Understanding Cultures

”Vieni con noi. Come,” said Marco, whom I got to know at the local library of Reggio di Calabria. I had only met him two days before but he grabbed my hands and pulled me toward his car in that irresistible Calabrian way. ”Where are we going?” I asked naively, although very much aware of the unwritten rule of Calabria: Don’t ask. This approach already made my head hurt once: the day I met my new acquaintance he invited me for an allegedly 30 – minute – ride, which ended up as an all-night grand tour to the opposite side of the peninsula - unquestionably an adventure but totally ignoring the fact that I was a student and absolutely had to get to school by 8.30 the morning after. ”Vieni!” came the answer, accompanied by that magical smile again. I shrugged - saying no wasn’t an option anyway.
Soon the vehicle was packed with a nice international crowd: other travelers from all over Europe, and soon we were on the freeway. Although Reggio boasts with one of the most breathtaking promenades of Italy, locals rarely go for a swim on its beach, worried about pollution and jellyfish - the uninvited guests who thrive in the waters between the mainland and Sicily. Scilla, however, the little Homeric town a couple of miles away, offers a great pebbled beach with crystal waters and almost no jellyfish- a blessing in this area. As we got there we didn’t instantly raid the beach, our local friends insisted to show us around. A labyrinth of steps and winding little streets among the typical shabby houses led us down to the sea where we found a few tavernas- and gelaterias, obviously. Our friends instantly pushed us through the doors of the nearest one and gave an improvised lecture about the different flavors and a weird local custom: eating ice-cream with brioche, that sweet Italian roll of bread.
To my greatest shock I learned from the vendor that the typical Calabrian ice-cream flavor was onion. I must have looked like a person who smelled something funny in the room, as he burst into a jovial laughter and offered me a plastic spoonful of the delicacy. I politely declined, already munching my brioche filled with the most delicious chocolate ice-cream I had ever had in my life.
As I was leaving the shop satisfied with my choice, Marco suddenly grabbed my arm.
”Hey, have you tried this?” and a second later his spoon was already in my mouth. Onion ice-cream, apparently. Beyond my watering eyes I could see him sniggering to his friends:
”Terrible, huh?”