Reverse culture shocks. "Welcome" home after 2 years?

[@brucebenson5908]

In the U.S., streets are for cars. In Italy, streets are for people. I was made aware of this after living in Bologna. See "Streets for People, a primer for Americans," by Bernard Rudofsky.

[@giacomopiccinini9157]

Bologna gang in here

[@joecesa1013]

Loved your comparisons. I'm an American-born first generation, family from Italy. You are spot on, we're different here in the USA. And extremely paranoid. Of everything. And, in my opinion, when something really needs to be addressed or confronted, most people will ignore it and hope someone else will take care of it (except for a few vigilantes who go all-Rambo). I visited a small city in southern Italy, checked into a small B&B, and after checkin, asked the woman proprietor if there's any areas should avoid walking in late at night, or other safety issues. Now, my Italian isn't great but she knew what I was saying but had no comprehension what I wanted to know. This smallish city/province has an alleged reputation in Italy being perceived as dangerous--but the illusion doesn't have much backing. She told me no, we're small, everyone knows each other, nothing happens here,. In general, most Americans seem to think everyone is out to get them--yet we're careless with wallets, cars running unattended, unlocked doors, After visiting Italy 2 summers in a row years ago, I wanted to move there. I have always regretted not staying where I felt most comfortable, in a more "normal" society.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hey Joe. Loved reading this ! Oh sure I feel safer in Italy than in the US although Rome does present its dangers. I never understood Americans who wore their wallet in their back pocket. That’s suicide here ! I hear. On certain emotional and practical levels Italy just made sense for me too. No regrets coming here Correct: we Italians deal with our problems head on with deep and emotionally charged discussions ; no detail is left untouched ! Where is your family from in Italy ?

[@joecesa1013]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly My Mom was from a little town in Foggia, in Puglia. My Father was near Avelino, Campania. Parents have passed, no one in my family had any interest in returning, learning about our roots (Mom's brother and my aunt returned to visit, that's it). My friends think I'm obsessed, I agree, and try to learn as much of the culture and history as I can.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@joecesa1013 I’m familiar with both those two towns. Most of us Italian Americans came from southern Italy. Yeah. I was basically the only one in my family who took it this seriously : move to Italy , marry an Italian , have a child here. Don’t let anyone water down your passion for your roots

[@paolocarpi4769]

Come back home, Joe. Well, Beppe. (Jospeph = Giuseppe)

[@russwoodward8917]

Seeing this video makes me want to move to Italy even more.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hey Russ. Really ? Why ?

[@russwoodward8917]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Some of my reasons include the cold, I currently live in North Idaho, 70 miles south of Canada, need I say more...next, informality, in the US, it seems to be more prevelant than in other countries. Almost to apathy. Others may disagree, however I have lived in both large cities and small and SOME people really dont care how they speak to you and can be very unprofessional. I have not found that in Italy. From small Comunes to large cities (Roma), people always seemed willing to help and actually cared about one another. Plenty of parking in the US, but Italians use their creative ability to fit a vehicle into a small space. (examples on request lol) As far as a community feel in a large or small city, it is truly lacking in the US. One may walk in a park, with many people, and not even make eye contact for fear of having to acknowledge another human being. ( I sometimes force the issue and say hi) also, yes, in most cities people do stay inside, unless they have a particular purpose to be out, not like Italy where my wife and I were walking in Roma at 10 PM and many people were out walking dogs, or just strolling. Nothing compares with authentic Italian food from Italy! School bus photos - I think the atmosphere in the US currently is that of distrust. Wrongly so. I blame more of the US media than anything else. I dont believe everyone has an ulterior motive for wanting to take a photo or 2 of a school bus. In Italy, we always felt safe (while being smart) and never felt we were being looked at differently. And this from a retied cop! I could go on with my rambles, but I think you get an idea of my thoughts. We will be there in September, and hopefully continue our discussion lol. Take care David, and thank you for the videos!! Ciao!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Oh yes that sounds freezing! I've never been to Idaho. Who knows if I'll ever make it out there. At times I miss the cold because you're usually in a car, house or a building with heating during the winter. So you feel it but not really. Yes, Italians on the whole are bit more helpful and cordial when they speak to each other. At least at first and then they of course can take off the white gloves. Yup! I've seen lots of creative parking here! I think in the US we are so used to privacy and staying in a our single family homes that the concept of close up human contact almost seems irrelevant. Well, as far as the school bus situation was concerned, I was an adult male on school grounds with no clear reason and it must have seem odd to want to want to take those pics. I thought about saying I was a youtuber but I dont think that would have helped much. I'd love to meet up in September! Let me know and thank you for your continued channel support!

