My wonderful housemate Tina and I have been out on a few double dates in the past four weeks-with a guy who is interested in her who brings along a friend for me, at Tina's suggestion (yay Tina!). I enjoy it because it is a great chance to practice Italian, not have to wander around and choose a restaurant, and get a free dinner!
So here's how a typical Italian dinner goes:
You walk up to the restaurant, and a lively conversation about where to sit comes up. Everyone sits, and next comes the natural/frizzy, red/white conversation (water and wine).
Then after the drinks come out, the Italians initiate a long, very detailed conversation about what they will eat. Italians don't really do menus; they rely on the waiters to explain what is good. First an antipasto is ordered, a selection of meats and cheeses, which is difficult with Tina because she is a vegetarian, so you have to have a long intense conversation about what she will eat (usual answer: bruschetta). Out come the antipasti, and they are ahocked at how little Tina and I eat! Then another long conversation follows about what is good, with details of specific ingredients, freshness, some of which I can follow but most of which goes clear over my head. The Italians are very intense about this. So then out comes the first course of pasta, followeed by a second plate of meat or something. Tina and I usually only have room for the pasta, but italians appear to eat fifteen hundred of their two thousand daily calories at dinner. After all that food is (mostly) consumed (don't try to package up leftovers, its simply not done) the waiter comes out and wants to know: what now? Gotta have something for digestion! An espresso or a liquior are the usual answers, usually both. (Multiple shots for most of the italian guys). Then the bill is magically paid: don't even think about paying if you're the girl (I really like this part). Afterward (it's now about eleven thirty if it's a short dinner since you started the process at eight fifteen) you join the heavy midnight rush hour traffic! Tina and I are usually tired and go pretty much straight home.
All this dating has really made me think. So many people put their hope in romantic relationships rather than God, Satan's trick to substitute fallable love in our hearts rather than the steadfast satisfying love of God. Every long conversation I have had here in Rome involves at some point the eternal debate of men/women relationships, how they work, and who is the better half of the species. Most of these discussions spring from broken hearts searching for answers. The more I sit and listen the more determined to trust in the Lord, not in mortal men! There are several women at the school who have come to Italy to learn italian in order to find prince charming here and live happily ever after. They are some of the most pitiable sad people I have ever met! May my life not be controlled ever by thinking that I will find satisfaction in a romantic relationship! But yay for the opportunity to see this clearly.
