Sunday, 19 June 2011

Living in Italy: Sicily Edition

By Brandon White


Sicily is very much adored by tourists from different parts of the world. A tour of Italy is never complete unless you go to this part of the country. But living in this island region of Sicily poses a new experience on your part because you won't be there as a tourist anymore but as a resident. You will have to get accustomed to Sicily's way of life above everything else.

One thing you will have to get used to is that personal space does not exist in Sicily. Sicilians aren't disrespectful. Not recognizing an individual's personal space is just something that they're used to. When passing through crowds, squeezing in to them won't be a bother and you don't even need to excuse yourself. If you can't get through however, you can excuse yourself. Also , you don't have to say you're sorry if you bump into locals - unless you hurt them, of course.

Even the streets of Sicily become crowded with cars. Locals often drive their cars in very close proximity to the others. If ever a vehicle gets too close to the car that you're driving, there's no need to panic because this is how things are in Sicily. You will even notice that two care lanes turn to four! This might stress you out a little bit at first but you will get used to it over time. If you want, you can take driving lessons in Sicily so you'd understand their way of driving.

An important part of the Sicilian culture is greetings. A smile or a gesture isn't enough. You should say hello to anyone you engage in while in Sicily. "Ciao," however, is a greeting you should be careful with because it is only good for greeting small children or people you're close to. Eating out is also different with Sicily. For one, breakfast is served late in the morning at bars and gas stations. When eating at these joints, expect to be asked to pay first before getting your meal. As for dinner, you can choose among the regions restaurants and pizzerias.

Standing up to consume your meal is normal in Sicily's bars but only if there are no seats available. "Lining up" to make your orders can also be hectic because you won't exactly be finding lines at the bars. If you don't want others to cut in to you, make sure that you remember the last person before you so you will know when you can order.




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