Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Something I have not heard since I’ve moved to Italy….

“You are so melodramatic!”

One of my closest friends in the States used to say this to me all the time. Funny in Italy on a scale of 1 to 10, I’m a 2 at the most.

Perhaps growing up in a Caribbean household is the reason I can be overly expressive at times. I never even thought I was melodramatic until it was brought to my attention.

Then I moved to a country where a company describes its potato chips like this:

Double thickness,
twice as much flavour. 

The flavour of the countryside, vital and sumptuous.
The pleasure takes you away 
in waves of flavour.
 A truly traditional sensation that nibbles away without letting go. 


Folks, they are talking about chips! Vital and sumptuous? Pleasure taking me away in waves? Ha. This sounds like it should be about my future boyfriend.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

LOL
A good start to my day!

Korie said...

Heh, in the meantime over here they have a commercial for Honey Pops breakfast cereal that is just a bee singing "Honey Pops, yumyumyum, yumyumyum. Honey Pops, buzzbuzzbuzz, buzzbuzzbuzz."
Belgians are introverts.

Anonymous said...

This is SO true! You made me smile - thanks for that. (So did lilacspecs' comment.)

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Hah! Now pass the chips please ;)

Petulia said...

Italy (especially the South) is all about being melodramatic and theatrical...Just look at the architecture in Piazza S. Ignazio, it makes you feel like you are the main actor in a baroque play.
P.s. Sorry about bailing last night, how about drinks tonight or tomorrow?

Jen said...

Maybe you should try for the CEO of that company. Hah!

Tracie P. said...

well if they aren't talking about some guy, potato chips could be a viable substitute, non credi?

Anonymous said...

Too funny! I know which chips you mean too! I bought a large bag on Saturday because of you!!

Saretta said...

Well, I do wish you such a fantastic boyfriend! LOL! When I lived in the States people always teased me about waving my hands around alot when I talked...you can imagine how I just fit right in here!

gibber said...

I don't think anyone is as melodramatic as our Aunt Linda tho.

glamah16 said...

See you have found your country match!And the bag of chips is a nice pacifier on occasion until the real thing comes along.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

beatriz - :)

lilaspecs - your comment cracked me up. ha

casalbe - you're welcome.

michelle - After I wrote the post I realized the reason I have been eating those chips all the darn time. hmmm

petulia - Thanks for sharing the POV of a 7th generation Roman. I sent you an email earlier.

jen - that is funny.

tracie b - see my response to michelle of bleeding espresso

joanne - I broke down yesterday and bought a bag of the Tortilla chips yesterday (the store didn't have the Rustica). I was weak.

saretta - Thank you. I wish I had such a boyfriend as well. I also used my hands a lot. I think it was a NYC/Jersey thing. People in L.A. and DC commented on it. Here? Not at all.

gibber - Ha! I don't know if that is melodramatic...in fact I'm not sure what that is. Remember her birthday dinner drama?

glamah16 - the real thing better come along soon before I gain 10 pounds. :)

fail_safe said...

Man, I'm hungry. They might as well be talking about Hugh Jackman. Now that man is a big ol' bag of double thickness, vital and sumptuous chips.

Di Mackey said...

Reading that chip description as your possible new man well ... I was torn between between laughter and envy.

I wonder if they have them in Genova. I'm there for a couple of weeks as of Friday although weight loss and wandering are more on my mind. Thanks for the smile anyway.

Tracie P. said...

ha! maybe if you eat, pray, and love yourself, and get a little tuscan sun, you'll get your groove back.

;)

Faith at Acts of Faith Blog said...

Yum that is sexual and all for some chips!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

ninety9 - I assume you will be seeing the movie WOLVERINE when it comes out.

di mackey - have a great trip. I'm pretty sure these chips are sold all over Italy.

tracie b - you are too funny. I'm still waiting for the groove to return. Where is it!

faith - isn't though? I cracked up when I read it.

Anonymous said...

If you find a man who fits that description, please find out if he has a brother!!!
I know what you mean about the melodrama. My husband screams, "OH NO! PORCA....! for the silliest things, especially when he's loading the dishwasher. I don't know why and I don't want to know!!!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

milanese - that is hilarious. Saying porca when loading a dishwasher? ha

Kataroma said...

Having worked for an Italian law firm...let me tell you I've read legal briefs that sound a lot like your potato chip ad! Pretty funny trying to translate that for a foreign client.

Anonymous said...

Hee! Awesome post. My beloved peeps tease me about my calm amidst life's storms, but they love those random occasions when I let loose and become--as my ex-beau and close friend R. likes to say with a fond smile--"dramatical". I was raised in the house of repression and denial, a black WASP without the attending den or household income, but girl, I love to let my inner Italian/freak flag fly. I secretly hope to marry a man with a big, loud family that loves fiercely, talks with their hands, and slams doors for emphasis. If I ever find him, I swear I'm going to give him a nickname that sounds suspiciously like an Italian potato chip!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

kataroma - I cannot even imagine. I'm sure foreign clients are like WTF?

yvonne - hilarious. I had a friend who grew up in a similar household. When she would speak her mind her parents freaked out. They were very old-school, "proper" southern family.

Anonymous said...

That so reminds of me of those Yoplait yoghurt commericials back home - "It's winning an Oscar good"!

Too bad I don't even have a TV, because I am a sucker for commercial watching. Must be my dad and his marketing classes he teaches. He used to analyze commercials all the time, and I got into the habit.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

nyw - it's interesting to watch commercials aboard. Most of them could never be shown in the U.S. Either there are too un PC or there is nudity.