#152 Things to share over coffee: March 2025

A list of what I've been watching, listening, reading and thinking about this month.

Hello Friend,

Yet again, I can’t believe how another month of 2025 has just whizzed past my head. It’s incredible how you can get caught up in your daily routine and forget the days and weeks going by. It’s a little depressing if you think about it. But I am grateful to take a moment to reflect on the things that have given me a little solace and joy over the last month.

It’s great to share this little happiness with you every month, and I hope they inspire you to appreciate the more minor everyday things in your life. Often, we are tricked into believing we need grand and extravagant gestures to feel happy or fulfilled in our lives. We need very little exorbitance in our lives,in fact what we do need are the more subtle elements of everyday life. Endless small gratitudes and joys feed our souls; sometimes, we take them for granted, but they are all we need.

I’m constantly grateful for my life in Italy, as it gives me plenty of those soul-reviving moments and the time to savour them. The Italian belief in ‘la dolce vita’ or ‘la dolce non fare niente’ means the art of appreciating and living in the moment. Small things like a good meal, a nice glass of wine, lazy Sunday lunches with your family, a coffee at the local cafe, a sweet croissant for breakfast, a slice of crunchy Italian bread as a snack, a walk in the piazza, saying hello to the people around you, taking the time to cook lunch during the week, standing in a slither of sunlight during a rainy day, summers at the beach, winters in the snow, a good book, some fine music, fresh flowers on your dining table and endless other small life-sustaining moments is all that life is really about.

I hope you take a moment to appreciate what is in front of you and all around you today. It’s difficult to feel depressed when your heart is feeling grateful.

1) It’s nearly iced drink season

To be honest, I love an iced drink throughout the year, but there is something extra special about drinking an iced coffee in the sunshine.

This month has been a mixed bag when it comes to the weather here in Sicily. Some sunshine is often followed by torrential downpours. But I have been savouring my special iced matcha tea recipe again, which has been great.

I boil some water and add a couple of teaspoons of powdered Matcha green tea, a spoonful of maple syrup, and a tablespoon of molasses treacle. Then, I pour the hot water over the concoction and mix everything in a glass.

I usually prepare a nearly complete glass batch of this mixture and let it cool in the refrigerator. Then, whenever I feel like an iced matcha, I place a dash of this matcha preparation at the base of a glass with some ice cubes and fill it with my choice of milk (I usually like coconut milk with a dash of regular milk.) It’s the best pick-me-up on any low-energy day. Three cheers for iced drink season!

2) Se telefonando

This week, I’ve had one Italian song on repeat. The original version of Se Telefonando, sung by Italian legend Mina, randomly popped up on my Instagram feed, and I was reminded of this fantastic Italian classic song. I was more familiar with the cover version by Nek (Filippo), which is more fast-paced and slightly broodier. But the original version by Mina is slower and more emotive. I will go out on a limb and suggest that this might be the best Italian love song ever written. Who doesn’t love an Italian love song?

It is technically a breakup song, but the story it tells takes us through the emotion and turmoil of a short and intense love affair that is doomed to end as soon as it starts. It is sad, passionate, realistic, honest, and tender all at once. I encourage you to listen and find the time to understand the words and the story behind them. It is a beautiful, emotional journey.

3) Pastina comfort food

This month is the tail end of winter here in Sicily, where the season whiplashes out the last hint of the season, including chilly nights and late winter storms. The other day, the rain was so persistent that our gutters were blocked, which resulted in water seeping into our attic. It was the biggest pain in the arse to mop up all of the water, and I was so exhausted. I had to prepare lunch and didn’t have the energy. But someone’s got to eat.

So I went for the ultimate Italian comfort food, pastina. It's the equivalent of chicken soup when you are battling a fever. A whole heap of warm broth with your choice of tiny pieces of pasta. Whether that be in the form of stelline (little stars), lingue di passero (literally sparrow tongues- small rice-like grain shapes), corroline (tinie tiny mini tube pasta) or my personal favourite, the conchigliette (tiny seashell-shaped pasta).

The mini pasta selection is endless and immediately takes you back to your childhood when your mother or nonna would make soupy pasta to make you feel better—sometimes dousing it in parmesan cheese. Other times, they would make it with milk instead of broth or stir in some formaggino cheese.

Needless to say, the pastina was exactly what I needed to have on a miserable stormy and slightly drenched March day.

How do you like your Pastina?

4) Sam Neill, a national treasure

This week, I finished listening to Sam Neill narrate his book Did I Ever Tell You This?, and to be honest, I’m going to miss Sam’s company. Yes, I am on a first-name basis with the charming, down-to-earth, and unassuming New Zealander actor, winemaker, and likeable personality.

His is the first actor’s memoir I've encountered that isn’t an endless diatribe of name-dropping and out-of-touch adventure stories that are so indicative of celebrity autobiography. Instead, Sam Neill nonchalantly shares stories from his family history, personal life growing up in New Zealand, his struggles battling cancer, his friends, and the things he loves and is passionate about (everything from pinot noir to acting, music, art and the environment.) With a hint of self-deprecating humour and loads of unpretentious banter, the memoir has a conversational style and a genuinely likeable tone.

The memoir is a conversation with the down-to-earth and humble actor, filled with good humour, honesty, and humility. It is a pleasant listening experience.

5) Darby Hudson: writer/artist on Instagram.

