Mao vs. Marco Polo

The Chinese student community of Italy ain’t too happy with the country which hosts them. An Italian university professor did some blog surfing and came out with some interesting facts by young Chinese students who live and study in Italy. One of the things that the Chinese have noticed is the level of English of Italian university professors. Their conclusion? “They’re level of English basically sucks!”, was the less-than eloquent analysis of Mao’s descendents.

Many also feel that if they want “culture” it’s better to go off to France. Debatable this last observation but one that no doubt would make Mr. Sarkozy extremely happy.

Another interesting observation was the petty crime rate in Italy. Some Chinese students noticed the following odd thing which I personally have noticed for years now: how for example at the Termini train station in Rome (the main one and Italy’s largest) Italians at times will warn foreigners and/or tourists to be careful of pickpockets. The Chinese noted: “Well, if you know who they are, why don’t you do something about it then”! This is very common in Rome’s subway where train personnel will actually warn passengers via the PA system that as they approach the stations there are pickpockets ready to pounce on them. Another case which was noticed by some Chinese students was an Italian fellow who had helped them purchase stamps from an automated machine. Indeed very kind was the fellow, but from the Chinese he wanted 5 euros for his precious “assistance”!

And naturally, the Chinese have criticised Italy’s obnoxious sense of bureaucracy where one spends loads and loads of time filling out endless forms and what not for some of the simplest things in life. As a friend of mine noted recently upon his arrival at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, it took him about 1 hour to rent a car. The reason? Well, the computer had run out of paper…I can only imagine how Joe Blow would react to the same thing happening at the Avis counter at JFK.

This brings to my mind what had occurred many years ago at Porta Portese, the weekly Sunday flea market in Rome. American tourists boarded a tram. The driver warned passengers that there were also pickpockets on board. The Americans asked themselves the same question as the Chinese (and me): “Well, if you know they’re on board, why don’t you do something about it”? But nothing is ever done and several tourists per day in Rome end up losing their wallets and/or passports. I would say in 90% of the cases many go away saying, “Never again in Rome” (I’ve personally had to do with foreign tourists who have been ripped off and have uttered the very same statement)! Not the greatest way to promote the Eternally (Chaotic) City, nor the country itself.

And while perhaps the Chinese are not THE most organised people in the world, it is after all a Chinese university that compiles each year the world’s top 500 universities. Harvard is naturally no. 1. The first Italian university comes in at around position no. 72 and is Rome’s La Sapienza (with some 200,000 students). The University of Toronto is in the top 30. My three universities are all there: Manitoba, Queen’s and Leicester. The university where I’m currently teaching English (and where many profs DON’T know English if their lives depended on it) isn’t even on the list.

So perhaps the Chinese know a thing or two about what they’re talking about. After all, their history is ”only” 5,000 years old, some 3,000 years older than Italy’s…