Daydream thread... without the rose-tinted specs

Itismehonest

lostinrates wrote: »

Ah, well, swearing in the streets IS common in Italy, but definitely frowned upon by the older generation. And certain types of antisocial behaviour (public drunken ness etc ) are rare. True. But then you have the other things.....the heavy pushing of certain sort of things around mainly tourist areas. V. Antisocial when you live there!


Some crime in Italy doesn't make headlines simply because....it doesn't. Its odd.

There are pockets of (expensive) England where (climate aside) what you describe is possible IMO. Central Bath isn't far off. Some excitement in the streets and certainly some dodgier patches.....davesnave will know more than me I'm sure, but also some bits where you can pretend its not 'our country' Even pockets of London. But one needs the wealth of Croesus really. Ona. Smaller scale, lots of nice villages, certainly London and bath satalites, Cotswold places. Personally, those sort of places aren't quite for me, I find them a little claustrophobic tbh.:o. I know, I'm odd.


Monaco would be fun! I'm not sure it would do me to live there, but I'd ask if I could come and visit maybe! :rotfl: DH has an old friend with benefits whose family live in Monaco. I'm not in a rush to visit her, the whole lot of the boys liked her at uni.

Sounds (the bold bit) very like tourist places in the UK.
I think every youngster now knows where to buy or knows someone who will know.:( I think some people still believe that the countryside is free of it but, along with a massive drink problem, drugs are everywhere now, sadly. Countryside kids are just as at risk as urban kids now.

According to the police site there were a total of 8 crimes within a 3 mile-ish radius of here between Jan & Oct 2013. For here, that's an increase. 5 were car-related, 2 arson (probably dumped cars) & 1 burglary (oil theft). So, I probably live in one of the most crime-free areas ..... but then .... there are next to no people so it's not surprising :rotfl:

Oh & just checked current weather. Here +7 (RealFeel -3), Monaco +11 (RealFeel +9). Yep, I know where I'd rather be :rotfl:

lostinrates

Itismehonest wrote: »

Sounds (the bold bit) very like tourist places in the UK.
I think every youngster now knows where to buy or knows someone who will know.:( I think some people still believe that the countryside is free of it but, along with a massive drink problem, drugs are everywhere now, sadly. Countryside kids are just as at risk as urban kids now.

According to the police site there were a total of 8 crimes within a 3 mile-ish radius of here between Jan & Oct 2013. For here, that's an increase. 5 were car-related, 2 arson (probably dumped cars) & 1 burglary (oil theft). So, I probably live in one of the most crime-free areas ..... but then .... there are next to no people so it's not surprising :rotfl:

Oh, actually , I wasn't referring to drugs. Ooops.....I was typing with only half a mind on the screen, sorry, very rude.. (But yes, agree.....I think they did when I was young too, I am always amazed when I meet some one my age who says they were not exposed....)


There is a particular problem with rascism and immigrant employment on tourist areas of the cities. This tends to mean immigrants end up self employed in city centres. This happens in the 'usual' heavy pushing way of tat while you sit out side a restaurant, which I don't know what its like now, but it had got so bad a few years ago I know some gentler souls, Italians and tourists and ' l'inglese/Americani) were opting not to sit outside. Not me, .

The other method is that some times as you cross a tourist area they will throw a friend ship bracelet upon you so you 'have the goods'. Its really sometimes harrassment trying to cross duomo. Ad yes, often police are involved.

I try and remember at all times that there but for the grace of god go I. But sometimes it feels harder to remember.

The crying shame of course, is particularly the (often Senegalese) people in the latter harassment type thing are phenomenally skilled linguists. They speak Italian, English, French, other languages and can converse with tourists amazingly well. Their communication skills really are impressive and something valuable. They are also often the victims of horrific, horrific racism. I understand entirely the frustration of the kind of harassment sale tactic, and the immigration frustration and the political arguments, but I do Not understand the frustration that some one's skin is black.

RAS

IIMH

When I moved from a tough local mixed grammar school (had 5 heads in 4 years just before I joined although the last was brill) to a "NICE" girls grammar the other side of the county, the first break I discovered one of the girls in my class 'smoking' in the loos.

We simply had never been able to afford it around the old school; this lot had pocket money and a lot of it went on nefarious substances.

I do not know how much a pint cost then, but if prices matched those I paid after I graduated nearly 10 years later, it would be about £6 a pint. Will here it varies from £2-3.70. That's ignoring the 99p deals in the vertical drinking spaces.

Itismehonest

lostinrates wrote: »

Oh, actually , I wasn't referring to drugs. Ooops.....I was typing with only half a mind on the screen, sorry, very rude.. (But yes, agree.....I think they did when I was young too, I am always amazed when I meet some one my age who says they were not exposed....)


There is a particular problem with rascism and immigrant employment on tourist areas of the cities. This tends to mean immigrants end up self employed in city centres. This happens in the 'usual' heavy pushing way of tat while you sit out side a restaurant, which I don't know what its like now, but it had got so bad a few years ago I know some gentler souls, Italians and tourists and ' l'inglese/Americani) were opting not to sit outside. Not me, .

The other method is that some times as you cross a tourist area they will throw a friend ship bracelet upon you so you 'have the goods'. Its really sometimes harrassment trying to cross duomo. Ad yes, often police are involved.

