Overseas Briefing

Author: Nicholas Emery

According to the English writer John Boynton Priestly, "A good holiday is one spent among people whose notions of time are vaguer than yours." Apparently, Priestly spent at least one fantastic holiday in Italy, and he certainly wasn't there to do anything remotely useful.

Since arriving in Italy nearly two months ago - not on holiday, but to "study" at the University of Ferrara - I have come to realize that the Italian sense of time is quite different from what we Americans are accustomed to. Yes, yes, we have all heard of the stereotypical bella vita in Italy - how all anybody really does is drink wine, smoke cigarettes, chat with friends, and if they're feeling especially inspired, work on Monday afternoons. It wasn't until I arrived here, however, that I discovered the true meaning and unpredictable nature of Italian time.

My first mission upon arriving in Italy was to buy a cell phone and a bicycle. After my vain attempts to do these seemingly easy tasks, I did succeed in learning one of the favorite sayings here in Ferrara: Piano, piano..., which basically translates into slowly, slowly. My cell phone wouldn't activate for four days: "piano, piano" I was told. When I calmly asked how long it would take to fix the broken tire on the bike I had bought the day before, the repair man took out an enormous Cuban cigar, cut off the tip, smelled it, lit up, took several enormous puffs, and finally, looking at me like I was crazy for even asking, he said "Piano, piano..."

It was with these experiences in mind that I anticipated with trepidation the first day of class at the university. But how bad can it be, I wondered - these are professionals at a state university we're dealing with here. Yet I was amazed once again as I sat in class after class during the first week of school with only one professor successfully showing up. The truly remarkable thing, though, was that the classrooms would be completely full of Italian students patiently awaiting the professor for at least 45 minutes before anyone would leave. At Middlebury students would be packing up after a good long five minutes.

After a few weeks, the classes have finally settled down and the professors usually arrive only 20 minutes late - but at least they do arrive, now.

The one event I can think of that did start exactly on time was the train strike a few weekends ago. When it comes to not going to work, it seems that you can set your watch by the Italians. Unfortunately, I realized this as I attempted to board my 9:05 train from Venice to Ferrara. No no, they said - the strike started at 9:00, didn't I know?

Miraculously, though, things do have a way of eventually coming through in Italy. People do graduate from university, they do get where they're going, and bikes do get fixed. Eventually.