My tip is to learn PATIENCE. Italy is very bureaucratic and you should keep in mind that, whenever you go to do something, you probably won't succeed the first time. In addition, every little thing seems unnecessarily complicated. For example, depending on the type of store, it will be closed from 12:30 to 2:30, 1:00 to 3:00 or 1:30 to 3:30 except that some stores don't reopen until 4:30 or 5:00, are closed Monday mornings or Thursday afternoons. I've been living here five years and I still find stores closed when I go to buy something. Pharmacies take turns staying open on Sunday. If you find yours closed, you need to look on the notice to see which pharmacy is open, and so on and so forth.

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well the first thing is to stop bitching about store closures
and stuff
enjoy italy it is magical
one hour you are down next hour top of the world
bring english books
mayonnaisse
english dvds movies that can play in italy
enjoy the italian genorisity
by slowing down
dont back down
against authorities re
tickets or injustices if you
can make an argument in your favour you will receive the italians respect.
most of dont think linear
italians enjoy the creative
be spontaneous
most importantly try to learn italian before you go over
viva italia
carmine

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Great tips! Anyone else have any advice to add? If you got a call from an old friend or colleague who was moving to Italy, what advice would you give them?

Betsy

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hi betsy forget to add
peanut butter
ketchup
jams
possibly mayo
cant think of any thing else right now
but a good tip is a money pouch
especially on the transits system in rome
ok later carmine

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learn about visas, work permits and the like before you plan to go - it's a harder process than you think

find anyone who has been there before to give you ideas of what they needed and not

take less than you think you'll need - you use far less than you think you do in a day

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Hi,
I know this topic was submitted a while ago, but here goes. There is Mayo, jam, mustard and ketchup in Italy, but no peanut butter, although its quite easy to make your own. Also, I love sour cream and buttermilk, but couldn't find it anywhere! Another thing I could not find was soy products, such as tofu, veggie burgers, and veggie protein products ( I am a vegetarian, and actually eating in Italy as one is great, but sometimes you miss certain things). Some spices that I use I only found in a Roman Indian Store but was happy to find them. English books too were hard to find in Abruzzo, but I was told that they are easier to find in the big cities, such as Roma. Yes, there is a lot of bureaucracy, but I've found that the Italians in government are usually willing to help if you are gracious and polite to them. Overall, Italy is fantastic, and there is probably much more to discover and experience than what is lacking or hard to come by.

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This is Karen, from Arezzo. Being an American expat, I also miss specific foods, but have been able to find some of them.
Calve brand peanut butter is readily available, but it is not sweetened like ours. I found American style peanut butter in Sma. Bacon is now sold in Pam and Esselunga. Soy milk is readily available, and I have found veggie products at Esselunga, in the freezer. As for sour cream, I use Greek plain yogurt. Buttermilk can be substituted by milk with lemon juice, I think. White vinegar is the souring product of choice, but I have not found that. White wine vinegar yes, plain white no.
Some other products I long for are canned pumpkin (fresh squash of a pumpkin type variety is available at Esselunga, but using it is inconvenient), plain Cheerios, cheddar cheese (which is surprising since it is sold in the UK), and canned condensed soups from Campbell's. All in all, I love most things about Italy, and feel extremely lucky to have the opportunity to live here.

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great stuff karen are you guys close to rome there s a british shop

in rome at place repubblica
just a 10 minute walk from termini its acroos the street from an irish pub
and you can get all goods mayo pickles jam etc
we had a report in canada that real esate is strong in canada australia and italy so hey cheers carmine
enjoy karen k we all miss italia things are not good in north america right now its all very very corporate
and alot of people are out of work nobodies happy here at all so you aint missing nothing let me tell you nothing