I recently discovered Australian writer Darby Hudson's account on Instagram. One of his rambling observative monologues straight to his phone popped up on my recommendations feed. His comforting, laid-back, philosophical, and poetic pieces are food for the soul.

His relaxed Australian twang underplays the wisdom and reflection of his writing, but I look forward to his videos about life-affirming creativity, thinking outside the box, and originality.

Please do yourself a favour and go to Instagram, follow him, and get his free poetry ebook.

It'll enrich your life immensely.

6) Streetwriters: literary quotes that speak to the heart.

Yet another discovery on Instagram this month has been Streetwriters; their posts are little love letters to creativity and poetry. I think the world needs more sensitivity, introspection, and reflection on emotions.

This Instagram account is food for the soul—a reflective glance at the world filled with wisdom and philosophy.

I've been sharing and enjoying their posts on my stories all week.

7) Classic movie: A Room With a View

While scrolling through Amazon Prime, looking for something interesting to watch, I stumbled upon the adaptation of E. M. Forster's A Room With a View.

Now a classic film with an impish and very young Helena Bonham Carter gallivanting around in an enchanting Florence featuring excessively picturesque scenery.

I happily rewatched it purely because I am nostalgic for a picturesque Florence far away from the tourist invasions of today.

Also, the other great British actors featured were just as beautiful as the panorama. The likes of Maggie Smith, Dame Judy Dench, Simon Cowell, Julian Sands, Daniel Day-Lewis and Denholm Elliott

Young Lucy travels to Italy with her cousin Charlotte. A Room With a View refers to their room in the little pensione. It also refers to a personality type; some people have a broad outlook in life, whereas others … well…. don’t. In Italy, Lucy meets a range of different and more colourful people than her usual circle. These people influence her views and attitude.

At the novel's core is a love story, where Lucy has to choose between two men, representing two different life choices. Should she choose the conventional route and go for the wealthy, hypocritical and rather pompous Cecil, who, on paper, is the perfect husband? Or the untraditional and mentally unstable George, who is honest and trustworthy to his heart? Well, there is a third option: To travel the world and see Greece, Constantinople and other places. I was firmly rooting for Lucy to choose the latter option, but that wasn’t meant to be.

Either way, A Room With a View is a beautifully shot cinematographic classic that is always a pleasant experience to rewatch.

8) Espresso Macchiato: Tommy Cash

Not all things have been about pleasant discoveries or encounters this month. For some reason, I have been tormented by a song following me on every type of social media. Namely the tormenting Espresso Macchiato by Ukranian DJ and conceptual artist Tommy Cash.

This ditty is one of the most annoying sounds currently available to accompany the new TikTok trends and dances. It's the song that gets into your head and never leaves.

Besides annoying songs, Tommy Cash is central to European pop art and fashion culture. Reading a bit about Cash's background, I see he is also a keen fashionista and trendsetter with many head-turning looks displayed over various fashion weeks around Europe. Even though I dislike his music, his non-conventional approach to fashion is fascinating.

Google him, and you’ll see what I mean.

9) Joan Didion: The Year of Magical Thinking

This month, I've finally found the time to delve into my to-be-read pile, which seems to be getting higher and higher and a bit dusty due to general neglect.

So I dusted off some Joan Didion and haven't regretted a moment.

Her beautiful memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, is dedicated to the darkest period of her life when she lost both her husband and only adopted daughter within the same year.

Didion's writing and reflection on love, family, interpersonal relationships, grief, and mourning are both sad yet ultimately life-affirming.

She tries to understand what has happened to her life in her own way. Her style is intellectual and emotional, with her own reflections; she explores her own personal memories and perceptions of life before, during, and after loss.

Didion's beautiful book weaves through her own experiences with a strange clarity and uses a mixture of self-reflection, literature, and philosophy to create something beautiful out of her loss. It is a truly inspiring work of literature and essay writing.

10) The Paris Review

Last year, I treated myself to a subscription to The Paris Review for my birthday, and I have been loving it. The Spring edition came out this week, and I happily dipped into it.

For a literary magazine, it is highly accessible to read, and the subscription isn’t too expensive. I love its mixture of contemporary prose, interviews, poetry, and art. I feel like I get excellent value for my time and money.

The format is like a little novel-sized publication, which is very satisfying to hold onto and flip through. When I have a few moments, I’ll often read an article. I always feel like I am being informed and educated about currently successful writers and artists.

The Paris Review’s Spring 2025 issue (No. 251) continues its tradition of showcasing exceptional literary talent. This edition features insightful interviews with Ludmilla Petrushevskaya, who reflects on her fearless approach to writing, and Margo Jefferson, who discusses her experiences in criticism. The issue also presents compelling prose from authors such as Amie Barrodale, A. M. Homes, Marie NDiaye, Domenico Starnone, Miriam Toews, and Zheng Zhi. Poetry enthusiasts will appreciate works by Abigail Dembo, Nora Fulton, Susan Howe, D. A. Powell, Nasser Rabah, Edward Salem, and Nanna Storr-Hansen. The magazine includes art by Em Kettner, Agosto Machado, and Lady Shalamar Montague, with a cover by Anna Weyant.

That’s all I have on my mind for now.

Thanks for reading along.

Stay well, be kind to everyone, including yourself, and we’ll speak again soon.

Rochelle

Sometimes, I talk about Sicily.

Other times, I talk about whatever is on my mind.

My writing is always about lightning, the mental load, and sharing my thoughts.

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