Category Archives: Just a Little Different Here

Seven Systems Europeans Use That Make More Sense

June 16, 2014 Greg

With World Cup fever heating up, I find myself torn between my two favorite teams – America and Italia. Thankfully, the teams are not in the same group and so I can root for both squads guilt-free (hopefully all the way to the finals). As I was comparing and contrasting the strengths and weaknesses of both teams; it occurred to me that perhaps I had stumbled onto something much more important. I realized that it might be fun to compare America vs. Europe… not just the ability to move the soccer ball around the field, but “bigger picture” things. What common sense things do Europeans do that Americans fail to recognize?

For the purposes of this first post, I will focus solely on the items that appear in the “win” column for Europe. I will follow-up a little later with another post listing America’s “wins”. It seemed only fair to publish the posts in this order since Italy logged their first World Cup win before America.

Some background… OK, this piece is not a serious look at which place is “better”. I’m not weighing in on art & architecture, natural beauty or economic importance. I’m not comparing the food or the people. I’m only noting a few of the systems in place that perhaps we would do well to share with one another. Without further adieu…

1.) Use of the Metric System

Let’s start with an obvious one. With Europe (and most of the civilized world) using the metric system… it only seems to make sense that America should join the party. Of course, why should we use such a simple and common-sense system?! We are ‘merica after all. Land of the free and home of the brave (and sometimes home of the confusing). Sure… let’s not make 1,000,000 mg = 1,000 grams = 1 kg when we could make 2.2 lbs = 35 oz. I see the logic there! There’s a reason that drug dealers have adopted the metric system, people!

2.) Put Your Pocket Calculator Away

When you’re dining in a restaurant in America, you’ll need to do some mental math when the bill arrives. Ask yourself if the service was mediocre or exceptional. Then establish a figure in the range of 15% – 25% that you desire to leave the server. Do you want to tip on top of the tax and alcohol or remove that portion before you establish a fair gratuity? Finally, do the math and triple check it – someone’s livelihood depends on your generosity. In Europe, it’s a bit simpler. If your bill is €46 – you can leave a €50 and be finished. Here in northern Italy, tipping even that small amount is the exception, not the rule. Waiters are paid fair wages and so it’s not necessary to subsidize their income. I understand the concept of tipping (I worked as a server all through college) but I do often resent paying an extra 20% to the surly server who forgot my ketchup, out of some sense of social obligation or guilt.

Boy... that adds up! — Boy… that adds up!

3.) No More Banged Up Shins

It took me some time to get used to the placement of light switches here, but now I’m a full convert to the European system. In America, the light switch is on the inside of the room, usually next to the door (but not always). If you’re walking into your own home, it’s no problem. But if you are entering a foreign space under the cover of darkness, you may hear a “shreeek” from the cat whose tail you just crushed. In Europe, you don’t have to worry about banging your shins or stepping on Garfield. The light switches are on the outside of the room. Simply illuminate your path and… go!

Avoid this by turning on the lights first

4.) Operate With Military Efficiency

You’ve never heard a Lieutenant in the Army bark, “get to the mess hall at 6:00… PM”. They say, “18:00″. So why does the rest of the American population divide a 24 hour day in half? I suppose it has something to do with the design of a 12 hour clock, but I do see value in using the 24 hour system. Admittedly, it takes some getting used to. After a little while I realized that when Jen asked what time our favorite shows came, I was responding, “21:00″ (9:00pm) in line with the television guide I was consulting.

“I meant clean the latrine by 10:00am… not 10:00pm!”

5.) Baby, it’s Cold Outside

OK, I realize that this is very similar to the first point about the metric system… but some of these things just make sense. Freezing starts at 0°? Nah… let’s make it… say, 32º. Yeah, that seems about right.

6.) Eat With Razor Sharp Efficiency

Pick up your fork in your left hand and knife in the right, keeping your fork tongs down. Cut a piece of meat. Set your knife down on the plate. Reverse your fork from your left hand to your right, twisting the tongs up. Stab your piece of meat once again and put it in your mouth. Repeat. Clearly, you’re eating in America (I’m also guessing it’s a 2-3 lb steak). Here in Europe, this process is altered as follows: pick up your fork and knife keeping the fork tongs down. Cut your meat. With the piece of meat you just cut on the fork, simply move it directly into your mouth with the tongs still down. No extra puncturing the meat. No setting utensils down. No reversal of hands. Simply enjoy your food. Just imagine how many precious seconds of your life you could have been spared if you had been doing this your whole life!

"That American system is far too confusing. I'll just eat like this!" — “That American system is far too confusing. I’ll just eat like this!”

7.) I’ll Be Getting Off On First Floor

If you’re visiting an office on the first floor of a building in America, then you’ll need to ascend to the second level of the edifice, according to the elevator. So when you ascend one floor from the lobby… you’re on the second level. Hmm? So, in America, we really “start” on the 2nd floor. OK. I guess. What if that office is on the sixteenth floor? Well, then you’ll need to go fourteen levels above the ground, since we don’t “have” a thirteenth floor in most of our buildings. Wow. Now I’m lost. Here in Europe, they keep it simple. The lobby is 0 and the first floor is… the first floor.

These are just a few of the things that seem to make more sense. Maybe when I move back to America I can start a national trend to change these seven items to the European way of doing things.

