What I didn’t know I would miss once I went overseas
It is always an exciting time when you are in a new place with a new culture. Of course it will be nerve-racking at first, because you never know what you have gotten yourself into, but in the end it is all worth it. As you may know, I have been studying abroad in Italy this past semester and I have really been enjoying myself. I have gotten the opportunity to learn about the culture, the language, and the people.
Adapting to certain changes has definitely had its ups and downs, but so far I truly have no complaints. I think one of the best parts about this adventure so far is, discovering that there are a lot of things that I take for granted back home in the U.S.A that I really never thought were important.
I would like to share with you now what I have discovered:
You have to pay to use the bathroom.
I was surprised when I was asked to pay .50 cents to use the bathroom one day. Coming from a place where I usually am allowed to use the public bathroom for free and then having to pay in certain areas was a big challenge for me. I still have yet to discover why they ask us to pay in order to use the toilets, but I think it has something to do with keeping up the maintenance so the public views it as a “nicer” restroom. I thought it was interesting when we were asked to pay to use the porter potty as well. Now don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of places that have free bathrooms, but just keep in mind that you will always want to have some loose change just in case.
Ice is not common to have in your drinks.
I have noticed that a lot of people do not have ice in their drinks. In America, we always have ice because we like to have our drinks cold. Here however, they tend to have their drinks room temperature. At first, I would always ask for ice because I was so used to it, but now I am finding myself having my drinks without any ice. Sometimes, when we go into restaurants they already put ice in our drinks because they know that we are Americans, and they know how much we love our ice.
Tipping is not a thing.
In restaurants, we usually tip our waiters. I have been told, but also have noticed, that tipping is not as common overseas. They do however have a cover charge. Meaning that if you want to sit down and eat you will have to pay for your chair. I thought that was interesting because we do not have that in the states. They also have taxes on alcohol so if you see an extra charge on your bill do not be surprised, because it could be coming from the drink you ordered. Also keep in mind that although tipping is not as common here as it is in the states, you can still tip if your waiter was excellent. They really appreciate it.
Dryers are not common.
I would like to say that out of everything mentioned thus far, I would have to say that I miss having a dryer the most. We live in an apartment and we only have a washing machine. We were told that dryers were not as common overseas, because they are very strong believers in preserving energy so they usually just hang their clothes on drying racks. I have gotten a lot better at hang drying my clothes with the amount of practice I have had so far. I do miss my soft (just out of the dryer) clothes at time but I can’t help but smile when I think about how much energy I have saved without using one.
People can try and sell you things anywhere at anytime.
The other day I was at a restaurant with one of my friends and we were sitting outside and some strange man started playing music and then asked us for money. We had no idea who he was, but we knew he did not work for the restaurant. We soon discovered that the man was a street performer and he was going around asking everyone for money. We also made note that non of the workers tried to kick him out or ask him to leave. In fact, I have noticed this a lot more lately. I do not think they have the loitering law that we have, and people are allowed to ask, or perform, for money. Even if you are sitting on a bench at the park someone will come up to you and try to sell you something even if you say no. Just remember you have to be assertive and tell them to leave.
There is no such thing as a line.
Usually when you are waiting to use the bathroom, or waiting to pay for groceries you will stand in a line. However, lines are not very common. A lot of people will just make their way to the front ignoring the fact that there are other people who have been waiting for a long time. To them I guess everyone is invisible. I have gotten really annoyed lately because I find it quite rude. My best advice is to hold your ground and not to let anyone pass you because they need to wait just like everyone else.
Time is irrelevant.
I come from a place where “being on time” was invented. Here I have learned that there is no such thing as being on time. You get there when you get there. This has also been very hard to adapt to. I have anxiety when it comes to time so if I know that I am going to be late, I get extremely nervous and feel the need to rush. Here, people are okay with being late because they know that they will get there eventually. Sometimes if a friend is in need they will be late to an appointment to help them out because they feel that is more important. I have become very appreciative of this because it made me realize that life is short and in order to take everything in, you have to slow down sometimes. Although, I still do not like being late but I do stop to smell the roses sometimes.
That is all I have noticed so far…
hopefully more discoveries come soon, and when they do I will happily share them with you!
Ciao,
-H
