25 new learnings.

From the day I moved into my apartment,
I have learned something new everyday about Italians.

1. People walking down the street do not smile or say hello. Just stare straight on, or directly at your face with a stern look.

2. Cars/Vespas will not stop for you to walk. Occasionally this may happen, but not often.

3. Italian men have no problem telling you what they think of you walking past them.

4. Where we live, in the center of Florence, pretty much everyone can speak some English.

5. Shoes/brand clothing (North Face..etc...), are one of the biggest giveaways to spot Americans from Europeans.

6. You have to weigh your own fruit and print out a sticker when buying it from the grocery.

7. Some vendors at the mercato do not allow you to touch the fruit/veggies... They do it for you.

8. Pepperoni on pizza means peppers... Not the meat.

9. The little mini stores down our street sell 4 bottles of wine for 10euro. The Indian men who own the stores make the wine with lots of sugar and around 3% alcohol. But then label it saying it has 12% and make up their own brand names, etc... We researched online and there were no traces of any of the product names. Talk about a scam.

10. You need to get your train/bus tickets validated before getting on, otherwise you can be fined up to 50euro...

11. If you go to the bar and ask for American coffee, it is literally all water with a dash of coffee.

12. Cappuccino after 10.30-11am is a no-no.

13. Dinner usually starts around 9 and ends around 11.

14. Our American term for bar is different from the Italian term which really means like a coffee/snack shop. They call places to drink, Pubs.

15. Italian stereotype for American girls when they drink, easy targets.

16. Always bargain with the street vendors. Do not pay the original price they tell you.

17. Every item of food is fresh.

18. Each building is unique in it's own way. Literally every building walking down the street is different.

19.  There are no fat people here.

20. There are mozzarella sticks on the McDonald's menu.

21. Turcchino is cheese... Tacchino is turkey.

22. There is a "secret bakery." The workers get there around 3am to bake for the morning and if you knock lightly on the back alley door, you can buy freshly cooked pastries for 1euro. Amaaaaazing.

23. People stay out and party til like 5am.. Work starts at some point in the morning. Most stores close from 1-4. Then reopen til 8 or 9.

24. You need to separate the trash; plastics, food, items that have touched food, etc...

25. American lifestyle in very, very different than the Italian lifestyles/culture.

Even though it's going to take a bit of adjusting and getting used too, I already feel really cultured and so much more experienced each day.