Locals I Love is back this Thursday (I’ve been good lately!) and this time I am getting to know someone who I work with who is really pretty awesome and instrumental to helping me finangle my way in an Italian office, she is Christine Lasso Montesinos. A Panamanian girl, an administrative assistant & assistant Manager for the company we both work for, and also a social media manager. What’s her favorite drink? Cappuccino. I don’t blame her, lately all I have wanted was a nice cappuccino and a warm brioche. Without further ado – let’s get to know this spicy signorina a little better :).

How long have you lived in Florence and where are you from originally. 

I’m half Panamanian and Peruvian, and I have lived in Italy for 11 years. I’ve been in Florence since 2010, whereas before I lived in Genoa.

What brought you to bella Firenze and why did you decide to stay

My Love (aka – my husband) and the desire to change, these two things brought me to Florence. Genoa is a big city but without many jobs. I decided to stay because florence is a beautiful city and I have a fulfilling job that I like. 

What are you up to in Florence? Work, daily life, passions?

In Florence I work and live among the Florentines and many tourists who visit the city. I love this city because you always find a new angle for spectacular photos. It is a very romantic place and it is a city that loves and soaks up culture.

What annoys you about Florence? Tell me the truth! 

The truth! I get very annoyed when they decide to block the city and you must always figure out a way to get home as best you can; also I don’t understand why some buses don’t circulate more after 8 pm. Also I don’t like constantly being looked up and down everywhere I go, but that’s Italy —  not just Florence.

Do you think life in Italy is for everyone? Why does it work for you?

No, I do not think that life in Italy is for all. It is very difficult to get used to the working mentality, the ongoing instability of the government and the general insecurity of the country as a whole. I had the good fortune to study in Italy which enabled me to understand the world of work here and be able to find employment in this country. It works for me because I entered myself into the Italian mentality and also why I remain romantically linked to this country.

What advice would you give a newbie?

You should come to Italy to study, or on vacation or because the company you work for has transferred you. If you believe that Italy is the ideal place to start a career, unfortunately you will find yourself fighting against a wall that is very hard to break down. It takes a lot of time to adapt to the particular way of doing of dealing with some people. Also, I will not tell you about the insidious laws regarding staying in Italy legally…

Three finds/places everyone should know about in Florence? 

1. You can not come to Florence and fail to visit “The Uffizi” … art, culture and most of all – history!

2. Piazzale Michelangelo and the incredible views. Also in this area are many places like Flo to go out, get a drink and dance.

3. For a good hot chocolate or tea when it’s cold , you must try Hemingways

What’s the weirdest thing you have seen/experienced in Italy? 

On the bus, anything can happen … strange things happen everywhere. 

What can you do here and nowhere else? 

Eat! I would say that Italian cuisine can offer you something new that you definitely can find only in Italy.

How did you make friends and assimilate?

It depends … you can make friends at work, by attending some local courses, and of course, the gym

Favorite food {or recipe}. 

The ‘sfincione’ Sicilian pizza that looks like a pizza but it is very high and soft, the Parmesan, the tagliatta … I would take need to write a book 😉

If you had to make up a tagline for the city – what would it be? 😉 be creative! 

 romantic and stunning corners, good food and crazy people

Thank you so much Christine for taking the time to answer my questions, I am lucky to work with someone as super nice and helpful as you. Plus you just ‘get it’ which I personally find really refreshing. Also I kinda love that the last pic above was with me at this year’s Fashion Night Out. What a fabulous night!

Related articles

• Locals I Love – Ivo Riccio (girlinflorence.com)
• Local I Love, meet Alexandra Korey (girlinflorence.com)
• Locals I Love – Emilia & Aidan (girlinflorence.com)
• Locals I Love – Michela Simoncini (girlinflorence.com)