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« Istanbul: The sacred sites | Main | Catching up on readers' comments: American shoes, Audrey Hepburn, KFC » November 11, 2005Politeness won't get you pizzaThe first week back to real life after a vacation is hard. Coming back to Rome, however, is always a bit of a culture shock. I was standing in line at my favorite pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) near my university. Because the food is so wonderful at this particular pizzeria, waiting for a slice of heaven is always expected --but the end result of that melted buffalo mozzarella cheese, fresh tomato sauce and done-to-perfection crust makes it all worthwhile. After about seven minutes, I "caught eyes" with the owner to place my order. Catching eyes is the trick; in Italy there are rarely “lines” as the customers prefer to “crowd” the service counters. As I opened my mouth to request a small cut of potato pizza (trust me, it’s to die for) a little old lady about half my height knocked her fist on the counter and demanded she get her slice. I was raised with good manners, and allowing little old ladies such privileges like taking my seat on the bus, holding doors, and even going ahead in line never bothered me. The woman ordered and as I prepared myself the second time to request my lunch, another one butted in and insisted on getting hers. This pattern continued for literally 20 minutes. By the time I was finally able to have my voice heard over theirs, the potato pizza was sold out, the cheese pizza wasn’t fresh, and even the white pizza had been reduced to fun-sized. I was late to class, munching on cold mushroom and cheese and cursing rude customers under my breath. Italy has a very rich and sometimes beautiful culture -- but one based on anything but patience and politeness. A friend recently sent me this link where stereotypical Italian culture is portrayed by the famous Italian cartoonist Bruno Bozzetto. I’d recommend giving it a click as it is both funny and not far from the truth. Posted by Kelsea CommentsSounds like getting a slice of pizza is like trying to get a cold Perroni at a local bar in Rome. Like you I was also raised with good manners and alturism but as I've gotten older, I've come to realize that assertiveness is a must. Sincerely, JKW Posted by: JKW at November 17, 2005 1:32 PM I'm very glad the link helped (?) in some sense, love. Keep writing, because I'm reading. Posted by: amelia at November 19, 2005 10:15 PM |
Kelsea Brennan-Wessels is a sophomore at The American University of Rome |
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Comments
Sounds like getting a slice of pizza is like trying to get a cold Perroni at a local bar in Rome. Like you I was also raised with good manners and alturism but as I've gotten older, I've come to realize that assertiveness is a must.
Sincerely,
JKW
Posted by: JKW | November 17, 2005 1:32 PM
I'm very glad the link helped (?) in some sense, love.
Keep writing, because I'm reading.
Posted by: amelia | November 19, 2005 10:15 PM