TIPPING

Welcome back to another blog. This week I will talk about something simple: tipping.

When I first came to the United States and went to a restaurant or anywhere to eat, I didn’t leave any tips.😓 However, after a while, my teammates helped me understand that tipping is a cultural norm in the U.S., and people generally tip whoever is providing the service. After that, I changed my behavior and adapted to this aspect of American culture, also because at that point, not leaving a tip would have made me feel bad, which is one more reason why I now make sure to comply with the culture.

As you’ve probably figured out, this happened to me because tipping is not “required” in Italy. Anytime you go out to eat, you simply pay for what you order. Some people do leave tips from time to time, but it’s not common behavior. As a result, when I first came here, I didn’t feel guilty at all for leaving a $0 tip, because if I were at home, no one would have expected anything different or judged me in any way. However, when this happened here, I didn’t get the same kind of “understanding” from my friends. 😅

Thank you for your time and attention once again. I’ll see you next week!

Comments

  1. Ainslie MiloApril 16, 2025 at 1:04 PM

    This is so interesting to hear! I love learning about other cultures, especially since I have not had the chance to travel quite yet. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Júlia SitjasApril 21, 2025 at 11:57 AM

    Kevin, I totally relate to your experience! Makes sense that Italy and Spain are very similar in a lot of things you are mentioning in your blog since they are so close. I love reading about it, it gives me a sense of relief to know that okay, I am not the only one that thought or did that, haha. Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

GREETINGS

Image
Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog!   I will use this opportunity to share one difference between Americans and Italians each week from my experience living in both countries.   The first difference I will talk to you about is how people greet each other. In Italy we usually kiss twice on the cheeks , hug each other, or shake hands (not too often, or at least not with those that we know well). How close you are to a person is another factor that usually dictates how you greet other peoople, but in general, hugging and kissing represent the most common ways to do so. Meanwhile, in the United States I have learned that there is no kissing at all (that is considered creepy), but people would rather wave from 1 meter away or just shake hands (which is creepy to me).   Experience#1: I was talking to a couple of American friends, and my Italian teammate came up to us, and I kissed him twice on the cheeks. I looked over the couple of friends that I was talking too, a...
Read more

LUNCH & DINNER TIME

Image
LUNCH & DINNER TIME   Welcome back to my blog. This week I will talk about something that represented a huge change for me. I will not talk about food yet, but just the big difference at which people in Italy and America eat. In my hometown, we finished school (high school) at 1 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, therefore it was impossible for me to have lunch before that time. This means that most families ate around 1:30 p.m. or a little earlier. There are some exceptions because there are schools that a few days a week may finish a little later or sooner. After lunch, the next meal is usually a snack in the afternoon, in a window that may vary from 4 to 6 p.m. (the latest). Afterwards, there is dinner. In Italy the majority of families eat between 7:30 (which is extremely early) and 8:30 p.m., with 8 p.m. being the perfect time to eat. That way you have time to digest before going to bed, and you are less likely to feel hungry late at night.   Here is the problem. I as...
Read more

WINTERTIME OUT

Image
WINTERTIME OUT Welcome back to another blog! This week, I will talk about what going out in wintertime looks like. Dinner at home with friends (long time ago) For this topic, you might think things are actually different or completely disagree with me. The reason is that I will base my opinion on my personal experience at home, which is truthful and relatable, and on what I have experienced in college in the U.S., which may be biased because I am sure it depends on what state or city you live in and what your circle of friends looks like.   Here in America, when my friends tell me they are going out, it means they are going to a party. In Italy, when we say we are going out, it usually means we are going somewhere that is not necessarily a bar ; it can mean many different things. Let me explain. Here, when you go out, you typically go to a bar with friends to dance, maybe drink , and have fun until late at night. Meanwhile, at home, we have a different concept of “going out.” When...
Read more