Best wishes for the new year

2011 hasn't been too good a year for Italy (along with some other countries). Because of the well-known crisis, the Italians have been forced to cut in an already tight budget. But where do you make these cuts when a normal salary or pension is only 600 euros or so? 

Unlike in Norway, for Christmas here in Italy people have mostly been buying un pensierino (a small present), because they can't afford to buy what they really want.

Families are having trouble paying their bills and getting wages to last all month. Several shops (ie butcher shops) have thus begun to make packages that contain meat, pasta, sauce, etc and sell at a cheap price to help people in need.

Businesses are closing down because of la crisi (the crisis). In a very short time my nearest newsagent and bakery had to close down. They closed for the summer holidays, but never reopened. Several months ago there was a fire in the local bar in the piazza and it had to close down. I don't think it will ever reopen. And when friends meet in the street all they are talking about is la crisi.

A note in one of the Italian newspapers reveals how hard life can be in Italy at the moment. But it also shows that people help each other in times of need...

(Scroll down for the English translation of the note)

Pensionata sorpresa a rubare, i Carabinieri prima l'arrestano e poi la invitano a pranzo. I militari sono intervenuti in un supermercato dove i titolari avevano pizzicato una donna a rubare carne a un valore di 20 euro. L'intervento dei militari ha consentito di fermare la donna che stava tentando di allontanarsi e di recuperare l'intera refurtiva. Una volta condotta in caserma, la donna, una pensionata 60enne, ha ammesso con un certo imbarazzo le proprie responsabilità. 

Ma la storia non è finita con la stesura del verbale. Dopo aver raccontato ai Carabinieri la dinamica del furto, ha spiegato i motivi del suo gesto, dettato dal fatto di non avere i soldi per fare la spesa e di non sapere come fare a sbarcare il lunario con la magra pensione. I militari, commossi dalla sincerità della donna, dato anche il periodo di feste, hanno prima fatto una colletta per farle la spesa e poi l'hanno invitato a pranzo. 

La pensionata, pur consapevole dell'errore commesso per il quale risponderà di furto davanti alla magistratura, non ha mancato di ringraziare i Carabinieri per l'umanità e la gentilezza dimostrati.

(English translation)

Pensioner caught stealing, the Carabinieri (the Military Police force) first arrest her and then invite her for lunch.

The Carabinieri intervened in a supermarket where the owners had caught a woman stealing meat to the value of 20 euros. The Carabinieri's intervention allowed them to recover all the stolen goods. Once taken into the police station, the woman, a 60 year old pensioner, admitted with some embarrassment that she was responsible.

However, the story did not end here. After having explained to the Carabinieri how she carried out the theft, she also told them that she did it because she didn't have any money to do her shopping. The Carabinieri, moved by the woman’s sincerity, "passed the hat around" at the police station to collect money so they could do some shopping for her, and then invited her for lunch.

The pensioner, which have to answer for her crime before the magistrates, thanked the Carabinieri for the humanity and kindness which they showed her.

I really hope that 2012 will be a much better year for everybody...

BUON ANNO FROM ITALY