Last month I wrote a post about some of the funny things Italians do in everyday life. Lucky for us they keep doing them.
Here are Three More Funny Things Italians Do in Everyday Life.
1. If you have ever been to Italy you know the leap of faith required to get behind the wheel of a car. Well a few weeks ago my husband I were en route to Catanzaro Lido – he was driving and I was telling an undoubtedly fascinatingly intriguing story.
Suddenly, I was interrupted with a “Che Ca^Zo, ma vaffanC%lo …”
Shocked, I looked at my normally gentile, non-aggressive partner.
“So,” I continued …
“B@stardo!”
I tried to shrug it off, but I have no patience and couldn’t continue without pointing out the obvious.
“Pep! You have interrupted me three times (so I exaggerated!!). Is it really that important?”
“Yes, it is. He has to learn.”
A giggle escaped.
“HE has to learn?” My sarcasm was lost on my husband.
“Yes,” He told me … slightly irate. “He can’t pull out in front of people like that. He has to learn a lesson.”
“But he isn’t learning anything!” I stated. “You are yelling at me.”
photo credit: mauspray
2. Remember Zio Joe from last month’s post (#2)? Well that is one active guy, lemme tell you.
Recently he thought his garden needed a face lift and asked his youngest son to help him trim some of the limbs. Young Marco climbed the tree and started cutting the upper-level branches.
He glanced down to help his eyes adjust to the sun and saw his dad cutting lower limbs.
“Dad! Dad!” He yelled. “Basta!”
His dad stopped cutting and looked up at him.
“What?”
“Dad. Stop! I’m standing on that limb!”
photo credit: mahalie
3. In my spare time I teach English to underprivileged children in Catanzaro. Ok. Well, really I teach English to a little family who lives nearby and well, they pay me.
But anyway.
They have a son. He is four years old and can rarely sit, stand or play with one toy long enough to get past “dog.” Last week we were listening to a song in English and the little singing girl kept saying “Hello.” “Hello.”
I finally encouraged the kid to repeat … “Hello.”
“Bravo! Do you know what that means?” I asked him in Italian.
“Yes, I know!” He told me proudly.
“Great!” I told him. “What does it mean?”
“Vaffanculo!”
Mah! I tried.
photo credit: zehhhra
Ok, expats and travelers, weigh in. What are some funny things you have noticed lately about people in new countries? You can tell us … I did!
** Congrats to Michelle of Gone on Arrival-Unable to Locate … My Mind for winning a copy of Diane Spechler’s book Who By Fire! **
LEAGUE FOOTS BILL FOR NEEDY KIDS’ NEW SHOES.(NEWS)
Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) November 2, 1997 Byline: TRACY VALERI / Community Columnist It was Christmas more than a month early for 13 needy children at Langdon Avenue Elementary School in North Hills.
The children received new shoes – courtesy of the Assistance League of the San Fernando Valley, a nonprofit philanthropic organization.
Marjorie Mowry and Virginia Cobb – along with other volunteers – helped fit the children, who had been selected by a social worker.
The shoes from Kinney Shoes in North Hills were purchased for the children by the league with money from donations and fund-raisers. go to site shoe buy coupon code
Althea Kapur, chairwoman of public relations for the league, said her organization would like to offer shoe-buy days more frequently at Langdon.
But she said the program is restrained by how much money is available to support the project.
“We want to take on Langdon continually, but we need grants and funds to do it,” Kapur said.
For more information or to make a donation, call the Assistance League at (805) 496-3031 or write to P.O. Box 571987, Tarzana CA 91357.
San Fernando Valley residents are invited to the second annual communitywide spaghetti dinner that will benefit the Los Angeles Police Department’s Devonshire Division.
The event is sponsored by Supporters of Law Enforcement in Devonshire, in cooperation with the senior lead officers from the division who host the dinner.
SOLID has provided the division with such equipment as computers, cameras, binoculars, desks, filing cabinets and other essentials that otherwise would not have been available due to tight city budgets.
Attendance this year is expected to exceed last year’s total of about 700 diners.
Food, including varieties of pasta, salads, cookies and beverages, is donated by area restaurants – Mamma Lucia’s, the San Carlo Italian Deli, the L.A. Lasagna Co. and the Granada Theatre.
The fund-raising food-fest will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Hillcrest Christian School, 17531 Rinaldi St., Granada Hills. this web site shoe buy coupon code
Tickets can be purchased for $5 at the dinner or through the Devonshire Community-based Policing Office at (818) 363-1726, or by mail by sending a check or money order to SOLID, P.O. Box 7181, Northridge, CA 91327-7181.
Eugene Eli Urcan III of Arcadia took a giant step from the halls of Cal State Northridge straight to an internship at the White House.
“We are very proud to support Gene as he represents his alma mater in the White House,” said G.D. Mounger, CSUN’s director of alumni relations. “In turn, Gene has promised to be a CSUN alumni ambassador during his tenure in Washington. He exemplifies the outstanding quality of our alumni.” Urcan will begin his internship Monday and his duties will include planning, organizing and implementing the president’s daily and long-range schedules.
CSUN’s Alumni Association awarded the biology graduate $1,000 to help him meet expenses while he spends the next few months working as an intern in the Office of Advanced Correspondence.
The Alumni Association board voted earlier this month to award the $1,000 scholarship to defray the cost of living during the seven-month internship.
CAPTION(S):
Photo PHOTO Virginia Cobb of the Assistance League of the San Fernando Valley helps a boy pick out shoes.
Bob Halvorsen/Daily News
haha! Cherrye this post made me laugh so hard. I’m glad I wasn’t drinking anything. I can just picture that cute little boy saying “Hello” means, “V….”.
priceless.
I know, right? This is the same 4 year old who told his mom to wait the other day before he could leave with her because he was “sending a text message.” What a hoot!!
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I liked the second one. Italians do tend to get carried away while pruning, or is it a masculine thing?
Ha. I am not sure… poor Marco!!
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these are some of my favorite posts…always make me laugh!
Thanks, Erin!
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I think I saw that guy Pep was talking about. I was on a two lane road in Italy and had just passed an Ape. I looked in my rear view mirror and saw another car passing the Ape and at the same time another car was passing them both!
Oh my goodness that is so funny … yet, not surprising. A few days ago I was with a friend and there was an ambulance behind us, she pulled over to let the ambulance pass and another car pulled in front of the ambulance and passed us. Argh!!!
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I can’t think of anything at this time, but I sure enjoy these posts! BTW, how’s your suocero doing? I enjoy those posts too.
You have a candid way of sharing without coming across brutal.
Ha. Thank you, Carole. He is doing well. I’ll have to start recording more of his antics. He is sooo funny!
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Love the poor guy whose Dad is cutting him down from the tree, and, as for the children, how “charming”
. . . .
Ah, charming is a nice word for them, alright! lol
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This was great fun! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Karen or I mean, uh … prego!
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I *love* these posts, Cherrye. Love them. Keep ‘em coming.
Thanks, Jess. I am sure the Italians will keep doing funny stuff so I can blog about it!
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HAHA – so funny. It makes me laugh to know that specific profanity is common to all Italians.lol Mine says the same thing! I will have to think of some funnies…I’m sure they will pop up. hehe
I know, that is funny, eh? I hope you share your stories, as well!
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