If you liked this post, check out my lists of observations about more differences between Italy and America.

ALL THINGS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT

Part One (January 23, 2013)

Part Two (March 26, 2013)

Part Three (June 19, 2013)

Part Four (March 26, 2014)

Humor, Just a Little Different Here, Restaurants, Shopping

Things Are Just a Little Different… Part IV

March 26, 2014 Greg

If you’ve been a loyal reader of this blog or have spent a little time playing around on the pages, you’ll see that I’ve started a “series” that highlights some of the differences between Italy and our native America. Some of the differences are strange to us, many of them make perfect sense and others are just plain silly. If you’d like to see where the series began, take a look back here:

Part I
Part II
Part III

Just like the previous editions, I will group these differences by category. Without further adieu, Parte Quattro (Part Four)…

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CARS

The automotive industry in Italy is one of the major contributors to the country’s GDP. The industry provides nearly a quarter million jobs and produces some of the world’s best cars. But it’s not just Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s on the roads here. We have also learned a couple other things about the automobiles on the road.

Where are the trucks? A Texan might have a harder time adjusting here than we did. Finding a pickup truck is akin to finding the perfect blue-ribbon bull at the county fair (did I take the Texas thing too far?). There are virtually no trucks on the road and I can count the number of large pickups I’ve seen on one hand. If you do come across a pickup truck, there is a 90% chance that it is for work-purposes only. No major commentary here, just an observation.

This little guy is about all the truck you're going to get around here — This little guy is about all the truck you’re going to get around here

You’d better not buy the Big Gulp! At least not if you want to rest it in your car while you drive… most cars don’t have cup holders. This may seem strange to most Americans (certainly, there are times I miss my old car), but it’s not that crazy when you think about the culture here. Italians drink small espresso’s at the bar (not 20oz Starbucks coffees) and I’ve never seen anyone over 15 years-old drink a soda. McDonalds drive throughs are not a big thing and so there is really no major need for a cup holder. And, oh yeah – a Big Gulp was never really a viable option, they don’t have 7-11‘s either.

“No cup holders? Well, where am I supposed to put this?”

No space for this adorable Coke (note the spelling of Julia)

Keep your eyes on the road. I remember a couple years ago in America, I was driving with extreme caution because I was passing by a cop. It turned out that it didn’t matter because he was not looking at me, but rather at the text message he was composing while cruising by at about 70mph. If the police don’t pay much regard to “no texting while driving”, how can citizens take it seriously? It’s completely different here – I mean, completely! They don’t even HAVE a “Don’t Text While Driving” campaign. You know why? EVERYONE KNOWS IT’S RIDICULOUS TO TEXT AND DRIVE! Maybe it’s the narrow roads, maybe it’s the break-neck speed at which everyone drives, or maybe it’s just that people understand how dangerous it is. In any event, it’s a relief to see.

You don't see texting and driving here in Italy — You don’t see texting and driving here in Italy

Make way for the VIP… motorcycle parking is right over here. Now, this is something I could get into when I move back home! A lot of places have a designated area for motorcycle parking. This is great, because cars don’t lose full parking spaces to something 1/3 of their size. Obviously, it’s great for bikers who don’t have to spend time circling the lot. Additionally, these motorcycle parking spaces are put to good use year round – bikes are out on the road from January 1st through December 31st; not just in the spring and summer.

Motorcyclists use their bikes year round – she’s wearing a winter coat, gloves and pant warmer

That makes it easy to justify — Year-round motorcycle use makes it easy to justify “motorcycle parking”

A free pen? Pen-shmen. Give me something good! Little freebies are appreciated in Italy, just like in America. I tease my father in law, because if you open any of his drawers, you are likely to see dozens of TD Bank pens and Wells Fargo notepads (apparently, his banking loyalty goes only as far as their freebies). It’s no different here, except for the free swag. I recently got my car serviced and became the proud recipient of a bag of riso (rice). Leave it to Italians to find a way to incorporate food into anything!

SHOPPING

Consumers in Italy shop for many regional goods; they have a strong preference for products made in their native land. And who can blame them? Italy is arguably the best place to buy clothes, food and many other products. Certainly, we are taking advantage while we are here.

Are you happy with your product? Good, because you had better be satisfied. Don’t even think about returning it! I’ve noted in the past that Italian businesses don’t offer nearly the same level of customer service that we’re accustomed to. But if you want to see the worst they have to offer – just try to return a product. You’ll get looked at like you just committed murder. If by some miracle, their store policy actually allows for returns (the newer, big box stores will let you exchange merchandise for credit), a surly employee will demand a receipt before scrutinizing the merchandise as if your intention to swap out the original product for some inferior one as if you were Warner Bros exchanging Christian Bale for Ben Affleck.

SALE! SALE! SALE! Well, you’d better break out the credit card… this stuff is at a steep 30%-70% discount! SALDI (sale) is the favorite sign of merchants all across the country. It seems that there are always sales going on. And you know what… they’ve got this guy hook…line…and sinker! We love buying our stuff when it’s on sale, be it at the grocery store or the clothing store.

PROMOZIONE! There is always a great sale going on in our grocery store

But the BEST sales are when the wine is deeply discounted!

