Things are slower in Italy

Extremely noticeable, is how much slower everything is in Rome compared to at home in many aspects. This is how Italian culture has grown to be. Sitting outside on my balcony shortly after dinner time I took some time to look around at my surroundings and those in it. Many sat in the garden below simply enjoying the atmosphere around them. Some sat motionless as if in deep concentration soaking up everything the world had to offer at the time. Others took strolls along the Tiber River, holding hands walking as if they were aimless. Even while eating dinner, us americans expect to be in and out within an hour and a half maximum, but here everything from taking your oder to receiving your check seems as if it were an eternity. Locals stop at bars to get their daily fix of coffee or espresso and they take the time to stand at the counter and drink it, not run back to our SUV's and drink it while on our cell phones on the way to work. When walking on the street, natives take the time to walk slowly and diligently read the recent newspaper, not scope the internet quickly at work. When walking on the way to class often we hear Romans telling us to "slow down" and I never understood why they were saying this to us until I observed this way of life.