Revised and Expanded Edition of "Private Life in Italy," a must-read for travelers to Italy
·The first book in the "Global Traveler's Guide" series, in which locals introduce their own culture.
·Newly updated Italian mafia and language, deeper food and culture stories

The first book in the 'Traveler's Guide to the World' series, a representative series of Niche Bookstore, is back.
"A Very Private Italy" is a revised and expanded edition of "A Private Life in Italy," which was published in 2017 and has become a must-read for travelers to Italy and readers interested in Italian culture.
The 'Guide for Global Travelers' series, a representative series in which locals introduce their country's culture, has captivated readers curious about the differences between foreign cultures and Korean culture through books such as 'Extremely Private Nepal', 'Extremely Private France', and 'Extremely Private Russia'.
"A Very Private Italy" is the first book in this series and has become a steady seller, receiving favorable reviews from readers.
This revised and expanded edition features a whopping 45 additional pages, inviting readers to discover the charms of Italy with even richer stories.

I hope this book will help to dispel some of the preconceived notions about Italy and be of help to Korean readers preparing to travel to or study in Italy.
I hope that through my story, Italy will become more familiar and likeable.
I will never stop talking about Italy.
I will do my best to help many people discover the true face of Italy by using myself as a 'bridge'.
---From the "Revised Edition Prologue"

Of course, as it is a large city and the wealthiest area, the people are sensitive to trends and have an urban charm, but to people from other areas, it seems like they live a very tough life.
When I want to tease my Milanese friends about Starbucks' presence in Milan, I say this.
“Hey, ugly Milanese friend! Starbucks! Now I can’t even have a proper cup of coffee.”
---From "Coffee, the Italian's Comma"

I saw a lot of really funny scenes while I was in Korea.
They are seen arguing with each other in front of the cash register, saying, “I told you I’ll pay!”
The Italian word 'calore' (warmth), which can be translated as 'affection', naturally came to mind.
I wonder if pretending to be angry and yelling when the other person pays first is similar to this.
I'm talking about that scene where he gets angry and says, "I was going to get off!" but his face is smiling.
---From "There is no 'Italian Restaurant'"

The meme of Italians risking their lives for pizza is actually half true and half false.
Italians are serious about food, not pizza.
And I think the harmony of food is very important.
Let's think about it this way.
What if you were to drizzle strawberry syrup on a deliciously simmered soybean paste stew right before your eyes? Wouldn't you immediately exclaim, "Why are you playing with your food?" For Italians, pineapple pizza is akin to this kind of prank.
---From "There is no 'Italian Restaurant'"

The reason why present-day Italy retains its unique Italian diversity is because it has continued the tradition of a city-state.
I don't think we should just keep traditions when it comes to ingredients or making food.
Italy's greatest strength is its unique regional flavor.
Therefore, I think that regional languages ​​also play a big role in maintaining their own unique characteristics.
---「Italy's official languages ​​are 28」

If you gathered 100 Italian men and asked them what was the most important thing in life, 99 of them would probably answer like this.
“Of course it’s a woman!”
Meeting an attractive woman, praising her, dating her, and being her companion are the most important things in life, so it is natural to be interested in and kind to all women, regardless of nationality.
It's a bit disappointing for an Italian man to think of it as simply 'talking'.
---From "Italian Men Don't Confess"

The Sicilians also did not suffer any harm if they obeyed the Gabelotti.
Then, when something happened, I went to my boss and begged him.
"Do you know how loyal I've been to you? I think this guy is going to ruin the business." Then the boss clicked his tongue, as if in The Godfather.
The next day, the competitor's business was in ruins.
---From "The World of the Mafia"

The stadium is filled with excitement and heat, and the players finally enter one by one.
All the players have nicknames.
Kim Min-jae, who transferred to Napoli in 2022, was nicknamed 'Monster'.
When the stadium announcer calls out “The Monster from Korea! (IL MOSTRO SUDCOREANO!),” the crowd chants in unison, “Kim! Kim! Kim!”
The cheers of 50,000 people send shivers down my spine.
The adrenaline of the believers welcoming the apostle of the soccer god shakes the entire city.
---From "The Land of Soccer and F1"

One of the places you must visit when you go to Italy is the outlet mall.
At Italian outlets, you can buy good quality and relatively inexpensive clothes and shoes even if you don't know the brand.
It feels very different from Korean outlets, which have a lot of ready-made products.
If you come across a product from a company that is not well known but has good quality, wouldn't it soon become your own luxury item?

---From "Tribes of Youth You Can Meet in Italy"