In Sienna, our group was able to partake in one of Sienna's oldest traditions: il Palio. This is a basically a horse race in which different neighborhoods, called contradas, each have a horse that races. There are 17 contradas in Sienna, but only ten get to race. They are chosen by lottery. This has been going on since the medieval times. I'll talk more about the actual Palio in another post. In this post, I want to talk about what we got to do the day before the Palio.
Each contrada is represented by an animal. There's a goose, a dragon, a turtle, a unicorn, leopard, and so on. The members of each contrada have a scarf with their colors and animal on and they are given this scarf at birth. The day before the Palio is a day of practice races. At night, each contrada then has a big feast. Our group was invited to the one; we were essentially adopted by a contrada. We became honorary members of the Tortuca clan, the turtles.
We went to the dinner around 9.30, having missed the two practice runs. When we went to the neighborhood square where dinner was being held, I saw rows of long white tables that were already set with silverware and plates and had some wine on it already. We had an assigned table and we sat down.
One of the marks of the Palio is that it is steeped with tradition and ceremony. Dinner opened with a quick speech by the head of the contrada in which he thanked the ladies serving. The servers were all members of the contrada, and there were probably about 30 of them ranging from about 13 to 50. They prepared all of the food themselves and they passed it out to everyone. We were served family-style, but there were still probably a couple hundred people there. It must have been a lot of hard work but it didn't seem as though they were tired or minded at all. They sang the contrada song and did a dance before they started the meal.
The food was really good--it was more of a traditional Italian meal, with the appetizer and then the primi piatti and the secondo piatti and the salad course and then desert. There was plenty of time in between courses to allow for digestion and plenty of wine, too...they kept passing out bottles! We had to leave before desert, around midnight, because we had to drive back to Florence for the night and the bus driver was going to leave us. The meal took so long that we made it to midnight without getting desert! But it was worth it because it was an amazing experience.
You could see how close the contrada was. Everyone knew each other; before the meal, people were walking around and talking with each other. One of my favorite parts of the meal was the table of guys who were probably in their mid-twenties. Throughout the evening, they would just randomly (and loudly) break into the contrada song. I thought that it was really cool that a group of younger people was singing the song, because you probably wouldn't have that as much in the States; tradition isn't valued as much in the U.S. as it's valued in Italy. The Tortuca contrada was also favored to win, so when the jockey got up to speak he got a huge response that I don't think any U.S. jockey would ever receive. The Palio is a huge part of life in Sienna; they look forward to it twice a year and it is really a huge issue of pride for the contrada. To win is a huge deal.
I'll talk more about the race itself later--that was an experience!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Friday, July 6, 2007
Tour v. Class
I'm back home now! I haven't updated in awhile, but the reason why is kind of the topic of this blog post. I joined the tour on Friday, June 30 and I pretty much didn't sleep at all until last night.
The tour was really different than what I was used to in Rome with class. In Rome, I feel like we were getting more of the Italy experience. We got to relax, see the sights at our own pace, and really explore the city. With the tour, everything felt really rushed. I felt like we didn't ever have time to stop and really look at what we were doing. Dinners were pre-ordered and we had to eat them really quickly, so I felt like we didn't really get a chance to pick for ourselves what we wanted to eat and experience the Italian culture that way. Lunches were usually on the go, and more than once we ate at a self-serve place, which is really nasty. I don't think that the kids on the tour got a really good feel for what Italy is like. I didn't experience any of the laid-back culture that I saw in Rome while we were studying. Our guide, Massimo, who is from Rome, was always rushing around and very frantic.
The one part of the tour that did reinforce something about the Italian culture that we learned in class was the idea of connections. Many of the "city guides," as Massimo called them, that we had were friends of Massimo. He called them in, he said, specifically because he thought we would like them. The one that was really horrible was the substitute one, because his friend was already booked. So that reinforces the idea that in Italy it's all about who you know.
I enjoyed the tour because I got to see more of Italy and my parents paid for my food but I enjoyed the class experience more because I think I learned more about the Italian culture and way of life by our class schedule and lectures.
