1)
Sidewalks, or lack thereof. The sidewalks of Florence are wonderful
and easy to navigate, especially so if you’re walking with only
your iPod to keep you company. Although I frequently walk the
streets alone, I do at times enjoy breaking out of my box of social
reclusivity, walking with others, and even occasionally engaging
them in conversation when doing so. Unfortunately, the 3.5 feet of
cobblestone between the old palazzi and road, combined with the
two-way pedestrian traffic make it impossible to walk side by side.
Rather than engaging in conversation, much of the journey is spent
walking single file while immersed in an epic game of Florentine
Frogger, jumping from curb to road and back, in avoidance of fellow
gamers and oncoming traffic.
2)
Bus Mirrors. Now, this is tied closely to my #1, and for those who
have been here for any amount of time, I probably need say no more.
For those who haven’t, this is essentially the situation where you
will most frequently fear for your life here in Florence. No,
seriously. The ATAF bus mirrors are extremely large and protrude
approx. 2 feet on either side. Due to the narrow street layout they
also extend well into the space of the sidewalk which means if
you’re anywhere over the height of 5 feet and not vigilant while
walking, you will unexpectedly and promptly be decapitated. I for
one have had more than my fair share of close calls.
3)
Florentine Motorists. I’ve driven here in Florence so I can
empathize with Florentine drivers to a certain extent. The city’s
vehicular layout is made up almost completely of one-way streets.
Combine that with the constant overflow of tourists and students
into the road and those pesky things called “traffic lights,”
tempers are bound to flare. Cursing, hand gestures and even the
occasional love tap to a pedestrian by a Mercedes rear view mirror…
not at all uncommon. I’m probably guilty of all of the above.
What’s frightening is how commonly I’ve seen scooters jump the
curb, motored down the sidewalk through oncoming foot traffic, maybe
do a 360 kick flip in the process, and then return to the road when
they see fit. Unreal. Like the use of roads, the proper use of
one-way streets seems to be “optional.” Scooters and cars alike
go in the direction they deem most convenient at the time. It’s
like how in America STOP signs with a white border are optional…
right?
4)
Construction!!! I will start off by saying that Florentines are
incredibly efficient at putting up scaffolding and preparing
for construction to take place. Whether it be road works or work
on a building, within a day the entire worksite will be ready and
covered with beams, plastic and various materials that are
supposedly conducive to the job that needs to be done. This is when
one of two things may happen: 1. There is a tarp erected surrounding
the work area so that passers-by cannot see what is going on, thus
giving the illusion of actual work being done or 2, no cover is
erected and the worksite is in plain view. Both instances end in
the same result though: months pass by in which no visible progress
can be seen.
5)
Paying for grocery bags. It’s a concept that caught me off guard
the first time I went to a market here. Pay? For a grocery bag?!
Malarkey!! I have since come to terms with the idea and am for it
100%. Brilliant. Although bags are relatively cheap 5-10 Euro
cents apiece, it seems to be quite the deterrent for littering.
They can be reused when grocery shopping, for garbage in your
apartment, or generally just to schlep things around. Reusing
shopping bags is not a common sight where I’ve lived in the
states, and more often than not, the bags end up blowing about,
stuck in trees or pinned up against chain link fences next to the
interstate. In any event, cheers Florence! I applaud this and I
hope it’s adopted at some point in America as well.
6)
Italian Football. Football (or soccer for Americans / Calcio in the
Italian native tongue) was a main deciding factor in my move back
here to Italy: to actually immerse myself in the European football
culture and play internationally. Football in Italy can probably be
best described by comparing it to how Canadians are born and
promptly given a hockey stick, and how when Americans are born, we
are promptly given a Big Mac. Subsequently, Italians are born with a
football attached to their feet. For me, the style of play has been
hard to get used to since I’ve started training. In America and
England both, we are trained in a more physical style: using the
body to shield, to tackle, and to generally muscle your way about.
The Italian style of play couldn’t be further from this mindset.
In my first few matches, and even to this day, I have given away
fouls and most times don’t know what the call was. They are much
more frequent and occur even when you are not near the ball. I do
have to compliment many Italian players for being brilliant
all-around footballers and brilliant actors though. Prior to playing
here in Italy, it was never my style to take dives and whinge about
things that have happened on the pitch, but such is the culture
here. Although it has taken me quite some time to get used to their
acting tactics and method of play, I have, in a sense, mildly
embraced it and added “not staying on my feet” as a minor part
of my football repertoire.
7)
Italian “Creepers.” This part of Italian society doesn’t
affect me directly, but any women that are reading this know what
the gist is going to be without going any further. Webster’s
Dictionary defines “Italian Creeper” as an overbearing
aggressive Italian man, roughly between the ages of 30 and 90, who
frequents bars and clubs where American female students / tourists
go to enjoy a night out, and who rarely accepts “no” as the
definitive answer when coming on to his prey. Typically, “creepers”
can be found looming in dark corners, surveying the crowd, and
looking for that opportune moment to jump onto the dance floor and
take an unassuming lady for his own. Such instances can be
countered by throwing an elbow or by having a protective posse with
you to act as a saviour if need be. I am almost completely
convinced that the reason pepper spray is illegal here in Italy is
due to the fact a majority of the male population would be blind in
the matter of hours if American women were allowed to use it.
