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| ITALY- BEYOND THE ILLUSION Getting
Along in Italy Italy has never ceased to captivate people from other countries, especially speakers of English. They begin to see their former homes as sunless and dull, their former lives as restricted and puritanical. They see themselves changing in expected ways, becoming perhaps more alive, even hedonistic or, in other instances, more scholarly or more deeply religious. For a few the changes are intimidating, but often the newcomer begins to see Italy as a new kind of home and looks for ways to stay longer or permanently. Bureaucratic restrictions aside, Italy is easier for expats than some countries. Although Italians have much to be proud of, they are not snobs. They are gracious and forgiving of foreigners's errors and eccentricities. One of their outstanding virtues is that they understand what it means to be human. The language is not difficult, and besides, Italians communicate with gestures and facial expressions more than with words. They touch more than people from elsewhere. While other peoples learn to hide emotions, Italians express them openly. Orson Wells once noted that Italy is full of actors and they are almost all good. Writing in The Italians, Luigi Barzini observes that Italians are always putting on a show, that they regard life itself as a work of art. Flattery is commonplace: the tailor admires your figure; the dentist, your teeth. Polite lies are just as common. The cobbler tells you that your shoes will be ready on Thursday because he wants you to go away content. Barzini explains that no Italian wants to be seen as average; everyone wants to be exceptional or at least to show that he has connections. He suggests that half the audience at a theatrical production did not pay for tickets and the other half paid a reduced price. Those admitted free are called Portoghesi, not because people of Portugal are given to such tactics but because hundred of years ago a performance in Rome in honor of a Portuguese mission was attended by Romans who got in by saying they were Portuguese. Wealth and power eluded Italians for centuries, both as individuals and as a nation, so they created the next best thing: illusion. "To put up a show," Barzini concludes, is to "face life's injustices with one of the few weapons available to a desperate and brave people, their imagination." Foreigners who go to Italy to negotiate deals, might do well to remember that a widely read book on how to play the popular card game, scopa, begins: "Rule Number One: Always try to see your opponent's cards." Historically, good times have never lasted long in Italy, with the result that people are wary and skeptical, unwilling to trust anyone who is entirely unknown. Often, too, they crave sistemazione, a hard-to-translate word that can mean a steady job and a stable family, a life without threat or fear. Hence, the bureaucracy and the many jobs it provides. Good manners count here. As the authors of Living, Studying and Working in Italy point out, a 16th-century Italian wrote the first book on manners, which the British quickly adopted. They mention, too, that upon meeting someone new, Italians quickly assess their social class. People shake hands when arriving and leaving, women kiss on both cheeks, and men who know each other well may embrace and slap each other on the back. Don't use first names until invited to do so. Start paying attention to gestures; they have specific meanings. Italians appreciate quality. When selecting a gift, choose the best quality you can and don't be concerned if the gift is small. Because people here are generally warm and open, the best way to start making social or business connections is through networking. If you join clubs and get involved in group activities, invitations should start coming your way. One doesn't come to Italy to live cheaply, but it's not prohibitively expensive either. While utilities and gasoline are more costly than in the U.S., food costs can be quite reasonable. Some expats economize by not owning a car and living as locals do. In Rome, you might spend $2,000 per month for a two-bedroom apartment. You could buy a studio for about $90,000, and would need about twice that for something with a balcony, a view or a fashionable address. Away from the cities, living costs are considerably less. A four-room apartment in the Tuscan town of Lucca was recently listed at $560. A Network for Living Abroad member obtained a long term lease on a top-floor apartment under the bell tower of a 14th-century abbey for under $400 per month. (See our recent back issues featuring Italy.) If you plan to stay longer than three months or to retire in Italy, be sure to apply for a visa before leaving home and wait until it is granted. If you arrive without it, you'll probably be asked to leave. Upon arrival, you must immediately appear at the local police station to apply for a residency permit. If you plan to work in Italy, you must have a job and apply for the necessary documentation before coming to Italy. You employer must apply for the proper permits. Check with your nearest consulate for the most up to date regulations. Note: jobs are hard to come by, especially for anyone from non-EU countries. For additional information about Italy, see Network for Living Abroad newsletter, June 1997, May 1999 and October 2000. To order, see Back Issues.
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