So far this week, we’ve had two family orientated articles: La Famiglia Italiana and La Casa Della Strega. Today, as an introduction to some of the vocabulary that we use when describing people, Serena and I have decided to write about members of our family who have passed away in recent years.

I’ll begin by telling you something about my late Uncle Eddie.

Zio Eddy vent’anni fa con la mia nipotina Ellen.

Mio zio era un tipo molto tranquillo. Era alto e magro, proprio come me. Infatti, da piccolo mi sembrava uno degli uomini più alti del mondo. Lui mi trattava sempre come se io fossi un adulto, era rispettoso e aveva un buon senso dell’umorismo. Ha cominciato a perdere i capelli da giovane, e io me lo ricordo sempre così, calvo con il riporto. Lavorava come falegname, un mestiere che amava, e portava sempre una matita piatta appoggiata dietro l’orecchio, un’abitudine che ho imparato da lui, e che faccio ancora oggi quando lavoro. La sua casa era molto semplice e conteneva solo quello che lui trovava utile. A lui non interessavano tanto i soldi, era contento con poco, e io lo ammiravo molto anche per questo. E’ rimasto sempre scapolo, ed anche se ogni tanto qualcuno parlava di una misteriosa hostess, non l’ho mai visto con una compagna. Caro Eddie, mi manchi molto.

My uncle was a very laid back type. He was tall and thin, just like me. In fact, when I was small he seemed to me to be one of the tallest men in the world. He always treated me as if I was an adult myself, he was respectful, and had a good sense of humour. He began loosing his hair when he was young, and I always remember him in this way, bald with a few long side hairs combed over the top of his head. He worked as a carpenter, a trade that he loved, and always carried a flat pencil stuck behind his ear, a habit which I learnt from him and still do today when I’m working. His house was very simple and contained only what he found useful. He wasn’t very interested in money, and was content with little, and I really admired him for this as well. He always stayed a bachelor, and even if every now and then there was talk of a mysterious air hostess, I never saw him with a lady friend. Dear Eddie, I really miss you.

Zia Pupina, il cane Black ed io per il mio primo compleanno

Now Serena will describe her Aunt Pupina, who passed away a few days ago.

Zia Pupina era sempre sorridente. Il suo vero nome era Margherita, ma quando era bambina un’amica di sua mamma cominciò a chiamarla affettuosamente Pupina, che nel dialetto romanesco vuol dire ‘bambolina’, e da allora in famiglia è sempre stata chiamata con quel soprannome. Zia Pupina aveva i capelli neri riccioli riccioli, gli occhi neri, e un bel sorriso luminoso. Cucinava bene, specialmente la pasta fritta alla siciliana, lavorava a maglia e cuciva, e da bambina mi ha fatto tanti vestitini, ma sapeva anche fare un po’ di falegnameria, che aveva imparato da mio padre, suo fratello maggiore. Era rimasta nubile e non aveva figli, ma adorava i bambini, le piaceva tanto essere circondata da tutti noi nipoti e ci faceva sempre i regali. Un giorno mi regalò una vera carrozzina per la mia bambola! Me la ricordo ancora: era color crema, con le ruote grandi … era meravigliosa. Ciao zia Pupina, non scorderò mai il tuo bellissimo sorriso.

Aunt Pupina was always smiling. Her real name was Margherita, but when she was a child, one of her mother’s friends began affectionately calling her Pupina, which in Roman dialect means ‘dolly’, and from that time on she was always addressed by that nickname. Zia Pupina had really curly black hair, black eyes, and a lovely glowing smile. She cooked really well, especially Sicilian fried pasta, she knitted and sewed, and when I was a child she made me lots of clothes, but she also knew how to do a bit of carpentry, which she learnt from my father, her big brother. She stayed unmarried and didn’t have any sons or daughters, but loved children, and she really liked being surrounded by us nephews and nieces, always making us presents. One day she gave me a real pram for my doll! I still remember it: it was cream coloured with big wheels … it was marvellous. Ciao Aunt Pupina, I’ll never forget your beautiful smile.

Next week we’ll publish an article aimed at developing your descriptive vocabulary, so that you too can have a go at describing people.