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Do Italians like the English? Uni friend is Italian, and I am always around them...

Basically, do Italians like the English/British?

I've got a very very good mate of mine who is Italian and we went to university together. Me and him are working together right now as freelancers. This means that I often meet up with him in this local coffee bar, to discuss projects.

He gets an Espresso, and goes off and talks to his mates in his native tongue, meanwhile I'm sat on my own sort of staring blankly around.

I don't know Italian (since im English) or understand the lingo, only making out the odd work here and there.

I'm from a seaside town, and there is a large influx of Italians opening restuarants, and they all know each other- its like a network of them. They all operate and run successful eateries. However, they are quite Clichy.

I don't mean this to discriminate, as I'm sure many other cultural groups can be like this. However, on one or a few occasions I've noticed when I'm mid conversation with my mate about a project, one of his Italian mates comes over and prods him/taps him on shoulder as if to say "listen to me not him"- and expects my mate to stop talking to me immediately so he can have a conversation with him.

Perhaps this guy is just rude, and its a limited experience. However, I have noticed it with this other one guy in the cafe. On this occasion, he starting almost shouting at me, slurring his words in Italian. He seemed really angry, and he looked at me as though he was disgusted and I had no place in the cafe.

Later my friend told me he is an alcoholic. It made more sense that I saw like 4 wine glasses, and a bottle of empty white wine (this was 11am in morning.). The guy soon left, and my mate was telling me about how rude he was to try and speak over me when I was clearly talking to him.

I hate going into the cafe now, because I feel like they are ridiculing me in their own language- sorry if it seems im judging. I'm not.

I actually really like Italians, they are funny, have wit and they know how to cook well! My mate is the nicest bloke you could meet, but by far the most tolerate Italian I've met of the English.

Reply 1

Anonymous #2

i don't think it's to do with their nationality, you can't just bundle so many people under one thing

he's in a foreign country, he probably speaks english most of the time, and is glad to speak in his native tongue. i suggest just asking him. if he's rude and mean, it's nothing to do with him being from italy. he's just an *******.

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

Original post by Anonymous

I know, I'm not trying to discriminate, as it may appear. I was just stating how I felt from my perspective.

My friend is a really nice guy, it was just those two experiences where said guys were complete a**holes.

Reply 3

Anonymous #3

It depends where you come from in Italy, where my family comes from it is in our normal nature to talk over each-other, so people constantly get louder and louder and everyone is talking to 10 different people at once.

Also unfortunately its true when I'm with English friends and im also with italian people/friends i do tend to veer of into italian as its just easier to communicate with the so person im speaking to, You will find this alot especially with older people due to language barrier.

WE are not trying to be rude, we are just like this !!
Hope you understand !