The tour was really different than what I was used to in Rome with class. In Rome, I feel like we were getting more of the Italy experience. We got to relax, see the sights at our own pace, and really explore the city. With the tour, everything felt really rushed. I felt like we didn't ever have time to stop and really look at what we were doing. Dinners were pre-ordered and we had to eat them really quickly, so I felt like we didn't really get a chance to pick for ourselves what we wanted to eat and experience the Italian culture that way. Lunches were usually on the go, and more than once we ate at a self-serve place, which is really nasty. I don't think that the kids on the tour got a really good feel for what Italy is like. I didn't experience any of the laid-back culture that I saw in Rome while we were studying. Our guide, Massimo, who is from Rome, was always rushing around and very frantic.
The one part of the tour that did reinforce something about the Italian culture that we learned in class was the idea of connections. Many of the "city guides," as Massimo called them, that we had were friends of Massimo. He called them in, he said, specifically because he thought we would like them. The one that was really horrible was the substitute one, because his friend was already booked. So that reinforces the idea that in Italy it's all about who you know.
I enjoyed the tour because I got to see more of Italy and my parents paid for my food but I enjoyed the class experience more because I think I learned more about the Italian culture and way of life by our class schedule and lectures.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Victory!
We go to the same cafe every morning for breakfast. It's down the road from where we live. We started going there the end of first week of school because it was quick and a cornetto and cafe only cost 1.35.
My first impression was that the ladies behind the counter hated me, and that was really hard for me. They were really gruff and short with me and barely even made eye contact. They slammed our drinks down and didn't seem to like us very much. It made me feel really bad because I would always enter with a smile and greet them with a "Ciao" or a "Buongiorno." And I am a naturally smiling person. I am a friendly person. I hate it when people don't smile back at me. It makes me sad.
The second week rolled around and we headed back to our shop and the two ladies. I entered with my "Ciao," and THEY SAID IT BACK. I was so excited that I couldn't contain myself. And then, when I was checking out, I had exact change and I got really excited about that, because Italians love exact change, and the one girl winked at me! I pretty much told everyone and they thought I was weird, but it was a big moment for me. By the end of the second week, they would greet us when we came in and the meaner one was even winking at me! I felt the love.
Now it's the end of the third week and Rachel and I just went in and the mean one gave us big smiles and she already knew our order. The other one shared in a joke with us when she lost a take-away customer and did the share in the funny moment smile with us. I felt so included and accepted, like they had finally become accustomed to my presence and included me. I am part of the in crowd at this cafe.
But that is nothing compared to the treatment of the lady at Baccanale. That's the place where we go and get sandwiches every day after school. Baccanale has probably the best sandwiches in Rome and it's right off of Campo. The same lady's there when we go. We learned quickly that if you have the 50 euro cent piece you're in. By the second week, she would always say "Domani" when we left. And yesterday was the best of all. I always get the turkey, lettuce and tomato but yesterday I got a tuna and tomato, because tuna is the only fish I like. I pointed at it and she said, "Questo?" Like, "What the crap?" I said, "Tuna?" She said, "Si." So I said yes and she made the "this is nasty" face and we all laughed. And then SHE TOOK THE 50 EURO CENT OFF THE PRICE. For all of us. We are so in it is ridiculous. And the sandwich was Delicious, of course. She offered me mayo. And I said no and she laughed and said "Domani." I'm really going to miss the cafe girls and the Baccanale lady. They've been so great and really made me feel like a part of Rome.
My first impression was that the ladies behind the counter hated me, and that was really hard for me. They were really gruff and short with me and barely even made eye contact. They slammed our drinks down and didn't seem to like us very much. It made me feel really bad because I would always enter with a smile and greet them with a "Ciao" or a "Buongiorno." And I am a naturally smiling person. I am a friendly person. I hate it when people don't smile back at me. It makes me sad.
The second week rolled around and we headed back to our shop and the two ladies. I entered with my "Ciao," and THEY SAID IT BACK. I was so excited that I couldn't contain myself. And then, when I was checking out, I had exact change and I got really excited about that, because Italians love exact change, and the one girl winked at me! I pretty much told everyone and they thought I was weird, but it was a big moment for me. By the end of the second week, they would greet us when we came in and the meaner one was even winking at me! I felt the love.
Now it's the end of the third week and Rachel and I just went in and the mean one gave us big smiles and she already knew our order. The other one shared in a joke with us when she lost a take-away customer and did the share in the funny moment smile with us. I felt so included and accepted, like they had finally become accustomed to my presence and included me. I am part of the in crowd at this cafe.
