L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano I ' v e r e c e n t l y c o m e a c r o s s a n a r t i c l e published by Busi- ness Insider, then proposed in Italian on the turismo.it website. In it, ten things about Italy that shock foreigners are listed. Curious, I scrolled the article and began wonde- ring: how do I feel about it, a s a n I t a l i a n ? D o I a g r e e with it, do I understand its point of view or is foreign press once more digging into old, trite stereotypes about my country? Here are my reflections, o n e s h o c k i n g t h i n g a t - a - time. Italy is noisy Apparently we talk in the street, shout, drive and honk too much, especially in the city. In other words, we are loud. Is it true: in part, yes. N o w , w h i l e I a m s u r e e v e r y o n e a g r e e s t h a t a l l cities are noisy and people tend to talk to one another w h e n t h e y m e e t a r o u n d t o w n , w e I t a l i a n s a r e s o emphatic, lively and passio- nate while speaking that we may appear overwhelming to others. Not every Italian is the same, but alas, we can be noisier than average. 2 . Italian restaurants' menus are hard to under- stand Food is our culture and it's in our blood. So, yes: we do have aperitivi, starters, first dishes, second dishes, sides, cheese platters, fruits, desserts, coffee, cookies with c o f f e e s a n d a m a r o a f t e r food. All in one meal if we fancy. Deal with it! 3 . O u r b r e a k f a s t i s n ' t great Ok, I can see what people mean here, especially who c o m e s f r o m t h e E n g l i s h speaking world. English and American breakfasts, espe- cially traditional ones, are much heftier and richer than our caffelatte e brioche. But we make up for the lack of fantasy at the breakfast table in the other meals of the day (see point two above). 4 . W e s p e a k w i t h o u r hands Yes. Yes we do. All of us. While it's commonly belie- ved among Italians that peo- ple in the South are more prone to speak with their hands than Northeners, I am from the North and I can guarantee it's only wishful thinking: we do speak with o u r h a n d s e v e r y w h e r e , Turin and Trieste included, especially when things get a bit heated. 5. We love our family Well, I don't think there i s a n y t h i n g w r o n g w i t h having a solid family culture. Indeed, this is part of the Mediterranean values and it's characteristic of all the c o u n t r i e s o f t h e M e d i t e r r a n e a n b a s i n . Apparently, however, the people at Business Insider find that we Italians let chil- dren do whatever they want w h e n t h e y a r e i n p u b l i c , something which is percei- ved as irritating. Yes, it is irritating, but it's far from being an Italian-only habit. 6. Our streets are narrow True, especially to drivers from North America. You a r e u s e d t o s u p e r - w i d e motorways, while in Europe and in Italy we have loads of o l d n a t i o n a l o r r e g i o n a l roads that have been there since well before cars were invented. They are narrow a n d d i f f i c u l t t o d r i v e o n . Perhaps this is why Italians are considered good drivers, albeit somehow undiscipli- ned: they learn how to drive on incredibly difficult roads. 7. We are touchy feely The Brits have what they call "personal space," which is always respected when interacting. This means they avoid touching their interlo- cutor or getting too close to them. We Italians are diffe- rent, it's true. While we do know when enough is enou- gh — it depends on man- ners, not nationality! — we also do have a penchant for being touchy feely with one another. A hand of the harm when talking, a lingering one on the waist or the small of the back when hugging: there is no sensuality in it, i t ' s j u s t a n o r m a l w a y t o e x p r e s s c o n n e c t i o n a n d understanding. I do admit, however, that it can be gros- s l y m i s i n t e r p r e t e d w h e n living abroad, so we should really learn to control it bet- t e r , e s p e c i a l l y w i t h n o n Italians. 8 . S t o r e s c l o s i n g f o r lunch Yes, our stores— although in cities this is not as com- m o n a n y m o r e — c l o s e between 12.30 and 15.30. It's a habit, but it's a painful one. And it's not only forei- gners who may need or like t o d o t h e i r s h o p p i n g a t lunch time. Also, a three- hour long break to eat? Ok, food is a big deal in Italy, but come on… So, yeah: I agree, this is an annoying habit. 9. The way we drink cof- fee … Quickly, often standing up at the bar, the shortest b r e a k d u r i n g o u r w a l k s around town. This is cer- tainly different from North A m e r i c a n c o f f e e c u l t u r e , w h e r e p e o p l e g e t s t h e i r drinks "to go" and sip them w h i l e o u t a n d a b o u t . Personally, I like both ways to enjoy coffee and I think they can cohabit. Actually, t h e y s h o u l d ! O f c o u r s e , Italians like sitting down and enjoy their caffé with friends or with the newspa- per just like everyone else in the world, especially in the m o r n i n g , p e r h a p s w i t h a cappuccino. 1 0 . W e h a v e a v e r y relaxed lifestyle I am afraid of crushing so many people's dreams, but no, relaxed life is not neces- sarily a thing in Italy: we stress, we rush, we run and we burnout just like everyo- ne else. That "relaxed" atti- t u d e o n e m a y s o m e t i m e s experience in public offices a r o u n d t h e c o u n t r y i s a s annoying and unacceptable t o a n I t a l i a n a s i t i s t o a foreigner, believe me. Yet, there is some truth in this old stereotype, we do love enjoying small pleasures like having a meal with our fami- lies and we are a people of c r e a t i v e s , s o w e d o g i v e importance to the good all that is beautiful can give us. Perhaps, we do it more than other people in the world. Still — and unfortunately — w e ' r e f a r f r o m b e i n g t h e relaxation-filled heaven of certain movies! GIULIA FRANCESCHINI LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE An Italian family having lunch together: are Italians really family-oriented? (Photo: Simona Pilolla/Dreamstime) Shocking things about Italy: are they all true?

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