[@RicMorn]

There are still a few spots available, so…😉

[@russwoodward8917]

@@RicMorn working on it

[@stacielacava3753]

You are so right about the differences. Food in the US is highly processed. Italian food is simple fresh and healthy People in the US are informal. I am so glad you are doing better.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you! You know, it's mentally satisfying eating here. When you know you are going to have a good meal, you are happier and it's better for your well being.

[@dudoklasovity2093]

Hi, nice video! at 6:39 you say commenting on the emptiness of american towns as possible generalization, I'd say you are 100% correct it's a fact. I lived 20 years in Europe and 15 years in USA and when I arrived here I stood outside the house and asked my friends: "Where are all the people?" I was so shocked that 99% people just drive lonely in their cars and the social interaction is so inferior here compared to Europe. Still to this day I haven't got used to this aspect of life in USA.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I have mixed feelings about that. Italians for my tastes can be a little bit too social. It really depends where you live in this country. On the flipside, it really depends where you live in the US. Where I’m from in New England, we’re not exactly the happiest people where, as other parts in the United States I think people are friendlier.

[@tinag7381]

Another good video! I grew up in a small town in Maine and we walked everywhere. The center of town was where people did meet. It was such a small town (1,000 people in Winter and up to 2,000 in Summer) that pretty much everyone knew everyone's business. It drove me nuts at times so I craved more populated areas and became a fan of big cities. I agree with you. When I lived in Connecticut people were not walking around much, except maybe at public parks. It's the same here in North Carolina now. We have to drive everywhere and there's no public transportation in my area. Anywhere I've traveled in Italy I've been able to walk around and feel a part of the vibe. I miss that. Grazie Davide☆

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you Tina! You have just brought up an interesting point. I suppose that if you live in a small enough town then people might be more likely to conjugate in public areas. However in my town in Connecticut I just don’t think that happens. Exactly. When you’re here in Italy you do you feel part of the vibe. I Remember when I lived in Salerno, I used to love to go for a walk in the evening and it just seem like the whole town was out.

[@csabo1725]

Good points. When I'm in NY I tell the guy behind the counter "Gimme a slice and a Coke". When I'm abroad, I don't. But what's interesting is that locals in Asia have no problem being rude to me as an obvious foreigner and the exceptions are rare. I can't tell you how many doors I've had dropped in my face. I've made a game of it actually. When the door swings at me I slam the door loudly with my hand then hold my head like I was hit in the face just in time for the offender to turn around and see me in "agony" hoping they show a little courtesy next time. Another time, as I was approaching a checkout counter in a supermarket at the same time as a local. I waived her ahead of me to be courteous. Instead of just pushing her cart into the checkout area she used it and her body to block me and started calling several other friends to join her ahead of me on the line and they all rushed to do so. I think I had three items in my cart. Even as I recount the story a year later my jaw falls open in disbelief😮. I've learned to let them have their way but who woulda thought a "rude Noo Yawker" would get out-ruded by an entire country's population?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you for telling me your story. We all love hearing stories about adventures abroad. I probably would’ve done the same thing if someone slammed the door in my face. I really do not understand Asian cultures and to be honest I probably never will I remember once I was in the library studying in England. There were plenty of desks available around me, with nobody in them. Suddenly, this Asian girl comes up to me and wants to sit in my desk which was by the window. I asked her to confirm that she wanted mine and not the other ones available. I told her no sorry take another one to this day. I have no idea why she behaved this way.

[@robTuscan]

Italia is the most beautiful and wonderful country in the world, I hope I can visit again soon!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

That’s why I live here !

