The Western World
It’s amazing how similar/dissimilar things are in Europe as compared to the United States. I felt as if I just squinted my eyes in the right way I would be back in downtown Atlanta, of course with 16th century buildings in the background. It’s just people in jeans and better shoes, of course speaking a language other than your own.
And doors, I think once I returned to the state I remembered that I am the classic greeting card of “Midvale School of the Gifted” that can’t open the door, I push when I should pull. This was a quite amusing trait at restaurants and bars, when I would back up the lines. Oh, and there is nothing grander than the American toilet, which I will never take for granted again. In some situations, camping came to mind with the low slung or basin in the floor…
I enjoyed the openness of the Italians, as well as the people that I met while I was over there. Everyone was eager to actually have a conversation, and it didn’t concern who you were dating, if you were dating, what you had done recently to date, where you shopped, what you drove, and what your job paid, how was the weather or my favorite, “I drank so much that…”
Don’t get me wrong; the Italians are very, VERY cool. Italian men take cool to an entirely different level of cool that cannot be achieved by American men, not even the New York Italian. (Although many Italian-Americans do retain the wonderful looks of the Italian men, they lose the true machismo of the true Italian man.) I, unfortunately, was not there long enough to put my finger on it, but I definitely think that it has something to do with the aggressive nature of their walk, and the directness of their stare.
Further consideration and research will have to be done to determine definitely this difference.
The other thing that I discussed more over there than I ever do in the US is politics.
One gentleman suggested that the American economy is only good when the President is getting laid… he referred to Kennedy and Clinton as his examples.
The war is generally frowned upon. With what is going on with the European Constitution amendment at the moment, who knows what is next.
And doors, I think once I returned to the state I remembered that I am the classic greeting card of “Midvale School of the Gifted” that can’t open the door, I push when I should pull. This was a quite amusing trait at restaurants and bars, when I would back up the lines. Oh, and there is nothing grander than the American toilet, which I will never take for granted again. In some situations, camping came to mind with the low slung or basin in the floor…
I enjoyed the openness of the Italians, as well as the people that I met while I was over there. Everyone was eager to actually have a conversation, and it didn’t concern who you were dating, if you were dating, what you had done recently to date, where you shopped, what you drove, and what your job paid, how was the weather or my favorite, “I drank so much that…”
Don’t get me wrong; the Italians are very, VERY cool. Italian men take cool to an entirely different level of cool that cannot be achieved by American men, not even the New York Italian. (Although many Italian-Americans do retain the wonderful looks of the Italian men, they lose the true machismo of the true Italian man.) I, unfortunately, was not there long enough to put my finger on it, but I definitely think that it has something to do with the aggressive nature of their walk, and the directness of their stare.
Further consideration and research will have to be done to determine definitely this difference.
The other thing that I discussed more over there than I ever do in the US is politics.
One gentleman suggested that the American economy is only good when the President is getting laid… he referred to Kennedy and Clinton as his examples.
The war is generally frowned upon. With what is going on with the European Constitution amendment at the moment, who knows what is next.
posted by nicky at 6/05/2005 05:02:00 PM
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