an old map enhanced its fascination as a cultural cradle.

The violin traditional craftsmanship in Cremona is a Unesco
intangible art. 

I first thought of writing a post about intangible arts when I visited Pietra Ligure (Savona) last year upon a national competition of artistic flower tapestries. 

Then I thought of intangible arts again when looking at the sand art creations by California artist Jim Denevan. Denevan's artwork is described as temporary drawings eventually erased by waves and weather. 

Sand Art by Jim Denevan 

Last but not least Italy's Consul General in San Francisco recently wrote a post about Italian intangible arts in his blog. That was a great reminder and so flattering to write about the same subject. What I did is that I wrote my post first and then double-check with Consol's post. The conclusion is that I wish you to visit the Consul's post about intangible arts because art descriptions are very detailed and in accordance with Unesco's guidelines.  However, what our posts have in common is that both start with the Mediterranean diet! Which art can bring more peace than sitting at a dinner table with family and friends? 

The Sicilian Puppet Theater is known as 'Opera dei Pupi'
and is a famous marionette theater. 

Pastoral songs in Sardinia are part of the Unesco cultural heritage. It is a
polyphonic singing style classical of profane music in Sardinia. 

A famous procession takes place every year in GUBBIO, Italy. It is a shoulder-borne processional structure  (macchina a spalla in Italian) with huge candleholders. Now competing to be part of the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

The art of flower tapestries is very vivid in the Liguria region famous for their
extensive flowers growing. 

A detail of the peacock's head. The peacock is the symbol of transformation,
rebirth, and rejuvenation. It has been portrayed in many Renaissance
paintings. 

Flower tapestries started as a tradition in Italy for Easter Religious Celebrations.
Will they be the next  Italian art joining the UNESCO list of intangible arts?

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"C" for " CUPCAKE"

Cupcakes

My niece is learning English in elementary school and noticed the other day that there is no fitting translation in Italian for the word 'cupcake'. She is right. Isn't she a good student. She remarked that her teacher used the world 'cupcake' without translating it when speaking Italian. Nevertheless dictionaries provide a correspondance to this word and translate 'cupcake' with 'tortina'. In one dictionary 'tortina' comes with the additional description: 'cotta in una mini forma'.   Therefore the full description would be 'tortina cotta in una mini forma' (mini pie baked in a small paper cup). On the internet 'cupcake' is described as a mini pie shaped as a cup and also as a mini pie fitting in a cup. 
As a matter of fact by translating cupcake we lose the flavor of this word, as to an Italian the word sounds very cute. It's just cute.  Is that maybe where the expression 'cutie pie' comes from? 
Therefore we could simply add 'cupcake' to the rest of loan words we have included in our vocabulary, a cultural exchange with the English language that has started back at the time of Adrian's wall. Languages are so beautiful and mouth-watering, I wish to know more and more. 

This is my seventh post of short  stories entitled "Cake Stands for Cama": stories about my favorites starting with "C".  
I hope you enjoyed it!







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posted by Roberta Niccacci

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