[@robTuscan]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly I will one day as well, even tho I am not italian, but I love Italy, its my dream land

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@robTuscan There are a ton of people who have settled here and are not Italian.

[@robTuscan]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly of course, it is not impossible! I hope I can make it happen at some point. So much quality of life in Italy, from food, to social life, to work and life balance, weather, scenery, culture and art, history. It's amazing. You feel you are living your life everyday1

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

True. It also depends on where you work because the work life can be just as stressful as in the States and in other countries.

[@cathyg1473]

Hi there , My parents were born in Italy. I live in New England. We my daughters and I will be visiting Italy in May. I have been many times spent my childhood summers in Italy. I would love some restaurant not tourist spots in Rome to visit. Your channel is great! (I want to live in Italy)

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi Cathy ! Thanks for watching! Where are your parents from ? Do you feel Italian in any way ? I got some videos that might help you with restaurants. The newest one was done last summer and these restaurants survived Covid. Eating in Italy! kzbin.info/aero/PL9RTA_49N-uZ1sjvR-KarADXPy5kBJju9 Hope these help!

[@cathyg1473]

100 percent! Candida and Montafalcone is where they came from. I spent summers in both villages growing up. Both my parents recently passed away sadly. This makes my why to move to Italy to be connected. Thanks again for your reply. I will search your older videos.

[@bartonone2005]

Hi, David!! I tried Rana once and never bought it again. Maybe it's better in Italy but everything is so over processed in the US and very loaded down with salt. The European Union has much stricter rules regarding food than the US. For example, cottonseed oil is allowed into the food chain by the FDA. Cotton is not a food crop so there is no restriction on the types of pesticides that can be sprayed on cotton plants. Yet the oil expressed from the seeds finds its way into food. ie. unsalted potato chips by a famous chip brand that begins with a "L." Also, I found a can of smoked mussels in a discount dollar store. Stupidly, I bought it without reading the label. After I opened the can to eat them, I checked the ingredient list. The mussels were packed in cottonseed oil. They went in the garbage. I live in Northern New England in a small town. I found a guy last summer at a farmers market who learned from fourth generation Italian cheese makers and everything he makes is hand dipped. I tried his ricotta and something he called "alta ricotta" which knocked my socks off. His fresh mozzarella is wonderful too. It reminded me of the taste in Italy. None of it was cheap but it's way better than any store-bought, mass-produced "Italian" cheese in the US. De Cecco pasta is double the price now and I used to be able to buy La Molisana once in a while but don't see it anymore. I watch a lot of vlogs about Italy and see the inside of grocery stores there. These brands are on the shelves in Italy. Is the taste better? The US packages say "made in Italy" but I wonder? Another general example, Lindt chocolate made in the US does not taste as good as it does in Switzerland. I think they just license the name for use in the US. The same holds true for Cadbury in the UK vs the US version. The Cadbury in Canada used to taste like the UK chocolate, but it's been a long time since I have been there. It's been a long time since I've been in Italy too. I missed the boat, should have moved there when I was young. Chuck in Northern New England

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi Chuck. Oh sure I have seen time and time again where the quality is just not the same in the United States. I don’t remember if I mentioned it in this video but when my wife tried to make ricotta cheese for cannoli, and after having bought an Italian brand, the taste was just terrible. I have not eaten at McDonald’s in nearly 15 years but the last time I did eat at McDonald’s in Italy, I do remember that the quality is better here than the United States This touches on a more important topic as you mentioned before. I like the fact that the European Union has tougher restrictions as to what products and chemicals are introduced in food products. This is one reason that I’m glad to live here in Italy.

[@video198712]

Love your videos, I have not watched in a whle and I missed them. At 6 pm during the winters in Wisconsin , no one is outside.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hey ! Thank you for the compliment! I think 6 PM is shut down time for most of the United States I always tell friends and students that New York is not really the United States so it doesn’t count. Especially in this regard.

[@massimilianocorradini6871]

Bentornato David,da quello che capisco (in inglese), ho visto che ti sei sentito un po' strano nella tua città nel Connecticut...ma è normale,dopo tanti anni in Italia, sempre con affetto e stima per te e la tua famiglia,(che è sempre la cosa più importante).👍

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hai capito bene. Dal momento in cui ho preso il covid CT non mi sembrava più casa. Poi nei giorni prima della partenza per Roma mi sentivo meglio ed ecco mi sentivo di nuovo a casa. Chissà quando ci torno.

