Three Cheers for the Bora

Man that wind feels good.

 

You want to learn Perfect Triestino?

If you live in Trieste you had better learn some of the local dialect. Otherwise you will be doubly foreign. First because you don't speak Italian, second because you don't speak Triestine.

Now if you ask a Triestino if you should learn it or not, they will always say Noooo. First Italian, THEN Triestine. But they don't mean it. That whole inferiority complex about Triestino is fake. They love their dialect, and the more you can show that you do too, the faster you will make friends here.

Here is a little lesson for you.

Triestino:

Expression 1
Demo dei!

Pronunciation:
Day-moh day!

Meaning:
Let's Go! (Italian: Andiamo!)

Expression 2
Come xe?

Pronunciation:
Koh-may zay? (try to avoid the dipthongs if you can, may and zay are more  like the e sound in Bed)

Meaning 1:
How are you? (Italian: Come va?)
or
Meaning 2:
What the hell is up with you?

You are going to have to rely on tone of voice and/or context to decide which meaning it is. If someone yells it to you while you are on your bike in the street, it is probably the second, for example.

If you want to become truly fluent in Triestine dialect, I suggest you get your driver's license here. If you are American you can only use yours for a year anyway before you have to take the class (yes, THE CLASS) and then THE TEST.  In my driver's ed class there were 6 foreigners and 2 Triestini. The teacher asked us if we preferred Italian (six hands went up) or Triestino (two hands went up). Triestino won.

That's how I learned it. I've never regretted it either. I'm also happy I took the class. I'm a much better driver now, and much more aggressive.

What is up with Trieste's love affair with Concrete?

That's what I kept asking myself yesterday during my run. Where is the grass and why do hot places use so much concrete? The afternoons lately are unbearable because besides the hot sun, you've got these sidewalks and streets and buildings all made of concrete smoking up around your ankles. What we need around here are a couple of wide open fields. There are a few trees in the Giardino Pubblico (and thank goodness for that), but, that is the CENTER, where things are supposed to be beautiful, otherwise, WOW!

Now, I understand that the periphery of Trieste was meant to be more functional than esthetic, but whose idea was it to fill it with so many gigantic concrete buildings that hold on to heat so well? And what the aych was I thinking when I bought an apartment in one of them?! I'll tell you what, I found it in November, that's why. How could I have known?

Hmmph. The only answer is to eat as many popsicles and ice cream as possible.