Italy From The Inside

Posts Tagged ‘lifestyle’

Beppe Grillo is one of the most popular Italian comedians. His shows focus on themes like political and corporate corruption, energy usage, finance, technology and freedom of speech, all topics that are very sensitive to Italian citizens.
If you are interested in taking a peek at the major ‘pain points’ of Italy, then check out Beppe’s blog. According to Technorati, it’s the #1 blog in Italy and #10 blog in all the blogsphere.
The New York Time has featured him today on their home page with a very educational video that summarizes it all:
Beppe Grillo: The Comic Who Shook Italy.

I just returned from a two-weeks vacation in Italy where I collected plenty of new material for future podcasts and blog postings.
One of the emerging trends that I’ve been witnessing is the proliferation of slot machines (called New Slots) in Italian coffee shops (Bars).
Gambling is a heavily regulated activity in Italy. State laws have severely constrained the number of casinos on the territory. Nevertheless, many Italians keep fueling the flourishing business of state-run bingos and instant scratch games, such as Totocalcio, Gratta e Vinci, Enalotto and more.
The New Slots are an affordable way to pursue this thrill on a budget. The maximum bet is Euro 1 and you can cash out up to Euro 50 (slated to double next year to Euro 100). The chances to win are also extremely low. Overall, a bad deal across the board even if you feel homesick of your recent trip to Vegas.

My daughter Silvia has turned 7 and we decided to give her a nice present: a trip to Yosemite National Park to celebrate her birthday with her friend Amanda Maruzzi.
Amanda lives in Milan and was visiting California with the family. For the past 6 consecutive years, the two little girls managed to celebrate this special day together. We decided the tradition should live on.
In this video you’ll learn how to sing Happy Birthday (Buon Compleanno) in Italian. Enjoy!

- Can’t see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 – 5.3Mb)
- Zune version (WMV – 2.5Mb)

P.S. If you like this video, please leave her a comment here or on YouTube. She loves feedback!

If you happened to visit Italy during August, you may have noticed that many businesses are closed for the traditional summer vacation and many Italians have already headed to the beach. August is the month when most of the country shuts down, including the big manufacturing industries.

The pinnancle of the summer in Italy is August 15th and is called Ferragosto. This day is also a national holiday celebrated by the Catholic Church. For tourists, Ferragosto can be a good moment to visit the big cities, unusually empty, even if some museums and services may be closed too. Local festivals (called sagre) and bigger events abound all across the country. The Italy for Visitors guide on About.com has compiled a nice list of key events happening this summer.

When you plan internal transfers from various Italian locations, it’s always a good idea to budget some buffer time for unforeseen circumstances. Strikes (scioperi) and delays (ritardi) are normal everyday events.
In my last trip home, the Venice airport personnel announced a couple of hours strike on the spot because some union negotiations weren’t going as they hoped. After traveling for 14 hours from Seattle, that wasn’t necessary the best ‘Welcome home’ news I was expecting. I was lucky to see my luggage showing up on the belt right at the announcement, but I bet the next load of passengers wouldn’t be that happy.
Sometimes friends ask me to review their itineraries. When I see their Italian vacation scheduled by the hour and packed with various transportation from city to city, I warn them that is a recipe for frustration. Trains have gotten better in recent years, but strikes are very common. Be flexible and prepared to cope with some delays and you’ll enjoy your trip even more.

What are the most popular baby names in Italy? Here is a recent top 10 list reflecting the most popular boys & girls names in 2006:

BOYS
- Andrea
- Lorenzo
- Simone
- Paolo
- Marco
- Francesco
- Luca
- Tommaso
- Christian
- Alessandro

GIRLS
- Giulia
- Alessia
- Alice
- Chiara
- Gaia
- Ginevra
- Emma
- Ilaria
- Viola
- Ludovica

And here is the top 20 most widely used names among Italians of all ages. While certain names are still current, others have definitely fallen off the charts. One more thing to keep in mind during the stressful process of naming your baby

The Cappuccini monks publish every year the most popular almanac in Italy: Il Calendario di Frate Indovino (the almanac of monk Indovino). Started more than 60 years ago, this publication is filled with popular proverbs, advice on good and natural health, humor and wisdom. Each day of the year has associated one or more saints, yet not enough to represent all 10,000 named saints from history.

In January 2005, Italy has introduced a new law that prohibits anybody to smoke in restaurants, coffee shops and other public services. Oddly enough, Italians have reacted positively to this law. Business owners have promptly installed high tables, external gas heaters and plenty of ash trays outside their premises. The result is a win-win situation where customers inside can enjoy a smoke-free environment, and smokers outside can still have their cigarette while practicing some people watching.

Naples is a city like no other in Italy. I’d define it as the capital of the ‘art of survival’. Nothing there comes even close to the normal rules of order. Historical inefficiencies in public services and a local culture that favors workarounds rather than fixing things, has nurtured an unsually creative spirit in Naples citizens. Within certain limits, even some not so legal activities are widely accepted. This man was selling his counterfeited bags right in front of a police station. I guess also some policeman’s wife would prefer to save some bucks on a pretty purse…