[@massimilianocorradini6871]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Quando te lo sentirai,o potrai.😉

[@SkeeterDraws]

Tolland!! OMG! I thought I recognized that Big Y. New subscriber, loving your channel. Grazie!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Another Tollander ? Awesome! Glad to have you here and thanks for subscribing!

[@gobbidimerda1]

I'm italian and when I stay out of Italy for a couple of weeks when I come back my reverse culture shock is about how we are undisciplinated when we drive.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

It’s selfish driving really.

[@carolinagandolfo8713]

Oh my gosh.. shorts in the wintertime.. this shocks me every single time, and I have been living in the US for three years.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I guess some people just don’t think about it

[@Jersey2WorldTravels]

The gas attendants are not common throughout most of US. Attendants at gas stations is mostly a Northeast thing...specifically NJ. I also belive they have it in Oregon too. But most of the US gas stations are self-serve.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Good to know. I don’t think we have that in Connecticut anymore.

[@Rualnys]

Plenty of differences are evident between both nations, they have their strengths and weaknesses, and have thrived with their own particular cultures. America is a young nation, Italy has had centuries to develop its unique characteristics. In the end, home is where you make it. There’s plenty of beauty in being multicultural and multilingual and having the freedom to travel to so many more places makes everything more interesting.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Home is indeed where you make it. I love being multicultural and I hope my daughter does too!

[@Davearmstrong42]

hahaha... I'm THAT guy wearing shorts. I LOVE cold. If it's 65f in Italy, I am hot and unhappy lol. Few things make me happier than snow blowing in -20 degrees f weather. I recall being in Meta/Sorrento and it was 85F and I was dying. Our vacation was over and we took a train back to Milan for our flight home. It was 50f and I was FINALLY comfortable with a tshirt and jeans... everyone had winter coats on and stared at me like I was some abomination but even at 56 years old, I still love the cold. BTW, 50f is perfect... not cold. I snow blow in -20f without gloves and only a sweatshirt.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

🤣🤣🤣🤣. I hope you realize that overall Italy is a hot country! In order for you to survive here you’re better off being in a mountain town. Yeah I’m with you I don’t mind the cold at all. I do the same thing in the fall, I wear a T-shirt and jeans where is everybody else is all bundled up. It’s a cultural thing, they have this phobia about the cold and unfortunately it’s something that just gets passed down through the generations. My advice is to not give a damn about who stares at you and just wear it what makes you feel comfortable.

[@guialinari338]

Now i totally get why u invented social Medias.. To get to know ppl

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Well, I created this channel for many reasons. One being to have interesting discussions in the comments

[@angelobisagno6792]

Hi David, I'm italian. I like to watch your you tube channel, thank you for spending your time on it. I just wanted to let you know that yeah there are post office boxes in Italy but they are not very common. Just few people actually use them, I think🤔

[@valeriaemma8610]

You're right! Usually people who live in very rural areas use them!

[@CandyBimatic]

Poste Italiane did its best to "convince" people not to use post office boxes as early as 2005 by changing the annual cost of the smallest available from € 24 per year to more than triple the annual cost of having one. Before then, every post office had post boxes, just like that in your video, in italian are called "cassette postali" and in very small offices a service of "fermo-posta" was available, in that case there weren't phisical post boxes and your mail was kept safe in the "back office" and it was given to you on your request but with the new image of Poste Italiane, which became a melting pot of services and a bank, Poste Italiane managers decided they wanted to get more money out of "post boxes" rent or maybe lower the costs to run the service by making it too expensive so that it would dye away on its own... who knows. By the way it didn't dye completely, it still exists, and is mostly used by companies (that can more easily afford it) but back in time it was very common among people... I had my personal post office mail box at my city post office for more than 15 years before canceling it due to the annual cost becoming outrageous after 2005. 🙈🙈🙈🙈 Too bad ... it was nice not having to worry that a storm could "drown" my favorite magazines and my mail as it happens now in the summer ... 🙈🙈🙈 As you can imagine I can't stand online books and magazines anymore ... I don't want to be tied to a computer, on a leash to a data connection like a dog, even to read a book or a magazine ... I want to be able to be anywhere in peace without having to worry about the connection that comes and goes, the battery running out, the i-pad breaking because it slipped from my hands, etc etc etc ... and most of all I want to be able to enjoy the pleasure of being "disconnected!" Unreachable! Vittoriaaaaa !!!!!! 💪💪💪💪

