This is off topic but something I think about every day.
Prior to moving to Italy I lived in (going back in time) Texas, Kansas, Texas, Montana, Texas, New Mexico, the UK, Turkey, Missouri, Thailand, California. Italy was the place I lived the longest, from 1997 until 2016, when I moved to Norway.
PRICES/COST OF LIVING
The average monthly net income for Italian citizens in 2016 was 1500 euros.
For Norwegians, in 2016, it was approx 4300 euros.
*We pay 145nok ($16) for a movie ticket. At our favorite theater in Italy we paid $9 for a weekend ticket, and $5 for weekdays.
*One portion of fried rice from a Thai or Chinese takeaway is about $18.
*A large pepperoni (salame piccante) pizza from Dominos is about $18.
DRIVING/TRAFFIC
Basically Norwegians follow the rules of the road, and Italians do not. It really is that simple. Norwegian police enforce the rules, while Italian police, well, don’t.
Merging into traffic here in Norway is a dream. People are patient and kind and understand that if they wait one second to let you in, all traffic moves smoother and everyone gets to their destination on time. They tend to leave safe space between the cars, too.
Instead, Italians see it as a personal affront. “Move in front of ME? Vaffanculo!” They are deeply offended if someone wants to pull in front of them, or even near them. And if you leave a safe space between you and the car in front? Forget it. Impossible. Any open space is a good place to put their car. In fact, in the south, if you are on a road that has three lanes, you can be sure there will be four and sometimes five cars next to each other in those lanes. Why? Because there’s space, which needs to be filled.
I used to speed in Italy. When I was all jacked up on the Klonopin and completely manic I drove 160kph (about 100mph) on the autostrada, like a complete and utter idiot. On normal days I drove the same speed as the cars around me, which were speeding. And no matter how fast i went, there was always someone wanting to pass, no matter what. And I never got a ticket.
There isn’t much speeding going on here in Norway. There are a few cars occasionally, and they are usually Audis, Mercedes and BMWS, so, like dickhead drivers all over the world. If there is a speed trap it is advised beforehand so there’s time to slow down, and you should really slow down. You will get a ticket for going 3kph over the limit.
POLLUTION/LITTERING
Norway is the cleanest country I have ever seen. We’ve gone to the beach to do clean-ups and have left with nothing in our bags. If there is anything, it’s usually crap that washed up from the UK. The streets are clean, and there are trash receptacles all over. It is possible to see the occasional piece of rubbish if you go downtown.
Italy. Well. I have seen people throw huge garbage bags out their car windows. I have never stepped in dog poop as much as I did in Italy, especially in Napoli. After a light summer rain there the streets steam with the smell of dog shit. And cigarette butts are all over, too. When we visit the fam in Napoli, we always need to blow our noses after a walk around the city, and it’s always black. Northern Italy is a teeny bit better, but Brescia, the city where I lived the longest and where the girls grew up, has been listed the most polluted city in Italy.
https://www.thelocal.it/20190122/these-are-the-55-most-polluted-towns-in-italy
Another thing about Italy is the lack of trash cans in public. There are very few, and they are always overflowing. The beaches are absolutely disgusting, especially the farther south you go. I remember wind surfing off the coast of Napoli and seeing syringes, poop and tampons floating by. It was real incentive to stay on that board.
We went to the zoo in Napoli about 15 years ago. That was one of the most depressing things I’ve ever experienced. There were people throwing trash into the animal enclosures, laughing. Then in the petting zoo, I saw a kid of about 5 jumping on the back of a turtle which his parents looked on with a complete lack of emotion, like cattle.
OK, with that depressing image, I shall stop, and go outside and breathe the clean air, and be thankful to live where kids don’t abuse defenseless animals while their parents look on.
Living with Complex PTSD 