Impressions Upon First Moving to Italy
At end of this newsletter I attach an article from the Wall Street Journal website. The title including “the Honeymoon Phase” is mine. Everything nice this article says about Italy and Florence is true. The good things in Italy are as advertised. The writer notes that she may try to get some work as a free lance writer and buy a home in Italy. At this point she will discover that even making a small living in Italy is often hard and that the paperwork, legal fees, and taxes when buying a home in Italy are a burden. The costs, documents, and permissions needed to renovate a house are even worse. The author is a member of the American International League of Florence, a group of women ex-pats and Italians. I know many members of this organization. They have lived here for a long time. Some could not leave Italy now, even if they wanted to, because of financial and family considerations, but in general these women would not choose to leave Italy. This has become their home. They too could recite the nice things about living here (although naturally the thrill and novelty have worn off) , but they also can and do talk about the problems and shortcomings of life in Italy. For them the “marriage” endures, but the “honeymoon” is long over.
Statements of Condolence
When someone dies often the family members put a notice in the paper expressing their sadness at the parting of the deceased and often noting fondly that he or she was a fine parent, sister, brother, etc. In addition work colleagues often put in such a notice as well as members of organizations to which the person belonged. These from non family members offer condolences to the family as well as an appreciation of the departed. . Recently I saw for one deceased person a total of 13 of such notices. The most notable of this genre recently was in the Milan paper where a family put in a notice saying good by to the father. He died the day before in a failed attempt to use explosives to dislodge a cash machine from a wall in order to steal its money. He had prior convictions for this type of crime, but this time his expertise was insufficient and he blew himself up. In the USA he might still be alive because his prior convictions probably would have earned him a long prison sentence.
Living Accommodations for Young People
Youth unemployment in Italy is about 30%. For people 25-34 years of age 47.7% of the men and 32.7% of the women live with one or both of their parents. I have a friend whose daughter is dating a guy who recently broke up with his long term girlfriend. The girlfriend, however, still lives with him. Why? She has no parents to live with. She cannot afford an apartment on her own. The ex boyfriend is unwilling to throw her out on the street. The obvious solution is for her to find one or more other young women with whom to share an apartment. This kind of an arrangement , although found in the big cities in Italy, is unusual elsewhere in the country so that many young women simply cannot conceptualize doing so.
At the Discussion of Challenges Facing Italy
Among the programs in Pistoia celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Italian nation was a panel discussion at the library of the challenges facing Italy today. As usual in Italy the panel members clearly spelled out their positions in well crafted speeches. What I noticed was that there was no acclimation that Italy would certainly confront and overcome these problems. Optimism was a missing element. In the USA such a discussion might have concluded with the idea that we have overcome big challenges before (e.g. two World Wars, race to the moon, Civil Rights movement, etc.) and we can do it again. Italy does not have this catalog of past successes to bolster its optimism for the future.
A slight caveat here. Despite some successes, all has not been victories for the USA in last half century. The Korean was had an ambiguous end. We lost the Viet Nam war (although fortunately a communist Viet Nam did not turn out to be a disaster for us). It is not clear that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will end satisfactorily. It may be that in the long run the results of these will not be all that strategically important for the future of the USA, but that their most detrimental result will be a loss of national confidence which is a key factor for facing a whole host of national problems.
For the events of March 17, I wore the Italian colors: white pants, green shirt, red jacket, and red/white stripped tie. I saw a few others with one or more of these colors, but my patriotic garb was more accented than anyone else’s I saw.
The Northern League
I have written at times about this political party that is part of the majority government coalition and is very strong in some areas of the north of Italy. ( See, e.g. number 332, August 1, 2009 “Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows” and number 378, August 20, 2010.) I would summarize its ideas as follows:
1. It starts with the idea that the prosperous north of Italy is the area where people work and the south is the area where people try to get by without working ( often through government support) don’t pay taxes, and have a culture riddled with criminality. This is a stark statement of the contrast, but many Italians beyond the Northern League accept some form (perhaps much less drastic) of this idea.
2. One response to this could be to give greater regional autonomy to the parts of Italy so that taxes paid in the north would stay in the north (to provide government services there) and be less used to subsidize the south. (It might also wean the south off of its dependence upon aid from the central government.) This is called greater federalism, and it too has adherents outside of the Northern League although fewer than the number who subscribe to idea number 1 above.
