The Italians’ turn…
The Italian labbers recently gave everyone in the company a taste (almost in the literal sense of the word) of their country’s culture. As with previous culture days, the Italians came in early and well organised (yes organised Italians, dismissing the country’s stereotype).
Proceedings started straight after the Monday morning update where Davide inaugurated the day with his rather interesting presentation on the country’s culture.
So, what did we learn from the Italian culture day?
Brief history
Italy is a relatively young country, first unified 151 years ago. Italy is therefore characterised by many different inner cultures and dialects.
Stereotypes
Davide, Pier, and Giulia proceeded to confirm and dismiss some of the main common Italian stereotypes. We all knew Italians loved football, what we didn’t know was just how far their passion for the beautiful game extended – and as Davide illustrated, it may well be perceived as comical.
We also found out that “mamas boys” or “mammoni” in Italian may well be a justified tag for a very high fraction of young Italian men and women who tend to live at home with their parents well into their early 30s. We also discovered that this is partly due to the cultures conventions and partly to the difficult economic crisis, which the country is currently dealing with.
We also learnt many things that Italians do not do, contrary to the popular belief! One of the most typically stereotypical Italian dishes, spaghetti and meatballs, is in fact an American dish! Drinking cappuccino after 11 a.m. is a big faux pas, and we learned about the many ingredients that Italians disapprove of having on pizza.
Food
The presentation culminated with the much anticipated and really unavoidable taste of Italy aperitivo, a pre-dinner meal typically served in trendy bars all over Italy, which on this occasion was prepared by Davide, Giulia, and Pier. The labbers were treated to a wide selection of cured meat, cheese and bread, a fantastic treat to top a successful event overall.
Insights
