Two on a scooter: finally legal…

Surprisingly, considering the high number of deaths involving scooters yearly (about 14,000), the Italian government recently passed a law making it legal for two people to ride on a motorino together.

This has long been the practice in Italy.  In fact, it’s not uncommon to see the motorino used as a ’station wagon,’ with mom, dad, and kid (or kids), plus bags, all crammed onto the small seat of the scooter.

Environmental woes for Italy

Although many Italians were enraged that the US refused to take part in the Kyoto agreement, Italy’s not doing so hot environmentally.

According to the European Urban Ecosystem classifications, Naples comes in last as Europe’s most polluted city.  Milan is second to last.  And Rome is fifth to last.

This perhaps explains why cities like Florence are busy cleaning black smog residue off their duomo 365 days a year.

Helsinki, Finland was given the prestigious title of the cleanest city.

Link (IT)

A ‘poetic’ look at Italian politics

Here’s a fabulous poem written by an Italian poet in the early 1900’s–an amusing and quite realistic take on family and political life.

POLITICS

There’s such a great variety of opinions:
my father is a Christian democrat
and, since he works in the Vatican,
every night he says the rosary;

as for my brothers, Luigi the elder,
is a socialist revolutionist;
I am a monarchist instead, in opposition
to Ludovico who is a republican.

Before having dinner we often quarrel
because of our indisputable principles
some think one way, some another… Like a congress !

We raise hell ! But as soon as mum
tells us spaghetti is ready
we all come to agreement on that idea.

Trilussa (1915)

Here’s the original for those who care.  The Italian is southern.

La politica

Ner modo de pensà c’è un gran divario :
mi’ padre è democratico cristiano,
e, siccome è impiegato ar Vaticano,
tutte le sere recita er rosario ;

de tre fratelli, Giggi ch’è er più anziano
è socialista rivoluzzionario ;
io invece so’ monarchico, ar contrario
de Ludovico ch’è repubbricano.

Prima de cena liticamo spesso
pe’ via de ’sti principî benedetti :
chi vô qua, chi vô là… Pare un congresso!

Famo l’ira de Dio! Ma appena mamma
ce dice so’ cotti li spaghetti
semo tutti d’accordo ner programma.

Trilussa 1915

Feeling too blue? Go celebrate love during La Notte Rosa.

On the coast of Emiglia Romagna this weekend all you need is love. And they’re going to have plenty of it.

Take a white t-shirt, toss it in the love washing machine, and it’ll come out tinted pink.

Go for a ten kilometer walk with your sweetie, in the gentle glow of ‘love lights.’

Hairdressers are on hand to give your hair a pink tint for the evening.

And if you’re worried about missing the world cup, relax. The ‘world cup village’ awaits you, complete with enormous screen so you can catch the games.

There are also concerts, makeovers, poetry reading, theater, and an enormous fireworks show to light up the whole coast.

Not surprisingly, this big love fest coincides with the biggest singles reunion in Italy. So if you don’t have a sweetie quite yet head to Rimini or one of its sister cities tomorrow.

You can learn more at www.lanotterosa.it, which has an hour-by-hour schedule of events for each city involved.

Sales start tomorrow in Milan and Turin

In Italy, stores don’t get to choose their own sale days.  In fact, their are legistlated days which everybody has sales.  The summer sale season begins in the northern regions tomorrow, and later on in July for other areas of the country.

The store keepers are optimistic this season.  There is expectation that every family will spend approximately 260 euro on sale purchases.

A little vocab:

sconto=discount

saldi=sales

negozio=shop

commesso/a=store clerk

Link (Italian)

Little Italy in Eritrea

Reuters is carrying an interesting little (alas, all too short) article on the lingering influence of Italian culture in Asmara, Eritrea. After being brutally “colonized” during the rule of Mussolini, the region that now includes both Ethiopia and Eritrea gained its freedom, only to fall into a civil war as Eritrea sought independence from its neighbor.

After chatting in Italian to an elderly gent in an immaculate dark suit and carrying a cane, wander off to an outside terrace and lunch on spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams).

A few hours later, drop into a peaceful gelateria with views over wooded hills for a delicious coffee ice cream.

A hill town in Tuscany? Or maybe the palms mark it as one of Sicily’s cities?