3. A more radical solution is to split Italy into two so that the north becomes a separate nation that the League would call Padana. This idea of the League has little support beyond its members.
4. These three ideas are certainly within the realm of legitimate political discourse although of varying popularity.
The League also has its silly side, Fanatics at rallies dress up in what they call the garb of ancient Padana. During the week of the 150th anniversary some League crackpots burned Garibaldi (the greatest hero of Italian independence) in effigy, probably because he was from the south of Italy and represented the southern wing of the independence struggle. The leader of the Northern League, Umberto Bossi, instead of distancing himself from the more wacky elements of his movement seems to relish them and says stupid things that they love to hear. His antics may endear him to his base, but they make the ultimate success of his program, however one might define it, less likely.
The Changing Political Face of Patriotism in Italy
During the Fascist era, Mussolini used excessive shows of patriotism to bolster his regime and reinforce the dream of a great new Italy. Thus after WWII, patriotism was not highly appreciated because of its misuse under Fascism. The Italian political left (which traditionally was most opposed to Fascism) especially reflected this coolness toward patriotic shows. So when Italy celebrated the 100th birthday of its independence in 1961, the political right was more evident than the left in the spectacle. Now, at the 150th anniversary, one segment of the ruling right-center coalition, the Northern League, is openly anti-patriotic. This time it is the left (with an obvious distaste toward the League) that is most vocally patriotic for the celebration.
At the Movies
I’ve written about seeing films in Florence at the theatre that shows them in English. The theatre publishes a schedule for two months in advance. Not infrequently this schedule is modified, often because of problems with the release date of the film in the USA or Europe. I subscribe to their e mail list which sends out notices of schedule changes. So I was surprised to discover when I went to see a film this week that its date had been changed. I got no e mail notice. I mentioned this fact to one of the employees at the theatre. He said that the printing of schedules and the e mail were handled by an outside company whose name and phone number he gave to me in case I wanted to call them. I suggested to him that the theatre management itself ought to call this company to complain that its customers had not been notified of the change.
My analysis (admittedly subjective) is as follows:
1. Did the employee to whom I spoke really care about the problem.? The almost certain answer is “no.” It wasn’t part of his duties so it did not matter to him.
2. Will this employee report my complaint to the theatre manager who then might call the outside company? Very likely no. Once again it doesn’t concern his duties, so why get involved.
3. Do any of the employees have a great concern about customer satisfaction or the inconvenience suffered by customers (many of whom came to the theatre while I was there only to find out the film wasn’t being shown)? Probably not. It’s not their problem.
4. Does top management at the theatre care about customer satisfaction and inconvenience? I assume at least somewhat, but perhaps not enough to call the outside company and complain about its error. As I’ve noted before customer service is not a high value in Italy even though at times it can be very good. (See, e.g. number 294 November 8, 2008, first item, and number 340, September 26, 2009.)
An Important Footnote. I went this week to the center that does blood tests. I’ve mentioned before how highly efficient this office is. It processes a great number of patients in a short time. If it did not, the result would be chaos. People would have to talk a half day off of work just to get a blood test. When efficiency is absolutely necessary, the Italians can be as efficient as any other people. Where efficiency is simply desirable but not necessary, it gets lower priority in Italy.
News Briefs – Culture and Corpses
The arts in Italy are more dependent upon government funding than in the USA. So cuts in the budgets for orchestras, opera companies, films, theatres, etc. , as part of an overall attempt to balance the budget, have been met with widespread protests often featuring personalities well known to the public. This week a compromise was reached : a small increase in the taxes on gasoline dedicated to the arts. Gasoline prices are at a historic high already because of the recent increases in oil prices. I guess the thought is a little bit more won’t be noticed that much.
Meanwhile the trial began of persons associated with a crematorium. Ordinarily bodies are cremated one at a time and the ashes given to the family. Energy costs are higher in Italy than in the USA. Someone at the business figured out that it would be cheaper to burn a lot of bodies all at the same time. Thus the families who thought they were getting pop’s ashes were getting a little of pop, a little of the guy next door, some of the lady across town, etc. I don’t know how this scheme was discovered and exposed. I do know that in a nation where the family is very important, this is not a minor crime. Italy does not have the common law jury system. This is a good thing for the accused in this case; an Italian jury might say “put them in jail and throw away the key.” There is no death penalty in Italy. _______________________________________________________________________________________
Moving to Italy –The Honeymoon Phase
By KAREN MILLS
“Home is where the heart is.” As trite as that expression is, I know of no better way to describe how I feel about Florence, which is now my home. I have no Italian ancestry that I know of, so the connection that I have with this land and these people is as much a mystery to me as it is to my friends and family.
