Friday 7 March 2008

A country that works on 'favours' Part 2

As I sit pondering what to write for my second instalment many thoughts cross my mind (and my Italian colleague's mind as she is my source of information tonight.)

We have been sitting here, discussing many aspects of the Italian life that work on this 'favour' system, however the examples I have and the things I have seen cannot really go into print. I am sure we all know a lot of people who do things off the record, who work in the 'black,' hold down full time jobs while getting paid a full pension, people who work for a few months only so they can apply for unemployment benefits, families who rent out their houses only if they can be paid cash, jobs that are never advertised but employees are always found, people who build ‘abusivo’ houses during the night…

The list is long and I cannot go into detail with any of the stories above. (If only I could as that would make great reading!) When in Rome hey? I need to turn a blind eye.

3 comments:

tanny said...

Love your blog- hubby and I are comming to Rome for a month in may, any tips- please email me

Anonymous said...

It certainly works on who you know. Which is good when you know people.

You do get to see all angles of a place once you live there especially when you see it through the eyes of a local such as a partner. l did and it kind of put me off a bit. l always likened it to the unveiling of illusions, which happens in many places.

Leanne was in Italy now in Australia said...

Hi Tanny,
If you let me know what sort of tips you are after then I'll see if I can help.

Cleopantha - you put that so beautifully and hit the nail on the head! Lovely, true and thoughtful comment...You kinow what I am talking about!