But that is nothing compared to the treatment of the lady at Baccanale. That's the place where we go and get sandwiches every day after school. Baccanale has probably the best sandwiches in Rome and it's right off of Campo. The same lady's there when we go. We learned quickly that if you have the 50 euro cent piece you're in. By the second week, she would always say "Domani" when we left. And yesterday was the best of all. I always get the turkey, lettuce and tomato but yesterday I got a tuna and tomato, because tuna is the only fish I like. I pointed at it and she said, "Questo?" Like, "What the crap?" I said, "Tuna?" She said, "Si." So I said yes and she made the "this is nasty" face and we all laughed. And then SHE TOOK THE 50 EURO CENT OFF THE PRICE. For all of us. We are so in it is ridiculous. And the sandwich was Delicious, of course. She offered me mayo. And I said no and she laughed and said "Domani." I'm really going to miss the cafe girls and the Baccanale lady. They've been so great and really made me feel like a part of Rome.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Nonverbal communication
Nonverbal communication is the study of all of the nonverbal stimuli that are generated by the source and how they utilize the environment and how that may have a potential message value for the source or receiver. Nonverbal communication is influenced by a person's culture and the society in which they live. It is also influenced by their sex and gender. Nonverbal communication is learned by watching other people. It is taught by other members of the society, so it will vary from culture to culture.
The nonverbal communication will have an effect on the success of one's intercultural communication. Nonverbal communication is not set; it is ambiguous and may vary from culture to culture. In order to be a successful nonverbal intercultural communicator, one must learn the nonverbals for that particular culture. Because many times nonverbal communication is done unconsciously, the wrong message can be sent without a person even being aware of it.
Proxemics relates to personal space, seating, and furniture arrangement. In the United States, the promexics are greater than they are in many other cultures, especially European cultures. There exists a difference in proxemics between intimate and causal distances and the social and public distances. Americans tend to take up less space and leave plenty of room in between; Italians will pack on as many people as they can into an already crowded, small space. Proxemics can also communicate status and role distinction. In the United States, the person sitting at the head of the table has the most power. Also, in an office setting, the person behind the desk holds the power. Harmony, privacy, and even centralization are all evidenced by proxemics. In the United States, we center our living room around the television. Many other countries have seating so that it is facing each other. This shows what cultures emphasize. The United States is placing the emphasis on the TV and media. Other countries are placing the emphasis on interpersonal communication, talking with other people, relationship building, or simply conversation in general.
Body language, or kinesics, shows a great deal. It can demonstrate the attitude you hold towards someone else. It can show if you're in an emotional state. It can also show a desire to control your environment, all depending on what you do. Italians are much freer with their body language than Americans are. They use gestures much more frequently, especially when they are highly emotional. When they greet each other, they hug and kiss on each cheek. Americans hand shake, which shows how we are much more formal.
Haptics is how touch relays information. This varies from culture to culture. In the United States, touch is not highly valued. We are more of a Puritanical culture that doesn't really show much affection. It's different in Europe, especially in Italy, where people touch each other all of the time. When we were in Florence, Allie, Rachel and I saw two friends literally leap up to great each other, the one running and jumping on the other one. You would not witness that in the States. Their greeting showed that they were close friends who hadn't seen each other in some time. It was nice to see people being freer with their emotions, although it was a little strange.
The nonverbal communication will have an effect on the success of one's intercultural communication. Nonverbal communication is not set; it is ambiguous and may vary from culture to culture. In order to be a successful nonverbal intercultural communicator, one must learn the nonverbals for that particular culture. Because many times nonverbal communication is done unconsciously, the wrong message can be sent without a person even being aware of it.
Proxemics relates to personal space, seating, and furniture arrangement. In the United States, the promexics are greater than they are in many other cultures, especially European cultures. There exists a difference in proxemics between intimate and causal distances and the social and public distances. Americans tend to take up less space and leave plenty of room in between; Italians will pack on as many people as they can into an already crowded, small space. Proxemics can also communicate status and role distinction. In the United States, the person sitting at the head of the table has the most power. Also, in an office setting, the person behind the desk holds the power. Harmony, privacy, and even centralization are all evidenced by proxemics. In the United States, we center our living room around the television. Many other countries have seating so that it is facing each other. This shows what cultures emphasize. The United States is placing the emphasis on the TV and media. Other countries are placing the emphasis on interpersonal communication, talking with other people, relationship building, or simply conversation in general.
