Anecdote from Chris H (LED)

I met Nicola quite early in the year as we were in the same course, but did not have many opportunities to hang out with him until toward the end of the program and it has been a distinct pleasure. His quirky humour matches my own and for a PhD student he is incredibly down to earth and relaxed. He also grows an excellent beard, one which puts my own to shame. Good luck with the coming year Nicola and take in Milan.

Banksiders

Caro Dotto…
Quante avventure e disavventure passate quest’anno, tra i muri di Bankside e i ponti sul Tamigi, le cucine soffocanti e le cene incasinate con mille persone…
A parte l’assistenza tecnologica che mi dai ogni volta che sono in panico (e cmq anche quella è impagabile, davvero!!!) ti voglio ringraziare per i tanti momenti che abbiamo passato assieme. E’ stato importante per me sapere che avevo sempre ‘una spalla’ su cui contare, una porta a cui bussare e dove sapevo che avrei potuto scherzare come piangere, discutere o dire scemate.
Grazie per aver condiviso tanti pensieri e riflessioni, dalla fede alla famiglia, dalla vita alle persone che si incontrano, dalle cose spensierate a quelle più serie.
Tra le cose che non dimenticherò mai resterà sempre la nostra Messa pasquale (tra un ‘risuscitò’ e una Teresina..; ) ), la carbonara con 3 uova ciascuno, la tua guancia rigonfia e la visita dalla porno-dottoressa, e tante altre cose che sono sicura riaffioreranno nei momenti più inaspettati.
Siamo stati fortunati ad esserci sentiti ‘a casa’ in questa grande città. E sono contenta di aver condiviso con te questa bella sensazione.
Un abbraccio!!!
Gaia

Dear "Dotto" Dotti,

è stato un immenso piacere incontrarti e spendere un anno a dire cazzate!!! Ovvviamente in ogni momento di bisogno...ricorda lo zappadvice!! TROMBA SORè. Per noi a londra, non ti preoccupare, alla peterlongo ci penso io, penserò anche a comprarle una sciarpa che la proteggerà dagli spifferi slovacchi!! Ci rivediamo presto, magari riusciremo a cambiare il nostro paese in meglio!!!

Zappa,

P.s. se vuoi ti posso suggerire il nome di un barbiere!!

Dotti: a life experience...

Nicola was special in that he made everyone feel comfortable. He seemed to care that we all succeeded, and was always around to help. Sometimes I thought he should study political science instead of LED, because he was always interested in talking about politics :)

Sam

"A Birthday with Dotti", remake of: "a tea with Mussolini"

vividly remember the first time I saw him in a dark corner of a little place called Brown Sugar. I remember thinking how I had never seen anything like him before. Was he Scottish? Was he Italian? I would have never guessed that he could be...both?! We quickly became friends as I was invited to several 6th floor kitchen feasts I would come to love. They were filled with great cuisine, good laughs and very interesting people! Thank you Nicola for making my time at Bankside a little more exciting ;) Will miss you darrrrrrling, forever my favourite Italian-Scot!

xx Sonal

nicooola! although i was not part of the privileged 'number 3' kitchen users, i like to think of myself as an 'honorary' one as i had so many of my meals there!! ;-) it was also in that "hell's kitchen" as gabi likes to call it, that i met you, you with your lovely italian accent and poetry on the wall! and it's been an absolute pleasure!!! :) best of luck in everything!!

kisses, shriya

Hic et Nunc: A Limerick

There once was a student from Milan,

Who from Blackfriars he often looked out on,

He made me vow

To try here and now

And who I'd like to dedicate this poem upon!

Thank you for walking me home all those drunken nights. Stay safe and be good.

Erika

Kitchen stories...

The dark side of kitchen number 3, 6th floor, Bankside...

