Posted by pokornar on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 in Blog posts, Blog.

Andrew R Pokorny

At the heart of Cefalu sits the Norman Cathedral and surrounding piazza filled with shops, restaurants, and cafes.  For an hour on a Monday at around 4 o’clock in the afternoon, I sat down at one of cafes in the Duomo and began to watch the people around me.  One reason I elected to pick this location for an observation session is that it is a place we walk by everyday on our way to school.  However, I had never taken the time to actually analyze the people who were spending a significant amount time in this square.  I had watched and observed tourists pass through this hub with a cup of gelato or slice of pizza but never any of the locals.  As the town’s main city center, I believed it would give me the best opportunity for getting real insight into traditional Sicilian lifestyle.

Of the many people hanging around the Duomo, I focused specifically on two old Italian men in front of me at a cafe.  Upon first arrival and exploration of Cefalu, I noticed that the majority of non-tourists in these squares are old Italian men.  These men are at least middle-aged and most appear to be 60 years old.  Additionally, there are few women hanging around these areas.  For these reasons, I selected these two older men.

These two individuals were at least 70 years old and white.  Their hair was completely grey, and their skin was dark and wrinkled.  Despite the warm weather, each man was wearing dark-grey slacks, a grey coat, black socks, and worn black shoes.  At the same time, I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts and found myself to be quite warm while they appeared to be comfortable in their heavy clothing.  Both men were married, as shown by their wedding rings, had watches, glasses, leather wallets, and glasses.  In fact, the only distinguishing feature between these two men was one gentlemen’s cane.  Even though they were at a café, neither man had ordered or intended to order a coffee or pastry.  They were content with just drinking the glasses of water in front of them.

When I first sat down and noticed these gentlemen, I immediately realized that both of them were sitting on the same side of the table facing away from the Cathedral.  Their attention was not towards each other, but it was towards the road in front of them, on which many families, cars, and presumably friends were walking.  During my observation period, their conversation was quiet, yet non-stop.  There was never a long pause between the two men.  However, either man rarely faced the other when speaking.  In addition to their verbal communication, both men enriched their stories and conversation with hand and arm motions.  While I was never sure exactly what their topic of conversation was, arms were routinely thrown in the air as a sign of disbelief, excitement, or anger as a substitute to facial expressions throughout the conversation.  Even though neither man was facing the other, their attention was completely focused on the conversation, which became apparent when a large group of loud school children came into the Duomo and neither man looked in the children’s direction.

Eventually, the man with the cane received a phone call on his flip phone, and he got up to leave.  As he bid farewell to his companion, he shook his friend’s left hand with his left hand, gave him a pat on the back, and waved goodbye to him and other friends in the area.  While I could not focus my attention on the other locals in the Duomo, I became aware of their presence during my observation; at various points in the conversation I was observing, other men of the same age occasionally came up to these two and said hi or waved from a distance.

Without making any gross generalizations or stereotypes, I believe this one observation period allowed me to get a great deal of insight into the daily routine of an older generation in Cefalu.  For example, old gentlemen will typically sit at a café for hours during the day and simply talk.  They are in no rush and have nowhere else to be.  When it is possible, these men will sit on the same side in order to get the best view of the road and/or piazza.  I also observed the large generational gap between what we call the baby-boomers and Generation Y.  The younger generation is more often smoking and decorated in tattoos.  They also dress in more comfortable and relaxed clothing including sweats and t-shirts.

These men in many ways are reflective of the culture I have experienced these past few weeks.  There is a greater sense of calmness, and everyone is not always in a rush as we are so used to in the United States.  Finally, and I feel that this is especially noticeable in our small town, everyone knows everyone else.  While I watched these two men at a café, they said hi to nearly everyone that walked into the square.  This friendliness is a perfect example of the tightness of the community here in Cefalu, a major reason I thoroughly enjoyed our stay here.

 

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