Nuke Italy!

Living in Italy - a different view of culture and customs

La dolce vita but not as we know it!

Living in Italy and keeping a family-friendly website as I do, I feel a bit like a presenter of a children's TV program who is dying to say a rude word but mustn't. Well, this site sets all that to rights (minus the swearing).

When you come to live here you are almost forced to go through a period of indoctrination during which time you are conditioned to ignore anything less than perfection in all things Italian. For example, you may need to register at the local Council offices which are only open on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. At 10am on Tuesday you arrive only to be told that the person you must speak to has gone out - perhaps to the local bar and maybe they will return but 'who knows?' If you dare grumble to another expat, you will have your head bitten off with retorts ranging from 'this is Italy' to 'you can't expect people to be there just when you want them to be'.

You go into a shop and buy something. When you get it home you realize that the image on the box has been distorted beyond anything which even the most abstract of artists could ever consider vaguely resembles that which it was supposed to be. Try taking the goods back to the shops even if the box is unopened and you have the receipt. The Italian store manager would rather effectively close the shop while the staff stand around arguing with you about how you bought it than just give you a refund and see you on your way as quickly as possible.

The language is depressing - it's like something out of a bad sitcom at times and the music reflects that with interest. Just about every song and conversation seem to be the same. Perhaps the monotony of the vocabulary mirrors the banality of the food but then I am no sociologist so I couldn't say for sure.

It seems like the Italians get all their excitement from their driving - not the best place for this emotion and how anyone could feel safe sitting in a FIAT; a car which could have its side impact strength doubled by sticking some foil on the door - goodness knows.

Worst of all for me is an Italian's absolute failure to stand up against what is perceived as being inevitable - any injustice is just shrugged off with a 'we don't like it but who can stop it?'. There is never any effort made to get things changed therefore the inevitable always lives up to its name.

Finally you get the expats waxing lyrical about the wine and the olive crop to their ancient 'Olivio advert' neighbors as if this was something that really mattered to them. It's not that they say it, it's that it tends to dominate any conversation with a local and, is, I think, truly patronizing to the indigenous Italians for whom the few euros it generates may well matter.

Don't get me wrong about this rant, I live here, have made a home in Italy and don't intend to move away. I just don't see everything through rose-tinted glasses that's all. There are many genuine grievances and injustices here which should be acted on yet are ignored - that needs rectifying and not support by dumb acquiescence. Least of all these matters do not need approbation by limp-wristed, self-satisfied, bigoted ex-pats.

That said, I still choose to be living in Italy.

Italian tutoring and tuition

Living in Italy

Living in Italy