New Year's Eve
Christmas Day
Christmas Eve
Spending the holidays in Rome with my boyfriend and sister was one of the greatest experiences of my life. There could not have been a better way to say goodbye to 2011 and welcome 2012. Between Giannis and Deidre having major jetlag, and me being overwhelmingly excited to host them in Rome, we were going to bed at 7am and waking up at 2pm. For the entire first week we didn’t even do major sightseeing. We only had a few hours of daylight by the time we left the house each day, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves just laughing together and soaking up our time with each other.
We spent Christmas Eve with my gracious host family. Spending Christmas Eve in Italy with an Italian family was something I have always wanted to do. It was amazing to be living those moments with them and with my own family as well. We went to St. Peter’s Square for midnight mass, which was an experience in and of itself. What made it extra special was that the Christmas tree this year was from the Ukraine. My sister and I had a piece from each side our heritage.
New Year’s Eve was an unforgettable night. We had no set plans and left to go out without even knowing where we were going. I texted one of my cooperating teachers for a suggestion, and she told us to check out Ristorante del Fico. The guys waited outside while my sister and I walked in and went straight to the maitre D. I asked if he had a table for six available and he went to the back to check. He didn’t speak a word of English, and when he came back he told us that he had one table available. I translated to my sister, who told me to ask him how much. Again, I translated to my sister the price: €120 per person, including wine, and a fixed menu. She went outside to clear it with the guys as I waited inside looking over the menu. Deidre came back inside and told me that it was too much, but before we left Deidre tried to haggle the price down…using me as the translator. So there I was, standing in between my sister and the maitre D, my head going back and forth like a tennis ball as I conveyed each person’s next offer. When Deidre proposed the option of not ordering wine in order to lower the price he looked at me, his eyes bulging, and shouted “senza vino??!! È una bestemmia!!!” Translating to “without wine??!! That’s blasphemy!!!” The bargaining session ended at €80 per person…wine included. Deidre and I were very proud of ourselves and beyond excited. After a long night of dancing, eating, and laughing we had all agreed that it would have been worth even €200 a person. Actually, that night was priceless.
Cultural Notes: 1. It is tradition to eat fish for the Christmas Eve dinner. On Christmas Day, families get together for a big lunch. Traditional food includes ravioli, tortellini in brodo, and meat. After lunch many families play Tombola (bingo). For New Year’s, sausage and lentils are traditional.
2. When Giannis and I were grocery shopping he noticed how the cashiers sit while they work. I had never even noticed this. They sit in these cushiony, swivel office chairs at the register.
3. For being such a major city, it is surprising to discover the amount of Romans that don’t speak much English.
4. I love how at restaurants the check doesn’t come unless you ask for it.
Impara con me! 1. tavoletta di cioccolato- chocolate bar
2. prendersela- to be touchy, overly sensitive
se la prende- he/she is touchy
3. il terzo incomodo- the third wheel