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carmine you are, as always, trying to defend this country. there is nothing to defend. It is what it is. Those of us who live here full-time are simply writing about our experiences and i find it rude that you would call that "bitching".
That aside, anyone coming to live here from a country like the United States or Canada will probably notice the same things we've noticed, and will probably experience similar "culture shock". Most will probably miss their dryers and miss the orderly way that people stand in line or even just being able to go to the doctor with an appointment and not having to wait 1 - 2 hours to get in.
I have previously posted "advice to people thinking of moving to Italy" in other spots on this forum... but in a nutshell, I'd say:
1 - accept the fact that you must drive aggressively or just take public transporation
2 - don't expect any customer service and don't buy things thinking you'll just return them if you change your mind
3 - look for a city or location that will offer you the kind of entertainment you enjoy - if you like art exhibitions and shopping try to move to a big city
4 - your cravings for the food you grew up with will probably get weaker as the years pass and you get used to eating Italian style, so don't stock up too much on things... i still have a lot of food items that are just sitting in my cupboard (like dry miso soup mix) because i'm out of the habit of eating it now
5 - plan to buy a dvd player that can be "fixed" with a crack so that it plays your dvds
6 - it's a good idea to try living here on a temporary basis first to see if you like it
7 - plan to spend a lot of time online keeping in touch with "your world"

For the rest, i agree with dprom and Karen and Sharan.

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rachel whats buggin you have you hit the walliam in the process of helping somebody
get an agro turiismothere so i can spend time in the old countryi love america i woked in the states for 5 years ansd i have been all through the couintry lovethe south and new england you gotme worng ok some americans that have bben comin to italy for years always complain about something or other
i diont lok you have a choice dont like abruzzo then move on rachel was forced to leave italy ok
i am neither american or italian and that frankly sucks
italia doesnt need help
i am not rude
so dont knowwhy you would evercallmenames rachel have don nothing but support your situation there
are you tuffy nosed you dont sound it
so again stay well
carmine

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sorry rachel you got my blood up and sorry the computer is messing uphere spelling wise
look rachel i cant abide by this anymore ok so in the future i will not respond to any personal attatcks on my character the usa rachel is acountry ok
thats it same as itlay or france o rwhatever people are what they are
all iknow is that when i hitt the italian frontier and get my frist expresso orhear the italin language my spirirts soar
cheers carmine

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Wait... did I read this right? Carmine... you say that you are not American or Italian, è corretto? Tu eri costretto a lasciare la italia???? How long have you been away from "your beloved Italy" ? In my opinion, Rachel very much has the right to post her views. For... #1 She live's in Italy #2 She has lived in Italy for quite some time #3 She work's, talk's and live's with Italian's everyday #4 SHE LIVES IN ITALIA. In my opinion I think you should let those who live
in Italy help the one's who want and do live there alone.... because frankly 95% of your comment's suck!

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u all know i don't come here to attack carmine.
i think carmine comes here to share his experiences and views and is well-intentioned, but i just don't like it when that turns into telling people that their views or stories about experiences living in italy are just whiney or that they're just unappreciative of "italy's magic".
sure, italy has some magic, and i can understand that carmine's spirits soar when he hears people speaking italian. I know what that feels like too.
I'm just hear to give the straight story based on my experiences - to give other people the opportunity to gather a variety of viewpoints and information in their quest to make life changing choices.
ciao

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year rachel no problem look we are working on a docu=-drama
about the diaspora of italians
and a couple of our shows
will be set in abruzzo
at thta time the funding ws going to come in we were going to use your agro turisimo as base camp because its nearby the world war 2 line
so really i dont know why you would want to rail against me
my comments about italy are mine and mine alone
they reflect my experince like i have said in the past
an d i see things differently
for those who dont like italy
then leave
cheers