Caro Dotti,
mi permetta di dirle: lei è veramente un grande rappresentate dell'italianità più autentica e vera, di quella insomma che rimanda all'età dei Comuni, alla questione della lingua (tanto per intenderci), a Dante Alighieri nonché Beatrice (o soprattutto Beatrice), al Rinascimento ed al Risorgimento!
Il volgere al termine di questo anno accademico trascorso qui a Londra da esuli o esploratori, porta con sé sentimenti di nostalgia e tante abitudini che si vanno trasformando via via in ricordi, tra queste senz'alto i nostri sporadici incontri tra i corridoi e le cucine di Bankside, colorati di battute vivaci e considerazioni di sublime portata intellettuale, che spaziavano dal teatro all'urbanistica, dalla bioetica alla culinaria, andando comunque a finire sempre nella medesima direzione (che non è necessario specificare tra buoni italiani per l'appunto)

Io la saluto ad majora!

P.S.
Barba non facit philosophum.
VIVA L'ITALIA

Caro il mio Dotto,

te la ricordi la nostra fantastica passeggiata sotto la neve?! a lamentarci, da buoni nordici-polentoni di come londra avesse smesso di funzionare per 20cm di neve...e allo stesso tempo saltellando e scivolando in giro come due bambini...ah, che avventure! con super peterlong!
e pensare che la prima volta che ti ho incontrato non potevo proprio sopportarti, con le tue battute cattive sulla bocconi e su trento (dovresti imparare da magini ad adorare la mia cara città!). solo dopo ho scoperto che sotto quella scorza da cattivo ragazzo (ma dove?!) si celava un cuore d'oro! ok, lo sai che non sono brava con le tenerezze, quindi mi fermo qui altrimenti mi sento patetica!

se ti dico che, al mio rientro, londra senza di te non sarà la stessa cosa mi credi?! chi ascolterà e capirà i miei sfoghi? chi avrà la battutta subito pronta dopo che (l'ennessimo) boyfriend mi pianterà? chi ci proverà indistintamente con tutte le mie amiche? chi busserà alla porta della mia cucina con la padella in mano pronto a condividere quei pochi momenti di pace durante la revision?

ebbene si, anche i super eroi hanno dei sentimenti...ed ora che tutto giunge al termine so che ovunque sarò l'anno prossimo il mio caro zio dotti mancherà!

so che ci sentiremo anche dopo la fine di questa LSE adventure! quindi non mi resta che augurarti un buon rientro in patria e...grazie di tutto!

un abbraccio forte forte alla trentina
Giuli

Dearest Honniest Dotti..

I met you for five times before you started recognizing me, but it was worth all the effort! I mean at the end of the year, I was able to become "the second best option" for you. Not many people have that honour, right? (or I choose to believe it that way). I actually first heard about you when you were making that speech in front of LSE. I think that was the point where Magini fell for you as well.
I will be sending you my personal application for the EU accession, I am sure you can find one spot for me. I promise I will speak better Italian for you and will not steal any jobs!! You are always welcomed in Turkey, whenever you want! (PS: I heard Turkish girls adore Italian guys ;)) Lastly, I am sure as everyone agrees: You are such a honey boy Dotti!

Pleasure to meet you, all the best and see you soon.

Ekin

A deposition concerning Dotti, a true story

First time I saw Dotti, standing lost in the middle of the street, scrubby beard, starring into space, I thought he's a hobo. Then I realized what a fine guy he was. By logic of deduction, he must become a great professor and loving familiy father.

Long live the hobos! and Dotti!

