Paterno

On Friday nights, some of the young people from the church in Catania go to Paterno, a nearby town, to have a Bible study with some of the young people that go to the church there. Later, a lot of church members get together to play soccer. Last night, I was invited to join the group going to Paterno. It was good to be able to spend time with the Italian Christians here that are my age...even if they are speaking a dialect that I can't understand! In the middle of discussing a scripture, someone looked at me and said, "Kensey, che cosa pensi?" (What do you think?) I just laughed. That was the first thing I had understood anyone say up to that point! The good news is that I am getting a little more comfortable communicating. Hopefully, before too long, I will be able to actually tell them what I think...in Italian.

After the study, we went to eat at a new mall outside the city. There were a lot of different types of restaurants to choose from. They opted to go to the "Old Wild West." It was a lot like a Lonestar or a Logan's. It was funny because even though the menu looked as if it came right out of America, the food that came out was much different. The hamburgers were served on focaccia bread, and the steamed veggies were zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers. The water was even served in a liter glass bottle. Gelato was the dessert! It was really interesting to see the way that "American food" is Italianized, the same way Italian food is Americanized in the States!

And now, for one of the more frustrating cultural tips from Linda Falcone:

"Non si fa"
We Don't Do That
"There are some things that you cannot do in Italy. Some things that are just not done. Have never been done. Will never be done. Why? Simply because non si fa e basta, they are not done and that is all. No explanation offered, no justification provided. In this country non si fa is reason enough. No walking barefoot ever or anywhere. No showering after meals. No shorts in the city even if it's August. No eating without a tablecloth. At the very least, you can opt for placemats." (These are known as American tablecloths!) "No using toilet paper to blow your nose. No carnations or chrysanthemums unless you are on your way to the cemetary. No parmesean cheese on fish pasta. No mixing sweet and savory. No washing your hair everyday. No cappucchino after a meal. No tulips in a wedding."
You walk into a sandwich shop to order,
"'I'd like a panino with ham, cheese, and artichoke hearts,' you tell the guy behind the counter.
'No, I can't give you that combination.'
'Why not?'
'Non si fa. Two soft ingredients will turn to mush.'
Don't do it. Don't insist. Don't tell him that you like mushy. Don't tell him that you've been craving mushy all day. It doesn't matter. Just let him make the sandwich he thinks you should eat. In taly, once non si fa is out of the bag, there is no way to win."

This is so true. Remember the colors you are "allowed" to paint your indoor rooms? They absolutely will not sell you any color darker than they think your room should be. Last night I ordered a meal with no cheese on top. They don't make that meal without cheese on top. I had to choose something else if I didn't want cheese.