Eatings
Italians eat better for two big reasons. They use better ingredients and they take time to enjoy eating.
Better Ingredients
Everything here is fresh, and can be found in more specialized stores than in America. I have at least 3 meat shops, 4 fruit and vegetable shops, 2 pastry shops, and 3 bread/ pasta shops in my immediate neighborhood. This doesn't count the nearby market which is packed with excellent food for very cheap prices.
I really don't know how to cook very well, but the few meals I've made here have turned out great. I didn't use any recipes, but it's tough to make anything poor with fresh stuff. The last meal I made with a friend was a sauce based on sausage, onions, and red wine. It was beautiful.
The downside to all these great ingredients is that stores here don't really ever carry out of season vegetables. I made risotto (pictured below) with a friend the other day and we wanted to use butternut squash but it was nowhere to be found. Instead we used fennel and carrots and it
was just as good.
The Ritual
Italians have dinner later than Americans, but it can often serve as the nights entertainment. A typical meal contains the antipasti, a primo (usually pasta), secondo (the meat dish), and then maybe salad and a simple dessert with wine, water and bread throughout. Nothing is rushed, and everything is enjoyed with good company and meticulous enjoyment.
Appropriately, there are hardly any microwaves here, and fast food chains struggle to enter the market. In short, Italians eat better.
Greetings
The double kiss thing is hard to get used to, and I never really get to practice it until its an eminent threat, but it's a lot smoother than a handshake. Italians give genuinely warm greetings. Even when they simply say "buongiorno" they say it in a way that makes you feel like they really are wishing you a good day.
I love watching Italian friends greet each other in public places. It's very natural and very enthusiastic. People here are not ashamed to show someone they love that they are excited to see them. One of my Roman-born friends from school tried to explain this to me; she simply said "Italians are more warm". I completely agree.
Apartments
Italian apartments lack many of the conveniences Americans are used to like driers, dish washers, and an endless supply of hot water. But they also hold a few priceless advantages.
I have an unhealthy obsession with balconies. At home, my favorite thing to do is sit on a deck or a balcony (i.e. the deck of the Lucia R. Marino beach house, or Greg's newly renovated balcony) and waste away a warm summer night shooting the breeze with friends. Almost every apartment here has at least two balconies and every building is covered with layers of terraces. It is truly a beautiful thing. My friends who live one building over from me actually have a full terrace (see below). It's the size of a courtyard and we could probably get a good game of soccer going there if there wasn't any risk of falling 6 stories.
Another big advantage here is black out curtains. Every apartment has these fully equipped and they are the most dangerous things known to man. The first time I used the blackout curtains, I slept through my alarm and woke up 3-4 hours too late (oops!). But it was a pretty glorious sleep. Now, I hardly ever pull them all the way down, but they can come in handy when you're on a sleep deficit.
Italian apartments also have happier lighting (all the big lights are like the ones in the photo) and nice hard (mostly marble) floors. I haven't seen any carpet yet, which I sometimes miss, but every apartment here looks and feels very clean. The Italians have undeniable style.
Public Transportation
It took me about 2 days to figure out the public transportation here. Now I really have no trouble getting anywhere in the city. It's extensive, easy to use, and fairly reliable.
I'm pretty far out of the city, so a lot of times my commute to school is about 40 minutes when you include walking, waiting, and bussing time. But it really doesn't feel like a 40 minute commute like a car ride would. It's just part of my day. Like having coffee with a friend or sightseeing, etc. There are real experiences and interactions when you use public transportation, and I've really come to enjoy it. This may sound very silly, but I feel very adventurous when I step onto a bus with a backpack. I feel like I'm some weary traveler hitching a ride for an amicable destination.
Cities
Rome is truly a beautifully designed city. Everything here has been built over years and years, one civilisation over another. Roman, medieval, baroque, and many other archtiectural styles have been assimilated over time in a very natural fashion. Lush parks (like the villa Borghese) pop out of nowhere, small winding streets turn into lavish runways for majestic monuments, and gorgeous churches can be found nestled in quiet alleyways.
It is a real playground for humanity. I like New York City, but I must say the place makes me feel like an insect. I feel like it's a city made for businesses not humans. You could argue that business are a collection of humans, and therefore the same thing but I probably wouldn't agree. Either way, the point here is that every building here isn't simply office space. It feels much more important than that.
Just like you're sure the local playground is built to fit the archetype of the local kid, you can be sure the Italian city feels like it was made to fit you.
Conclusion
Italian living is very different from American living. There are definitely things that I miss from home (maybe I'll mention those in another post), but I really appreciate the differences between the two. If anything, enjoying the subtle advantages of Italy is making me appreciate all the great things America has to offer more than I ever have. I've never really traveled past the east coast, and now that I've been to such a radically different place, I've have a new-found passion for exploring my own country just as much as I want to explore this country.
Ciao!
Matt
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