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Every city faces both challenges and successes. Our team, formed by two Italian guys, Giulio and Giulia, and two Lituanians, Ieva and Rapolas, has decided to present their respective cities in a fun way. We have chosen some memes which are particularly representative of the problems but also the goals of our own cities.
Rome and Vilnius, these are the places where we live... such lovely cities with diverse architecture and people. But it’s only the locals who know their cities’ mysterious problems and positive achievements best. Nowadays, social networks are an integral part of everyone’s daily life. So, as said before, in our own social media bubbles, we often find funny memes that present current news in an entertaining but at the same time insightful way. We have tried to propose some memes for each city and tried to clarify their meanings.
Behind the Scenes of Rome
Virginia Raggi: the Mayor of Rome from 2016 to 2021. She is the subject of many hilarious memes, because she has unfortunately left a bit of a negative footprint in Rome. “Thanks to this mayor, we now have a problem with, for example, waste management and public transport,” says Giulio.
Rome is a historic city with many impressive architectural sights and beautiful streets. However, like in any other city, tourists don't see the greyer parts of the city. “I think I would feel that way living in neighbourhoods like i Ponti, Tor Bella Monaca, Nuovo Corviale or Laurentino,” says Giulia.
The third meme describes a famous monument called The Mouth of Truth. According to an enduring mediaeval legend, it will bite off the hand of any liar who places their hand in its mouth, or, alternatively, any who utters a lie while their hand is in the mouth. Interestingly, it is now possible to see the sculpture and put your hand in it for a fee of EUR 2. This fee also includes permission to take one photo, no more. It is a nice example of connection between traditions and our current culture, but it perfectly shows how Rome is a city sufficiently based on tourism.
Behind the Curtain of Vilnius
Translation: "When you apologise in front of your guests for not having time to tidy up your room: It used to be better, and there really wasn't such a mess, such chaos".
The main idea behind this meme is the unorganised waste management in Vilnius. A former mayor of the city comments on the current situation. Although the problem has probably not affected all Vilnius residents, Rapolas comments: “Now I have to walk for about 5 minutes to the nearest garbage containers to throw my rubbish away... We used to have a bin in our backyard.”
Translation: "My peers: raising children. Me: [image]".
The person in this meme is the current Mayor of Vilnius. The joke is that he is obsessed with trees and other plants. In this photo, he is standing on one of Vilnius' busiest streets, which he decided to narrow in order to plant trees in the middle. Although drivers don't always like the solutions, Vilnius is becoming greener and greener. “I love cycling in a city that is green and reminiscent of nature,” says Ieva.
Translation: "The situation of the mount remains under full control".
The main symbol of Vilnius is Mount Gediminas. Even the logo of Vilnius Municipality features the silhouette of the tower built on the hill! Unfortunately, in the last few years, the hill has been facing problems including landslides. And although the mount is slowly collapsing, the public is reassured that everything is fine. Meanwhile, internet users are creating funny photo montages and memes.
Even though our cities face a few problems, we love them very much and are happy to live there. With this little article we hope that you have found this "journey" interesting and we hope to have lightened your curiosity in our cities: we would really like you to visit them and personally verify what we have explained.
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