Buon Anno (Happy New Year)

January 2022? January 2022!

It’s a source of constant amazement to me that ... well ... I’ve lasted this long, yeah?
Okay, that does sound a bit morbid but, in my defence, I was born in 1958, and now I find myself in 2022! Who would’ve thought? Not me.

To you and yours from me and mine!

A wise man said: “The days may drag, but the year’s fly by...” While more a reflection of those days when I was still working for a living, I do have to say that the years have f’sure flown by!
It seems only yesterday I was recovering from my heart attack (2015); that we were planning our move to the UK (2017); and then moving again from there to here.
We’ve achieved so much since we landed in Catania (for Modica) on Saturday the 26th of September 2020. Only 16 short months ago now!
Exiting that EasyJet flight, all we had were two suitcases, a whole lot of research notes on my laptop, and our Italian codici fiscali (tax codes). After uttering a wee prayer or two to the gods of chance, we also left that plane with one hell of a lot of hope.
Hope that the extensive research I’d done was enough. Hope that we’d actually enjoy living in (not just visiting) Modica. And hope that abbiamo avuto le palle (we had the balls) to not only survive but thrive!
It appears we did have le palle, and I feel 2022 will be awesome!

Naivety

According to Merriam-Webster, to be naïve is to have, or demonstrate, a lack of experience or knowledge.
And I noted a classic case of this just the other day, on one of the Facebook groups I belong to.
Obviously just off the plane, and in Palermo, this person talked of not wanting to “give up on my Sicilian dream just yet”.
This because they’d found “trash bins ... pouring out onto the streets” and “faeces all over the side walk”. They then went on to ask if anyone knew of a cleaner area in Palermo? Or perhaps other “cleaner cities on the island?”
The reason I’m focusing on this particular post, over many others, is that it uber-highlights that distinct lack of knowledge some have when arriving here.

'Nuff said...

I’m not talking tourists: These are people wanting to settle here. Why oh why didn’t they do some (at least basic) research before setting foot on Sicily? I mean: C’mon! ‘Rose-tinted glasses’ and all that!
Before even thinking about making the move, I’d Googled things like ‘problems in Sicily’, ‘infrastructure in Sicily’, and ‘best places to live in Sicily’. Basic, simple stuff that takes seconds to do.
Did it take the shine off? F’sure it did! But this is what being realistic means, doesn’t it? You do your research, into the good, the bad, and - yes - the ugly, before even thinking about boarding that plane, surely?
We’ve still been shocked, but that’s all part of life and living yeah?

Crimes and Misdemeanours

It may come as somewhat of a surprise, but crime rates are fairly low here in Sicily!
Statistically, in 2020, it was actually Milan, Bologna and Rimini that were the ‘leading’ areas for reported crimes in Italy. In fact, no Sicilian city even makes the top 15.
That’s not to say crime doesn’t exist here. Of course it does! But it just doesn’t directly impact our lives.

It’s petty crime, like pickpocketing, that’s more of a ‘threat’ to us. Although (again statistically) on the island it’s no worse than elsewhere in Italy.

F’sure Modica ain’t Palermo, Catania or Messina, of course. Places which could be intimidating if’n you don’t take sensible precautions. I mean, we don’t flash the cash or expensive items about, and never leave anything of value in plain sight.
A standard operating procedure in any town or city we’ve ever lived in or visited. And we’ve both lived in and visited more than a few!
Now let’s address the elephant in the room here.
You have to know one of the first things most friends said about Sicily (including some Italian ones) was: “What about the Mafia...?”
To which I replied: “What about ‘em…?”
When it comes to ‘Mafia-like’ criminal organisations, Campania (with its capital Naples) has the largest number of such organisations.
While Sicily naturally does feature, it’s fourth on the list. A statistic I can live with!
Anyways, no mafioso is gonna bother with a couple of middle-aged Kiwis.
I can hope!

More Soon...