Italy isn't so different from the U.S. that you can't figure out how to live here, but you definitely need to make some adjustments. Here are a few of the more interesting/difficult differences between Italy and the United States!
1) Toilet Seats are Optional.
No, seriously, when you go into a public restroom, there is no guarantee that you will have a toilet seat. This is uncomfortable no matter how you choose to cope with the situation. Fortunately, I have advanced squatting skills from previous international excursions, but your mileage may vary. You should also expect to see several different kinds of flushing mechanisms, all of which seem weird or annoying in their own way because they are not like what you find in the States.
2) Crossing the Street Is Terrifying (The First Few Times)
Not all crosswalks have street lights. In fact, most of them don't. This means that when you come to a crosswalk, you should be prepared for an adventure, especially if it's a multi-lane street. You do not wait for an opening in traffic. Instead, you try to make eye contact with the drivers coming towards you... and START WALKING. They really do stop... at least so far. But you shouldn't be surprised if someone rushes by right ahead of or behind you. You can't stop traffic, after all.
3) There Are 5 Different Dumpsters
Italy is serious about recycling its trash, so when you go out to dispose of some, you will find five different dumpsters, all in a row. One is for trash-trash (like old CDs, other weird stuff you can't recycle). But there are separate receptacles for food waste, plastic, paper, and glass. Even the restaurants here have separate trash cans to help keep things sorted.
4) Parking Is INSANE
There is a reason they sell so many scooters, Fiats, and Smart Cars here in Italy. The streets are unbelievably narrow to an American driver (and also to our bus drivers, who pull off superhuman driving feats on a regular basis). When you walk along the street, you will see cars and scooters jammed up onto the sidewalks and crowded into improbably tight spaces. I'm not even sure what the actual rules are, as long as you are not in the actual street. On the other hand, people here love scooters and tiny cars, so it's probably my kind of place. It's not uncommon to see guys in suits or women in flowy dresses racing by on Vespas, and everyone is conscientious enough to wear a helmet. Love it.
5) Pizza Is Not a Lunchtime Food
Seriously, restaurant kitchens not only open really late for dinner (7:30 is early for dinner here), but most of them do not serve pizza during lunch hours. It's also considered weird to walk down the street eating your food, to order coffee beverages that contain milk at lunchtime or later, and to drink coffee with a meal. Bonus points, however, to places that actually close for siesta time. The tradition of taking a nice afternoon nap is not as consistent here as it apparently used to be, but there are places that preserve healthy midday breaks. I personally think we ought to adopt this practice back home.
1) Toilet Seats are Optional.
No, seriously, when you go into a public restroom, there is no guarantee that you will have a toilet seat. This is uncomfortable no matter how you choose to cope with the situation. Fortunately, I have advanced squatting skills from previous international excursions, but your mileage may vary. You should also expect to see several different kinds of flushing mechanisms, all of which seem weird or annoying in their own way because they are not like what you find in the States.
2) Crossing the Street Is Terrifying (The First Few Times)
Not all crosswalks have street lights. In fact, most of them don't. This means that when you come to a crosswalk, you should be prepared for an adventure, especially if it's a multi-lane street. You do not wait for an opening in traffic. Instead, you try to make eye contact with the drivers coming towards you... and START WALKING. They really do stop... at least so far. But you shouldn't be surprised if someone rushes by right ahead of or behind you. You can't stop traffic, after all.
3) There Are 5 Different Dumpsters
Italy is serious about recycling its trash, so when you go out to dispose of some, you will find five different dumpsters, all in a row. One is for trash-trash (like old CDs, other weird stuff you can't recycle). But there are separate receptacles for food waste, plastic, paper, and glass. Even the restaurants here have separate trash cans to help keep things sorted.
4) Parking Is INSANE
There is a reason they sell so many scooters, Fiats, and Smart Cars here in Italy. The streets are unbelievably narrow to an American driver (and also to our bus drivers, who pull off superhuman driving feats on a regular basis). When you walk along the street, you will see cars and scooters jammed up onto the sidewalks and crowded into improbably tight spaces. I'm not even sure what the actual rules are, as long as you are not in the actual street. On the other hand, people here love scooters and tiny cars, so it's probably my kind of place. It's not uncommon to see guys in suits or women in flowy dresses racing by on Vespas, and everyone is conscientious enough to wear a helmet. Love it.
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| An Italian "Parking Lot" |
5) Pizza Is Not a Lunchtime Food
Seriously, restaurant kitchens not only open really late for dinner (7:30 is early for dinner here), but most of them do not serve pizza during lunch hours. It's also considered weird to walk down the street eating your food, to order coffee beverages that contain milk at lunchtime or later, and to drink coffee with a meal. Bonus points, however, to places that actually close for siesta time. The tradition of taking a nice afternoon nap is not as consistent here as it apparently used to be, but there are places that preserve healthy midday breaks. I personally think we ought to adopt this practice back home.
2 comments:
Note to self exercise the quads and core if going to Rome.
Note to self exercise the quads and core if going to Rome.
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