Culture Shock

Culture shock is definitely a thing. I consider myself a pretty worldly individual but I am starting to recognize a pretty distinct schism between Italy and America. There are these small inconsistencies that amount to not much more than inconveniences, but still make complete comfort here a slow transition.

1. Grocery stores close by 8pm. No late night mega-stores to satifify midnight cravings. If you realize at 7:30 you have no food for dinner you best run if you want to eat something reasonable.

2. Italian women are no where to be found. In social contexts there are no women. That I can find. If you walk into a bar it is 99% male-- the 1% are girlfriends who are dragged to bars by their boyfriends. At first I thought it was just the bars that we had stumbled upon-- maybe it was just that we had only been able to find sport bars, whatever. Incorrect. Italian women do not socialize publicly, as far as I can tell. How do I make friends with them, I ask you?

3. Men are not friends. If you are a woman you do not make friends with men. You are not a "bro". You are a sweet-smelling snack for all men to gobble up. If you deny their sexual advances they immediately move on to the next female morsel. Given my disinterest in these men I find myself trailing after my roommates and their male-callers.

4. No means maybe. Whether it is a man or a vendor, no doesn't mean no here. I find saying "vi via" works pretty well, if only because they are stunned that I would tell them to go away. If that doesn't work, throwing in "cretino" doesn't hurt, as long as you are confident that if they get offended you could take them.

5. There are no lines. We are so polite in American, we form ques everywhere. If you want something here you best be ready to push through a crowd to get it-- from a bus to gelato. Don't wait, just go. This also applies to crossing the street, but do this at your own risk.

6. Cars can do whatever the fuck they want. I love being in a car here, but I would never drive here. Taxis are absolutely insane and bus drivers in Rome make the ones in Seattle look like timid bitches. There is no one way, do not enter, or stop sign that would deter any vehicle for long. And stoplights seem to be logical guidelines. At the same time I have seen no one hurt by car here, so this system works, even if it keeps your adrenaline pumping.

7. Nothing is open on Sunday. Or in the afternoons. Romans take their rest periods very seriously. Don't expect much from a siesta-ing Italian.

8. Customer service is not, like, a thing here. Nor is service with a smile. They're straight up with how they feel about you as a customer. It's uncomfortable at the worst and funny at the best.

That's all I can think of at the moment. There are more, certainly, but those are the most obvious/disturbing to me. Especially the gender relations here-- I am very curious to observe that further.