MN Little Italy 7

[francagoestohollywood]

Ciao, hello, welcome!

were you happier overall in the UK or in Italy Franca?

yes franca if that can be of any help we had vile weather for bonfire night. we did not do anything but nephews got absolutely soaked. better ?

France if it helps I'm feeling rather fed up with Italy. Generally I very happy here but every now and then I just get fed up with the whole everything is difficult thing. I keep getting parking tickets because the whole of my town is crawling with parking attentants and because I was late and didn't put the clock on (it was free parking area but you have to set the clock) I've got a ticket. Another ticket I paid the police are saying I haven't paid so I've got to pay again so I don't pay double. The winters coming and weathers crap etc etc..... These things exists in England but just every now and then I get fed up. I have spoken to a good English and an Italian friend who has lived abroad and come back to Italy and we all feel that when you live abroad you get great highs but also low lows. I miss some of my friends and I miss accepting life is like it is because I didn't know any different.

I'm also pissed off with my kids school.

and I've got a cold

Sorry I didn't get back to you yesterday night but my connection dropped again (effing fastweb).

Gio gosh the good thing is that at least we are united in our angst towards our houses (holds gio's hand)... yesterday night I wasted a few minutes wondering whether the tenants would sweep the leaves on the patio .

No, I wasn't happier in the UK, actually the first years I was really unhappy. But things improved as I started to build friendships, because TO ME what is mostly important is having good friends near me.

Happychappy, yes life in Italy can be pretty frustrating. And if you experience those problem in a small town in Le Marche I let you imagine what it's like in Milan . Actually I find that bureaucracy has improved a lot here (I didn't have great expectations last year when I had to go through all the pratiche for schools, doctors, residenza, parking permit etc).
What I hate the most about Milan is the traffic, the total lack of respect for pedoni and for children (ds school is on a very busy road, parents park in doppia fila, cars drive fast, ffs!!!). What I really hate about Italy is the lack of forward thinking, there is no planning/no idea of what kind of Italy people want in 20 yrs time and this is depressing.
I do feel for you Happychappy, and all of us really, as living abroad can over inflate problems and the apprehension they cause.
Why are you fed up with your dc's school? Is it private or state? At the moment I'm really happy about my dc's schools, but I came to realise that it is usually a rollercoaster with schools, it's a love and hate relationship

And today I'm outraged after the sentenza over the events during the G8 in Genova in 2001...

frabca you do sound much happier and confident since you moved back tbh.

I must be one of the few expat that never ever ever has had a low moment in which I felt it'd be better to be in italy (except those summers which are no summers).

especially when I think about the serious stuff... italy in my mind is good for holidays.

I know you are very happy and settled there .
I often wonder whether my perception of living abroad would have been different if I had joined dh in London, rather than moving to Devon. Which I know is utterly lovely, but I was 28 at that time and I moved from a big city, where I went out almost every night, where I had a supposedly cool job, where I had strong attachments to friends since the liceo, etc etc, to somewhere where I didn't know anyone and at that time, the fact of living in a civilized country didn't really make up for being very lonely.

I really do apologize for moaning .
I sound like a spoiled brat. I do miss the UK and I wish Italy took inspiration from its best bits (and of other european countries).....................

yes I know what I mean. I went from small town to big city (easy peasy). I bet it must have been difficult at first to make friends. I don't think I'd have liuked it much that way either.
ps: went to see gomorra the movie. did think it was nothing like the book.

ps did I sound smug? did not mean it

No, you didn't sound smug my dear I sound like a spoiled brat though .
I do feel like I missed lots of opportunities in my first years abroad

Anyway, I'm ashamed to say that I didn't read Gomorra, nor did I watch the movie (but I know it's now out on dvd so hopefully I'll be able to catch up with it) and will read the book asap.
I'm reading "Easter parade" by richard yates (who wrote revolutionary road) and really enjoying it.

