NYE

Happy 2010! How was your new years? Hopefully good, because according to the Mayan’s you only get two more…or was it the Aztecs? Let’s just hope they rounded down and we get to squeak in a few extra.
Thursday night I was invited to attend a New Year’s Eve party at the house of Giulio, a friend of Sessa and Roberto that used to play polo with them when they were younger. It was a dinner party, potluck style where everyone brought something to share. I sheepishly brought drinks. I am far from a chef and didn’t want them judging America on the talent of my dish. So all of you should actually be thanking me, one more stereo type averted.
Giulio set up a large table and the 12 of us sat around it and ate for what felt like 3hrs straight. There were the meat trays with prosciutto and salami, several different quiches, gnocchi, and of course polenta! For the main dish which almost no one had anymore room for, was Lenticchie(a seed-like bean) with sausage. It is an Italian tradition to have Lenticchie on the both the last and first day of the year, for it is supposed to bring you good luck with money. While I couldn’t finish my serving I made sure to go back after midnight to have one more spoonful…couldn’t hurt!
As the clock neared the final minuets they turned on the tube and tuned into their version of New Years Rockin Eve. No ball drop but an excited crowd gathering somewhere in Italy to countdown the final seconds of 2009. 3…2….1….
What? no midnight kiss? There were at least 4 couples there and no one brought the New Year in with style. Hey I wasn’t expecting any love, especially with this beautiful catipilliar that is blossoming on my upper lip, but I was a little depressed to see that this was not a universal tradition. Lenticchie is good and all but who doesn’t like a buzzed spit-swap to start your next 365?
The food coma was winning its battle with me. I was ready to bow out and leave but the group was adamant that I stay. Again I couldn’t let America down and be the NYE weenie…so I stayed. Little did I know that I would be letting down the country big time before the hour was over.
The universal consensus is that USA is greedy and only concerned about global domination. Well everyone is way wrong, its ITALY! This is at least the third party where someone has busted out RISKOLA, better known to us as the board game RISK. They love it over here, and they were more than excited to play 4 against 1 vs the American. I will spare everyone the pathetic details but the blue soldiers covering the map might have been the first to disappear.
Board games and no kiss…not my normal NYE but hey I’m up for anything! That’s what this is all about and I’m loving every day!
-Bus #10

NOTE: For some reason it is not letting me add any photos anymore, so until I figure it out you get the privilege of painting your own with your mind…Luck you!