What did I just hear?! Did you just hear what you think you heard? Well, if what you think you heard was vulgar lyrics while shopping for bread in the grocery store, then you would be right. Whether from a lack of understanding of English or a lack of censorship; it is not uncommon to hear Brittany Spears telling you to “turn this sh*t up!” when you’re walking through the Bennet (our grocery store).

PETS

The pets here are more or less the same as back at home. Most people prefer dogs and cats, but you have your occasional bird or even lizard depending on the personality of the owner. I would suggest that there are certainly more farm animals that are considered “part of the family” though – Claudia (our aunt) grew up loving her prized cow (and one of her best friends).

We welcome you with open arms, Paris Hilton. Back at home, only big celebrities can get away with bringing their pets anywhere they want. Here, it’s normal to see dogs outside of the park and inside your favorite restaurant. And I’m not just talking about “purse-dogs”. I mean, full on German Shepard’s in grocery stores, restaurants, subways (the subterranean transport – not the sandwich shop) and museums. Dogs really are that extra family member.

Jen and Fido checking out the sights from inside Jen's hair salon — Julia and someone’s dog checking out the sights from inside Jen’s hair salon

100 grams of pasta is the rule… no exceptions. Cento grammi di pasta (100 grams of pasta) is the acceptable amount of pasta to eat (unless you’re having a secondo, in which case 80 grams is the way to go). Italians can accurately grab that exact amount of pasta from the package without looking twice or using a scale. So, if we’ve already determined that pets are really that extra family member – why should they be deprived of their daily pasta? A lot of the dog food here is served in pasta form. Buster knows the difference between his fusilli and bocconcini cuts of pasta just as well as his owner, Giovanni.

Or perhaps her prefers pasta pre cotta with ortaggi — Or perhaps her prefers pasta pre cooked with ortaggi

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I’ve got even more to write, but then again… I’d like to stretch this series as long as the most perfect franchise ever, Police Academy (and I’m even talking about that seventh installment, the classic gem with a 3/10 rating Mission to Moscow). See you next time…

Humor, Just a Little Different Here, Sipping Espresso

All Things Are Just a Little Different… Part III

June 19, 2013 Greg

Another edition in the series that highlights differences between our native America and Italy. In the first post (HERE), I briefly touched on small things such as uniquely Italian keys while in Part II (HERE), I expanded the list to include differences in culinary habits, banking and shopping. Like a Hobbit collecting stories or a dragon stashing treasure, I have been storing many more of gems for a later blog post (I just finished re-reading The Hobbit… that may explain those metaphors).

Much like the last post in this series, I will try to organize these examinations of our culture differences in their family of origin. The previous post also exclusively featured cultural digressions that we determined to be more positive than what we grew up accustomed to seeing. Here, we take the gloves off and highlight the good, the bad and the ugly – tutti (all).

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DRIVING

Like in the US – cars, trucks and motorcycles are the most common form of transport. We have spent a lot of time ourselves in our beloved little car touring the country and so, naturally we noticed quite a few differences.

Where are all the traffic lights?! If there are hardly any traffic lights in an entire country, how are there not piles of collisions and pent up road rage? Well, it’s because the Italians adopt a much more efficient system by maximizing the rotundo (roundabout). The roundabout dates back as far as 1768, with more well-known examples as far back as 1907 (around the Arc de Triomphe). More modern uses of the traffic-calming system were implemented in the 1960’s throughout Europe. Washington DC is one of the few US cities that actively adopted the roundabout, so the custom was not entirely foreign to us (it can be intimidating for newer drivers). I love blowing through a roundabout when I’m late for something instead of waiting anxiously at a red light for up to five minutes.

A roundabout in our town

Zzzzoooom!! What was THAT?! If you’re driving on four wheels you have to be aggressive just to fit in. In fact, you’re more likely to get in an accident if you’re timid or ride your breaks. Since I was probably already considered an aggressive driver by US standards, I feel right at home here. But what I can’t wrap my brain around is the motorcycles. They blow past traffic at double the speed limit and everyone just seems to accept it as normal. You can be driving at a comfortable 120 km/hr and feel like you’re standing still as three or four Ducati’s blow right past you. They pass other cars and each other, while facing oncoming traffic, in the rain and around blind corners. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

Watch out for those crazy motorcycle riders

That better not be your car in the left lane! Don’t you dare drive slowly in the left lane here. And by slowly, I mean passing cars at 90 mph. If you’re not flying, the left lane is not for you. Along with the aforementioned motorcycles passing in the blink of an eye, you’d better keep an eye out for that Alfa Romeo that will drive three inches behind your bumper until you move into the right lane. I used to pull that tactic in the US (riding bumpers of anyone that dared to drive in the left lane)… man, is it annoying!

You trust me to do what now?! Some things are a long-forgotten memory from an era far gone. 25¢ phone calls, hand-cranked car windows and floppy disks are all things of the past. I thought pumping your gas first and paying second also fit into that category. But here, people are a bit more trusting. And it’s nice. Reminds me of a more innocent time. The first few times I tried to pump my gas, I kept searching for that mistrusting credit card machine, until I realized that it’s a “pump-first pay-later” society. Which is kind of surprising, because…

Gas costs how much, again?! Did I hear you complain about the price you just paid at the pump? Is it the current administration’s fault? Or perhaps the previous administration? Go ahead and tell me all about how you just came close to hitting $4/gallon during the high-travel season… I remember when I used to grumble about that too. Never again. I was happy to see gas was so cheap here at first. Then I realized it was price per liter. And in Euro’s. I did the conversion one time (also… never again) and realized I was paying almost $9.50/gallon. I threw up a little on my sneakers.

