dear friend I write to you sings Italian Lucio Dalla in his lovely song from 1979.

caro amico ti scrivo

the old year is not yet finished but somehow finishes here since I will leave Trondheim, my students and friends. I will not climb anymore my beloved Høyskoleparken nor walk around Ilaparken with my dog Nino in 2021.

2021 has been a year with COVID-19, with less travels, less social life. For me it has been a year of great joys, my youngest son starting university, two gender equality prizes, and even if I never thought in my life I should get prizes, the prizes warm my heart and motivate me for the years to come.

It has been the year I get 7 rejections to 7 research applications. You can blame me for having written too many, for sure I have done mistakes, I promise I will study the feedback carefully. I did not manage to swim from Munkholmen either, I had to give up 300 meters before arriving. And I experienced a fracture that kept me invalid for 6 weeks. I observe my friends aging, somebody with grace, other with pain, something else fighting aging. On my side, I keep doing my things and I enjoy reading more than ever, now listening to the wonderful The Half Brother (Norwegian: Halvbroren) a 2001 novel by the Norwegian writer Lars Saabye Christensen. We cannot do anything else than keeping good mood, to be able to laugh and keep hoping.

Per poter riderci sopra Per continuare a sperare

Dalla in his song announces a transformation, or better he sings that TV has announced a transformation. It has been the year that my university has decided to invest in sustainability, my students and I follow and invest in software for better equality, better health, better education.

Ma la televisione ha detto che il nuovo anno Porterà una trasformazione

This is what we all wish, a transformation that will improve life on our planet and will bring more love and each one will love in the way each one wishes.

E si farà l’amore ognuno come gli va

The year that comes is coming and will finish. I want to continue to live, learn, and laugh. I am preparing my self. This is the news.

L’anno che sta arrivando tra un anno passerà Io mi sto preparando È questa la novità