Far from it. This is Asmara, capital of Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. No wonder a few days there can leave a former correspondent in Italy somewhat confused. (Link)

Italians wish they could have more babies

Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe.  But, according to the latest research, most Italians wish they could have more children.  The current birth rate is a low 1.3 per woman–which means there are fewer births than deaths.  The birth rate would be 2.1 if Italians could have it the way they wanted.

Almost half of those who said they wished they could have more children sited economic factors in their decision to not have more.  Other factor were size of homes or apartments (the prices of which are astronomical), lack of help of a partner, or work.

Link (It) 

More than half of Italians are computer illiterate

A new study claims that 59% of all Italians have virtually no computer skills whatsoever. This puts them at the highest computer illiteracy percentage in Europe, after Greece, which comes in at a whopping 65%.

Of all age groups, those over 55 are, understandably, the most disadvantaged in this area. It's estimated that 87% of those who are computer illiterate in Italy are over 55.

These percentages are a bit disturbing considering the Italian government's current push to make the internet available to everyone.

Link (It) 

40th annual EuroVespa party–Vespa Club celebrates 60 years of Vespas

The biggest reunion of Vespa lovers took place this past week in Torino. And how big is it? They say that if you lined up all the Vespas belonging to the attendees, you'd get a line almost 4 miles long. That's a lot of scooters.

The three days of the festival were packed with shows, tours, and general drooling over or vaunting of Vespas.

To find out a little more about Vespa clubs, Eurovespa, or the world of the fantastic and legendary Vespa, you can visit www.eurovespa2006.it , www.vespaworldclub.com , or www.vespa.com. Or visit one of over 10,000 Piaggio dealers in the world and eat your heart out.

Here's one of the original vespas from 1943.

And one from 1965.

And a brand new one.

And, of course, the Piaggio Mp3.

Priest says no to bellybuttons in church

Outside a church in a town near Milan posters were displayed, reading, "God already knows everything about you without you reminding him: Don't show your bellybutton in church on Sunday." Or, "God knew your bellybutton before you were born–there's no need to show it to Him every Sunday."

These posters got a lot of media attention, prompting another ironic poster directed toward the journalists. The priest responsible for the notices refused to be interviewed, explaining that the point of the posters wasn't for publicity or attention, but rather a way to send a message to his parishioners without having to preach a sermon on bellybuttons.

Apparently it worked. There were no exposed midriffs in church yesterday.

Link (Italian) 

Under the Tuscan . . . mosque?

MSNBC.com is covering a story about the controversy surrounding the construction of a large mosque in Colle di Val d'Elsa, a town between Florence and Tuscany. Muslim residents say it will promote cultural exchange, while the locals are "very afraid." Overall it's an excellent intro to the problems Italy faces as it becomes Africa and the Middle East's "gateway to Europe."

Link (English)

AIDS: 1 person infected per hour in Italy

Not only that, but the majority of new infections are among heterosexuals. That's just a small slice of surprising stats that will be presented by prof. Mauro Moroni at an AIDS benefit event on June 9 during Fieramilanocity.

Moroni says that not many people are talking about AIDS, and that Italians have "let down their guard." Right now about 140,000 people are infected, and 50,000 are seeking treatment, which costs the Italian national health service about 8,000 euros per patient per year.

Link 

1.5 million Italians suffer from depression

A recent meeting of the American Psychological Association in Turin highlights the epidemic of depression not only in Italy, but throughout the world. Experts warn that senior citizens and women are more at risk (2/3 of those diagnosed with depression in Italy are women). The World Health Organization even states that by 2020, depression will be the world's #2 health disorder, topped only by cardiovascular diseases.

Link (La Reppublica) 

Paul Newman gives children’s camp to Italy

In 1988 Paul Newman created the foundatio, "Hole in the Wall," to provide vacation camps for terminally ill children.  This year, good old Paul will open one of his camps in Tuscany.

The first camp was opened in Conneticut in 1984.  This camp in Tuscany will be the twelfth.

A pint of Roman beer, at 990 euro a pop

A tourist from Hong Kong spent a quiet evening in a Roman pub in Via Veneto this week. He had a pint of beer and ordered a flute of champagne for two 'young ladies.' Unfortunately, the 'charming locals' handed him a bill for 990 euro (about $1250.00).

Ah, the romantic Italian vacation.

Link (Italian)