Garbatellamike

it could be considered unfriendly to come here moaning about our moaning about unfriendliness you know

duffer

I had an Italian lady moaning last night but she seemed really happy.

Lorna at Vicenza

Oh Christ! You'll never change will you?

Are we allowed to moan about the weather today?

Garbatellamike

yes

duffer

I hope the weather improves in time for Saturday. Opening day at Gardaland!

Pica

I live in Abruzzo-plenty to moan about at the moment!!! But I'm not

Juvefan

plenty of brits moaning about the UK , not called whinging poms for nothing.
maybe the Torinese hasnt sat down in the pub much and had a real listen to the folks.

plenty of Brits hate the UK and look for greener pastures abroad too.

I understand the guy from Torino, he goes abroad and is excited to be somewhere new and sees the positive in his trip.. honeymoon period etc.
funny to read the quote.. so true for all foreigners who go abroad.

MarkRD

Yes I realise all that but it just struck me as odd as Italy and Italians are supposed to be the 'happy go lucky' kind of people and country but it's not that way at all, and never really has been as far as I'm concerned, and I've been here nearly 30 years.


Morning all.

Lorna at Vicenza

The most common reply here to "come va? Come stai?" is si tira avanti or insomma. Unusual for anybody to say great, fabulous, smashing day, super etc.

MarkRD

yeah that 'insomma' was one of the first new words I learned when I first came over .. it's everywhere!

jonwel

Well, "si tira avanti" and "insomma" can be translated as "mustn't grumble" and "could be worse", expressions not unknown in the UK!

But shopkeepers in Italy are full of their own importance, in defence of their "professionalità", so less inclined to joke. Once in London I was buying a paintbrush and the shopkeeper said, making no pretence, "Do you want a quality one or a cheap nasty one?" A bit of self-irony never hurt anyone. So when I was buying a paintbrush in Italy (no, I don't buy paintbrushes every day!) and the shopkeeper asked me which I wanted, I said, "quello schifoso". Instead of accepting the joke he stiffened up and said, "Ah, quello economico".

Still, I'll say that if you're on a train journey you're more likely to get into conversation in Italy than in GB... in my experience anyway.

mmmmbuti

You all live in the foggy North, what do you expect? In the South things are different in that respect.

sunnysider

Interesting thread i have just strayed across.

Am in london which i don't hide but italian links.

One italian told me brits are unfriendly but that i fear was based on a single bad experience.

Another told me they are miserable which was kind of ironic since she was clearly in the midst of teen moodiness.

An italian in london told me that he found the brits friendly and open and that he could sense this as he just anonymously walked towards them in the street.

My italian partner i think grew up with the idea that brits, particularly londoners, ignore the neighbours, but i well remember in the past being bundled from the car into her mum's house in case the neighbours should spot me. Very odd. I don't think i'm the elephant man.

I do, after years of experience, think that maybe the brits should ease up on themselves for thinking that they are supposedly less open than the italians. And also for maybe thinking that their family relationships are possibly inferior in some ways.

I tend to think that these things average out.

So, brits, celebrate what's good, even if we don't sing our praises much.

As for turin/plymouth, i like the centre of turin - maybe the quoted italian came from some of the less wonderful bits. Plymouth, I have been, left no great impression but wasn't it seriously bombed?

Finally - bella figura - despite its attractions to the casual visitor it does also seem to me to be a driver of neuroses/buried rivalries etc etc.