One of the best ways to learn about one’s culture is get immersed in it – easier said than done – right! Frequently, we attempt to learn about other cultures by attending events specifically staged for us, tourists. Take typical Chinese food joint for example, I mean the ones that are located far from Chinatown or Richmond. The last thing these people expect to see is an authentic Chinese person walking through the place’s door – hence the low level of compunction to deliver the real thing – instead we get the sterilised international version. No chicken feet, liver and other important parts. As such, the presented culture will never be recognised as authentic anywhere in Beijing – outside of the American embassy that is.
So the key is not just to be immersed in foreign culture, but to be immersed inconspicuously, as though they do not even know that you there, amongst them. In fact, the more of them the less likelihood is that they will notice you the more authentic experience is there up for grabs. Soccer (“Calcio” in Italian) games usually rate pretty high when on path to authenticity. This experience one was a bit different from the English one (Liverpool-Lazio) – gone was the cosiness of no track pitch and the drizzling rain that reminds us Vancouverites so much of home. Here was this not fully occupied Olympic monster with 82,000 seats, frigid, nearly arctic weather, yes – even Canadians underdress on occasion, and songs that I could not understand. But comparisons and weather aside, this was a worthwhile experience.
I took the bus from Metro Ottavianno to Stadio Olimpico. Despite my coming just five minutes before the game – there were only three people in the bus that got off at the stadium station. I was perplexed – these people are either extremely punctual or they all get parachuted right into the stands – I had no other explanations in mind for the expected crowd of 50,000 to 55,000 for Lazio (the home team) appearance. These numbers are usually bigger, by the way, for the local favourite – AS Roma – must be that She-Wolf club emblem with suckling Romulus and Rimas to boot (symbol of Rome).
My question was answered just a short jog of an excited but tardy fan. A huge span of a parking lot was completely jammed with all sorts of motorbikes and mopeds (chainsaws, as they are known in our household). I guess if you want to support the perennial underdog (Lazio) you might as well plunge into the heavy and unpredictable Roman traffic on the top of a flimsy piece of metal – either way there is only a slight glimmer of hope for surviving on the top - remember Donald Trump? At any rate, I duly took a picture of this twisted and very mechanised chaos.
The stadium was not filled to capacity, as expected – but not to worry. A crowd of rabid and well-scarved tiffozzi (Italian soccer fans) filled the cheapest seats behind both goals to capacity. I, of course, ended up in the same place as I would not a pass a chance for a cheap fare either – I must be a tiffozzi in heart myself. As a result of my wise choice and thin wallet I got to enjoy the game to the fullest as opposed to the sparsely populated bunch of snobs nestling in more expensive parts of the stadium. By the way, if you want to switch seats and pretend to be one of the bunch who tend to overpay, you would not be able to do it anyway – a high 8-foot hockey style plastic wall protected the classed society and players alike. Nothing has changed from the halcyon days of Coliseum; even the ratio of women to men was about the same (5 to 45).
The perfect Hellenic order of glass separators was interrupted by an intruding pattern designed to create a separate protected island for visiting fans. They were not just separated by the glass wall but also surrounded by a thick ribbon of carabineri (Italian police) with serious guns and blue metal casks. Given the similarities between bluish colours of visitors (Empoli – peaceful glass making capital of Tuscany), Lazio and police casks – I first mistook the rowdy and feisty bunch for the local version of a rotary club. But few uncoordinated with the rest chants and other soccer “no-no” actions eventually prompted me to see the light.
Now, the game itself was the triumph for the home side (4 to 1) with most of the game Lazio players crowding the opposition. I was quite impressed by the speed and virtuosity of the players – Jap Stumm (Dutch national used to play for Man U) was as impervious a defender as always. Every so often the crowd would start singing a new incomprehensible but melodic (we are in Italy for Pete’s sake) songs. Some of the songs prompted the fans either to sway with the scarves extended up in the air turning the whole stadium blue or jump in unison testing the 40 plus year old structure for earthquake resistance. I tried to take a number of pictures of madness only to be easily outmanoeuvred by the set of English people using the latest technology – digital video camera. I managed, however, to snap a good one of the fireworks being thrown on the track – ostensibly to test the tartan fire - a highly recommended sight.
