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Miss Expatria: The Interview and Book Giveaway

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I have recently had the pleasure of getting to know Christine, better known 'round the Internets as Miss Expatria. She writes the blog of the same name, as well as the hilarious blog, Unfortunate Hotels, which is a collection of the worst hotels on the web.

For me, it was love at first read, because she loves travel (check), France (check) and Italy (checkmate). She actually divides her time between France and Italy. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting in person, yet, but that will all be changing, because as luck would have it we will both be in Rome at the end of May. So, be afraid Rome, be very afraid!!

Christine has written a book, cleverly titled Miss Expatria, about her experiences leading up to and living in Italy and she was gracious enough to agree to an interview and give away a free copy of said book here on My Mélange- cause that's what we do here.

And let me just say, that I think you should all run out and buy a copy of this book! Now. For those of you who don't want to wait, you can buy a copy of Miss Expatria in my Amazon Store.

Without further ado, here is our interview:

MM: Give us a brief synopsis of the book, if you would.

ME: You know, I am a professional writer and this is the one thing I find so hard to summarize, because it's about ME. Let's give it a shot: In 2002 I broke up with my boyfriend of seven years, and moved to Italy two days later. Miss Expatria chronicles my time spent first in an empty palazzo by the sea, where I got my act together; and then in Rome, where I met the Gay Mafia; dated a Count; ate the most incredible food and lost 60 pounds; and fell in love with a writer who lived in the South of France and whom I met up with in Barcelona, Venice and Paris, among other places. Then I lost my job, and was forced into exile in New York for a year. The book ends not only with my triumphant return to the Continent, but the epiphany I had upon stepping on Roman soil again about what is important in life.

MM: How did the name Miss Expatria come about?

ME: From my boyfriend, the aforementioned writer from the South of France. He's a master of brainstorming. I wanted to call the book Cambio Change Wechsel, both because of the prevalence of the signs in popular tourist destinations and my addiction to changing everything from the layout of my bedroom to the course of my life. But, the name has come to personify for me who I want to be, who I am at my happiest moments, and who people that do not live the life I live perceive me to be.

MM: Why do you refer to yourself as a travel guru? Why do you love travel so much?

ME: Travel guru – that's just on my LinkedIn profile! To use an ever-so-charming British term, I was taking the piss. I'm not good at being serious. I prefer the tagline on my blog – The Internet's leading enabler of travel addiction – because I have the awesome power to make people make rash, fabulous travel decisions, and I am totally and completely drunk with that power.

Why do I love travel so much? I'm not sure why. I was on the move from every three days to every six weeks or so during a significant portion of my childhood, when I was in two national touring companies of Annie; and then I didn't travel anywhere until I went to Paris when I worked for Ralph Lauren in my mid-20s. To me, being able to travel where I want, when I want and for how long I want is a huge, huge part of being a grown-up, while being strongly connected to the part of me that as a child fell in love with travel.

MM: Why Italy? What made you want to move and live there?

ME: I first went to Rome in 1999, and it felt like home. I left determined to move there. But you'll have to read the book to find out more about that! Cheeky, I am.

MM: If you could give one piece of advice to expats, what would it be?

ME: Learn the language. Whether you're more comfortable assimilating or joining the expat community, it's absolutely essential you learn the language of your new home country.

MM: What surprised you about living in Italy? How does the real thing differ from what you had expected?

ME: I had researched the hell out of living in Italy so nothing surprised me too much, nor did it differ greatly from what I was expecting. However, if I had to name something, I would say the thing that continues to surprise and delight me is the utter kindness of the people I've met there. It stops me dead in my tracks and humbles me in a way nothing else ever has.

MM: You happen to divide your time between the two places on earth I am passionate about – France and Italy. Could you tell me one thing you like and dislike about each of them?

ME: Italy: I love the people. I've met exactly one Italian I didn't care for. LITERALLY, ONE. The thing I don't like about Italy, which has nothing to do with the country per se but is more the result of my being an ex-New Yorker, is the lack of 24-hour bodegas that sell everything you could ever need.

France: Love the bakeries. The only thing I can't stand about France that includes the entire country (Paris is perfect, and therefore normally excluded) would be the open contempt sales people have for their customers, whether in a store or on a customer service phone line.

MM: Espresso or cappuccino?