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skinny cook
i am abruzzes
born in abruzzo ok and hold an italian passport
you are a paisano
for you to insult me or anyone on this forum
is not only bad taste but reflects badly on you thats the kind of crap you get from people who dont take the time to think ok
whatever issues you have about italia are yours i post from what is see
i know living in italy as an expat is very very difficult but like isaid if you dont like it leave
i was one of the 25 million italians to leave italy for greener pastures but i miss the way of life that was simple and also rich in family friendship
and love of land and ritual
my village is beautiful and i had the pleasure of living in rome in 03 nd shooting a movie at cinecitta
skinnycook4u maybe you didnt realize who you were slammin
i would accept an apology from you ok
other wise your comments here will not be responded to we have agreat community here
for thelast 8 years we all have supported each other
rachel being one ot hem
i admire her fortitude and strength
and her fiestness rachel is never mean she doesnt suffer fools gladly like me
i would never insult a paisano of mine
to say my comments suck is that you have not been here long enough to see the support and great advice i give
skinny for you2 man up
cheers
e

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rachel i will let you know when the docu-drama gets the green light ok
cheers

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Tutti!! Piano....relax....pace..
It's not even summertime and our passions are overflowing. The dialogue here reminds me of an Italian family whose overdue spat has gone over the brim. The only thing missing is seeing all of you gesticulating to high effect. I'm having some fun imagining that scene. Now it's time to get back to living.....and sharing...
è la pimavera..baci, e piu baci! Tom

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Hi All,
I feel like I'm witnessing an Italian/Canadian/American Soap Opera!
Sharan

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Well said, Carmine. That is exactly why I love it. I'm sure I must have Italian blood, but I can find no trace of it...maybe 50,000 years ago, an ancient ancestor? EW

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Go with the flow. And ditto for patience. EW

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more like a COMMEDIA not so much a soap!
i am actually just laughing.
carmine - i totally respect how much you love Italy.
But some of us also have comments about italy that are not always going to be positive, and we need a place to share, too, so don't rail on us when we are not positive about italy. Nothing wrong with you pointing out Italy's magic, and sometimes we all need to hear that Italy has something good to offer with the bad. I think that people like me know that, though, or we wouldn't be here.
Anyway, i don't think any of this should be classified as railing.
regarding your documentary - sounds very interesting. We are definitely in the WWII zone here. The hills are full of stories.
Let me know when the time comes... i also have a friend here who is a total maniac about war history... maybe he could help you find stuff for your film.
ciao

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thanks rachel and all fro your kind words
first of all i have niot recieved an apology from the person who insulted me
2=i wont respond to personal insults again3=
look this forum is great
i have contacterd many good people here and working on getting our own agro turisimo
plus some film projects up
in case all else fail win the lottery
rachel will contact you re docu drama we are still in pre pre production on it but it looks good
a salute a tutti
carmine

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For Sharan.... how about "As the pizza burns".
Carmine... here is a quote from you (which you make tanti times in this community) "I cant abide by this anymore so in the future I will not respond to any personal attacks"... and yet you keep responding. I have had plenty of time to think (not like some people) and just because I do not post, it does not mean that I have not been "here in this community" long. I have no issues with italia. I am proud to be Bugnaresi (with duel citizenship). "Italy will take care of you if you believe in magic".. what in the world were you drinking that day? Another quote from you... "skinnycook4u maybe you didnt realize who you were slammin". Did I miss the announcement about you being a VIP? I recall you said "am just a peasant myself and will always be".
My quote for the day is " If you can not insult a paisano, then what's the sense of being italian?" Oh and Tom.... Un bacio e un abbraccio

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So, Carmine, you think you deserve an apology from someone? You told me "well the first thing is to stop bitching about store closures". I'm not going to ask you for an apology but I would appreciate your not telling me what I can and cannot say.