Gas costs how much?!

A TIME ONCE LOST

Pumping your gas first and paying second is just one example of the trusting and warm society we’ve encountered while living here. Many (many, many) things here are rooted in tradition, which lends to a more easy-going lifestyle. One of relationships and trustworthiness. Personally, I find it refreshing.

I’d like to withdrawal some money please. Think about your bank. When you go there to conduct business, did you have your ID? Your ATM card and PIN code? Your account number? You bet you did. It just occurred to me recently that I’ve been walking into my local bank branch for months without knowing my account number, presenting an ID or passing any form of security check. This may sound somewhat alarming, but I kind of like it. They just know me. And I know them. It’s the same three people and they always help me find my account and transact my business. It sort of has that Mayberry vibe, where your smile and handshake are good enough.

Don’t feel well? Call the doctor and sit back. Doctor’s make house calls? Seriously? That’s amazing. The “house-call” era ended long before Jen and I grew up. We were surprised recently to see a doctor leaving a neighbor’s apartment. He even had the little black medical bag, like something straight out of a movie. Of course, they have normal doctors offices and hospitals, but apparently they also make house calls.

Don’t expect me to jump up to help you. The “slow-going, there’s time to do that later approach” can be charming, but at times it can also be madening. The local definition of customer service is uniquely Italian. It means, “I will be happy to help you… just as soon as I’m finished doing whatever it is I’m doing.” For example, when buying my car (which was an ordeal worthy of it’s own blog-post) the salesman would constantly show up late for appointments (slowly finishing his coffee at a nearby bar), take phone calls resulting in long conversations while I stared awkwardly at the wall and require me to come back multiple times for paperwork he could have mailed. “Surely, that must be isolated to this particular guy” you say. Wrong. Go to the bank. Just be sure you’ve planned for over an hour, because you will wait. Go to the butcher… or florist… or anywhere. Just be prepared to wait. Please understand – I don’t mean to say that people aren’t pleasant. They are incredibly nice and love to chat about nothing and everything. The only problem is that the 5 people waiting behind you are doing just that… waiting. Multi-tasking customer service is a concept that hasn’t arrived.

Babies get all the love. I had heard that Italians were incredibly nice to babies before we got here. I had no idea just how true that was. It’s not unusual to be stopped time and time again by kindly older ladies or men, asking Julia come ti chiami (what’s your name?). But even the younger kids (the tweens that don’t yet realize life exists outside of Facebook) are incredibly nice to babies. We recently took Julia to the doctor for a check-up and the pediatrician was as sweet as could be. He complimented Julia and even gave her a couple kisses on the check. As born and raised American’s our instinct was to think it peculiar (and even get a bit defensive) that a stranger kissed our daughter. But it was so very sweet and affectionate that we charmed by the act.

Some friends of friends… they just took to Julia and she took to them

Julia made a friend and shared her Nonno Franco with her

BABIES

Jen is the primary caregiver in our family – she is a wonderful mother and takes care of Julia (I like to just swoop in and be “the fun dad” – you know, avoid all the dirty work). Since she has done such a good job taking on this role, she has also been the one to notice many of the following differences between US and Italian babies.

I can’t kick the habit, mom! Know what a ciuccio is? Sure you do. You probably know it as a binky. A ba-ba. A nu-nu. C’mon, stay with me folks – a pacifier. You know who else knows what it is? That five year old little boy that’s walking around with it hanging off his lower lip or the six year old little girl that pops it in for a quick fix in between bites of her risotto. We tried to get Julia to stop using her ciuccio around 18 months and people thought we were crazy. “If she wants it, why not just give it to her?” they would ask. We eventually relented and the ciuccio is now as much a permanent fixture as her hair bows and coloring books.

Julia has a love affair – with a cuiccio

You’re going to use a scarf, right? Baby scarfs. Did you know an entire market exists for baby scarfs? Italians are paranoid about the warmth of their babies. They will quite literally wrap them in layer after layer of clothing, covered with a down jacket, accessorized with a fashionable scarf (tied in that tricky Italian bow-knot), topped off with a wool hat and sandwiched in between their sleeping-bag stroller thingy’s. We were less concerned about the warmth of our baby (or perhaps, less prepared), often draping a ghetto sheet over our stroller, hoping she wouldn’t kick it off while trying to avoid the judging stares. Next year, we will be armed with all the latest baby high-heat fashion.

Pass me those clippers, I’ve got a head to shave. Italians believe that if you shave your babies head, their hair will grow back faster and thicker. Who knows, maybe it’s true. I’m not taking a position either way – but I sure know that Jen (and her mom before her) were ready to claw, scratch and pull the hair of anyone that came close to their babies with clippers.

I like my butt shiny and clean! After a dirty diaper (pee or poo), they don’t just use wipes here. It is almost imperative that you clean your babies butt the proper way. In a bidet and with lots of soap. Pat dry and wrap in a new diaper. Just wiping with those pre-soaped wipes is not nearly enough.

MISCELLANEOUS

The miscellaneous. Don’t really have a category for these times – just a few more things we’ve noticed.

