Learning New Things

Last evening, I got coffee with a guy from the MeetUp group who did not attend the gathering the other night. He had emailed me to say that he’d like to practice his English and would I like to get together with him. (I went on the assumption that “practicing his English” was not a euphemism for something else…) So I went out and had a cappuccino with Fabio.

He is a very nice guy having nothing at all in common with the Fabio that I’m sure most of you are picturing right now… no flowing mane of hair or oiled-up pecs to be seen. Darn it. He’s actually an accountant if that gives you a better sense (no offense to the accountants out there).

But I did learn a few interesting things from him, which I will now share with you:

1. Italy has not one but two kinds of mosquitoes, the regular old kind that we all know and love and the African kind. Now based on the size of the bites I have been receiving on a regular basis, I would have guessed these were mosquitoes on steroids: large, elephant-sized insects capable of extracting Red Cross levels of blood. Apparently they are actually smaller but more aggressive in their pursuit and apparently don’t make that lovely high-pitched buzzing that at least gives you warning during the night. That won’t help me sleep better, that’s for sure. I’m itching already…
   
   
2. Italians (and most Europeans, I believe) get SICK vacation time. He said that they get FORTY, yes 4-0, vacation days and that doesn’t even include holidays!!!! All PAID! That is 8 weeks!!! What is wrong with America that we feel lucky when, after 3-5 years of hard labor, we’re thankful to get 3 lousy weeks? And if you work for a company that offers 4 weeks after giving them 10+ years of work and your firstborn, well you’d better let them know what you want at your retirement party stat.
   
   
3. The Seattle Supersonics no longer exist. I was floored by this. Fabio is a big fan of the NBA and when I mentioned that I’d lived in Seattle, home of the Sonics, he let me know that the team had been moved. Of course I had to do my own research on this and come to find out it’s true!! They moved to Oklahoma City of all places and are now called the “Thunder” or something. What?? What’s going to happen to Key Arena?
   

The one caveat to all the information above is that it was coming from a guy who does not speak English as his first language. So I leave room for the possibility that there may be an error here or there, things lost in translation either in his speaking or my comprehension. Perhaps it’s 6 weeks of vacation and not 8, maybe African mosquitoes are the nice ones and don’t bite. But Oklahoma City Thunder? That’s just wrong.

The Italian education continues...