Modena, Italy Report of what it's like to live there - 09/07/14
Personal Experiences from Modena, Italy
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
This was my first expat experience- and in fact, my first foreign experience at all.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Originally from Michigan. Any trip to the U.S. would require a stop to any major airport elsewhere in Europe. Most commonly in Germany or London.
3. How long have you lived here?
January 2008- May 2010.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Corporate.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Housing in and around Modena is difficult to find, and is generally apartments. Italian apartments do not come with a kitchen. You will have to purchase one and have it fitted prior to moving in. When you are apartment-hunting, you will often notice just plugs and wires hanging out of the walls where the kitchen should be. Purchasing your entire cabinetry, countertops and appliances is not unusual.
Sometimes, you will have to replace the bathroom fixtures as well, and even the light fixtures throughout.
Traffic in the area is considerable and chaotic. It's Italy!
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Grocery stores are very prevalent, but you will have to really watch the hours. Our local shop would often be closed on Mondays or Thursdays, and would never open before 10am. It was closed between 1 and 3, and then closed for the day around 7. However, just outside of the city you'll find large malls and grocery stores which are not subject to the same strange set of hours, so nothing's impossible!
Again, food is pretty inexpensive, as long as you buy items that are local. The availability of 'foreign' food is rare and marked up, so I wouldn't look for it. Particularly any Mexican/Tex-Mex.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
If you are being moved here, I'd ship in any Mexican food you might want, but otherwise, I choose to live locally as much as possible. Of course we'd do shopping when we went back to the U.S., but otherwise, it was all local, all the time.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
McDonald's is prevalent everywhere, but it isn't cheap. Most 'fast food' in Italy now is actually kebab! Very cheap and super tasty as it's usually made by Turkish immigrants.
The food in Modena?! Holy amazing. The best part of living in Italy is the food- hands down. Extremely reasonably priced and such great quality. Everything is always made fresh and the owners always take great pride in their food. Try every restaurant, and find your favorites and go there often. If you can, try gnocco fritto. It's an appetizer that is essentially gnocchi dough that isn't rolled, but deep fried, which causes it to puff up in pillows. It's served with charcuteri and you stuff the pillows with cured meats. So. Good.
An often overlooked aspect of Italian life is the apperitivo time. This is between 5pm-7pm, where cafes and bars serve drinks and small appetizer foods. Spend a few Euros for a glass of prosecco, and eat some fresh olives, mozarella cheese, mini quiches and lots more!
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Mosquitoes are terrible! Even worse, most places don't have screens, and you must keep your windows open at all times in order to try and stay cool! You can purchase removable screens, but you will have to unhook them whenever you need to close the shutters.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Do not, for the love of all that is holy, ever trust the Italian postal service to deliver any package. I once went with a friend who was looking for a package, and after trying to find the right person to speak to regarding it (took over an hour), the man looked at the slip, tapped a few keys of his computer, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Negli mani di Dio" It's in the hands of God. So... yeah.
2. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
Gyms are shockingly expensive, and extremely difficult to work with. You purchase a slot of time, and you can ONLY go into the gym to do your workout at that specific time.
3. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
It's all about the cash, baby.
4. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
A lot. As stated previously, Italians are not friendly towards foreigners, and despite an educational requirement to learn a second language- most take to Spanish or French- and not English. Begin learning Italian before you go if you can.
5. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Without question. The roads are 1000 year old cobblestone and they make zero allowances for anyone with disabilities. Toilets would not be accessible, and even entering some buildings would be next to impossible.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
The train systems are fantastic and reasonably affordable, dependent on where you are going and what speed you get there. At the very least, you were able to purchase your train tickets through a kiosk with either a card or cash, and you could choose your route knowledgeably. Never took the bus or taxi, but whenever we were traveling for work, the company would make us use a car service. If that gives you any ideas about the taxis.
