Expressions

Italians are over-expressive when they talk. They cannot talk with their hands tied to their body. A minimum movement of the hands within a distance of half a metre from the body in all directions is must.

For the first time in life, I saw people play dumb charades after their cars collided. I was at this traffic signal when a mad driver drove into a car standing next to us. Both the drivers came out of their respective cars. And they spoke nothing. Anger and disgust was evident on their faces and they started moving their hands in the air in all directions. One of them shrugged his shoulders and tried to touch his nose with the lower lip. Every possible expression was made. They weren't dumb for sure. I learnt from someone later that one particular expression, something made waving the right hand like we eat food, implies "what the f***" in Italian parlance. Both drivers did this repeatedly.

At last one of them spoke, and then, both got into their cars, banged their own doors in utter annoyance, and sped away.

I also learnt later from colleagues here that the best way to befriend an Italian is to fight with him on the face and then go out for a drink. Think those drivers did that too.

Phew! Strange guys out here. 28 days to go for my return to India!