Cultural differences between Fra and me has never been a problem, on the contrary, it's something we both find fantastic. We both are strong believers of the saying " when in Rome do as the Romans do" so in Finland we do as Finnish people do and in Italy as Italians do. And I would say we have both adapted the best parts from each culture to our own every-day lives. Except that I can still shock a whole cafeteria in Italy by ordering more than one coffee :) But that's not rude, its just funny.
Here are some funny bits and pieces...
"Oh, my stomach... I have eaten too much. And it was so delicious...!"
"But Saara, that was just the pasta. Now comes the second course!"
Now I have learned. But quite often at Fra's nonni we eat as a meal an appetizer (pizza slices, olives, pies, different salads, sun dried tomatoes, prosciutto, you name it) then follows the first course (a pasta or lasagne or risotto) and then the second course (a beef or other meet, cheese). Then fruits. Then coffee and sweets and a digestive alcohol. Now I have learned to take as little as possible if I don't want my jeans to pop. That has also happened, by the way :)
In Finland:
"Honey, can I kiss her on the cheeks when we meet?"
"Absolutely not! You hug her!"
"Him too? Do I then hug him too?"
"No, absolutely not! You shake hands. Or just say hi without touching. Or clap him manly on the shoulder"
In Italy:
"Amore, as I have never met this Antonio before, do I anyway kiss him on the cheeks when we meet or what shall I do?"
"You definitely kiss him when we leave, otherwise you are rude"
"But when we get there? How do I greet then?"
"Check the situation. He is anyway from the South so I would kiss him on the cheeks also when you meet for the first time!"
In Finland we greet our friend by saying hi. If we meet for the first time we shake hands. If we are good friends and haven't seen for a long time we hug. We don't kiss. A kiss means something more than friendship. In Italy you always kiss. When you meet and when you leave. And sometimes in between (as a thanks for something, for example).
- Älskling, I was so Finnish yesterday...
- What do you mean?
- I all the time waited for everyone else to finish what they had to say to tell my things but my turn never came...
In the North, we don't speak on top of one and other. One speaks, everyone else shuts up and listens and then the next one speaks. It is considered rude to speak on top of each other. In Italy everyone speaks at the same time and it is almost rude to stay quiet and just listen. Or then the Italians ask you "are you tired?". Which happens to me weekly.
- I'm already hungry, should we start to look for a restaurant where to eat?
- What's the time?
Fra eats lunch at 1 p.m. and dinner at 8 p.m. Everyday. Always. I eat when I am hungry.
- Look at that brunette, she has great shoes...where could I found similar ones...hmm...?
- What brunette? Where?
- There! At the bus stop!
- I can't see!
- By the bus stop, the girl in jeans, a red scarf and those amazing pumps...
- You mean that blonde one?
In Italy people with light coloured hair are all blondes. Brunettes are people with dark brown hair. In Finland people are blonde, when their hair colour is something like mine. In Finland a person with light brown hair is a brunette but in Italy a blonde. Also when my Finnish friend Iina, with long light brown hair, lived in Ancona, I remember her once telling me "Can you imagine that they call me blonde here?"
- I would really want to go to Nice this weekend!
- mm-hm
- Shall we just be crazy and go? Just book a last-minute-hotel and drive there now?
- mm-hm
- Okay, I book now!
You know when people make a sound for "yes" and for "no", a kind of mmm-sound? My "yes" is Fra's "no", and my "no" is his "yes". This makes our conversations incredibly great. Clearly :)
8 comments:
Hahah this was great! I definately recognize same things in my relationship.. especially the "i'm hugnry, let's eat" "what's the time?"
hahahaha, funny that someone else feels the same :) !! Sometimes I can get irritated to the core about this "whats the time?" !! Especially when I am superhungry I tend to get cranky...
hahahah!! Super bra post! <3 Ni e så sööta <3
ihanat ingis ja fra!
ja toi mhh-juttu aiheutti mulle ja giulialle ihan megana ymmärtämisongelmia aikoinaan :D
Hauska postaus:) Asun itse Italiassa (en kuitenkaan seurustele italialaisen kanssa) ja tutulta kuulostaa. Tykkään poskipusutavasta tosi paljon, pelkkä tervehtiminen tuntuu nykyään tosi kylmältä ja toisaalta suht vieraiden ihmisten halaaminen taas liian intiimiltä jotenkin, poskipusu on sopivasti jotain siltä väliltä.
Myös mä saan kuulla jatkuvasti huolestuneita "Sei stanca?" -kommentteja kun en puhu muiden päälle. Ja näitten blondit on tosiaankin yleensä ruskeahiuksisia!!:D
Puhutteko muuten poikaystäväsi kanssa italiaa vai englantia?
Kiitoksia kivasta blogista ja terkkuja kesäisestä Milanosta!:)
-Veera
Aww va gulligt och intressant :) I min och Patriks familj fast vi båda är från samma land är matkulturen helt helt olika, så jag kan förstå att om man är från olika land är skillnaden ibland megastor. Och det där att jag aldrig får taltur känner jag igen x) Just såndär e jag sen att jag bara väntar och sen glömmer jag till sist bort att jag hade nånting att säga. Sen verkar man ju nog kieltämättä lite rude om man sitter där bara och e helt tyst. :) Och det där med att äta... jag måste äta ofta men bara små mål i gången! :D
haha, i can totally relate! :)
Pyppe: tack :) :) :)
Iinis: aiheutti vai? Kappas kun ei oo tullut puheeksi! Joo, siis keskustelu menee yleensä sillen "sun mm vai mun mm? siis joo vai ei?"
Veera: Joo, oon myös mussa huomannut että haluan halailla tai poskipusutella kaikkia ja tulee joskus sellanen kylmä olo kun vaan sanoo hei. Haha, no puhutaan aikamoista kamalaa sekakieltä. Suomessa Fra puhuu ruotsia parhaansa mukaan mutta yleensä kavereiden kesken vaihdetaan enkuks. Kun ollaan Italiassa puhutaan aikalailla italiaa, tosin jos en musita sanaa sanon sen enkuks. Kahdestaan puhutaan enkkua ja italiaa ja ruotsia sekaisin ja joskus jopa saksaa. Kamala sekamelska. Haluttaisiin päästä enkusta eroon ja vaan puhua ruotsia ja italiaa mutta se vaatii vähän itsekuria. Ja meillä on sanoja jotka on aina samata mitä tahansa puhutaankaan: esim. kurkku on kurkku puhutaan sitten italiaa, enkkua tai ruotsia. Loogista eikö? Fra esim voisi sanoa jotain tällaista: "ho avuto un sacco di sisu oggi, älskling, sai cosa ha successo?" tai "ho mangiato un panino con troppo kurkku" ja minä joskus väsyneenä voin sanoa jotain yhtä kamalan kuuloista kun "shall we attraversare? I want to guardare in that shop". Ihan hirveetä. Itsekuria kehiin. Hyvä kun kysyit :) Kiitos terkuista. Oli aika kuumat oltavat tänä viikonloppuna!
Laura:hahahaha, vad roligt att höra att det inte är bara en kulturgrej via olika länder utan ocksa sadär !! :) :)
Jenni: I bet you can :) You write so funnily always about Piotr and you!! And by the way, we have the same problem with shoes and socks! Except I am the one never entering a house with my shoes on and Italians do!!!!
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