Since being in Rome I have discovered Italians to be much more lenient when it comes to time. This is apparent not only in their attitudes, but in their behavior as well. For example, during this semester I had the fortune of interning for Chef Andrea, assisting him in his cooking class. However, as one might suspect in Rome, it is not easy to navigate the city since public transportation is often not reliable due to strikes. So often I worried about being late and during these times I would contact Andrea letting him know, but to my surprise he was not disappointed or even frustrated in the least. Actually, Andrea was reassuring and told me these things were bound to happen and to not worry when it comes to time. This initially came as a shock, considering in America we are pretty rigid when it comes to time. In fact, it is often said that “time is money”. So, I wasn’t prepared to hear such feedback.
After this interaction I started to notice other behaviors which I suspect are also because of this attitude towards time. For instance, Italians are not that punctual themselves. I find that they arrive late and leave late and this behavior is usually accepted. it is not considered strange or rude as it is in America. Moreover, when we are in restaurants I find that there is no urgency or pressure to leave while in America we have this concept that we shouldn’t take up a table if we are finished. This idea is also supported by the fact that a server will come by your table and drop off a check while in Italy I haven’t had one server come by and drop off a check. It is actually me who has to ask.
These behaviors and attitude towards time is rather different from what i’m used to and in some ways it can be appreciated. It’s nice to do things leisurely and not have this pressure which you do in America, but on the other hand it can be frustrating when it comes to getting things done. I would hate to block out a time for a meeting and have the person I’m meeting with arrive late or stay at a restaurant even when it had begun closing.
However, this cultural difference has taught me new tools which I’m appreciative for despite the initial frustration’s. For example, I feel much more patient and adaptable to things which are different from what I know. Moreover, I don’t have this urge to constantly understand something, but be okay with some ambiguity. Thus, I have gained a lot from this experience besides just seeing a new place, but being able to say I have broadened my mind as well which I think is the whole purpose of studying abroad. It is not just the chance to see new sights and enjoy new food, but be able to interact and understand another culture. So, hopefully in our careers when we are met with people of different backgrounds we aren’t so quick to judge, but be able to build a relationship with them.