Viva Italia!!

Having lived in Italy for just over two months now, I have come to realise a few things about the Italian way of life.

First of all Italian sense of time is completely different to the standard sense of time. If an Italian tells you that they want to meet you for coffee at 19:30, they don’t, they actually want to meet at 20:00 because as they are walking down the street to wherever they need to go, they will see their uncles, brothers, wife’s cousin and stop to chat about the weather, their new shoes and how baby Riccardo is doing. So instead of arriving early and getting looks of pity from passers-by because they all assume you’ve been stood up, always plan for an extra half hour and save yourself the trouble.

Another one that can be summed up in one word: coffee. Coffee with breakfast, coffee before lunch, coffee after lunch, afternoon coffee, a Guiness with the football (which they call a long cappuccino…so basically a coffee) and a coffee with dessert of course! It is their life blood, their holy to their grail, the bread to their butter, their i to their Phone. So if you ever want to make an Italian happy, learn how to make a killer espresso and serve it hot enough to burn their tongue and they will be calling you amore before it hits their stomach.

This next one ties in with my first observation but has to be said separately nonetheless. There will be arms waving around in the air of at least five people, yelling, pointing, rude gestures and heated debates when there is a problem to solve, whether it be how to rid the country of poverty or simply which coffee machine does the best job. Italians love to argue and complain about EVERYTHING, and they like to knock people out with their ‘waving of the handsa’* in the process. In this culture a good argument must always precede any action. That is why (and this is where the time thing comes into play), any task takes ten times longer to accomplish than in the rest of the world. Do not try to rush it, you’ll only get yourself in a tizz, rather sit down, let the hand waving rage on and have a coffee.

Enjoying an apperativo in Piazza Ferarri with Seh bear! 

There are things, however, that Italians are particularly good at. The first thing that may come to your mind is food, pasta, pizza, gelato! Correct! I know because I am an expert on the matter having fed myself with these things to the point of near overdose. Luckily it didn’t go that far so I still can (and do) have a gelato every day. Other than that: apperativo’s – small snacks that are ALWAYS served with your drink at any point up until about 8 o clock. Best invention ever and should be spread around the world immediately if not sooner. In the afternoon, you’re hungry, but In the afternoon, you’re hungry, but you are also thirsty and need to relax after a hard days work, you meet your friend for a beer and BOOM you get food and drink at the same time, at no extra cost! No wonder Italians are so happy!!

This next one is for the girls. I am quite a fan of all things girlie and hence have quite a bit of experience and knowledge when it comes to hair, nails and all things Venus. So I must say that Italians know their shit! Best hair dressing salon experience I’ve had was at Mods hair, a company originally founded in Paris with branches all around the world, but I swear Genoa has the best one! The manager comes around to each individual to discuss cut and colour in depth with you so that they know exactly what you want. When getting your hair washed the chairs actually massage you and there are little chocolates in the counter you can munch on when getting a cut! Your colouring (if you choose to do any), goes into their database so they know exactly what to use when doing touch-ups. It was seriously a heavenly experience. My waxer and facialist also knows exactly what she’s doing and is not afraid to get all up in there during a Brazilian if you know what I mean!

But the most wonderful thing about Italians has to be their friendly nature. They are always interested and willing to help any stranger they meet. Even when they cant speak your language they will talk anyway and do anything they can to make sure what you are trying to communicate, is understood.

Every country has its pro’s and cons but what with the delicious food, passionate people and old world charm, Italy is definitely a winner.

*To be said with an Italian accent