thisweekinitaly.com

Newsletter number 27

Tourism in Italy

My friends who visited recently had to change return flights to USA because
the original flight was cancelled for lack of passengers. Apparently a lot
of flights are being cancelled. I mentioned in an earlier newsletter that I
did not know what Bush had promised Berlusconi for Italy to support USA
position in Iraq. Regardless of what was promised, Berlusconi should ask
for some money from USA to offset lost tourism revenues in Italy. Tourism
is a bigger source of national income in Italy than in the USA. So the war
is going to hurt Italy financially — just as the decline in tourism from
the aftermath of 9/11 was finally ending.

Security

Banks and post offices have much more security in Italy than in the USA. To
enter a bank, you must be buzzed through a double door compartment. Some
banks have armed guards. At post office there is glass between you and
clerk. You can slip an envelope under the glass, but a package must be put
in a tray, that the clerk then brings into the other side of counter. Sort
of like when you go to a drive in pharmacy window in USA. At post office
when you pick up a package, the clerk takes it into a double door
compartment. The clerk then locks the door on his side and buzzes you into
the door from your side so you can get the package.

Update on Teeth

Still not cleaned, but the infection from pulled tooth is almost gone. You
may recall I went to Livorno to get the Listerine the dentist said I had to
use. Well the other day I saw a patient leaving his office with a bottle of
Listerine in a bag. I think the dentist may have a supply of this on hand,
but did not have any the day I was there. So the Italians with a problem
similar to mine don’t have to make a trip to Livorno after the appointment.

Post Office Problems

I’ve mentioned my problems with the Italian Post Office, but for the two
times where I am sure of what happened, the fault was with the US Post
Office. The most recent was a package that the US Post Office sent via ship
even though it had air mail postage on it. So maybe a few packages that
have not arrived are the fault wholly or in part of the US Post Office.

Letter to the Local Newspaper

Recently the local newspaper published a letter from a local Italian
citizen who lamented the poor treatment and discourteous service immigrants
received at the Quaestura where the immigration officials are located. I
wrote about my frustrations with this office. But I had all the time in the
world to go there and get my papers. Also, as an American, I was an exotic
exception to the usual run of immigrants from Albania, Romania, Morocco,
etc. When the students in my Italian class at the Center for Foreigners saw
the letter posted on the Bulletin Board there, they had the helper at the
Center make copies for all of them. It sure rang a bell with them.

Romantic Encounter

It was in nearby Prato. She gave me a look of strong interest as our paths
crossed in the street. My friends with me noticed it and immediately
commented upon it. Soon our paths crossed again. This time she embraced me
while my friends watched in amazement. Later they regretted that in their
surprise, they did not think to photograph this encounter. But alas it was
not to be. Her owner yanked at her leash, and she was gone from my life
–perhaps forever.

One Thing I’ve Never Done in Italy

Licked the flap of a greeting card envelope and had the glue stick without
further help. Business envelopes are a little better. But I think the
Scotch tape and glue stick industry in Italy is in a secret partnership
with the envelope industry.

Death Penalty

Recently in Venice I saw on side of a municipal water bus a large sign
saying “End the Death Penalty.” Neither Italy nor any other Western
European nation has the death penalty. So this sign was aimed at an
external international audience. It is an example of the much greater
emphasis on the international perspective in Italy as compared to the USA.
This is also clear in evening news where international stories are carried
that really have no direct connection to Italy.

When I worked in Pennsylvania with anti-death penalty group, we rented
billboards and put up anti-death penalty messages. But is was my impression
that the large sign on the water bus was a public service item, not a paid
advertisement. It is interesting that in Italy (and I think elsewhere in
Europe) the death penalty is not a political issue even though there is a
surprising level of public support (usually not a majority) for it. The
political parties and leaders treat this as a “non issue” –a settled
question. There have been some interesting speculations as to why this is
the case. My own view is as follows. After the excesses of Fascism,
European countries got rid of the death penalty. Under Fascism it was used
not only to execute common criminals but also political opponents. Now
whereas the murderers executed under Fascism were the typical criminal
types, the political prisoners executed were often middle and upper class
persons. So the middle and upper classes (who in Europe, as elsewhere, are
the more politically powerful groups) got a taste of the death penalty
themselves which they had not gotten in the past. Result: end of the death
penalty.