Overall good experience that could have been somewhat colder if not for the overpriced coffee sold in the concession food stand. Upon leaving the stadium I observed the fact that the Roma – Lazio animosity does not end inside the stadium as some their scarves boldly proclaiming Roma’s inferiority (Roma merda) were sold right outside the gates. In the meanwhile Roma’s fans gave back by giving in to the age-old temptation of graffiting 2000-year old walls with something like this – “Roma campione – Lazio merda”. The stalemate is not expected to end any time soon so is not the spectacle – it is life.
So the key is not just to be immersed in foreign culture, but to be immersed inconspicuously, as though they do not even know that you there, amongst them. In fact, the more of them the less likelihood is that they will notice you the more authentic experience is there up for grabs. Soccer (“Calcio” in Italian) games usually rate pretty high when on path to authenticity. This experience one was a bit different from the English one (Liverpool-Lazio) – gone was the cosiness of no track pitch and the drizzling rain that reminds us Vancouverites so much of home. Here was this not fully occupied Olympic monster with 82,000 seats, frigid, nearly arctic weather, yes – even Canadians underdress on occasion, and songs that I could not understand. But comparisons and weather aside, this was a worthwhile experience.
I took the bus from Metro Ottavianno to Stadio Olimpico. Despite my coming just five minutes before the game – there were only three people in the bus that got off at the stadium station. I was perplexed – these people are either extremely punctual or they all get parachuted right into the stands – I had no other explanations in mind for the expected crowd of 50,000 to 55,000 for Lazio (the home team) appearance. These numbers are usually bigger, by the way, for the local favourite – AS Roma – must be that She-Wolf club emblem with suckling Romulus and Rimas to boot (symbol of Rome).
My question was answered just a short jog of an excited but tardy fan. A huge span of a parking lot was completely jammed with all sorts of motorbikes and mopeds (chainsaws, as they are known in our household). I guess if you want to support the perennial underdog (Lazio) you might as well plunge into the heavy and unpredictable Roman traffic on the top of a flimsy piece of metal – either way there is only a slight glimmer of hope for surviving on the top - remember Donald Trump? At any rate, I duly took a picture of this twisted and very mechanised chaos.
The stadium was not filled to capacity, as expected – but not to worry. A crowd of rabid and well-scarved tiffozzi (Italian soccer fans) filled the cheapest seats behind both goals to capacity. I, of course, ended up in the same place as I would not a pass a chance for a cheap fare either – I must be a tiffozzi in heart myself. As a result of my wise choice and thin wallet I got to enjoy the game to the fullest as opposed to the sparsely populated bunch of snobs nestling in more expensive parts of the stadium. By the way, if you want to switch seats and pretend to be one of the bunch who tend to overpay, you would not be able to do it anyway – a high 8-foot hockey style plastic wall protected the classed society and players alike. Nothing has changed from the halcyon days of Coliseum; even the ratio of women to men was about the same (5 to 45).
The perfect Hellenic order of glass separators was interrupted by an intruding pattern designed to create a separate protected island for visiting fans. They were not just separated by the glass wall but also surrounded by a thick ribbon of carabineri (Italian police) with serious guns and blue metal casks. Given the similarities between bluish colours of visitors (Empoli – peaceful glass making capital of Tuscany), Lazio and police casks – I first mistook the rowdy and feisty bunch for the local version of a rotary club. But few uncoordinated with the rest chants and other soccer “no-no” actions eventually prompted me to see the light.
Now, the game itself was the triumph for the home side (4 to 1) with most of the game Lazio players crowding the opposition. I was quite impressed by the speed and virtuosity of the players – Jap Stumm (Dutch national used to play for Man U) was as impervious a defender as always. Every so often the crowd would start singing a new incomprehensible but melodic (we are in Italy for Pete’s sake) songs. Some of the songs prompted the fans either to sway with the scarves extended up in the air turning the whole stadium blue or jump in unison testing the 40 plus year old structure for earthquake resistance. I tried to take a number of pictures of madness only to be easily outmanoeuvred by the set of English people using the latest technology – digital video camera. I managed, however, to snap a good one of the fireworks being thrown on the track – ostensibly to test the tartan fire - a highly recommended sight.
Overall good experience that could have been somewhat colder if not for the overpriced coffee sold in the concession food stand. Upon leaving the stadium I observed the fact that the Roma – Lazio animosity does not end inside the stadium as some their scarves boldly proclaiming Roma’s inferiority (Roma merda) were sold right outside the gates. In the meanwhile Roma’s fans gave back by giving in to the age-old temptation of graffiting 2000-year old walls with something like this – “Roma campione – Lazio merda”. The stalemate is not expected to end any time soon so is not the spectacle – it is life.
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