I know a lot of Italians from down south. You know, that area of Italy where the people tend to have a bit of a reputation for being a little work shy. One of those ‘stereotype’ situations, if ever there was one.
All of the southern Italians I know are pretty hard working individuals and many are ambitious as well. These guys and gals are only really up here in Milan because they cannot find work down in the south. However, I’m sure if you head off down to Bari, Catania and the other places lying around the heel of Italy’s boot, you will find that there is no absence of young people, and many of these individuals will be working.
It’s not so much the southern Italian mentality down in south Italy as the political mis-management and the, er, ‘influence’ of certain other organisations. And, as an side, it has to be said, that these here ‘certain other organisations’ are much better organised than that mother of all Italian organisations: the government. Or so it would appear.
Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
Anyway, I digress, the point I’m attempting to make is that down in the south of Italy, the problem is not so much that of lazy people, as a lack of opportunities. And before someone points this out, I’m aware that the speed with which things are done down south is rather slower than here up in the north. This is another reason why the more ambitious southerners who cannot carve out a niche down south, come up north.
By way of example, my friend and partner in the sausage thing, Gaetano Salvo, who hails from the south, is the last person you could call work shy or lazy, I can tell you.
Potential employers take note: southern Italians can potentially make more willing employees than those from the north of the country. They are lovely people too.