Bring me a chair… please!! Jen is much more obsessed with this than I am. Partly because I’m not entirely convinced it’s different, but she insists that it is. The cashiers in the grocery stores sit down. I can’t picture it, but Jen reminds me that our cashiers are on their feet all day. Having been [on occasion] all day on my feet – I do hope they’re wearing proper footwear!

Let’s build them just for show! We have come to love the grocery stores here – with one exception. When it’s time to checkout, the stress begins. The two grocery stores we frequent the most have lane after lane of checkout desks. I would estimate over 30 in each store. But I have never seen more than four or five open at any given time. It doesn’t mean the store is any less busy… they just never have a sufficient cashier-to-customer ratio.

Tons of people crowded into three lanes

Push, don’t pull. Not an earth shattering revelation, but something that might help you prevent a broken nose on your next trip to Italy. I’m sure you’ve never thought about the swing pattern of the door at the local store. So let me help you. To open, you pull – it swings out. To exit, you push as you leave the store. Here, it’s the opposite. The only reason I would notice such a thing is that 30+ years of natural instinct had to be re-learned.

Spingere – Push

Bidet’s aren’t just for babies. I mentioned above that the bidet is used to clean a baby after a dirty diaper. Well, it’s original purpose was not for babies, but for us big babies. And let me tell you something… it’s glorious! I always caution all visitors – be weary of any hand towels hanging next to a bidet – do not use it to dry your hands.

Bidet on the right

That’s all for this post – more observations to come in Parte Quattro as time goes on!

Food, Humor, Just a Little Different Here, Sipping Espresso, Wine

All Thing Are Just a Little Different… Part II

March 26, 2013 Greg

When we first moved here, we noticed that while many things are very much the same as the States… there are also many, many subtle (and not so subtle) differences. Early on, I did a quick post about things being different HERE but I didn’t go into many of the specifics.

Now that we’ve been here a while, it makes sense to go a bit deeper. You know, the kind of “hard-hitting journalism” you’ve come to expect here at Sipping Espresso. For this post we’ve focused on some of the differences that we find particularly charming, beneficial or just plain better. So here we go…

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RESTAURANTS

Let’s start with the food. If you’ve been a follower of this blog for a while (or read more than one post), you’ll notice that many things here are cuisine related. This in itself is something amazing, but not an entry. Regarding food/eating, I’m referring to:

Get it while it’s hot! In the States, it is polite to eat only when all the food has arrived at the table. This means most of your dishes have been baking under a heat lamp anywhere from 5 – 10 minutes while your buddy-with-no-taste-bud’s extra well-done steak continues to char. Here, the food arrives at the table just after it’s been cooked – and it’s meant to be enjoyed that way. You can eat when the food arrives – in fact, people might think your pazzo (crazy) if you sit and let your food get cold. Admittedly, this takes some getting used to – but it makes all the sense in the world.

Gnocci Castelmagno and Papparadelle Cinghiale
This dish would lose texture/flavor quickly if allowed to get cold

Help decide for me! Most restaurants (from the ordinary to the high-end) feature a pre-fix lunch menu, or Menu del Giorno (Menu of the Day). They are usually between $10 – $12 and often feature a first course, a second course, a half-liter of wine, sparkling water and a coffee. Not a bad deal!

Menu of the Day at Il Solito Posto

Waiter – where’s the bill?! Since waiters are paid fair wages here, tipping is not necessary and usually only for service above and beyond. This should probably stand alone as an entry – but there’s an extra benefit. There is no pressure to “turn over” a table. If you want to sit and enjoy your espresso, your gelato or just your conversation – feel free to stay put. In fact, most places don’t even “drop the bill”. Rather, you get up when you are ready and pay on your way out.

Where’s the Burger King? You can ask in English or Italian – you’ll get the same confused look. Fast food joints are not prevalent, in fact – they’re almost nonexistent. McDonalds has made some headway in the past decade (to the pleasure of the younger generation and chagrin of the old-school), but they are few and far between. In fact, we find it humorous that if you see a sign for a McDonald’s – it is not just off the next exit. It’s probably the closest one and still 15 miles away. This has obvious health benefits on the country as a whole. Furthermore, it cultivates a healthy relationship with food. Food is meant to be healthy, fresh and enjoyed slowly.

Wine, wine and more wine! Unless you live in wine country, USA – you can’t imagine how nice it is to be surrounded by such love of wine. This means it is readily available, delicious and affordable. Our grocery stores have huge aisles dedicated only to wine, often on sale at deep discounts. Just the other day, when I was spending time with Franco and we stopped to talk to a group of his friends. I thought I understood someone to say that they were “waiting for it to rain wine” which didn’t make sense to me. I was sure I misunderstood until a truck pulled up. Franco explained that this truck came from Venito, loaded with wine for sale. These guys were literally buying 100 liter quantities to store in their homes. I’m presently trying to convince Franco to split 50 liters with me on the next truck that rolls into town!

Some wonderful Italian wines

Our favorite day – WINE MEGA SALE day!
Can you say, “kid in candy store”

FINANCE

This next section is finance related. While I’m getting crushed on the exchange from dollars to euro’s, and the Italians pay an incredibly high amount of taxes (you think you had it bad?!) – there are a few things that I love here as it relates to their finances.