Body language, or kinesics, shows a great deal. It can demonstrate the attitude you hold towards someone else. It can show if you're in an emotional state. It can also show a desire to control your environment, all depending on what you do. Italians are much freer with their body language than Americans are. They use gestures much more frequently, especially when they are highly emotional. When they greet each other, they hug and kiss on each cheek. Americans hand shake, which shows how we are much more formal.
Haptics is how touch relays information. This varies from culture to culture. In the United States, touch is not highly valued. We are more of a Puritanical culture that doesn't really show much affection. It's different in Europe, especially in Italy, where people touch each other all of the time. When we were in Florence, Allie, Rachel and I saw two friends literally leap up to great each other, the one running and jumping on the other one. You would not witness that in the States. Their greeting showed that they were close friends who hadn't seen each other in some time. It was nice to see people being freer with their emotions, although it was a little strange.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
New food experience
Today for lunch we were charged with trying a new food. I pretty much all right with this because it would be funded. And also, I'm okay with trying new things. Just not fish. Because I hate fish. They're disgusting. Matt ordered shrimp once and I was sitting across from him and they had eyes and I was almost sick. They also smelled like the ocean. I don't like food that smells like the ocean. I guess I'm a fairly picky eater. So I was okay with this whole try a new food thing until I learned about the restrictions. No pasta or pizza. And Teri shot down risotto, too. I have been craving risotto since I got here, and everywhere I go it's a seafood risotto, but I figured I could try that and it would be okay. Since I hate fish so much. But that idea pretty much got shot down.
So we went to this little restaurant down the street to have our new food experience. I was feeling pretty nervous until I saw the menu, which was pretty detailed. I figured I could find something on it. And there was even some weird vegetables for Rachel, who was worried because she's a vegetarian and it's kind of hard to branch out if you don't eat meat. So we went in and the place was pretty much empty. There were like two old Italian men and that was it. Our waiter was also an older Italian man and he was extremely excited to see us. We noticed that they don't get a lot of young people in there. We looked over the menu and there was some weird stuff. But I decided that I would eat fish because I hate it so much. And I would just like to elaborate briefly on how much I hate fish. For Serbian Christmas Eve you can only eat food that comes from the ground or from the sea, which is pretty limiting. We have salad, Serbian potato salad (which I think smells funny, so I don't eat it), unleavened bread, and whiting and smelts. We cook the whiting and smelts on the back porch during Pittsburgh January because my mom doesn't want to smell up the house (so I think it's genetic). My dad also makes canned tuna with a lot of salt and pepper so you can't really taste the tuna. At dinner, however, I'm not allowed to hog up on the salad or tuna because my one cousin and my mom also don't like fish and everyone likes salad. So I don't starve, I pretty much have to eat fish. I fill half my plate with ketchup, cut a tiny piece of fish off, cover the whole piece in ketchup and then eat it. You pretty much just taste the ketchup and not any fish at all. It's delicious. I just wanted to tell this to elaborate on how much I despise fish.
I ordered grilled squid. Not fried calamari, which I will eat doused in sauce, but grilled squid. I was feeling pretty nervous before it came out. I was regretting my decision pretty hard-core. Matt, Allie, and Tyler ordered ox tails and I was thinking that couldn't be that bad, an ox is pretty close to beef, I should have gotten that. But then our waiter brought out all these plates of appetizers and we were thinking, "Did we order this?" They were really good. I have no idea what they were, though. Matt said the one pizza had anchovies on it, so I avoided that. I drew the line at the anchovies. I did eat the omlettey-ham turnover and the other pizza with artichokes on it and they were both good. When I looked at the conto he only charged us a dollar per person for all of that, and that's how much plain bread is. No one else got that. So I felt special.
Then I saw him coming out with these three heaping plates of meat with red sauce and I really started to freak out. I knew the food was coming. And I really did not want to eat any squid. AT ALL. This was the ox tail's and it looked pretty good. It smelled pretty good too, like stew. Matt took the first bite while Rose was taking pictures and it was pretty funny. He said it was hard to cut.