Newsletter Number 26

The War

People have asked me via e mail about the reaction in Italy to the new war.
I can tell what I observe although I cannot tell if what I observe
correctly reflects what people think. A public opinion poll in Italy a week
before the war showed 75% of the people opposed a war. Was the poll
accurate? I have no way of knowing. I can say that everything one sees in
public and on TV or reads in the newspaper is against the war. It was no
surprise to me that the Italian leader Berlusconi was not at the final
summit of leaders prior to the war. I don’t think he was being snubbed, I
think he did not want to be there because it is best for him politically
not to be publicly associated with the war even though he supports US
actions.

At a concert early in March there were two items on every seat. Once
announced a special anti-war concert in four days. The other was a postcard
pre-addressed to Colin Powell (on which the person was to write his or her
own message). It was interesting that the card was to Powell, not Bush,
even though the address on the card was the We House. Bush is seen as a
“lost cause” here. The front of the post card had Picasso’s famous painting
from the Spanish Civil War, Guernica.

It is probably hard to exaggerate (1) the visible opposition to the war
here and (2) the low opinion that people here have of George W. Bush.

DISCLAIMER. The above is my observation of what the Italians think, not
necessarily my opinion. I’ve given in past my opinion that the dollar
should be stronger, but now that the war has started (so uncertainty is
less) the dollar is up a little.

Encores

When you go to a concert in Italy, the audience always claps until the
performer does an encore. If the performer has not prepared an encore, then
he or she (or the group) repeats one of the pieces already played in the
concert.

My Favorite Quiz Show

As you know my favorite quiz show does feature the scantily dressed dancing
girls. But last week there was a contestant who was wearing (1) low cut
dress, (2) large metal necklace that had a hint of “bondage” jewelry, and a
prominent tattoo around her upper arm. She was good looking too. So you
have the strange situation where the “hottest looking” babe on the show is
not one of the half dressed dancers, but one of the contestants! I was
rooting for this contestant, but she did not make it to the final round of
the show that night.

Practicing English

On the train recently I was seated next to a group of boys who were
practicing their English. They were practicing all the swear words and
dirty words. There are books in America that tell the Italian equivalent of
bad words in English. There are probably similar books in Italy. Also in
Italy there is a T shirt that contains about 50 filthy Italian phrases with
their English translations. As I’ve commented before, there is nothing
“tacky” in the USA that one cannot find in Italy.

Toaster

Friends who are visiting me bought me a toaster for my birthday. The
Italian toaster does not pop up. You put the bread in a tray that you lower
into the toaster. Then you set the timer for from 1-6 minutes (It isn’t a
fast toaster.). When the timer rings, you remove the tray.

Teeth Cleaned

You will recall when I last wrote about this problem, I had an appointment
to get the teeth cleaned after my mouth healed from the tooth that was
pulled. I got the Listerine in Livorno to use to prevent problems while the
mouth healed. Well, the Listerine did not do its job. The empty socket got
a small infection. I now am taking an anti-biotic to cure the infection.
I’ve been back to dentist twice. First time he discovered infection and
told me to come back in a week. Second time, when the infection had not
healed itself, he prescribed the anti-biotic. Teeth still not cleaned, but
we are hopeful it will be done soon.

Newsletter Number 25

Fine Italian Leather Bag

A few months ago I broke down and allowed myself one Italian luxury, a
leather overnight bag purchased at a shop along the market area in
Florence. Two weeks ago a hook broke on the shoulder strap. No problem, I
thought. I’ll just take the strap back to the shop after church on Sunday
and get a new hook. I thought I could find the shop easily, but, of course,
when I got to the market none of the many leather shops looked like the one
where I remembered buying the bag. I asked one vendor where I could get a
replacement, from the type of hook he said my bag was made at one of the
two nearby “Chinese factories.” Unfortunately, he said, they were both
closed on Sunday. It was a bit of a blow to discover that the bag that I
had pictured Luigi and Maria lovingly crafting in their home shop, was
actually made in “the Chinese factory.” I was really wasn’t disappointed
that the Chinese factory was closed; it did not sound like the kind of
place I wanted to see-visions of sweatshop labor.

