Backstory: Omg, there are no coincidences! I laughed out loud when I drew this Nudge, because in just a few days I will be in Italy!
The original idea for the Nudge, however, was wholly impractical. Like when I learned a new sentence/phrase in French (see the Nudge here), the intention was to challenge my brain and have some fun. That the timing sets me up for actually using the phrase is happy-stance. (Happenstance means coincidence, and translations to Italian include caso, coincidenza, and combinazione. I’m thinking I won’t be using any of these in my sentence for this Nudge, but good to know.)
What Happened: I already know “thank you” (grazie) and “I’m sorry/excuse me” (Mi dispiace/Scusami), terms I feel are important to know whenever visiting a foreign country. So the first term I looked up was “Cheers!” I was pretty sure I knew what it was, but not 100%. Cin cin! and Salute! (or more properly, Alla salute!) are the most common, so those got put to use right away.
Naturally I wanted something more challenging, so I brainstormed what I think might be some sentences I’ll need to use on our trip:
Vorrei un bicchiere di prosecco, per favore. (I would like a glass of processo, please.)
Bubbly image by vbosica from Pixabay. Cin cin!
Bellissimo! (Beautiful!)
Oh, è mozzafiato! (Oh, that’s breathtaking!)
Ti amo. (I love you.)
All got sprinkled into conversations this week.
Getting into the spirit, my husband mentioned this week’s Nudge to a friend who grew up in Italy, and he taught us to ask for vino locale (local wine) instead of ordering off the menu. He said each region has its own specialties, its own flavors, and by ordering this way we honor the local cuisine and we might get to taste something special that is only offered to friends and family. How cool is that?!
The Ah-Hahs: Dio mio (omg), this has been so fun. And it has me thinking again about signing up for language classes.
As I mentioned in the Nudging portion of this post, I’m heading out on vacation. For the next few weeks, I’ll be running some ol’ Nudges. (Thank you to readers who shared their favorites.) Do the Nudge as if it’s new, do your own, or just read along for the entertainment value. Then keep an eye on this space for news about a Fall 2019 reboot of 52Nudges. Ciao!