Reflections

Ruins at Foro Romano

I shall now take a few minutes to put on my intercultural lenses and reflect on something of what I noticed and never fail to be amazed by in the Italian culture, one that I am truly a part of and yet, as years go by, I feel less connected to as it evolves in these modern times.

From a macro perspective, every year that goes by seems to make everyone more noisy, more apprehensive, more rushed, in everything that needs to be taken care of. The streets of Rome are always filled with cars (whenever you can actually go by with you car, when stretches on major and small roads have parking spots filled in two or three rows of illegal stalls...). The noise level, between the machines, the operating vehicles of the city and especially people screaming and just expressing themselves in very open and public ways, fills the air in the busy hours of the morning, after four p.m. and all the way to the wee hours of the night during summer. The exception is of course the break for lunch from two to four, when the sun is most violent with its heat and it is truly impossible to conduct any business in a reasonable manner, unless you can operate in air-conditioned environments. And Italians do not seem to believe in such wonders of progress.  In fact, everyone takes the time to tell you that the air, the cold and the wind created even by an electronic fan may do you damage for life!

Colosseo from
Via dei Fori
Imperiali

TV offers interesting shows, with documentaries and talk shows at practically any time of day or night. Italians love to talk, discuss, chat, argue... anything that can make them use their imagination, show off a bit of education and rationalize on a topic. In fact I have noticed the art of talking is something that they have perfected and it is reflected in the variations of grammatical structures that allow you to be extremely colorful and original. Politics is at the heart of any decent discussion, sooner or later (what in Canada for us represents the weather. I let you imagine the degrees of personal involvements that the two topics bring to the conversation, as weather and politics can ignite amongst talking folks!)

Things happen every day like a drama in a soap opera. It is amazing how fast paced the political world seems to be and how slow everything in fact ends up moving.  Minus the laws and bylaws that fall in the corner of the public attention that deal with crucial matters that seem to serve well the side in power a any given moment. They are passed quite quickly, even if they seem to go against the very principles of the country, and yet they show up and run people's lives.

The streets are plastered with political posters every day... these are the 'legal' graffitis that you find at every corner, complaining about each other's directions and decisions... As I said: the art of talking and discussing is an all-Italian feature (which I believe I have not totally lost the pleasure of practising, right?)

Close up of
Altare della Patria

Talking about graffitis, there are also EVERYWHERE. Not only on stable features in the city, such as walls and corners of streets, stairs, posts, you name it. They are on garbage collection carts, on the garbage trucks, on trains, on public transportation... I am convinced there is a secret fund that finances the spray paint that these vandals use. The amount is noticeable and the variety of colours used is not small.  I know some may say there is an artistic side to this means of communication, but I fail to understand how it can beautify a millennial city which is exceptionally great left alone with its churches, piazzas, corners and monuments in general...

The economy situation in the world is quite felt inside the country. I have been told that Italy has the lowest wages in Europe, with similar if not more expensive cost of life in comparison. So the question is: how do they do it? I have seen a lot of poverty, but it mainly carries the face of what probably are immigrants from outside of Europe or Eastern European countries in worse situations than Italy. Walking by the street, you see everyone well dressed, clean and maintaining a tone of dignity that is truly admirable. Sure, the beggars on city trains and the guys at the traffic lights wanting to sell you something or clean your windshield are quite insistent...But overall it is hard to see lack of resources.

Everyone has a cell. I mean: everyone! The kid who is 6 and the grandma who is 85. I would assume that younger folks add to the list of communication needs also computers, Internet and easily one or two cable connections on TV. But stats have been shared last week that indicate that Italians are eating less and less well. So some of the personal cuts are made on primary needs rather than tools that we all never had a need for up to probably just 15 years ago.

Overall, the idea in the culture that you can breath here is that everyone is on their own and yet anything that happens is a matter of public scrutiny - at least that is what I perceive. Sure, there is a lot of surface kindness that appears very warm and at the same time people snap and are on top of each other for a transgression that was not intentional (see my screaming thoughts above).

A smile and a greeting do feel warmer here. All emotions are amplified to the maximum levels (of volume and intensity).

What do I think? I think that the economic side of things does seem to affect a people who is struggling to change and keep up with the challenges of the time. To a point that I have long forgotten or left outside of my personal life decisions and of the ones I know back home. So comparisons with other nations in the EU or north America are tough to make. You just have to sit, relax, contemplate and appreciate the uniqueness of this place. Where the food is amazing no matter where you go. Where shopping for fresh food is still the driving action of the day (now with the added information of where everything you eat comes from), preparing a good meal or meals during the day is very essential, making calls to everyone on your list at least once a day is a religious duty, together with texting your life away, and making sure you know what is going on in your apartment building is a responsibility that you must keep up with...

Palazzo delle
Esposizioni

Where the heat melts you to your core, and yet you cannot resist taking a long stroll in the downtown core of the eternal city, as you may have done thousands of times before, to steal that one more perfect shot of what lives and cultures that came before left for you, as a carpet of beautiful evidence of past glory.

Which is what I did yesterday afternoon, thinking about this blog entry. Sorry for the length!

Nick arrives tomorrow and a new part of our stay begins.