It’s currently 22° and raining. I’m wearing a sweatshirt.
I guess this can only mean that I’ve adjusted to the warm weather here. It’s actually been quite a pleasant summer. There was only 1 week where the weather was unbearably hot and that was without having a fan. It’s been really nice since then. Even when it’s hot there’s usually a nice breeze here. The hottest time of the day seems to often be in the morning. It’s kind of deceptive on a hot day to go to work in the heat and have it (seemingly) be cooler when you get off work.

and on a totally different topic.
There’s a waitress I don’t really know named “Isa” – I assume that’s short for Isabella, but I’m not sure…anyways I was reminiscing about a different time I met someone named Isabella and my immediate comment was something like “Oh, do you go around converting non-christians at swordpoint”…The problem with my humour is that it’s a stretch for even english speakers to get (think spanish inquisition)…if I make a joke like that with a non native speaker they have to connect about 4 dots to get the joke (swordpoint is probably a word they’ve never heard)…and even then the joke isn’t funny. Just sort of an off-hand remark (or “witty retort” if you will).
There are basically two reactions from a non-native speaker to this sort of comment I make…1) confused look or 2) laughter…but not real laughter, just the sort of laughter indicating that I said something frickin hilarious and they’re laughing out of principle (cuz they know how hilarious I am) – even though they don’t get it…

This in turn makes me think of a comment Matt made to me once about having a non-native speaker for a girlfriend…I’ve had germans get almost irritated at me for making a witty/sarcastic remark. No matter how hilarious it was they seemed annoyed at having to connect dots in search of humour.

Another thing I noticed today (cuz it was raining all day)…The Italians are much better than the germans at recognizing umbrella status whilst walking on a sidewalk.
I think I mentioned a long time ago that if you’re walking in Germany without an umbrella (on a sidewalk) towards someone with an umbrella the person with the umbrella doesn’t seem to register the fact that you’re hugging the building to avoid rain because you don’t have an umbrella and they expect you to move out into the rain to get out of their way…(I hope that explanation made sense). The Italians are the opposite. If a person is walking towards you and they have an umbrella – and you don’t – they will make a point to move away from the building and into the rain so you can stay on the building side.
This is very nice of them 🙂

So today I learned two new phrases thanks to my colleagues (Cristina: “I’m really worried for your italian”)…

“Tu hai il cula pesante”. Which means you have a very heavy ass…which means you are lazy. I had to think if there was a similar saying in english about being lazy…I supposed not. I’ve heard “lard ass” or “fat ass”, but those are saying to indicate one is fat, not lazy.

The other EXTREMELY VALUABLE saying I learned was “vado a pisciare in piscina”. Which is: “I’m going to piss in the pool”.
due to previous knowledge I know that adding -are to some words makes it a verb. I believe “piss” is piscio or something similar.
this latin stuff is easy 🙂
If one was 4 years old I suppose one might use “pipì” instead of pisciare. Makes me wonder if the english of “pee” came before or after pipì…a valid question.

Matteo and Massimo are bursting with class 😉

The Italians thinks it’s odd that I’m not taking any holidays in August. I guess that’s the normal thing to do here. The office is a bit empty…

It’s been a while since I’ve done that eh?

So last night whilst spending a bit of time with the frenchie (via Brussels), and the world citizen (swiss-ghana via Paris) it occured to me again that people who are living outside their own country seem much more interesting than people living inside their own country.
I assume this is due to the open-mindedness one needs to leave their homeland. It’s just sort of a subliminal mindset you have to carry with you. Not something us foreigners think about after a certain amount of time (hey, I’m a foreigner. I don’t fit in here!).
To be clear this is completely different than being a tourist somewhere.

This reminds me a bit of my friend Luca from Frankfurt. He’s Italian, but I know him from Frankfurt. I spent a few days with him in rome at x-mas time and it was just slightly different to see him in his own country around his own friends and family. Not a huge difference, but a very subtle difference in…timing…
that’s a weird word to use, but I’m not sure how else to describe it. Just slightly more at ease and maybe it’s the language thing. He was speaking more italian than english (with his friends etc). Whereas in Frankfurt he had to speak his second language the whole time. It’s definitely more than language, but that’s an obvious thing…

Last night went with some colleagues and a few strangers to a Sagra…It took about 2 hours to discuss the proper translation of sagra. I think they all were satisfied with “country fest”.
As I’m told most villages in Italy have a sagra every year which consists of traditional music, rustic food, picnic tables and wine (whilst sitting under olive trees in this case).
Lots of fun!!! I wish I had gone to one sooner.

Took a few pics, but as it was dark they didn’t all turn out well…

So in Italy there are basically 3 branches of the police. There’s the regular police, the caribineri (which investigates crimes and I guess are a branch of the Military – so thus would be more like the FBI or CIA) and there’s one special branch that just investigates financial crimes (can’t recall the name)…and Italy sure has a couple of those 😉

Anyways whilst having a coffee today with some colleagues it came up in conversation. I had heard a long time ago that you are required by law to always get a receipt from any business transaction, and today I found out more.
Apparently you as the customer are required by law to ask for the receipt (if they don’t give it), as the business is required to give one.

The customer has to keep the receipt and surrender it on request as long as they are “within 10 or 20 meters of the business”.
Me being the criminal mastermind that I am just said if someone asked me for the receipt and I didn’t have it I would just run the 10 meters, and that businesses should paint some kind of line to mark the safe zone.
I am smart. I’m going to be prime minister someday.

Of course as a foreigner I can claim ignorance…then run home and delete this entry 🙂

I found a new place that sells the International Tribune Herald (basically the NYTimes without all the lifestyle bits). Anyways took it to the Irish for a read and I asked the waitress if she wanted the paper when I was done with it (that was the longest setup sentence ever).
She basically doesn’t want it (I think), but she reads a headline form the front page and it says something about “blah blah blah business reels from blah blah blah crisis” (sic) and logically asks “what is reel”?

me hemming and hawwing (making a funny noise). Ummmmmmmmmmm…you know fishing poles (making stupid hand gestures). It’s not like that at all. It means not going well.

In retrospect I’m not sure what to think about myself as english teacher.
That is the most brilliant explantion I could come up with. Yeah I’m going to teach her english.
Next week we cover “wanking”, “raining cats and dogs”, and possibly “drunk as a skunk”.

Feel free to input your english idioms here. Comments please on any stupid english sayings that don’t translate at all.

Interesting article…we’ll always have Quizno’s.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/business/global/01italy.html?hpw

I made my semi annual shopping trip today. Various soaps, personal hygeine products, toilet paper, and liqour that only needs to be bought about twice a year. Very productive and only cost 26€ 😉

We had a rousing discussion at work on the english word “turd” today. Apparently the italians have two words for turd. Depending on size and consistency. I’m so proud to spread the knowledge and understanding between our two fine cultures 😉

They’re paving the road in front of my flat. My first thought was of that time W. visited Kyrgyzstan in 2001 or 2002 and (I read) they totally cleaned up the streets and buildings along the “presidential motorcade” route. Turns out I was right. The paving isn’t for me, but for the giro  (we must save face by paving)…which is a bike race ala the tour . I guess this bike race is a pretty big deal and the stage for that day finishes right near here. If you’re in the states and see Bike Racing on TV over the next couple weeks have a peek. You might get to see my town.