I think I’ve met hundreds of sicilians these five years, perhaps thousands and it is very interesting to see that many has been to Scandinavia for work or holiday. Many does the cruises that visits all the capitals or the Norway coastline, and have also met sicilians who have rented a car and drove from south to north. Some has also lived there and many men has had a story with a scandinavian woman (something most of them regret ended). Sicilians love to talk about the world and generalize. I do not say much back (even if I write alot here in the blog) and just answer very shortly. It is more interesting to listen to their views. Most of sicilians do not understand how I could leave Scandinavia and move to Sicily, they think I am insane. They also have a quite unrealistic view of Scandinavia, for them it is like Paradise and they use the word often. Well, I agree it is one of the best places to grow up in, but it is not all perfect. We have problems too, but it is quite difficult to compare because the social-, family- and political system is totally to the contrary to Italy. The first things they always say about e.g, Sweden are five: 1) It is very clean, 2) children do not cry, 3) people smile on the streets, 4) beautiful people, 5) incredible order.

Sicilians rarely talk good about their culture and people. When I try to say something positive I often get interrupted. That is quite sad because the vision I have of sicilians is very positive (except when you get involved in a family). Personally I have been very well treated with only three big issues to solve. I have though seen that the way they treat eachother and foreigners is different. As a foreigner I feel welcomed in Sicily despite what the rumours says. The sicilian system and culture is very easy to understand. Sicily shows one side for visitors and there then is another side that comes up to the surface when you have lived here for a while. I will write more about that later.

What I like about Sicily you can find HERE

Svenska

Jag tror att jag tr?ffat hundratals sicilianare dessa fem ?r, kanske tusentals, och det ?r mycket intressant att se att m?nga har varit till Skandinavien f?r arbete eller semester. M?nga g?r kryssningarna som bes?ker alla huvudst?der eller Norges kust , och har ocks? tr?ffat sicilianare som har hyrt en bil och k?rt fr?n s?der till norr. Vissa har ?ven bott d?r och m?nga m?n har haft en historia med en skandinavisk kvinna (n?got som de flesta av dem ?ngrar tog slut). Sicilianare ?lskar att prata om v?rlden och generalisera. Jag s?ger inte mycket tillbaka (?ven om jag skriver en hel del h?r i bloggen) och svarar kort. Det ?r roligare att lyssna p? deras bild. De flesta av sicilianarna f?rst?r inte hur jag kunde l?mna Skandinavien och flytta till Sicilien, de tror att jag ?r galen. De har ocks? en ganska orealistisk bild av Skandinavien, f?r dem ?r det som paradiset och de anv?nder det ordet ofta. Jo, jag h?ller med om det ?r en av de b?sta st?llena att v?xa upp i, men allt ?r inte perfekt. Vi har problem ocks?, men det ?r ganska sv?rt att j?mf?ra eftersom det sociala- , familje- och politiska systemet ?r helt i motsats till Italien. De f?rsta sakerna de s?ger alltid om t.ex. Sverige ?r fem : 1) Det ?r mycket rent, 2 ) barn gr?ter inte, 3) m?nniskor ler p? gatorna , 4) vackra m?nniskor, 5) otrolig ordning.

Sicilianare talar s?llan bra om deras kultur och folk. N?r jag f?rs?ker s?ga n?got positivt blir jag ofta avbruten. Det ?r ganska tr?kigt eftersom den vision jag har av sicilianare ?r mycket positiv (utom n?r du ?r iblandad i en familj). Personligen har jag blivit mycket v?l behandlad med endast tre stora fr?gor att l?sa. Jag har dock sett att det s?tt som de behandlar varandra och utl?nningar ?r annorlunda. Som utl?nning k?nner jag mig v?lkommen p? Sicilien trots vad ryktena s?ger. Det sicilianska systemet och kulturen ?r mycket l?tt att f?rst?. Sicilien visar en sida f?r bes?kare och sen finns en annan sida som kommer upp till ytan n?r du har bott h?r ett tag. Kommer skriva mer om det senare.

Det jag gillar med Sicilien finner du H?R.