I took a journey out side the Roma center, traveling by bus for 40 minutes to the large mall, Porta de Roma to fix my Mac battery. Several observations were made which as should call The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
The Good: Presently, Carnival is taking place in Italy. Celebration before lent and Ash Wednesday, children dress up in costumes, throw confetti at each other, masked parties the usual. The confetti is seriously everywhere. In the squares, in the mall and the actual stores making the streets look like a party for my soles. I love the smiling children and many princesses dressed up.
Another great thing about the mall in Italy is dogs are allowed, and not just the little rats and ones you can fit in strollers, big dogs. They are not allowed in the actual stores but you can take a stroll inside the mall no questions asked. I just wonder what happens if there is ever an accident.
The Bad: Italian men, where do I begin? Here a group of men have a friendly match of soccer behind the symbol of Roma, the Colosseum. As I strolled pass on my walk home, Italian men started to say "Ciao Bella." Many think this is a charm of Italians, but I got an insider look from friends I have met in Italy and discussed that the Ciao Bella is often used as power tool that the men are in control. They think their charm and their consistent Mother's praises through the childhood and adulthood makes them some God's gift to women. Ciao Bella will never have the same meaning to me again as it is used against women to show this. I ignore the men with their Ciao Bellas and snap a photo and continue to walk. Another man decides it to take it further and start talking dirty. I do not know Italian but in Italy its all about the hand motions and his hands were below the belt that made a clear translation.
The Ugly: Completely disgusted. As I took my bus ride to the mall, there were no seats available. I stood for the 40 minutes and had no complaints. My complaint, my disgust comes yet again from the Italian men that simply lack manners. Of course when I state Italian men, not all Italians are like this but far too many observed the past week and today show that this is an ugly part of their culture I do not like. An elderly woman with a cane enters the bus. There are no seats available. Two men are sitting down and did not get up. It took roughly a minute or two before a WOMAN gave up her seat for the elderly woman. The women are no different as they look away from the elderly.
One thing my grandmother taught me since I was 5 years old, was when I was traveling on the tram in Poland. I had to consistently give up my seat for the elders, pregnant women, women with children, women that were reaching elderly ages, basically almost everyone except men and minors. My grandmother would pull me from my seat immediately when someone entered the bus that could use the seat more for a benefit than my young self. Here apparently, they were not taught the same.
As different stops approached and seats were exchanged, seniors stood holding tight to the rails while the others sat comfy in their seats. A seat opened up by me and as I approached it, a woman's boyfriend ran and snagged it from me. The women are no better, because Lord knows if my man did that his cute little tush would be pulled by the ears right up as quickly as he ran to sit down. But here the women say nothing and begin their conservation to their "godly like" boyfriends. One thing I did notice were the foreigners that have migrated here from other countries, were apparently taught by the same kind of grandmother I had. They gave up seats to women, seniors children alike. And it's not about the giving up a seat so I can sit my pretty self down. The men don't hold doors open here, they rush in front of you, running you over almost through the doors, they talk down to you, and dare I say it, almost rape you with their eyes as they hold their "cazzo or minchia".
My trip back was pleasant I got a seat and sat quietly in the corner. I could not wait to get home as my stroll through the huge mall has wore me down. The ending could not be any more perfect, as I entered the bus for my journey home, the people did not wait for the group to exit at the last stop. They charged to quickly get a seat!! They pushed over a father and mother with a child and stroller because they were slowing down entering the bus. Good God I though if I only knew Italian my mouth would be going off, cursing the people to their graves. As I arrived to the last stop, my stop, I exited the bus. Wait I tried to exit the bus, but the crowd charged through the bus and as I squeezed past the people a woman in her 40s shoved me off the bus. If I wasn't so drained, I would have shoved her back and got my survival New York City attitude on her! My motivation to learn and speak Italian is greater than ever so I may be the big mouth I am and give these people a lesson or two about life and manners. Till then Ciao Belli!
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