I am originally from Nashville, Tenn. Before retiring, I spent most of my working years as director of claims for a large national auto insurer. I have traveled extensively and usually find the good in every place I visit. In particular, I love cultures where family, food and wine are the center of attention.
My first visit to Italy, in 2003, was something of a fluke. I had booked passage on a Mediterranean cruise, which happened to depart from Venice. I arrived in the city the day before we set sail—and didn’t want to leave. I was immediately taken with the people, the culture and the musical language. During the next few years, I visited Venice again, Rome and finally Florence. I found myself becoming a full-fledged Italian wannabe.
In the end, Florence—with its beauty, art, architecture, color and light—stole my heart. I took a one-year sabbatical and spent that time living in the city, learning the language and absorbing the culture. When I returned to work, my mind was made up: I would move to Italy permanently.
Last summer, after 26 years in corporate America, I cut the cord. I was 52 years old. Financially, the timing wasn’t ideal; waiting until age 55 to retire would have left me with a more lucrative compensation package. Still, I calculated that, with some changes in my lifestyle, I could afford to live overseas.
More important: Life is short. I’m single, my sons are grown and independent, my parents are healthy and happy. The moment was right. Last August, I moved to Florence.
Simple Pleasures
Today, I live in the center of the city in a building that’s more than 600 years old. My apartment is small (650 square feet), 42 steps from the street (no elevator) and expensive on a retirement income (about $1,200 a month). At the moment, income from my investments pays the bills.
My days are a mix of pleasurable tasks and simple pleasures. Mornings begin at a small neighborhood bar with a caffè macchiato and an Italian pastry. I devote about two hours each day to writing a blog, anamericaninitaly.com. The site is one part narrative, chronicling my experiences, and one part travel guide. Surprisingly, the blog has allowed me to meet lots of new people. I regularly receive emails from individuals who have read it and have questions about Florence or Italy in general, or who are coming to visit and want to meet for coffee or a glass of wine.
Two days a week, I go to Italian class to further my language skills. (The government offers the instruction free to immigrant residents.) I am in a book club. I paint. I belong to some expat organizations—A Friend in Florence and the American International League of Florence.
The rest of the time I spend walking (Florence is easy to navigate on foot), enjoying the sights, sitting in the piazzas, people-watching and sampling the local wines. I eat out only occasionally; I shop for fresh fruits and vegetables several times each week in the piazza near my home, and buy fresh bread from a bakery and chicken from a butcher shop.
Settling In
Perhaps the most difficult part of moving to Florence is simply getting through the door. First, I needed a visa; in my case, an Elective Residency Visa. That meant I had to document, with the Italian Consulate in Boston, my ability to meet living expenses in Florence. I also needed proof of health insurance, which I purchased as part of a travel insurance policy. And I secured the paperwork to allow my two cats to accompany me. All this took about three months.
Once I arrived in Florence, the paper shuffle started again. Within eight days, I had to fill out a 12-page form to obtain permission to stay long term—a Permesso di Soggiorno, which is required for all stays longer than three months.
Eventually, I received my certificate of residence, or Certificato di Residenza, and qualified for medical insurance through the government plan. The latter costs just $540 a year. (Italy, by the way, ranks No. 2 in quality of health care, according to the World Health Organization, compared with 37th for the U.S.) All this took about five months, and there is no one source of information that explains what needs to be done and how to do it. That was frustrating.
The red tape aside, my transition has been relatively painless. Yes, I miss a few things—Dove chocolate, sour cream, popcorn—and I’m not crazy about hanging my clothes to dry. There is little green space in Florence proper, but the beautiful Tuscan hills surround the city. Sometimes on the weekend I take the train to one of the smaller hill towns—Siena, Lucca or San Gimignano—to get my nature fix.
Italians in Florence are provincial and can be difficult to get to know. This is not to say that they aren’t friendly. They invariably are warm and welcoming, and inquisitive about American politics; President Obama generates a good deal of excitement. After seeing me around the city and in their stores over the months, longtime residents know now that I am not a tourist and have begun the dialogue about where I am from and why I am here. They are delighted that I have this passion for Italy and have chosen their city as my new home.
