You Don't See That Everyday...

I thought I'd dedicate this blog post to describing the everyday things I've come across in Rome that are unusual compared to America. A friend and I had fun compiling this list of things that we've had to get used to since coming here (some of them we're still not used to!)

1. Traffic
Pretty much everyone in Rome drives little cars or mopeds, and there are no apparent rules for navigating the streets of Rome. Cars will go down alleyways that seem like they're only meant for walking, scooters will swerve around pedestrians, and parking is basically a free-for-all. Pedestrians don't have the right of way either, so when crossing a street you basically just have to pick an opportune moment and commit to crossing. I'd be really curious to know what the traffic laws are here...

Scooter gang  (I wish I had one...)

 2. Water

Romans are big on l'acqua frizzante, or carbonated water. If you want regular water, you have to specify that you want l'acqua naturale. (I was a little confused the first time a waiter asked me if I wanted my water "with gas.") I have to say though, I'm kind of starting to like fizzy water.

Another point of interest about water in Rome is that there are basically public fountains everywhere that you can drink from. The water in Rome actually comes from Lake Bracciano, and it's really fresh, so it's super convenient to just go fill up a water bottle or take a drink whenever you're out on the town.

Or, you know, just play in it and get soaked.

 3. Buses
This one is also related to transportation; the bus system in Rome apparently has no schedule, so when you want to take a bus somewhere, it's impossible to know whether you will end up waiting 5 minutes or 45 minutes. You have to leave very early and be very patient when taking the bus. (And of course when you finally give up waiting and begin to walk away, the bus will pull around the corner.)

And sometimes you take buses that are tiny!

4. Grocery Shopping
I've already mentioned before that there are not really any one-stop shops in Italy where you can buy everything you need at once. The closest thing we have to a Jewel here in Monte Mario is a grocery store called Simply. They sell food and some toiletry items, but it can be difficult to find what you're looking for in another language! (It took me awhile to figure out the difference between shampoo, conditioner, and body wash).

5. Breakfast
In Italy, it is a definite giveaway that you are a foreigner if you order a cappuccino after 10:30am. Apparently this is some kind of cardinal sin in Italian culture.
Breakfast isn't a big meal of the day, unfortunately for me, but I do occasionally get a pastry or cornetto (croissant) which is always a treat.

6. This Sign

What does this even mean?!

7. Money
When you're used to the simple quarter, nickel, dime, penny of American currency, it gets really confusing to tell the difference between all your euro change. There are coins for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20,  and 50 cents, as well as 1 and 2 euro dollars. And having the coins instead of bills always makes me feel like I'm spending less money than I actually am, which is tricky!

8. The Paper
This one is kind of random, but the paper size in Europe is a little narrower and a little longer than in America. Not a big deal, but it results in all my papers sticking out of the folders I brought from home!

So those are some little day-to-day oddities I've experienced while in Rome. I haven't had any real culture shock, but I'm definitely constantly reminded that I'm not in America anymore!

It's a small price to pay to live for a little while in such an amazing city!