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all the roosts are out of the chicken coop now
stores close in italy because
they close for lunch at 1 pm
ok and open up at 4 till 8 pm
there is a listings of pharamices that are open but usually the one near termini is open
drompraum do you need help to find a store opening oh my god like
take a pill its not rocket science man
my pharamacy was incredible and some of the products i cant find in north america some of the stuff i got did the job and they fill it up for you right there while you have an expresso
dpromraum really store opening is like really a lame issue here
grownups know how to handle this stuff early on in life
dprom maum say waht you want man and i do apologize i am sorry ithought you were kidding about store closures maybe you have issues ther
cheers
as far as

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ahhh =skinny cook you are pulling my leg i have an aunt like that in abruzzi she insults me all the time sorry
these are compliments you dishing out forget chefs are strange the stranger the better
ok so why are you still in the usa are you tryng to get to italy any time soon are you a famous chef do you have a book deal comin out a reality show what is it= you want to be famous
waht is bugnaresi mean
look all the best
but my opinion dont suck really
but i get your drift you got my attention
my best dish is pasta a carbornara
my landlady in rome cooked it from scratch and i have not found a better plate yet
cheers keep insulting i like it really ilke the insults
like when you quote me thats jus great anyways lets all hope we can get to italy so dprompraum can find an open store soon

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not being able to get what you want when you want it... sure that might sound like just a spoiled child talking, but the reality is that americans are pretty spoiled and we like to get what we want when we want it. Therefore, it can be frustrating to find shops closed at hours that are strange to us. We americans have a work ethic that is different than that found in italy in general. We can't understand why an entire supermarket or other important shop like a pharmacy would shut down at lunch time. Can't they just get someone else to work that shift? I mean, running out of a key ingredient, or really needing a medicine and being forced to run all around town looking for it... just kind of blows.
So, I can totally understand where dprom is coming from, and I don't think it has anything to do with how grown up we are. In fact, grown ups tend to have pretty hectic lives and there are a lot of things to organize. Knowing you can't run to the store and get what you need just makes organizing your day a little harder, and that's what people who are planning to move here might be interested in knowing.

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not to mention that there seems to be no order to the whole store closing thing... it's all chaotically organized by some higher power and it is a total mystery to us, therefore leaving us in a bit of a pickle... if we could at least be informed, as citizens, about some kind of store closing program, then we might find organizing all the stuff we have to do a little easier. And Carmine, don't even say anything man because i am talking about seriously needing to get stuff done, taking care of children, organizing meals, organizing a 10 hour work day plus laundry plus grocery shopping, etc. - not just sitting under your lemon tree! don't take offense.

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ok rachel first off the cream that i got in my pharmacy at basilica san paulo was great
cant find anything as good here
look the one thing i noticed coming back after living in rome
is the strong protestant work ethic
in north america something that has been drilled in to he psyche of people here
for 200 years
ok=it w
may work for some poeplbut in the catholic countries like france spain and italy = it doesnt exist because catholics go to church but then go and have fun
protestants go to church to get to heaven then go out and make money
i do not say i have any rancor towards any religion go to turkey
and the muslims sit around and have coffe all day and play cards
in italy men play cards during the day
in north america if you sit on a park bench you are thought of being a slacker
different culture rachel
look in italy we have a word= arranage=
which means to get it done a whatever means we have at our disposal
the italians are one of the most creative people on earth
from shoes to textiles to cars to
fabric etc the italians come up with solutions in my business its called improvisation
i have nothing against the protestant work ethic but to me its dull and regimented
whatever
dpromaum needs to arrange to find a pharamacy open to ask
people on the street the neighbors
etc
italians dont worry about what people think of them if they want something they ask for it
when i speak of magic it is during the day rachel when you have had it up to there then all of a sudden as soultion happens as in a miracle
italy and italians in general are in an opera
things change fast and furious
cheers carmine
thanks fro you response rachel and to you and your family tanti aguirre buono pasqua

