I know Italian passion.

Wish I could speak and write Italian. Just as good as I handle English. Because to get the full impact of living in Italy, one must know Italian. Fluently. Oh, I make do. By no means is it a total loss. I still glean a whole lot. Despite my language handicap. Of course, it helps that my Italian true love is very conversant in English. I rely on her. More than I should. And she’s reluctant to be as bold as I’d want her to be. In terms of the questions I’d ask Italians. She respects privacy and personal matters – more than I would. Guess that’s my nature because of my background and training as a journalist. And I’m curious. I like to dig deep into people. Even into strangers when I first meet them. My true love tells me that Italians tend to be more reserved than Americans. But I’m not buying that. My impression: Italians are more outgoing and gregarious than Americans. More demonstrative, too. Especially with their hands. The gestures add passion to their speech. Believe me, I know Italian passion when I see it.  –Jim Broede