ME: Ha! Neither! I'm actually not a coffee drinker. But I do go through phases where I MUST HAVE a latte macchiato in the morning – a tall glass of steamed milk with a shot of espresso, and enough sugar to kill a horse.

MM: Wine, beer or cocktail?

ME: Never beer; can't stand it. Wine, wine, wine or Veuve. But I do love me a good cocktail.

MM: Favorite pasta?

ME: My favorite pasta dish, hands down, is cacio e pepe. It's the chicken soup for my soul. I've had a lot of fancy and ridiculously good pasta dishes in my time, but cacio e pepe is the one I could eat every day for the rest of my life. I usually have to make someone take it away from me, because I'll eat it until it's gone – no matter how much of it there is.

MM: What places are on your list to visit that so far have eluded you?

ME: That crazy blue of Alaskan glaciers looks so fake in pictures that it's something I will have to see with my own eyes to believe. I want to stay in one of those cottages that stick out over the water in the South Pacific. I want my friend Anu, who understands the complexities of my Golden Days of the Raj obsession, to show me India.

Three big things on my list – Sicily, the Italian lakes region and the lavender fields of Provence – I'm visiting this summer!

MM: What one website or blog (other than mine of course) do you have to visit everyday and why? You know, the one you would die without?

ME: I absolutely cannot live without Free Will Astrology. I've been reading it every Wednesday since before the Internet was invented, back when it was printed in the Village Voice. Rob does away with the "You'll fall in love next Thursday" crap and instead feeds my constant need for inspiration.

***

Now for the deets on the contest.

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post between now and midnight on April 1st! I will select a winner using the Random Number Generator on April 2nd. The winner's copy of Miss Expatria, with its sexy black cover and hot pink text will be on its way shortly after!

Thanks to Miss Expatria for the interview and the book- and good luck to you all!! Now get commenting!

—

Oh, and before I let you go, I wanted to let you know that Miss Expatria needs your help with something. She has entered a contest to win her dream assignment, but she needs enough votes to qualify. You can help by clicking this link, signing up and then VOTING!! And tell all your friends to vote too!!

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somepinkflowers
March 25th, 2009
ohohoh
ohohooh
{{hand waving furiously
over my head }}
pick me
pick me.
cacio e pepe!!!
!!!
get out!
well, i do wonder
if a number generator would pick #1,
but,
well,
why not.
off to go help
out
with the
Dream Assignment
{{ i so love voting }}

Victoria
March 25th, 2009
Me please! randomly pick me!

City Girl
March 25th, 2009
Oooh, I would love love love to read this book

joanne at frutto della passione
March 25th, 2009
Cacio e pepe! Totally get that. How can she live without coffee? I’d walk around with a coffee I.V. if it was legal. Speaking of which …

Marsi
March 25th, 2009
I voted! It’s so funny that cacio e pepe resonates with so many other commenters because that is what I was going to mention as well. It is The Yum.
I call the French salesperson contempt syndrome “The Customer Is Always Wrong.” They really are the worst!

Leanne in Italy
March 25th, 2009
I would love to read this books! And I am too all for the cacio e pepe…yum! The first time I saw it on a menu I wasn’t to sure…but then after one taste I too was hooked!

Anait
March 25th, 2009
what a great interview, thanks for posting this!!! I’m always on the lookout for a new expat book, I think I’ve read every single one out there! Living between Italy and France…..that’s my dream! Someday….

janie
March 25th, 2009
Sounds like my type of book! Good interview -can’t wait to hear about your meeting in Rome.

Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy
March 25th, 2009
Good interview – Christine is definitely inspiring…and cacio e pepe, hell ya! (That was Saturday’s dinner in Rome)
I definitely want the book – I’ve been stalking it for a while since I see there’s no digital version (why, oh why?? nothing personal, I just don’t buy paper anymore) so I’ve been hoping it would come out. Christine, sell me a digital copy!

My Melange
March 25th, 2009
Sara, I just sent you a private email with the link for the digital version:)
Enjoy!

lucy
March 25th, 2009
Caccio e Peppe sounds like a great idea for dinner tonight…wonder how it will go over with my manga cake husband and my half and half daughter, I say that lovingly…lol And now…pick me!

