Some comparisons

I have finally given into the pressure and compiled a list of all of the differences I have noticed between Italy and America, solely for your reading pleasure. Enjoy:D

1. Greetings are not only comprised of the usual "Ciao" or "Buongiorno," but also the very intimidating and difficult-to-master double cheek kiss. Upon meeting friends and even new acquaintances, Italians emphatically kiss first the left cheek, and then the right. This applies to both guys and girls, and is always done, even when the person you are greeting is hacking out their lungs. We now know why swine flu is all the rage in Italy.
2. The locals fold their pizza when they eat it. Never will it be consumed face up, or god forbid, with a fork and knife (A fellow American exchange student tried this when we were in Milan and became a running joke for days).
3. Water fountains are nonexistent here. When you go out, you can drink from a water spout (If you dare), and at school the students drink from the faucet in the bathroom sink.
4. Bathrooms, by the way, are totally different. The public ones generally have no toilet paper in the stalls (You must bring your own. Pocket-pack tissues are amazingly popular here for this reason.), and there are never any boxes for discreet disposal of "feminine" items. In larger restrooms, a person stands outside the door and collects a fee for all who wish to enter; there is a second fee if you want to purchase toilet paper as well. In home bathrooms, bidets are the norm.
5. In Italy, it is an absolute taboo to go out with wet hair. After showering for the first time here, I went downstairs to talk with my host mother; upon seeing the state of my hair, she promptly ordered me upstairs to blow dry it, saying I was sure to catch the flu. This isn't just my host mother's opinion, though; apparently, all Italian mothers feel this way.
6. When grocery shopping, there are quite a few differences to be beheld. First of all, it is not uncommon to go to individual specialty stores to purchase your meat, cheese, vegetables and fruit. They also have small "supermercati," where you can find all of these, along with dried goods and a small selection of other general merchandise. What separates the Italian supermercato from the American supermarket is not just size, however. It's also what is offered; similar to Fresh and Easy, they generally only carry one brand of chips, canned soup, etc.
7. Italian milk is disgusting. Truly. It comes in a non-refrigerated package and is always heated over the stove before eating with cereal or drinking as a beverage. It is pasty and has no appeal to my American tastes whatsoever:/
8. Littering is a huge problem in Italy, especially in the South. The teenagers and adults alike have no regard for where they throw their trash, often dropping it onto the ground when there are multiple garbage cans in sight. There is plenty of litter collected on the roadsides, and in the public squares it's no better.
9. In homes, there is not simply one trash can and one recycle bin. Instead, there is a compost bin and individual recycling bins for plastic, aluminum, cardboard, and glass, along with a separate trash can for general waste.
10. Italian drivers are notoriously crazy, but although I have found them to take a number of risks while driving, I think that they have a remarkable amount of control over their vehicles. This is perhaps because they must go through rigorous state training before attaining their licences, which includes multiple written and practical exams. Teenagers can begin learning to drive at fourteen, although they must drive special cars that signify a minor is driving to others on the road.
11. Cars here are tiny, and for good reason; they're completely impractical. Often you drive on a one-lane road and are forced to pass a car coming in the opposite direction. The cars always barely miss each other, and you can be guaranteed that an American SUV would do more than just graze the other vehicle in such a situation.
12. The minimum working age in Italy is eighteen, while the drinking age is only sixteen.
13. High school (liceo) lasts for five years here, so students remain in school until they are nineteen. Upon graduating middle school, a student chooses which type of liceo they would like to attend. These include technical, vocational, language, classical, art, and scientific schools.
14. Every classroom in Italy has a Catholic cross on the wall, an ever present reminder of the church's involvement in public education. This cross is the topic of growing controversy, as more people begin to question the appropriateness of such religious display in public schools. There is also a theology class at every liceo, taught by a Vatican representative. From what I have observed, these classes are total propaganda; a few weeks ago, my class's theology professor went on a rant about how Obama is just like Hitler, and that Americans only worship money. Such opinions are completely relative, but they were being told to the students as though they were fact.
15. The Disney Channel is everywhere here. Everywhere. Little girls (And teenage ones, for that matter) walk around with Hannah Montana backpacks, and write on Jonas Brothers stationary. They even sell High School Musical perfume in the stores. It's borderline ridiculous.
16. Nearly all of the teenagers smoke cigarettes. They claim it's because they're bored and it's something to do, but I also place some blame on the lack of health education in the schools. Apparently, the students were never taught about the health risks of smoking in depth; obviously, they know it causes cancer and can yellow your teeth, but that is literally the extent of their knowledge. There is no sex education here, either. Out of a group of eight teenagers I talked to, not one knew how AIDS was spread, or what type of preventative measures can be taken.
17. School and work hours are different here as well. Everyone comes home for lunch around 1:30 (The time school is released), so people normally get off of work for a few hours before returning later on in the day, if at all.