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tanti auguri to you too.
i will cast a vote in favor of some italian medicinals being more effective than the ones you can get in the US (don't know anything about canadian medicine), but that only applies to some categories... my favorite italian meds so far are: borocillina (sp?) for the throat, propolis spray and propolis products readily available in a wonderful variety of ways, all the cough meds work way better than what i've used in the US, and i love the variety of liquid soaps available for washing your privates. What is not so nice is paying like 6 euro for about 20 ibuprofens... but i just stock up when i visit the US. So, yeah, i just wish the pharmacies here would get drive-thru windows because some of us have kids and we don't like to get out of the car and stand in line :)-

about your italian word, carmine, i think you're thinking of "arrangiare" right? yeah, well people here are good at that... get on with whatever they have. That's why they still eat chicory and chard picked from the roadside and often they have some nasty b.o. because they don't have enough water to shower or wash their clothes in the summer, or any decent deodorant! ok, i think i'm getting way off topic! is the admin ever going to shut us up?

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i get your drift
rk
what would be called common
is what you are alluding 2
yea italians are common
they are not full of airs
they do stink and do smell but they are honest no hyporcisy no behind the bank

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I don't want to contribute to the flame here but.... Carmine are you sure you're Italian (as opposed to Italian-American, Italian-Canadian, etc..) for real? :-)

The description of the country and how it works from the expats living there is far more accurate than yours (and the Italian spelling too)!

I am Italian 100%, born there and raised there, and even though I have been living internationally in the last 5 years (North Africa, USA, UK) I still have a company there and visit regularly.

And the experience I have of Italy is a match with the one of the expats.

Ops... just a note... Italians as a group are NOT honest, generous and gentle as you want to make it appear.

Some people are. Some other aren't. It depends on who they are. And it depends on who you are.

Just like anywhere else in the world.

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love new jersey and manhattan look getting tired of why i love italy yes born italian hold an passport eu=
look italians are not perfect
but i love that imperfection
1= the great love of family and friends
2 best pizza in the world
3 playing cards outside
4 siesta time
5 riding the trains
and watching the passengers get off at termini staion in rome the6= churches in italy always stop in for a prayer7=
rituals like rose day for women in march the blessing of the house by the local priest during easter
i can tell you that i find north america cold the people fro the most part do not do not show or express their feelings
outside of new york and maybe phildephia america is beautiful great people
but the italians arer apin in the neck
but honest they will try to cheat you in north america they cheat you but they pretend its
christian
thers are my tyhoughts if tyou dont agree then counter argument ok
viva italia

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sorry meant to say love nyc and philly steak sandwiches
hey the world is beautiful all over
choose where you want to live but i will get to back to italia aanmd put my feet up one day soon a salute bouno pasqua a tutti
tanti aguirre

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Carmine wrote:

-----------------------------------------
1 the great love of family and friends
2 best pizza in the world
3 playing cards outside
4 siesta time
5 riding the trains
-----------------------------------------

1) The love of family and friends is present everywhere there's family and friends.
I am moving out of Princeton to go to live in Morocco for a while and I am hearthbroken since I have so many GREAT friends here!

2) No argument for the pizza.
But you should try a couple of pizza joints around NY/NJ!

3) Playing Cards Outside: last time I saw this was when I was a kid in Southern Italy :-)

4) Siesta Time??????? Whatttt????? Have you ever had a dayjob in Italy in the last 10/20 years? I DOUBT that....

5) Trains are ok almost everywhere in the civilized (and not) world, not a privilege of Italy :-)
And the reason why the infostructure is well developed (but poorly managed) over there it's because of geographical proximity.
One thing is to have a train from Milano to Roma. Another is to have a train from New York to Los Angeles.

Said that, I frankly don't understand what's the purpose of your remarks in this thread.

It's about what an expats needs to know in order to have a successful living experience in Italy, it's not about whether Italy is the greatest country in the world or not :-)

And given that purpose, the suggestions given by all the people that you were trying to argue with were far more helpful than mine (or yours).


Going back to tips: spend at least six months in the place of choice trying to have a "normal" life.

I.E. rent an apartment instead of a hotel; rent a car instead of using the taxi, cook home instead of going to the restaurant, etc..

This will give you an idea of what it "feels like" living in Italy.

If you don't get crazy in 6 months... then it might be the place for you!

