Gita Italiana 2010: The Texan Connection

Can you believe we’ve already reached the end of the Gita Italiana 2010? Without further ado, here’s our final installment from Tui of Mental Mosaic. Enjoy!

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As a recent transplant to the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex (via Naples, Italy and the Pacific Northwest) I must agree with the state slogan of, “Texas, it’s like a whole other country.” It’s not only because the state is huge, or the fact that it has its own power grid. There is just something about Texas that sets it apart from other states. Every time I land in Dallas, for instance, I feel like I should get my passport stamped.

So how does all this fit in with the Gita Italiana? Well, I’ve discovered that the bel paese and the Lone Star State have a surprising amount of things in common. Don’t believe me? Read on!

Dallas skyline.

Dallas skyscraper.

Iconic Shapes

If you pulled a tortilla chip out of a bag and it were shaped like either Texas or Italy, you might notice. You might even get a few bids if you placed that chip on eBay. At the very least, your friends would probably nod in agreement as you dipped it in salsa and took a bite. Try the same with a chip resembling Colorado or Belgium, however, and people will think you’re nuts. Those shapes are not nearly as striking or recognizable.

Texas and Italy, on the other hand, are like the geographical equivalents of Beyonce or Christine Hendricks; they are not afraid to flaunt their shape. While living in Naples, I even had people use my lower leg as a makeshift map from time to time. I confess that I am so bad at geography that this was the only way to get their point across, but hey, it worked. And while I still think there is a market for tights imprinted with a map of Italy, there is definitely a market for anything Texas-shaped. You name it, if there’s a way to produce a Texas-shaped version of a product, someone will do it, and Texans will buy it. I’ve seen Texas-shaped belt buckles, tattoos, muffins, swimming pools, crewcuts – there’s even a Flickr pool of Texas-shaped things.

I'm not sure how to pair wine with Chicken Fried Stuff.

I'm not sure how to pair wine with Chicken Fried Stuff.

Love of Wine

We all know that Italy produces some of the finest wines in the world, however Texas makes its share of vino, too. The state has over 200 family-owned vineyards, and a whole bunch of wineries. The city of Grapevine is named after the indigenous mustang grape (Vitis Mustangensis) and hosts the largest wine festival in the southwest. Meanwhile, DFW International Airport has an on-site winery, which offers the aptly named “Aero Port.”

I honestly can’t say yet how Texan wines compare to Italian ones (ask me again after Texas Wine Month this October) but I can tell you that the European wine industry will be forever grateful to a Texan named Thomas Munson. Munson developed a vine hearty enough to resist phylloxera, an aphid-like critter which wreaked havoc on grape harvests in the 19th century, so propose a toast to him the next time you open a tasty bottle of Italian red.

A sign at my favorite Chinese restaurant in Texas.

A sign at my favorite Chinese restaurant in Texas.

Unique Dialects

While living in Naples, I enjoyed learning phrases in Neapolitan dialect, as well as songs in dialect such as “O Sole Mio,” and “Funiculi, Funicula.” I was surprised, however, to learn that Texas has its own dialect. I am not just talking about the contagious Texan twang. Texas actually has its own unique version of German, thanks to generations of immigrants. The German word for “skunk” is stinktier, for example, while the Tex-German variation is stinkkatze.

Wacky Men in Charge

It would take a lot to rival the buffoonery of Italy’s prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, but from what I’ve seen here in Texas, Governor Rick Perry has his moments. Not only has Perry been dubbed “Governor Good Hair” due to his immaculate coiffure, but he’s been known to impulsively smooth the unruly locks of strangers in the audience during public appearances. Also, back in April of this year, Perry shot and killed a coyote … while out jogging! He claims the coyote was menacing his pooch, but I have my doubts. I’ve lived near coyotes before, and they are very skittish. In any case, who packs heat on their morning jog?

Confusing restroom sign in Dallas.

Confusing restroom sign in Dallas.

Freakishly Large Insects

If you’ve ever spent time in the Italian countryside, chances are you’ve seen those huge, black bumblees known as Calabrone. While your average bee buzzes like a Vespa (pun intended!) a Calabrone rumbles like a Harley Davidson, and just like a “hog”, you can hear them coming a mile away. Fortunately, Calabrone rarely sting humans.

Turns out that Texas has its share of big bees, too. Lately I’ve spied Cicada Killer Wasps in our yard. As the name suggests, this creature kills cicadas (which, I might add, is another hefty-sized bug.) Cicada Killers are an impressive 2″ long and thankfully, like the Calabrone, they have better things to do than sting you. I still tend to shriek and run the other way, though, whenever I see one.

Texans love their flag.

Texans leads the USA in wind power.

