being Italian- 9 things to know

I was not born in Italy, nor were my parents. However all my grandparents were from Italy , aka "the old country." Hence my Nonos (grandfathers) and Nonas (grandmother) both spoke, at best, broken English and named their children with names like Basilio, Bruno, Concetta and Domenic, to list a few. Despite the fact that all named above are now dead my Italian heritage is still there. This list is based on my life as an , albeit third generation, Italian. 9. Bocce- not a complex arrangement, you toss a small ball and try to get close to it with bigger balls. True bocce is played on rectangular gravel court and is a symphony of wood (ball collisions) and catcalls from men in sandals with sox and wearing white undershirts. Wine and cigars are always close by.8. Scenic Beauty this probably should be number one on the list but I've never been there. The Italy I know of is in the movies, photographs and described by travelers which all say the same thing you have to go.7. The stereotype- not all Italians are in the mob nor do the women have mustaches. What is probably true is that they are passionate, some might even call it hot-headed and that wine is an able substitute for water. Italian mother's are quite territorial , becoming a daughter-in-law and a non Italian at the same time , might not have been  the greatest idea. Italians talk with their hands, not true , but they talk in conjunction with their hands sometimes, at least I do! Never had the indignity of being called a Wop, a Guido  or a guinea but I guess regardless of your nationality there will be idiots out there.6. The Pope- more so the Catholic/Vatican thing. There's no icon that defines Italy more than  the Pope, the college of Cardinals . Not all popes are from Italy  nor all Italians church goers. But if you have the lineage that I do you will never forget catechism class, Confirmation and even Extreme Unction. And lets not forget the Ten Commandments and the list of Mortal Sins. It was a borderline fire and brimstone thing back then. It , being Catholic, sticks to some and is teflon to others.5. The Language- very lyrical and seemingly passionate. With English being the second language at my grandparents I recognize a few words even now. In particular was the word pronounced SEATO that my fathers parents used a lot which meant. If you have an i-phone with language recognition you can get the  more R rated definition. 4. Opera- I have tried but still don't quite get it. A confluence of garish outfits, over the top theatrics, cake makeup , this is where knowing the language would help! The singing itself is very dynamic and gave birth to one of the greatest ever cliches in sports when it come to never giving up, it aint over until the at lady sings.3. The notable people- D'Avinci, St. Francis of Assissi, Joe Dimaggio and the Rock. D'Avinci was the genius creator, Dimaggio used a wooden stick and Rocky Marciano used his fists. Honorable mention to  Gina Lollabridgida and Patricia Gozzi. One was defined voluptuous , the other was waifish and a better actress. 2. Food- this would merit its own top ten at least but will be restricted to the ethnic food I grew up with. Some I ate ravishingly , some I would'nt feed to a dog (which I did not like). Gnocchi, homemade potato pasta. Chicken and polenta in cream sauce. Mushrooms, picked from local fields. Risotto which for some explicable reason my mother called rice. Fritoles, thin strips of fried dough that is tied in a knot and dusted. Antipasto.1. Sunday Dinner- Not strictly  an Italian thing but a serious time consuming affair. It started with church (8AM) , peaks at lunch 1PM and concludes after dessert , cleanup and bonding around 4PM. Usually , there was a roast or chicken, homemade bread, salad and pasta. Dessert was always a cake or pie. To be true, the ritual did get old but  now seems a golden and non-dupicable memory ,This posting is dedicated to my mother Connie,in many ways,  the greatest Italian I ever knew