This month's editorial

Once again, it's that time of the month that I write an editorial for the Saint Mary's newspaper. And, once again, my editorial is going to do double duty as my blog entry for the day. If any of you are interested in checking out the Cardinal online, the address is http://cardinal-smumn.blogspot.com/.

A lesson in Italian flirting

I have almost hit the two month mark of my time in Italy, and each day I seem to discover new aspects of Italian culture. One aspect that has proven to be especially intriguing is the culture of romance, which I never realized the full extent of before coming here.
Being a young, blonde, athletic American female in Italy has put me at the receiving end of much flirting from Italian men of all ages and appearances. The most overt and persistent flirter I’ve encountered was a 39 year old man named Dario on the ski slopes. During our first conversation Dario told me that I have beautiful eyes. This may seem like a cliché compliment, but he seemed very sincere. Shortly after he told me that I make his heart beat like thunder and lightning, and he asked me if I would like him to get me a room in his town by the sea. I must admit that at this point I began to get a bit creeped out, but this is a prime example of the flirting that is considered normal in Italy. If a man perceives even the slightest chance that a woman may be interested in him, he proceeds at full throttle.
Another story of a persistent Italian flirter comes from Saint Mary’s own Dr. Mary Fox, who is currently on sabbatical and doing some traveling and research in Italy. Recently she was in Rome with Br. Stephen Rustyn, and they were eating at a restaurant. Br. Stephen left the table to go to the restroom, and the young male waiter came up behind Dr. Fox and began kissing and caressing her head and neck. The man proceeded to tell her that he fell in love with her when he first saw her, then he began to undo his belt. He told her that he just wanted her to “take one look.” In America a waiter could get fired or arrested for doing something like that, but here it is considered acceptable.
Lastly, I would not do Italian flirting justice if I failed to mention the ways Italian men of all ages address young women on the street. A couple common phrases are “Ciao bella!” which means hello beautiful, and “Mamma mia!” However, some men opt for more original methods, such as a one who neighed at my girlfriends and me as we walked by. Sometimes I cannot help but laugh at the ridiculousness of these methods, but they do make some great stories, and I think I will miss the romance culture when I return to the States.