Paula
March 25th, 2009
Brava! What an inspiring story for all of us expat wannabe’s Un giorno an’chio saro’ un expat Hello cacio e’ pepe, Love it. I think that’s going to be the next recipe on my blog!

Jessica, WhyGo Italy
March 25th, 2009
It was Christine who inspired me to make cacio e pepe recently, having never actually eaten it in Rome, and I can now totally understand her obsession.
Also, I continue to shake my head in disbelief when I hear about some of Miss E’s history. Worked for Ralph Lauren in Paris? Toured with Annie? Dated a count? Impossibly wonderful. This is why I leave it to other (more interesting) people to write books about their lives, so I can just read them.

My Melange
March 25th, 2009
Jess, you crack me up!! Yeah, I feel like my life is one big boring yawn compared to all that But, maybe our lives are interesting to someone else. Let’s hope so, anyway!

Christine
March 25th, 2009
I’m going to visit Italy for the second time in May, and would absolutely love to have a copy of this book! So excited to be doing the Lakes and Venice this time. Rome and Florence last time.

anne
March 25th, 2009
I would love to read this book..I have been reading her blog for a while, very quirky!
I love both France and Italy, but very more drawn towards Italy, maybe because it is more along the lines of the Maltese, which is where my fathers family come from..not sure, just an idea!
Your life one big boring yawn!!! Not to me!

My Melange
March 25th, 2009
Oh Anne, you are just a lovely sweetheart, aren’t you? How nice of you to say. Come to think of it, I was in Annie too. My Jr. High production-but hey- it still counts

Deb
March 26th, 2009
Gay mafia?? I’m hooked!

Leigh, Noah and, of course, Lila
March 27th, 2009
Would love to read the book! Would love to go back to Italy! And in the meantime, I read My Melange and Miss Expatria to live vicarously while we’re eating our empanadas in Argentina!
Great interview! So much fun to read!

michelle of bleeding espresso
March 28th, 2009
I have the e-version of the book (and LOVE it) so if I happen to be randomly picked, please pick again, Robin!
And I’m not saying that because I just learned Miss E doesn’t drink espresso or cappuccino or coffee or gaaaaaaaaah! I’m shaking just thinking of the caffeine withdrawal….
Great interview!

My Melange
March 28th, 2009
Will do- How very noble of you Yeah, when I heard that NO COFFEE thing I freaked. Told her I wasn’t sure if I liked her anymore. I totally didn’t see it coming!! With her late hours- and time spent in Italy-I totally pegged her for a coffee drinker!!

Salena of The Daily Rant
March 28th, 2009
I’ve been reading Miss E ever since I discovered her through another blog (I love how links lead you to fabulous places). Very enjoyable interview – and since I just Googled Cacio e Pepe, I will be making my own very soon!
Would love to read her actual book – how could I not love it after everything I’ve already heard?
(Fingers Crossed)

MJ
March 29th, 2009
I’ve never heard of this but but now I’m very interested!
May I go see the lavender fields with you? That’s on my list as well!!!
mj.coward[at]gmail.com

mindy
March 31st, 2009
sounds fascinating thanks

Miss Expatria
April 1st, 2009
I’m so glad you voted!!

Miss Expatria
April 1st, 2009
I used to be a big coffee drinker, and then one day I was like, meh. Don’t like it. And stopped drinking it. I’m not sure why!

Miss Expatria
April 1st, 2009
I actually had a salesperson say to me – in a shoe store – “We have nothing for you here.” And she crossed her arms and waited for me to leave. She made me cry!

Miss Expatria
April 1st, 2009
Please do read it, and let me know what you think!

Miss Expatria
April 1st, 2009
“Mangia cake” hahahahah, my dad says that all the time.

Miss Expatria
April 1st, 2009
I guess it does sound pretty fantastic when it’s all together like that in a summary. But I’m old! It happened over a long period of time, interspersed with lots of boring parts. LOL

Miss Expatria
April 1st, 2009
Oh, Venice. LOVE IT. I never, ever get to spend enough time there – I think I’ve only been there for like three days at a pop. Have a GREAT time.

Miss Expatria
April 1st, 2009
They are angels sent from above! Fabulous gay angels.

Miss Expatria
April 1st, 2009
Mmmm empanadas. There was a lady here in Rome who worked for the FAO, and she used to bring me empanadas, and I’d eat them like Oliver. PLEASE SIR, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?