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bouno pasqua a tutti
tanti aguirre


You probably meant:

"Buona Pasqua a tutti
Tanti Auguri"

As I said.... you've not been raised (and schooled) in Italy are you? :-)

It's not a crime in that case.... but please don't exchange your experience as an immigrant that goes back to "u paese" during the summer with that of somebody from abroad trying to get by in our country!

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why the grind caponeta or whatever
whats your problem why the hard on for me whta have i doen insult you are you the
perfect italian
give it a break ok i spent a year in rome in 03 and lived near basiliaco san paulo =oh did i spell that write= oh
in that time i shot amovie in cinecita studio the legendary studio s we also did play for the english speking theatre in rome on via urbana
at the teatro delle arte
ok so dont insuklt me all righ you got a problem with italy thats your deal
my landlady was from abruzo and she cooked lunch and dinner at 1 pm and n8 and everybody tok a siesta at 2 oclock my uncle did until the day he ided my unlce played cards with the same men for 60 years
dont insult me and my amcestors ok move on
cheers tanti aguirri you2

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i hope that wasnt harsh caponeta but hey
dont school me on italy
my dream is realy important to alot of us here and my ancestors mean alot to me
dont mean to be harsh but i am passionate about
la bella italia

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yea princeton must be tough to leave all those faired haired rich dames eh
what are you going wasp on us yeasi know
we who grew up in amonge the wasps the ruling elite wanted to change our names we wanted to dye out hair blond we wanted to speak proper english and have mannners we wanted to eat white bread we wanted to lie about italy about being italina and the smell of our kitchens yea we were called names garlic eaters
we wanted to be anglo saxon so much
i give give you some material and information
get a movie called vendetta about the strory of the massacre and lynching of italian dock workers in new orleans in the 1900 2
i am proud to be italian
i am not an anglo= saxon
but thats ok they all want to live in tuscany now
what part of the south are you from caopneta not sicilan eh theya re my best friends are you calabrese eh paisano

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last one caponeta sorry dint know you were married hey man i wish you and your family all the best in morroco
looks real baeutiful ther but i wont be repsonding to your posts on italy anymore iahve not been this upset in along time
by remarks against me personally and the counrty of italy if you dont like italy therer always the expatexchange =morroco
cheers

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look like capoyneta was just trolling looking
for an argument and i bit sorryflolks

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looks like i am going to have a VERY EXCITING 3 months in Italy.

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oh yes italybound. the italians get very excited about all kinds of things!!! it's part of the magic :)
there are a few italians who seem to never get excited... like the ones who work behind the desk at the post office (post italiane) they seem to be half dead.
But anyway, whether you're just watching traffic go by, or watching people do water-aerobics to loud music at the beach in the summer, or witnessing a sagra or a patron saint day celebration, or watching people pick up their kids from school and the whole traffic jam that results, or watching people pick out their fish at the market, there will be plenty of excitement!

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Hey Carmine.... sorry for the delay... I was having a pennichella.

It's interesting how if I write a message to you telling that you have a "fantasized" idea of what Italy is like based on your limited exposition to the country you perceive it as a personal accusation.

And of course you're free to answer with 4/5 messages that are bordeline offense and you pretend to get away with that... pazienza :-)

I voiced my opinion just like the other people in the forum, and I just suggested that in order to have an informed opinion one should have a better grasp of the "facts".

For example Italy is not an omogeneous country.

Milano/Roma/Napoli have completely different lifestyles.

Just like north and south.

But in your accounts there is no sense of this but a more generic and non-factual "all italians are nice and generous" kind of thing.... which I respect as long as you make it clear that you have a limited knowledge and understanding of the country.

As I wrote before, this thread is about experiences.

And since you discounted so badly and rudely what people where saying (they were not whining... just telling what they felt like in Italy) giving your opinion..... I just spoke up to put another italian voice in the mix saying something different.

