The Amenities of America

Living in Little America has its advantages. Being in a new country where you don’t know the language is a bit daunting so being in a place where things are familiar eases the culture shock.  So far every Italian speaks perfect English, is willing to teach you Italian phrases, wants to help you in any way possible, and wears stylish clothing.  It’s got to be like this in the whole country, right??  Another comforting part of the base life, besides all the Americans, is the American electrical outlets.  Things like the computer charger, iPod charger, iPhone charger (we have to keep our paperweights charged!) and most importantly my nook charger, all still work.  So does my hair dryer but since I have a newborn (and I am lazy) I haven’t had time to dry my hair yet.  You will also find playgrounds galore, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a gym, schools, a hospital,  a bowling alley, an Irish pub (a very important feature for Naval officers since every port my husband has been to he has found the local Irish pub), a movie theater with two theaters and a concession stands (it is also freezing just like home), a food court with A&W burgers, Taco Bell, KFC, and of course the sandwich shop on every corner in America-Subway.  You won’t find the coffee shop on every corner (the one with pretty red cups at Christmas time) but you will find a real Italian espresso bar.  Which I learned the correct way to drink café is standing up at the bar.  You are supposed to drink it quickly while it is still hot to get the true Italian experience.  Luckily I can’t drink coffee yet so I didn’t screw this up.  It’s very sad to be in a country known for wine and coffee, both of which I can’t have because of the baby.  Little America also has shopping, arcade games, a barber shop and beauty salon.  The sign at the beauty salon says it does pedicures and massages.  I hope to find out if this is true someday soon.  And there is a grocery store with lots of American products.  So when you are feeling homesick and just want to buy something that you can’t find in Italian markets (I still have not experienced the Italian market yet) you can go into the grocery store and find it whether its Chex mix, Ghirardelli chocolate squares (my personal favorite), or Triscuits.  But one thing the Italian commissary (Navy lingo for grocery store) has that your local Harris Teeter does not is a Roman well underneath the cleaning supply aisle. 

Apparently when the Italians leased the United States the land to build the Support Site (what I refer to as Little America) there were some guidelines.  Any artifacts had to be preserved and maintained.  So when you are buying your Clorox wipes, you can walk over a glass floor and glance down at a well that is older than our entire country.  It is AMAZING.  I can’t imagine how many other cool things like this I will encounter and eventually take for granted (I truly hope this does not happen because the awe I feel is pretty awesome, pun intended!).  You can tell the newbies from the people who have been around for a long time because they stop and look at the well or take pictures like I did!  And yes, I had my camera in the grocery store.