Thursday, July 19, 2007

SPLEEN

Just so that you know that life isn’t all outdoor feasts and happy tomato squashing here, I thought I’d write about the downside today. Now of course you could say, as I might be tempted to say to those who settle in and then grumble about my own country, “If you don’t like it, go home” but I am not trying to change the democratic ethos of the Italian State or the general culture of a country I have loved all my adult life. It is possible to settle in, love and feel very protective about a place yet still find irritations, just as you do in your country of origin. And it is important to point out that , with the exception of the eternal bureaucracy, there are compensations for every one of the following annoyances:

1. Top of the irritations list has to be bureaucracy and I’ve written about it before. Sometimes you can feel as if the government exists simply to make life harder by thinking up new procedures which hinder your day to day business. An example? Back in January we all received, from the utility companies, new forms to fill in giving our dati catastali [land registry details] so that, under Art 1, comma 333 of Law no 311 of 30/12/04 the companies know whom they are supplying. OK, it wasn’t particularly burdensome to fill in the form and fax it back, but you might have thought they already had this information when they agreed to supply you in the first place. Nearly all small stationers and tobacconists offer photocopying and fax services because this sort of requirement rains down upon citizens from on high nearly every day. There is one piece of bureaucracy that I have changed my mind about, however, and that is the fact that you receive a visit from the police in your proposed dwelling before you can be deemed resident in a town: at least, in this way, the Italians have some hope of knowing just who is in their country.


2. Closely linked to no. 1 is my pet hate , the Post Office. Rather than droning on about it again , I refer new readers to this post. You may also like to look at this.


3. I have received an enormous energy bill for the winter months. Admittedly, I have Raynaud’s disease, feel the cold and do not have the Italian and particularly Sicilian attitude of “Wear an extra jumper and put up with it”. But even so I don’t see how my bill can be twice what it was for the same period last year – unless there is a punishment for high consumption that has not been made public? This has really got me down over the past week.


4. This time of the year is the most difficult for me and I have come to call it the “silly season”: shops often do not re-open in the afternoon during July and August and many close completely for at least a couple of weeks, as do bars and restaurants. There is a notice in the chemist’s around the corner stating that they will be closed from 6th – 30th August. How can you have a business and abandon your clinetèle for the best part of a month? It wouldn’t be so bad if pharmacy products were sold in supermarkets as in Britain and “Roll on, liberalizzazione” [the freeing up of the market so that they will be] I say. The small traders deserve to lose some of their customers. They would claim, of course, that it is their clientèle who abandon them during July and August, leaving for their houses in the countryside or at the sea; and I say, “Yes, and the tourists come and what do they find? A closed down city.” Many blog readers have commented that it must be a joy to still have these small shops and in many ways it is; you are known, greeted, exchange pleasantries, receive advice and generally feel that your custom is valued. But there is also an inconvenience factor which it is hard for British people, and I guess Americans, to remember; we’ve been able to find everything at the supermarket for so long!


5. While I am having a moan about shops, I still sometimes want to be left alone to browse in one rather than having the assistant on my heels. The assistants would be horrified if they thought their behaviour was off-putting as they think they are providing good service. But particularly if I am looking for clothes or underwear I want to be free to look first. The same goes for CDs, actually – I’ve yet to find a browsable CD store in Modica. A friend who came to stay with me a while back picked a handbag up from a display in one of the stores on Sacro Cuore - as you would in Britain – and was shouted at by the assistant. I pointed out that my friend was British and asked how she was supposed to know that this is not done in Italian stores, at which the assistant calmed down. This illustrates a cultural difference but the fact that the girl reacted thus also points to poor staff training.


6. There are no heel bars and no nail bars! And Modica needs a good department store – please!


7. There is still a lack of foreign ingredients in supermarkets. This area does not have anything like the immigration that Britain has but there is a Chinese and a small Muslim population. You can now find some Chinese and North African ingredients but they are very few. I don’t think it is totally to do with not catering for the immigrant population; it is also to do with Italians not being very adventurous about food. As Victoria Granof points out in Sweet Sicily, “Something to bear in mind is that unlike Americans, who are always trying new recipes, Sicilian cooks may make a handful of recipes in their lifetime – over and over and over.” This does mean, of course, that they keep their culinary traditons and this is one of the things that is so attractive about the island. But it still seems strange to a British person not to be able to find spices that we now take for granted. Even herbs [apart from the ubiquitous oregano] are, surprisingly, more difficult to obtain here, especially basil in winter. No just throwing several pots of supermarket “growing herbs” into my trolley each week, all year round, as I did in Britain! [Yes, I do grow them on the balcony but the trouble is I use them!] Sicilians would counter that, with their own food being so fresh and so good, why should they want to try anyone else’s? And I have to admit I find that one hard to argue with.

