ITALY- BEYOND THE ILLUSION
Getting
Along in Italy
Affordable
Italy
Becoming a Resident
By Ruth
Halcomb
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 newcomers begin to see Italy as
a possible home and look for ways to stay longer or even 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' errors and eccentricities. One of their
outstanding virtues is, quite simply, 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.
The Art of Illusion
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 fairly 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 important 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 deal, 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.
Getting
Along in Italy
Good manners
count here. As the authors of Living, Studying and Working in Italy note, it was a 16th-century Italian who 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, regardless of income level, appreciate
quality. When selecting a gift, choose the best you can afford 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.
Affordable
Italy
Expats don'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 charming 14th-century abbey for under $400 per month.
Becoming
a Resident
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. Your 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.
Resources for Italy
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see
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