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

One thing I wonder is where would Poste Italiane find the space for all those extra post office boxes? Yeah, I hear you. As a youtuber I obviously spend a lot of time in front of a computer so it's important to find a balance between looking at a screen and detaching myself from the virtual world. God knows I don't always succeed!

[@CandyBimatic]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Do it ... turn off the "devil toy", take a walk with your family and enjoy the real world ... life is short David ... "tomorrow" you will wake up and find that your daughter is already a young adult woman and all suddenly you will wonder how it could have happened so fast!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

That’s sad yet true! I’m working on it. I’ll get there !

[@ivancastelloserrano6357]

Hi David, I agree about everything you said in the video... especially about the Italian food (Nutella's taste is another big example) and being suspicious when taking pictures. I loved the comment referring to Rossana hehe

[@valeriaemma8610]

The Nutella taste is it really different 😳?!? I wonder if they produce Nutella there with American nuts 🌰, maybe this is the reason! Mr. Ferrero ( Nutella's owner) what are your thoughts?

[@ivancastelloserrano6357]

@@valeriaemma8610 the consistency is different. I can tell you, I used to wake up during the night looking for Nutella in Italy or Spain but I did once in USA and never again.

[@valeriaemma8610]

@@ivancastelloserrano6357 🤦‍♀️

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

It was my pleasure ! You’re now both a cast member on my channel ! On the flip side peanut butter tastes different here

[@dancing0nthe3dge]

Do you know which town in Illinois has a town center? Where people actually walk around? Geneva, Glen Ellyn, and kind of Saint Charles. Those cities are old, and absolutely packed with people and houses and little shops.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Nice. I'd go visit them. Thanks for sharing.

[@theCreativeAssemblymachinimas]

I am italian living in Florence, I run my own BnB and actually I agree that americans are more informal, but I like that. I think that the way of being a bit too formal with strangers in Italy kills a lot of natural spontaneous conversation and does not help make true connections. But it is my personal experience.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

That is an excellent observation on your part. I don’t think a lot of people have such an acute awareness of how to interact with somebody whose culture is not their own. It’s also smart business to adapt to some of the informal this of US tourists. Why? Because honestly, it’s good business and if you observe formal Italian procedure when dealing with people, you don’t know, for US tourists, this could come off as cold.

[@twogirlsabroad5173]

There are some gasstations you can fill up in when no one is there. We went to Georgia for a lacrosse game and we used one. They are not everywhere but they are out there.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Oh really ? I figured somewhere in the USA they had to exist somewhere. I don’t see why they can’t be more of a fixture in US culture. I mean it’s not like people can steal the gas if no one is working inside the gas station.

[@twogirlsabroad5173]

Yeah you have to use a debit or credit card to turn them on! Makes more sense because they still sell gas!

[@Mayimbeoo7]

In the states we have self service pumps if you're paying via CC.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

But does the gas station need to be open ? Here in Italy it doesn’t matter.

[@Mayimbeoo7]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly I don't think so since the CC terminals are on the pump themselves.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@Mayimbeoo7 Well I can only speak for my area of the States and I've been able to buy gas if the actual gas station isn't open.

[@reginapolo3357]

Reverse culture shock is a sure thing.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I’m trying to figure out if it’s getting worse the longer I live in Italy

[@TheSicilianLife]

Great comparisons. I enjoyed hearing your insights. :-)

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you 😊. Did I get it right ? 🤓

[@TheSicilianLife]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Without a doubt~! :-)

[@Davearmstrong42]

I do miss passeggiata. I hope to have my grandkids with us a month a year in Italy and for them to experience it.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

It’s a rite of passage here. Hope you can too !

