Saturday, July 24, 2010

Italia mon ami

Italy has been an adventure in so many ways. Here are a few small moments I want to share about my experience here.

While in Pisa, walking back with my friend Kyle, I was nearly run over by a Vespa, as the drivers here are usually crazy and not looking where they're going. The guy literally turned the corner looking back over the bridge he had just crossed over. Kyle was about point five seconds away from kicking the oblivious jerk off his bike. Big guys from Australia are good for that.

In Siena at my Hotel 'Fonti di Pescaia' the very nice woman who checked ne in did not speak a lick of English, nor me Italian. It was fun try to fill out my sign in card and signing where I should have wrote my address. I picked up a few words from her amazingly enough. In order to get me to pay my bill she had to knock on my door after getting a piece if paper that had 'please can you pay the 81 Euros now?' written on it.

Asking her where a bank was was a laughing fest in itself. If you don't know what to do, gesture wildly and act ridiculous, it's fun to play charades.

I can now order in Italian pretty well. I know how to say please, what small, medium and large are, and can desern numbers pretty well.

People in Italy are not in a rush to get anywhere, will not notice or move for you if you're in a hurry and stroll instead of walk, all while talking in their beautiful sing-song manner to each other.

At a restaurant my last day in Siena I was greeted by a grumpy waitress who kept repeating a greeting to me that I did not understand. It was only later that I realized she was angrily repeating "Good evening!" to me, the dumb American who looked like a confused sweaty deer in head lights, and responded with 'Una?' (one) holding up one finger as she half growled and gestured to my table outside on the patio.

You know you're going through culture shock when you want to punch the children who stare at you because you're American.

Will update more tomorrow. For right now, sleeping.

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