Even taking the train successfully (by this I mean actually validating your ticket/having the correct ticket) is cause for celebration!
One thing that is nice about being an expat anywhere in the world is that you get to give yourself a hypothetical pat on the back (or celebratory glass of wine) for just about any minuscule accomplishment during your day. What I mean is that at the beginning, you get to be justly and superfluously happy for achieving a small victory of daily life such as taking the bus without ending up in the outskirts of town or ordering your coffee and having it arrive exactly the way you actually wanted it. Don't even get me started about surviving a trip to the Questura. Anyways, my small victory of today is that I helped an older Italian signora find her way to Albano S. Alessandro on the bus. I'm not sure why, but I always get asked for directions or for general advice here in Italy- it happens almost every time I set foot outside, I've been asked in Rome, Milan, and Bergamo. First off, there's the observation that I clearly do not look Italian. But for some reason, I MUST look like I know where I'm going no matter which Italian city I'm in! The other strange thing is that people always ask me in Italian, as if it's blatantly obvious or written on my forehead that I actually speak the language. I guess you can argue that we're in Italy so it makes sense to try the language of the country you're in first but still, I'm always baffled and pleasantly surprised.
Sometimes I wonder what's going through someone's mind when they seek me out for directions:
"Let's see who we can ask...hmmm, oh look, a generic looking Asian girl- she definitely speaks Italian and is a local here in ______(insert random Italian city)"...WHAT? What kind of logic is this?!
Other examples are when you manage to not have an awkward staring contest with a salesperson or cashier, like when you can actually have a mini conversation while simultaneously getting your money out/bagging your items. Or ordering gelato without having to point. Or pretty much doing anything without pointing.
Sometimes I wonder what's going through someone's mind when they seek me out for directions:
"Let's see who we can ask...hmmm, oh look, a generic looking Asian girl- she definitely speaks Italian and is a local here in ______(insert random Italian city)"...WHAT? What kind of logic is this?!
Other examples are when you manage to not have an awkward staring contest with a salesperson or cashier, like when you can actually have a mini conversation while simultaneously getting your money out/bagging your items. Or ordering gelato without having to point. Or pretty much doing anything without pointing.
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