Random Cultural Observations

I’ve been asked, “How is Italy different than America?” Explaining that would take more time (and experience) than I have.

Instead, I thought I’d share a few pictures of “different”…

 

Shopping in Italy

At our local grocery store, we find things there like these:

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1K of flour (yes, this is a normal-sized bag) costs about 65 cents.

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6 hamburger buns cost about $1.65.

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This nice little chicken comes with his head and his feet (and claws). He costs about $3.10 per pound.

 

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Some “American” things are here. This is roughly 8 oz of cream cheese for $2.50.

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And, this little bottle of syrup (seems not as thick, but I didn’t buy it/taste it, so I don’t know really how it compares to American) costs $8.71.

 

We also go to outdoor markets to buy fresh produce, and we’ve enjoyed seeing the animals that can be bought there too.

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In the bigger shopping centers/malls (it’s just different…), there are these cool shopping carts that lock onto the ascending and descending moving sidewalks (so that your cart doesn’t roll when you’re going up and down the moving sidewalks—at an angle—to the parking lot, which is under the “mall”). However, those same shopping carts (and all the shopping carts I’ve found in Italy) are ridiculously difficult to steer. All 4 wheels turn in all directions, and the thing has a mind of its own. I haven’t run anyone over yet, but I usually have to manoeuvre my body in such a way as to get the greatest leverage and plant my feet hard in order to turn the cart (when it has weight in it…mine always has at least 1 child).

 

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Random stuff:

I’ve seen many of these tiny trucks around. They are tiny, and they sound like mopeds (and don’t go any faster)…and the driver usually appears to be squashed into the cab. 🙂

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Plenty of people tie (or just place) water bottles around their property—mostly in the corners. This supposedly keeps the dogs and cats from urinating there. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any method of cleaning up the “other” animal “business” that decorates the sidewalks (and many unsuspecting shoes).

 

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We discovered very early on (when document after document “didn’t print right”) that paper is different dimensions here. No more “8.5”x11”…everything is A4.

 

People paint buildings this color (or other bright colors) regularly.

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Some parks, parking lots, or other public locations have statues and “altars” of some type.

 

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All the cemeteries look like this:

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In other words, yes, things are different here…very different.

But things are the same too. People are here, worshipping something or someone, just like they are in every part of this world. And, people are dying here, just like they are in every part of this world. We trust God will open their eyes and bring many more people to true worship of Himself in this life.

 

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking . . . and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

Romans 1:21-23

 

 

smb

Comparison of Cultures

American culture vs. Italian culture, summarized in the way each spends money:

In my personal opinion, Americans (as a whole) spend their money to be comfortable and to be entertained. There is no country in the world (that I know of) with greater “ease of living.” America has been blessed with freedom and opportunity, so Americans have had the time and ability to invent things to make life easier. They have also had the time and ability to be endlessly entertained. American entertainment industry is so huge that other countries don’t come up with their own entertainment, they just dub American entertainment in their own language.

Italians on the other hand, spend their money to eat well and to look good. Yes. They eat well. Food is good, and good food is expensive (and takes TIME). In fact, I just saw this at the store the other day:

 

Italian Dog Food

Even the dogs eat pasta here. This is raw pasta (cooks in 12 minutes) in the dog-food section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, I’ve seen this:

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Pasta is for chickens too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, Italians look good. They look good even wearing the strangest styles (i.e., elastic at the bottom of sweat pants and “floods” are in here, and so are fanny packs). They may not live in the American standard of “comfortability” (i.e., not much—if any—air conditioning; marble floors that don’t ever warm up in the winter; lots of flies/mosquitoes/bugs in houses [because of lack of screens]; no dryers), but Italy is a beautiful country, and the people like to make a good impression. They want to “look good” no matter what that exterior covers up. They are overly concerned about outward appearances.

We have been told by more than one person, “If you want something that looks nice, buy Italian. If you want something that works, do NOT buy Italian.”

We believe it.

We are enjoying learning and adapting to these cultural differences, and enjoying loving and ministering to the people who form them.

