From Italy to the United States: A Few Things Italians Wish Americans Knew
Written by Kevin April 6, 2016
Sunset in Croatia
Coast in Croatia
One more picture from the water in Croatia
Going to a new country is a challenge. Being in Italy now for almost ten weeks, I have had plenty of opportunities to talk to people from Italy both about their culture and American culture. From these conversations here are a few things that Italians wish that Americans knew.
Many Places Don’t Take Card
This is pretty important. Many businesses in Italy do not take credit cards, which is a foreign concept for many Americans as there are many places in the U.S that only take cards. This is common especially in restaurants and some stores. Make sure to ask beforehand if a business, especially a restaurant, will take credit card. The places that do accept cards will have credit card limits and will only take a card if you spend more than 10 Euro. Also in restaurants it is important to ask for separate checks beforehand, as many places just assume that you will all be paying together and it is harder to do afterwards.
Power is Expensive
In Italy I have been told that power is very expensive compared to the United States. Once someone told me this, a lot of cultural differences began to make a lot of sense to me. Many places have motion sensing lighting, like the hallways at CIMBA. Most bathrooms have motion sensing lights that take a few seconds to turn on, so bring your phone flashlight. But the main reason this is important to know is just so that we can be considerate and turn off the lights and save water because it costs a lot more here.
Slow Down
I have always known that the United States operates at a fast pace. We like to get stuff done as fast as possible and are rushing at all times. In Italy, I have had to learn to be patient and continue to learn to slow down. Now this isn’t to say that Italians don’t get as much done as we do, because they do, they just work at a different pace. Many stores workers or cashiers will talk to you rather than get you in and out as fast as possible. Learn to enjoy these small conversations and these times to slow down a little, rather than being impatient and looking like a fast paced American.
Speak Slowly
This is true not just in Italy but in many European countries as well. Many people in Europe speak pretty good English and I am very grateful for that. But something we have to consider is that it is their second language so they may understand it, but not at the fast pace we speak. Just like if we knew some Spanish, we can understand it, but we may need Spanish speaker to slow down so we can fully understand what they are saying.
Blogger: Kevin, Clemson University