Mine came out with Rachel's and Rose's and it was NASTY LOOKING. I did not take a picture and the nasty part has not been preserved with me in a photograph. There were two flat pieces of like yellow and white fish and then these two giant tentacle pieces which I immediately moved to another plate and hid under something. I cut a piece and it wasn't squishy, so I was happy about that. I ate it, and I was just hoping I wasn't going to barf. I was told if I did Matt would take a picture. It really wasn't that bad. It was really lemony and it didn't taste fishy, which I was worried about. I ate the whole first piece but not the second piece. That one was less lemony and I think maybe at first my expectation had been that it would be so nasty that it was so exceeded that the second piece really had to live up, and it just didn't. Matt, however, did eat the tentacle pieces, which I thought was nasty. He ripped off all the legs. We found the head and cut it off and it was pretty cool. You could see inside of it. I like to play with my food, which is kind of a bad habit and why I couldn't order green beans for years. He didn't eat the head though. We discussed whether or not we thought Italians ate the whole thing. I hope they don't but I have a sneaking suspicion they do, because eye balls are a delicacy in some cultures.
I feel like this was overall a good experience. I don't think that I'd willingly order grilled calamari again, but if I accidentally did it, it wouldn't be the end of the world. I could eat it. I would probably order the ox's tail. I tried Matt's and it was good. Allie and Tyler said that you don't get much meat out of it though, which probably wouldn't be a bad thing for me because I never finish a meal, anyway. I think I did a good job with this assignment because I ate fish that wasn't deep fried or covered in any sauce or doused in lemon, which is how I've always ate fish in the past. I ate a whole big piece, which was probably like a whole squid side, and I didn't throw up or get sick. This taught me to not be afraid to try new things. I still think I have limits, though. I don't like squishy meats and I might have an issue with eating something that got killed right in front of me. The best bet for me is probably still to not know what I've eaten until after I'm done. That's why I like zucchini bread.
So we went to this little restaurant down the street to have our new food experience. I was feeling pretty nervous until I saw the menu, which was pretty detailed. I figured I could find something on it. And there was even some weird vegetables for Rachel, who was worried because she's a vegetarian and it's kind of hard to branch out if you don't eat meat. So we went in and the place was pretty much empty. There were like two old Italian men and that was it. Our waiter was also an older Italian man and he was extremely excited to see us. We noticed that they don't get a lot of young people in there. We looked over the menu and there was some weird stuff. But I decided that I would eat fish because I hate it so much. And I would just like to elaborate briefly on how much I hate fish. For Serbian Christmas Eve you can only eat food that comes from the ground or from the sea, which is pretty limiting. We have salad, Serbian potato salad (which I think smells funny, so I don't eat it), unleavened bread, and whiting and smelts. We cook the whiting and smelts on the back porch during Pittsburgh January because my mom doesn't want to smell up the house (so I think it's genetic). My dad also makes canned tuna with a lot of salt and pepper so you can't really taste the tuna. At dinner, however, I'm not allowed to hog up on the salad or tuna because my one cousin and my mom also don't like fish and everyone likes salad. So I don't starve, I pretty much have to eat fish. I fill half my plate with ketchup, cut a tiny piece of fish off, cover the whole piece in ketchup and then eat it. You pretty much just taste the ketchup and not any fish at all. It's delicious. I just wanted to tell this to elaborate on how much I despise fish.
I ordered grilled squid. Not fried calamari, which I will eat doused in sauce, but grilled squid. I was feeling pretty nervous before it came out. I was regretting my decision pretty hard-core. Matt, Allie, and Tyler ordered ox tails and I was thinking that couldn't be that bad, an ox is pretty close to beef, I should have gotten that. But then our waiter brought out all these plates of appetizers and we were thinking, "Did we order this?" They were really good. I have no idea what they were, though. Matt said the one pizza had anchovies on it, so I avoided that. I drew the line at the anchovies. I did eat the omlettey-ham turnover and the other pizza with artichokes on it and they were both good. When I looked at the conto he only charged us a dollar per person for all of that, and that's how much plain bread is. No one else got that. So I felt special.
Then I saw him coming out with these three heaping plates of meat with red sauce and I really started to freak out. I knew the food was coming. And I really did not want to eat any squid. AT ALL. This was the ox tail's and it looked pretty good. It smelled pretty good too, like stew. Matt took the first bite while Rose was taking pictures and it was pretty funny. He said it was hard to cut.
