I'm still in shock, but today, Grosseto was as close to "cool" as it will ever get. I went to the Corso to grab some pizza for Jordan and found an International Festival.
Where the hell did that come from? I swear I felt like I was at Artscape in Baltimore City for a brief moment (then I saw a woman throw her trash on the ground instead of the trashcan and I remembered where I was - I can't stand people who litter!) and suddenly this amazing calm settled upon me. There were wooden picnic tables, and there was actually smoke coming from tents with real, live festival food cooking. You just can't imagine what it's like to be limited to Italian food...pasta, pizza and pasta or pizza - every single meal over and over again. It's no wonder I have no problem eating bananas and yogurt every day, I'm used to monotany. Oh my God, the smells, hot dogs, knockwurst with peppers and onions, beer-baked pig, (rotfl)crepes, cheeses, chocolate, paella and kegs of beer- food from Austria, Germany, Holland, Spain, Italy, etc. Every now and then, I caught a whiff of a baseball stadium, or the Fells Point Festival. All I can say is thank God I'm going home on Tuesday, or I probably would have cried, instead I glowed.
Top Americanisms I miss(obviously aside from family and friends)...
10. Sunday matinees with real American popcorn and a box of Snowcaps or God - Raisinets - live for Raisinets.
9. American men, well-built, muscular, wearing J.Crew - There is just no eye candy 'round these parts...
8. Sushi bars, misou soup, All-U-Can-Eat Indian Buffets with REALLY SPICY DISHES and Chinese Food that doesn't taste like frozen fried dog
7. An ice-cold bottle of Sam Adams Lager that I can drink from the bottle, not from a glass - Europeans are such p***ies!
6. American radio stations that just play American music, a TV that speaks English and gossipy, trendy, trashy American magazines with half-naked Britney Spears on the cover
5. Oprah
4. A manicure that lasts thirty minutes with a massage instead of two hours without one.
3. Cheesy, obese, colorful, diverse, obnoxious, loud, not perfectly dressed, Americans who know how to respect a line and hold a door (I am living in the land of the THIN and BEAUTIFUL *vomit*...I feel so at home in the good, ole USofA)
2. Trees and squirrels
AND...
1. It's a Four-way TIE! Chuck-E-Cheese (for Jordan), TARGET (love Target), Chili's nachos with extra salsa, heavy on the GUAC! and STARBUCK'S!!!!!!!!! Hmm. which Frappuccino to choose!
Ok. So, I'm superficial...I did throw in a squirrel.
If you have a chance, check out my good friend Christina's Blog, (it's in Italian, but really nice) she just showed it to me and blew me away...she is one of those special people with special parents.
