Later this evening I expect to curl up with a good book.
(If Paul thinks of himself as Italian, or that Sicilian is interchangeable with Italian, I won't argue. But this is a product of modern Italy. My Sicilian grandmother could not communicate with my Calabrese grandmother because their dialects were as different as their cultures. Today, all provinces, including Sicily have a common language. Then again, when my grandparents came to this country, most were had no formal education. And yes, there is a huge difference, even today, in culture and in food from one end of Italy to another. Have you ever dealt with an angry waiter in Northern Italy because you insisted on grated cheese for your pasta, salad, and soup? I'm not even sure that's southern, could be it's just American. But born and raised in this country makes one an American, with American tastes, American attitudes, and an American culture. What I discovered with those distant cousins in the hills of Calabria is that they may look like relations I know, but I have nothing in common with them other than food preferences. The Sicilians have no formal name for the Mafia, although the word Mafia comes from the Sicilian word "mafiusu," which is derived from Arab slang [however, the Cosa Nostra" is used to distinguish the Sicilian Mafia from other criminal networks that are also sometimes referred to as "mafias" [such as the Camorra, the "Neapolitan Mafia"]. The feminine version of the word means beautiful and attractive. When applied to a man, it means swagger or bravado. In Italy, "Cosa Nostra" is used to distinguish the Sicilian Mafia from other criminal networks that are sometimes referred to as "mafias" [such as the Camorra, the "Neapolitan Mafia"]. Whatever you call it, their success has made it difficult for the rest of us to get out from under that unfortunate stereotype. However, I loved the Soprano's. So, maybe I am as guilty as everyone else in promoting that stereotype. Why Arab slang? Because Sicily was invaded by everybody, hence the amazing conversation between Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper in True Romance.)