Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Dear rude Anonymous Italian,

Clearly you have a problem. I've never even been to Torino, so I have no idea what you're talking about. That you only see ugliness in all Italian cities says more about you than about me.

Why are you constantly coming on my blog and trashing my POV of the country I choose to live in?

I have a French passport. If I wanted to live in France I would do so. You, as an Italian, can live in another EU country. Why are you still living here? Move to France, England, Holland etc. It's obvious you have no intentions of trying to make things better here, so go. Note, my parents are French and trust me the French give the Italians a run for the money when it comes to bureaucracy.

I cannot wrap my head around why you would read an expat's blog who moved to Italy in the first place. Since you hate Italy so much, why the fuck are you reading my blog? What's the point? What are you trying to do? Convince me to see Italy through your POV? I'm not you, so how could I?

Given how much bitterness is in your heart and your lack of a life, I'm glad I'm not.

You must have me confused with someone else. I know and so does anyone who reads a newspaper knows Italy has its problem. As does every single country on the planet. If you're looking for paradise, good luck with that.

You're the one with the rose-colored glasses. You are NOT American and therefore have no idea what it's to live there. Don't you fucking dare tell me, a black first-generation American, how I should feel about the country I grew up in.

Basta.

30 comments:

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Hi I follow you through Google reader, think I found you on Bleeding espresso, and a few others.

How nasty, of this anonymous reader. Not sure what they actually said, but so true that every country on the planet has problems. Anonymous, I hope you don't come to England!!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

Ciao Anne, I had to start moderating comments because this person was constantly sending obnoxious comments that had nothing to do with the posts. Bizarre.

I would never go to an Italian's blog who moved to L.A. and say they're crazy for loving that city. Why would I care if they do?!

carrieitly said...

Jumping up and down while clapping! Brava!!

Viajera said...

I really, really want to visit "ugly", "hateful" Italy. Sign me up! :D

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

carrie - grazie. It's funny this commenter is always saying Roman are rude, boorish people with no manners. Hello? Pot/Kettle. I wonder if he doesn't read his posts before he sends them. He's beyond rude.

Viajera - ha. exactly. I can barely run my errands because of all the tourists here. I guess all of them must have rose-colored glasses on as well.

gibber said...

*slow clap*

I just don't get some people. If you hate it SOOO much, why read your blog? Is he a masochist? You keep doing you, and enjoy the country that you have come to love. There are negative nancies everywhere.

Is there no way to block his email/IP so that you can't even get his posts?

erin said...

whoa! watch out :) I had to go back and try to find some comments from this person. didn't find too many so I prob didn't look back enough. ...or, wait - you just didn't publish them?

sucks though :( negativity is never productive.

Anonymous said...

don't misunderstand me: I have a life.
And I'm not bitter anymore.
Because I don't work in the shithole called Rome anymore.
I just love having fun with people who live in Rome... thinking about the miserable life in Rome :-)

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

I'm pretty sure I've had the same arsehole commenting on my blog too; I thought he was just a disgruntled Calabrian based on things he'd write about Calabria, but obviously his rancor extends much further. Poverino to live with such pointless rage inside.

Rose in Cali said...

BRAVA! You are living your dream (and those of others, I might say!) and that is what's important. Just because you don't post negative observations doesn't mean you aren't aware of them. Clearly, the naysayer cannot see the goodness of life, wherever s/he is. How sad for them.

Claudia said...

There are rude people everywhere, just as there are people that are just wonderful. I guess it depends what you look for the most, no? and yeah, often what you give is what you get! But I don't get why this anonymous has a bone to pick with you for actually enjoying Rome??

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Very very rude of anonymous and good for you for sending him/her a comeuppance. Some people always see the glass half full. Best way to deal with it is the delete button too.

milanese masala said...

Instead of leaving nasty comments on your blog, this Anonymous Italian should use his/her time to actually do something proactive to change the situation in this country. But that probably won't happen since trolls are usually cowards. Stay positive Ragazza!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

gibber - there must be a way to do so. I'm going to look into it.

erin - I stopped publishing them. He would make a negative comment even on a post about the World Cup which had NOTHING to do with Rome or Italy.

anon - actually you don't have a life. I've seen you do your whole "commie blocks" routine on other blogs and even on articles in international newspapers. What you are doing not is not fun. It's harassment. I find it very interesting that one of your main complaints about Romans is their rudeness. Yet you don't think you're rude. You are. You have no class or manners so I find it funny that you have the nerve to talk smack about Romans. You, not I, have the miserable life.

michelle - I truly don't understand that mentality.

rose - exactly and I have talked about the drama of getting my residency or my Italian driver's license. Even the freaking header on my blog makes it clear I'm not buying into some kind of Under A Tuscan Sun fantasy.

C - It's so weird. I would understand why an Italian would be offended if I had a blog that did nothing but trash the country. But to leave obnoxious comments because sometimes I say good things about Italy? What the what?

ccl - normally I do but his last missive was so wrong I had to say something. I'm done with him.

milanese - very true. My Italian friends do complain about their country sometimes but all of them are involved in their communities, work hard and try to make things better.

