Did You Know...

Ketchup here is manufactured by McDonald’s. It has big multicolored letters and is clearly marketed only to children, the only Italians gauche enough to want ketchup. Also, there is now a McDonald’s just across the square from the Pantheon. Literally, you look at the Pantheon, turn around, and look at McDonald’s. That might be considered an ethnic slur.

The BBC now warns you if there is flash photography during a story, presumably to prevent epileptic fits.

Batman still isn’t here yet. I thought it was a worldwide premiere, people. Please don’t make me watch The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Then again, it must be magic for America Ferrara to get into Alexis Bledel’s jeans.

[Editor’s Note: Batman just arrived. At the one theater showing in English: “THERE IS SOME PROBLEM WITH AIR CONDITIONED. IT DOESN’T WORK.”]

Incredible blackberry jam costs only $2, but a tiny jar of peanut butter is a whopping $9. Now if only I could find decent bread. My toaster has you put the bread into metal inserts with plastic butterfly handles, so you don’t burn yourself pulling out the toast. Nice innovation, Italy.

All foreign TV in Italy is dubbed, badly dubbed at that. (An oxymoron, I know.) I don’t get Euro Sport either. I’m really getting worried about feeding my obsessed Olympic fanaticism.

The Italian Senate passed a law that any crimes committed by illegal immigrants will carry an additional one-third penalty. Today Berlusconi is walking around Naples picking up trash from the street and pontificating about the mafia.

Speaking of the mafia, apparently a bigwig was picked up here this week, part of the feud between the two big Mafia families in Naples. The feud was caused – if my translation is correct – by “an egg-throwing incident at a festival in 1991.”

The meteorologists on Italian news are all uniformed military officers.

Another visiting professor had similar problems with Ms. Candy Aquamatic 3. (Thanks Daryl). Now she has postings from other visitors pleading for help. Call your priest.

Swiss and French keyboards have different letter layouts. About 8 of the letters are different, just enough to cause chaos and confusion. Also at the top, the numbers are above the symbols. Italian keyboards are only different for the symbols.

The most popular t-shirt on American tourists here, especially teenagers, has the word Hollister on it. I have no idea what Hollister is. If you know the answer, please post in the comments, it is driving me nuts.