Comments on: An American Expat in Italy Goes “Home” http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/01/an-american-expat-in-italy-goes-home.html Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:49:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Martha http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/01/an-american-expat-in-italy-goes-home.html/comment-page-1#comment-285801 Martha Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:31:00 +0000 http://bleedingespresso.com/?p=5011#comment-285801 I'm pretty slow on the trigger responding to your posdt but I just saw it..in fact I just clued into "BE" during the AK blow out. I live in the Casentino in Tuscany. (I'm a suvurban Philadelphia native.) First time I went home after 4 years I was in a Target in FLA around Valentine's Day and remarked to my friend that it was nice that the Target employees were wearing red t shirts for V Day. The I got my change and saw the rainbow effect on the bills and mentioned that to her, too. "Wow, look at this money." I'm sure the woman behind me thought I'd just gotten out of the slammer. Si, grazie, prego, ciao all stayed with me. And I LOVED going to the store anytime I wanted to! <strong><em>Haha, so true -- the money has definitely changed! Glad you found me :)</em></strong> I’m pretty slow on the trigger responding to your posdt but I just saw it..in fact I just clued into “BE” during the AK blow out.
I live in the Casentino in Tuscany. (I’m a suvurban Philadelphia native.) First time I went home after 4 years I was in a Target in FLA around Valentine’s Day and remarked to my friend that it was nice that the Target employees were wearing red t shirts for V Day. The I got my change and saw the rainbow effect on the bills and mentioned that to her, too. “Wow, look at this money.” I’m sure the woman behind me thought I’d just gotten out of the slammer. Si, grazie, prego, ciao all stayed with me. And I LOVED going to the store anytime I wanted to!

Haha, so true — the money has definitely changed! Glad you found me :)

]]> By: PassagetoItaly http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/01/an-american-expat-in-italy-goes-home.html/comment-page-1#comment-282643 PassagetoItaly Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:06:53 +0000 http://bleedingespresso.com/?p=5011#comment-282643 Hey Michelle! Finally I've been able to nearly catch up with all the posts you've written since the birth of your blog! lol Glad you had such a great time here in the States. I must say that in 2008, when I spent 3 months in Italy, I too responded to everyone in Italian, and not intending to. For those 3 months, Italian was the only language I spoke, except when I called my parents once a week. For some reason, "si'", "grazie", "permesso", and "ciao" flew out of my mouth every time I answered someone. It was really strange. lol Hope all is well in the Bel Paese! <strong><em>It really is amazing how quickly those throwaway phrases become second nature! Glad you're caught up; thanks so much for making the effort!</em></strong> Hey Michelle!

Finally I’ve been able to nearly catch up with all the posts you’ve written since the birth of your blog! lol Glad you had such a great time here in the States. I must say that in 2008, when I spent 3 months in Italy, I too responded to everyone in Italian, and not intending to. For those 3 months, Italian was the only language I spoke, except when I called my parents once a week. For some reason, “si’”, “grazie”, “permesso”, and “ciao” flew out of my mouth every time I answered someone. It was really strange. lol

Hope all is well in the Bel Paese!

It really is amazing how quickly those throwaway phrases become second nature! Glad you’re caught up; thanks so much for making the effort!

]]> By: Grace @ Sandier Pastures http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/01/an-american-expat-in-italy-goes-home.html/comment-page-1#comment-281251 Grace @ Sandier Pastures Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:34:44 +0000 http://bleedingespresso.com/?p=5011#comment-281251 Glad to know you were able to go home after quite a while in Italy! I can relate to speaking the foreign language despite being in your home country. I couldn't stop speaking in Japanese on the first days in the Philippines too! And worst of all? I kept on bowing my head - very humiliating and definitely look strange to other non-Japanese people!! <strong><em>Haha, that's funny Grace! Glad you stopped by :)</em></strong> .-= Grace @ Sandier Pastures´s last blog ..<a href="http://www.sandierpastures.com/personal/pristine/a-taste-of-japanese-school-next-year.html" rel="nofollow">A taste of Japanese school next year</a> =-. Glad to know you were able to go home after quite a while in Italy! I can relate to speaking the foreign language despite being in your home country. I couldn’t stop speaking in Japanese on the first days in the Philippines too! And worst of all? I kept on bowing my head – very humiliating and definitely look strange to other non-Japanese people!!

Haha, that’s funny Grace! Glad you stopped by :)

.-= Grace @ Sandier Pastures´s last blog ..A taste of Japanese school next year =-.

]]> By: Bleeding Espresso » My Top 10 Realizations After Being “Home” for the First Time in Nearly Six Years http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/01/an-american-expat-in-italy-goes-home.html/comment-page-1#comment-281248 Bleeding Espresso » My Top 10 Realizations After Being “Home” for the First Time in Nearly Six Years Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:55:23 +0000 http://bleedingespresso.com/?p=5011#comment-281248 [...] my post An American Expat in Italy Goes “Home,” I mentioned that I’d be posting a list of observations, so without further ado, here it is [...] [...] my post An American Expat in Italy Goes “Home,” I mentioned that I’d be posting a list of observations, so without further ado, here it is [...]

