Since I’ve moved to Milan it has been very difficult to find people born and raised here. It seems like the real Milanese are a disappearing species leaving the city to us ‘invaders’ coming from all over the World. In a very traditional country like Italy, Milan is a beautiful exception made of a mix of cultures. In this series, I want to discover the city through the eyes and experiences of the people that have chosen to make a life for themselves in Milan.
Like my assistant suggested, I have to be the first of the series also because you can not ask other people to talk about their lives without giving something of yourself.
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Università Statale, Milano[/caption]BACKSTORY
I've been blogging since the blogging stone age, and lately, with the move en masse to Instagram of everyone I know, it made me think of what I loved about writing online in the first place. I've always loved telling stories, and they were usually long and full of details, no one wants to start me on topics I love, so in 2010 I thought that a blog would be the best place for me to write thoughts and share my everyday life as a guide of Milan. The first article I remember was about an exhibition, PIG ISLAND by Paul McCarthy at Fondazione Trussardi. More exhibition reviews followed, and in September of 2010 I attended my first Fashion Week and the blog took a turn form the initial Milan Guide I had planned. Today I've embraced the 'It's all about me' social media movement, especially on Instagram so I wanted to go back to the origins of The Dolls Factory with a guide to Milan, but this time approaching it with more maturity and turning the lens toward the hundreds of people I have met and the hundreds I have still to meet through my work as an influencer, blogger, Instagrammer...
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Naviglio Grande, Milano[/caption]GET TO KNOW ANJA
Origins
I'm originally from Tirana, Albania. Moved to Milan to study Business Management at Bocconi University, because it was just a 1.15 minutes flight from my home. I knew nothing about Milan, had no relatives or friends here, but an adventure to the unknown has never frightened me.
Living in Milan
I moved the first time in September 2003, left 3 years later for London, came back, and left again for Madrid, came back again for love and have been living here since. So it has been the usual on-again-off-again relationship that I am still figuring out.
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Milan Naviglio Grande[/caption]Current neighborhood
I live on Naviglio Grande and have always lived in the south of Milan every single time I've changed houses. I think the neighborhood you move in first in Milan, in some way becomes your own Milan where you know the streets, tram stops, best cappuccino places, cocktail bars etc so you get stuck in some way. I don't think my relationship with my current boyfriend would have worked if he didn't also live in the South of Milan. (joking...not joking).
The perfect weekend in Milan
My perfect weekend in Milan right now would be breakfast at Caffè De' Cherubini with their white chocolate brioche and a latte macchiato, then a whole day spent at Idroscalo. They have a dog area with access to the lake so now in Spring its perfect for me to have a picnic while Fuji, my Great Dane, is trying to decide if she knows how to swim.
Om my Milan bucket list
I'm embarrassed but I have to confess that I still have to visit The Last Supper, also visiting the Monumental Cemetery is on my bucket list.
How you order your coffee?
I used to order only latte macchiato, now I'm trying to drink less milk so I've started ordering a cappuccino with soy milk. The next step will be going caffeine free with orzo coffee. It is going to be a long process till I embrace the healthy lifestyle everyone seems to boast about.
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Tram 10[/caption]Any Milan hacks you want to share with a new Non-Milanese?
A very important hack is the decoding of the Milan city map. Think of it as a pizza. Milan is a round pizza with different slices, and most of the straight big streets will bring you to Duomo (the center of the pizza). There are key buses like Bus 94, or Buses 90/91 that bring you all around Milan. And all the trams will get you as close to the Duomo as possible.
Three pieces of clothes you have bought influenced by how people in Milan dress.
Early on, when I started university I purchased what I would call an essential piece of uniform for the Bocconi university student, a pair of Hogan shoes. This was 2004 and the uniform at my university was Hogan shoes, Lacoste polo shirts, and Louis Vuitton Speedy bag. Needless to say, I started with the shoes and ended up owning all 3 of these clothing items soon thereafter. Looking back. I'm not proud of having caved to this kind of fashion pressure especially because a university student's budget doesn't usually include money for a Louis Vuitton bag. That said, I still have those items 14 years later, so maybe it was the most financially sound purchase I've done at age 18.
IN SHORT
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Arco della Pace[/caption]ATM, Bike Sharing, Car sharing or Walk?
Walk and then take the OFO Bike to get back
Naviglio Grande or Naviglio Pavese?
Naviglio Grande 4 Ever
Brazilian Sushi or Trattoria?
Brazilian sushi
McDonalds or Panino Giusto?
Both, every other week
Panettone or Pandoro?
Panettone, my breakfast from December to February
The hipster with a beard or the Investment banker?
The investment banker, I can't kiss people with beards because of my sensitive skin.
Cinema or Netflix?
Illegal streaming from some obscure Russian website of shows that are not on Netflix: Game of Thrones, WestWorld, The Handmaid's Tale
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Arco della Pace, Milano[/caption]Esselunga or Carrefour
I used to be PAM, but I've turned into a Milanese and embraced Esselunga
Amsterdam Chips or Luini?
Luini, however long the line then eat it on the benches of Piazza San Fedele.
Cash or Paypal?
PayPal
Samsung or iPhone
iPhone
Tinder or In Person
I've been in a long relationship before Tinder came around, but if I were single I'd definitely be on Tinder fishing in the ocean. In person, the pool is so small.
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Arco della Pace, Milano[/caption]
CONVERSATION