12273 Am moving to Naples this summer..

hello,
yes the Italians are so nice.
If make efforts with the language. You can easily be integrated..
We are both English , but we have managed to make some lovely friends. it does help with children. They are a topic of conversation, and i meet people at their after school groups they attend and the park

I also attend a dance class and my husband plays football to try and help us on with the langauge and locals

I do know some people who havn't been so lucky though , i am sure with the right positive attitude (and alittle bit of pushiness )

We also could be involved in another English speaking community and sometimes we need this. ( hence the forum) but we have limited it so we can integrate

Hi KirstyM

Whether you [I]think[/I] you [I]can[/I], or you [I]think[/I] you [I]can't[/I], you are probably right. anon

It sounds to me like you [I]think you can.[/I]

What a great opportunity overseas posting for you all. I imagine the Forces will even take away a load of the bureaucracy for you, leaving you to have a fantastic time with the locals.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

You're chances are very good Kirsty. :yes:

Naples isn't the easiest of places but your children will give you the inroad needed to make friends easily and quickly. Neapolitans are nosey beggars and will thrust themselves upon you and want to get to know who you are - you may find it quite overwhelming at first - but all you have to do is smile and try your best to understand that all the shouting, screaming, arm waving and hand gestures are just a sign of normality and fiery expression of a generous, kind hearted, loving and wildly passionate population.

A lot will depend on your own character and desires and on the area you choose to live in. Choose carefully and do not automatically go for the obvious. There are many very refined areas in Naples were people can be rather snooty and there are other areas, that on first view may appear somewhat downtrodden, where the people are a real community.

Naples is wonderful - a colourful, interesting, chaotic and vibrant city like no other - full of beauty, culture and sometimes perhaps even danger. The people are the same.

The Forces (especially American) have a big presence in Naples and often huddle together in "gated compounds" to the north of the city where other Force families are located and this can lead to an insular view of Naples. Most seem to complain that the local McD's is crap 'cus the buns don't have the right type of sesame seeds on them and conveniently forget that they can go eat a decent pizza for half the price if they want to.

What an experience this could be, not only for you, but also for your children! It will enrich all of your lives and I'm sure that when the time comes for you to leave, it will be with a very heavy heart.

Which areas are you considering? Do you have a choice or is accommodation provided?

PS. Welcome to the forum. :smile:

Hi, thanks for your replies.

Julian, we've been allocated a house in a gated parco in the North of the city - probably EXACTLY the kind of place you're thinking of. ANd I think therein lies my problem. We had no choice housing.
We had a look last week at the place & met some neighbours & they didn't leave us with a good impression. In fact I was told in no uncertain terms that 'with the best intentions in the world you will never mix with the Italians' . So that's me told.

However, the backpacker & traveller in me says otherwise.

I just don't see the point of taking a foreign job if you're not going to be challenged & if you're not willing to get amongst it all.

Thanks for the welcome to the site.

But you are not wanting to "mix with the Italians" are you? You are wanting to "live with the Neapolitans" so tell your neighbour to go to McD's if they want, but you prefer o' pizz' napuletane. :bigergrin:

Being on one of these allocated compounds does isolate you somewhat from the population and I suppose it can make it a little more difficult to integrate - to learn the language, the mindset, the culture - but only if you allow it to. Of course, it is easier to slide into a gated community where everyone else around you speaks the same language and shops at the same stores on an never ending hunt for Heinz baked beans and Bisto.

It's up to you to get out there, go shopping in the real markets, lean how to say "O' guaglione! Vattene!" grab a Nonna by the hand and get her to teach you how to make decent pasta e fagioli.

What options are open to you about schooling the children?

Kirsty, if you are a sociable person, enjoy interacting with people and try to speak Italian, you should not have any problems. Forget all the wrong advice received. Quite possibly, these people do not wish to mix with Italians and that is their mistake. Your children will help to open doors for you and I am sure that you will have many good friends in a short time.
Good luck and best wishes!

Kirsty I guess the people you have spoken to may not be in Italy or Naples by choice as I find it extremly difficult to understand their negativness as I have never encounted this personally or from all the Ex Pats I have met in this wonderful city.No its not London or anywhere else in the world for that matter,accept it for what it is and you will have the most wonderfull experiance of a lifetime.Good luck and keep us posted.

