Your bus driver doesn’t know of the stop you need to get off at even though it’s on his route (and you’re on the right bus!). This is apparently because it’s his first day. But he says he ‘supposes’ he could drop you off there – as if he’s doing you a favour!
You get into a cab or car & don’t put a seat belt on anymore!
You can’t buy a blended cocktail before 11pm on a Saturday night at a local bar because the manager hasn’t clocked on and apparently she is the only person who can operate the blender!
Your beauty therapist & hairdresser etc, kiss you hello when you arrive for an appointment.
Men kiss each other hello on the street.
The guy who works at the local pizza shop calls his male clients ‘bello’ (beautiful).
The owner of the hairdressing salon you go to tells you how beautiful you are at high voice (and with massive Italian hand gestures!) in front of the whole salon – at least three times every single time you are there! “Ma come sei BELLA!!!”
A male stranger helps you with your luggage because apparently, “a woman who is travelling should never walk alone.”
Your physio wraps up your appointment after 10 minutes because her shift is up.
There’s a waiting list to use a public pool.
The girl at your local ice cream shop makes you a frappe (milkshake) under duress because she thinks it’s just too cold outside for you to have one.
You hail a cab on a Saturday night, one pulls up & the driver has his girlfriend in the front seat. As if you’d get in!
You get asked at a job interview if you’ve moved to Rome for ‘love’.
You trip over a couple at the tram stop because they have to abruptly stop walking to start kissing! They are of course oblivious to the fact someone has just about stacked behind them!
You can never order anything at a bar without paying at the register, ‘la cassa’ first.
You can order Italian food at a Portuguese restaurant.
Upon hearing that you’re fairly new to the city, your cab driver gives you his number in case you should ever “need anything”
You ask for a discount on a pair of shoes (because they are the last pair & have a scratch on them) and the guy at the register says, “I can’t reduce them because they’re on sale. All I can offer is to take you out for a coffee. When are you free?”
Signing off,
Baci Maria
