ANCONA: Lost in translation

AS WE WAIT FOR literally hours in the Ancona train station for our 13:30 train to Rome, it’s inevitable that we become a bit restless.

Our attention is caught when we see a little girl who cannot be more than seven-years old wearing a T-shirt that reads, “Sexy”.

We cannot help but laugh.

But then our amusement slowly turns to suspicion and uneasiness.

The dark-haired, olive-skinned girl is traveling with her mother, a younger brother and grandmother and we wonder if her family knows exactly what her shirt means.

The mother seems with it and none of us feels the immediate need to call Division of Youth and Family Services. The T-shirt makes us feel uneasy and concerned for the little girl’s living situation.

Is her mother some skeevy slimebag or is the child simply lost in translation?

We hope for the latter and continue on our way.

I guess it isn’t much different than seeing a little seven-year old American girl wearing a T-shirt that reads, “Ciao Bella!”

I bought one for my younger sister last year.

- Ann Curran

EDITOR'S NOTE: We recently learned that “Ciao Bella” is the phrase johns use to solicit hookers in Italy.

It is also an expression used among close friends.

Oh, and the photo above is actually from Macerata. We didn't photograph the young girl in the "sexy" shirt.