Driving in Italy

After over a year of struggling to concentrate on studying for the Italian Driver’s License in the English language, I felt I was finally ready to take this haunting exam. Just at that moment, the Italian government decided to make all foreigners take the exam in Italian and additionally changed the format and types of questions. Just my luck!

So I studied for about 6 months in Italian, and frustratingly tried to understand the Italian logic and 10,000 road signs, types of vehicles (including apes) and how many Kw each vehicle had. Really ironic how hard the exam is when you think about how crazily and disobediently they all actually drive!

Well last month, feeling good, I failed the exam by one point. Devastated and squeezing it into this one week that I was home, I tried again and thankfully passed yesterday! What a relief! Even though I must say this was torture for me over the last few months, there were a few funny questions that just made me laugh. Only in Italy:)

Examples:

– A driver who drank an excessive quantity of alcoholic beverages can regain the ability to drive quickly if they consume foods which are rather salty!
Un conducente che ha assunto una quantità eccessiva di bevande alcoliche può recuperare velocemente l’idoneità alla guida se assume cibi piuttosto salati

– The consumption of alcohol makes driving safer, more cheerful and less boring!
L’assunzione di alcool rende la guida più sicura, più allegra e meno noiosa

– Eating foods which are difficult to digest can provoke a decrease in attention span and an increase in reaction time.
L’alimentazione con cibi di difficile digestione può provocare una diminuzione dell’attenzione e un aumento dei tempi di reazione

– Suitability to drive can be impaired if you drink bitter coffee.

– When elderly people cross the carriageway, you need to take notice that, having more experience and a larger range of vision, they can better foresee dangerous situations.
Quando le persone anziane attraversano la carreggiata bisogna tenere presente che, avendo più esperienza e un campo visivo maggiore, intuiscono meglio le situazioni di pericolo


Questions like these were my comic relief throughout the process. Now I can leave for vacation relaxed and carefree. My over a month long trip already seems to be booked up with business appointments, bocce ball tournaments, side trips to L.A., the mountains, and of course San Francisco. So goodbye for now and I will keep you updated from the other side of the ocean!

-a presto!