Jake's View III

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Since its been a while I will refresh the readers of this on-going series entitled "Jake’s View." This is something I put together every-once-in-awhile to document how I see things and what I see. Some things are random and pointless but note-worthy, others tend to gravitate to my sociological mind that constantly sees people and how they work in an environment in which I am not used to. Keep in mind I am not trying to encourage stereotypes or want you to believe my sample size is big enough to judge an entire country or people on. It’s just one man’s perspective as he sees it, when he sees it.

-There are a lot of dogs in Italy. Huge dogs. Not big dogs but huge dogs. Like people are walking around with their dogs like its an all day, everyday open casting call for a 2011 remake of the mid to late 90’s classic film series Beethoven (hard to believe they made 6 of those movies). I have never seen so many St. Bernard’s in my life. Never knew they came from the Italian and Swiss Alps. Now I know and I am reminded every time I go to Torino. The first one I saw looked more like a bear than a dog. I was told they are famous for their rescue abilities. Makes sense since they are known to grow upwards of 250 pounds. Massive animals.

-I ate at a “Old Wild West Restaurant” over the weekend. I love eating at “American-style” restaurants that are owned and operated by people who clearly have never been to America. The restaurant was put together to closely resemble its namesake. There was western memorabilia, everything was made of wood, a table enclosed by a teepee and each section was given a nameplate that hung overhead and divided the occupants. There was the “OK Corral,” “Livery Stable,” “Home” and (the section I was seated in) “Indian People.” You just can’t make this stuff up. Also, the credit card machine was down which led me to a 45 minute manhunt for an ATM in the rain (the mall that the restaurant was in did not have an ATM, the closest ATM was in a grocery store three blocks away). Upon my arrival back with cash, I was told the credit card machine was working again and the cash I so desperately searched for in the rain was completely unnecessary. I was soaking wet.

-While wearing a neon blue Nike raincoat, I quickly realized everyone in the entire city of Torino was wearing either black or brown. Fashion here tends to be a bit more conservative and deeply rooted. I am sure the neon fads that come and go throughout the rest of the word don’t really gain any traction in a country that has known a thing or two about fashion in the last few (nine) centuries.

-Multiculturalism isn’t really Italy’s thing. Torino tends to be a less “touristy” city then the famous tourist juggernauts that are Rome, Venice and Florence. So I will stress my lack of research on the topic since I just threw out a semi-bold statement. But even coming from Korea (you know the country still trying to shake its century old nickname, “The Hermit Kingdom”) it is fairly easy to see that there ain’t a whole lot of diversity.

-On that note, I look Italian. Or at least, I look more Italian than I look Korean. I think that is a safe assessment. This tends to be a bad thing. In Korea, I didn’t have to open my mouth for people to think, “oh he is a stupid foreigner that doesn’t know the language.” It was an easy way to eliminate awkwardness before it had the chance of starting. For example, people here in Italy have small conversations with me and laugh to themselves thinking I understood everything they just said. If I can get away with it I simply nod my head and laugh back. In other instances when people ask me questions I am not so fortunate. In Korea, I could walk into a room and everyone would know my ability level. There were no expectations. In Italy there is an immediate non-conscious expectation that I know the language. So, with that expectation comes embarrassment on my end. I am embarrassed that I cannot reach their unfair yet unassuming expectations. Again, in Korea, no one expected me to know the language; hell most Koreans weren’t even upset by the fact that I never took a single lesson to learn their language. The power of expectations. Tomorrow I have my first Italian lesson.

-Italians aren’t a warm bunch. Again, another hasty generalization given with very little experience. It seems they are closer to Koreans than Americans (or at least those darn southerners I am so used to). Not a smiling people to say the least. No one is quick to meet you with brief but yet satisfying eye contact and a warm smile. Might be the big city attitude, might be the area, either way its something I am still getting used to even after a year and a half in Asia. But if Korea has taught me anything, it is this: smiling on the outside doesn’t mean a damn thing to anyone but the southerner who is offended that no one will smile at me. Koreans and Italians have been nothing but great to me, if they know me.

-Italy: peperoni = peppers. America: peperoni = salami.
Good to know before ordering pizza in Italy.

-We all know that Italians use their hands to communicate but what this guys didn’t know is that there is an extensive use of brief sign language that can be used unaccompanied with words and understood by all. Signs can convey such meanings as: “I’m hungry,” “What?” “You’re crazy,” “I’m going to kick your ass,” or “I’m going to slap you.” The last too caught my attention. I thought they were awfully polite. Like a call to arms or a polite warning before physically attacking someone. It’s a nice gesture. The first one (“I’m going to kick your ass”) is performed by making both hands into pistol shapes by extending only your thumbs and index fingers and then holding them up at shoulder height with a few feet of space in between, thumbs facing the sky and pistols pointing slightly outward as if to measure the size of someone’s ass after it being kicked and acquiring slight inflammation. The next one (I’m going to slap you) is a far less complex warning. Simply make a slapping motion toward someone’s face while forgetting the follow through. This one is quite obvious but was worth mentioning during my lesson on Italian sign language for the non-hearing impaired.

Proceed with caution.

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Comments

[Mom]

Wonderful!! MTLIS!