August 26

And another post... I'm getting good at this. 2 things come to mind for todays post.
1. I hate pigeons, Chuck, I hate them! The problem is, they don't seem to hate me. Pigeons are probably the most disgusting animal on this planet. I'd rather lick a pig than get close to a pigeon. But Bologna is full of them and they are so used to humans that they don't move out of your way. This is very vexing. But what's worse is that I can't really show my fear of pigeons. You are supposed to walk around the city like you own the place so that you don't look like a tourist who wants to be pick-pocketed-- and waiting for the pigeons to pass is not the way you do that. BLEH! Rats with wings!
2. Let's play a little word game. In America, what would you call a narrow street, with graffiti, that's a little dark because of the tall buildings surrounding it, that's pretty dirty, and has creepy guys who whistle at girls. I think the word for that is alley and it's one of those things girls who are walking by themselves try to avoid. But what do you call this in Italy? A VIA, just like every other via. And apparently it's cool for everyone to walk down. That is with a few precautions such as only carry a little money in your wallet because the chances of it getting stolen are a little high. So do you trust your American instinct, or do you do as the Italians do. The answer to this is not clear, because very often, the American instinct is wrong. The best example of this is walking down the street. In American, it's nice to look at the person walking and smile at them and maybe say hi if you are feeling especially nice. In Italy, making eye contact with someone is too much and could be sending the wrong message. Good to know, good to know. *Disclaimer: I'm exaggerating for an effect. But still...*