AngloBanglo

Thank you all, you killjoys and wet blankets, every last one of you. And yet, what you all say is so very sensible and in my heart I know you're absolutely right. So, in fact, really, thank you.

A couple of things. Regarding the properties I'm considering, yes, an architect would stand as the official project manager. Yes, the buildings come with what to me seems a considerable amount of land.

What about hiring a lawyer? I've always found that it's money well spent but would it be useful here? Could I ask a lawyer to look at what clearances are required? What encumbrances there might be on the property?

There's another matter that concerns me a little. I'm South Asian, as they say in the US (where I spend a lot of my time) and Asian, as they say in the UK. Do you have the impression that I might face difficulties with planning authorities and so on because of this? (Difficulties of a non-official kind wouldn't bother me in the slightest). I'm British Asian, by the way, brought up in the UK, and never encounter difficulties with officialdom in the UK or in the US for that matter. An ex-girlfriend, for what it's worth, stands ready to be the person of record if necessary. Anyhow. Thoughts welcome and very much appreciated.

Twinkle Canelli

I'm not sure it's a lawyer you'd need for this, but I stand corrected.... My instinct would be that an architect who knows the area (and as Engliano rightly said - who knows those in power!) would probably be more able to tell you what would be possible and what wouldn't.... and the costs involved too!

And I don't think your Asian heritage would make any difference to anything. It's difficult to be accepted fully into Italian life wherever you come from, which is why us Brits are sticking together here!!!

Engliano

Your in for a shock.

Italians in my experience are miles behind when it comes to equal equality etc.
You will get called names like "sabu" etc....they mean no harm in it, but they invent silly names for the local asians. where as in Britain it would be classed as Racism.

AngloBanglo

Thank you Twinkle Cannelli and Engliano. Names and whatnot, that doesn't bother me at all. Even racism doesn't do much beyond irritating me and I have to say I've always found the best way to blunt someone's ill-feeling towards you, whatever the reason, is to help them with something, mending their fence or offering them a cup of tea if they've locked themselves out. Nothing beats a friendly face. Anyway, thanks for that. Enough said on the matter.

Lorna at Vicenza

There is certainly a whole of small minded racism here - but it does depend on the age of people and the whereabouts of people.

I live in a village where there wasn't a "brown/black" face to be seen 10 years ago. Now there are lots of Pakistanis, Bangladesh, some Africans and a few from Tunisia.

10 years ago I was the foreigner. I was the one people nuged their elbows in the street about and pointed at (none too discreetly). Now I'm a convenient white European but still a "foreigner"

You can sometimes hear the oldies mutter amongst themselves about the influx of Indians/Aians .... they are all the same to them. Their geography lessons were only about Italian mountains and rivers and not world geography.

Got to run --- company just arrived - get back to this later ....................

AngloBanglo

Thank you. An architect it is.

HADENOUGHPIZZA

In my experience most Italians are not really racist more than other nation but mostly they have very limited experience of dealing with anyone from anywhere other than ' local ' .Its more ignorance than prejudice. To be honest the older generation ( 60 + ) will not have travelled and plenty have problems dealing with italians from other parts of the country let alone europe / world. In some parts of the country there have been influxes of ' outsiders ' ..in the last century thousands of people moved from the south to the north to work and it was a shock to both the incoming workers and the locals that still generates films / helps stand up comedians / confirms stereotypes. If you choose to live somewhere small and rural you'll be a talking point . The most important thing to do is learn the language , not just enough to get by at the bar , but as much as you can becuase to make real friends you need to be able to talk, argue , joke and explain.

Lorna at Vicenza

MarkRD

Hullo .. a bit slow on this one but:

1) we've always had a kettle, although always had to buy them in UK. We bought the last one here from the Ipercoop. Don't use it at the same time as washing machine or even hair dryer.

2) racism is rampant and widely tolerated. Mostly against asians, Africans and East europeans. Of course most will begin a sentence with !I'm not racist but.....". That said, even my wife had some difficulties in the UK 25 years ago..

Welcome, writers...how do you earn a living?

Lorna at Vicenza

Errrr .... writing things perhaps and getting paid?

MarkRD

and when you're not writing and not getting paid?

Lorna at Vicenza

Wine of course

Garbatellamike

I wanna be a writer then

MarkRD

mah ...

AngloBanglo

MarkRD, I'm no authority on these things but in the 3 years I took to write my novel, I had a few writing fellowships which didn't pay but did take me into the company of quite a few writers. What I learned is that there are very few writers who make a living from writing. People don't buy books, not in any quantity that would make the enterprise sufficiently remunerative to be the sole occupation. It's a little easier for me in some respects because I don't have a family to support. The advance and royalties might or might not be enough to keep me going for a few years while I write the next one. Writers don't like talking about this, I've found, not so much because of ego but because making ends meet is always hard. And, as a group, they do everything and anything that regular Joes do in order to put bread on the table.