]]> By: laura schenone http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/01/an-american-expat-in-italy-goes-home.html/comment-page-1#comment-280957 laura schenone Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:17:16 +0000 http://bleedingespresso.com/?p=5011#comment-280957 Hi Michelle, Love this post. Wow about waiting 5 years to return. Can't wait to find out your realizations. Next time you are in nyc give me a call. admire your blog very much and would be fun to have coffee. Just so you know even after a week in Italy I have trouble switching back to bye, thanks and yes. And I'm not even fluent. ciao! L <strong><em>Would love to meet up with you too, Laura! This time I had one day in NYC and realized VERY quickly that I needed at least two more to meet up with all the wonderful friends I have in the metro area....</em></strong> Hi Michelle,

Love this post. Wow about waiting 5 years to return. Can’t wait to find out your realizations. Next time you are in nyc give me a call. admire your blog very much and would be fun to have coffee.

Just so you know even after a week in Italy I have trouble switching back to bye, thanks and yes. And I’m not even fluent.

ciao!

L

Would love to meet up with you too, Laura! This time I had one day in NYC and realized VERY quickly that I needed at least two more to meet up with all the wonderful friends I have in the metro area….

]]> By: nyc/caribbean ragazza http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/01/an-american-expat-in-italy-goes-home.html/comment-page-1#comment-280901 nyc/caribbean ragazza Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:05:37 +0000 http://bleedingespresso.com/?p=5011#comment-280901 Welcome home Michelle! I speak mostly english here (I'm working on that ) but when I was in St. Martin I would answer French speakers with Italian. I couldn't for the life of me say "oui" or "merci" instead of "si" and "grazie". My brain was very confused! <strong><em>Haha, I imagine! Especially with two romance languages floating around....</em></strong> .-= nyc/caribbean ragazza´s last blog ..<a href="http://sistergirltales.blogspot.com/2010/01/70-earthquake-devastates-haiti.html" rel="nofollow">7.0 earthquake devastates Haiti</a> =-. Welcome home Michelle!

I speak mostly english here (I’m working on that ) but when I was in St. Martin I would answer French speakers with Italian. I couldn’t for the life of me say “oui” or “merci” instead of “si” and “grazie”. My brain was very confused!

Haha, I imagine! Especially with two romance languages floating around….
.-= nyc/caribbean ragazza´s last blog ..7.0 earthquake devastates Haiti =-.

]]> By: Julie Angelos http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/01/an-american-expat-in-italy-goes-home.html/comment-page-1#comment-280893 Julie Angelos Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:43:45 +0000 http://bleedingespresso.com/?p=5011#comment-280893 I love your blog! I'm so happy I came across it this morning. I truly think it was a case of serendipity because I had just been to the profumeria in a small town near my house and my heart was bleeding for America. I also live in Italy and have done so for 15 years. I don't know when I am going to get used to it. I relate on so many levels to your dual lives in US and Italy. The two worlds, the languages, the cultures are so different yet so similar I think you could write forever and never exhaust the subject. The cost of living here to me is so over the top expensive. I bought suitcases full of things in the states last summer. I wish I had bought the right top of Ziploc bags at Walmart because I have yet to find them in Italy. I tell you, my mother-in-law who cooks round the clock would love them. Unfortunately I got baggies which are so not the same. I dream of the racks and racks of affordable cosmetics such as Maybelline. Today at the perfume store - if you can call it that - they sold everything from Dior to cat litter. Don't ask me why. I picked up a mascara that I know only costs $9 in the states and here they want $26. I put it back fast. Please keep up the good blog content. I appreciate it. Have a great day. Love your life in Italy. It's such a beautiful place. Julie Please feel free to visit my blog. I'm a blogger at http:www.jangelos.wordpress.com <strong><em>So happy you stopped by, Julie! Ziplocs were *absolutely* in my suitcase...yes, I took them out of their boxes and kind of just stuffed them anywhere they fit :) I look forward to reading your blog as well!</em></strong> .-= Julie Angelos´s last blog ..<a href="http://jangelos.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/74th-day-blogging-with-1650-visitors-wt-cranking-out-fresh-smiley-blog-content-daily/" rel="nofollow">74th day blogging with 1650+ visitors. WT? Cranking out fresh smiley blog content daily.</a> =-. I love your blog! I’m so happy I came across it this morning. I truly think it was a case of serendipity because I had just been to the profumeria in a small town near my house and my heart was bleeding for America. I also live in Italy and have done so for 15 years. I don’t know when I am going to get used to it.

