10.31.2009

do we have pera

We were having dinner Monday night when Maddy & I had a conversation, just like this (in a blend of the 2 languages --she does that a lot lately):

M:  Momma, do we have pera (pear)?
Me:  No.
M:  Momma, do we have mela (apple)?

Me:  No.
M:  What should we do?  You must have la frutta at the end of the dinner, Momma.  Every day at school we have first the pasta, and then the carne (meat), and then the verdura,  and then the pane, and then the frutta. We only drink l'aqua.   We must buy some pera, Momma.  It's how we eat, you know.

They do feed my baby girl very well, these Italians that I've entrusted her with for the last few years.

The next day I walked into our school lunch room and they were serving the kids:  corn dogs, canned corn, syrupy canned peaches.  It made me sick.

Mr. Duncan bought the pears today.

6 comments:

Francesca said...

I grew up with frutta at the end of each meal, and it's a habit that I enforce in my family, though I have some resistance from the US side.

Karen said...

What a contrast. And what is up with corn, corn, corn (I'm guessing the syrup in question was of corn derivation)? I'm with the Italians on this one too, teaching children to eat a healthy, balanced diet should be a priority.

Dana said...

Yep.... probably Round-up resistant genetically modified corn. Makes me sick.

Dim Sum, Bagels, and Crawfish said...

It is a very disturbing difference!

likeschocolate said...

What a shame! I have heard that the Italiens serve the children wonderful meals at school.

Dana said...

The Italians (of course I can only speak for those at my isolated little asilo) do serve wonderful food. I work in an American school, thus the poor choices. Ironically. . . Italians run the cafeteria in the American school, but for some reason they serve the American-style lunches.