I can’t believe I get to say this, but for the next five weeks I am studying abroad in Florence, Italy. Our travel group arrived last week, and we are living in Florence’s historic city center. It is by far one of the most beautiful and culturally significant cities I have ever seen.
That being said, moving to Italy comes with its own challenges and confusion. We call this confusion culture shock. Italians function very differently than Americans — how they speak, eat, socialize and behave contrasts the American way of life in many ways. Here are just a few examples of culture shock we experienced on our first week in Italy.
Timeliness is not a priority.
The Italian schedule is much more relaxed. Lunch breaks can last three hours, and people typically don't eat dinner until nine o’clock. If you want to live like they do, a lot of your time will be spent in cafes sipping wine and taking it easy. Businesses close for hours in the middle of the day for that reason.
Bidets
Pronounced “ba-day,” this toilet bowl-looking apparatus is in nearly every Italian home. I won’t give too many details on how to use the bidet, but people in Italy use them as a cleaner alternative to toilet paper. When we first moved into our apartment in Florence, my roommate thought the bidet was a urinal and used it as such.
Noise at night is a no no
In compact cities like Florence, people live in close quarters. Apartments are stacked six stories high, and the walls are relatively thin. After 10 p.m., neighbors have the right to call the police if someone is being too loud. Life in Italy happens outdoors, and apartments are mainly used for sleeping instead of socializing.
Wine and Espresso
These tasty beverages are served at almost every meal. It’s totally normal to have a glass of wine or two at lunch as early as 11 in the morning. Many people in The States would consider that alcoholism. Espresso serves as a caffeine pick me up after lunch and dinner. It’s a very potent shot of bitter, black coffee.
Wine Culture in General
The culture surrounding alcohol in Italy and Europe is much different than the American perspective. In Italy, people respect wine and spirits as an important part of their history and culture. Generally, they will enjoy one or two drinks and rarely get drunk. In the United States, and especially in Louisiana, people drink to get inebriated.
