Love it or leave it

I’m not sure what the film/Documentary will really be like but I do want to see it.

Italy – a place stacked full of contradictions.

It’s true – either love it and shut the fuck up or leave it and don’t be looking back.

Some of my students are learning English for the sole purpose of ‘getting out’. London’s (and New York’s) streets are, in their eyes, paved with gold. It’s almost as if they think these places are some sort of heaven.

To be honest, I have been having a bit of a beef with J, an American friend who is currently living in Bologna. She has issues with the promises made to her which have turned out to be a bit empty.

“It wouldn’t happen in the States”, she says.

“Nor in the UK”, I add. “Siamo in Italia”.

A thinks that my “Siamo in Italia” is some sort of judgement on Italy. Well, in one way he’s right. In another way (and the way it is intended) it’s not. My “Siamo in Italia” is a way of saying “shut the fuck up”.

There are many things ‘wrong’ with this country. However, in its defence, there are many things wrong with every country. Just different things, maybe. And some of the same things. It’s like when software programmers say ‘features’ instead of ‘bugs’. It’s life.

If the things wrong with this country were not these things then it wouldn’t be the country it was. With such beauty next to such ugliness; such ignorance next to such flair.

It’s a country of paradoxes. It is what it is. Moreover, it is a different ‘is’ for different people.

It’s a land of dreams and beauty and a land of ugliness and hopelessness – of contrasts and uniformity – but it’s up to you to make it what you want. The rules, after all, are made to be bent.

And, whilst talking with A, last night, I realised that now I’ve fulfilled my ambition to live here, I don’t need to do it any more. A bit like running a company (although that wasn’t really something I went looking for, in the first place).

Anyway, here’s the trailer for the documentary/film. Enjoy:

4 thoughts on “Love it or leave it

  1. Very interesting topic, Andy.

    When I was in Canada a colleague asked me why I was still working in Italy. Why don’t you move to another country? he asked. You’d have a different position in the UK, apply for a job somewhere else!
    Another colleague replied on my behalf: she doesn’t want to move because Italy is the country where everyone wants to live! I can’t blame her.

    What else could I say?

    It is BECAUSE siamo in Italia that I don’t want to live somewhere else. And it is because, of course, it’s my country and love it despite all the things (many, to be honest) that I don’t like. Never say never, though. Perhaps one day I’ll move abroad basically because here I CAN’T do my job and it’s getting quite frustrating.
    However, it would be a challenging decision and I hope not to get there if you can see what I mean.

    You’re right, it is a country of paradoxes but all the countries are full of contradictions. At least in other countries beauty is not as apparent as it is here, food is not as good … not to mention the weather ;)

    • @ Lola
      Yes, the weather :-)
      And the food (most of the time)
      And the beauty.
      You’re right, everywhere is full of contradictions. And, since I’ve been here, I realise that everywhere is the same – in that, there are things to love and adore and things that are frustrating. And, I do understand why Italians want to move (for their career, it’s almost essential, it seems) but going somewhere else doesn’t make life better (as a whole) – just different.
      As you know, I love it here even if there are things to hate. I would not want to go back in time and NOT come here. Here is home.
      As I said to A the other night, the first time I stepped of the plane in Italy (about 1982), it felt like I was home :-)

    • @Pietro

      Yes – although the picture people (outside of Italy) have in their heads of the way of life (here) is not, necessarily, the reality. We (us non-Italians) have fallen in love with the picture we have. People who come here to live, quite often (for I have seen it) fall ‘out of love’ because of the reality. Day to day life is not the same as being here on holiday. But that problem is not Italy but the people themselves. They think it should be the same as being on holiday (although for me, most of the time, I still feel like I’m on holiday – after 6 years!)

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