LaNocciola said...

Eeshk, I wonder why people put some much energy into actively hating? So strange.

And for the record, I find your blog (and Michelle's and Sara Rosso's and Rachel Roddy's) very honest, open anecdotes of life as expats in Italy. No rose tinted glasses or romanticisms, but honest anecdotes of the realities and frustrations of Italy.

Korie said...

That's just...weird. I mean, um, you don't like Rome. You no longer work their/live there, whatever. So you, um, go complain on the blogs of people who like Rome? Dude, go somewhere else or get a hobby or something. Yeesh.

Sonia @ My Sweet Monkey said...

There's someone bad mouthing MY city?!?! I don't know what he said about Torino and I don't care but I LOVE TORINO... AND ALL OF ITALY! It's not perfect, but it's perfect for me!

GGirl2 said...

I think his is a case of "misery loves company"! Shove off guy, you won't find it here. Brava NYC!!!!

Bernie said...

If Romans are rude, I'd like to see you in Caracas... I have no idea of what you are saying.

Nice blog. I've been reading for a while but never posted. Yes, Italy has it's drawbacks (just moved in), but I find it just beatifull...

Cheers!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

LaNocciola - Like the American comedian Katt Williams said, "Haters goin' hate. That's their job. Let them hate." ha

I don't know Rachel's blog. I should check it out. Thanks for reading my blog.

lilacspecs - exactly. That would be like me posting negative things about Los Angeles everyday. I don't live there any more and I'm busy.

sonia - I haven't been to Torino but from what I read it's nice city. I've never heard anyone, except for Rude Anon, describe it as ugly.

GGirl2 - True misery does love company. Before moving here I spent 10 years swimming in an ocean of rage and bitterness. I don't need that energy on my blog.

bernie - seriously, I can think of some my Caribbean relatives who put the "R" in rudeness. Of course they don't think they are rude...just blunt. ha

Grazie for the compliment and good luck with your move here.

Anonymous said...

There is always someone lurking in the shadows or via a computer to unleash unnecessary rude and ignorant comments. I'm glad that you stood up to this person. Maybe they'll take a hint and get a hobby.

Ciao,

Ms. Violetta

Tina said...

I love my terrible life in Italy. :-)

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

ms. violetta - I know we should ignore the trolls but I had to say something at least once.

tina - You do?! Clearly you MUST be wearing rose-colored glasses as well. :)

Anonymous said...

Why do you publish a blog if you can only tolerate people agreeing with you? I have always wondered why bloggers get so incredibly defensive when their pov is criticized... Who cares? I guess I'll be anon too so your readers don't start a holy war with me as well.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

anon -

Perhaps you should work on your reading comprehension skills. Most of my posts are not about politics, religion or any kind of subject in which someone would need to argue or debate.

Nobody is starting a holy war with anyone. A personal blog is not a newspaper or a PSA. You do not get to tell someone how they should run his or her personal blog. If I was blogging for the New York Times, that would be a different story. And yes, that site moderates comments as well.

I have no problem publishing comments with different POVs and I do so all time. However, I do not and will not publish comments that are off topic, rude, incoherent, bullying, etc.

Some blogs don't even allow Anon comments. The only reason I do is because several commentors can't access their Blogger/blog I.D. at work.

Anonymous said...

My husband and I are considering a move to Italy. He is Italian and wants to return home. I have noticed though that Italians tend to dwell on the negatives about their own country while Americans dwell on the positive. The truth is every country has problems. You just have to choose what works best for you.

Passage to Italy said...

Ciao Ragazza!!

I just started reading your blog, and I think it's a shame that someone expends so much energy on trying to trash your blog. If he/she doesn't like it, he/she has the OPTION of NOT reading.

I, however, LOVE Italy, and will be moving there in September. :)

Can't wait to read the rest of your posts!

grouchyasswoman said...

Wow, you really gave him/her a good blast! I agree, all countries have their flaws!

Audra said...

What I find funny that anonymously commenting on a blog, complaining and choosing to do nothing productive about it like lobbying a local politician or actually speaking out is conveniently and absolutely typical of an Italian anyway. Sorry for the generalization.

But I do agree with anon that a *lot* of Expats see Italy as this paradise when it's not and people live and work in Italy just as everyone else in every other country does- albeit with much lower salaries and depending on what you're looking for, a lower standard of life.

But good for you for sticking up for yourself. I like your blog.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

anon - very true. Each country has its own DNA.

passage - good luck with you move!

ladydai - exactly, my parents live in a place many people visit and claim it's paradise" but there are problems there as well.

that girl - I don't get the constantly complaining but doing nothing to change things, attitude. Thank God my Italian friends are not like that. As far as too many expats thinking Italy is paradise, it depends on what they left behind and what they're looking for.