Snapshots of Rome
Two women in very
fashionable business dress on a motor scooter. The one not
driving was talking to the other one at a stop light and gesticulating
with her hands, even though the other one (in front) couldn’t even see
her.
Every single person on a motor
scooter or motorcycle wears a helmet without exception, but no taxi
driver ever wears his or her seat belt. I’m sure the helmets are because of a law.
The taxi dispatchers called out the
numbers and locations in a way that took the normal inflection of
Italian speech – often lampooned in the U.S., think “we’re-a going-a
to-a the store-a” – and exaggerated it just a little bit, making a
beautiful, entrancing, rhythmic, sing-song chant. It was so great
that Sara and I actually recorded it.
Fashion. The stereotypes are
true, Romans are really into dressing fashionably. It was
amazing. High heels, cleavage, low-low-I MEAN LOW-rise
jeans. And the Italian women wear this eye makeup that accentuates
their already beautiful, dark eyes. Smoldering. Oh yeah,
and there were plenty of extremely well-dressed men but who cares about
them.
Romans standing at the caf