This week, we talked to Federico Brandmayr, a Postdoctoral Associate at Yale's MacMillan Center, and originally from Villafranca di Verona in Italy. Swipe to see some beautiful Italian landscapes, and to find out what pizza Federico orders in New Haven. If you would like to be featured in one of our #humansofOISS stories, just shoot us a DM!
Q: You know that New Haveners are very proud of their pizza. What do you think of it? Do you have any favorite places here?
A: They should be very proud! (Methodological disclaimer: I haven't tried any U.S. pizza outside of New Haven). My suggestion: if you want to eat pizza like you would if you were in a good Italian pizzeria, then Zeneli (@zeneli_pizzeria) is your place. If you prefer the American version, Modern Apizza (@modernapizza) is good.
Q: What do you find is the biggest cultural difference between Italians and Americans?
A: Italians: pizza, soccer, coffee, mafia, “Mamma mia!”; Americans: money, work, money, big stuff, money. Am I doing this right? On a slightly less facetious note, most Italians I know are amazed by the lack of car and home security precautions in the U.S. My father-in-law, who admittedly works in the security business, was shocked when he got into the wrong car by accident, which had been left unlocked by the owner.
Q: What's your favorite place to work at Yale or in New Haven?
A: One of my favorite places to work is the lounge/parlor of the Center for Cultural Sociology on Prospect Street, where I've had great conversations with remarkable scholars on the most diverse subjects. And that counts as work, apparently!
