Silvana

Can any Italian or long-term Italian resident help me with this one?

Basically, in Italy, do you tip hairdressers? If so, is this optional and only if the cut or service was exceptional or is it standard unless I'm really unhappy?

Also, how much would I tip and if there's a separate person washing or drying, do I tip them separately?

Grazie.

Hello all,

Sadly, my friend's mother has passed away. I want to support her but I'm really in a bit of a panic as I'm a foreigner living in Ireland and feel I don't know about Irish funeral customs.

Basically, I've never met the deceased or the family, but the daughter is a good friend. They're from a small village in the rural west of Ireland and I would say they are quite traditional people.

Is it better for me to go to the removal or the funeral Mass? Or both? I want to support my friend but do not want to impose.

Also, at the removal, what happens? We don't have this tradition in my own country, so I don't know what to expect at all. What should I say and do and will it matter that I'm not religious?

I would really appreciate some help from Irish people.

Thanks.

Would it be possible to make a living teaching English in Italy if I didn't have to pay any rent, but had to cover all other bills and expenses?

I have a CELTA.

Region would be the north east (Veneto)

Also, what kind of living? Comfortable or scraping by?

This has been going on for about two years and I've seen various doctors about this, but they are all quite non-plussed. I'm going to make another appointment today, but would love opinions/reassurance about what might be wrong as I tend to come up with worse case scenarios and, weirdly, the worse I tend to think it is the less likely I am to go and see the doctor.

Anyway. Symptons are:

- pain/pressure in my cheeks, cheekbones and jaw - not very severe but always there to a greater or lesser extent.

- swollen glands in my neck

- when it gets worse my jaws/teeth ache.

- it seems to get worse in Winter, particularly in very cold dry weather or when I'm in very smoky places.

To me this all sounds very sinussy but whenever I look it up it always mentions blocked nose/snottiness and I just don't get that at all.

Any thought?

Anyone here living in Rome?

I'm a Dutch woman with an Italian boyfriend and we are considering moving there in a few year's time by which point I hope to have at least reasonable fluency in Italian.

It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen plus I am a great fan of good espresso but I do realise being on holiday is not the same as actually living there so I'm looking for people with experience of living in this city and I would like to hear the good and the bad. Does anyone regret moving there and why? Or was it the best decision of your life? Was it hard to find a job? Will bureacracy drive me insane? Any firsthand experience welcome.

Thanks.

I've just moved into a new house with storage heaters and I do not know how they work. The landlady didn't really explain it properly but said it soaks up heat at night at cheaper rates and releases it during the day.

It has three dials. On the top there's "Input" 1-6 and "Output" 1-6. Then at the side of the heater, next to the on-off switch there's another 1-6 dial which isn't called anything in particular.

I reasoned the "Input" is for setting how much heat it takes in at night and the "Output" to turn up or down how much it releases during the day. So I set the "Input" dial at 4 all the time and the "Output" at minimum at night and I use it to regulate heat during the day. The one at the side I didn't touch at all as I haven't a clue what that's for and that was set at "3".

Is this right? I noticed it makes it very warm at night which seems a waste, or is that just the way it is with storage heaters?

Can anyone please help me to find the right settings?