Regional Pride

More than anything else, both Texas and Italy share a deeply rooted sense of pride, and locals are eager to share their traditions with you. Nor is Texas afraid to take on what it finds cool about Italy and put a Lone Star spin on it. There are plenty of Texan towns named after Italian cities: Italy, Florence and Naples, to name a few. Dallas has a mozzarella company, as well as one of the few Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN) certified restaurants in the USA, while the Kimbell Museum in Fort Worth is home to the only Michelangelo painting in the Americas. I still get a kick out the Maccaroni Grill, an Italian restaurant where the ladies room is labelled, “Uomini.” (Pretty confusing, since that means “men” in Italian.)

The Texan love of Italy runs deep, but doesn’t veer into wannabe behavior. One incident in particular summed this up for me, it was when the waiter at an Italian place in Dallas exclaimed, “Mangia, y’all!” after setting our entree on the table. At that moment I realized that no matter how passionate this guy was about Italian cuisine, he was still Texan through and through.

So there you have it, a brief sojourn off the boot and over to the land of cowboy boots, where there is more in common than you might expect!

P.S. I want to thank Michelle for inviting me on her Gita Italiana. She was the first expat I connected with online while living in Italy. From Bleeding Espresso, I quickly found Cherrye Moore, another expat who just so happens to hail from the great state of Texas. Although we’ve never met in person, those two are a continuing source of inspiration to me. 🙂

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Tui Cameron is a writer and musician who recently settled in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex after having lived in Italy, Belgium and the Pacific Northwest. She disagrees with the saying, “It’s a small world.” In her experience, it’s actually a great big world with an endless array of places to explore. You can find her on Twitter @mentalmosaic, and at her blog, Mental Mosaic: Even home is a travel destination.

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Wonderful and so sweet too, Tui; grazie mille!

Thanks so much to everyone who wrote, read, and commented on the series; I’ve had so much fun reading about all different parts of Italy from some of my favorite bloggers, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have.

Looking ahead to September, remember it’s Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, so there will be lots of fun happenings here (including giveaways!) in order to spread the word about this disease that affects far too many women. See you next month!

18 Beans of Wisdom to “Gita Italiana 2010: The Texan Connection”
  1. Gil
    08.31.2010

    This post from Tui is like a gift from the Gods or should I say a gift from the Goddesses!!! Out of all of Texas I think I might be able to live in the Panhandle.

  2. 08.31.2010

    Thank you Michelle for having Tui as your guest today. She makes me miss my hometown even more. I’ll definitely stop by her site and say ‘Howdy’.

  3. “, I even had people use my lower leg as a makeshift map from time to time.”

    Giggled madly at that…and then went beady eyed at some liberty taking wotnot being intent on pinpointing Italy’s placement vis a vis it’s Northerly neighbours.

  4. 08.31.2010

    “Mangia, y’all!” Classic! Love it 🙂

    Never considered the similarities between Texas and Italy but then again, when I arrived in Italy after living in California for 11 years, I saw many resemblances as well.
    That’s what makes the world seem small I guess, while travelling long distances makes it seem quite big!

  5. 08.31.2010

    I love this post! I have discovered there are a whole buncha Italians living in Houston (mine included) and there is a lot of Italian culture here too. Thanks Michelle too for introducing me to yet another blog to keep up on!

  6. 08.31.2010

    Love the new look of your site.

  7. Angelo
    09.01.2010

    Great post, Tui, great post…

  8. Mary Floridia-Rankin
    09.01.2010

    Thanks, Tui, for opening my eyes to the comparison with Texas and Italy. I’ve never been to Texas but would love to visit one day. It’s a great state.

    Thank you, Michelle, for all the traveling we did. I certainly enjoyed each installment.

    Mary

  9. annieb
    09.01.2010

    loved the article about Texas/Italy! Tui needs to come to east Texas and try our local Italian restaurant: Cibo Vino in Winnsboro. I’m trying to get our Texans to stop pronouncing it SeeBo, but it’s an uphill battle.

  10. annieb
    09.01.2010

    P.S. I went to facebook and ‘liked’ One Hundred Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go!

  11. Loved this post. Mangia y’all!

  12. 09.04.2010

    I loved the comparisons here – fabulous article!

  13. Really cute and fun. I heard that everything is bigger in Texas. Whoda thought? Texas Italy? Hey sure. I’ll buy it.

    Julie

  14. Wonderful post! I miss Texas.

    Have you been to Messina Hof Winery in Bryan, Texas? They make an awesome tawny port. Wish I had some right now…

  15. 09.09.2010

    Haven’t been here in a while Michelle… Love your new look! Hope you’re well. Joe

    Thanks Joe! All is well here 🙂

  16. Laura Beth Anderson
    08.31.2011

    I loved the “The Texan Connection”! I’m a born and bred Texan with Calabrian roots that I love. Mangia y’all. That says it all.

    michelle Reply:

    So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for coming by 🙂

  1. Pingback: Tina Tangos » Post Topic » Finding Italy Outside of Italy
    [...] read this great piece on things that Texas and Italy have in common, over at Bleeding Espresso as part o...

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