The next day I did find a similar hook in my favorite hardware (and other
items) store in Pistoia and repaired the bag myself

Chinese Take Out

While I am on the Chinese theme, I will report that I finally tried the
Chinese take-out place down the street. I ordered the items by their
Italian names. I ended up with only two of the four things I ordered. Next
time I’ll order by number. The food — it was inexpensive and tasty
– in fact exactly like Chinese take-out food in USA. No surprise.

The Leaflet to Support Rights of the Handicapped

I found a leaflet that said on it in Italian “You have taken my space. Do
you also want my wheelchair.” In USA you might use this to put on the
windshield of a car illegally parked in a reserved handicapped space. But
the photo on the leaflet was not of a car so parked. It was of a car parked
half in the street and half on the sidewalk (at an angle) so that a
wheelchair did not have room to pass between the front of the car and the
building. Although I have seen such a parking job in USA, it is rare to see
a car parked this way in America. Not so in Italy.

Sports in Italy

The most popular is, of course, Soccer. At least at this time of the year
(cycling has not geared up yet) the next two most popular sports are
basketball and volleyball. The latter is much more popular in Italy than in
the USA.

How to Be a Great Italian Lover

Lucio Dalla is a famous Italian songwriter/performer. One of his most
famous songs is (loosely translated) “I Can’t Get Enough of You Baby.” We
listened to it in my Italian class. In it he sings that he wants to be
(among other things): “the dress you wear, the lipstick you use, the water
in the shower you take, and the sheets you sleep under.” Here is a script
for those who want to talk like a true Italian lover.

Unfortunately these touching lyrics are ruined for me by a memory from the
past. Many years ago in Chicago WGN-TV televised the home games of both the
Chicago Cubs and the Chicago We Sox. The announcer for the games of both
teams was Jack Brickhouse. Despite what I am sure were his best efforts to
treat both teams equally, some fans of each team accused Jack of favoring
the other team. A disgruntled We Sox fan wrote into the sports editor of
the Chicago Daily News to ask this stinging rhetorical question; “Does Jack
Brickhouse drink the Cubs’ shower water”? So when Lucio Dalla tenderly
states that he wants to be the shower water in which his love bathes, I am
left with the image of Jack Brickhouse taking a large gulp in the Cubs’
shower room.

American Clothes

You see some clothes from America (and England) in shops here. They are
wildly overpriced. In a fine store I saw a Gant shirt priced at $100. Gant
is, at best, a middle range shirt brand in USA. I don’t plan to be buying
any $100 Gant shirts here.

A Proposal to Unify Americans

Citizens of the USA are split over President Bush’s policies versus Iraq,,
especially on the issue of a war. Conservatives vs. Liberals, Republicans
vs. Democrats, Doves vs. Hawks. I want to suggest at least one point on
which to pursue unity. Proposition number 1: most Americans of all
political stripes want a strong US dollar. Proposition number 2: evey time
George W. Bush opens his mouth about Iraq, the dollar declines further
against the Euro and other currencies. I don’t know what the fate of Saddam
Hussein will be, but if the dollar keeps crashing, I’ll soon be selling on
the streets of Italy (along with the Blacks immigrants from Africa)
umbrellas, counterfeit designer handbags, and illegally copied music CDs.
So allowing George W to do whatever he will, can Americans at least unite
in asking him to SHUT UP.

Do You Have a Pen?

Italy has not been the cure for my radical absentmindedness. I go to the
same Internet Point each day, but when it is closed, I sometimes try
another one farther away. I visit this second one about once a month. I was
at the second one recently, and I needed a pen. I went to front desk where
there is a supply of pens in a jar. The one I took from the jar said
“Gettysburg College Alumni Association.” It did not take Sherlock Holmes to
figure out how that pen got into the jar.

A Product to Solve a Particular Italian Problem

The other day I saw an ad on TV for a depilatory creme. Usually such ads
show women removing hair from their legs. This one did, but it also showed
the creme being used to remove thick black hair covering the back of a man.