Mine came out with Rachel's and Rose's and it was NASTY LOOKING. I did not take a picture and the nasty part has not been preserved with me in a photograph. There were two flat pieces of like yellow and white fish and then these two giant tentacle pieces which I immediately moved to another plate and hid under something. I cut a piece and it wasn't squishy, so I was happy about that. I ate it, and I was just hoping I wasn't going to barf. I was told if I did Matt would take a picture. It really wasn't that bad. It was really lemony and it didn't taste fishy, which I was worried about. I ate the whole first piece but not the second piece. That one was less lemony and I think maybe at first my expectation had been that it would be so nasty that it was so exceeded that the second piece really had to live up, and it just didn't. Matt, however, did eat the tentacle pieces, which I thought was nasty. He ripped off all the legs. We found the head and cut it off and it was pretty cool. You could see inside of it. I like to play with my food, which is kind of a bad habit and why I couldn't order green beans for years. He didn't eat the head though. We discussed whether or not we thought Italians ate the whole thing. I hope they don't but I have a sneaking suspicion they do, because eye balls are a delicacy in some cultures.
I feel like this was overall a good experience. I don't think that I'd willingly order grilled calamari again, but if I accidentally did it, it wouldn't be the end of the world. I could eat it. I would probably order the ox's tail. I tried Matt's and it was good. Allie and Tyler said that you don't get much meat out of it though, which probably wouldn't be a bad thing for me because I never finish a meal, anyway. I think I did a good job with this assignment because I ate fish that wasn't deep fried or covered in any sauce or doused in lemon, which is how I've always ate fish in the past. I ate a whole big piece, which was probably like a whole squid side, and I didn't throw up or get sick. This taught me to not be afraid to try new things. I still think I have limits, though. I don't like squishy meats and I might have an issue with eating something that got killed right in front of me. The best bet for me is probably still to not know what I've eaten until after I'm done. That's why I like zucchini bread.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Ocean's 13 in Italia--in Inglese!
Last night we went to see a movie in English, and we were all ridiculously excited. I personally love going to the movies, and I had been disappointed about not getting to see Ocean's 13 before I left, so I was happy to see it. But I was even happier, I guess, to see a movie in English. I usually don't mind watching movies in other languages because when I was taking Italian freshman year the one movie channel played some movies in Italian with Italian subtitles and I watched them. I just really didn't like the one we saw as a class. I couldn't really follow it and I thought it was kind of boring. But I think I would have thought that if it was in English--I didn't really like the whole Jesus-symbolism. It made it seems as though the people in the village weren't too bright.
We weren't too sure how the movie theater would be set up. The one we went to for the Italian movie was really small. When you walked in there was just a desk where you paid and then you went back these hallways to find your theater. The theater itself was pretty; kind of modern-architecture and simple. It didn't really remind me of too many movie theaters in America. The biggest difference was that they had an intermission about halfway through the movie. I didn't really understand the point of it, though, because they just bumped up the lights for about five seconds and then dimmed them again.
The theater we went to for Ocean's 13 looked much more like a traditional American theater. It was on VIa del Corso near Piazza del Popolo. You bought your tickets through the counter with the glass like you do in the states. And there was a concession stand, which I was really not expecting. The concession stand was really different, though from mainstream American theaters. They had a bar where you could get beer or mixed drinks. They also sold water and American candy bars, which is interesting but they were playing American movies so it's not as strange that the American candy bars would be present. The theater actually had popcorn too, but Rachel and Tyler said that it wasn't freshly made and it also was not buttery.
We went into the theater and the seats were really comfortable, like blue plush chairs. It was a small theater that was pretty much filled with UD students. It was the six of us and then we saw some graduates that we had met in Florence over the weekend. We were all talking when all of the sudden the lights shut off. There was no gentle dimming; one minute they were on and the next it was pitch black. They had one preview and then they went right into the movie. I thought it was interesting that they didn't have the whole "don't use your cell phone" spiel. In America, you can't go into a theater without one of those. In Italy, I don't think that people use their cell phones as much as people do in America. In the US, you can't really walk down the street without seeing half of the people talking on their phones. Here, there are people on their phones, but it's usually just to get information or to catch up. It seems as though people here are more comfortable with silence and not concerned with talking on the phone to fill up time or dead air. Italians seem to value actual person to person interaction rather than the constant phone conversations that we have in America.
