The Way Things Were (Normal-Sized Spoons, 5)

I've learned to live without normal-sized spoons.  It's taken several years but the huge one and the tiny one finally seem normal.  So what am I going to do with the new set of 6 that arrived from Chicago for Christmas?  In the past I'd have eaten a little cup of applesauce with them, but the tiny ones make more sense.  They were always just right for cereal, but now that I eat my cereal from a glass, they're too big.  They were perfect for Spaghettio's, but those are Franco-American, not Italian.  Gelato?  It means I'd finish it faster.  Sugar for my tea?  I'd only be adding more sugar.  I guess I'll just save them for my American guests.  They usually only stay for a week and that's definitely not long enough to get used to tiny spoons.


 The Beginning of The Way Things Were
Call me what you will, but I call myself an emigrant....an emigrant who should stop talking about her homeland every day.  (Expat has too many rich, white person connotations and immigrant is what my Italian friends call me.)  Many years ago, my foreign (expat) friends in Chicago continually pointed out the differences between life in their countries and life in Chicago.  I might be mistaken, but their use of the word 'different' often sounded a bit like 'better'. 

Not long after moving to Italy (about three hours) I started doing the same thing.  It has finally dawned on me that if my friends in Italy think like I used to think (if it's better in your country why don't you go home?) it might be wise to keep my American mouth shut in Italy and share my thoughts with the other side of the world.  Hereafter, when I notice something different, be it better or just different, I'll (try to) hold my tongue and add it to my list of The Way Things Were.

My goal is to keep it simple with a few words and a photo,  giving the readers the choice of better...or just different.   With more reflection I'll probably realize that some of the "betters" are here and some of the "betters" are there.  In the end maybe they really are just "differences."