Italy 🇮🇹

Simone, 25

Born in Correggio, Italy

Came to Australia in November 2019

What is your occupation?

I used to work at Raffael’s Bakery in Haberfield from November 2019 to June 2020. I then worked in agriculture in Griffith for a year until September 2021 to fulfil my visa requirements. Upon returning to Sydney, I actually worked for a few weeks at the bakery again because I had to fill in for some colleagues who had contracted COVID and were isolated at home.

Right now, I am unemployed; I am relaxing and spending some time in Sydney. I have been looking for jobs in construction and hospitality.

Why did you come to Australia?

I came to Australia to see the world. Coming from a small town, I was quite frustrated with my life back in Italy and wanted to explore the world and meet people from different nationalities and backgrounds.

Australia has a temperate climate and is a very safe country, which is why I chose to come here. I also considered Canada and the UK but their climates aren’t as great in my opinion.

What do you like about Sydney?

I find that the transport system is very well organised. I don’t have too much to compare with though as I lived in a small Italian town and never used the public transport system there. I dread driving back home in Italy because the roads are quite narrow and at times, it can get quite precarious.

I also like the proximity to stunning nature. As I currently live in Bondi Junction, Bondi Beach is only a stone’s throw away. Back in Italy, we would take two hours to reach Riccione, a town on the Adriatic coast. Mind you, the beaches are stunning over there too.

Not knowing English wasn’t necessarily an impediment to me living here. I arrived here speaking very basic English and learnt it in my job at the Italian restaurant.

What don’t you like about Sydney?

I genuinely love Sydney but if I had to pick something to bemoan, it’d be the distinct lack of nightlife culture. Here, bars and clubs start emptying around 1 am or 2 am and it’s very different from my home country. Normally in Italy, we start drinking at 11 pm and go to the club at 1 am.

I feel like Australia’s laws are quite strict. For example, I cannot even go out and smoke an electronic cigarette. For now, I’ll just try to adjust to the laws here.

What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?

It’s really paradise here: the safety and tranquillity is crazy.

What languages do you speak?

Italian, English

I can understand Spanish to an extent. I live with some Colombians and I understand what they’re saying most of the time. In school, I learnt some German but I was not a studious student so I cannot remember any of it.

Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.

In bocca al lupo

It literally means “into the word’s mouth” but it has the same meaning as “break a leg” in English. A standard reply is “crepi” which means “may it die.”

You would normally say it when wishing someone good luck for something important, like a football match or an exam.

What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?

Everyone knows about Italian food but the nature in Italy is worth mentioning. Sardinia for example is incredibly underrated and somewhere I recommend to everyone; it is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily and the coast is pristine.

Milan is the fashion capital of Italy and it is where many of the world’s luxury brands are headquartered, such as D&G, Prada, Versace and Gucci. It is hard as an Italian to see how some Australians dress. Pink shirts and orange shorts are not a winning combination.

Who is the most famous person in your native country?

Silvio Berlusconi

He is an Italian media mogul and former Prime Minister of Italy. I feel like he was the Donald Trump of Italy before Trump even became President. Berlusconi served for 9 years in total, making him the longest-serving post-war Italian Prime Minister.

I was too young to form a solid opinion of him either way but everyone from my town dislikes him. They feel like he’s too controversial and has too many scandals. He’s probably been involved with the mafia even.

What is the best dish in your native country?.

Tortelli di zucca al burro e salvia

Tortelli is pasta made in the Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany regions of Italy. This dish is tortelli filled with pumpkin, and butter and sage.

Capelletti in Brodo

It’s pasta in a meat broth. My grandma always used to make this.

Panettone

Panettone is a towering round of sweet bread speckled with raisins, citrus, and almonds with a plush, buttery texture that is popular both here and all over Italy during the winter holidays.

Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.