So far, my #italyvsamerica posts have been super specific. But, of course, there are many differences in the day to day life in each country that shouldn't go unmentioned. So, for this month, I'm going to talk about the issues that arise in my daily life as an American transplant in a small Italian city.
Everything closes in the middle of the day
Want to get some grocery shopping done at 2PM? Maybe go to the pharmacy to grab some necessities? Visit that vintage shop you walk past every day on the way to work? Well TOO BAD, this is Italy, and you can't get anything done in the middle of the day.
That's somewhat of an exaggeration-- now that "Americanism" has made its way here, there are large chain stores open (in Parma, you can go to H&M, Zara, etc. in the middle of the day, as well as Italian chain food stores) but if you want to go to any privately owned businesses or small shops, you'll find they've all closed for the Italian riposa. In Spain, it's called a siesta, but the general idea is the same-- you go home midday to have a home-cooked meal, see your family, and rest. The idea of making a few extra bucks from customers coming to your shop between 1:00-4:00PM isn't as valuable to Italians as the ability to have good food and allow your body to rest before coming back to work from 4:00-8:00PM. This is a charming idea of course, however, when you're an American and used to everything being open all day (and sometimes all night), it's very difficult to adjust to this way of life.
Also, this riposa applies to banks, government offices, post offices, and other important places... which brings me to post offices......
Post Office Woes
As I said, the post office can close for a few hours in the middle of the day, or straight up CLOSE for the day at 1:30PM. My nearest post office is open from 8:20AM-1:30PM M-F, 8:20AM-12:30PM Saturdays and closed Sundays. Super. Cute.
Once you are able to get to the post office while it's open, don't breathe a sigh of relief yet. Need an envelope? Tape? A box? You'll need to go elsewhere, because they don't exist at the post office. Yep, you read that correctly: There are no boxes or envelopes AT THE POST OFFICE. Instead, you'll need to go to a tabaccheria (somewhat similar to a convenience store in the US) first to buy what you need, buy tape, etc. Now you can go back to the post office where you take a number, fill out a form, wait for your number to be called, and go through the usual steps that exist everywhere to ship a package. All in all, it's a pretty annoying process so if you're wondering why I don't send you anything from Italy, it's because of this. Sorry.
Simply put: The Internet
I truly don't know where to start with the internet in Italy.
You can only get unlimited internet if you've been a resident for 4 years.
Without residency, you have 2 options:
You can get a mobile modem which has between 20-40GB per month (not enough for most people)
You can get a home modem, but in order to get this, you need a landline number to connect it to (which is another process)
If you live in the middle or back of your building, your mobile modem likely won't function through the concrete building.
In America, yes, dealing with Comcast is the bane of everyone's existence. But imagine having to negotiate and understand contracts in another language, and it's not even for unlimited internet like most people in the 21st century have in the US.
Some other things to keep in mind:
Units of measurement are different here. America still uses the Imperial System (for some reason?? The US is one of 3 countries who use the I.S.) and Italy uses the Metric System. Temperature, weight, length, volume, etc. are all different here. So unless you're cool with ordering an entire boar at the butcher, you need to know how much a kilogram is (~2.2 pounds) and how much an etti is.
Other general things like being aware of the exchange rate, language differences, and different customs all make for a sometimes trying daily life when moving to a new country, in this case, Italy.
However, some things are better/easier in Italy day to day!
It's simply more beautiful. Cities here are more colorful, cleaner, and have a richer history than American cities.
It's cheaper. The cost of living in most cities here is much cheaper than the cost of living in American cities.
The food is better. Do I even need to explain this? The ingredients in Italy are better, fresher, and food generally has less preservatives, making it easier to live a healthier life.
Aperitivo. That is all.
Basically, things are so convenient in America and unless you leave the US for an extended period of time, you won't appreciate the conveniences you have. So take it from me: Thank your lucky stars you can shop anytime, not get grey hair from a trip to the post office, and can browse the internet to your heart's content. Though I do feel like I'm getting the better end of the deal in some ways, like walking out of my apartment to a clean and beautiful city, and having access to better, healthier food at a more reasonable price.
But with all that said, please make a trip to Walmart at 2AM for me "just because" so I can live vicariously through you. Thanks.