Monday,
November 24, 2008
Sicilians are Different than Us
The
ANNOTICO Report
While
it would take volumes to pen all the
wonderful characteristics of the Sicilians, some of the most generous, industrious,
innovative, sincere people in all the world,
However,
with a long history of occupation and exploitation, while they may be kind,
they are very secretive.
Furthermore
the Taxes are so overwhelming, that it has been estimated that if an Italian
paid all of their taxes they would pay just more than 110 percent of their
income, therefore the necessity of "creative" avoidance.
What
struck me as being so familiar and amusing was the statement that: “Sicilians
do not converse. Each one of them simultaneously engages in a monologue and
does not listen to the other. An uninformed onlooker at this charade would have
been convinced that they were mad at each other and ready to fight."
The
Sicilian view of Americans: "The Americans can walk on the moon but they
do not know how to walk on the earth.
Italians are a Bit Different from Us
The
Courier
Chef
Nino Columnist
Sunday,
November 23, 2008
Many
times and on numerous occasions I have been asked What
are the people like in
These
observations are from an American who lived in
This is by no
means exhaustive but just a few notes. It would take volumes to pen all the
wonderful characteristics of some of the most generous, industrious,
innovative, sincere people in all the world, the
Sicilians.
All outsiders are
suspect. It has been estimated that if an Italian paid all of their taxes they
would pay just more than 110 percent of their income. If you have a radio in
your car you have to pay taxes tax
for a TV, tax for your drivers license.
Suspicion is a
very real part of Sicilian culture. Foreigners mean exploitation, religion
means disillusionment and even friends and relations are not to be relied upon.
Sicilians are secretive. They do not readily impart information for fear that
in doing so theyll somehow incriminate
themselves or others who would in turn seek revenge for having been
incriminated.
In this part
of the world we have our own way of doing things, Don Calogero
Vizzini said. It took me more than two years of
living in
Everyone was very
kind but very superficial.
A group of
seven men speaking at the top of their lungs with hands raised in the air, touching
each other occasionally, trying to convince each other of their argument, each
one of them red in the face, neither of them convinced nor listening at all to
the others side of the story, but at the same time enjoying this form of normal
communication, I wrote in one of my journals. An uninformed onlooker
at this charade would have been convinced that they were mad at each other and
ready to fight. Montanelli says that Sicilians do not
converse. Each one of them engages in a monologue and does not listen to the
other.
The
Sicilian, like most other people, is the product of his environment and, if one
can say the victim of his circumstances. His character has evolved in the
history of conquest and domination through which his island home has for the
most part been that of a certain defeat. His mentality is the product of
oppression and exploitation and only in the past few decades has made an effort
to come to terms with the modern
Another
description of the people in
They try to
project an image to others so that they think more highly of them that what
they really are. This attitude is evidenced by a man whose income is $800 per
month and dresses in public and behaves as though his income was $8,000 per
month.
Image is more
important than reality. Most Sicilians have two kitchens, one for show which is
costly and has never been cooked in and the other for daily use which is very
humble and is located outside. The other is La Superbia!
Most of them are an expert on any topic known to man, not admitting faults or
weaknesses, quickness to offer advice and recommendation even when not
solicited.
With all of this
said, once that seemingly impenetrable barrier is overcome, a lifelong
friendship is forged that cannot be erased by time nor distance. Lest we Americans
get the big head for being for balanced let us not forget their view of the
Americans,
Gli Americani possono camminare sulla
luna ma non si possone camminare sulla terra, which means The Americans can walk
on the moon but they do not know how to walk on the earth.
Ouch! Fortunate
is he or she who can take to best mentalities of both worlds and make one
super-culture.
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