thisweekinitaly.com

World Cup

After a terrible first game, the USA played better but exited the competition without a victory.  When the USA played Italy, 71% of all the television sets  in Italy that were turned on were tuned to this game.  Fortunately for me, the USA played its best match against Italy.

I saw that David Brooks had an opinion piece in the New York Times (which I could not read because it required a paid subscription to Times) in which he noted that the USA has more university graduates on its team than the other nations in the World Cup.  This may be part of the reason for the team’s weak performance. In the rest of the world universities are not athletic training grounds.  Top soccer players become professional at 18, and probably get better training as professionals than American players get at the universities. I like the fact that American players get a college education (assuming they take meaningful courses and in fact graduate), but this is not a strength of American soccer.

A Ray of Hope in the Immigration Problem

I was at the Prato train station and reading a book about the recent history of Italy.  I was at a point in the book where the author described the negative reaction (including violence) of many Italians  toward the new wave of immigrants that arrived in the 1990s.  Just then a young man asked me where there was a public phone in which he could use coins. I explained that he had to have a phone card to use a public phone in Italy.  The man sitting next to me asked the lad where he wanted to call. The boy said Lucca, and the man offered to let him use his cell phone.  It turned out that the boy had just arrived in Italy from Romania.  The Italian man, in turn, said that his wife was Romanian.  It may have been that the man would have offered his phone to the boy in any case, but the fact that the man’s wife was from Romania certainly made him friendlier to the boy.  For immigration to work it Italy, this is what has to happen.  Immigrant groups have to mix with the native population so that they are no longer seen solely as ‘the other.’

Constitutional Referendum

This weekend the Italians will vote whether to approve changes made in the Constitution by the last Parliament controlled by the Berlusconi coalition.  In short these changes provide for a stronger Prime Minister (called President of the Council in Italy) and  devolve certain powers from the national government to the regions.  The prediction is that the changes will not be approved.  These changes are  important for part, but not all, of the groups in the Center-Right Berlusconi coalition.  On the other hand they are opposed by all of the present Center-Left Coalition.  (If Berlusconi had proposed a constitutional amendment in favor of motherhood, it would have been opposed by the Center-Left who would have argued that the change was intended to benefit Berlusconi personally.)  Also to defeat a Constitutional change it is often sufficient to  argue that only one part of it is defective and thus should not be enshrined in the Constitution.  Constitutional changes have to meet a “higher standard” than mere laws which are easily repealed or changed.

Although it appears that vote will be no, supporters of the change, as well as opponents, are mounting a campaign.  Berlusconi urges voters to vote “yes” as a way of showing their disapproval of the new Center-Left government.  The illogic of this seems lost on some Italians. If it is a good change, one should vote for it regardless of who now governs the nation. If it is not a good change, voting to alter the constitution to make it worse hardly seems a wise way to “punish” the current government.

The House of Savoy

This is the royal house of Italy that left power when the Italian Republic was born in 1946.  In fact, members of the house of Savoy were banned from returning to Italy (because of supposed cooperation with the Fascist regime) until a few years ago.  Now the family is back in the news. One of the Princes has been jailed for involvement in corruption and prostitution.  As often in Italy the evidence was gathered through wiretaps.  It is against the law to publish the contents of the intercepted phone calls, but this law is simply disregarded in Italy.

The film “A Prairie Home Companion”

I saw this film in English in Florence. In Italy the main title is “Radio America”  It struck me as a film whose story would be understandable in the dubbed Italian version, but much of the humor of which would be lost in translation.

Staying in Italy at a Reasonable Price

I spent a day with some American friends who were visiting Venice. The had a very nice apartment rented for only 70 Euro per day.  Venice is one of the most expensive places to stay in Italy.  I think they found this apartment via the internet  If you are willing to do some research on the internet, I think that such bargains are often available.