Sorry to hear people are fed up with life in Italy - but I'm feeling hugely reassured that it is not just me who feels frustrated by getting things done here. I am pleased to say however that I now have Italian number plates for my English Fiat Punto! It took at least 6 months (some of that time due to Italian beaurocracy some of it due to not getting down to the motorizzazione on time!). Looking at my car I feel very nostaligic for my bright yellow bold number plate - it just isn't the same car .

Rosa - I hope you and Emily are doing really well. You were all right about seeing the gynae every month - i had misunderstood my doctor. Which lead to a horrid visita with my gynae where I felt like a teenager who didn't understand the importance of proper maternity care. So when I heard baby's heartbeat i started to cry - a mixture of hormones, being alone (dh had to stay in Rome), happiness and frustration. Then I just couldn't stop crying. Not a successful visita. I just kept saying to myself - what the am I doing here - not just Italy, but living away from my dh in a tiny village (next door to MIL!)! (I've always lived half hour from London or in London itself!). I'm feeling better now - but I think there must be something in the air to have stirred up this unrest for so many of us!

I know I am late on the discussion on Berlosconi - but it frustrates me that someone who behaves like all the stereotypes of an Italian male is representing this country. Moan over.

PS - for all of you who sell stuff on ebay, do you sell it on the English or the Italian sites or on both?

Oh Tantik it must feel lonely. Forgive me if I missed something, but is your dh going to move to Trentino or is he staying in roma?
And do you think you generally like a small village environment or are you having cravings for a big city?
Don't worry for the crying, one thing Italians are good at are emotional outbursts . Do you know the sex of your baby or is it going to be a surprise?

As for mr Berl, yes, totally agree with you.

I too wonder how is rosa and her dds...

Those hormones are terrible things aren't they. And it doesn't help knowing it's hormones IYSWIM. Hope you're feeling better.

Hello sputnik, how are thingas? is it raining there?

thingas?????????

Have just received a pic of mini rosa and she is looking all angelic and adorable!!!

Feeling back to my old self today. Had a good moan to an expat friend yesterday, put the world to rights and decided everything was shit in English and in the UK and we are great and perfect! We both now feel better, she had a row with her husband for making her come to Italy. I agree there must be something in the air. Had a lovely afternoon doing nothing which did everything to my sense of well being and now off to dinner with a friend.

On a serious note. I don't have a problem living here generally just every now and then I get the hump, generally I feel fortunately to have the choice on how I live my life and can only see a good future for us (my family). The feeling usually passes quickly. I also usually have a cry ring a friend (less so now) and am all better.

PS. Tankik my friend took over a year to change plates!

Happychappy, glad you are feeling happier today. We started this thread to support each other in the ups and downs of living abroad .
I'm less sad today and quite happy that, despite having had problems there, I consider the UK as "mine" in a way. I'm currently the annoying one that says "In the UK it's better as they do this and that" . I'm a royal PITA

Beautiful sunny day here up north. And it snowed a lot. Hopefully it will keep, and we can go (at least dh and ds) skying soon.

(it snowed a few days ago, I meant)

happychappy !

Hi girls, can i join the moaning? lol
I prefer the uk, could not live in italy at all, i would shout the whole time and become even more neurotic.
Hi pippi i wanted to see gomorrah too, saw chaos calmo a few days ago which i quite liked, exactly like the book i must add. We should meet, i think i must have your email, so will send you my phone number.
Rosa best wishes with new baby....
Franca, didn't you say you might have to come back to the uk? I really liked your beatiful house...

thanks all.

Franca how exciting I love the snow. I suppose it gets old after a while. I'm regress into a 10yr old (maybe even 5) when I see the snow.
Its lovely and sunny here today. The last few day have been horrible.

Yes, we don't know what the future will bring for dh's job, so def we might go back to the uk, and our house...

Haven't seen caos calmo yet (have been to the cinema 3 times in 12 months ), but the idea of seeing Nanni Moretti (who is one of my fav filmakers) having sex is offputting like seeing my parents !
I saw il divo, did you see that? I liked it.

Happy, I love snow as well, there used to be big nevicate in milan when I was a child, they'd close schols even!!!1