Living abroad gives you the opportunity to see how deep the stereotypes about your own Country are.
Sometimes they can be an advantage. Italians, for instance, are seen as latin lovers with emotional, romantic and passionate nature. And this can be a good help in romantic affairs, even if those caractheristics are often associated with less worthy elements, like being loud, unreliable and mummy's boy.
As well, foreigners love thinking Italy as the place of the sun, the sea and the good food, but also as a Country complicated, with a byzantine political system, a weak economy and a marginal relevance in the World.
Sometimes they can be an advantage. Italians, for instance, are seen as latin lovers with emotional, romantic and passionate nature. And this can be a good help in romantic affairs, even if those caractheristics are often associated with less worthy elements, like being loud, unreliable and mummy's boy.
As well, foreigners love thinking Italy as the place of the sun, the sea and the good food, but also as a Country complicated, with a byzantine political system, a weak economy and a marginal relevance in the World.
Everything false? Of course not: all those commonplaces came from some real characteristics.
So, who are the Italians? What is Italy?
Few weeks ago the Italian Government has been presented a video, entitled "Italy: the extraordinary commonplace" to show the achievements of Italy in the last century.
So, we discover that Italy is a World leader in major infrastructures and in pharmaceutic. Italy has been also one of the first Countries to send a Satellite into orbit after US and Soviet Union and it is the World leader in the production of luxury yachts.
Without considering the role of Italy in history, culture and arts: in Italy for example, there is the highest concentration of Unesco Sites in the whole World and its movie production got the highest number of Academy Awards for foreign movies (14).
Without considering the role of Italy in history, culture and arts: in Italy for example, there is the highest concentration of Unesco Sites in the whole World and its movie production got the highest number of Academy Awards for foreign movies (14).
Not so bad for a country of 60 million people, often considered weak and in a permanent and irremediable decline.
To be honest, Italy is also one of the Country with the highest tax evasion in the World, it is ranked 73rd regarding the press freedom and 69th for the corruption.
And Italians?
To be honest, Italy is also one of the Country with the highest tax evasion in the World, it is ranked 73rd regarding the press freedom and 69th for the corruption.
And Italians?
Like in every Country, you can find people closer to the classic stereotype, as well very far from it.
Dreamers? Maybe. Lazy? Sometimes. Optimistic? The most part.
"What is the fatal charm of Italy? What do we find there that can be found nowhere else? I believe it is a certain permission to be human, which other places, other countries, lost long ago" - Erica Jong
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