I was talking with my cousin who was in town for a week. He's from Calabria and currently resides in France while maintaining a residence in Rome as well.
We were talking about, well, European life and society. Lotsa interesting tidbits too numerous and intricate to name and recount here. One thing that was interesting was France's unbelievable interventionism. He owns a counter-restaurant in a Parisian market where, among other things, he has to pay 500 euros (a year I believe; could be month) to operate a radio.
Sometimes I wonder how far behind North America is.
The other issue we discussed was the Italian consumer. Apparently, in Italy, Italians do not touch 'Made in China' products. To them, that's a line they will not cross. Which, I suppose, in part, explains why SME's and artisans continue to thrive as viable businesses in Italy since they have resisted the temptation to "outsource" their brands and manufacturing to China. Italians have spent centuries mastering their arts and luxury products. They're not about to let that disappear it looks like.
Because Italy is more than a geographic expression..
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