1 «McDonald’s in front of the Pantheon. McDonald’s a multinational fast food chain has penetrated all across the globe». «Italians enjoy McDonald’s as much as we do back home (…) The universal symbol, the Big M, is a well known symbol». «This Piazza is great because you can eat modern day, fast food, while looking onto a building originally built in 27 BC. Interesting, but for some reason at the same time, it makes me a bit sick to my stomach. May be it was my Big-Mac!»

2 «The Italians people value freshness of their food. Throughout my stay in Italy I have often noticed all of the vegetation that the Italians have growing on their property. I have seen a majority of orange and lemon trees, but there are many other fruits vegetables and plants that the Italians take pride in growing.[…] Tomato plants and miniature vineyards are also grown behind the house of Italian families». «A street market where fresh products and eggs are being sold. In this way, locals are bringing food from their own farms to sell their products directly to the public. Each vendor has their own products that they personally have for sale».

3 «Poverty, unfortunately, is a part of every country. In America, as well as in Italy, beggar and homeless people can be found in every city. The effect of poverty is felt in every country, and the only real difference is how each country chooses to cope with the problem. In Italy, it seems that begging is often overlooked, and the culture seems immune to the poverty that surrounds them daily». «This is some that I have NEVER seen in the United States. There are people that are poor and are on the streets but this is actually illegal, if they are caught by the police. This was one of the first signs of culture shock for me, but it is normal in Rome».

4 «This image captures two military officials walking down a crowded public street. They are most likely walking around trying to ensure that order will be maintained amongst the people. This image seems to be characteristic of most civilizations with an established form of government. Whether it is a dictatorship, a republic, or a democracy, there always exists a set of laws that the people, whether willing or forcefully, are obliged to follow». «Both Italy and U.S. have organized police forces to control crime. In both countries the police officers wear uniforms of the same colors». «The police are heroes all across the world and here in Italy we see an example of these heroes hard at work. These officers are making sure that they are properly in the way of traffic and the Italians’ tax money is going straight to their gas tanks. These professional tactics are what scares so many of the Roman criminals into hiding and conformity».

5 «People crossing street at Piazza Venezia. The insanity of the Roman as well Italian way of crossing the street through traffic involves no pedestrian traffic signals, as a person is expected to talk through traffic and make the car stop». «And how they drive those compact cars! … Crossing the street in Rome still scares the pants off of me». «Laws are one thing that is local where ever one finds themselves. Here in Rome on just simply can cross the street where ever they feel like it. Back in Pennsylvania one can get a ticket for not crossing a designated cross walk. Here it is the driver's responsibility to watch out for the pedestrians and back in the US it is up to the pedestrian to watch for the driver. Needless to say it took me awhile before I could just cross the street anywhere». «Italians do not have the organization American’s have. While waiting to get in an arena, Italians push and shove while in the United States, people would be in an orderly line».

6 «Americans are all about convenience. A lot of stores are open from early morning to late at night, if not open 24 hours. Italian like to take a siesta in the middle of the day, a practice that you would never see in America. If a business did take a siesta, it would most likely go out of business quickly». «When stores are closed at 2:00 in the afternoon, one must be in Italy. Italian culture organizes its day around they mid-day siesta». «In Rome, in the middle of the day all the shops shut down for about two hours. In the United States companies work straight through from 9.00 am to 5 p.m., with a short lunch break. Companies in the United States often put business and money before any sort of pleasure».

7 “The insanity of the Roman as well as Italian way of crossing the street through traffic involves no pedestrian traffic signal, as a person is expected to talk through traffic and make cars stop.”

8 “Sanitation, health, and other such things are very different in Italy. An example of this is the stray cats and dogs everywhere. In America, people spay or neuter their animals, and stray animals are taken to a shelter to be adopted or killed.” “Stray dogs and cats are seen grouped together in different places. There are hardly any stray animals in the U.S. because that is something that is regulated and controlled.”