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(I didn't write this one, one of my students did. Franco Zecchin, from Italy, lives outside Vienna and works in marketing. He gave me permission to post it here. If his spelling or grammar don't impress you, try writing something in Italian and see how easy that is. Me, I like closely-observed, humorous depictions of culture and psychology, and I think my readers will too.) Italians and Austrians 12 Juli 2007 I think about this thema almost every day in this time. The first thing that I had, it was … Yes I wanted to speak about crazy people… but I was not sure that this thema would be interesting for all. Then I taught I wanted to speak about this whether. .. but it would be also not interesting Then I taught I would be speak about Islam… but I needed so much time or about Bush or about a rock &roll music but maybe this theme would be also not interesting for all or probably I needed more time. And suddenly I had to think about the difference between the Italian and the Austrian people. Maybe it´s the same differences between American and Austrian people. I think I really need much time to describe many situations. And now we can speak about one situation. For example: Supermarket The Austrian people wait, they have always patience… Italians go in Supermarket! The Italians need to park. We wanted to find absolute a place in front of the main entry and if we don´t find immediately… we are nervous and we think badly about the other (Italians) who have found a place! We go around also 10 minutes, 20 until 30 minutes and we think badly about the government about the husband or wife or about the colleague in our office… they are all stupid! If we don’t find the right place we go in the other supermarket, maybe we need the other 20 minutes… probably we come back and now we are angry! Normally in this situation we park our car in second line (in a lane in the street, outside the parking spaces)…because we think, we can do it. The laws are only for the other people. We are creative in all situations! Finally maybe we need sometime one day only to buy 1kilo tomato, that we need to make spaghetti at home…but it was so difficult to buy and we are tired… and maybe we go to restaurant or to pizzeria. When we go to supermarket? The supermarket is usually open from 9 to 7.30 p.m. but the shopping centres are open every days until 10 p.m… I would ask you: “ what do you think about Italians, when do they go shopping?” May be at 9 in the morning … or around 13 in the break or maybe at 6 p.m. when we finished our work or… around 9 in the evening? Oh Yes! we prefer to go at this time… we know before, that all the other people go in the same time… but it´s always the same story… we go and then we say:” oh my God… so many people today!” What do we buy? If we need for example 200 grams of ham we go in that department and we take a number, because without we always discuss with the other people, and we think:” I was here before you”!... If the real number in that moment for example was 48 and we have 63 we can´t wait , we go around to buy other things…suddenly we hear our number and we run back as fast as possible with our trolley. But now number is probably the 65… we`ll discuss with the other people and with the employees …we want to be served before the number 64 and 65. Sometimes we don’t speak friendly. We decide that we are right… it´s not important the theme, we are right in all situations! Checkout counter When we are ready we go to the checkout counter… and could we in this situation wait and think about our things? No! we do it so: we look around and we wanted find the best checkout line … We have no time to lose or to wait… When we pay… in Austria we need the right Money… in Italy we are creative… we pay with old money of Zambia, it was the rest of the last Holiday… and in that moment we look around…with “nonchalance”. If the employee said: "excuse me… it´s not possible…? This are not the right money…” we said: ”What...? This is not possible…” we discuss about that money…and we are right! If there are other people, who wait… the colour of its faces became a little yellow, orange, red, violet, blue, grey and finally… black! The Trolley Why the trolley has a chain and we have to have a key and one or two euros? It´s so because many people take the trolley at home. It´s comfortable and we bring back 6 months later…because our child need to play. The wife and husband go together to the supermarket. Ten years ago the wives went to the supermarket for a shopping, but recently they don´t go because they have to work. If it´s so the family go to the shopping centre all together… Normally the husband don’t need many things…and the wife always say:” we need this one, or this one… or the other one…” The man say: ”what is that?” and the wife said: ”My love…we need 10 Kilos tomatoes, 18 pieces of shampoo and 25 kilo carrots…" and now we have two solutions: The first one: ”ok. You are right!" but don’t think so. The second one: ”why? We don’t need so much carrots…!” If will be the second one… you can see the face, and for the rest of the weekend the sun will be not here. Maybe he can look for dinner with his mother or friend. Normally wives prefer the other shopping…in the centre of the town. The children The Italian children are different than the Austrian. They go to the supermarket and touch all. And go around like in an amusement park. They play with all toys and with trolley and go around. They take some things in one department and put down in the other department. The Italian children need a little time to play… and the supermarkets are perfect for this. They are also creative!