Hey folks, Happy Halloween and Happy Election Season! I'm sorry it's been a while since my last post. Things have been...let's just say busy of late, for all of us. I know you are probably watching John King click his cool Magic Board red and blue right now, but I thought you might enjoy a chance to step away and live "La Vita Italia" for a moment or two.
So much to talk about - Halloween came and went quietly. It's actually gained a lot of popularity here in the last few years, so the kids were disappointed not to be able to go trick-or-treating. But everyone was wearing costumes at school and on the street, so it looks this American export has firmly taken hold here in Italy.
And now a virus/lockdown update: We just heard that we will be going into a partial lockdown beginning tonight (November 5). The Italian government has established three levels of lockdown—Red, Orange, and Green. Here in Piemonte we are RED, based on case counts (which are much lower here locally in Chieri, but a Region's a Region!). So that means we have curfew 10:00 p.m. - 5:00 a.m., and can only be out the rest of the day for essential activities like work, or school, or doctor's appointments. We'll even need to carry 'papers' explaining our purpose if we are out and about at all. It'll be less restrictive than it was here in March/April, but more restrictive than Barbara and I have experienced so far! Our school intends to remain open next week...we will see how long that lasts. As a private school we get a little more leeway, but it may be time to go remote, at least for a few weeks.
There's a fair amount of controversy here about these restrictions—most Italians "get it;" as bad as it was, they know that these kinds of measures kept things from going completely over the edge in the spring. But, not unexpectedly, many are growing weary of these restrictions, especially small-business people (like cafe/bar/restaurant owners) who are getting hit the hardest. They feel like they are taking the brunt of the pain here, when in fact the data suggests the highest volume of transmissions are happening on public transport or gatherings at people's homes.
Well, let's forget about the election and the new lockdown and have some fun for a minute...I'm always collecting fun photos of quirky moments we experience here, things that would fall under the category "oh, that is so Italy." So I thought you might enjoy a few moments of...
"You Know You're in Italy When..."
You pay for condiments at McDonald's: As an Economics teacher, I totally get this—there's a big difference in consumption of items that are free versus having a price greater than zero. Why stick handfuls of ketchup in a bag indiscriminately, most of which will be thrown away? Charge even a nominal €0.25, and folks will think carefully about what they will actually use. Oh and by the way, we've only been to a McDonald's 4 times since we moved here; no judgment; sometimes you need those fries!
Your zipper is on the wrong side: I always thought that men's clothing has the zipper on the right side (looking down), and women's clothing has it on the left side. Like it was a way to tell who the garment was intended for. Well, turns out in Europe there's no such convention; you can have the zipper on either side (or at least that's what the retailers are telling me!). Every time I zip up, it's like a luminosity test..."wanna exercise your brain today? Try getting dressed—it's OK, you may end up working the zipper like a toddler..."
There are signs using Roman numerals—for real! I thought that Roman numerals had been relegated to be used only for monarch sequencing and the Super Bowl. Then I saw these numbers used to assign parking spaces in the lovely seaside town Moneglia (you can see the Med in the background).
Your bank's logo is a bunch of grapes: See the sign on the right—this is a fairly large, reputable bank, very prominent in the Langhe area. So what's the branding strategy? It's a fine line between "welcome to Italian wine country" and "your money is safe with us, at least until we start hitting the nebbiolo around noon."
The grocery store offers free samples... of booze! We happened upon this scene at the Carrefour (big French grocery chain with a good-sized presence here). The young lady is mixing Fiero spritz's (Martini Fiero, soda, ice, orange slice) for any passers-by (yes we indulged). A bit of an upgrade on cheese cubes from Trader Joe's...although now that I mention it, those would have paired well with the spritz! Try the Martini Fiero—a tasty new spin on vermouth!!
Keep safe everyone and stay tuned here for more updates and travel fun!