Adaptations

With clear memory of what I learned the last time I dwelled in Italy, I expected to make some distinct changes in my life during this stay. These are necessary adjustments for a proper fit in this Roman environment. Here are a few:

1) No excessive smiling. Really, there is no need to smile unless you're in a state of spiritual ecstasy or you've experienced a Marian apparition. 

If used out of context the smile accomplishes two things, a) distinguishes you as a foreigner, and b) welcomes the pestilent attention of Italian men. 

No, grazie.

2) No dinner until 7PM, at the earliest. I've committed to acquiring the eating habits of Italy. This means no snacking. I take a piece of toast with jam or a yogurt to accompany a cappuccino in the morning. No cappuccini after 11AM. Then there's a light lunch or maybe just a caffe in the afternoon, and dinner around 8 o'clock. 

3) When arriving in a store or place of public service, don't assume that someone will greet you. The person working there could be of saintly character, but you will still have to speak up. Timidness will get you trampled on, ignored, or likely struck (physically) by an Italian man with red framed glasses, an Armani suit, and five o'clock shadow, riding on a vespa. 

4) All shoes should be made for walking. Oddly enough, in this place of shoe-making expertise, shoes serve most practically. Of course there are Italian women sporting stilettos, but I'm fairly certain those women ride a vespa or car to work, they don't walk. At this point I've ruled out any shoes in which I'm not willing to walk a mile on cobblestone.

Italians are minimalists. That's the best way to put it. 

I thrive in the simplicity of life here. This feature is what I adored most during my first stay in this Mediterranean country, and now I get to embrace it more fully. 

Space is limited so you can't have excess. Fridges are small, so you buy enough food for a couple of days. Streets are crowded and narrow, so you walk. In all, one will find that Italians live with a sense of balance. 

With restriction and liberty in their right places, life is healthy.