Soccer Scandal in Italy

There is a proposal in the newspaper today that four of the top teams be sent down to the minor leagues (from which they would have to work their way up back into the top league) as punishments for their transgressions.  I predicted earlier that this will not happen because it will seriously undermine the big television contract for soccer games.  I will let you know if my prediction is right, or if, in fact, I have become too cynical about what will occur in Italy.

Drive Beer

This is a brand of beer that has a low, 2.5%, alcohol content.  It is advertised as ‘the beer in compliance with the vehicle code.’ In USA there are non alcoholic beers. I don’t know if there are low alcohol beers.  When I was a college student in Ohio in the late 1950s, that state had 3.2% beer that one could drink at age 18.

Funeral of Italian Soldier Killed in Iraq

Whenever an Italian soldier is killed in Iraq there is a state funeral with all top leaders of the nation in attendance. The funeral is often televised.  In the recent election both sides pledged to withdraw Italian troops from Iraq within a year.  There was some difference, but not a significant one, in how the promises were worded.  Now they are arguing about the current government’s plan to withdraw the troops.  Only in Italy could they agree before the election, argue after the election, and nobody think that this is a bit odd.

Two Missing Boys

On the news every night is the story of two boys, 11 and 13, who disappeared two weeks ago from their father’s house in Puglia.  The parents are divorced and the father has custody; and at first some thought the boys left to try to go to their mother’s house.  There is still a suspicion that some relatives may be hiding the boys-probably relatives of the mother.  Of course the fear grows daily that the boys are dead either in an accident or a murder.  As I’ve noted before, nothing galvanizes the Italian public more that the disappearance of children.

Cheating the Old Folks

As in the USA there are a number of confidence schemes used in Italy to steal money from old people.  Recently on the nation’s most popular TV show I saw reenactments of a number of these ruses.  This is very useful because you can see exactly how the criminals operate.  In general they uses deceptions to find out where the senior citizens keep their money or valuables and then distract the person  while stealing these items.

My Debut as a Guide to Pistoia

A group of  American college students of Italian origin came to Pistoia for a brief 90 minute visit. The group was on a 10 day tour sponsored by the National Foundation of Italian Americans.  I  gave them about a 40 minute tour of some high spots.  This was near the end of the 10 days.  One student told me that they partied all night and went sightseeing all day.  It was fun to talk to College students again. Two of them were pre-medical students, and I was able to give them advice based upon my role at Gettysburg as pre-medical advisor.

Tour of a Few Piazzas in Florence

I went on a tour sponsored by my church. What was most interesting was learning how the style and position of the buildings, fountains, and statues often were not dictated by esthetic or architectural concerns but by political ones.  The ‘control’ of the public space had the same significance in Renaissance Italy as the ‘control’ of the media has for politicians today.  So, for example, a statue  of a political leader on his horse might be placed so that the horse’s  rear end faced the house of one of the leader’s political adversaries.

At Last — Luxury Accommodations in Pistoia

Pistoia has no hotels with more than three stars.  It has at least one very charming bed and breakfast, but it is hardly luxurious. Now a large building has been renovated (under the supervision of an American woman who lives here) into 20 residence apartments that can be rented by the day or week.  They sleep from two to six people.  For the small ones weekly prices vary from 759 Euro in low season to 891 Euro in high season.  For the largest these prices are 1650 and 1980 Euro.  These prices are well below what they would cost in Florence.  Pistoia is a very good base for persons planning to tour in Tuscany.  It is less than an hour by train from Florence or Lucca, and a little more than a hour to Pisa.  You can view the apartments at www.artemuraresidence.com

United States in World Cup

The first match for USA was a disaster.  I used to say that American soccer (vs. Europe) was on level of European basketball (vs. the USA) .  But now, with European players in the NBA and European all star basketball teams often beating American all star teams, I’d say that European basketball is ahead of American soccer.  On the day this newsletter is mailed, the USA will play Italy.  I expect the Americans to do better in the second match, but a victory for them is a real long shot.  If the USA somehow pulls it off, I will have ‘bragging rights’ for a while in Pistoia.

