One week to go ...
Well hello, readers of "Curly Me." I thought I should write a preliminary post, before we begin our trip to Italy. This is going to be SO exciting -- it's my first trip to Europe, a definite dream come true.
So I had a question -- for all of you who have been to Italy before. :) I've been hearing lots of different stories, opinions, input about the men of Italy. I've had Celeste and Cristina who, bless their souls, have been "preparing" me for the men of Italy (being that I am a blond and apparently, Italian men have a thing for blonds). They have been telling me of what will happen, what I will be hit up with, offered, told, affronted with, etc.
I've been hearing their side, but then I also have been hearing the other side - about the "fat and hairy" Italian men. (Please all Italian males, take no offense, I am sure you are all beautiful and wonderful.)
So therefore, I want to ask your opinion of what/how I should prepare for my trip, especially in regards to this aspect. (*Note: Luca, I will be extremely interested to hear your opinion of this.) At the moment, I don't know if I should be worried or ecstatic - although I am most definitely leaning for the latter, heh heh.
And I leave you with this beautiful video, which Cel suggested to me, as these are Italian male models. ;) (Females, let us all say yum-yum!)
posted by Jamie @ 1:24 PM
13 comments
13 Comments:
Ok so here's the scoop... in my humble opinion.
It really depends where you go and what kind of guys you find, whether you'll be hit on and how much.
Summer in Italy is a time of hormones. Everyone walks around half naked and sex is in the air (picture midnight at a classic "dance night" all day for 3 months.) If you go to small towns it's improbable you'll be hit on, but go to beach towns or tourist spots/locations and the men will be on the prowl. If you go to a bar or disco at night, be REALLY prepared.
You also have to understand that in summer Italy is crowded with American, German and Scandinavian chicks (mostly blonds)coming to get some Italian (seeing as word goes around they are good lovers.) Can you blame Italian men for considering all foreigners (especially the flirty ones) easy?
If you go to said locations and are hit on there will be varying styles: The rough country boys, the sweet talkers, the illiterate ones which know just enough english to say "You hend me makea sex, yes?", the gentlemen which will wine and dine you and show the sites, etc. There will also be sleazy older men eyeing you suspiciously.
Now, if you go prepared, you will know not to be intimidated, and not to drink too much. Being flirty is fine, you just have to know where to VERY firmly draw the line. You can accept a drink and talk and flirt, but when he slips his hand onto your knee that's where you very graciously and FIRMLY take it off. Italian guys are used to having it easy with foreign girls. I will warn you that at times it'll be hard to resist the offer of a moonlit walk amongst the olive trees. DON'T DO IT! :P
Most Italian guys are rather gentlemanly in their hitting on you (of course I've never been hit on so I go by what I've heard,) so as long as you know what you want and how far you wanna let them go it should be fine, I wouldn't worry too much. You won't have guys following you home or anything weird.
Hope that helps.
Oh, and will find plenty of short, hairy Italians in Sardegna, but you will also find plenty of Adones.
Ha ha, this is fun! So cool Jamie, I didn't know you were posting. I'm so excited for you guys. It's definitely a great experience.
I only lived in Italy for a year but I traveled around a fair bit, so I'll give you my more-humble-then-Luca's-opinion.
I am not a blond or the model type, but still got I A LOT of attention, comments, pick-up attempts, even several marriage proposals with the guy on his knees, lots of phone calls..You get the picture.
Italian women are beautiful, I didn't feel I matched up at all. But they like you because you're American,(without getting into the Lord's spirit in you :) and oh well I guess most men want what they don't have.
I would say on a whole Italian guys are good looking and VERY charming. Like Luca said it varies where you go, but I never lacked for attention. I would just walk into a bar and say ciao and all heads would turn "oh tu Americana?" If you speak any Italian they will smile, laugh, and say you have such a cute accent...
Anyhow,good luck Jamie, you're gonna have an awesome time.
I love you!
Oh how fun, wish i was going to Europe for the summer....always loved spending summer at the beach...U guys are gonna have a blast & u´ll get more than enough attention. Enjoy for the rest of us that get to freeze in -Canada during summer...sob.
