Ignominy

Everyone experiences life in a new country differently, even when they are together in the experience.  My time here has been filed with kind people who are interested in me and my reasons for being here.

Ollie's experience however, is somewhat different.  I don't know why, but he gets picked on.   Not by everyone...just the old ladies.  Now, for those of you who don't know him, he's not the kind of guy who gets picked on.  Quite the contrary.  Having spent his adult life as a police officer and then as a trainer of police officers, the man has presence.  Tall, blond, and muscular he has garnered a fair amount of attention here, but some of it not so positive.  Imagine the ignominy of being pushed out of the elevator by a 5 foot tall octogenarian.  And I mean pushed!  Two handed, "get the hell out of here" push.  I'm confident she must have said something, but he was so shocked he couldn't tell me if she did.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened either.  He routinely gets elbowed aside by the old women in the supermarket.  They don't do this to me, but they feel no compunction about stepping on his feet and jabbing him in the ribs with their elbows to get ahead of him in line.  I worry every time he goes to the store that he's going to get mugged by one of them.

It's kind of an interesting phenomenon because, as a whole, the Genovese respect lines,  something not always found in other parts of the country.  The exception are the old women. Perhaps it comes from having grown up during or shortly after the war, and having to fight to survive, I don't know.  What I do know is you better watch out for them.  Especially when they're wearing mink.  Never before in my life have I seen anyone on a motorcycle in mink. But, once again, they operate under a different set of rules, or rather, the same set of rules they apply in supermarkets.

 Piazza Corvetto at any time of day or night

In fairness, you have to watch out for anyone on a motor scooter or motorcycle...or a car.  Everything I said about respecting lines has no application in traffic.  In part because there are no lines in traffic, it's a complete free for all.  Motor vehicles of varying descriptions zipping in and out and around any object not faster than them.  As dedicated pedestrians this generally applies to us.  Crossing the street requires nerves of steel, even with the Avanti light.  Add to that the fact that the sidewalks are made of cobbles, walking around here is at times treacherous.  In the last 6 months I have landed flat on my face twice, once when I missed that a cobble was higher than usual and once, last Saturday when I completely missed the existence of a stair.  I don't know which was worse, the whacking of my shins, which hurt like a @#$%$#@ or the embarrassment.  Nevertheless, this is a city for walkers.  It is the only way to see the true beauty of this city and it's surprises.  Just be sure and wear tennis shoes.