[@marthatrujillo8371]

Cool video David🥰

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you 😊

[@CandyBimatic]

Dave... I live up the mountain in northern Italy and -5°C is nothing, today it's sunny and outside it's 2°C at the moment... If I am wearing shorts in the house and need to go out for somthing probably I wouldn't mind going out just like that if I am not going in a place where "I need" to derss up decently... as you well know in Italy we dress also to go to the grocery store... 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

That’s the kind of mentality I like ! Oh yes. In Italy pay close attention to what you wear even when taking out the trash !

[@CandyBimatic]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Dave... siamo Italiani... ti pare che uno va a buttare la spazzatura vestito come un disgraziato😱😱😱😱... già il fatto di essere in strada con un sacco dell'immondizia in mano non è edificante, ci mancherebbe solo che la gente vedendoti possa pensare che in effetti il sacco dell'immondizia che porti fa pendant coi vestiti che hai addosso... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@CandyBimatic 🤣🤣😄😄. Eh no. Abbiamo degli standard qui !

[@twogirlsabroad5173]

Yep in the country this is probably a good example. Small towns usually don't have much going on. In the big cities life is on going.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

My first confirmation! I wasn’t sure about this one because I was referring to my area when talking about life ending for the day at 6pm

[@twogirlsabroad5173]

Well be sure from now on! When not many people live in a town there is not much need for that. Most people tend to want to be home with thier families doing sports, church, ect... the benefits of small town life. But then if you need something later in the night let's say your kid forgot there is a school project due or that dreaded bake sale you might have a problem.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

At times I miss small town life. The human brain needs silence and often. It allows us to process life

[@simonezampa9239]

Like many other tihngs food for export is different that food sold in the original country. for example the same chocolate bar in italy and in france is very different (very much sweet in france), or guinness beer that is really different if dinked in ireland or in other places

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Definitely. I wasn't a Guiness drinker till I went to the actual Guiness factory in Dublin and tried a pint there. What a difference!

[@annsilver6757]

That was fun

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I like making my core fans happy!

[@carolinagandolfo8713]

When in America… hat on! 🤪

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

You’re the first person to notice that! I wanted to look more American

[@elizabethrose111]

Hahaha😄,, he better represent 🇺🇸

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@elizabethrose111 😆😆

[@ringo7561]

David, are the coffee shops in Italy have more people gathering, then say a Starbucks in U.S.? And if so, does it go in through the day and night? For instance in U.S. I have to go to a bar usually to get out and a lot of times I don't want to drink alcohol, but still end up doing it. Seems like a coffee shop is better option, but they are not crowded here in U.S.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Some bars are very crowded also because a lot of them have lunch menus. But a bar here could be crowded at any time of the day

[@P.Galore]

FYI: You can pump your own gas in all 50 States except New Jersey. No human need be present. Cards are taken at the pump.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I like this.

[@manuelfantoni5258]

La piazza è il foro: la comunità nasce attorno ad uno spazio pubblico nel quale si affacciano le istituzioni che "reggono il mondo" (i templi, i tribunali, poi il palazzo del comune e la chiesa). Attorno a tale spazio ruota ed è organizzata la vita, che pertanto è estremamente "comunitaria"; o almeno, così è stato per millenni sino ai tempi più recenti in cui tutto è in modificazione. Sono modelli di costruzione sociale che risalgono all'antica Grecia, agli albori dell'umanità. Negli Usa forse la vita si è organizzata più attorno all'individuo e alla sua proprietà, da qui il modo di organizzare la città con strade su cui affacciano case che non condividono spazi comuni; ciò potrebbe influire sul carattere, indipendente e fiero ma a volte esageratamente sospettoso? Ad ogni modo la speculazione edilizia e la cattiva organizzazione urbanistica hanno stravolto tante città italiane che hanno perso la piazza come nucleo fondativo e aggregante. Molto triste... Salute!

[@marco_grt4460]

2:03 i saw this type of people in provincia di Pavia, how it even possible?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Maybe their dads are a polar bear! Or perhaps they're all skin and no bones! I have no idea.

