Wednesday, 30 September 2009

• Are You A Lovely Tourist In Italy?

  In Italy, when you are out shopping, going to museums or church touring, you will eventually have to go to a restroom. The brilliant way is: Go to the closest cafe/bar, buy an espresso, down it, then, very politely, in Italian, ask  "Mi scusi signore, dov e il bagno?" (Excuse me, mister, where is the bathroom?) 
  

  High chances are very good and  they will let you use their private toilet, or lead you the way to the nearest toilet which is clean. Notably, the IMPORTANT thing is to first buy a cup of espresso or a snack.  If you don't do so, you will be directed and told to go to the nearest public toilet, which is probably located ten minutes away.
  

  
  

  I took this picture in EuroStar, he sat facing of me, I was attracted by the posture he slept. He looked cool! I hope he doesn't mean to kill me if he sees this picture.
  

  For me, Italians are kind of polite yet obstinate group of people. We have to respect their culture when we are on their land. I realized they are interesting, friendly and helpful too. Here, I learned, I had composed 10 ways to avoid upsetting the Italians yet to ensure you will have an enjoyable experience in Italy as below.
  

  1) Learn some Italian.  In order to initiate with “Hello”, “Goodbye”, “Please” and “Thank you”, we can always ask  "Parla Englese?" (Can you speak English?). Always greet the host/hostess with a pleasant "Buon giono" or "Buona sera" before asking if they have a table for two.
  

  It will put us up one place in the respect scale. That's not necessary to be super fluent in Italian, although it helps!

  2) Don’t speak loud English. Italians don't like rude and loud vulgar people, tourists are regarded as guests, and expected to behave politely in their eyes.
  

  
  

  3) Dress appropriately. You’re most likely to be refused at the entrance to churches, restaurants, bars and museums, any public places if you look untidy. I don't appoint for flamboyant attire or "dressing up". Being respectful doesn't mean  "fancy", but it has to be sensible enough.
  

  Rather, it means no sneakers, tee shirt, sloppy baggy clothes. The most important is a clean appearance. Italians hate dirty looking people. You’ll generally be treated as an object of amusement. 

  4) Acknowledge people.  Keep in mind that Italians don't commonly talk to strangers. Italians can get uncomfortable feeling or even feel threatened, when they treated with excessively informal by a stranger. When enter to a shop or restaurant, greet “buon giorno” (good morning) or “buona sera” (good evening) to the proprietor is always the best way.
  

  You will reap what you sow. Offer respect will receive respect. Behave rudely will be treated rudely. 
  
  5) Behave politely. Italians expect to be respected and then they will offer respect for you. Never ever put your shirt/ shoes on a table or a chair. Because the seating place will be considered dirty, and you are consider acting rude.
  

  Keep your shirt/ shoes on at all times while in public place, no matter how hot the weather is, because here is not a beach.  And remember, don't burp or belch in the public, this is considered extremely utterly rude. Nevertheless, holding and drinking a bottle of alcohol while walking the street, is displeasure and frowned as well.

  6) Be aware of regional sensibilities. Steer and converse clearly of politics (Especially American foreign policy) and don’t mention the war. Don't patronize or treating the locals condescendingly, they take great exception at it. Always remember Italy is the fifth industrialized country in the world.

  7) Never presume a business or restaurant accepts credit cards. Never expect a shopkeeper will break a large bill for a small purchase. Always ask, and expect a "No." Carry small bills for small purchases is a brilliant choice. 

  8) Dining Etiquette. Make sure you understand the different levels of service between a restaurants, bar and cafes. You can either sit at a table and get waiter service, or stand at the bar to eat/drink or buy something to take away. The prices are different in each case.
  

  
  

   It is important to learn some basics in order to avoid unnecessary embarrassment. The rules are pretty much the same throughout Italy except for Venice. There is a surcharge per person from 1.50 EU to 2.50 EU in Venice, in addition to a gratuity of 12-15%.  Most of the places in Italy, you can tip if you want, but it is not expected, and not to the tune of like 15-20% in US.

  9) Expediency is not prioritized over courtesy. Shopkeepers/Alimentary owners will help one person at a time, first come first served.
  

  Be patient! They are not ignoring you, they are lavishing attention on the previous customers. When it is your turn, they will lavish uninterrupted, undivided attention on you while others will wait. This is their way of respecting each of the individual customer.  

  10) Do not handle the produce! Tell the shopkeeper what you want. Don't start riffling through a pile of neatly folded shirts. The staff will freak out! Tell them what size and color you desire, they will serve you politely. By right, most employees will know your size without your telling them.

  
  

  She is a lovely girl, who helped her friend to manage this stall in Florence. We had endless topics to chat about. She had just returned from Malaysia. She gave me a "good" price for the shawls and mufflers. Ended up buying  20 of them as souvenirs for my relatives and friends in Malaysia.

  If you read reviews of Italy, you’ll find that Italians are regarded as either very friendly and helpful. Wherever you travel, there’s always the possibility of meeting the minority of local curmudgeon, but I believed that generally Italians are only rude to people who have offended them. Such a historical place with high respect scale.
  

  So, are you a lovely tourist in Italy? What do you think of Italians?
  

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