Stefan, "der Master"

To:

the man who controls almost half of Italy,

the man who loves women as sexual objects only,

the man who studies geography at LSE (Geography??? Seriously???),

the man who loves women as sexual objects only,

the man who claims he's Scottish,

the man who loves women as sexual objects only,

the man who has a red beard because some one told him it looks good on him,

the man who loves women as sexual objects only,

the man who calls everyone who disagrees with him as communists,

the man who loves women as sexual objects only,

the man who hates the monarchy but wouldn't mind being a dictator (if the perks were right),

the man who loves women as sexual objects only,

the man who's Beccalossi # 3,

the man who loves women as sexual objects only,

the man who has no social life outside facebook,

the man who loves women as sexual objects only,

the man who thinks the phrase, "You're such a horny girl..." will get him far with Indian women,

the man who loves women as sexual objects only,

the man who cannot decide on who he wants in a party full of women,

the man who loves women as sexual objects only,

the man who is most interesting,

and finally,

the man who loves women as sexual objects only,

and a man I've had the pleasure to have met and feel honored to be counted among his friends,

My best,

Always Yours,

Siddarth aka Siddy aka Beccalossi # 2

ON the first day, God created Dotti...
ON the second day, God created light, so all could see Dotti...

The importance of Nicola Francesco Dotti to the LSE community and the universe at-large cannot, in the words of the great George W. Bush, 43rd president of the United States, be "misunderestimated."

As the third-in-line Evaristo Beccalossi of the LSE campus, Dotti has proven to all of us he is capable of forging new methods of social interaction and ways of thinking on many issues, from the accession of Turkey to the European Union, to the amount of glasses of port wine that may be consumed on an evening of dissertation decompression.

I got to know Dotti first as a champion for Italian students' rights, but later discovered he was a champion of women's rights (he is not a saint). He then surprised me with his unusually intimate relationship with Marco Magini, a tantalizing union between Lombard and Tuscany I previously thought impossible. But love truly knows no boundaries...a truth I could only know to be true when seeing Dotti and Magini in the 6th floor kitchen with the door locked and the windows fogged up. They say that was because the kitchen gets really hot and the door was locked to keep the sub-warden out, but....

...Enough about the two lovers. Dotti is an amazing and charismatic person with a great sense of humor. He can light up the room with his smile, and warm you with his beard in the dead of winter. Knowing him during my year at LSE was truly an honor and privilege and made it all the more difficult for me to leave London. Dotti is a brave soul; he jumped in to break up a BNP rally in Birmingham while the rest of the city turned away and ran. And I knew we had become especially close when he admitted a deep secret in his family, that he was a camel in his past life. It was a special moment.

Good luck Dotti! Down with the monarchists! We will all miss you!

Nishad (a.k.a "Nishi" or Beccalossi n.1)

Beccalossi Cup 2008/09

In the name of her majesty the Republic of England,
on behalf of the soul of our ancestors George Best, Yksel Osmanovski, Hakan Sukur and Jurgen Klinsmann
according to the ancient tradition of the ‘round ball’

On behalf of the international committee formed by the best member of the LSE

I could announce the winners of the Beccalossi cup 2008/09

n. 4 wooden spoon
According to his worst performances of ever, like when he invited Sonal for MANY disgusting lunches, we give the position number 4 to him just because he introduces us the words of the Master, the words of Evaristo Beccalossi.
From Italy, with food, passion and communism
Position n. 4 to Mr. Marco Magini

n. 3 bronze medal
Some good performances don’t make a champion.
You worked hard annoying us on facebook, inventing stupid video or absurdity like the banksider-o-meter. However, we appreciate your efforts because we believe you can have a glorious future, but you need to work more.
Another one from Italy, the future of the past or the past of the future
Bronze medal to Mr. Nicola Francesco Dotti

n. 2 silver medal
A man like you should win the golden medal, however just one can have it. Many anecdotes justify your premium. Nevertheless, we want remember just the last one because you should be a real ‘Beccalossi’ to invite an Italian for an Indian chicken full of stuffing at 2 in the morning!
From India, a men everybody should love
Silver medal to Mr. Siddarth Kumar

n. 1 golden medal
In the name of the international committee, I’m extremely proud to announce the winner of the edition 2008/09 of the Beccalossi cup. Many performances confirmed you are the best.
However, we give you the golden medal just because it’s your night and this is our gift: the position n. 1 of the ‘Beccalossi brotherhood’, the golden medal of the cup 2008/09 to Mr Nishad Majmudar Beccalossi Cup 2008/09

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4altMAz2o8Q

To the Second Holy guy I have met,

It was an absolute pleasure meeting you. And the timing could not have been better. The second trip to the second city! And all the fun! Especially those lovely chocolate moments. Here's a picture of us immortalised (well, as long as it doesn't melt) in chocolate. :-)

Will miss you! Work hard so that you upgrade from the camel in your next life. =P Take care and have a great (sweet) life ahead.