I try and remember at all times that there but for the grace of god go I. But sometimes it feels harder to remember.

The crying shame of course, is particularly the (often Senegalese) people in the latter harassment type thing are phenomenally skilled linguists. They speak Italian, English, French, other languages and can converse with tourists amazingly well. Their communication skills really are impressive and something valuable. They are also often the victims of horrific, horrific racism. I understand entirely the frustration of the kind of harassment sale tactic, and the immigration frustration and the political arguments, but I do Not understand the frustration that some one's skin is black.

Ah, you meant the "vu compra". Sorry, I misunderstood
Yes, they can be a real pain.
Luckily the parts of Italy we mainly went to (other than the Ligurian coast) weren't really on their map to the same degree. The numbers arriving on Lampedusa can't help. Fleeing war is one thing. Turning up in thousands as economic migrants (I think that's the phrase?) doesn't go down too well when Italians feel Italy has enough problems of its' own. Britain thinks it has an immigration problem but I'm not sure what the Brits would think if they also had thousands turning up on the IoW as boat people, too.
Eastern European begging gangs are also a problem in the tourist places.

Like the UK, Italy becomes more racist as immigrant numbers increase & when economic problems are high.
I think that's probably par for the course in most places, though.
Overall, I sensed more bad feeling toward the 'Roma' in Italy than toward any skin-colour. They are looked on in much the same way as the gypsies of old fairy-tales - criminals & child-stealers - not always without reason, unfortunately.

lostinrates

RAS wrote: »

IIMH

When I moved from a tough local mixed grammar school (had 5 heads in 4 years just before I joined although the last was brill) to a "NICE" girls grammar the other side of the county, the first break I discovered one of the girls in my class 'smoking' in the loos.

We simply had never been able to afford it around the old school; this lot had pocket money and a lot of it went on nefarious substanc.

I do not know how much a pint cost then, but if prices matched those I paid after I graduated nearly 10 years later, it would be about £6 a pint. Will here it varies from £2-3.70. That's ignoring the 99p deals in the vertical drinking spaces.

I'll have to google iimh


I will not argue drugs are in some of the very 'best' schools in this country, In fact....I know dealer money pays for some fees :eek:.

I was in independent education until sixth form. The big difference was that It was less secret in the very large state college I went to, and.......it wasn't unknown for one or two of teachers/lecturers to have a spliff on the back steps at the college. That WAS a shock to me I have to admit. It was my 'we're not in Kansas any more' moment I guess...not for drugs ( i had been exposed to far more than a spliff in other places i had lived as a child) but for adult hood and social expectation/acceptability.

lostinrates

Itismehonest wrote: »

Ah, you meant the "vu compra". Sorry, I misunderstood
Yes, they can be a real pain.
Luckily the parts of Italy we mainly went to (other than the Ligurian coast) weren't really on their map to the same degree. The numbers arriving on Lampedusa can't help. Fleeing war is one thing. Turning up in thousands as economic migrants (I think that's the phrase?) doesn't go down too well when Italians feel Italy has enough problems of its' own. Britain thinks it has an immigration problem but I'm not sure what the Brits would think if they also had thousands turning up on the IoW as boat people, too.
Eastern European begging gangs are also a problem in the tourist places.

Like the UK, Italy becomes more racist as immigrant numbers increase & when economic problems are high.
I think that's probably par for the course in most places, though.
Overall, I sensed more bad feeling toward the 'Roma' in Italy than toward any skin-colour. They are looked on in much the same way as the gypsies of old fairy-tales - criminals & child-stealers - not always without reason, unfortunately.

Via della spiga is the road in Milan where all the designer clothes shops are. I was once walking down there when the most beautiful family were walking down up towards me, like something out of a magazine, tall, slim, stunning black clue, two children. There was a bubble of space around them. And people were being quite rude.


Our generation? No, I don't think they are 'racist' much like in uk, I think things change, and yes, I think a lot is fear. But Italy has a slightly different situation that uk, which is a hugely migrant youth. Many of the young professionals are more mobile ....(feeds back into the same issue of social change). Particularly women, but not only.

Itismehonest

RAS wrote: »

IIMH

When I moved from a tough local mixed grammar school (had 5 heads in 4 years just before I joined although the last was brill) to a "NICE" girls grammar the other side of the county, the first break I discovered one of the girls in my class 'smoking' in the loos.

We simply had never been able to afford it around the old school; this lot had pocket money and a lot of it went on nefarious substances.

I do not know how much a pint cost then, but if prices matched those I paid after I graduated nearly 10 years later, it would be about £6 a pint. Will here it varies from £2-3.70. That's ignoring the 99p deals in the vertical drinking spaces.

Absolutely agree. "Nice" areas have just as many problems.
As you say, drink is relatively much cheaper & much more easily available than it once was.

I've no problem with people enjoying a drink. I do have a problem with a society where getting publicly drunk became not only desirable but almost socially expected on at least a weekly basis :wall:

If people want to make Charlie's of themselves & spend a large part of life not knowing what they're doing & feeling rough with hangovers then that's their choice.
I'm just not chuffed to be confronted with them or what they leave behind every time I go into town _pale_.

Itismehonest

lostinrates wrote: »

I'll have to google iimh

Did you find me?

lostinrates

Ahh. Oops!

I_have_spoken

Another(!) rain-lashed night and strong winds. It's getting annoying now.