The movie was in English but it had Italian subtitles. I wondered why people would go and see an American movie in a language they didn't understand but then I remembered everything we learned with the speakers about the Italians' love of movies. They said that Italians love movies and go see them all the time. Americans also love movies and go see them all of the time but it seems like Italians may have a higher taste level in movies than the mainstream Americans. The American movies that are out aren't all of the crappy ones that everyone sees in the US. The ones we saw playing are the bigger blockbusters, like Ocean's 13, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Shrek 3.
Our movie also had an intermission. It came at a really choppy point, barely in between scenes, and it was slightly longer than the last one, but I still didn't understand the point. A couple of guys got up and left but the movie started again before they got back, so the intermission really isn't long enough to get anything done.
It was really interesting watching the movie with the Italian subtitles. I can read Italian much better than I can speak it, so I was trying to go back and forth sometimes to get an idea of what the translated version was. There were some words that couldn't be translated, like "Nuff said," which just appeared as it was at the bottom. There were some that were changed so that the meaning was different, but I can't really think of any now. They were just phrases that in American English you can't really translate into another language and get the same meaning.
I liked seeing the movie, and I'm really glad we went. As far as the movie goes, I really liked it. I love Ocean's 11 and 12, so I knew I'd like it. It wasn't as funny as the other two, and it didn't have as many twists and surprises, but it was still a good con, and it was nice to see an American movie with the actor's actual voices. Shakespeare in Love or It's a Wonderful Life just aren't the same with Italian dubbing.
We weren't too sure how the movie theater would be set up. The one we went to for the Italian movie was really small. When you walked in there was just a desk where you paid and then you went back these hallways to find your theater. The theater itself was pretty; kind of modern-architecture and simple. It didn't really remind me of too many movie theaters in America. The biggest difference was that they had an intermission about halfway through the movie. I didn't really understand the point of it, though, because they just bumped up the lights for about five seconds and then dimmed them again.
The theater we went to for Ocean's 13 looked much more like a traditional American theater. It was on VIa del Corso near Piazza del Popolo. You bought your tickets through the counter with the glass like you do in the states. And there was a concession stand, which I was really not expecting. The concession stand was really different, though from mainstream American theaters. They had a bar where you could get beer or mixed drinks. They also sold water and American candy bars, which is interesting but they were playing American movies so it's not as strange that the American candy bars would be present. The theater actually had popcorn too, but Rachel and Tyler said that it wasn't freshly made and it also was not buttery.
We went into the theater and the seats were really comfortable, like blue plush chairs. It was a small theater that was pretty much filled with UD students. It was the six of us and then we saw some graduates that we had met in Florence over the weekend. We were all talking when all of the sudden the lights shut off. There was no gentle dimming; one minute they were on and the next it was pitch black. They had one preview and then they went right into the movie. I thought it was interesting that they didn't have the whole "don't use your cell phone" spiel. In America, you can't go into a theater without one of those. In Italy, I don't think that people use their cell phones as much as people do in America. In the US, you can't really walk down the street without seeing half of the people talking on their phones. Here, there are people on their phones, but it's usually just to get information or to catch up. It seems as though people here are more comfortable with silence and not concerned with talking on the phone to fill up time or dead air. Italians seem to value actual person to person interaction rather than the constant phone conversations that we have in America.
The movie was in English but it had Italian subtitles. I wondered why people would go and see an American movie in a language they didn't understand but then I remembered everything we learned with the speakers about the Italians' love of movies. They said that Italians love movies and go see them all the time. Americans also love movies and go see them all of the time but it seems like Italians may have a higher taste level in movies than the mainstream Americans. The American movies that are out aren't all of the crappy ones that everyone sees in the US. The ones we saw playing are the bigger blockbusters, like Ocean's 13, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Shrek 3.
Our movie also had an intermission. It came at a really choppy point, barely in between scenes, and it was slightly longer than the last one, but I still didn't understand the point. A couple of guys got up and left but the movie started again before they got back, so the intermission really isn't long enough to get anything done.
It was really interesting watching the movie with the Italian subtitles. I can read Italian much better than I can speak it, so I was trying to go back and forth sometimes to get an idea of what the translated version was. There were some words that couldn't be translated, like "Nuff said," which just appeared as it was at the bottom. There were some that were changed so that the meaning was different, but I can't really think of any now. They were just phrases that in American English you can't really translate into another language and get the same meaning.