Staying Connected
It can be lonely living far from one’s roots and knowing only a few people. But getting out into the piazzas, looking for and participating in expatriate organizations and taking classes, among other activities, have allowed me to make friends. Technology such as Skype, MSN messenger and other networking and telecomputing services help me stay in touch with people back in the U.S.
Every day I marvel at my good fortune and the many blessings that allow me to live in this beautiful city. I walk along the river, across the bridges and through the narrow cobblestone alleys and think about the history of Florence and the people who walked here before me. I hope to be able to return to the U.S. a couple of times each year to see friends and family, but I hope, even more, that they will visit me.
My future plans are to work as a freelance writer and buy a home in Florence. I don’t think I will ever return permanently to the states. My heart is at home in Italy.
Income vs. Wealth – The Contradiction of Italy
The Italian economy has grown very little over the last 20 years – less than other leading European nations. Salaries are lower in Italy than in the other major nations. In fact income, adjusted for inflation, has probably declined in the last 20 years. So Italy looks like the poor cousin of the major industrial countries. When you add up all the wealth in Italy and divide it by the number of residents in the nation, the wealth per person is more in Italy than most other nations including the USA. Of course the top 10% of the wealthy control 45% of the nation’s wealth. This concentration at the top, however, is not far different than in the USA.
Prostitution
Prostitution in itself is not a crime in Italy. It is a crime, however, for a prostitute to openly solicit customers. Apparently this solicitation prohibition does not apply (or is not enforced) to the advertisements prostitutes place in the personal advertisement section of newspapers. Of course these ads don’t openly promise sex for money, but their intent is obvious. It seems to me that in Italy, as in the USA, the police take action against prostitutes when local residents begin to complain loudly about solicitation along the streets. Otherwise it seems to be a low police priority. Remember that until the 1970s there were legal houses of prostitution in Italy regulated by the government.
Silvio Berlusconi is in trouble now not because he allegedly paid a prostitute but because she was a minor at the time. It is a crime to engage in prostitution with a minor.
Italians Returning to Libya ?
Some Cubans in the USA hope that, if the Communist government there is overthrown, they can return to Cuba and claim their property that was expropriated by the Castro regime. After Communism fell in Eastern Europe, it is my understanding that some people are claiming the right to property that was seized by the Communist governments. Soon after Qadaffi came to power in Libya he expelled about 20,000 Italians living there. At one time before WWII, Libya was an Italian colony. If Qadaffi falls, can the Italians try to get back the property they were forced to abandon in Libya? I have heard no discussion of this yet. One thing I do know about Italians who were born in Libya. When they visit the USA, for example, with a passport that lists place of birth as Libya, they certainly get “a second look” from immigration officials who are always trying to identify possible terrorists.
Brunch
In general Italians don’t eat a full breakfast, only a roll and cup of coffee. So the idea of brunch, a meal that combines breakfast and lunch menus doesn’t automatically resonate in Italy. There are a few restaurants in Florence that offer a brunch, as well as American style breakfasts, because they cater to the American population there, especially students. Recently I went to a brunch at a new jazz club in Pistoia. It was promoted by my friend Marco who is both an event promoter and excellent cook. His wife, an American, has a business providing American style pastries to restaurants in Italy. The egg course (including friend potatoes) was a choice of Eggs Florentine (eggs on English muffin over spinach covered in hollandaise sauce), Classic Omelet ( scrambled eggs with Italian ham and cheese), or Tex Mex Roll (omelet with peppers, onions, and Mexican chorizo sausage with salsa). Salad entrees included a Multicolor Salad (spinach, salmon, egg, and asparagus), and an American Chicken Caesar Salad (unfortunately without the anchovies that I prefer). One could choose between an ordinary Burger or a Bacon Cheeseburger. The ordinary one even included pickles. Desserts were NY Cheesecake, Double Chocolate Cake, or Apple Pie. The drink menu was Bloody Mary, Orange Juice, Mimosa, Prosecco, or Water.
American style coffee was served in large cups. A jazz ensemble provided entertainment. A very lovely Sunday afternoon.
Italy and Nuclear Power
In the 1980s, after the nuclear reactor exploded in Chernobyl, the Italians rejected nuclear power in a national referendum. Now the government has reauthorized it. There will be another referendum. We have all seen on TV the explosion at the nuclear reactor in Japan. Although it was a second generation model rather than the more modern third generation reactors, I am certain that in Italy that film of the exploding reactor will be shown over and over in the debate on nuclear power. Italy too is a primary earthquake zone.
