A Small Comparison

      I’ve been living in Italy for the past seven months and have had the pleasure of becoming immersed in a whole new culture. My previous home, and my current home carry many differences; some of which have been easy to adjust to, while others have proven more difficult. My friends and I love to answer each others questions about this or that by just saying, “Well it’s Italy” and that is the simplest and truest answer we can give. 

     The most obvious difference from America to Italy is language. The Italian language is incredible to hear but not the easiest to pick up, at least not for me. I love listening to conversations just to see what I can make of it. Although, I'd say my skills are at conversational Italian by now, it is difficult as I'm not supposed to speak it in the home. There are so many rules and exceptions to those rules that make grammar a real pain; not unlike English though. Soon I will be starting to have conversation partners- where we spend some of the time speaking English to help them, and some of the time speaking Italian to help me. I do enjoy the language and will continue to use it and practice it when possible.

     Family holds such strong importance here, and they're so much closer than many families that I know back home. It is a principal that they hold very close to their being. Grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, and parents. They see each other often and cherish that time. They're big and loud and are not very much different to my family when we are all together. Another thing I love about them it they help one another out no matter the situation, no questions asked.

     I find it interesting to look around and see all the immense structures around me that took years of hard work, and I wonder if they're all tired out from those centuries of labor so they now have become languid. Even the moms here complain of the slow pace that many working Italians get things done. Nothing you can say or do, will make them want to work at a quicker pace or get things done on time. Once, our internet broke and they promised it would be fixed within the next two days, when it was not, Mavi called and was upset with them, they said another three days and it will be fixed.. And so it goes.. If you have a problem in a restaurant, many waiters I have seen aren't keen on the ideal that the customer is always right. They argue and tell you you're wrong. The customer does not come first.

     The thing that gets most American/English is the lack of promptness. In my personal experience, I have yet to meet an Italian that shows up on time for anything. It can be frustrating, for example, last night I was with my friends and I knew Giova was to be home at seven so I made sure I got there on time, and he didn't arrive till ten to nine. This is not unusual! This aspect I hear complained about more often than most other things here in Florence. People are almost never on time for any occasion. It wouldn't be that difficult to arrive on time, but it just isn't important to them like it is to many of us who were brought up being told to never be late.

     Ahhhh the food :D Italian food is not to be compared with any other. It can't. It sits on a pedestal all its own. The rich wholesome goodness of every dish is something rarely seen/ tasted in America. The ingredients you eat are always fresh; no highly processed, no high fructose corn syrup, no meat you aren't sure of its origin, not here. The Italian diet means you can eat smaller portions as they fill you up much quicker than the garbage I was accustomed to eating at home. I don't have to question what I'm eating, unless it's an Italian menu and select at random. :) Pizza will never be the same again. The crust of the pizzas are so thin and most locals eat with fork and knife, not picking up each slice. Tomato sauce with oregano, fresh mozzarella cheese, and any toppings you could ask for, all cooked in a stone oven that you can taste in your food, making each bite enjoyable and inevitable until you're done and have eaten the entire thing. Personal pizzas are the way it's done here.

     I'd love if the methods of transportation back at home became more like that of Florence's. The most popular modes of transportation seem to be feet, bicycles and motorbikes. Better for the environment and in the cases of the first two, the added bonus of exercise. Although many still drive cars, they aren't driving big gas guzzling trucks and cars that get terrible gas mileage; they drive small cars that get quite a few more miles to the gallon (or kilometers to the liter). There are also dozens of busses that transport hundreds of people daily, which cuts down on the need for cars and the use of gas. The roadways are a whole other story, it's crazy! The lines on the pavement are either non-existent or acted as such. Constantly honking, swerving, slipping through reds, and cutting off the person in front of them. It amazes me that since I have been here I've yet to see an accident. Only quite a few colliding bumpers, but hey that's what they're there for.

     My favorite thing about Italians is the amount of passion they have for anything and everything they do. Every emotion, good and bad, is heightened and brought to another level. Whether its road rage; angry at the car ahead of them and they yell and take it to the extreme by cutting them off and slowing way down. Or, the amount of excitement that comes out on game day, when Fiorentina is playing and the crowds are dressed in purple, enthusiastically cheering on their players. Maybe, when you walk down the street and see it lined with couples kissing and holding hands, and all the many locks of the bridges; locked and holding on for dear life, for love. Whatever the emotion, you can expect it done full heartedly. Tapping into this extra passion makes life seem brighter and fuller. Everything can be more exciting and stronger felt. It is almost as if my life was a bit dim until I came here. Then all of a sudden, an explosion! Of color, life, art, and beauty. A great passion for living in the vast world around me.