Italians love ham so much that they have two words for it: Cotto (regular ham) and Corto (spiced ham). If there is a restaurant serving only one kind of meat, it’s going to be ham.
Although the word was a nickname of mine as a child, I don’t prefer ham. “Turkey or Ham?” Always turkey. “Ham or Chicken?” Always Chicken. “Ham or Bologna?” Well, that’s a different story...
For some reason Italy makes me want to drink Diet Coke or Coca Light. I’m not a soda drinker at home, although I do crave it when influenced by the likes of Andrea Nelson. The other day I went to the store to buy some Corto (what other choice do I have?) and laundry detergent. Instead of the detergent, I walked out with 3 cans of Coca Light.
Today I ate McDonald's for the first time since I arrived. (Please hold your disappointed groans.) I was shopping around for school (yes, the assignment was to go out and assess Milan's shopping districts) with a Turkish girl and a Chinese girl. In the weakness that hunger creates, I followed them into McDonald's.
I don't even eat McDonald's at home, my consumption of the McProducts is limited to ice tea and the occasional drive-through ice cream cone. In this foreign country known for its glorious restaurants, I sat down to a meal of fries and chicken nuggets with BBQ sauce (the same meal I chose after dance class when I was nine). I was telling my friends about how I don't eat McDonald's in the States. They were astounded and asked why. "It's not healthy," I said. The Chinese girl, who speaks little English, looked up from her Big Mac with a wide grin and just said, "I LOVE McDonalds." In that moment I was frightened.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Funny thing is, Mom cooked a big cotto last night, I have had cotto for 2 of my last 3 meals, and will probably eat it for 5 of my next 6 meals, until there is only bone and then we will have cotto and beano soupo. Finally, Tigger will get the cotto bone and I won't want any cotto for 2 months. Love. Daddyo.
You say you have been thirsty and you are drinking diet coke or coco lite? I think it's the cotto! Love--Mom! What's this coco lite?
you got into the soda grove before leaving portland remember?
groan.... mcds.
they don't recycle here either. i hate myself for throwing stuff in the garbage. maybe i could take a huge gargage sack full of recyclables back to portland.
miss you.
-ahem- you also forgot periodic "keep this quiet" runs to mcdonald's for french frieds with jessica. but don't worry, i won't tell anyone your secret.
Post a Comment