Throughout all this change, we have the ease and simplicity of keeping the same authority. It’s a beautiful thing to experience the perfect applicability of God’s Word to all cultures—and to know that it has also been perfectly applicable through all time.

How did God do it? He is amazing.

 

Psalm 119:89-93

Forever, O Lord, your word

    is firmly fixed in the heavens.

Your faithfulness endures to all generations;

    you have established the earth, and it stands fast.

By your appointment they stand this day,

    for all things are your servants.

If your law had not been my delight,

    I would have perished in my affliction.

I will never forget your precepts,

    for by them you have given me life.

 

 

-smb

A few new-arrival musings from Stephanie

I don’t write very often, but I want to share a few things with you that I hope will amuse you and show you God’s goodness—as they have done both for me.

The Bathroom

When you have two potty-trained toddlers, much of life revolves around bathrooms and laundry, so I will begin with those topics. My first trip to take a child to the bathroom reminded me that in Italy, light switches do not have “code” locations as they do in the States. In other words, in America when you walk into a dark room, you automatically brush your hand against the wall at “the right” height, and a light is instantly illuminated. No so in Italy. Our first task was to figure out where the switch was. After finding the light, the child was immediately intrigued with the “2 potties” (one is a bidet). Upon completion of the task at hand in the bathroom, the child asked me to flush the potty.

Um…*dumb stare* Um…bathroom

I knew we had just spent more than 24 hours in travel, but I ought to be able to figure this one out. Somewhere in the back of my memory was this notation about toilets flushing differently in Italy, but I had no other brain activity of value.

I had to sheepishly report that I didn’t know how and that I needed a minute to look around. The child looked around and said with a satisfied tone, “Potties don’t flush in Italy.”

“No, no—I know that they do…” Good thing we figured it out before someone had to come looking for us (they flush up above–where the tank is).

Laundry

God gave us a very beautiful, completely comfortable temporary apartment. Thank you so much, Frank and Sherry DiBagno and Bobby and Sarah Wales, for doing all the leg work and negotiating for us. It is perfect and has charm.

When I saw the size of our washer, I knew that I would probably need to do laundry every day. That is no problem. I also knew I would be hang-drying and ironing laundry. That is no problem. However, I wasn’t prepared for the issues with the washer itself. First of all, I felt like a fool looking at the control panel on the machine and having no clue how to get it to do what I wanted. And which spot was I to put the laundry soap in? We have figured

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beside the washer is child car seats–for size comparison.

out what all the settings are supposed to do (thanks again to the DiBagnos and Wales). However, the machine generally works to get the clothes wet (sometimes not even completely) and smelling a little better (like laundry soap). I then finish the job in the sink, wring everything out, and hang it.

The kids really enjoy “helping” me wash clothes in the sink and hanging them to dry. The other day, I found drying socks standing up on the posts of the bed frame.

Thank you, God, for entertainment—even in laundry.

Pampered Chef

The pampered cook would be me. Yes, we discovered that the oven can’t be used with the heater turned on (power overload—results in no power at all), but God really has given me some special treatment in our kitchen. When we were packing to move to Italy, we kept cleaning out and downsizing. I felt like I had no idea which things were more important than others to pack, and we prayed a lot for wisdom. I’m not a hugely sentimental person, but there were a few things that I wanted to hang on to—like my glass storage containers. However, as we got into the packing and weighing mode, I realized that the glass containers were simply too heavy. They were not worth their weight in our suitcases, so I gave them to some good friends.

On my first trip to the store in Italy, I knew I needed to get storage containers for leftover food, and I found some glass ones. I bought a just a few and intend to slowly accumulate the rest I need.

Then, we found this:

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It’s a glass jar (about 1 cup) with a reusable plastic lid…AND it’s filled with yummy chocolate hazelnut spread (off-brand nutella). It costs about $1. So, God gave me glass containers at a great price—and they come with free chocolate! 🙂

What? If I had packed my glass containers, they would have only been filled with socks!

Yes, God is good. Thank you for praying for us as we adjust.

“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1