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
I wouldn't bring your car. Especially if it's a nice car. Buy used, and buy small. Italian cars are subjected to a lot of torture in terms of wear and tear, keying and other petty attacks.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Widely available, and I think it was about 60E a month.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
No quarantine needed, and the Modenese are very friendly to dogs. However, i didn't have a pet at this time, so I am unfamiliar with care.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
NO. Italy does not open the possibility for work to very many people. While my husband was given the ability very easily with sponsorship from his company, I was given only permission to stay in the country.
2. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Work is generally quite formal, as is public. Walking around in the store in your yoga pants would be extremely frowned upon.
Health & Safety:
1. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
It's not great. Modena and the surrounding area is very industrialized, so you can expect to have a lot of grime in the air. Unfortunately, the area is also in a valley between mountain ranges, so you rarely get wind to help clear it all out.
On the plus side (?) there's not a whole lot of vegetation, so if you are allergic to grass or certain trees, there are very few allergy concerns here.
2. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Very short, relatively mild winters. Some snowfall, but usually not much and it melts quickly. Mid-February is when spring starts, and by May, you're looking at very comfortable temperatures. Italians will keep wearing their fur coats until June, but you won't need them.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
There's actually a very large expat community here, due to the two large employers. However, they are very disparate and unorganized. Once you find them, it can take some time to 'get connected', but when you do, you'll be happily connected.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Most social life here revolves around eating and drinking. Italians embrace this lifestyle, and there's no pressure for turning tables at a restaurant, so they expect you to sit and eat and drink for hours. Movies in theaters are dubbed, and there is one night a month where they play movies in original language.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
This is an interesting expat area. There are really two types of expats: Single guys who work for the Ferrari F1 team; and older, more settled families, who work for TetraPak (the two biggest employers in the area).
I would say because of that, this city works best for both families and singles, but is very difficult for couples. It took over a year for my husband and I to be connected into and a real part of the singles group- which was best for us, as they were the ones who tended to live in the city and were more active in meeting up for dinner/drinks or having outings.
Families tended to stick to the suburbs and had many activities with the international school and children.
4. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Italy is a very patriarchal society. They tend to allow male domination, and women are very much seen as sexual objects to be admired. One of their most popular TV shows at the time, was a very serious political discussion show, that had two men- one older and silver haired and the other younger, and both dressed very soberly in suits. However, the beginning of the show always started with two scantily clad women dancing around on the desk. And then they would sit there on the desk during the show. It was just really bizarre.
Also, Italians in the north, and especially around Modena, have serious racial issues. My husband is Asian-American, and had several slurs thrown at him, and a couple of incidents where he was confronted by Italians when he was by himself.
5. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
The food in this region is absolutely top notch. Emili-Romagna is the so-called 'bread basket' of Italy, so much of the pasta originates from there, as does Parmigiano-Reggiano, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, bolognese sauce... and may other things you've never heard of!
6. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
I highly recommend taking a tour to an acetaia (a-che-tie-ya) to see how they make balsamico. It is still very much a family production, and the best part is the tasting after the tour! You've not understood balsamic vinegar until you've tried one that is 50 years old!
7. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Aged balsamic and high quality cheese.
8. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
The special advantages should be fairly obvious. :-) Italy is known for its culture and the incredible sights that can be found throughout the country. However, please know that it is not as cheap as many people seem to expect. You can easily run a high tab going in and out of museums or using trains to get around.
Food and wine are very inexpensive and of extremely high quality.
9. Can you save money?
Yes and no? Food is cheaper but housing and vehicle (gas and insurance) is much higher.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
I wish that I had known just how difficult it would be to do minor things, such as just going to the grocery store. You have to look in every nook and cranny for the things you want, and it takes so much longer than you would have thought.
I wish I'd understood better the total lack of regard Italians have for the utter chaos that surrounds them daily.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
No. I would never move back to Italy.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Preconceived notions of being on vacation every day! It's not an easy place to live.
4. But don't forget your:
Italian language skills and taco seasoning.
