Culture Shock

Another day, another silly American. As I made friends with the local Florentines I found life in Italy was completely different without them. This makes perfect sense! In America, when I'm at work and I get a non-English speaking client it becomes so difficult and aggravating when I can’t understand their complaints, so why is it any different over there when I cant speak Italian. To the Florentines I was just another tourist. But that wasn’t the culture shock I had a problem with. I had a problem with was the lack of understanding of when I asked "Can I pet your dog".

That's right! It’s frowned upon in Italy to pet peoples dog on the street. Especially if you’re a silly American. As this only made it worse because almost EVERYONE has a dog in Italy. You're allowed to bring them into cafes, restaurants’, pools, pretty much anywhere besides Museums. As I learned this over time of being in Italy, but the first couple of nights this was still pretty new to me. It's the fourth night in Italy and the beginning to the weekend, my roommates and I went to the bar for a couple of drinks. As two of my roommates have already studied abroad here, they knew the ups and down of Florence. As we walked out of the first bar, still coherent I see this adorable puppy. So of course I run up to it and ask the owner in English, "Can I pet your dog?" in this high pitched annoying voice. He looked at me like I just killed his first born child and put his hand up and gave me the Italian F*** you.

At first I didn’t even realize the guy was mad at me, but his face said it all to get the hell out of his way. As I learned in that moment of time that it’s a culture thing. In Italy when you have your dog it’s almost like walking around with your child at the store. So it makes sense now because I don’t think I’d be happy if a foreign stranger came running up to pet my children’s head.