Reforming the Justice System
This is the hot issue of the week in Italy. Under the Italian Constitution the Judiciary is very independent without the usual checks and balances between the branches of government (executive, legislative, and judiciary) that we have in the USA. The role of the prosecution of crimes, and even some investigation of crimes, is in the judiciary rather than in the executive branch as in the USA. The reason for this is that, after the experience of Fascism, the judiciary was given broad independence so it would not be corrupted by the other branches. Berlusconi claims that the judiciary is dominated by the political left who use it to block reforms not wanted by the left – in short he says it is political. Berlusconi’s opponents claim his desire to reform the judiciary is based upon his desire to lessen his own legal problems. Thus, as often with Berlusconi’s suggestions, what should be simply a discussion of philosophy and efficiency, becomes a discussion based on personality.
Although I am no fan of Berlusconi, I think on this issue the question of whether he is proposing a reform simply to serve his own interests is irrelevant. If it is a reform that improves the justice system for all Italians (a point open to debate), then his personal benefit from it is a small price to pay for the improvement.
At the Bank
I had to pay a bill for an Italian association of which I am an officer. In Italy checks are seldom used. One can pay bills on line. If not on line, the most usual way is at the bank through a money transfer from your account to the account of the creditor or at the post office where you pay cash and the amount is credited to the bank account of the person to whom the bill is owed. I was paying the bill by a direct transfer from the bank account of the association to that of the payee. The bill I had was in triplicate. In the process of paying it:
The bank teller rubber stamped each copy of the bill four times using four different stamps
The bank teller initialed each copy of the bill and also a separate receipt that was printed out for me
I signed both one copy of the bill and a separate document (the fourth document in the transaction).
All this paperwork probably inflated the time for the transaction from one minute (in a more efficient system) to two minutes. No big deal for me because I was in no great hurry. Still if you add up all the minutes lost in Italy (in millions of transactions) by such overuse of paperwork, the losses in time and ultimately in national wealth and prosperity are not small numbers.
The Italian Independence Movement
The battle for Italian independence was not a single war as in the USA. Armed revolts against external rulers, primarily the Austrians, went on and off from 1821 until the new Kingdom of Italy was declared in 1861. After that there was a quasi civil war between rebel independence factions and the central government for almost 10 years. Rome and the last of the Papal States did not join Italy until 1870 when the Italian government invaded Rome. The original capital of the new Italy was Turin for a short time, followed by Florence for a short time, and finally Rome after 1871. After living in Italy, I can say that the Italians should be eager to celebrate this year the fact that they finally gained independence and have remained a nation state for 150 years. Nothing of a political nature comes easily in Italy.
On the Elevator
A friend who is a professor told me of a study about how Americans and Italians stand in an elevator. Americans stand in rows across the width of the elevator cabin. Italians stand in a circle around the edges of the elevator. Why? First, in Italy it is considered impolite to stand with your back to someone as occurs when you are in rows. Second, he said that Italians want to maintain eye contact with the others in the elevator. He thought this might be the result of an Italian distrust of strangers.
The $349 Tie
As my friends know, I am addicted to thrift shops, rummage sales, used clothes markets, etc. Recently I stopped into a charity rummage sale in Florence. The stuff was mostly junk, but there was a new tie, still in its plastic wrapper, that caught my eye. Even more engaging than its color and pattern was the price tag attached to it by a plastic strip –$349. The tag was in dollars, not Euros. At a high end clothing store in USA, this tie could sell for up to $80, but who outside of an insane asylum would pay $349. Perhaps it was simply an erroneous tag. Another possibility is that the price was not in US dollars but in one of the about 20 other dollar currencies used in the world, most if not all of which use the dollar sign ($). Maybe in terms of one of these other currencies, $349 is a reasonable price. Probably not in Liberia where $349 Liberian dollars equal about $5 USA. I will just ask people “how do you like my $349 tie; I got it on sale at a slight discount.” I paid about $10 for it which is more than I usually would at such a sale, but I was generous because it was for charity.
Soap in the Mouth (contd.)