Right: that’s another few matters off my chest. I think it’s time to stroll down the road for a freshly made evening granita and to buy, on the way back, some nectarines whose heavenly scent pervaded the street when they were freshly delivered at the greengrocer's this morning. Then I’ll come back, throw my shutters open and enjoy the “song of the south “ – the cicadas’ mating calls. [Gosh, they are at it a lot today and good luck to them!]

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

WL, even when you describe the negative attributes of your country of residence, you still write lyrically, fair-mindedly and interestingly! And I was not aware you have Raynaud's disease - life is so unfair, I am sorry.

Anonymous said...

Welshcakes, a nice read. I hope your walk is enjoyable.

Chris said...

Ref. No.5 - I found, when we were in Florida, that as soon as you stepped through the doorway of a shop you were 'pounced' upon and suggestions, together with armfuls of stuff for you to try on, were thrust upon you. I found it so off-putting that I had to leave.

In this country you have the luxury of being left to your own devices; the problem arises when you've made your decision, want to be served....... and there's no-one in sight!

Liz Hinds said...

I'm so pleased to hear your little grumble! It's raining, Harvey is pooping all over the place and I have a mountain of ironing!

lady macleod said...

I am nodding my head at the "bureaucracy", "shops closing", and "assistants on your heels"! Ditto.

I am sorry to hear you have Raynaud's Disease, but am glad you are where it is warm. My utility bill is just the opposite, with the hot months I have fans on all over the house upstairs and down so my electricity bill has gone up.

The walk sounds splendid. I'm glad you got that off your chest! well done.

Crushed said...

Well, bureacracy and post offices, you must feel like you never left the UK!
funnily enough, when you were talking about shops closing, I was reminded of (ducks to avoid flying objects) Aberystwyth.
When we were students, we went looking for a house during the summer of the first year.
OK, this is the time of year third years graduate and leave, first years moving out of halls looking for a home.
So why are all the letting agencies shut all afternoon?
It took us days...

Ruthie said...

I can't even imagine shops that shut down for the better part of the month! That's a completely foreign concept to me...

Is it not acceptable to pick up the merchandise and look at it, like your British friend did? We would do the same thing in America...

I share your annoyance with bureaucracy.

Have a lovely walk!

Lee said...

Bureaucy is a pain...everywhere! I think they all go to training in the same school!

Why don't you use Amazon for your CDs, Welsh? Much cheaper and such a huge stock and variety. You can just about find everything you're looking for.

Enjoy that granita! ;)

jmb said...

Do you feel better now that all that is off your chest? It's fine to rant to us but I guess even if they secretly agreed with you gli italiani would not like you to say it to them.

My daughter is just back from her visit to her in-laws and her FIL and BIL who are commercialisti are ranting and raving about the new fines that everyone seems to be assessed on their tax returns. It seems that the government has decided that it is a good way to get revenue and if there are no fines they audit you in a flash, so the secret is to make sure the client has some kind of fine to pay, but not too large.
Ah, the post office. I once had to pay a multa at the post office and I was just about beserk at the end of it. Luckily, as a tourist, you can usually avoid it since stamps are sold dal tabaccaio.
What if you have a refill for your prescription at the pharmacy? Which is now closed for two weeks or more?
The Italians just don't get the department store. Even when they do have them they are terrible. They would sell so much more to the tourists if they had good department stores, since the tourists are intimidated by the shop assistants having to show them everything which is usually behind the counter.

I remember reading once about Southern Italians having trouble finding ingredients for their cooking when they moved to Northern Italy.
I hope you enjoyed your granita. What flavour today?

Sally said...

