10411 Where do your loyalties lie?

[quote=Nielo;96881]............But I never went so far as to pay extra to fly with Alitalia.:.............[/quote]

Better hurry - they could run out of fuel tomorrow

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7615113.stm]BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Alitalia crisis talks to resume[/url]

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I flew Alitalia once because at the time the booking was made during the summer and it was the cheapest flight available but still expensive!!! Michael O' Leary has an Italian mama!!!

Yes I buy wherever possible things Italian here in the UK. My shoes are nearly always Italian, but reduced though. My perfume is "Sicily" Dolce & Gabbana. Olive oil is Italian. Waitrose I see has some nice looking nectarines from Sicily which I'll probably buy later this afternoon in preference to late ones from Spain or France..

[Yes quoted that in a thread last night Alan. I don't hang around!!! lol

QUOTE=alan h;96883]Better hurry - they could run out of fuel tomorrow

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7615113.stm]BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Alitalia crisis talks to resume[/url]

.[/QUOTE]

I think that the motto in my signature, [B][I]Ubi bene, ibi patria[/I][/B], (My homeland is where I am at ease), sums up the way I feel.

[quote=Gala Placidia;96891]I think that the motto in my signature, [B][I]Ubi bene, ibi patria[/I][/B], (My homeland is where I am at ease), sums up the way I feel.[/quote]

But what do you consider your 'homeland' Gala?

I was born in Africa, raised in the UK but have Italian ancestry, I feel Italy is my home but I still have loyalries for the country where I grew up and was educated. I feel very little for the country of my birth.

I find it very endearing that people with no family links, still have a great love for Italy,

I love Italy and Italian life, but I don't really have any "loyalties" as such. I don't care who wins at sports, and I wouldn't wave an Italian flag (or a British or Irish one) or celebrate any kind of nationalism.

If I buy Italian products, it's because I believe they're better, which often applies to foods, possibly to clothes, and I suppose anything where flair in the design is important. I will only buy cars made in Germany or Japan though! :bigergrin:

[QUOTE=Nielo;96895]But what do you consider your 'homeland' Gala?

I have many homelands... the place where I live, the place where I spend part of the year, those countries where I lived or studied before, my ancestors' different origins. I could say that I am a citizen of the world.

[quote=Nielo;96881]
Prompted by this Quote from Sally Donaldson

“I'm very pro Italy, more so than pro English in fact”[/quote]

It could be that Sally is not pro English because she is Scottish! :bigergrin:

Not completely Scottish .....

I'm English - born and bred. I supose I can't say I'm British any more can I? Not since devolution. I don't think I could/should even wave the Union Jack any more, but rather the Cross of Saint George. Not that I'm a flag waver anyway....
My ties to Italy come mainly from my marriage and the length of time I have lived and visited here over almost half a century. I think the fact that I am now retired here and plan to stay ('til they take me back in my 'urn') indicates where my love of country lies.

But that does not mean that I would (or do) blindly support everything that bears the mark 'Made in Italy' or many habits/behaviours that are to be found in Italy.

For example:
*I don't support Alitalia because if it [U]is[/U] in this situation, it is of it's own (and it's employees and their unions) making.
*I don't support the Italian style of politics as I feel that has been the cause of much of the malais and instability found in Italy over recent decades.
*I do support Italian manufactured good where and when I can, as without support these are things that will (and are) dissapear overnight if more isn't done to safeguard them against cheap asian imports (which I wont buy).
* I do still consider myself English when it comes to maybe [I][U]half[/U][/I] of my favourite (and missed) tastes in foods... e.g. Yorkshire pud, sausage rolls, English 'bangers', fish and chips, a good cup of tea etc.etc.
* I do support the English football team(s) - AND the Italian one(s) too. But when they play each other I really don't mind who wins...whoever it is - is 'my' team!
* I do admire many Italian behaviours such as respect in general.
* I abhor their often [I][U]total[/U][/I] lack of customer care and their [I]me-ne-freghismo[/I] when dealing with the public.
* I admire the way they have managed to maintain the spirit of 'family' - something which my homeland has lost in many ways.

I do not support, or deride, either way of life just to appear 'fashionable'. To do that will, in the long run, just come back to haunt me.
I [I]must[/I] be true to my own feelings, as most of you clearly are!

I particularly love the me-ne-freghismo bit Carole.....
And I do share many of your other statements. I must clarify that my British ancestry is about 1/16.... less than my husband who is 1/4....
And I could kill for a good, old fashioned, steak pie!!!!!
But I do love Italy, its language, its customs, its cuisine.
So my loyalties are quite divided. I take the best of each country and enjoy it.

[quote=Gala Placidia;96920].............I take the best of each country and enjoy it.[/quote]

I'm not sure that is being loyal - it sounds more like being 'sensible'

If you were truly loyal - it would include the 'worst' as well

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Born and bred, a seventh generation cockney, who hates jellied eels.

I would still say that I am now, Red, White and a slightly different shade of Blue.

[quote=alan h;96939]I'm not sure that is being loyal - it sounds more like being 'sensible'

If you were truly loyal - it would include the 'worst' as well

.[/quote]

Nothing is perfect in any country, you always have to accept a mixed lot, but I always look at the whole as a positive experience. This is the reason why you can love different countries at the same time.

I am another "mixed race" person - in my case, Scottish, Welsh and a splash of Irish on both sides. To add confusion, I was actually born in London - due to my mother's difficulty in giving birth on the previous 5 occasions. To confuse things still more, despite my obviously Scottish "Y" chromosome, I found that my DNA was more Welsh than anything else whilst participating in a genetic study some years ago, which proved that the Welsh have the same unique genetic make-up as the Basque. I think, in my own case, it has made me feel, more than anything else (despite claims to the contrary) that I am truly human.

My family are all Italian nowadays - having been so for several years. My own, British family are all dead, leaving me as the sole standard bearer. So, do I wave the Dragon, the Saltire or the Tricolour? None in fact. My wife might chose the St George Cross, of course, as she is Milanese, born and bred (the St George Cross is not the exclusive provenance of England, by the way. A Greek saint spread his flag far and wide - Greek traders, eh!), but she rather leaves that to one of her uncles and his son - devout fans of Milan.

I buy Italian where I can because I live in Italy and it is what I can buy. Having said that, my Geox shoes, proudly carrying the "Made in Italy" label are actually not made here at all. I do, however, prefer my food to be "Made in Italy" and look carefully at the origin of the garlic I buy (don't touch it if it comes from China, by the way).

I support Wales when playing rugby - because of family connections in my past - but Italy otherwise. in fact, I have always supported anyone else playing against England!

Do I miss anything from the UK these days? Not really. I found on my last, infrequent, trip to the UK that the things I thought I missed had changed out of all recognition - or my memory of them - to the point that I didn't enjoy them any more. Cadbury's chocolate? Dreadful stuff now, to me. Meat pies? Again, to me they just tasted greasy and slimy. Having said that, I still miss lobster - but I did when I lived in England as well, so nothing has changed.

Other than that, non mene fregha un ...... I