Cultural Diffrences

Just a little spiel about the cultural differences here: On monday we had a long discussion about the Hall reading and personal space. People here are not afraid to get very close to you. Especially on the Vaporetto, people are right up next to you and it doesn't bother them a bit. It's extremely uncomfortable sometimes. Things are very culturally different here than they are at home in America. Day after day I am noticing more and more little thing that go on here that we think are so strange. For instance the issue of homosexuality. Here in Italy, if a man is wearing tight jeans and a tight t-shirt and walking around with a purse, that is totally strait and normal. At home, that man would be automatically flagged as a homosexual. Men here have no problem linking arms and being close to one another. In America a man would have to fight to defend his sexuality. Also hygiene is completely different. Here people smell. Or they do to me anyway. No one seems to know what deodorant is here. We have been raised completely different. Also, I have been finding more and more that Venetians are extremely rude to Americans sometimes. Whenever we go out to eat, we are not allowed to have tap water. We are charged for bread and when asked for oil or vinegar they tell us they don't have any. They also refuse to give change or split up checks. Things like this have been happening constantly. It makes me think Venetians hate Americans.