Greetings From Italy
Do you think they say "Ciao!" a lot in Italy? Well yes they do, but you shouldn't. "Ciao!" is a friendly greeting used between friends, family members and regulars at businesses. On meeting a stranger or entering a store, one should say buon giorno or buona sera (good morning/evening). When you leave, you should use the same greeting or "Arrivederci." I'm pleased to say that after frequenting the same bars now for the last few weeks, I'm sometimes greeted with "Ciao!" Apparently, when you're really on the in, the greeting "Salve!" is used, but have yet to receive this greeting from anyone other than the employees at McDonald's, who I suspect are instructed to greet people this way. That is, unless they realized I was a McAmbassador.
