Italy in quarantine
After the first days of Italian shut-down, questions arise. Practical questions as well as almost existential ones. Reduced movement, immediate risk, payments and future. Some have answers, others have not.
The whole shut down process comes along orderly. The prejudice of chaotic Italians, once again, was proven wrong. Chaos in normal life, calm and solidity in chaos. Absolutely stunning!
#iorestoacasa
Not without some drama. Corona divides and unites. Believers against the uncaring. ‘Menefregista‘ the beautiful Italian word for uncaring is among the most used words these days. Science tries, unsuccessfully , to bring some reason. This drama replaces banned football very well. Two teams and a shy Video Assisted Referee. A Video Controlled Referee. VCR guidance in a digital era. So the battle of righteousness broke out. It may not help to defeat the virus. It sure helps to kill time. Viral virtuosity.
Italy Social Study
Closing families under one roof. It may seem banally simple. Which it is not. Apart from the summer holidays. Which are preferably spent outdoors.
This is social experiment of global importance. How long do couples or families really last? When is the breaking point? And what happens when reached? What if you can’t storm out, slamming the door? How long can children stand their parents? What about the drug addicts? What about people having affairs? Should little Johnny (Giovannino) renounce to complete his Panini sticker book?
Questions about the future
A collective effort, to cure the country. Not really shoulder to shoulder, since one meter distance is recommended. Anyway, together, coping the virus. It is soon but it seems to work. The question is about the future. Once Italy is cured, what about infected foreigners? What about tourism from and to Italy.
Suspicious minds
An invisible enemy creates suspicion. And even induces paranoid thinking. People talking with a Northern accent are given leery looks. Well, outside Northern Italy that is. Who has family up North becomes suspicious. Have they been visiting lately? Did anybody came to visit them? Don’t forget: almost all Southerns have family in the North. More than twenty thousand people came back to Sicily these days. Mostly young students. Mostly from …Lombardy.
Really? Italy in the conspiracy
When questions are not answered, they tend to answer themselves. This is not new. Giving sense to the unknown is deeply human. Which does not automatically result in sensible conclusions.
Conspiracy theories nurture on uncertainty. They flourish as never before. European leaders want Italy out of the EU. Or better, Germany wants to take over Italy, as they did with Greece. Aliens and secret services, communist and, of course, Jews are involved.
It's the economy, stupid!
In Italy the indirect victims already outnumber the infected ones. Shops, agencies and self employed people fear the worst. How will people get paid now their activities close down? The group of indirect victims will grow. As does the amount of questions.
Must Italians continue to pay taxes and fines? And what about rent?
Some service companies show their heart. In order to allow on-line lesson Vodafone does not limit students giga’s. Newspapers such as Repubblica and La Stampa (on-line) are free for three months.
Italy: Students between delight and distress
No school in March. If things go well. Kids are home, the younger needing attendance.
Many teachers improvise. On-line homework, video conference lessons. All the good-will is though like sticking a plaster on a wooden leg. What about the exams?
University is probably even trickier. Do students have to pay their annual fee? And will lessons and exams be recuperated? Will Italy get stupid?
