This picture is a visual representation of my experience with food and culture in Rome. I have been fortunate enough to meet Italians my age and I now consider them my friends. I have been all over Rome with them and I feel that I have truly been able to experience something that I could not have found on my own. We have spent a lot of time eating and drinking and I have realized that the meals of the Italians are not defined by the food they eat, but by the people they are eating it with. It is not so important the individual dishes and the cost and the location of the restaurant, as long as we are all together. They plan long elaborate meals, but to me it seems as if they do not pay so much attention to the food. The entire meal is filled with constant conversation and laughter as we "cin cin" every five minutes and enjoy each others company.
In this picture we are eating Chinese food. You may ask why I uploaded a picture from a Chinese restaurant. I want to impress upon you that the Italians are more concerned with who they are eating their food with, rather than the actual food itself. In this picture everyone is laughing and having a good time, which is how every single meal that I have had with the Italians has been.
This style of socializing is very refreshing for me. In America, when I go out with my friends, we spend a long time in silence, choosing food from the menu. When we finally receive our food (and I say finally because someone always complains about how long it takes) we scarf it down, pay our separate checks, and leave the restaurant. We often do not take the time to slow down and really enjoy each other because our meal is focused on our food rather than each other.
The Italians are very proud of their cuisine and think that it is the best in the world. It may be, but even more important than their food is the quality time they spend with their friends and family gathered around the food. And that is why I think Italian cuisine is the best.
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