The Italian Way

Before I expatriated, I attended an Italian culture training that was intended to make the assimilation process a little smoother.  As the Italiani say (often), I learned a little about "the Italian way." 

La famiglia, the family.

It's allllll about the family.

"Theeees ees the Italian wayyyy-eh."

OK.  Va bene.  Got it.

And you can see this played out everywhere, real-time, in both personal life and work life.  Not that the two are separate and distinct.  Because in the same breath you can talk about your mission statement and your date last night.  It's the Italian way.

It sometimes makes me anxious to take caffe' breaks with Italians.  There are at least two breaks a day that are at least ten minutes long.  An American coffee break lasts as long as it takes to walk to the coffee pot, fill your cup, and walk back.  Italians gather around the cappucino machine and gab like they haven't spoken to each other in ages.

It kind of reminds me of "Friends," in "The One Where Rachel Smokes."  Even though she's not a smoker, she has to join her coworkers on their smoking breaks so she doesn't miss out.  She eventually succumbs to the pressure and smokes a cigarette.

I am the Rachel of Italian coffee breaks.

Sure, I frequented Starbucks back in the States, where, for only $2.95, I could get not only a cup of coffee, but also, an absolutely defining sense of self.

Tall, skim, caramel macchiato, no whip for Bry-... Br-...ummm...Bryan?

But, I'm not a caffe' drinker.  An Italian Caffe' (espresso) is strong enough to put hair on Justin Bieber's chest (much love, Biebs...I ain't mad atcha).

And, like Rachel, I have given in.  I only drink a cappucino before 10 a.m., and I'm even starting to enjoy my macchiati (it's NOT what you're thinking of, if you're thinking of Starbucks).  I have at least two coffees a day.  And, like Rachel, I may "feel a little shaky and a little weird," but "I HAD to, I HAD to do it for my career!"

It's the Italian way.




Want to know what else is the Italian way?

Using the same phrase to mean a gazillion different things.

Like, "allora," which is THE MOST COMMONLY USED PHRASE in Italian.

There is absolutely, positively, no way that you can make it through an entire conversation without hearing this phrase.  I dare you to try to find out its literal translation by asking Italians. They will all tell you something different.

"Well,..."
"So,..."
"Ok,..."
"Oh well,..."
"Then,..."
"Now,..."

It just depends on the context in which it's used.  Normale.

Donnie Brasco explains this concept perfectly:




It's like that, only less vulgar.

Somehow, it just makes perfect sense.

Allora...