[@annsilver6757]

Connecticut is unique.. that’s not how all the states are.. true for the northeast in winter.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

True. I prob have a bit of CT tunnel vision. I only lived there.

[@fabianpatrizio2865]

Cool Vid David.....really the same with Australia (minus the cold..here it's HOT now, as in 40 degrees C)...the rest of the comparison is v similar eg. just houses and cars and suburbs, with no "piazza" / walking lifestyle to speak of.......and the food thing is funny, I mean, esp in the US, literally millions of Italians migrated there and yet, Italian food there is not good :) That's one thing that's decent in Australia, Italian food is really good, maybe it's because Italians here are more recent (post-WW2), whereas in the States most migrated there c.1900 give or take...LONG time ago now

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Exactly. It’s been so long that this culinary tie with Italy has long been lost. I’m grateful I eat well here. Thank you btw !

[@marco_grt4460]

I think is more like how fresh are the ingredients or less treat with chemical

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

@@marco_grt4460 Right. Freshness and quality are the two main "ingredients"

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Exactly. Fresh is difficult. Frozen, prepackaged foods with lots of chemicals are the easy way out.

[@bistecca1048]

4) US. You have SPACE. Your country is continent-wide! From one ocean to another. You're used to that. You have huge parkings, huge shops, long roads... You're used to move by car. We have less space in Italy. In another video You said that in Italy You had every shop-need at walking range. Smaller spaces have to be organized. And more people who share the same needs will have to meet and cross sooner or later. -- Oh, and here in the north of Italy, near the high ALPS (Dolomites to be more specific... check them out. UNESCO blahblah), I too laugh at italian tourists who come here with clothes like they should climb the mount everest, while I stay in jeans and jacket with -10°C

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Yes, Geography does play a role in in our perception of personal space. Most Italians in my opinion have an unreasonable perception of cold. They bundle up so much so as to not feel any effect of the cold and therefore their bodies never get used to cold temperatures. Exposure to cold air is actually beneficial for our immune system.

[@Italianhome]

Ah and one thing I never understood is why are there electricity lines on wooden poles and then it snows and they fall and distrupt energy supply. Echecazzo dai!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Ah yes! I always hated that. At times we were without power for days. Fortunately at my parents new house the power lines are underground, however the source is still above ground so there is still a risk of losing power due to wind, rain, ice and snow. This is something Italians don't consider and when they think of snow.

[@raef203]

Guys coming from the gym wear shorts to shop for food--I've done it myself. The gym is a much more part of our day than in Italy--Gyms here cost 10 buck to 30 a month--you'll pay 75 or more a month or more in Italy.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

True. It’s more for some reason here

[@raef203]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Probably because they offer more services--towels, etc, but mostly because they have a lot less clients. Gyms here operate on volume not high price. Everyone will pay 10 bucks here, even those that won't use it much.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Ah ok, I never thought of it that way. I haven't been back since the start of the pandemic.

[@annsilver6757]

It’s the water you boil for the ravioli..

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

That’s entirely possible. But I still think it’s not the same ravioli as here in Italy. For example we don’t have lobster or butternut squash ravioli here.

[@laurap239]

As an Italian who grew up in Australia, I have always felt that American patriotism is maybe a bit too overdone, in Italy it's too downplayed. They simply don't teach love of country here at school like they do in Australia (and I suppose the USA)

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Hi Laura. Love that name! Absolutely, American patriotism is often overdone and it can lead to a strong and unhealthy sense of ethnocentricity,. I was dismayed the first few times I came to Italy and saw a clear lack of patriotism. Now I understand why but to this day it's a bit disheartening

[@FaustoM7432]

Tortellini and pasta don't taste in usa as italy due the water i think.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Yeah that might be the reason

[@CandyBimatic]