The price is, what the price is! OK, the tax is in there somewhere – but restaurants, merchants, stores and everyone else marks a price and lo and beyond… it’s final! There are no extras, taxes or tips (see above) required. You don’t have to calculate the tax or wait for someone to do for you. You just pull out your fourteen euro’s and pay… fourteen euro’s (as opposed to $14.84). Now that’s a relief.

You can’t fool me! At home, we love the .99 cent trick. Or the $990 dollar trick. As in, “I only paid $8 bucks for this thing” when in reality it was $8.99 plus tax. I admit, it has a purpose – but it is a bit deceitful to consumers and can sometimes be annoying when figuring out what you are really paying. Instead of $9.99 – it will be marked as an honest $10. I find this very refreshing.

No €9.99 here!

How do you say Fort Knox in Italian?! Their security for banking is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. After I opened my account, I was given an online security key fob. This device generates one of my three pin codes I need to login online. You press the button and it generates a random code that you have limited time to enter, thus guaranteeing the utmost in online security. Furthermore, if you wish to make a purchase online – you can enter the amount you wish to authorize and even the merchant you plan to do business with. You will be given an randomly generated 16-digit number that can be entered one time (for the amount specified) as opposed to entering your actual card number. So internet thieves, go right ahead and steal my credit card number – it won’t be good ever again.

Can’t hack into my online account!

Stay away Western Union – I go where I want! Because the Euro is adopted as the central currency for the European Union, we can cross the border into France, Spain, Germany and many more without having to worry about changing bills and getting killed on commissions.* Incidentally, please use Western Union… for some stupid reason, I’m a stockholder.

I have more change than an 80 year old woman!

*I promised this would be a positive post – but I do have to add one additional note here. I’m not crazy about the actual currency itself (blame the E.U… not Italy). Their monopoly money consists of bills of different sizes and tons of coins (€1 coin, €2 coin, etc). This results in many bills falling on the floor as I rush through the checkout line and a pocket that sounds like a Mexican mariachi band as I chink-chink down the street.

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I’ve got many more to go, but this already turned out to be longer than I realized. I feel it is a good time to break in the series and continue with a “All Things Are a Little Different… Parte Tre” (Part Three) soon. Ciao for now!

Family Stories, Food, Julia, Just a Little Different Here, Sipping Espresso

Who Needs Petting a Zoo?

March 5, 2013 Greg

Our little bumblebee has been busy buzzing all over town – and we were right behind her with cameras and video rolling! Here are a couple of her recent adventures. Coincidentally, both stories fit in with the Easter theme perfectly; a fortunate blog occurrence given the upcoming Easter holiday.

Julia’s Egg

Our little family likes it’s morning rituals. Jen and I enjoy drinking our American coffee (probably the one habit from home we don’t want to give up). Julia likes to chose her own breakfast and then eat it herself (even though half ends up on the floor).

However, Julia’s favorite morning ritual is going to see the galline (chickens) next door. Each day, as I back the car out of the garage – Jen and Julia walk next door to “go see the chickens”. There is a home next to our condo building that has a large chicken coop out back containing about a dozen chickens. Julia talks to them and calls them over by making clucking sounds. Sometimes they humor her and peck near her feet and other times they just go right on clucking by.

Julia and her galline (chickens)

On this particular day, Jen and Julia spent a bit more time visiting the chickens since I was out. All of a sudden, the chicken farmer appeared from around the corner to the delight of Julia and surprise of Jen. He walked right up to the girls and while Jen was ready to apologize for disturbing the chickens, he greeted Julia with a friendly smile and declared, “aspetta” (“just a moment”). He disappeared into the chicken coop and started rummaging around, to return a moment later with… a fresh egg! Julia squealed with delight as he handed her the egg through the fence. In fact, she could hardly contain her excitement so much so that Jen had to confiscate the golden brown treasure for fear of it being crushed in her hands. Jen was amazed that the egg was so fresh it was actually still warm.

“What a treasure!”

Julia was beaming with pride as she showed her new treasure to Franco and Claudia (our Aunt and Uncle) upstairs. However, just mere moments later that she had moved onto something new, as little kids will do (this time it was reading Italian celebrity gossip magazines). It was this window that gave Jen and Claudia the perfect opening to take the egg and cook it in a pan of creamy butter and velvety extra virgin olive oil.

Un poco olio, burro e sale (a little olive oil, butter and salt)

Ready to eat

Jen declared this particular egg to be the best she had ever tasted – I think Julia certainly agreed!

Sheep, Lamb, Dogs and a Few Donkeys for Good Measure

Jen’s mom arrived in Italy last week for a visit and we have spent a few days just relaxing and enjoying her company. But we have also spent several days going through the checklist of her favorite Italy/Lake Como activities.

Landing in Milano’s Malpensa airport (MXP)

Todays event was shopping at the luxury outlets in Lugano, Switzerland. I was preparing myself for a long day of bench-sitting, bag holding and “whichever you prefer, dear” ‘s. I even made sure my phone was fully charged so that I could play several rounds of “Plants vs. Zombies” on it to mask my boredom. But there was a miraculous turn of events – the shopping mall had a Casino attached to it!! So, while le donne (the ladies) spent three-four hours picking out outfits (mainly for Julia) – I was splitting 8’s and doubling down on 10’s. I have to say… I’ll be happy to take Jen shopping any day of the week!