Some readers wrote to tell me that a teacher putting soap in the mouth of a foul- speaking student would get in trouble in the USA too. Probably true, but in the USA and most countries this would not be a matter to report to the police. One would complain to the school authorities. I doubt that this is grist for a lawsuit as some indicated. In a lawsuit normally one has to claim damages (usually money). I don’t see a judge or jury giving anyone much money for a few minutes of soapy mouth.
Italy’s Geriatric Political Hierarchy
A constant complaint in Italy is that politics are dominated by a never changing group of old men. Silvio Berlusconi is the oldest of the major political leaders in Europe. In his cabinet the major male ministers average 58 years of age. This is typical for Italy, not a particularly old group. Berlusconi, however, does promote the younger female generation in a location other than the bedroom. His top women ministers average 39 years of age. In general in Italy Cabinet posts (ministers) are filled by career politicians, not by businessmen, academics, or others who might have particular expertise in the area governed by the ministry.
A Visit to the Ear Doctor
I figured at my age I should get my hearing tested. So I made an appointment with a hearing doctor for this specific purpose. The appointment was about a month after I went to schedule it. I entered the doctor’s office at the appointed time; I find that in Italy the doctors are usually on schedule. He asked why I came. I said simply to get my hearing tested. He looked in my ears, nose, and throat. Then he said to his assistant, “schedule a hearing test.” This will be after another seven weeks. My whole visit took about two minutes. Apparently the protocol is a general examination first (assuming you are not coming with a problem that needs immediate attention) and then a second appointment for any follow up. I am in no hurry so the wait is not important. Remember the health system is very inexpensive here.
Victory for a Little Common Sense
Italy has a lot of 99 cent stores where every item is at this price. So if you buy one item, among your change with be a one cent piece; if you buy two items your change will include a two cent piece or two one cent coins. These little coins are useless. So it makes sense to have a little container by the cash register into which these coins can be put to support some charity. These are common in the USA. This week I finally saw one at the 99 cent store I visit in Florence.
Making Change
As I have noted before, making change is often a little problem in an Italian shop. I am not talking about paying for a small item with a 100 Euro bill. I have paid for a 3 Euro item with a 10 Euro bill and the proprietor has to go into his or her billfold to make change. There is not enough in the cash register. At the semi-weekly travelling market in Pistoia, it is common for a seller at one booth to have to go to a different booth to get one of his fellow vendors to change, let’s say, a 20 Euro bill. The zenith of this trend was recently encountered by a friend, who visits Italy each year, who decided to take home with her some Euros for her next trip. She had about 3,000 Euro in 20 Euro and 50 Euro bills. She wanted to convert this sum into 100 Euro bills and went into a bank to do so. The teller announced that he had only one 100 Euro bill (these are not at all uncommon in Italy) which she perhaps would not want because it was torn and taped together.
Carnival Time
The most famous pre Lenten carnival in the USA is Mardi Gras in New Orleans. In Italy the most famous one is in Venice, but they exist in many cities throughout Italy. I have written about the one in Viareggio (Newsletter 74, March 2,2004) and that in Sciacca in Sicily (Newsletter 223, February 24, 2007) . For the large floats in Sciacca, each one has both a theme (called an allegory) and a song accompanying the theme. These items are composed in the Sicilian language. This year I was part of a project to make them more widely accessible. Under the sponsorship of the Club UNESCO in Sciacca, my good friend, the President of the Club, translated the allegories and songs into Italian. I then translated them into English, and they were published in a pamphlet. Of course, after a double translation, some of the original flavor of them may well have been lost. Among the float themes this year were: the beauty of the area, environmental threats to that beauty, the struggle to make ends meet in a difficult economy, and, of course, the 150th anniversary of the Italian Republic.
The Miracles of Modern Medicine
An elderly Italian gentleman has been receiving a disability pension because he could not walk and was confined to a wheelchair. Then the photos appeared of his dancing the night away at a discotheque. The government brought a suit against him to recover fraudulent pension payments. His defense – he was confined to a wheelchair except when he got a shot of cortisone which allowed him to dance for a few hours only before his paralysis returned. I don’t know if the judge will buy this explanation. The man’s wife did not know about his nocturnal activities. After the photos of his dancing were in the newspaper, she sued him for divorce. It looks like cortisone allowed him to do some dancing plus romancing.
