Food cultural shocks about Italy

Romanians have been so closed to Italy in the last decade than it never represented an interest for me. Everywhere you go in Romania you find pizza, pastas, nutella, as it seems already part of the Romanian culture. And it may be why I was so shocked of some things:

1. Mozzarella, the real one has absolutely nothing to do with the softer cheddar we have in the super markets,
2. Pasta and Pizza, doesn’t have a lot of condiments, any special ingredient. They are just simple so you can feel the taste of the ingredients,
3. Ice cream, is soft and easy, no creamy, not heavy at all.

Italy is the only country I’ve been so far where the traditional food is not heavy at all. This is surprising because in the past people were working more physically so they needed more strength, which was coming from fat and heavy food. But not in Italy.

I’m pleasantly impressed!

Cultural shocks after internship

I remember having a discussion in AIESEC Iasi about what happens after internship, about reintegration, post traineeship cultural shocks and here I am, more than one year later living my own cultural shocks after my internship in India.

1. Malaysia and the value of money

After more than one year in India I forgot the value of the money, everything is so cheap…so, just imagine myself in Kuala Lumpur International Airport on the money exchange office (I knew that a ringgit is like a leu): 45 USD = 154 ringgits, aka my budget for 5 days in Malaysia which is like 154 RON and suddenly the strongest (at least till now) cultural shock after India:

What?! Anca!!! This is an insane small budget!!!! In Romania you can live only 2 days with this money and now you are in a foreign country… You are mad Anca!!! I really don’t know how you are going to make it…

At the end I manage it to be in budget, here you can know how: Malaysia, amazing country!

2. Indians are the most helpful people I met in my life

Since I land in India till present I always thought and said Indians are the most helpful people. In one year I got used with people helping me and now it’s time to face the reality:

At the end of my trip in Malaysia I was out of cash and the bus dropped me at the other end of the city and people around me were saying:

“How can you don’t have ringgits?”

“What are you doing in this country?”

“Haha! Let’s see what you do now”

Me to myself: ”What’s wrong with you people?! It happens! What can I do if you don’t have ATMs or money exchange offices in Kuala Tahan which is one of the most tourist places?!”

At the end I found someone to help me to reach KL Sentral from where I could take my bus to airport for which I already had a ticket.

3. Too much cloth or too less?

We are always complaining that the dresses of Indian women have too much fabric and I was really eager to wear shorts and short skirts and one night I just wake up in Khao San road, Bangkok, Thailand:

Hey you girls! Dress up!!!

Your bra is showing horrible!!!

Is that a dress or top? It’s quite short for a dress…

Where are your pants?!

What is that haircut?!

4. Right, left and cross!

Thailand – Cambodia border just passed the Thai border, going to clear the immigration from Cambodia side, but wait a second, something is wrong, the office should be on the other part of the road…

Oh! They are driving on the left as us!! Oha! This is cool! Like home!

Yeah, right! Just watch me:

• Trying to get into a minibus, after some days: Hey miss! The door is on this side!
  To myself: Aiii, why did you change the side of the door?!
  Of course it was on the right side, because the wheel was on the left.
• In a tuk-tuk and motorbike: “Nooo!!! We will crash!!!!”
  No, it’s just driving on the other side of the road. Remember Anca? Like home…
• Crossing the street: right, left and… crooo… beeeeeeeee beeeeeee … sss?!! Ah! This is really confusing!
  Let’s try again: Left, right and Crooossss!!!!