Thinking about moments of cultural conflict I think of the time I caught a cold. I first was not thinking about the possible conflicts of culture, but I definitely faced some. At home, I usually will take medicine, drink Gatorade, and have chicken noodle soup. In Italy, they seem to prioritize homeopathic remedies first, which while probably has its benefits can be frustrating when you just do not feel well. At home, you can just buy cold medicine over the counter which I am familiar with. In Italy, many medications are generic and are not similar to the American brands I am used to. Using google and my still limited Italian I had to figure out how to acquire a specific cold medicine. The last thing I wanted to do at that moment was figure out how to get Sudafed in Italy. Although, I do value their use of other methods as it reduces the reliance on pharmaceuticals. Another aspect of not feeling well was missing the typical sick foods of back home. My Mom makes the best chicken noodle soup, which I was definitely missing at the time, all I wanted was to be home and have a big bowl of soup. I was delightfully surprised when I googled Italian comfort foods and found pastina. Pastina is made out of these tiny star-shaped pastas, with butter, chicken stock, and parmesan. It was really easy to make even while sick, it took only a few minutes. A warm and flavorful pasta that really did help me feel better and even though I made too much it was perfect for reheating when I was too lazy to cook. While I was not happy to be sick in Italy it was a unique experience that allowed me to learn a new recipe and figure out what medicine to get if I do get sick again.