Thank you, Luca & Nyna -- that was VERY informative and insightful. :) Ha! I think I have a lot to look forward to ... I love you Nyna!! And you ARE the model type! :)
Italian guys....whew! At least the ones in Northern Italy back in 2000 are crazy. I visited several times from Slovenia and Hungary on fundraising trips and even the border guards would hit on us.
One evening we decided to go clubbing in Verona and it was literally 10 guys to a woman in the club and we soon found out why. While dancing, or trying to dance anyway, it was impossible to preserve any kind of personal space and just have fun, without being aggressively groped and grabbed.
One of the bouncers, seeing our predicament led us to a ladder stuck into the wall that led up to a little porch-like cage high above the dance floor. Guys kept trying to climb up after us, but the bouncer stood at the bottom of the ladder and pulled them off one by one.
While dancing on the "porch", high above the dance floor, looking down we realized that the club was 90% men. We watched as one lone woman wandered in and was swarmed. I just hope she enjoyed the attention, because she got way more than most women could handle.
So that's my Italian guy story. We started calling them "ciao guys" as it seemed their favorite thing to say was "Ciao Bella". But I really can't lay a blanket statement here concerning Italian guys, because since then I've met Michael and Luca and I've come to realize that not all Italian men are created equal. They're both wonderful and plenty of fun without being "ciao guys".
Really Jaime, I don't see how these are any better than any other men. You really ought to be looking at it through God's (and my) eyes. :)
That is just because Italian men think that blond foreigners(actually any foreigner girls) are easy to get in bed and they are for one night stands! As the saying goes "Bionde per una notte, brune per tutta la vita". But if you come don't think you are so hot you just might be disappointed. Enjoy the beach!
This is rather funny! - I've been hearing so many negative things (not just those who posted here, but through people telling Jamie things on chat, etc.) I'm amazed that being a tall blond blue eyed girl I ever survived in Italy. :D
Men are men the world over - I've had freaky situations happen to me in basically every country I've been in (fine, so I'm blond too and attract that as well), but you don't label people or countries.
Have no fear everyone...I'll take care of Jamie, I will!
It's true, and like Luca said, if you're very clear with what is and isn't acceptable, Italian men are pretty respectful. And "Ciao Bella" does have a musical ring to it. ;)
Although unless I showed my driver's license as proof, I could never convince anyone I was from California. They would ask incredulously "but why don't you have blond hair? And where's your red bathing suit?" Heh.
Don't know anything about Italian men, but I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Italian ladies! -- I am sure you will have a blast dear Jamie - and Cel - take care of yourself too. -- Lotsa love, Micxx
I lived in Italy for 9 years, and everything you hear about Italians is right on. However, the men are big flirts and will try to go to any lengths to get at you, but they are not aggressive pigs nor forceful - at least from what I know of them. No, I'm not a woman, but I have seen how the men operated with my daughters - heh! You'll love it. Once my daughter and I were walking - she was more up ahead - looking for our son, and this Italian guy starts raving over our daughter with tons of compliments, flirts, and all. I said that she was my daughter, and he just said "I can't help it. She'sa biuteeefull, Madonnnnn (short for madonna)! Yiu lukky fadda, yiu!" Bella Italia!!!
I agree with Curly, guys in Italy are not any worse then any other place. I'm Italian and i Have lived here for 13 years, and have been back here very often, (max I've been out of here was 7 months). A lot of the way people call you is just a way of calling you like "hey girl", here they say "ciao bella", or "ciao stupenda". There is no need to fear or what. I've had worse experiences in other countries. Anyways, it's fine...there is no need to worry.
what's best about italian guys is that they aren't like mexicans who aggresively (and pervily) stare you down and basically rape you with their eyes. italians are more into the whole wooing thing, although you will find the occasional older perv who you just can't avoid.
they're great, they make you feel like a queen and i'm not blonde or a foreigner! i'm sure you'll love it, especially in summer, it's sooo much fun!
Post a Comment
<< Home