Week 1-Let’s talk about food.

Where to begin? I have never felt so at home since I left Cuba August 5, 2001. Even surrounded by, what seems to be a highly populated area, I feel like I belong. Aside from the fact I understand very little Italian, It feels good to be here. It feels great to live a life style that asks little of you, yet fills you up so much. The concept of “Less is more” has never made so much sense, especially when talking about food. In Cuba, people spend most of their time trying to make a living, and that usually means having a plate of food on their table. In the United States, life is not as hard. But we are constantly surrounded by superficial need that translates into “The bigger, the better.” We correlate the idea of more with satisfaction. In Italy, people are not necessarily concerned with the amount of food placed at the table. Instead, their focus shifts to a more humane and universal need: happiness. This happiness is achieved by good company and good food. Every meal is another opportunity to relax. They seem to forget the worries, the problems… and to remember what is like to appreciate the little things in life while enjoying an irresistibly delicious meal.

I came to this country with the intensions to become as Italian as possible, without forgetting my native roots of course. As a matter of fact, my Cuban roots have played a major role in my acculturation process. The little understanding of Italian that I have would have not been possible without my Spanish background. But to continue, part of this transformation led me to the Mediterranean Diet. A diet based on fruits and vegetables, carbs, olive oil, meat and dairy in moderation, and wine with meals, so delicious! Aside from these ingredients, one must keep an active life. Easy right? Absolutely. People here seem to be doing just fine. The olive oil aspect of the diet was very hard for me to understand. Coming from a place where we are put under the understanding that any oil is better off avoided, it took me a while to fully accept its importance in the diet.

 Italians take their fruits and vegetables very seriously. I was able to experience this in my first visit to the open market. A market set up in a large area filled with tents containing all kinds of foods. Foods varying from different cheeses, to spices, all types of fruits and vegetables, breads, nuts etc… I loved walking through all the tents, smelling the freshness of everything, smiling at people and seeing how they interacted with one another. It was truly an amazing and very lively experience. Not just because I love food, but because it was a little piece of the Italian culture that I was taking away with me. As I was tasting and trying everything, I was absorbing every moment. I was learning about measurements, talking and understanding Italian—trying actually.  Being exposed to such environment, really made me feel at home. It made me happy to be surrounded by fresh foods.

The day continued with a trip to the indoor market, where people can purchase things like milk and other refrigerated items, as well as any other foods found in the open market. As I previously stated, everything here seems to be a lot smaller than what I am used to. The market was no different, even the food carts fit this descriptions. Comparing them to the average size used in the U.S, the Italian carts were approximately four times smaller. This really caught my attention, in a very positive way. This minimalist idea, is very resourceful and essential in a realization that I personally think is often taken for granted in the States. Across the Atlantic Ocean, we are so consumed in living in abundance. We live in a present that is not preparing for us for the future. For example, we go to the market and buy as much food as possible. Some people even walk out of the market with two carts completely filled. To start off, most of these items are not fresh foods, hence the reason why they last so long, and two, and last, are probably not consumed because it goes bad or just forgotten they were even bought in the first place. But it is this idea of just having enough to last us a long time and save us a trip to the grocery store that attracts the American society.

Here, people seem to be very aware that resources can only last so long and therefore adapt to their future. So, instead of buying enough food to last us a month, people buy their foods on a daily basis depending on how much they plan use. I find this method to be very efficient and rational. Food is less likely to be wasted or forgotten and stays fresh. Though it may seem to be more expensive, it might as well be equivalent to the American method monetary wise, but better in practicality.

This first week was very important, as it was my first immersion to the Italian culture. There was a lot of learning and adjusting. But being open minded and willing to accept new ways of living was my key to success. I knew I would love the European way, I knew I would love the food, the people, the history in every corner, and everything else. So far so good, and I anxiously wait for all the other great moments coming my way.