Everyday stuff...

As much as I love sightseeing, and as much sightseeing as I have done lately (see below), some of my favorite things about Italy are the things that I deal with just in everyday life. Going to the grocery store, for example, is an entirely different experience in Italy. I have to spend a lot of time looking things up in my Italian dictionary because I can't read any of the labels (exception: mustard. French's mustard is an import and thus printed in English, but also expensive). For instance, today I almost bought bubble bath when I wanted shower gel. Here are some examples of my Italian products:

Cling wrap, shower gel, and face soap

Bug spray, bathroom cleaner, shampoo

This morning I had one of my favorite experiences so far when I went to an open-air food market a few blocks away. It was a huge area, filled with all different vendors selling stuff, mostly fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, or bakery products, from their little cubicles. (By the way, open-air does not mean baking in the sun. It's shaded, so the food doesn't spoil.) This market is not a tourist draw, it's just a place where the Romans go daily to get the fresh food they need. (I didn't take any pictures this morning because I didn't want to draw attention to myself. I will be back many times, though, so maybe I'll get brave later.) The produce is better and cheaper at this type of market than at a supermercato (grocery store). I got 2 apricots, very large and good ones, for 0.25€. Eating cheap is easy when you know where to go! I also got some bread at a bakery (0.30€) and shopped around for other things. Of course, market shopping like this is more time-consuming and more difficult than just going to a grocery store, especially when you figure in the language barrier, but I know enough Italian phrases at this point to generally get my point across.

"Quanto costa?" = "how much is it?"
"Vorrei questo" (pointing at an object) = "I would like this"
"Non parlo italiano molto bene. Mi dispiace." = "I don't speak Italian very well. I'm sorry."

And so on. Sometimes you have to be creative and start playing charades, but it's usually enough to point and pay. The Italians respond really well to you if you start out speaking--or trying to speak--Italian. I've noticed this just from my own experience. If you go in a store speaking English, or if the first words out of your mouth are "Parla inglese?", they'll sometimes refuse to speak English to you even if they know a little. I think they just get tired of arrogant Americans expecting to be catered to. But if you take the time to learn a few words and start out with Italian, they'll meet you halfway with every English word they know, and they'll be much more friendly. In fact, they're usually quite taken with me when I try to say things in Italian. All you have to do is make some kind of effort. And really, you don't have to know much except the word for what you want, plus a few stock phrases. :) I wish I could speak Italian, though. Every day I hear the Italians around me boisterously shouting at each other (despite the fact that they get right in each other's faces to talk) and I wish I could understand what they're saying...not to mention visit with them about their country and everything. Oh well. I learn as much as I can.

Well, Blogger's refusing to post my pics again (it gets cranky every once in a while) so I'll just end this here. I will be back with more later!