We met just to chat together about the differences noticed between American and Italian without any precise ideas, but the discussion became quickly interesting.
The main topic was the men-women relationships (!). Actually we missed a male point of view, but the discoveries are worth mentioning.
In general we drew the conclusion that the relationships in Italy are much more informal. There are no steps of dating, being engaged and above all you can feel free to invite anyone for a coffee without being scared that he/she thinks "she/he likes me" (as suggestion: pay anyway attention girls ;-). That obviously doesn't mean that the relationships are less complicated! People are people... men are men (as said we missed the male point of view!;-). So the answer at the question "are the Italian men always unfaithful?" was no. It depends of course on the person.
A quite big difference is about marriage. Comparing some facts we realized that in Italy (in the north above all) people marry later or, nowadays, many couples simply live together with or without children.
But the hugest different habit was about PDA. In fact, in the U.S. people think that kissing should be a behaviour to keep privately. In Italy no one cares if you kiss someone, there is not this PDA expression.
So go to Italy and feel free to kiss your lover :-)
Baustelle is an Italian group from Tuscany with a German name chosen for onomatopoeic reasons. It has started to be known after the 2000.
Un romantico a Milano. The video shows some pictures of Milan, but the text is quite cryptic. Anyway in it you can read the names of the most romantic (or bohémienne? maybe in the past) districts, surely the nicest where going and taking an aperitivo with friends.
Every interpretation is welcome!
Mamma Mum che ne dici di un romantico a Milano?what do you think about a romantic in Milan fra i Manzoni preferisco quello vero:Piero between the Manzoni (A. Manzoni was a famous author ('Promessi sposi'), but P. Manzoni was an artist; on the other side Manzoni is the name of the theatre of Berlusconi) I prefer the real one Leggi Read c'è un maniaco sul 'Corriere della Sera' there's a maniac on the 'Corriere della Sera' (newspaper) la sua mano per la zingara di Brera his hand for the gypsy who is in Brera (smart and nice district) è nera is black Fuggi Run away cosa fuggi non c'è modo di scappare what are you running away for? There's no way to escape ho la febbre ma ti porto fuori a bere I am sick but I take you out for a drink non è niente stai tranquilla è solo il cuore it's nothing, don't worry, just the hearth Porta Ticinese piove ma c'è il sole Over P. T. (one of the old enter of Milan), it rains, but there's the sun quando il dandy muore fuore nasce un fiore when the dandy dies outside a flower is born le ragazze fan la file per vedere the girls stay in line to see la sua tomba con su scritte le parole his tomb with the words written on it "io vi amo I love you vi amo ma vi odio però I love you, but I hate you, but vi amo tutti I love all of you è bello è brutto io non lo so it's beautiful, it's ugly I don't know io vi amo vi amo ma vi odio però vi amo tutti è bello è brutto è solo questo" it's beautiful, it's ugly, it's just this Scusi che ne pensa di un romantico alla Scala? Excuse, what about a romantic at the Scala (the theatre)? quando canta le canzoni della mala scola when he sings the mala's songs drains (=drinks) quasi centomila Montenegro e Bloody Mary almost a hundred thousand M. e B.M. mocassini gialli e sentimenti chiaro-scuri yellow moccassins and feelings dark and light Cara Dear scriverà sulle tovaglie dei Navigli he will write on the tableclothes of the Navigli (canals near which there are restaurants and bars) quanta gioia, quanti giorni, quanti sbagli what a joy, how many days and mistakes quanto freddo nei polmoni che dolore how much cold in the lungs, what a pain non è niente non è niente it's nothing, it's nothing lascia stare don't care about it se la Madonnina muore nasce un fiore if the Madonnina (little Madonna on the Cathedral of Milan) dies, a flower is born lui non vuole che la sua ragazza legga he doesn't want that his girlfriend reads quelle frasi incise quelle frasi amare those engraved sentences, those bitter sentences "io vi amo vi amo ma vi odio però vi amo tutti è bello è brutto io non lo so io vi amo vi amo ma vi odio però vi amo tutti è bello è brutto è un giglio marcio it's beautiful, it's ugly, it's a rotten lily io vi amo I love you vi amo ma vi sputo però I love you, but I spit to you, however vi amo tutti I love you è bello è brutto è solo questo" L'erba ti fa male se la fumi senza stile!
It would be nicer to post something less tourist, but this video offers many aspects of the Como area and has good pictures.
I must admit that the weather is not always so beautiful (magari!/I wish!) and that there is often a quite high percentage of humidity. A part of this, the video shows what you can see... Yes ok: surely it's easier to see a deer in the Nature Park than in Como area...
Second "official" appointment for the Italian Club: CINEMA.
We watched an interesting Italian movie that well represents the last ten/fifteen year changes in the Italian society. Gabriele Muccino who is the director of the well known movie "The pursuit of happiness" directed this film.
We met in the Women Center and, telling the true, were just a few, but as people say in Italy: "pochi, ma buoni". Anyway we enjoyed the evening. Thanks for coming guys!
It would be nice to start this Blog with the words that an important American writer* left us when he visited Italy for the rassegna letteraria “Le Conversazioni” in Capri (summer 2006).
*In 2008 Los Angeles Times book editor David Ulin called Wallace "one of the most influential and innovative writers of the last 20 years".
We met just to chat together about the differences noticed between American and Italian without any precise ideas, but the discussion became quickly interesting. 
