Dear Temur,
Europe is not *a la US* -- it followed a totally different path. It reunited
different cultures and countries who'd been fighting against each other till
50 years before. Now we've been trying to overcome our differences and be as
one. It was a dream, it's become reality. Yes, it's so great for me -- I
began my life paying with a national currency and all of a sudden I began to
use an international currency.
Europe is not the USA -- it's not just different states as far as topography
is concerned. We have always been so different from each other since the
Roman Empire split up. After 2000 years, we're united again, and this time
it's a common choice based on principles of equality and democracy. Of
course, politicians have always been what they are. That goes without
saying.
But the people have changed. Their minds do not perceive the old physical
boundaries anymore, or at least not as strongly as they did before.
Nothing is ever perfect in a state -- and it takes a lot to improve things.
You have no idea of how we struggled here in the late 1990s to be admitted
in Europe, but it was worth it. Before all this, I felt I lived in a country
surrounded by other countries. I didn't realise what it'd be like, until
after the changes were made. It was such a big thing!
My grandfather was moved when he used the euro for the first time -- he had
had to shoot and fight against German people in WWII.
I am sorry you can just think about the job market when different people
decide to forget centuries of blood sheding. Luckily, the world is not just
economy.
I hope I have been able to describe the way I feel and the way most people
feel here.
Sara


----- Original Message -----
From: "Temur Kobakhidze" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 7:45 AM
Subject: Re: TSE Digest - 8 Sep 2003 to 9 Sep 2003 (#2003-202)


> Oh does it really feel so great for an Italian to seem in a way similar to
> an American? Does it stimulate your patriotic feelings when you realize
you
> are not just an Italian anymore but also a
> new-cut-sample-unified-European?:-) Did you feel in any way different
> BEFORE the introduction of Euro and the unification of Europe *a la US*?
> What about the new rates in Italy and the job market? I often travel to
> Italy and can witness changes that sadly enough, do not seem altogether
> optimistic to me _____. However, maybe it's just a tourist's perception.
>
> Temur
>
>
>
> > Date:    Tue, 9 Sep Trevisan <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Psychics
> > 2003 09:40:32 +0200
> > From:    Sara
> > Messaggio in formato MIME composto da piy parti.
> >
> > ------=_NextPart_000_0011_01C376B6.69D380A0
> > Content-Type: text/plain;
> >         charset="iso-8859-1"
> > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> >
>
> > Here in Europe, we've gone through a great change lately. It's strange =
> > but wonderful to feel no longer only 'Italian', but also 'European'.=20
> > So, maybe it's something similar to that for the USA? Different cultures
=
> > being unified by common ideals?
> > Cheers --
> > Sara
> >
>