#6 - Sometimes rules are merely "suggestions"

Sometimes, rules are merely "suggestions," and if they are followed you will get hurt! I'm talking about DRIVING here.

We took a taxi from the airport to get to our apartment. What an adventure! But, you know, compared to the taxi driver we had today (and yesterday), that guy wasn't bad at all.

Logan, Greg, Jenny, and I decided to take a taxi yesterday morning to St. Peter's because Jenny and I are still injured and I'm walking with a limp (or swag if you want to be nice), and then we took a taxi back to the apartment. We also took a taxi today to St. Peter's...but he took us in circles, so we got outta that thang.



Basically, here's what the real road rules are...
Green means go.
Yellow means go.
Red means go.
See the problem?

Taxis and other cars (and only cars, mostly Smart cars - I haven't seen any trucks or SUVs) swerve in and out of traffic...park on the medians...double park behind other cars...and cut off other cars...all without ever missing a turn and only running one or two red lights and perhaps brazing a pedestrian or ten.




Everyone does it and if you don't, you will probably be rooted off the road! ("If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?" No, that is completely different. We are not on a bridge. We are on a road.)

So yes, there really are some road rules in Italy that are meant to be broken...but choose them wisely. In other words, only break them if doing so will allow you to keep your dignity, moral integrity - and your life.



Briana

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"If things go wrong, don't go with them."
- Roger Babson

#4 - That "well-rounded" education could pay off

Students everywhere have designated the I-will-never-ever-use-anything-I-learn-in-this-class-again title to a foreign language class. They just know they will never need it. Well, I am SO glad I took Spanish!

I've learned quickly that Italian is very similar to Spanish...and I love Spanish! It has been helpful in understanding a few things people say and quite a few signs! Numbers are almost exactly the same! Now I wish I knew more Spanish...

While in the airport, the signs were all translated into English...

...which was horrible preparation for what would happen when I stepped outside the doors...no English!

Jeremy took Logan, my traveling buddy, away from me because we didn't have room in the taxi...but thankfully, I had two new friends to experience this culture shift with me - Amanda and Jen. (See lesson #5 - Make friends.)

Our taxi driver didn't know where to take us...and for the first time on this trip, the thought occurred to me, "You don't speak English, do you?" I looked to the left and right of me at travelers in cars as we zoomed past them (speedy cab driver) and thought, "and neither do you...or you...or you..." I was surrounded. I was surrounded by people I didn't understand. A little frightening, maybe. Okay, yes, very. But, wait...it gets better...

After we arrived at our destination (by handing him a piece of paper with the address on it), I asked "How much does it cost?" (in Italian!) and I understood him when he told me 40 euros (in Italian!)! It was so exciting!...if you can't tell from all of the !!!!s. =)











Of course it is harder to speak Italian than it is to read it, but I'm just excited that I can understand some things!

It's definitely better to know some Italian phrases - so far I've used "excuse me," "thank you," "you're welcome," "goodbye," and "how much does it cost?" I need to learn words like "here" and "sorry" (because obviously I need to apologize for not knowing what people are saying, like this RUDE lady at the market). I also need to learn the word "this" so I can point at things I can't pronounce or don't know.






Off to learn a few more things in Italian...Never stop learning! Hey, maybe by the time I'm ready to come home, my blog will be "Life Lessons Learned in a Country Where I Didn't Understand Anyone but Now I Do."

Ciao!

Briana

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"This money is so PRETTY!" - Me