And infact, your experience of Italy is that you spent a year there.... well many people on the forum spent way more time than you in Italy even if they are foreigner! Doesn't their opinion count? Or are they just whining?

In italy we would say:
"hai voluto la bicicletta? E ora pedala!" :-)

And now please don't open another thread about how people are rude to you and the forum needs moderation!

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No Carmine, I was not pulling your leg. It was a real insult. You say that your from Abruzzo and you do not understand what Bugnaresi means? I think you have been a Canuck for way too long. Now I quote you again.... "cheers keep insulting I like it really like the insults" and here is another quote of yours... "look like capoyneta was just trolling looking for an argument and I bit sorry folks" Well I think that you are the one who does the trolling. So if you can not take the heat get out of the fire. And that ends another saga of "As The Pizza Burns"

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ok princeton i get your drift here ok va bene
sorry if i was bordeline offensive but in your case look i dnt know anything about italy ok niente
as far as you are concerned your last words were spend six months there and good luck =now whatever issues you have about the old country are yours =i intend to spend alot of time there in the country among the paisanos who are not
inflicted with the coprorate sting of life and vapid materialism
as far as i am concerned the peasants of which i am a descended from love life and also have a deep faith in themselves and the land the rituals which is seems you abhor for some reason
my goals is to live a life of far niente in the sunshine of a place that is truly magical

you are conencted to the old country
but you despise its people its customs and speak badly about here
now this is my feelings only and i have the god given right to have this opinion viva italia

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00abuse

skinny cook you got the wrong person here ok
i am good people
good to my family
good to the poor
good to my ancestors
i am not a scumbag type of person
the people who i associate with and who know me respect me and talk highly of me
if you have problems
there are yours and really i respect you
however it seems that i have been out of line in some of my comments and i am sorry i stirred up people
my only intent is that all ofthose who love the old country
ralize that it is good 2
i am profoudly sorry that anybody has issue with me that is not my intent

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00abuse

so what actually made the top 10 list for living in Italy?

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00abuse

My list would go something like,
1.Be patient, bureaucracy is a national past time.
2.Have a sense of humour you will need one!
3. Be realistic, time passes at a different pace (for me personally this is better) what I can do in a day in the UK is just not achievable here, but who said rushing was good.
4. If you live in a city, be security conscious, especially at home, the break-ins are not just horror stories they happen and depending where you come from in the world, this may be much worser than you are used to.
5. There is good and bad about anywhere, I live in a city, but the Italians here are way different to where we have a holiday home in Abbruzzo .City life can be busy and people may have little time for you, however in the country I personally don't notice this.
6. Compared to moving to different parts of England to moving here I have found it more difficult to make good friends here, English women I have personally met tend to be more open to new friendships than I have found Italian ladies to be.
7. Be culturally aware, things are different where ever you go, when you come across something unusual to what you expect educate yourself as to why things are done that way, understanding something you find strange seems less annoying for me once I understand the why?
8. Expectations, change them, you left another country for a reason, remember why, when things don't go smoothly here.
9. Driving, there's different driving here, city is different to country but it is much more dangerous on the roads here than say in the UK, that's why the death rates on roads are much higher here. I have to say the standard (or lack of it) is my one major bug of living in Italy. Its certainly not for the faint hearted and you certainly do take your life in your hands when you take to the roads where I live.
10.If you are hoping to move and stay in Italy a while, rent before you buy, I would recommend this when moving anywhere you are not familiar with.

Actually I have a number 11, install skype on your pc and you never feel far away from friends/family when you can sit down with a cuppa and have a good old chat

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00abuse

thank you little miss for saying all there is to say regarding the actual topic of this thread!!! Wonderfully worded and I couldn't agree more with all of those tips :) cheers!

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00abuse

I would also add:
find a way to continue to pursue your hobbies.... it will be a lot easier to meet people and create relationships when there's a common interest!

This is valid everywhere, though :-)

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00abuse