There are a couple of small things, though, that have piqued my interest in these past days as being markedly different from the life I knew in the States.
- First, and of course the most important--THE WINE! Oh, the wine. Sweet, sweet, wine. In 9 times out of 10 cases small restaurants offer only two wines, red and white. No names, no types, nothing, just what do you want, red or white, pick a colour. It's cheap (Kansas and I split a litre of wine--which is more than a standard bottle of 750 mL, mind you--for 8 Euro at a cafe the other night), and it's GOOD. And I can get a really enjoyable white wine in a Tetrapack from the market for...wait for it... 1.79 Euro. About $2.
- Second most important: there are gelaterias EEEEVERYWHERE. I mean people tell you that there's lots of gelato in Italy and you should definitely eat it, but like...there's one on every BLOCK. Not even a minor exaggeration. At the moment we're all in competition to find the best one...what a terrible life to be living. :P
- Italians don't drink drip coffee. This should be firmly in the "Duh" category, since who could want drip coffee when you have the world's most amazing espresso at your fingertips, but I'm surprised at the number of people in my program who are so sad to be separated from their Dunkin Donuts. Oh, and there's absolutely no Starbucks either. (And the Lord said that it was good.)
- Italians stare. Quite a lot. At first I was vaguely unnerved by this, constantly wondering if there was something on my face, but in fact according to the cultural advisor Gianni we met on our second day here, that's just how Italians are. They're curious about you, where you're from, what you're doing, where you're going. People watching and openly staring is a national pastime, it seems.
- Italians are not overtly friendly. As in, strangers passing on the street don't say "Ciao" or smile at each other, shopkeepers don't greet you with a ringing "Hi, how are you today?" and waitstaff isn't coming by your table every three minutes to see if you need anything else. I LIKE THIS. Having mostly grown up in the American South I am deeply familiar with this open friendliness but it has never been my natural nature. It's true--I am one of those people with "resting bitch face", and in America, I have to remind myself to constantly put a smile on my face so that people don't assume I'm constantly mad. Here...well, here I fit in just fine. I have found my people.
- Italians love exact change. I was told this before I came over so I sort of knew what to expect, but it really is true. I'm not used to handling cash in the first place (I am of the generation that will absolutely swipe a debit card for a $1.50 purchase) so it's a constant reminder for me to pay attention to my bills and change, especially since the 1 and 2 Euro coin are so common as well. Many of the boys in our group are finding it challenging to remember to bring their change with them, since American change is essentially worthless and the Euro decidedly less so.
- You bag your own groceries. No exceptions.
- At all the grocery stores I've been to, you can only get eggs in six-packs. No dozens, no 18-packs, nada. They even come in simple pairs for 79 cents. What must Europeans think when they come to America and visit a Super Walmart with the option of purchasing literal CRATES of eggs? I like the fewer options here.
- The bread that gets put on your table at a restaurant often isn't free, and neither is the water. And they will look at you very strangely if you ask for tap water, even though the tap water here is the best and most clean tasting I've had anywhere in the world.
- No ice in drinks. Granted, it's the middle of "winter" here but I have found this true in the summer as well, as well as in many other parts of Europe. You might get lucky with a few cubes in your aperitivo cocktail, but that's it.
- Oh, aperitivo! What a wonder. This is the Italian version of happy hour (which usually runs for a span of 3-4 hours not just one paltry hour, because how could you possibly have fun in only an hour?) wherein you pay a small upcharge on your pre-dinner cocktail of choice (which usually involves Campari as an appetite stimulant, or some other bitter element) and you then eat for free from a buffet. The contents and variety of each buffet vary wildly from one restaurant to another, but generally it's tapas-type portions and finger foods. For broke college students who would be trying a 6 Euro drink anyway, the extra 4 Euros covers dinner and we're set!
- There are dozens and dozens of free, constantly running water fountains everywhere around Rome. I'm told these operate on the ancient aqueduct systems. Not only are they often beautiful, but the water flowing from the is crystal clear, cold, and delicious.
- DOGS IN ROME ARE REALLY WELL BEHAVED! I've seen *lots* of dogs since I've been in Rome, and a very large variety at that, and all of them seem terribly well disciplined. Many people opt to walk their dogs off the leash, even on busy sidewalks, and the dogs just trot along faithfully right beside them. Thinking of my own adorable little terror at home, it makes me wonder if there's some sort of mandatory doggie obedience school over here.
- Almost all the produce in the grocery store is local--truly, everything I've spotted has a proud "Product of Italy" tag on it. This was previously explained to me by my cousin, in that Italians are simply really proud of being Italian and why would they eat someone else's food when they can produce their own? It results in a lot more seasonality (clementines are in season at the moment, and they are UNBELIEVABLE) and forces me to be more flexible with what I decide to make. It's good practice.
Whoops.
No comments:
Post a Comment