misssparkly

Life in Como, well Italy, is generally... laughable.

How quickly I have HAD to adapt to the Italian way that if something is worth doing, its worth waiting to do!!!

But pleased to be in apartment, with all of my shipping from UK and internet courtesy of fastweb.

Anyone else find Italy as difficult, and why do the females not like blonde, british girls. We are friendly!

TestaRossa

Oops! Sorry things haven't got off to a great start for you! Come on over to Happy Hour and you will find most of your problems are shared! The more I read about the north though the happier I am we picked central Italy - maybe because there are so many of us English speakers here Italians have realised they have to get on with us! Check out old posts by indiebird, Patty and 37100 and you will see you aren't alone and they are all in the North!

Patty

Welcome to the boot Miss Sparkly Sorry to hear you've had a bit of a culture shock .......but dont worry - Im sure you'll get used to it .......one day
Seriously - once you meet other foreigners in your job etc you'll find it gets easier. (I wont say 'easy' cos that would be a lie !!) Just tell all the locals that you're George Clooneys PA or something ....that should make them friendlier ! You might even catch a glimpse of him on his vespa !

indiebird

Oh dear Misssparkly. I thought Como was a bit friendlier when we were there for a weekend... maybe I just got lucky!! It does take quite an adjustment and even now I am constantly baffled and frustrated two years on... I can't remember if you speak the lingo. We really found it helped in Como to have a go with the italian even though ours is rubbish and most of the peeps there speak English. It's a pity you're not 6 and blonde and cute, it really turns heads here if you are, my daughter has literally brought restaurants to a standstill!! I think a lot of italian women are jealous, and if you notice, many dye their hair blonde so maybe that is what it is, pure jealousy. Not easy though is it when you are trying to fit in and make friends. Big hugs and come over to the Happy Hour thread and read all our whinges and moans and add yours.... most people have been in the same situation at some pointxxxx

Mr Posh

What did you expect that they say "oh you are English lets do it their way"

Did you not do your homework before comming over and find out how Italians are?

PS. Colour your hair...

LivingHere

Four weeks and you have internet already. Thats good going!

TestaRossa

Hello- not heard from you in a while! Thanks for extending a welcoming hand! Always rely on you and duffer for sensible, down to earth advice....just be nice if you didn't.....

37100

That's not fair. Misssparkly was only telling us about how she found things. Italian women do have a thing about blonde hair. Haven't you noticed almost black haired women walking around with blonde highlights. Think it looks awful. Complete strangers would come up to me and ask me the name of my hairdresser. When I replied that it was natural they would feel free to touch it to check and my m.i.l. checked with my hairdresser because she didn't believe me. I did dye it in the end because I was fed up with getting totally inappropriate comments from men in front of their wives. Little wonder Italian women are so up-tight about blonde foreigners.

misssparkly

Uncalled for reply, possibly?

1. No, I have tried to speak Italian and be friendly to all. Our experience is that they play games with foreigners. It has only been 2 weekends out of 4 mind you, but a pattern is emerging with the females here.

2. I did lots and lots of homework, but I did arrive in Italy with a positive outlook on the country, and it's people. However, I speak as I find.

3. No.

misssparkly

Thank you for all the other comments. We have also met lots of nice people in Italy, particularly my colleagues. However, the bad experiences tend to stick in your mind, and I thought it could be a talking point rather than 'hey, everything is just dandy'... not much you can reply

I do feel sorry for the women in the sense that their partners just have no boundaries. We learned the word 'caffone' pretty fast, although I'm sure that's not the correct spelling.

I'm working on my Italian, learning a word a day with the grade 2 class, and hoping to enrol in some classes asap.

Patty

Good on you Miss Sparkly - not all the partners are like that though - so just avoid those who are. Keep up with the learning - every day you will learn something about this country - some of it good, some of it not so good. but nowhere's perfect ! You've got breathtaking scenery up there in Como and nice colleaugues so just enjoy

misssparkly

Absolutely Patty!! Life is life wherever you go. I'm here for an adventure and that's exactly what Italy has provided so far!!!

Como is beautiful, and I even love the spectacular storms that happen over the valley. Never seen lightening bolts like it

LivingHere

My very blonde (compared to me) children are always a hit here. People used to think that I was the babysitter and wouldn't believe that they are mine

Mr Posh

Will you women stop moaning at me...My wife does this enough at home...If you have come here to live the Italian way get of this forum start making home made pasta, Clean, iron, dye your hair blonde and flash your boobs and dote over your man...The Italian way....OH ye and have lots of kids...

ps

love you all

indiebird

I thought it was just that I was desperately unnattractive... noone seems to believe Julia is my daughter!! Quite funny really. I also have to say that I have a couple of acquaintances who are dads of kids at my kid's school and we always do the kiss on the cheek thing. One has a lovely wife and there are no problems with her and I will kiss her on the cheek too, but I have been told by other mums at the school that they didn't think 'english ladies did kissing' in quite a sarcastic way so I guess they were implying that I do it just cos he is a bloke... The other one is a single dad, it was quite a high-profile split from his wife at the time I believe (small town, not a lot going on), but he speaks really good English and really helped me out when I moved. Me even speaking to him seems to incense the other mums and I have heard comments about me being fat and whether I am married etc. which is all a load of old rubbish.... especially as he has a much younger girlfriend who is lovely and who I also get on with...

My Oh is the blonde one and he does get a bit of attention from the women here... I even sent him on school pick up at Christmas last year and he had to do rather a lot of cheek kissing which he found all rather hilarious and he felt I had stitched him up a bit too bless!!