Do You Know How Foreign You Are? #1

Written from: Zurich.


As a matter of fact, that’s correct Romano Gribaldi, my name is also Italian, and let me catch that olive oil dripping off your name with the Ciabatta bread I keep in mano for just such an occasione.


You have a lovely daughter who looks just like you, but she must have her mother’s eyes. Blue. Big. They can’t be yours. I haven’t been in the car with you an hour and you’ve already referenced them half a dozen times. But


do you know how foreign you are?


The longest story you tell me is about an American woman you spent only 4 days with. You invited her to Italy and she never came. You keep a piece of nothinginparticular with you all the time because she gave it to you. And after all your references to your family, you tell me (with the same sincerity!) that if this American came calling, you would leave it all, leave them all, and follow this infamnia that your genetics command you to keep in your back-pocket. Your wife. Your daughter. Your world you would leave them for. You love all of these equally; the only thing you love more is the tension that this creates, and THAT is how I have come to define all Italians.


Blog #5. 7th day, 28th year. Complete.


Retrospection:


            Italian                         X               English     =     Fanabala
Napoletan + Sicilian


Fanabala is the Italian-American dialect that originated from the phrase “va fa Napoli”.


examples: fugazi     (fake)
                 gavon      (slob)
                 stugatz    (balls)
                 scarol     (bullshit)
                 a gabi?   (understand?)