29 June 2008

Dear Blog

It's been a while. My excuses? Well, I went to England for a while, yes they have internet there too so that's not really an acceptable excuse is it. I did a mega clothes shop both for me and OH. I miss decent shopping so much, though now at least I know that I just don't have the choice here so I stock up in the UK and don't even look here anymore. Something else I noticed that I miss are the long summer nights. It gets dark about 8.30pm here in Naples, whilst in England the days seem so much longer with it not getting dark until something like 9.30pm.

My other excuse for being a bad blogger is that my Mum came to visit. We had a lovely time. I had my first trip to the beach this year, despite thinking I'm so white I would reflect the sun (not really, I had factor 25 on), I got a bad case of sunburn on my stomach and thighs :( Silly silly girl. Won't be doing that again. The pain!

We had lunch at a great beach restaurant in Procida. Yuuuummm. Big portions and friendly staff too.


Hungry?

Speaking of good staff, or not so good/appalling staff...We did a spot of supermarket shopping when the check out woman decided to count all her change while we were waiting to pay. I was through the other side waiting to bag up, whilst Mum was waiting to pay. We looked at each other, then at the woman, then at each other again. A queue was forming behind us. She continued to count her money. I was torn between saying something and thinking you're not in Kansas anymore Dorothy (ie Italy is not England where customer service is concerned). She finally finished counting then threw the stuff at me as she passed them through. Deary me. Mum asked if we could have filmed her so she could show in her shop how not to treat customers, but I said we'd probably be breaking some precious privacy law by doing that. I also tried to explain the reasons for such people - ie she's probably the daughter of the owner, or has a cast iron contract where she can do what she wants etc etc. Though even though I say these things I don't agree with any of my justifications, even if I didn't enjoy my job I couldn't be rude to customers (who are not rude to me) like that.

Anyway blog, I will try not to neglect you anymore (was going to say promise, but promise is a big word).

A presto,

Delina.

7 comments:

Leanne was in Italy now in Australia said...

Nice to have you back blogging! I agree that I miss UK shops too...I used to live down the road from Primark and used to go weekly with 5 pounds or once a month with 30 and see how much I could buy! I love Primarks...and H&M (there is one in Rome but so far away) and Top Shop and New Look...all of them!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

Welcome back to very hot Italia. Is it cooler where you are are? I'm kinda obsessed with the weather these days. ha.

Delina said...

Leanne, you're right, there are so many bargains to be had in the UK. I've been to H+M once in Rome, but I wasn't too impressed with what they had in at the time. I usually love H+M though.

NYC/Caribbean, it is too hot isn't it. This afternoon it came really scarily dark here and looked like it would rain, but it's just stayed dull without the rain :(((

Tui Snider @mentalmosaic said...

You're not the only one neglecting her blog... I let mine to wither away while I was in the USA, visiting family. That's what happens, though, when you've been away a while, seeing folks in 3D has a way (a pleasant way!) of taking over. Glad you're back, though. :)

~Tui

Anonymous said...

The money counting thing happened to me just this week too in Florence!
Also at the same shop, the queue was very long and was full of tourists. An Italian lady at the back of the queue marched up to the front where I was standing and complained to the lady that she was Italian and not a 'stranieri' and pushed in front of me to be served first!! Wouldn't happen in Australia....

'A Tuscan view.....from Umbria' said...

Oh I miss the high street shopping too. What I wouldn't give for an afternoon on Oxford Steet!

Gil said...

I'm glad that you made it to Procida my wife and I were supposed to go there last month and one thing led to another and we never made it.

What cracks me up about the check out clerks is they all seem to sit on stools or chairs. In the US they stand unless you run into to a clerk in a wheelchair.