Stuff Italian People Like
In the tradition of Stuff White People Like, I’m going to take a stab at Stuff Italian People Like:
1. Putting you up for the night. You’re going to some backwater town and need a place to crash? Put the word out – within an hour your phone will ring with the address, phone number and complete history of someone’s sister’s boyfriend’s cousin who will not only house you for the night, but will pick you up at the train station and have dinner waiting for you. You’ll be expected to do the same one day.
2. Sunday lunch. You’d think this would be a family thing, but you’d be wrong. It’s like brunch for New Yorkers – everyone does it, and it’s rarely done alone. But, it is more often than not done in the home. Organizing the Sunday lunch can start as early as immediately after last Sunday’s lunch, up to about 11AM on the current Sunday. After that, everyone’s started cooking.
3. Lengthy goodbyes. When you’re leaving someone, be prepared to launch into an entirely new topic of conversation from the moment you head for the door until the moment you’re physically too far away to hear the other person. Build in a cushion of about a half hour before you really want to leave to start saying goodbye.
4. Treating children as if they were adults. You’re not going to hear any “coochie-coo” fawning from an Italian unless the child is under a year old. If you bring your kid along to spend time with a bunch of Italians, you’d better have taught him how to sit at the table like the rest of them, or entertain himself. Also, be prepared for your child to be disciplined, assisted or spoken to by any Italian in your immediate vicinity.
5. Group events. Italians love to invite the whole gang along to any outing – whether it’s dinner at a restaurant or running errands around town. The hierarchy goes like this: Bring as many people as can fit in your car. If not, at least one other person. If not, a pet. If not, the Italian da solo call or text every person in their phone list until they find someone else who is doing something alone, and they will talk to each other for the duration.
What’s your list of Stuff Italian People Like? Please note: This is a rant-free zone! No thinly veiled complaints!
July 15, 2008 at 16:26
1) White pants
2) Linen (clothing fabric)
3) Tanning
4) Birkenstock Gizeh sandals (at least in Rome!)
July 15, 2008 at 17:14
From my short visits to Italy…
(1) Converse shoes
(2) Cell phones
(3) Smiling at me when I’ve taken a stab at speaking their language. This charmed me more than I can say.
July 16, 2008 at 12:55
Ooh wee, lengthy goodbyes…even counts on the phone “ciao ciao ciao ciao ciao ciao….”
And I’ll add, “Testing out their English.” Love that!
July 17, 2008 at 03:31
Yes, the number of times people say “ciao” before they hang up the phone (and sometimes AS they’re hanging up the phone) never fails to make me smile.
July 17, 2008 at 09:23
Hoo well I could a add a few more but they would be a bit negative..so I’ll keep quite… I’m in a: run as fast as you can away from this nutters inhabited place but I cannot so I’ll do like most Italians do, moan about everything and make sure nothing changes!! know what I mean?
ciao ciao ciao he? a sisisi ci vediamo presto haa sisisi a presto allora baci baci ..ma certo ti chiamo,allora ciao sisi ciao ciao SIIIII te la saluto grazie allra ci vediamo he? ciao.
Sorry missexpatria
July 20, 2008 at 11:21
[...] And here’s another fun list – of “stuff Italian people like.” [...]
July 25, 2008 at 14:03
Oooooh, I have a few more! (Love this game)
1) Italians love to douse themselves in perfume/cologne.
2) Italian adults- especially women- have a bizarre fixation with stuffed animals.
3) Italians like bedazzled & bejeweled apparel and accessories
July 29, 2008 at 09:01
This is very funny. I just found your blog via Michelle’s “aka Bleeding Espresso”. I looking forward to reading more of it this weekend.