For My Biking Friends (Others Read at Peril of Boredom)

As I may have mentioned before, in Italy bikers tend to be either persons
riding around town for basic transportation or super sport types in full
lycra outfits. The casual recreational rider who takes a 15 or 20 mile spin
at a moderate pace is very rare.

The utilitarian city bikes all use the old generator light system — not
battery lights. The also still make bikes with the old rod (direct action
–no wires) type hand brakes where the brake pad pulls up against the bottom
of the rim (adjacent to the spokes) rather than against the side of the
rims.

Click-in pedals on sport bikes are usually Look pedals, not spd. Look
pedals click in more easily, but you can’t walk in the shoes with Look
cleats comfortably. For Italians the better performance of Look pedals
while riding outweighs the inconvenience while off the bike.

In the USA if you come to a stop light corner and pull up beyond the stop
light on your side of the street, you can look at the light facing you from
the other side of the street. Not so in Italy; the light on the other side
(as are all lights) is one sided and faces only the traffic going toward
the light in that lane. So now you can’t tell exactly when the light
changes. I’ve made the mistake of pulling up too far many times.

I’ve never been chased by a dog here. Dogs and motorists both understand
that bicyclists belong on the road.

Newsletter Number 24

Corso Gramsci

The Street where I live was originally named after the King of Italy (I
think during time of Reunification), Victor Emmanuel II, but some time
after 1973 it was changed to Corso Gramsci. Antonio Gramsci was a prominent
Italian communist who was murdered by the Fascists in prison in 1929. Corso
Gramsci is a common street name in Italy.

Devolution

In Italy it seems that the tax money is all collected by the national
government and then redistributed to regional and local governments. The
Berlusconi government has proposed a change in the governmental structure
to make it more “federal” Some powers would be devolved from national to
lower governments. I assume in some way a revenue stream would also be
guaranteed to these lower level governments to cover the costs of their new
duties. I certainly cannot understand the fine points of Italian politics.

At the same time there has been in Italy for a while a group (the Northern
League) that wants to divide the country into two separate nations so that
the wealthy north would no longer support the poorer south. Now some wonder
if the devolution plan is really a stealth first step toward division. If
revenue streams are given to regions according to tax revenues contributed,
the south definitely will get less.

Italians are always quick to find hidden meanings and conspiracies.
Recently on a TV show a singer sang the Neapolitan folk song “Finniculi,
Finnicula.” The title of this song cannot be found in an Italian dictionary
because the song is in the dialect of Naples. On the show there were
subtitles in standard Italian as the song was sung. A person wrote into the
newspaper to note that there are no such subtitles when songs in English
(very often) are sung on Italian TV. So why subtitles for the Neapolitan
dialect? The writer saw this as a “plot” on part of Northern League to
emphasize that Italy is really two countries, not one.

The Festival of San Remo

This is a yearly one week festival to celebrate Italian popular music. It
takes place in San Remo, a resort city that has seen better days —maybe
not as seedy as Atlantic City before gambling arrived, but not t the height
of its glory. The festival features both established talents and new
performers with prizes given to best songs in both categories. Many years
ago one of the new talents featured was Andrea Bocelli. The MC this year
was a man named Pippo Baudo — a middle aged (perhaps even a little older)
balding guy. Of course he was assisted in this onerous task by two gorgeous
actresses. The most important foreign guest was Sharon Stone. They made a
big deal out Sharon being infatuated (in jest) with Pippo. Remember the
heyday of Miss America with Bert Parks. This was sort of like Marilyn
Monroe showing up in Atlantic City and pretending to be in love with Bert.

Immigration

If you study immigration to USA, it is surprising to discover how many
people did not stay but returned to their homeland. The reasons for
immigration are on a scale that at one end is desperation (There isn’t
enough food to eat.) to greater opportunity at the other (A person is
living decently in one country but believes he can live much better in
another.). I get the impression that most immigrants to Italy are toward
the desperation end of scale. There are simply no jobs in the countries
from which they come. If the economic prospects were better in their native
lands, I think that most of them would return immediately.