Kebob Shop Count

We now have 4 ½ such shops in Pistoia –four that sell only kebob sandwiches and one Italian carry-out place that has installed a kebob machine. The first lowering of prices (in face of growing competition) have been sighted, from 3.50 to 3.40 Euro.

Scofflaw Bob

As I’ve noted before at train crossings in Italy the gates go down three to four minutes before the train arrives and stay down maybe 30 seconds after it passes.  If a series of trains arrive, let’s say five minutes or less apart, the gates just stay down until all trains have passed through.  I was at a crossing where the gates stayed down for at least 10 minutes while three trains passed.   After the third train, my American impatience took over, and I walked my bike around the gates before the fourth train (I assume this was the last of the series, but who knows) arrived while an Italian cyclist, also waiting, admonished me.

The Importance of Family in Italy

The World Cup Arrives

Release of an Ex Terrorist

60th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Italian Republic

Porretta Upstages Pistoia

Literary Walking Tour of Florence

Ritalin

Amnesty for Italian Prisoners

Mafia Boss in Hiding

In Italy, as in the USA, Mafia figures who become informers for the government are sent into hiding with a new identity.  One of these was sent to the USA.  He now wants to come out of hiding.  The Italian government is paying money now for protective services for him in the USA.  He has asked the government to make a cash settlement with him for the cost of future protective
services.  He will then come out of hiding and have no protection.  I don’t think the government is interested in his offer.  In the USA I could not imagine the government making a big cash payment to an ex Mafia boss.

Pistoia Becomes Ever More Refined — Tea Rooms

In Italy you can get a cup of tea at a bar although sometimes you cannot in a restaurant.  We now have a bookstore/tea room and a bar/tea room in Pistoia.  Both have pastries along with a large selection of typical and exotic teas.  They also sell tea pots, tea cups, etc.

The International School of Florence

This is a private K-12 school that teaches both in English and Italian.  I went to a bazaar at one of its two campuses. It is in a rural location outside of Florence.  We had the address, but there were no signs directing you to the school itself. I then discovered that after the fear of terrorism against Americans arose, two changes took place at the school.  First it dropped the word ‘American’ from the name ‘American International School.’  Second, the signs directing you to the rural campus were removed.

Poll Conducted by Italian Magazine

I saw on the cover of a magazine reference to an article with poll results for the question ‘What is more important in Italy –  sex or soccer’?  I did not read the article, but I would bet on soccer as the winner.

All Types of Sexuality in Government

I wrote recently about the transsexual elected to the Italian Parliament.  One of the ministers in the government (tantamount to a member of the President’s Cabinet in the USA) is the leader of a political party in Italy who is also an announced bisexual.

My Verdict on Berlusconi

Berlusconi’s critics in Italy say he is simply a crook who got elected to protect himself from going to jail.  I don’t form a judgment on these claims.  I think his failure was more fundamental.  He came into politics in Italy as a fresh, new force from the business world.  He was sort of like Ross Perot who ran for President in the USA in 1992.  Italians distrust politicians, but many hoped that Berlusconi would be something different — a man from outside politics who would make a real difference. He made specific, big promises. In the end he did little to address Italy’s major problems even though he had a Parliamentary majority that was strong by Italian standards.  I cannot say how much of this failure was his fault and how much was the result of the difficulty of the problems themselves. Although the party he founded is still the largest in Italy, I think that his star has crested.  For his Center-Right coalition, I think he will increasingly be seen as a man from the past rather than the man to lead them to victory in the future.

Dutch Tourists on the Train

Recently on a trip back from Florence on the train, I had to help some Dutch tourists. The trains were either running late or cancelled because a electric tower had blown over in strong winds onto the tracks.  The Dutch were amazed how few people in Italy speak English.  In the Netherlands, the students study four foreign languages.  I think the difference between Holland and Italy may be explained in this way.  In school when students study arithmetic, even if they dislike it, they understand that it is essential.  They have to be able to figure out prices and to calculate that they get the correct change at the store. In Italy and in the USA, on the other hand, a foreign language is usually looked on as a subject you must pass in school but will not use in everyday life.  In the Netherlands, on the other hand, foreign languages, like arithmetic, are seen as essential. The result of this different attitude is obvious.

