Sunday, July 6, 2014

Communication Confusion

by Rita Creel 
On the second night of Grillfest, I wandered over to the beverage tent for un calice di vino rosso. The sign said, “calice – €2,50 bottiglia – €15,00” so I selected a wine and pointed to it, saying, “un calice, per favore.” The vendor pulled out a corkscrew, opened a bottle, and pushed it toward me, setting four plastic cups next to it. My companions had left the piazza, and I planned to stay and listen to the Italian singer who’d just taken the stage. I suppose I could have marched off with the bottiglia and calici and made some new Italian friends. Instead, I tried to explain that I wanted one glass. The vendor nodded and replaced the four plastic glasses with a large goblet. “Mi dispiace—no bottiglia, solo un calice.” I felt guilty he’d opened that bottle just for me. He nodded and smiled, pouring wine into my glass. “Grazie!” I should have left it at that, but I attempted to explain, “Io parlo solo un po’ Italiano,” as if he didn’t know. I held my thumb and forefinger in a “pinch” gesture meant to complement the “un po’.” I guess he thought my gesture meant, “give me a little more,” because he filled the goblet. He charged me €3,00 and off I went with my wine. I stayed at Grillfest as people began to trickle away, but I wasn’t leaving until I finished my very excellent, supersized calice di vino rosso.

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