Fighting a jet-lagged daze this afternoon and going through stacks of papers as I wait for my luggage to arrive. I made my very tight connection in Paris for a 7:15 am connecting flight -- my bags did not.
Once home, showered and after my first plate of pasta in 12 days (!!!), my husband made the espresso....ahhhhh, another first pleasure of being home. Although I do enjoy a mug of American coffee in the morning when I am in the States, that post-pranzo espresso zing cannot be reproduced anywhere beyond the alps to the same effect.
To compensate,I indulged in a few Starbucks moments during my trip -- notably one while waiting for a mall to open on a very rainy cold morning to pick up Brooks Brother shirts for my brother-in-law.
I carefully studied the menu and found something based on a surprisingly simple concept: coffee and milk. It was called Caffè Misto and consisted of brewed coffee and steamed milk. To accompany such a delight I decided on a multi-grain muffin.
Confident with my uncomplicated choice, I ordered, only to find more choices thrown back at me! Did I want "bold" or "mild" coffee? Did I want the muffin on a plate? Did I want "utensils" with that too?
Choice, choice, choice, everywhere, all the time for every item ordered: type of salad dressing, cooking length for meat, potatoes or rice, cheese on top, it never seemed to end. How exhausting in general but really too much to ask before you have even had a cup of coffee!
a domani from warm and summy Rome,
E
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Transforming international living into personal and professional progress
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- Elizabeth Abbot
- In Rome for over half my life, I have adapted, but continue to grow and strive to thrive. It is a process, but it can be fun. As a Coach and Cross-Cultural Trainer, I help international professionals, their spouses and their organizations move from survive to thrive. Living in a different cultural environment can be a catalyst for personal and professional progress
when I'm not blogging...
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- interexpat
- italy: beyond the obvious
- expatify - inspiring expatriation
- an expatriate in Rapallo
- the roman forum magazine
- expat finder
- culture crossing (cultural guide community)
- inter nations networking site for expats
- moms in Rome
- umbria bella
- wandering italy
- expat interviews
- sietar
- dialog in
- intercultural press
- expat blogs
- expats in italy
- expat women
A few books to share on Italy and Italian Ways
- Saving Rome, Megan K. Williams (short stories)
- Mother Tongue: An American Life in Italy, Wallis Wilde-Menozzi
- La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind, Bebbe Severgnini
- An Italian Education, Tim Parks
- Italian Neighbors, Tim Parks
- The Italians, Luigi Barzini
- The Dark Heart of Italy, Tobias Jones
- A Concise History of Italy, Christopher Duggan
- Italian Cultural Studies: an introduction, Editors: David Forgacs and Robert Lumley
- Italy and Its Discontents: 1980-2001, Paul Ginsborg
- A History of Contemporary Italy: Society and Politics 1943-1988, Paul Ginsborg
- The New Italians, Charles Richards
A few books to share on crossing into other cultures
- Homeward Bound, Robin Pascoe
- Studying Abroad / Learning Abroad. J. Daniel Hess
- Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures, P. Christopher Earley and Soon Ang
- CQ: Developing Cultural Intelligence at Work, P. Christopher Earley and Soon Ang and Joo-Send Tan
- Cultural Intelligence: People Skills for Global Business, David C. Thomas and Kerr Inkson
- Communicating Across Cultures, Stella Ting-Tooney
- American Cultural Patterns: A Cross-Cultural Perspective, Edward C. Stewart and Milton J. Bennett
- Figuring Foreigners Out, Craig Storti
- Cross-Cultural Dialogues, Craig Storti
- Riding the Waves of Culture, Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner
5 comments:
welcome back! i missed reading your posts. i can definitely relate to your recent posts-for me they represent the good and bad of both worlds, something that i grapple with constantly trying to balance three cultures (ital/amer/asian). with these constant cross-cultural moments, it makes it hard to feel settled down in one place and be able to call it home. look forward to more insights from you!
welcome back! so glad to read your insightful posts again. i can relate to your last two posts. my cross-cultural moments span three continents and it makes for a life much examined. it's hard to feel at home in one place-i guess this is the mentality in the new world of globalization. i look forward to reading more of your posts!
I just found your blog and had to say. Not only am I an expat living in Italy, but we share the same last name! Ciao from Emilia Romagna!
Cyn
I don't live in Italy yet, but I have long lamented the excess of choices we have in the States.American shopping is so *hyper-stimulating* Too many unnecessary choices.
To anon:
Try living in a country where there are no/little choices for a few years, then let us know how you feel about America's "over abundant" choices. I'll bet all my money you'll have a different take on it after a few years in a place with no/fewer options!
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