(Italian) Words of the Day

This could be subtitled ‘Essential words when you come to Italy’.

In this case there are two. Cazzo and Vafanculo. I hear them quite often. They are not such polite words but, it seems, essential to daily life here.

At least in my office. The Commercial Manager, in whose office I reside, came back from a three-day trip yesterday. He normally sprinkles most sentences with the odd cazzo and, very occasionally, the odd vafanculo.

But, yesterday, once Si had left, he needed to find some documentation. He couldn’t find it. I have never heard so many cazzos and vafanculos in all the time I have been here, as I did in two hours yesterday afternoon.

At one point, every other word in the sentence was cazzo. Really, I mean it.

I shouldn’t really take against it so. After all, my language is not squeaky clean, as people who know me will attest to, but, really.

It also seems that, last night, for some very strange reason, he switched round the battery cables on his car resulting in a burn-out of at least one of them. Something to do with his daughter – so maybe he was trying to get her car started. Anyway, he’s not in right now (hurrah) and the damage will, apparently, cost him €500.

It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy!

Areas of Milan

On Christmas Day, we had a few people over and during one of our conversations with friends, I tried to explain about a misunderstanding that happened before we moved here.  Of course, without a lot of thought I am fairly rubbish at telling a story, as N pointed out, and V ended up completing the story.  So I will try to be faithful to the version he told, which was far better anyway.

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Lots of amazing news!

Well, many things are happening!

First, we have been offered (and accepted) a beautiful house in Val Curone – halfway between Milano and Genoa, about one hours travel from Milano) – which is almost like Tuscany but without the Brits or the tourists!  Absolutely fantastic!  We have got it for the whole month of August and, originally, when we accepted it, I was going to do my last lesson on 31st July and my next lesson on 31st August – so it would be a whole month in the country!

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New Year’s celebrations

I love Italy.  I love the Italians.  I think I love the Italian way of life, but it’s more complicated than it seems at first, which is to be expected.  I love the culture.  I love the buildings (and, in particular, many buildings in Milan).  I expected much more red-tape, but, so far, I have been pleasantly surprised.

BUT, don’t go thinking that living in Italy is just like living in the UK, but with better food and more red-tape.  It’s not the same at all.  Of course, I’m sure you can go to certain areas (Tuscany, maybe), where there will be enclaves of British folk living their British way of life, but in a beautiful setting and where, should you wish, you need not worry too much about actually living with the Italians.
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