Children in Italy

At San Remo Festival the members of one of the big soccer teams appeared to
promote a record that the team members had made to raise funds for a
children’s charity. The team members brought their children on stage. Just
a little item, but it illustrates that children seem to be more a little
more important here than in USA. Although I am sure it happens, I’ve never
seen parents hollering at their children in public or giving them a whack
for misbehavior. I heard an item on the radio in which a psychologist spoke
against corporal punishment, but such type of punishment seems less common
here.

Newspaper Headlines

One would think that newspaper headlines would be easy to read for a person
learning Italian. No so. They use very flowery, emphatic, language and a
lot of slang. For example recently a headline concerned a new plan to
collect unpaid parking tickets. It read in Italian “Pillory the
Delinquents. New plan to collect thousands of Euros in tickets.”

Bushleaguer

“Bushleaguer” is the title of a play I saw adverised in Bologna. I assume
it is an American import satirizing President Bush, but I also assume it
will be performed in Italian. What caught my eye was the title. It is a pun
on President Bush’s name. This pun cannot be translated literally into
Italian, but by keeping the American title you have a title that 1.) no
Italian who doesn’t speak English will understand and also 2.) no Italian
that does speak English will understand (because Bushleaguer is a slang
word). I guess the picture of Bush in a cowboy hat is enough to clue in the
Italians about the gist of the play.

Flowers

The Italian Mimosa trees are in full boom. They have a small yellow flower.
March 8 was La Festa di Donna –Ladies Day. Not Mother’s Day but a day to
honor all women. These flowers were the standard gift. I was able yesterday
also to pick some daffodils I saw growing along the side of the road.
Spring comes much earlier here.

Newsletter Number 23

A Trip to “Il Dentista”

About 6 weeks ago I realized that I needed my teeth cleaned. There is a
dentist on first floor of my building. I asked my landlady about him. She
said he was “furbo” (clever) but not “buono” ( good). Then I asked could he
clean the teeth, and she saw no problem with that. Before my appointment a
piece of a filling dropped off of a wisdom tooth. So I pointed this out to
the dentist. He did a temporary repair, and we agreed (primarily at my
suggestion)that it was probably better to pull the tooth (Because wisdom
teeth are very soft and a lot of trouble, at some point I think it is
better to pull them). After we took care of this problem, he would clean my
teeth. From an earlier pulling of a wisdom tooth I knew that mine have
shallow roots, and I figured this guy was good enough to pull the tooth.

So I went to the office again expecting to get the wisdom tooth pulled.
This time his partner worked on me. The partner said that the wisdom tooth
was easily repaired and should be saved. This took two minutes. But he then
looked at another tooth and said “brutto” (ugly).
He put in some Novocain and I figured I was in for an afternoon of
drilling. Not so. Next he has the pliers in his hand. The tooth has to come
out. I’m thinking “furbo” but not “buono.” But in a leap of faith, I say
ok.

After it is out I ask him what was the problem. He says the tooth had a
chronic infection. Having had teeth pulled before, I ask him what, if
anything, I need to do for next few days while the tooth socket is healing.
He says that I have to gargle with Listerine three times a day. I ask him
where I can buy Listerine. He says Livorno, a city 90 minutes to 2 hours by
train. Livorno has an American military base, and consequently an
“American” market in one of the Piazzas where people sell things they got
at the base. I asked the obvious question of whether there is something
similar to Listerine in Italy; the answer is a firm “no.”

Now the Listerine may be prescribed because the underlying problem was an
infection, but this cannot be the first time he has seen this problem. Does
every Italian patient with a similar problem, leave the office and hop on a
train to Livorno? Who knows?

My teeth still are not cleaned and a one pint bottle of Listerine was $10
in Livorno.

As that Russian comic said of the USA, I say of Italy, “What a Country!”

Least Surprising Newspaper Headline of the Week

“Post Office in Chaos. Not Enough Workers. Mail Delayed or Missing.
Citizens Protest.”

