Learning Italian - parte due

From 10-18-06 (see post entitled "Learning Italian - parte uno" for context)

Learning Italian means learning that …

… you don’t order cappuccino after 11am

… you can’t shop when it’s convenient for you, only when it’s not

… or, its corollary – pranzo is sacred, and is never, ever to be disturbed

… if there’s a patently obvious way to do something, it will not be done that way

… the only nutrients necessary to sustain life are pasta and pommodoro sauce

… the only goal of driving is to see how close you can get to the car in front of you

… ‘going the extra yard’ does not translate for the Italian service industry

… ‘going the distance’ does not translate for the Italian service industry

… in order to request phone service, you first have to have a phone number

… street signs are for decorative purposes only

… language is not just a verbal thing

… language is about communication, not just a combination of words