Every single point rang a bell - particularly the over eager sales staff in shops - and that awful pressure to buy even when it's patently horrible and doesn't fit. But I do like the way they can look at you and know exactly what size you need of anything. I think the food question is also because they really only like their own regional dishes - you can't buy proper capers or tomato paste by weight in the north and I bet you never see mostarda di Cremona in Modica - oh Italy, how we love you.

Shani said...

Hi my friend - oh dear - the world doesn't change does it !! hugs darling - I wish I could take a month or two off !!!!

Shani

Ellee Seymour said...

Welshcakes, sorry to hear you have Raynaud's disease. My mother was diagnosed with it, she has very poor circulation and it is particularly bad in her fingers. She isn't really doing anything about it. I don't know what kind of care you are getting for this.

Everyone is feeling a bit low at the moment. I've just been to Crushed's site and he is thinking of giving up his blog. See if you can persuade him otherwise.

marymaryquitecontrary said...

I do get very impatient in queues. I don't use the post office very often;but I am lucky to have one at the back of the vilage store that is never busy. Can you have your electricity on a meter? It does seem odd that your bill has doubled. Is your Raynauds well under control?

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Thnks, shirl. As you can imagine, my Raynaud's is less bothersome here than it was in the UK. thanks, Steve - yes, a pleasant stroll. Chris, I never imagined it would be like that in Flrida. Yes, there is that about the UK. - You can't get attention when you do want it! Hi, Liz. I sympathise - I hate ironing! Thanks, Lady M. Interesting to know you have some of the same there. Nice story about Aber, Crushed - I can just imagine it! [Don't worry - no flying objects coming your way!] Hi, Ruthie. You can pick up the stuff in some largerstores but not the smaller ones. Partly it's because they are so proud of their displays! Lee, that's it - there must be a central bureaucracy school somewhere! Yes, I must use Amazon for CDs more. Jmb, yes, much better, thanks. I am careful who I grumble to here! Here everyone is moaning about the new fines! Stamps are not a problem but sending parcels of course involves the post office. I have a "no present" pact with most friends in the UK, though. Well, there are other pharmacies but I wouldn't be surprised if they were closed for the same period or part of it! I'll let you know. There is a Rinascente store in Catania and it's not bad, though not a patch on the one in Milan, which I love - let me at it! Mulberry granita again last night. Hi, Shani. Over to visit you later. Ellee, my Raynaud's is better here, as you can imagine. In the UK I used to be in agony after hanging out washing in winter. I did once have some pills for it but they reacted badly with my asthma. The trouble with Raynaud's is that although keeping generally warm is important, it doesn't help tp put on extra layers as it's your fingers and toes which suffer most. Crushed must not give up! But I can't find anything about it on his site. Will have another look. MM, yes, under control, thank you. Electricity and gas are metered but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Sally, yes, I like the way they know your size - even your shoe size - by just looking at you. Interestingly, I've not found Mostarda di Cremona here [though I could get it in Cardiff!] but have found a similar product from Mantova.

Ellee Seymour said...

Welshcakes, I made a mistake, it is Guthrum who has announced that he may give up his blog:

http://lookingforavoice.blogspot.com/2007/07/no-charges-in-cash-for-honours.html

Janejill said...

Hi welshcakes - I found your article really interesting,a s aprospective incomer and ,having spent a few years in Spain. I felt bad complaining but there were many similarities , though always a great upside too. I had the opposite problem with electricty, receiving bills for £10 for six months over three years! They would not check the meter, and suggested I must be away a lot more than I realised! Hope you keep the Raynauds well under control.x

Crushed said...

Absolutely no intention of giving up the ghost yet!

Too much going on around here!

James Higham said...

Great to have a rant from time to time and get it off the chest - especially if there's a readership on the other end. :)

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Ellee. I have been to try to persuade Guthrum not to give up. Hi, janeejill. Yes, you do feel bad complaining but you can't help it sometimes! Raynaud's not too bad here, thanks. Glad to hear it, Crushed. Absolutely right, James.

Maria said...

I love this... it all feels so small town.. so warm... so perfect! I know you hate the post, and the electical bill is just absurd... and sure the grocer could cary medical supplies and the idea that a shop just up and closes in the afternoon ... would never ever ever work in NY but it is so why I love the idea of living in a small town.. such as Modica.

Thank you!

M

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, M and thank you. you have reminded me that there is somrthing very attractive about it all.

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