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Published: February 11th 2007
People here aren’t in as big of a hurry and they don’t get out of your way if you are.
People don’t mind if they hit you with their umbrella.
So far everyone loves that I’m American…they want me to spend my money. Or they want to sing songs with me about California.
People are open about their dislike for the French: My tour guide was mad at them for stealing art during the Napoleonic wars, my German tour guide/professor made a comment about “psh…french people”
People park on the sidewalk…therefore defeating the purpose of a sidewalk altogether. Sometimes you’ll be walking and you can walk no more without stepping into the street and almost being run over by a vesper because there is a car completely blocking your path. Other times you will be walking along the sidewalk and a car may come up behind you nearly bumping your rumpus as they follow you down the sidewalk until they get to where they want to park. The most recent experience I had walking down the sidewalk was the other night when a car swerved across two lanes to drive up onto the sidewalk heading TOWARDS me. And it was rush hour so I couldn’t step into the street or I would’ve died. Slightly frightening moment in my life…
If it even pretends to rain people are ALL over the umbrella scene. I have seen many a bike riders holding umbrellas as they go. I saw an old man last week riding his bike down a rainy cobblestone street holding a rainbow umbrella over his head. It was so adorable. I wanted to take a picture but I wasn’t quick enough. But I shall have that image in my head forever because it was just so freaking awesome. The most impressive however is seeing women ride bikes because they do it in stiletto heels. Sometimes in the rain with umbrellas. Rain, bikes, umbrellas, and stiletto heels. I couldn’t do it. And don’t worry Dad, I won’t attempt. I can’t even WALK in the rain in flats without falling down.
No matter that most of the clothes I’m wearing I bought here (due to the bag that fell off the end of the world), and the fact that I keep a pretty low profile (I don’t run around the streets of Florence drunk and screaming) people can still tell I’m an American. I just don’t know what it is. A woman the other day, saw me, crossed a busy street, wound in between dozens of people to come up to me and tell me that she knew of someplace I could watch the super bowl. I just stared at her. I wanted to say snottily in Italian that I didn’t know what she was talking about but I couldn’t cause the only thing I know how to say in Italian is “Ho un fame Dalupe” which (if I’ve spelt it right) means “I have the hunger of a wolf! So instead I said thanks and have since been pondering what it is that screams “AMERICAN” about me.
When I say I’m from Washington, people ask me if I’m friends with George Bush. Apparently the state of Washington isn’t very well known. Even though it’s cooler.
I’ve been meeting a lot of people from all over the United States and people from Texas don’t have southern accents. At least none of the like 10 I’ve met.
There is this guy we all call “Vatican Hater”. We have no idea what his real name is but he walked into the Vatican wearing a hat and headphones, refused to take it off until someone physically did it for him. Then he proceeded to complain that the Vatican had too much art. *moment of silence to ponder that sentence* TOO MUCH ART!? I have honestly met more idiotic people on this trip than I knew existed in all the world.
Everyone’s dogs wear sweaters.
My bus driver on the way to Venice was an old man who listened to his head phones and sang along the whole trip. As we were getting off the bus we asked what he had been listening to and I almost died when he said Paris Hilton. Never laughed so hard. Ever.
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Gueeeeeessss....
non-member comment
hahahaha. A little old man was listening to Paris Hilton? hahahaha. Woooooww. That made me laugh really hard. And I really enjoyed that the only thing you know how to say is "I have the hunger of a wolf!". I imagined your voice very well. You should have just said that to her. That would'a stumped her. Oh, by the way, I didn't have to tell Mrs. Reed that you're in Italy. I went into class today and she was, "Courtney! You're going to Italy!" I was pretty amazed. But it wasn't magic, it was just Lindsey. haha. But she told Reed all about me going to visit you and stuff and you being all up in there right now. Anywho, I love you! Jingle bitch! Do you remember that? I'm on a Friends kick again and I forgot that we used to call eachother that but I watched the episode where Pheobe sings about the Jingle Bitch. It made me miss you... even more. Okay bye!