A Sign of Changing Cultural Times in Milan
I saw this advert on a post office window in Milan, Italy, and thought it reflected how times are changing in Italy. The Chinese are now running all manner of businesses in Italy. In the Via Paolo Sarpi area of Milan, there are Chinese run electronics stores, electronics repair stores, jewellers, supermarkets, cake shops. wholesale […]
Italy – Land of Hope
Everybody in Italy is full of hope. Well, it is said hope springs eternal. Here’s a list of Italy’s hopeful and their hopes. It is not a short list. Hopefully, you’ll understand why. The Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi is hoping the EU will grant him flexibility. He’s also hoping the EU won’t get too sick of […]
Is Starbucks Coming to Italy?
Rumors that American coffee seller Starbucks is going to set up shop in Italy have been floating around for years. Recently though, those rumors have reached a new crescendo, even if for now, they remain no more than rumors. If Starbucks does open a store, its first will be in Milan, or so goes the […]
The Testing Intestinal Troubles of Italian Women
I’ve never understood quite why, but Italian women do seem to suffer from terrible issues with their intestines. To help deal with these intestinal womanly woes, inventive Italy has several solutions, one of which is a type of yoghurt, but there are others. The wonder yoghurt promises the return of ‘regularity‘; in other words, after consuming it, […]
How Trustworthy Are Italians?
Italians are not trustworthy for the simple reason that they do not trust one another. This means you would be wise not to trust Italians. Italy’s official Statistics office, ISTAT, is a treasure trove of information on Italy. Amongst many other aspects of Italy, ISTAT also monitors levels of trust, and has been doing so since 2010. […]
Italy Gets All Fired Up Over US Gun Ad But Misses Info in Its Own Backyard
Italy is up in arms over an advert created by US arms maker Armalite. The ad, which shows Michelangelo’s David holding a fearsome looking AR-50A1 rifle and carrying the slogan ‘A Work of Art’, has even managed to irritate Italy’s culture minister who claims the advert both offends and breaks the law. Culture minister Franceshini has […]
Italian Women Making a Noise
It’s been a noisy week in Italy…what with doors banging on Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s ageing Lothario – no more, manicured nails screeching across parliament in protest and lady senators decrying the end of democracy as we know it. This outpouring of female love for the man who once said he would defend women’s causes… but […]
Pescara, books… and Big Ideas
Sometimes there are big events in Abruzzo… with big potential, big names, and lots of big ideas. Sometimes they’re good.. and sometimes they’re not so good. Take the recent Festival delle Letterature book show in Pescara for example. Listen to this: Pongo’s cold? No, the Dongo gold. Ron’s getting old?? No. D-O-N-G-O – G-O-L-D… are […]
All is Not What it Seems in Italy
All is a fairly innocuous looking word, it means, well, all. In Italian, the equivalent of “all” is “tutto”, but the Italian word does not mean the same as “all” in English. Surprised? I thought you might be, so I’ll explain. Let’s start with an example: Imagine there are 20 people in a room. 10 […]