Some mail gets here in 6 days. Some is now at least 6 weeks overdue and may
never arrive. Mail to USA is dependable. Recently I sent two wool sweaters
to USA in a large padded envelope. The cost: €8.20. The next day I send a
lighter wool blouse in we thin envelope. It weighed probably ½ as much
as the first envelope. I was interested in noting the difference in postage
cost. The cost: €8.20.

Death of Alberto Sordi

Sordi was a famous Italian actor, mostly a comic, who died this week. He
even appeared in the USA in some films. My favorite film of his is a 1963
one, “To Bed or Not to Bed.” If you like older films, rent this one. It is
dated in that the theme of film is the differing moralities of Italy and
the Scandinavian countries; the differences are not so great today. Still
it is very funny.

Well on the news every prominent politician that night was called upon to
make a comment on Sordi’s death. The newspapers had three or four page
spreads about his career. There were special shows on TV. A huge funeral
like that of a premier. Just another example of how important film is in
Italy.

At the Movies

I saw “Catch Me if You Can” in Italian. Dubbed films are hard for me to
follow. I think this is the reason. If an actor says a phrase in English,
the translation of that phase into Italian will usually require more words
that the English phrase. So the Italian dialog must be speeded up to fit
the words into the period of the time that the actor’s mouth is open.

The film had one interesting, accidental feature. Twice I briefly saw the
boom microphone in a scene appear at the top of the picture frame. In USA I
have seen the microphone intrude onto the screen only in X rated movies in
which (no surprise) the production values are not high. My guess is that
Dreamworks sent a “less than absolutely final” print to Italy for dubbing
as soon as possible after the filming was completed so the film could open
in Italy (in dubbed form) soon after it was shown in USA.

The next night I saw “Bowling at Columbine.” It is interesting to see a
film very critical of USA in a foreign theatre. The Italians did not seem
to react in any audible way (as they often do) to the film. A few things
were not dubbed into Italian, and I found myself laughing when nobody else
was. A short film critique. This was an interesting film that tried to do
too much. It should have stuck to main theme of guns and violence in USA
and not tried to tie in briefly other elements of American culture that can
in some way be “related” but which call for a separate treatment.

I could see some of my friends loving this film and others being outraged
by it. It doesn’t't bother me that an American filmmaker does a film so
strongly “anti-American:” I think this is what democracy is all about –
people can have views similar to mine or totally different, and in a
democratic country they can express them. Nobody is forcing me to agree.

My Italian Mamma

In one of my textbooks on Italian grammar the following sentence occurred
in Italian in one of the exercises. “According to a recent survey 71% of
Italians whose mothers are living call her at least one time a day.” I
asked the teacher if this was a true statement. She did not know.
Interestingly enough, she did not see it as implausible.

Watching TV

For one particular reason, it is important to watch the news in Italy. I
did not do so last Saturday. When I went to get on the train for church in
Florence, it was a one day strike day for the railroads. These strikes are
announced on TV.

I saw the Italian version of “People’s Court.” Although Italian judges
don’t wear wigs like they do (or at least did) in England, their robes are
a little more ornate. Courtroom may appear even a little more formal. Well
at end of this case between two overweight, middle aged Italians, the judge
read a formal three page opinion. This is nothing like Judge Judy with
minimal explanation quickly telling X that he lost and now it’s time to pay
Y.

A big item on TV is card readers. I don’t think they use Tarot cards, just
ordinary playing cards. There is a proposal to regulate them. To me this is
a waste of time. In Italy the people tune in the card readers. In USA they
tune in Jimmy Swaggart, Benny Hine, etc. You can’t find a way to keep such
foolish viewers from wasting their money.

Peanut Butter

Recently I had dinner with my landlords and an elderly couple who live in
our building. The elderly woman mentioned how she loved the “Marmalade of
Peanuts” that American soldiers had in Italy after the end of the war. I
told her that the candy I had placed on the table for after dinner had
peanut butter in it. She began to devour pieces of the candy. Her joy was
such that I began to wonder what those naughty American soldiers might had
demanded in return when they gave her peanut butter in 1946. I did buy her
two jars of Skippy (one smooth, one crunchy) at the American Market in
Livorno at the bargain price of $7 per jar.