English In An Increasingly Italian World - Part One, The Introduction

As the article states, I am English but live in an increasingly Italian world. I work as a Translations Project Manager at Axis Translations dealing with the English Italian language combinations. I am trying to find and buy a house in Italy and I am even marrying an Italian girl.

As such I intend to write a series of articles on such subjects as;

>Italian Culture
>Italian Festivals
>Translation of Italian Hand Gestures
>Authentic Italian Recipes translated into English
>Translation of Italian colloquial phrases into English
>Translation of Italian insults into English
>Italian Culture
>Buying property in Italy
>Having a wedding in Italy
>Italian Language lessons for English speakers
>etc.

I am quite an open person, so I intend to give some frank discussion of the things that I experience. I also intend to give you some translations some analysis from an English prospective and a few Italian lessons. As such, this will be a series of articles.

Right now you find me writing from Naples / Napoli in the south of Italy / Italia. It's about 33 degrees and pretty humid. We are staying at the home of my fiancees parents as my fiancee has been having an operation.

So today I will tell you a little about Italian life - Italian neighbours when someone is sick. I hope you enjoy.

Once it became general knowledge (which took about 5 or 6 seconds) that my fiancee had entered hospital for an operation the neighbours are all asking if they can come to visit my fiancee in the hospital. They are sending flowers to the hospital, huge arrangements. They also want to know if they can take a shift at the bedside of my fiancee as it normal that someone will remain with the person at the hospital at all times.

While she is in the hospital I am staying at her parents house with her father. The neighbours are asking if we would come to them for meals or if they could bring us food. Many come to visit to ensure that we know that their thoughts are with us.

I am afraid I would not expect such a warm response from my English life. Perhaps thats why I am 'English in an increasingly Italian World'