In Italy there is another problem too.  In nearby Montecatini there is a high school to train students for the toursim industry.  Students must take three foreign languages.  The  teacher of English, however, as is common in Italy, does not speak English well.  Even at upper levles the classes are not conducted in English.  So even if motivated to learn, the students do not receive adequate instruction.

Article in The Florentine Newspaper

Here is my latest article published this week in The Florentine, the English language newspaper of Florence.

The media is the message

Helpful hints for the news-hungry

by Robert Nordvall

‘Reading a newspaper in Italy can be quite a unique experience that should be reserved for the bold, the brave and the very brilliant. If you fall somewhat short of that description, consider these helpful hints for the news-hungry:

Who needs objectivity?

Many Italian newspapers are openly allied with specific political parties or coalitions. For example, La Padania is the official newspaper of the Northern League Party; L’Unita is a paper of the Left. These political preferences are not limited to the paper’s Editorial Page: the slant permeates everything the paper produces. Objectivity is always an elusive goal in reporting the news, but many Italian newspapers don’t even strive for objectivity. The reporting of facts always somehow reflects the political stance of the journal.

Other Italian papers are supposedly independent in their political attitude. They do not openly endorse political candidates or parties. Nonetheless, the editor of one of these, Corriere della Sera, printed in Milan, recently ignited a national controversy when he departed from tradition and endorsed the center-left coalition of Prodi in this year’s national elections. Not surprisingly for Italy, a lot of the discussion about this endorsement did not evaluate the pros and cons of his decision but rather concentrated on that fact that it violated a long-standing tradition.
 
The facts are not first

Italian newspapers strive for the literary touch and the vocabulary often outstrips that of common usage. A good starting point is to keep a dictionary handy. In a journalism class in the USA, students learn that a news story should start by answering the questions: who, what, when, where and how. Generally speaking, journalism in Italy deviates from this principle. Reporting in Italy often abandons the dry recitation of facts for a more emotional pose. Elsewhere, a story might commence as follows: ‘Harold Smith murdered his estranged wife, Maria, and her companion, Tom Black, by shooting them as they returned with her two children (ages three and five), to her home at 322 Maple Street after a dinner with friends.’ Here is how this actual story (translated from Italian) was reported in an Italian newspaper. ‘A full-scale ambush to murder the man who had taken his position, fi rst in the heart and now in the life, of his wife. An execution consummated in the streets of the residential quarter of Monteverde in Rome, in front of the eyes of their two young children, ages three and five, as they returned home with the mother accompanied by her lover after a dinner with friends.’

Eye on the civetta

The civetta is the daily poster displayed in front of a newsstand that highlights the two or three leading
stories of the day. These new pieces tend to be the city’s most prominent local stories, not national or international
items. Often the civetta may promise something more exciting or unusual than the actual story provides.
Here is one of my favourite summaries from this genre: ‘Scuffle on set of pornographic movie. Businessman recognizes his ex-girlfriend acting in the film. He punches actor while she runs into the street naked.’ For me, such a headline or short summary is counter-productive. I don’t want to read the article and possibly spoil the delightful images aroused thanks to this summary by encountering the (always less exciting) extensive facts of the event itself.

Cultural coverage

A positive note. In Italy, the coverage of culture and the Arts is extensive and at a high level. Films, plays, concerts, art exhibitions and so on, all receive ample feature articles and they are not only related to culture in Italy. If, for example, it is the 100^th anniversary of the birth of a famous philosopher, readers might be treated to a sophisticated summary of his life and works. In Italy, the distinction between ‘high’ culture and ‘everyday’ culture is blurred. The same section of the newspaper may contain articles about opera or literature as well as popular music and silly films. All this is consistent with the greater emphasis given to culture and the Arts in Italian society. There is one other aspect of Italian life that receives even greater coverage — if you love soccer, Italian newspapers are for you.