David it's not a matter of transport... the fact is that even original Italian food from Italy has a different recipe to adapt it to the taste people are used in a different country... Nutella has 5 different recipes depending on which country is going to be sold and the same is for any other food with the exception of the "Italian DOCG" food... you will not find any difference with the Parmigiano Reggiano but you will not have as many "variations" of it as you can find in Italy... and I can tell you that many people outside Italy wouldn't like original Italian food... especially people from the US because Americans are used to their own idea o how Italian food should taste... that's why in the US people usually think that Italians use tons of garlic on everything.... 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 I remember once being in a resturant here in Italy and there was a group of people from the US who asked for "Pasta aglio e olio" and as a side dish they had "zucchini saltati"... they started eating the pasta and in a second they decided that "pasta agli olio e peperoncino" wasn't enough tasty and they added the zucchini to it... but it wasn't yet enough tasty so they asked for some "pesto" (and they were given the "pesto alla genovese" because thewaiter guessed it was probably the only they knew) and they put also the pesto on top of that "poor" spaghetti aglio e olio... imagine the garlic already in the pasta + the garlic in the zucchini saltati + the garlic in the pesto alla genovese... 😳😳😳😳 I was disgusted... some friends who were with me wanted to try that "American Pie" so ordered the same three dishes, mixed them together and... it went right to the bin because it was... blaaaaa 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮... but those people liked it, they loved it, they were so happy and one of them speking on the phone told the people on the other side they were having amazing "real Italian food in Italy"... 🙈🙈🙈🙈 but if you think it's absolutely the same in Italy with the food from any other country in the world...even mcdonalds taste different in Italy and even more different in Germany... most people are not willing to eat food that taste too much different from what they are used too and often don't like when it tastes too much different from the idea they have on how food should taste... they have their idea of what Italian food is and they stick to that ...it's very common that they do not like the original when they taste it... Tu non fai testo, sei Italiano oltre che Americano, per forza ti piace l'originale di qui, come da Americano indovino che preferirai gli hot-dog e gli hamburger originali e non quella robaccia che spesso fanno qui e che, quasi sempre in buona fede, spacciano per "original from the US"! 🙈🙈🙈🙈

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Well I still think transport has something to do with it. For example Guiness doesn't survive the transport well outside of Ireland. Unfortunately I believe it! I can see Americans doing that to pasta. Once I was working at a summer camp in England. At the mess hall the lady working there asked me if I wanted some bolognese sauce on top of my pasta al pesto. Yeah. That. ugh! I dunno, I think Italians do meat very well. As a matter of fact I love hot dogs here and burgers here and I think as long as you barbeque them and use good seasonings it tastes just as good as in the US. Si, hai ragione, penso di essere fortunato che conosco la vera cucina italiana! Avendo una moglie siciliana aiuta tanto!

[@CandyBimatic]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly Direi di si... moglie italiana/siciliana = cucina nostrana... ora le femministe mi uccideranno! Abbiate pietà, a casa mia ha sempre cucinato anche mio padre e cucino pure io... 😊😊😊😊

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Vi stimo 😎😎😎

[@annsilver6757]

School security protect the kids…

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Definitely. That’s prob what he was thinking

[@laurap239]

yes but here in Italy we don't need that kind of security. No-one is armed here, and even to get a small gun you have to go through a lot of hoops. Mass shootings are made in the USA

[@tasparagliding555]

👍

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Thank you 😊

[@AlbertManiscalco]

do you dream or have an internal monologue in Italian yet?

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

I do actually.

[@gabrieledelledonne227]

In Italia magari non vedrai tante bandiere italiane in giro.. Ma ti assicuro che nella mia regione Friuli Venezia Giulia tantissime famiglie e case hanno bandiere del Friuli e italiane esposte in giardino o appese 😅😁noi friulani siamo orgogliosi della nostra patria

[@valeriaemma8610]

Ah, ecco! Almeno in qualche regione capita!

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Mi sembra una regione italiana in cui vorrei vivere!

[@ilmatanela1816]

@@DavidsDoseofItaly se non lo hai già fatto ti consiglio vivamente di esplorare il centro/nord Italia a dovere. Non te ne pentirai, garantito.

[@albypansa]

4,49 dollars x i ravioli rana? Carissimo.

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Eh. Benvenuto nel Connecticut. In più non sapevano di niente.

[@HopeLaFleur1975]

Why do you have such dark circles under your eyes. Is there a doctor you could see about that😮

[@DavidsDoseofItaly]

Ive had those for years. I think it’s a combination of allergies not sleeping well, and also just how my eyes are naturally.