It never fails that Tom Cruise is always a subject of conversation in Italian class. The Professoressa always bases an exercise around him. This particular exercise utilized comparative forms, such as two subjects or one subject and two adjectives. "Is Tom Cruise younger than George Clooney?" "Is Tom Cruise more handsome or more popular." It has made me realize that Tom Cruise and McDonald's are the lowest common denominators of American culture.
Tonight I attended a lecture with my neighbor, Signora Odoni, on the Archaeology of Campo Marzio. It was, of course, in Italian. Academic Italian is not conversational Italian just as Academic English is not what people speak on 'Jersey Shore.' So I understood about 3 percent of it. One might think that a lecture beginning at 9:00 pm, which also happened to be in a foreign language, would make a person fall asleep. The visuals were fairly good and the aerial images of sites with which I was familiar, as well as maps, and I LOVE ancient maps, would have kept me from slumberland alone, but a most amusing thing happened.
The speaker, a professor from Rome's 'La Sapienza' University had a pleasing voice and was quite presentable. About ten minutes into the lecture, he seemed to develop a debilitating stutter. At first, I thought he was stifling a sneeze. He turned his head slightly and covered his nose with his knuckle. But then it happened again...and again. He broke into a full-on stutter.
This might not have stuck me so severely if I had not watched 'A Fish Called Wanda' a mere ten days ago. And just like Michael Palin's character, Ken, in fact exactly like Ken, this man was standing in front of 350 people and struggling to say, "C-c-c-ampidoglio."
Italians are very helpful. I know from past experiences that if you were to ask an Italian on the street for directions, the man with perfectly polished shoes or the little old woman in black would take you by the arm, point out several unmistakable landmarks, speak so quickly that their words cannot possibly be understood, ask you if you live in Hollywood and know Tom Cruise, stop another Italian to confirm that via Della Croce is still located just off the Corso, and send you on your way with a kiss on each cheek.
The audience of the lecture was just as amiable. When the professor would come to a particularly long pause whilst trying to form a word, the audience would gently feed him a prompt, "Agrippa," they would say in a loud whisper, or "Tevere."
I've heard lots of people say that if they are in a situation that could be comical, they could not make eye contact with a friend without breaking into laughter. Jess and I can't be in the same room in such situations. I expect that it will have been the only time I was glad that she is not here with me.
Tonight I attended a lecture with my neighbor, Signora Odoni, on the Archaeology of Campo Marzio. It was, of course, in Italian. Academic Italian is not conversational Italian just as Academic English is not what people speak on 'Jersey Shore.' So I understood about 3 percent of it. One might think that a lecture beginning at 9:00 pm, which also happened to be in a foreign language, would make a person fall asleep. The visuals were fairly good and the aerial images of sites with which I was familiar, as well as maps, and I LOVE ancient maps, would have kept me from slumberland alone, but a most amusing thing happened.
The speaker, a professor from Rome's 'La Sapienza' University had a pleasing voice and was quite presentable. About ten minutes into the lecture, he seemed to develop a debilitating stutter. At first, I thought he was stifling a sneeze. He turned his head slightly and covered his nose with his knuckle. But then it happened again...and again. He broke into a full-on stutter.
This might not have stuck me so severely if I had not watched 'A Fish Called Wanda' a mere ten days ago. And just like Michael Palin's character, Ken, in fact exactly like Ken, this man was standing in front of 350 people and struggling to say, "C-c-c-ampidoglio."
Italians are very helpful. I know from past experiences that if you were to ask an Italian on the street for directions, the man with perfectly polished shoes or the little old woman in black would take you by the arm, point out several unmistakable landmarks, speak so quickly that their words cannot possibly be understood, ask you if you live in Hollywood and know Tom Cruise, stop another Italian to confirm that via Della Croce is still located just off the Corso, and send you on your way with a kiss on each cheek.
The audience of the lecture was just as amiable. When the professor would come to a particularly long pause whilst trying to form a word, the audience would gently feed him a prompt, "Agrippa," they would say in a loud whisper, or "Tevere."
I've heard lots of people say that if they are in a situation that could be comical, they could not make eye contact with a friend without breaking into laughter. Jess and I can't be in the same room in such situations. I expect that it will have been the only time I was glad that she is not here with me.
For some reason, I think this is a good time to post clips from Missione Vaticano: Parts One and Two from Mission Impossible III. I expect it is because of how nice all the Italians are after Tom Cruise uses the diversion of the overheated truck.
1 comments:
I think it's the 23rd in Paris. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Eat lots of macarons for me. Love you, Whit
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