Hi, everyone. And welcome back to your favorite segment Global Village. And today we're getting two girls from Italy back. Hi, Carlotta. Hi, Miky.

Ciao~

“Ciao A Tutti”.

In their first episode, we were talking about their experiences or our experiences across culture when it comes to food. Today I want to take a little deeper. I know that like last time they mentioned Carlotta has been in China for 4 years and Mickey has been in China for 5 years, and before they were traveling back and forth anyways.

So if you lived in a culture for that long, obviously you make your observations. You notice things that are similar to a culture and also things that are indirect contrast to your culture. Last time we mentioned food, there's a lot of similarity when it comes to food. I would like to first ask you this, when we have established that China and Italy we probably have the best food in the world, not probably, definitely.

Definitely!

For Chinese we always say 中国胃 like the Chinese stomach meaning wherever we go even if we go to other cultures, we tend to feel like we still have Chinese stomach. We can try other food but we will eventually just go back to Chinese food. Is that the same to Italians?

Yes. Like, even here, even if we live in China, I personally often cook Italian food at home. Just because it's what I'm used to, so in the daily life I'd rather eat, yeah, what I've always been eating since I was a kid, and then eat out like other kinds of food, but generally yes, that's what I'm used to so...

How long can you guys go on for without eating Italian food?

I think 2 days.

Same here. Same year with Chinese food. Don't get me wrong. I love Italian food. I can go on eating Italian food. But you know every 2 days or 3 days, I probably go like “Uh. I just want…”

You just crave something, it’s not just the food itself, it’s more the emotional attachment. You just feel you want something that reminds you of home and something familiar. Yeah, you can go a longer period I've gone longer than 2 days without Italian food, but then I had cravings, of course.

Yeah. But I definitely had more cravings when I was living in London compared to when I was in Italy, because they’re less similarities there.

Apart from food, what other similarities between our two cultures have you guys observed?

I think the attachment we have to our relatives to our family, so how important…

the value of family.

…the value family, yeah.

Family and home, this is the first one. And of course, the respect we have for old people like the seniority.

Yes. I have a question, in a big family, do you still have the idea of big family like the big family culture.

Yes we do.

And the whole家长like the head of the family, what's that like in Italian families now?

My grandfather is 92, which would be that person.

He still makes decisions?

Yeah, sure. He's the boss.

What about Carlotta is, is it the same in your family?

Not really the eldest person, no. But the person that is I don't know… no, in my family personally is not the eldest person that makes decisions, but still is like you would listen to what they say for sure, and you wouldn't go against them.

Do you have a lot of those specific rules? Because in China, in some more traditional family, for instance, growing up, we would say we have to have the oldest person at the table to start with his food and then everyone else can start. Do you have similar rules like something you have to look for the cues from the oldest person or head of the household?

This is a good question. I think in general you never start eating before other people.

But one person has to start first.

I guess altogether. But for sure you serve the elderly people first.

This is the thing, about the making decisions. Do they still have a say, like a bigger say in the family affairs?

Yeah, sure they do. Well my grandfather, as I said, is 92, so he's still like really active, but he's not gonna decide on everything, but for sure my dad is gonna ask him for, like an opinion for everything.

That is very interesting. And do you also have that idea of like, for us we would say there's almost like a family tribe or clan sort of culture. It's like you are one of us, like we are a family and then the in crowd and then the out crowd就是自己人和其他人的. Do you have that sort of idea?

Yes.

What about outside of the family with friends and acquaintance? What are the similarities that you have observed?

Yeah. I've noticed if I bring a friend home or someone I met and introduced him or her to my family, then they would be considered part of the family, because they're my friends, my acquaintances. So they will be automatically considered as such. So for my family also. So I feel like one of us. There is this sense of belonging and especially like I've learned that from my parents, I just treat everyone that comes to the house like your own relative, let's say.

Family member.

I remember, yeah. So very hospitable with guests and just to make sure everyone is comfortable and just they feel like at home, we say like your house is my house, just feel at home, do whatever you feel like, no formalities.

So it's very much in this sense, it's very much us and them sort of, if you're one of us, then we treat you we have all the friendliness and hospitableness there.

Yeah, once a person says like guarantees, let's say, or like introduces someone else from the outside group that is automatically…yeah.

Which brings me to the whole关系and熟人and you both speak Chinese you must know. So Miky, what do you think about this whole… does Italian culture have the idea of 关系and熟人?

We do. And we often think to listen to somebody like, if it's more important the relationship or if it's more important the competence of the person. And because 关系 is really important usually we give to the person also the competences. I don't know if I…

So if you need someone to do something, if you have to choose you rather choose 熟人 than someone professional, but you don't know.

Exactly. This is the point. This is yes, exactly.

I guess sometimes you also feel like you have to ask the person you know rather than the man exterior …like an external person, let's say someone in your family does a job or does something and you need that kind of service, it will be considered rude if you don't ask that person.

If you just go to the more competent but less familiar one. How do you maintain 关系? Do you drink together?

We eat.

So going back to food again.

With food.

Always, always.

Okay, and since we were talking about human relationships. One thing that I've always wondered about whether that's a similarity between Chinese and Italian culture is the hierarchy这种等级制度because you were talking about the elderly or the older person or head of the household having the final say in things. What about just generally in family or at work, do you have the whole seniority thing and then the hierarchy?

Yes, definitely.

Because I think it's common belief, but it's also the truth, I believe that, the eldest person is the wisest probably, or the one that has more experience than others. Maybe it's not the truth, but what it's commonly believed. So it's very hierarchical. The youngest is normally the one that has to learn and listen (Fetch and carry ) and the eldest tells.

Yes.

In today’s episode, we talked to Carlotta and Miky about the similarities between Chinese and Italian culture, we’re going to continue the talk in the next talk of Global Village. Meanwhile if you have any interesting cultural observation to share or questions to ask, leave us a comment in the comment section. We’ll see you next time.