Poem of the Day
Sicily
"Such Dolce eyes", he said to me
I of course, asked what that be
"Sweet as sugar", was his reply
quietly then, escaped a sigh.
Anything you want, Senora is fine
said the Mafia boss, he could be mine
I was scared and pulled away
I'll save you for, another day.
Mt. Etna puffed her smoke
into the air, in one big huff
an awesome sight, one to behold
ancient and strong and very old.
And then of course, the umbrella girls
sitting on the roadside, selling their wares
soliciting men as they drove by
coming from Africa, it made me cry.
The lemons hung on shimmering trees
encased and hidden, by their leaves,
The ancient and new clung side by side
in Italy you know, nothing dies.
In one day I encountered B.C.
then went a little further and met A.D.
the kitty cat knew, Sicilian tongue
as I watched the setting, of a Mediterranean sun.
Much more I could describe
Italian wine is mighty fine,
Sicilian cuisine, there's none to compare
to find it in America is mighty rare.
I'd like to visit, go back again
to see the place where I made friends
casual friends, though they were
Itay has, an ancient allure.
Sicily or Sicilia
I loved Sicily! To visit an ancient country is something I think everyone should do. You come away with a different perspective of yourself, and your country. Before I went abroad, I always wondered why foreign countries seemed to dislike America so. But, after having been abroad and encountering first-hand the way some Americans behave, I don't wonder so much anymore.
Don't get me wrong, I love my country. My husband is in the military however, loving your country doesn't mean its individuals are perfect. We Americans are quite brash and brash has its proper place, but so does manners. What I observed is that we (as viewed by other countries) are rude and without manners; not necessarily as a nation, but as individuals. For example, we stayed in an Italian hotel with Italians and Americans. The Italians would come in quietly and close doors quietly and speak quietly and not turn on the TV. The Americans came in at 2 or 3 in the morning every morning, loudly banging doors, yelling and turning on their TV so loudly you could not go back to sleep. They didn't care that others might be asleep at that time. I'm not just talking about a group of Americans, but different groups that didn't know each other. There were a few like us, my husband and myself that thought of others, but we were few and far between.
Another example, while in the hotel bar, an Italian waitress and a customer were having some sort of disagreement. Of course, they spoke in their own language. My husband and I were there and at a different table, not far away was a large group of Americans. They began to yell, "Fight, fight, fight," and "Speak in English, we don't know what you're saying." I don't mind saying, it embarrassed me for our country. A few of us can have an ill effect on all of us.
It seems to me that not only do certain of us in America expect other cultures to adapt to our way while they are in America, but we also expect them to adapt to our ways and us when we are in their country. I think that's a little arrogant and saw it more than once. Many flaunted Sicily's customs and way of doing things. I saw many that were just plain rude and egotistical by anyone's standards.
Ah well, it opened my eyes. I don't believe that we as a country or individuals should be so arrogant as to discount or throw anything away we don't like or understand and cram our way down anyone’s throat, especially when we are guests in their country. I now know what it feels like to be in a strange country where it's hard to find someone who speaks your language or who can help you if need be. It's even hard to order at a restaurant if you don't speak the language and I don't.
I hope to go back someday to visit again. It was a beautiful country, with friendly people.
States I've Visited
create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide
Sicily
"Such Dolce eyes", he said to me
I of course, asked what that be
"Sweet as sugar", was his reply
quietly then, escaped a sigh.
Anything you want, Senora is fine
said the Mafia boss, he could be mine
I was scared and pulled away
I'll save you for, another day.
Mt. Etna puffed her smoke
into the air, in one big huff
an awesome sight, one to behold
ancient and strong and very old.
And then of course, the umbrella girls
sitting on the roadside, selling their wares
soliciting men as they drove by
coming from Africa, it made me cry.
The lemons hung on shimmering trees
encased and hidden, by their leaves,
The ancient and new clung side by side
in Italy you know, nothing dies.
In one day I encountered B.C.
then went a little further and met A.D.
the kitty cat knew, Sicilian tongue
as I watched the setting, of a Mediterranean sun.
Much more I could describe
Italian wine is mighty fine,
Sicilian cuisine, there's none to compare
to find it in America is mighty rare.
I'd like to visit, go back again
to see the place where I made friends
casual friends, though they were
Itay has, an ancient allure.
Sicily or Sicilia
I loved Sicily! To visit an ancient country is something I think everyone should do. You come away with a different perspective of yourself, and your country. Before I went abroad, I always wondered why foreign countries seemed to dislike America so. But, after having been abroad and encountering first-hand the way some Americans behave, I don't wonder so much anymore.
Don't get me wrong, I love my country. My husband is in the military however, loving your country doesn't mean its individuals are perfect. We Americans are quite brash and brash has its proper place, but so does manners. What I observed is that we (as viewed by other countries) are rude and without manners; not necessarily as a nation, but as individuals. For example, we stayed in an Italian hotel with Italians and Americans. The Italians would come in quietly and close doors quietly and speak quietly and not turn on the TV. The Americans came in at 2 or 3 in the morning every morning, loudly banging doors, yelling and turning on their TV so loudly you could not go back to sleep. They didn't care that others might be asleep at that time. I'm not just talking about a group of Americans, but different groups that didn't know each other. There were a few like us, my husband and myself that thought of others, but we were few and far between.
Another example, while in the hotel bar, an Italian waitress and a customer were having some sort of disagreement. Of course, they spoke in their own language. My husband and I were there and at a different table, not far away was a large group of Americans. They began to yell, "Fight, fight, fight," and "Speak in English, we don't know what you're saying." I don't mind saying, it embarrassed me for our country. A few of us can have an ill effect on all of us.
It seems to me that not only do certain of us in America expect other cultures to adapt to our way while they are in America, but we also expect them to adapt to our ways and us when we are in their country. I think that's a little arrogant and saw it more than once. Many flaunted Sicily's customs and way of doing things. I saw many that were just plain rude and egotistical by anyone's standards.
Ah well, it opened my eyes. I don't believe that we as a country or individuals should be so arrogant as to discount or throw anything away we don't like or understand and cram our way down anyone’s throat, especially when we are guests in their country. I now know what it feels like to be in a strange country where it's hard to find someone who speaks your language or who can help you if need be. It's even hard to order at a restaurant if you don't speak the language and I don't.
I hope to go back someday to visit again. It was a beautiful country, with friendly people.
States I've Visited
create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide
posted by Mines Broken @ Wednesday, February 04, 2004
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home