The Italians are great people, sure they do some things differently to us but who's to say what is right? Be friendly and polite to the people you meet, learn some Italian and have a bash, the locals will be pleased and flattered that you are trying. Eat local food, it's fantastic quality and enjoy the experience. Treat yourself to the odd expat experience but in general become part of the wider community and the rewards will be tremendous. Good Luck!

Naples is a bit different to other parts of Italy.
If you have visited and liked Delhi or Bombay then you will like Naples. Just don't worry about the piles of decaying rubbish scattered around the city, it's all part of the experience.
The people are friendly enough unless you are in a car.

Kristy, I am assuming you are from the UK. I also assume you will be or your husband will be working at the NATO base in Bagnoli. If you got a tour of the base you would have seen the Brit stores there and the other shopping areas. The support site is also very new and modern for shopping etc.
Did they mention to you that NATO will be moving to Lago D Patria in the very near future? If you had a choice you should opt for a villa near there. I lived in Lago for 4 years and had a ball. One advantage of living in the Parco is security, chances are you won't have your apartment broken into.
A foreign assignment is what you make of it. Like someone said ,a lot of the military are forced to be stationed there and don't want anypart of it. Take advantage of the situation and fall in love with Bella Napoli, you won't be disappointed.

Dan

Kirsty, you will be coming to an interesting, varied and wonderful city and you can make as much of it and the rest of Italy as you want to.
My husband was in the RAF and we were posted to Denmark in 1986, to Viborg. The British forces community there was very tight knit and I was told in no uncertain terms that I may be living in Denmark but stick close to the Brits, enjoy their (meagre) facilities because "the Danes are different to us"!!! (Told to me by a Lt.Col's wife who had hardly lived abroad in her life.)
We promptly looked for accommodation out of Viborg - a house in the middle of the woods - away from the British community - 1k from our nearest neighbour - I went daily to a college to learn Danish, I got a job in a shoe shop and we integrated into the local Danish community absolutely fine and loved the posting. We rarely joined in with the Brit community but when we did we found most of them hardly knew they were living in another country and moaned that they missed certain British foods! How narrow minded can you be!!!!
But our love has always been Italy, (Ron was posted to Latina for 6 months in 1983 and that started his love of Italy) so 20 years later we bought a house near Cassino (about an hour north of Naples) and although we aren't there full time yet (am selling my business in the UK) we spend lots of time there. We are learning Italian, we have been accepted really well by our village (all 43 of us) and local town of Picinisco (1208 pop) and feel we are blessed in being in such a wonderful country. It will take us the rest of our lives to explore and even then that isn't long enough.
I know you have children which could make it more difficult for you but again I have lived in Belgium with mine when they were young and got to know local people and the real Belgium. And the Italian love of children, they will be door openers for you I am sure.
It is up to you what you want, it isn't easy but it is possible. PM me if you want.
Best of luck.
Marlayn

[quote=KirstyM;118435]Hi, I'm Kirsty. We moving to Naples this summer for 2 years with the forces. We have 5 children.

We did a quick reccy trip this week without the children & we were met with quite a bit of negative feedback from other forces families.

I am quite keen to get to there, but I am not coming Italy to buy Heinz baked beans or to bring the UK with me.

Can someone reassure me please that we will be able to integrate ourselves into the life there. I am really looking forward to my children making friends with local children & joining sports groups etc. And me to make local friends too.

[I][B]What are my chances?[/B][/I] Thanks [/quote]

[FONT=Century Gothic]Good :bigergrin: To add to the excellent advice you have received so far, I can only add that having lived on three continents and in four different countries, the best advice I can give you is to mix with the locals as soon as possible. ‘’Forget’’ ‘’home’’ while you are away. Arrive with an open mind and a willing spirit, embrace the culture, experience everything that Italy has to offer and most importantly enjoy the experience. I would imagine that the Forces ‘culture’ is probably a lot different than company transfers but the experience will be what you make it. Your efforts will be worth it. Our experiences of international schools were not positive. (Not referring to Italy). We moved our youngest son to a local high school after 12 months much to his annoyance. It was the best decision we made and thankfully he agrees now. To understand a culture you need to learn the language [IMG]http://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/midi/froehlich/a068.gif[/IMG] [/FONT]

[FONT=Century Gothic][IMG]http://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/midi/froehlich/d020.gif[/IMG] and keep us posted on how you are getting on.[/FONT]