It is odd having lived my entire life in the US to suddenly be cut off from almost everything cultural I've come to know. Entertainment websites from the US are blocked here and you must use odd and sometimes crazy looking sites to watch the shows you are familiar with. The USOpen streamed live in the US, but I had to use sites that were streaming it in undeterminable languages to see any of it here. When the anniversary of 9/11 rolled around this past weekend, it would've gone unnoticed if I hadn't been on Facebook. (Granted I don't watch any Italian news or see any of the papers to know if it received coverage here.) Trying to find a happy medium between having it all at your fingertips and being totally in the dark...
My shipment finally came this past Saturday. I delighted in the idea that I could wash my sheets, hang my clothes, and have some of my long lost belongings. Everything seemed to arrive safely, even if not in the best of condition. Note to self...even if the shippers insist they must pack things, make them pack a little better. It was really chaos trying to check to make sure everything had arrived in the end. I was so happy to have my things! But, what I didn't expect to arrive with my shipment was my first feelings of homesickness since I got here. Having my things added a sense of reality to this little adventure I am on and made me sad for some of the things I had to leave behind. Oh, the Ruby dog...
But, it's not in my nature to wallow in anything for too long, so Sunday Kate and I took off for the "city" to explore the castle and surrounding park. We had a great day people watching and finding parts of the city that we could indeed find beautiful. Much of Milan is covered in graffiti and it is distracting from all of the amazing architecture, but lo and behold, just turn a corner here or there and suddenly there is a spectacular sight in front of you.
So, on to some of my observations about Italians and the culture here that I have noted...
1. The fashion here is not what I expected. In the city, I expected to see the women "done" all the time. This has not been my experience. Some are dressed up, some are dressed down; it seems about the same as what you may find in the US, even if the trends are slightly different or more fashion forward. The men here love their bags, satchels, or, even, a fanny pack. Everyone seems to own one and carry it proudly.
2. Italians are not concerned with moving politely out of anyone's way. It's kind of like always playing chicken, whether you're in the car, on a bike, or just walking down the sidewalk. Don't expect anyone to move over for you. Or offer any sort of apology or sign of acknowledgement that you even happened to be there.
3. The wine here is amazing. I've never been a red wine fan, but told myself that while I am here I will learn to like it. Since they have this nice "frizzante" red wine, how can you resist! On the wine note, my roommates and I have discovered this nice little wine shop around the corner. Bring your own bottle and they fill it for €2.20 out of this little keg set up thing they have. Kate was even given a frequent shopper card...buy so much and get some wine for free. Now, somehow I did not qualify for this deal. I will have to rectify that situation soon.
We miss you Carrie, but are still estatic about your adventure.
ReplyDeleteLove you, Dee Harriott