Even though I had a good run of cards and left happy, Julia came out the big winner with some wonderful outfits from her nonna (grandma). And even though she’s now ready to walk down the high fashioned streets of Milano this spring – the real gem of the day occurred on our way home from the outlets.

A snow-flecked field full of sheep

We were nearly home when our eyes simultaneously gazed left toward a field full of sheep. There were sheep herders and sheep dogs keeping the gentle animals from wandering onto the unfenced road. There were also cute baby lambs and even some donkey’s to keep them all company. We were perplexed, as we have driven by this field nearly every day and never seen a sheep – let alone hundreds of them. We decided to pull over and let Julia have some fun.

“Will you look at this?!”

“Come here guys… I don’t bite”

After some friendly banter with a wonderful sheep herder, we learned that each year at this time farmers bring their sheep down from the mountains into town. They come by train, truck and foot. They arrive early for the Easter holiday, because it is traditional for nearly every family in Italy to serve agnello (lamb) on Easter. They come down early to give the sheep exercise and strike their deals with the local butchers.

Julia had a wonderful time playing with the sheep – she was able to get right up next to them.

“You’re little, like me!”

She even had fun pretending to be a sheep herder!

“I’ve got this gig down pat”

Humor, Just a Little Different Here, Sipping Espresso

Italians are HIPPIES?! Who knew?

February 22, 2013 Greg

OK… not quite your Grateful Dead listening, moccasin wearing, pot smoking, “make love-not war” type of hippies. More of the modern-day “green” kind. Which is a good thing. But let me tell you something…

IT SURE IS INCONVENIENT!

When we first moved here and were getting our run-down of the new rules of life, one of the first things we discovered was that everything gets recycled. You’re likely saying, “what’s the big deal? I recycle!” Sure, we did too. I was quite proud to carry my bottles, plastic and paper to the big blue bin next to the trash chute. Our building actually changed from having to separate paper from plastic into one big bin to make it more convenient. Now that’s the type of recycling I was used to.

But this… this is next-level recycling. Thinking about throwing that banana peel away? You’d better stop in your tracks! Planning on throwing away that package your kids toy came in? Stop right there! You were planning on seperating the paper label from the plastic cover and removing it from the cardboard backing, right?!

You see, everything needs to be separated. EVERYTHING. And there is no such thing as “Tuesday trash night” to put your refuse on the street. There is “glass night”. And “paper night”. And “compost night”, etc. So, you’d better budget some time to take a trip to the curb nearly every night and nearly every morning.

Think you’ll circumvent the system by going to the dump? Think again! We only have to separate into five piles at home – at the dump, it’s over double that figure.

Being OCD by nature, I went and got fresh new trash bins to color-cordinate my refuse. Little problem – the garbage men don’t like some of the bins I’ve selected and have twice taken my neighbors garbage while leaving mine. I’ll be sure to get it right soon enough!

Bins shown below (from left to right) umido (compost), rifiuti solidi (garbage), plastica (plastic), carta (paper) and bottiglie (bottles).

My clean new bins

Oh yeah, you’ll notice different color bags. Each type of trash also requires it’s own special bag. Below is what happens when you make a mistake on bag or type of bin – they leave your trash curbside and you take your trash back upstairs to wait until the next time it goes out.

Some of the trash came back upstairs with me

This is what happens after a snowstorm and no garbage is picked up

So, I don’t mean to “one-up you” here – but if you think you’re doing your part for Mother Nature, think again! We’re going GREEN over here in Italy. Of course, I imagine that we’re giving it all back and more touring around in that big diesel SUV I’m borrowing from my in-laws!

Food, Humor, Just a Little Different Here

Fact or Fiction?

February 8, 2013 Greg

We made a discovery recently about Italians that contradicted an earlier belief of ours. So it got us thinking… what other misconceptions do many Americans have about Italians? Let’s dig a little deeper and see what we discover. This is a collection of observations we’ve made since we’ve been here and we will likely have additions over time (and possibly corrections).

*Disclaimer - this post is meant to be fun and in no way itself, factual!  These are simply things that we have observed [and this is important] in this region.  One of the first things that we learned is that there are dramatic differences throughout the country - cultural, culinary, lingual... you name it!  So, while something may be fact or fiction based on what we've noticed; it's highly probably that it could be the opposite somewhere else.

FACT OR FICTION – ITALIANS LOVE GARLIC…THE MORE THE BETTER!

While garlic is prevalent in many dishes, like most other things… they prefer it in moderation. In fact, what appears to us like a little amount of garlic in a dish is probably already far too much. Interesting Italian tidbit – eating raw garlic is good for you, but cooked garlic has no impact. Vampires beware, I’ve been gulping the stuff!

Answer – FICTION

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FACT OR FICTION – ITALIANS LOVE THEIR COFFEE?

Given the name of this blog, you most likely have already surmised that coffee is enjoyed several times throughout the day. However, the experience is very different than the US. Instead of going to any Starbucks in the morning and ordering a 20 oz coffee that you’ll guzzle in your car on the way to work, Italians prefer several small cups of espresso throughout the day. Sometimes with milk (con latte or a machiatto), sometimes very small (corto) and occasionally a bit bigger (lungo) – but always in an espresso cup and never “to go”. An enjoyable custom is visiting various “bars” throughout the day, ordering your coffee, chatting with your friends, plunking down your €1 and heading out only to return a few hours later. CAREFUL – one of us (and it wasn’t your author) learned a couple years ago that you NEVER order a cappuccino after a meal.

