Knock knock! (who's there?)

I'm virtually certain that Italians don't have knock-knock jokes. I'll have to ask this tonight at dinner, but that assumption is predicated on one simple fact:

AN ITALIAN HAS NEVER KNOCKED ON MY DOOR.

Indeed, it took me a little thinking - but when people come by unexpectedly (the neighbor girl with a package that was left at her place, a delivery man, the donna delle poste, my cleaning lady stopping by to visit), without fail, they do not approach the door and knock. Rather, they stand a respectful distance away from the house and holler at it, waiting for me to open the window, hang myself halfway out of it, and holler back to them. Then, in most cases (deliveries), I go outside and downstairs to meet them.

I find it particularly amusing and very respectful, this little dance. People simply do not come "in" or "near" your house unless they are specifically invited to approach.

In fact, I was jolted awake in bed this morning -- not by a knocking, but by a hollering. (I'm surprised that my system is now sensitive enough to be awakened by muffled voices through ancient stone walls!) It was the UPS man. And a cute UPS man, at that. (What CAN Brown do for me?!?) Standing out front just yelling up at my window: "Signora! Signora!! C'e qualcuno?!"

I'm a tiny bit giggling like a schoolgirl even as I type this. My still-sleepy-self ("away to the window I flew like a flash") tore open the windows and hollered back down to him, feeling like a notably less-tressed Rapunzel for one crazy second.

Further confirmation that it is a fairy tale life here, you just have to know where to look.






(*quick credit: Rapunzel image from www.artoki.co.uk)