From the second prettiest girl you have ever met"

Sanica

It was a pleasure meeting you! Don't get too grumpy with your future students!

xx
Diana

Lo sapevo….lo sapevo…

Che prima o poi te ne saresti andato e mi sarebbe toccato scriverti qualcosa…

Poi Magini ha avuto questa idea... ed eccomi qui a riflettere sull’anno trascorso assieme e commuovermi per la tua partenza....come una adolescente davanti a un film romantico....

Ho un sacco di immagini in testa, il primo caffe’ assieme a Ignacio, la prima volta che mi hai raccattato piangente e sconvolta, che me ne volevo tornare a casa e mi hai invitato a studiare da te, quando ci siamo giurati amicizia eterna e ci siamo assegnati i rispettivi soprannomi...il periodo da ottobre a Natale, in primo luogo, e’ stato un periodo intenso per noi, di studio, di risate, di riflessioni sul passato e sul futuro, di serate passate ad ascoltare canzoni di Elio o a scambiarci improbabili pacchetti di zucchero nella reception di Bankside...Bankside e’ stata un po’ la mia seconda casa in questi 8-9 mesi ed e’ stato tutto grazie a te che mi ci hai portato per la prima volta....

Poi le cose sn un po’ cambiate, le nostre vite si sono pian piano divise, per motivi a noi esterni e forse un po’, e questo me lo rimprovero, per il mio coinvolgimento nella storia d‘amore col Barone, che tante gioie e tante sofferenze mi da, a fasi alterne.

Nonostante tutto, tu ci sei sempre stato, nel mio cuore e nella mia testa, sei stato un punto di riferimento per le decisioni che ho dovuto prendere e apprezzo molto il tuo interessamento, la tua comprensione, la tua discrezione...ma forse, la cosa che ho imparato piu’ da te, oltre all’ironia milanese e all’amore per il nostro meraviglioso paese, e’ la capacita’ di confrontarmi e dialogare, di vedere le due faccie della medaglia, di sforzarmi di ascoltare i termini della conversazione prima di giudicare e fare i capricci, da borghesotta viziatella che sono ogni tanto...e questo e’ il segno piu’ forte della tua presenza nella mia vita e mi ha reso migliore, ne sono convinta.

Non so cosa succedera’ nel medio-lungo termine, ma sono certa che tu resterai accanto a me comunque, con la tua diplomazia e il tuo fare discreto, la tua sincerita’ e la tua onesta’ intellettuale, che mi hanno guidato nei momenti piu’ difficili e che spero continueranno a farlo per molto tempo ancora.

Adesso basta cn questo piagnisteo, mi mancherai Harry!

Buon Viaggio

Valentina

My sweet fratello,

I will never forget your familiar generosity, critical sense (sin perder la ternura jamás), intelligent sense of humor, academic efficiency, political engagement, true friendship, fun creativity, literature knowledge, delicate sensitivity and delicious parmiggiano that flavored our dinners, transforming the hell's kitchen in the best place in London!

I am such a lucky person for finding my Italian brother this year! Thanks for your caress, for all the conversations, gifts and attention!

I know you will be very busy teaching and researching in the best universities,
but please keep in touch!

Beijo,

Gabi

Intro.....

For all the people that loved Dotti, for all the people that were annoyed by Dotti, for all the people that will miss him and for all the people that will celebrate his departure….

A blog full of love and anger!

Dotti, you will always remain our favorite “monarchist”!