I liked seeing the movie, and I'm really glad we went. As far as the movie goes, I really liked it. I love Ocean's 11 and 12, so I knew I'd like it. It wasn't as funny as the other two, and it didn't have as many twists and surprises, but it was still a good con, and it was nice to see an American movie with the actor's actual voices. Shakespeare in Love or It's a Wonderful Life just aren't the same with Italian dubbing.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Restaurant Experiences
Having been here for over a week now (which seems to be very weird), I've eaten at a lot of restaurants. And there are some definite differences in what to expect from American restaurants. There are the main ones, of course. Because of the different time values, the time spent at a restaurant will be longer than one at an American restaurant. We always allot more time than we plan on being there. The extra time comes at the end of the meal, though. I've noticed that you order and you get your food fairly quickly. It seems like food comes out much sooner than it ever does in the US. I think that might be because they don't bring out everyone's food at once. Last night a group of us went to the restaurant down the street for dinner and we all ordered at the same time. Three people even ordered the same thing: margherita pizzas. But they all came out at different times. Matt's came out really fast and he was almost half-way done with his meal by the time Tyler's chicken and Allie's and my pastas came out. Rachel also got a pizza, but hers came out even later. So they don't expect everyone to start at the same time and finish at the same time. You just start whenever and finish whenever. I really am starting to get used to this way of living and I kind of like it better. It's nice to just take time out and relax and not to feel like you're being rushed out of a place because they need a table.
The emphasis in Italy is not on the service industry. The waiters are very unobtrusive and if you don't flag them down they probably won't come back. If water didn't come in bottles, you'd go thirsty. It's almost like you are eating at home but you didn't have to cook anything. I have not had a waiter that is rude, but they're not overtly friendly or effusive. It's much more genuine than in the United States, where if you aren't falsely happy you're thought to be rude.
Probably the most fun I've had with a waiter was when we were in Spoleto. Our waiter spoke really amazing English and we were asking him where he learned it so well and he said cartoons and we of course did not believe him but he said it was true and he also said that his English was so good because he was Romanian and not Italian. He said that Italians have tough time learning English because of the lilt in the Italian. He was really a good waiter, though, and very different from the Italian waiters I've had. He definitely established a rapport with the group although he wasn't overly obtrusive or in the way or false in any sense. He was just very genuine. He joked a lot with Matt and called him the black sheep of the group because Matt ordered a Coke with "molto ice." Most of us ordered the same pasta dish, so they just brought out a huge dish and portioned it out at the table. He gave Matt one noodle. I don't think that any of the Italian waiters would do that.
I have also noticed that a majority of the waiters in Italy have been men rather than women. Also, the men are much more friendly and personal than the female waiters I've encountered. I have gone into the same restaurant down the street probably three times and the same girl has been working there all three times and she has not smiled once. She's warmed up some.
The emphasis in Italy is not on the service industry. The waiters are very unobtrusive and if you don't flag them down they probably won't come back. If water didn't come in bottles, you'd go thirsty. It's almost like you are eating at home but you didn't have to cook anything. I have not had a waiter that is rude, but they're not overtly friendly or effusive. It's much more genuine than in the United States, where if you aren't falsely happy you're thought to be rude.
Probably the most fun I've had with a waiter was when we were in Spoleto. Our waiter spoke really amazing English and we were asking him where he learned it so well and he said cartoons and we of course did not believe him but he said it was true and he also said that his English was so good because he was Romanian and not Italian. He said that Italians have tough time learning English because of the lilt in the Italian. He was really a good waiter, though, and very different from the Italian waiters I've had. He definitely established a rapport with the group although he wasn't overly obtrusive or in the way or false in any sense. He was just very genuine. He joked a lot with Matt and called him the black sheep of the group because Matt ordered a Coke with "molto ice." Most of us ordered the same pasta dish, so they just brought out a huge dish and portioned it out at the table. He gave Matt one noodle. I don't think that any of the Italian waiters would do that.
I have also noticed that a majority of the waiters in Italy have been men rather than women. Also, the men are much more friendly and personal than the female waiters I've encountered. I have gone into the same restaurant down the street probably three times and the same girl has been working there all three times and she has not smiled once. She's warmed up some.
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