Soap in the Mouth
When I was a boy, the standard punishment for saying a bad word was to hold a bar or soap in your mouth for an appropriate period . This remedy is shown in the classic film “A Christmas Story” in which Ralphie is so punished by his Mom. In Italy last week a schoolteacher reverted to this traditional method. The mother of the child involved reported this outrage to the police. The story did not include what the response of the police was. In the USA (and elsewhere I assume) it would be laughter. Maybe it was laughter in Italy too, but the story did make the news.
English, the Common Language of the European Union
When someone applies for funds from the European Union, the application has to be in a language understood at the headquarters. At least for those nations whose language is not an international one, the application must be in English. Recently an Italian professor friend and I went over the rules for applying for a grant from a French foundation (not the EU itself). The publication of the rules was in English. The English was in general quite good, clear, and understandable, but every so often a word or a phrase structure would occur that was awkward or ungrammatical. My guess is that the rules originally were written in French and then translated into English by a person with excellent skills but not a native speaker of English . You can become fluent in a foreign language, but 100% proficiency is a very elusive goal.
Two Items Rather Accentuated in Italy
Recently the TV news carried two stories. The first was about the harm to a woman’s feet by wearing very high heels that are a common fashion in Italy. The commentator said that with such shoes the pain and damage to the foot begins to arrive after 500 steps. The same problems can occur with high heels not so tall, but only after walking a longer distance. In the conflict between being in style today and possibly harming one’s feet for the future, I guess you can figure out which side wins in Italy.
The other story stated that in marriage failures in Italy, the mother in law is a prime factor in about one-third of the cases. Of course most marriages have two mothers in law, but I am fairly certain that the usual culprit is the mother of the husband. The strong bond between the son and the mother often survives the marriage ceremony unaltered and then interferes in the relationship between the couple.
It’s Good to Have Readers of This Newsletter Who Pay Attention
A few of them wrote to me this week to comment on my phrase (in item about Pistoia in the National News) of last week “pure bread dogs.” They wanted to know if these were rye bread, pumpernickel, or maybe just plain white bread. So the official correction is to change the phrase to “purebred dogs.”
Berlusconi and the Foreign Media
For a very crude, (warning not for kids) short British satire on Silvio Berlusconi you can visit this web site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VomJjhltTYk&feature=player_embedded . This segment may be inaccurate in part and unfair, but I believe it represents a widely held view of Berlusconi in other western nations. Supporters of Berlusconi claim that the foreign media have been hoodwinked by Berlusconi’s enemies, left wing politicians and journalists, into believing a pack of lies about him. These are the same “enemies” who can’t win the election in Italy and are unable to put together a unified anti-Berlusconi effort. If somehow they are nevertheless clever enough to fool all the foreign correspondents in Italy, then these enemies should quit politics and journalism and go into the public relations business where they will become millionaires.
Yara
Her name and face is known everywhere in Italy. She is the 13 year old aspiring gymnast who disappeared three months ago when she did not return from a practice session at the gymnasium. Last week her body was found about 10 miles from her home. It was found in an area where a search for her had taken place soon after her disappearance. So originally it was thought the body had been moved to this spot recently. Of course, it makes little sense for a murderer who has successfully hidden a body for three months to then move it to an open space where it is very likely to be discovered. So now there is much speculation that the original search was not as thorough as claimed. First the newspapers said she had been stabbed. Then it was reported she had been suffocated. All now await the results of the autopsy. The papers say that the DNA of her killer can be found under her fingernails because she fought with him. I think the crime will ultimately be solved. Meanwhile nothing galvanizes the Italian nation in grief as does the death of a child.
Shopping for the Ingredients for a Recipe
A friend gave me orally a simple recipe that I decided to try for dinner. I did not remember all the ingredients, but I figured I remembered enough of them to make a tasty meal. I went to my local grocery store to buy the items I did not have at home. When I bought two of them, the owner realized what I was making and filled in the blanks about all the other ingredients. You never have trouble getting good advice about food in Italy.
Ordering My Favorite Drink
Like many Americans I foolishly try to compensate for some of my bad eating habits by imbibing diet drinks to offset too many calories in the food. Typically in Italy I ask the waitress if they have Diet Coke or Coca Cola Zero. If the answer is yes, I usually make some remark in Italian about being a crazy American who wants the drink with ice (even in winter) and a slice of lemon. This week when I asked the usual question about the availability of Diet Coke at a restaurant that I have never visited, the waitress said “yes” and without being prompted, added “with ice and lemon?”. She knows her American tourists very well!