my fairy godparents
Rome: October 24, 2014
Ciao Ciao All! And Happy Venerdi!
This week all public transportation went on strike! AND in one of my lessons, my student literally ate his homework. It happened. Kids actually do this.
I don’t mean to start this post on a negative note, but I have expressed serious concern to my roommate Ellie that by the end of this year, mercury poisoning should be a medical condition we are familiar with. I think we need to be familiar with the symptoms that WebMD describes as potential impairment of peripheral vision; disturbances in sensations (“pins and needles” feelings); lack of coordination; impairment of speech, hearing, walking; and muscle weakness. I tend to be a hypochondriac, so as Ellie can attest, I usually wake up thinking I’ve been ”poisoned’ after a few glasses of our finest boxed vino…BUT to be fair, a LARGE portion of our mini-kitchen is filled with a variety canned tunas (plain, in olive oil, mixed with beans, corn, peas, couscous, etc…). It is a very popular item in Italy's supermercatos surprisingly. I’d say canned tuna and different canned vegetables in general make up about 60% of the merch. 40% bread, pasta, olive oil, wine and everything else. The canned tuna in the supermarket is probably ALSO mixed with something else- just an FYI for those of you adjusting your grocery lists in Italia. But we are adjusting quite well, Ellie is the master mixer- I give her three canned veggies, canned tuna, a few spices and she goes all Giada De Laurentiis on me.
Next on my to-do list is COOKING lessons, (promise Ellie), especially now that we have made authentic Italian friends (no we did not meet them on Tinder) who have invited us over to ‘cook’ dinner together! I am not exactly clear on what that means here in Italy (for example, I've always been the token-bring the chips, dip and booze- girl to ‘dinner parties’). Regardless, I am still very excited to find out and get myself elbows deep into a gnocchi textbook AND show our new friends the proper way to make a seven layer dip.
But it is important to note that a standard dip in the states might be harder to throw together here in Rome. For example, if you want peanut butter in Italy, be ready to woof out 10 euros (or $13 dollars according to today's exchange rate) for about one-third the size of a standard USA sized Skippy jar. Peanut butter is as good as GOLD here for ex-pats and I am SURE there is an underground- black-market for various nut butters that I haven't tapped into yet. Ellie’s birthday is coming up in a few weeks and I thought a few jars of peanut butter would be the perfect gift, not TOO extravagant if you consider the actual product, but also expensive enough to be meaningful and appreciated. But then yesterday, a true miracle happened. My Fairy Peanut Butter Godfather (also known as Chris from Eugene, Oregon) appeared out of nowhere with an EXTRA LARGE size can of JIF EXTRA CRUNCHY peanut butter after hearing me speak of different things we missed back home. It's so interesting what you realize you take for granted in the U.S. when things like peanut butter aren't available every grocery aisle.
Chris had gone to the Roma vs. some German team soccer game (who we unfortunately lost to BIG TIME…7-1) with a guy who works for the US Military and is stationed in Roma. Apparently the military bases’ dining halls have TUBS of peanut butter lying around for the taking (AMERICA)! Chris asked for 2 jars and voile- PB and NUTELLA everything- here we are. I think Ellie would seriously consider joining the army over here where the dining hall’s pantries are stacked with XL sized American goodies.
But if peanut butter is the only thing we crave/miss from the states, then in the words of Gloria Gaynor, I WILL SURVIVE.
I got my tarot cards read from a psychic at another locall watering-hole, Akbar, and he confirmed I would indeed survive.
not sure who is doing the fortune telling...
Kids in bars? I thought this only happened in NOLA…
age is just a number in Italia.
I was also under the impression I would say bye, bye, bye to ice-coffee in Italy because like peanut butter, ice is as good as gold here and that is coming from someone who lived in NYC with a single ice tray…So when Chris introduced me to another Fairy Godparent, a woman named Silvana, I was thrilled. Silvana, originally from New Jersey, moved to Roma with her family to open up a restaurant which specializes in fresh hand-rolled bagels AND ice coffee (including pumpkin-spice lattes) in a part of town where tourist and Americans in particular flock. I knew me and this New Jersey Italian would be fast friends. If you feel like everything bagels and an ice-coffee that has at least 4 ice cubes, then visit Alle Fratte Di Trastevere and ask for Silvana. If not for a bagel and ice-coffee, then for any other sort of advice about living in Italia.
Buonanotte!
Mallory