Answer – FACT

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FACT OR FICTION – ITALIANS HAVE TWO HOUR LUNCHES?!

Pranzo circa 2006 when we were here for Jens cousin’s wedding

Perhaps not two hours exactly, but pranzo (lunch) is an event that is not to be missed or rushed. In most households, pranzo is the most important meal of the deal – a wonderful moment to spend time with family. You’ll find most shops close around 12:00 and don’t re-open until after 2:00 in order to allow shopkeepers and workers time to make it home and eat. Many households will regularly serve pasta as a prima (first course), sometimes followed by a secondo (second course of fish or meat) and usually rounded out by a salad at the end. Of course, wonderful bread and cheese are present and many households will happily open a nice bottle of vino (wine) and finish with caffè (coffee). With a younger generation and big box stores ushering in new norms, pranzo may not have as much emphasis as it did in the past – but the act of eating an enjoyable lunch will always have a place in Italian culture.

*We have the benefit of wonderful cooks both upstairs and in our own home – we have enjoyed many wonderful two-hour lunches ourselves; even though my waist line isn’t too appreciative. Future posts on Claudia and Jen’s delicious cooking to come.

Answer – FACT

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FACT OR FICTION – “SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS” IS ALWAYS ON THE MENU?

No meatballs here

While pasta is very common (and spaghetti, a type of noodle is one of the most popular varities) – polpette (meatballs) are never served on top of spaghetti and oozing with marinara. In fact, the only time we’ve ever had polpette was a second meat course and they tasted very different than what we’re accustomed to.

Answer – FICTION

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FACT OR FICTION – ITALIANS DRINK TONS OF SAN PELLEGRINO SPARKLING WATER?

This was something Jen and I assumed, not necessarily something that is commonly thought of. Every time we have gone out to eat in the states with Italians, we order aqua frizzante (sparkling water) and 9 times out of 10 they would deliver San Pellegrino to the table. Given Jen’s Italian upbringing, we actually became quite accustomed to stocking the delicious “bubbly stuff” in our own home (thank you Costco for selling cases). So, naturally we assumed that the big player in the US market would dominate on their own turf. But the truth is – we haven’t seen a single bottle! Not at a restaurant, not at a friends home, not at the supermarket. It’s like they bottle almost exclusively for export! Don’t get me wrong… there is a bottle of frizzante at every table we’ve graced – just not San Pellegrino.

Interestingly enough, Illy and Lavazza (the two espresso brands most dominant in the US) are not only very prevalent in Italy – they are regarded as the best quality.

Answer – Fiction

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FACT OR FICTION – ITALIAN SUBS ARE BETTER IN ITALY?!

Well, this just seems like common sense. We’re in the mecca for the cured meats, wonderful cheeses and incredible bread that could make the world’s greatest submarine sandwich. We have access to carefully aged vinegar and the most delicious olive oil. The lettuce and tomatoes… well, OK – they’re pretty much the same. So, of course they should put them all together and give it the namesake of their own country, right?

I dare you to go into any restaurant and order an “Italian Sub”. You’ll get a look like you have three heads, because for some strange reason twelve inches of layer after layer of mixed meats, cheese, vegetables and oil smashed into a piece of bread doesn’t sound appealing to them at all. Weird – I’m getting hungry just typing!

Italians prefer to keep most things separate, so that they can taste each item. Sure, they have sandwiches (post on our sandwich adventure), but not of the “sub-sandwich” kind. In fact the place we went in Milano is quite rare. Most places simply put one type of meat on bread (salami or prosciutto or prosciutto cotto) sometimes accompanied by cheese and maybe some arugula.

Sorry Jared – we have no use for you here.

Answer – FICTION

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FACT OR FICTION – ITALIANS ARE VERY LOUD…YOU CAN HEAR THEM A GREAT WAYS AWAY?!

“I already TOOOOOLD you!!!!”

I feel as though I am credible to be able to write about this, as I have known a great many Italians over the years and been privy to many, many conversations. As it’s been explained to me… they’re not loud – they’re passionate! And they’re not always passionate – only when topics of conversation requires it. Like politics or religion…. or what to cook for lunch, or who’s right or wrong, or what the temperature is, or if the sky is actually blue, or if breathing is important, or whether the neighbors can hear them. That sort of thing.

Answer – FACT

Well, we hope you had as much fun learning about what’s Fact and what’s Fiction in this great country as we did creating the list. We’re hoping to learn a lot more so we can continue to add to the list.

Humor, Just a Little Different Here

All Things Are Just a Little Different…

January 23, 2013 Greg

I think this will be a recurring theme… most differences are charming, some can be frustrating and all of them can be humorous when looked at in the right light.

A perfect example of some of these differences that “welcomed” us to our new life in Italy was our own house key.* There are normal keys right next to it so that you can get a proper scale.

Didn’t know we were living in a bank vault!

*When we say “our house,” we really mean Dominic and Diane’s beautiful home that they have so graciously allowed us to live in for the next year. We’ll do a separate post with pictures of the place as well.

ALL THINGS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT

Julia’s Egg

Sheep, Lamb, Dogs and a Few Donkeys for Good Measure

Drink in Italy With Us