What do tourists think about Italians?

By I’M TEAM

To understand what is unusual in Italy for those who were not born and raised there, we talked to a few people who emigrated from various corners of the world. The question we asked them was: "What shocked you the most about Italy when you arrived?"

There is one thing about Italian culture that perplexes me but at the same time reserves me some advantages: for Italians the aspect (of themselves and of others) counts a lot. The best example is when I go to the local supermarket to get milk or a bottle of water — it's funny to see how the staff treat me depending on how I look that particular day. If I am well dressed and made up I get nice smiles (from women), some good ones (from both genders) and also some "tastes" (certainly from men). But if I am not in order, perhaps because I only went out for a few minutes, the staff act as if they have never seen me before (and as if they have no intention of seeing me again), acting as if I should be grateful to them for having received this. I was looking for. The positive side? On the streets of Milan you always see well-groomed people - Mi Dong, China

What impressed me the most about Italian culture when I came here was the morbid attachment of many of my peers to the family.

In Albania, as soon as a boy has a job he leaves home — not because he doesn't love his mother and father, but as a matter of independence. I still remember when I was living alone and how a lot of people would tell me, "But you are so young, why are you living alone?" I was 22 and had a job. -

Vasjon Hoxhalli, Albania

The first thing I struggled to get used to were all the rules and schedules that involved eating: you missed lunch, worse for you, nothing else will be served until dinner. Do you want a cappuccino after noon? It is not done. Also, if you "break the rules" and ask for something, you may very well get a dirty look or even a laugh in the face. Another strange thing for me was friendship between men. Generally Italians seek physical contact a lot more when it comes to socializing, but I think especially the bonds between men are strong and expressed very openly. Two friends walking down the street with one arm on each other's shoulders or a group of guys at a restaurant on a Friday night — these are things you don't see in Lithuania, or you would be considered unmanly there for. I also find individually wrapped fruit or vegetables weird in the supermarket. Very little eco friendly! And the thirty-year-olds who are not happy living alone (emotionally and practically) because it is the first time they have separated from their parents.

I have lived in Italy for more than ten years. Most of the time, it has always been a pleasure. I love having direct access to a doctor when needed and I love not having to subject my child to metal detectors and mass shooting drills at school. However, there are things that left me speechless. One of the first was the attitude of some Italians towards tourists who visit their country. I have often heard complaints about tourism and people who come here in summer. I mean, a large part of the GDP is tourism. What is there to complain about? I had a friend who said he wanted to become the Italian David Letterman and write down a program: "10 Ways Italy Fucks Your Head". I always thought ten was too many. There's only one that screwed my head: road signs. It may seem bullshit, but it is absurd to think of all the extra kilometers we do because the roads and streets are badly marked. It is so absurd as to suggest that Agip must have designed this system to suck a little extra euro out of every traveler. And when you're stuck in the street and don't know where to go, here's the second thing that always made me weird: the horn. -

Jason Evers Johnson, United States

- Dalia Dub, Lithuania