I relate on so many levels to your dual lives in US and Italy. The two worlds, the languages, the cultures are so different yet so similar I think you could write forever and never exhaust the subject.

The cost of living here to me is so over the top expensive. I bought suitcases full of things in the states last summer. I wish I had bought the right top of Ziploc bags at Walmart because I have yet to find them in Italy. I tell you, my mother-in-law who cooks round the clock would love them. Unfortunately I got baggies which are so not the same.

I dream of the racks and racks of affordable cosmetics such as Maybelline. Today at the perfume store – if you can call it that – they sold everything from Dior to cat litter. Don’t ask me why. I picked up a mascara that I know only costs $9 in the states and here they want $26. I put it back fast.

Please keep up the good blog content. I appreciate it. Have a great day. Love your life in Italy. It’s such a beautiful place.

Julie

Please feel free to visit my blog. I’m a blogger at http:www.jangelos.wordpress.com

So happy you stopped by, Julie! Ziplocs were *absolutely* in my suitcase…yes, I took them out of their boxes and kind of just stuffed them anywhere they fit :) I look forward to reading your blog as well!

.-= Julie Angelos´s last blog ..74th day blogging with 1650+ visitors. WT? Cranking out fresh smiley blog content daily. =-.

]]> By: Jenny Woolf http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/01/an-american-expat-in-italy-goes-home.html/comment-page-1#comment-280891 Jenny Woolf Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:50:29 +0000 http://bleedingespresso.com/?p=5011#comment-280891 I sometimes find that even being away for a few weeks gives me a new perspective on my home in London, or England. I'll be interested to read your further thoughts. <strong><em>Thanks for coming by Jenny!</em></strong> I sometimes find that even being away for a few weeks gives me a new perspective on my home in London, or England. I’ll be interested to read your further thoughts.

Thanks for coming by Jenny!

]]> By: Esme http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/01/an-american-expat-in-italy-goes-home.html/comment-page-1#comment-280888 Esme Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:19:58 +0000 http://bleedingespresso.com/?p=5011#comment-280888 Your children are pregnant-not to ask a dumb question-how if they are all female-what is the gestation period for mama goats. Seems like you had a wonderful time at home. 6 years that is a long time. <strong><em>Not a dumb question! We borrowed a male to put in with them for about a month in the fall; they have 150 days of gestation, which means if they're with kids, they'll deliver in March-ish :)</em></strong> .-= Esme´s last blog ..<a href="http://chocolateandcroissants.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html#7035376551944861940" rel="nofollow">Butternut Squash Cranberry Hash</a> =-. Your children are pregnant-not to ask a dumb question-how if they are all female-what is the gestation period for mama goats. Seems like you had a wonderful time at home. 6 years that is a long time.

Not a dumb question! We borrowed a male to put in with them for about a month in the fall; they have 150 days of gestation, which means if they’re with kids, they’ll deliver in March-ish :)

.-= Esme´s last blog ..Butternut Squash Cranberry Hash =-.

]]> By: Milanese Masala http://bleedingespresso.com/2010/01/an-american-expat-in-italy-goes-home.html/comment-page-1#comment-280887 Milanese Masala Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:29:36 +0000 http://bleedingespresso.com/?p=5011#comment-280887 Great to have you back! I totally get your culture shock. I usually speak English at home and try to go back to Canada once a year so I don't have too much of a problem switching back but whenever I answer the phone I have to really concentrate and stop myself from saying "Pronto". Oh, and I also say "Boh!" a lot. The one thing that I found since I left was how much English (esp. slang) has changed over the years and how archaic I must sound to my friends. I'm still stuck in 1996! In my day, one would say "I really LIKE living in Italy" but now it's all too common to hear "I'm really LIKING living in Italy" Ugh! <strong><em>Oh I haven't heard that...maybe it's a Canadian thing? Interesting! Also, "boh" is definitely another one! As is "Mah!" :)</em></strong> .-= Milanese Masala´s last blog ..<a href="http://milanesemasala.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/santambrogio-winterlude/" rel="nofollow">Sant’Ambrogio Winterlude</a> =-. Great to have you back! I totally get your culture shock. I usually speak English at home and try to go back to Canada once a year so I don’t have too much of a problem switching back but whenever I answer the phone I have to really concentrate and stop myself from saying “Pronto”. Oh, and I also say “Boh!” a lot.
The one thing that I found since I left was how much English (esp. slang) has changed over the years and how archaic I must sound to my friends. I’m still stuck in 1996! In my day, one would say “I really LIKE living in Italy” but now it’s all too common to hear “I’m really LIKING living in Italy” Ugh!

Oh I haven’t heard that…maybe it’s a Canadian thing? Interesting! Also, “boh” is definitely another one! As is “Mah!” :)

.-= Milanese Masala´s last blog ..Sant’Ambrogio Winterlude =-.

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