OK, so I am sat at my desk at work literally counting the weeks until I can live la dolce vita
for a whole month, and I got to thinking about the strange things I
would miss…of course there are the obvious things, but what about the
more…less-obvious.
1. English TV
I know/have been told that Italian TV is some of the worst in the world.
From experience I have encountered badly-dubbed episodes of ‘Friends’,
films that only seem to have been made up to the 1970′s, and lots and
LOTS of football! How will I cope without the Hollyoaks omnibus on a Sunday morning when my head and heart are feeling a little delicate from the night before? No Big Bang Theory…I know, I am not going there to watch TV, but it’s something that crossed my mind when thinking of this blog!
2. Driving…especially in the Mini!
I LOVE my car – red Mini Cooper and it’s just ‘so me’. I also adore
driving and a whole month without it is a scary idea. I had contemplated
hiring a car when in Rome, but a) I’d have more chance of parking it on
the Moon, and b) I respect my life, and don’t feel like cutting it
short! Italian drivers are crazy!
3. English Tea with FRESH milk
I can say that buying fresh milk in Italy has always proved impossible
to me…you get what I consider to be stuff similar to our ‘long life’
muck that is sold on the SHELVES of stores in Italy, not the FRIDGE.
That will take some adjusting to! Luckily, as my parents are helping me
move in, I have the luxury of 3 suitcases to fill with Typhoo! Mum
suggested opening an English Tea Room there – yes, but only with fresh
milk!
4. Tescos…Sainsburys…Waitrose
The decent UK supermarkets do take a lot of beating and I happen to live
close to all three above. I’m not saying I will miss them per se,
because I don’t rate their fresh stuff or meat highly, and nowhere can
beat Italy for the quality of fresh produce, but the ease of use is what
I shall miss. I dare say that on my return I shall miss picking out my
own fresh of fruit and vegetables from the local markets like no-one’s
business!
5. Reliable, fast internet
The Italians rush nothing and their internet is no exception.
They have an attitude of ‘if it works, it works, if it doesn’t, it
doesn’t', which on the surface is an amazing attitude – we Westerners
spend far too much time stressing out about things like ‘slow broadband’
when in the scheme of life, it’s not that important. It will take a
period of re-adjustment to the much slower internet of yesteryear (they
don’t still have dial-up, surely?!) but it will all be part of my
readjustment to Italian life.
6. Cleaning products I know and love!
Yes, random I know, but it takes a lot for me to love a washing powder –
I am so picky! After 7 years of living in my own home, I still struggle
to find cleaning products that measure up to my fussy standards! I know
the Italians have odd names for their cleaning products too…’Bum Bum’
dish soap and ‘Lady’ multipurpose cleaner…give me a bottle of Fairy
Liquid over Bum Bum any day!
Ciao for now!
Nina x
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