Una Macchina di Fotografia

Siena Italy with the Torre del Mangia

Italians are passionate about many things for example their traditions, opera, soccer, the Palio, food and its presentation, etc. Language is not excluded from this list. Like other romantic languages, Italian has a poetic rhythm where the words almost dance off the tongue. In many cases letters have been changed or added so as not to sacrifice the beauty of the sound for the sake of the structure. I have been told that Italians appreciate when they meet foreigners learning to speak their language.

Siena, Italy with the Duomo in the background

Experience has proven this to be true. When addressing a store attendant in Italian, they almost always respond in English often saying, “Speak English please.” However once it is discovered that you are learning their language, you suddenly find you have an enthusiastic Italian tutor. They typically respond “Brava, la lingua Italiana e` una lingua bellissima” and correct or fine tune any errors in my communication.

A few days ago I purchased a camera. I went into the store and said, “Buon giorno. Vorrei comprare una macchina di fotografia.”  Ten minutes later I walked out of the store, new camera in hand having completed my transaction utilizing more Italian than English.