pull down to refresh

It is a compliment!
I’m sure she meant to say ‘built like a brick shithouse’ (one of the finest compliments you can receive from an elderly relative) but was probably being polite :D
There is something of a communication barrier here because she's Italian and doesn't speak a lick of English, so I'm still not sure how to interpret it.
reply
Well my Italian is very ropey (only been learning for a year) but something like;
‘Grande come un gabinetto di mattoni!’
And I think you should be grateful - if she thought you were underweight you would have been fed pasta 24/7
reply
Oh, molto bene!
Non parlo bene l'italiano, haha.
reply
I us the following all the time;
Non parlo bene, ma ci provo.
(I don’t speak well… but I try)
reply
Perché impari?
reply
...ora lavoro...
reply
La pratica rende perfeti
reply