I don’t get it.

I absolutely couldn’t understand this ↓ when I started interacting with people here 🇺🇸

Strangers kept asking me: 

- How’s it going?
OR
- Hey, how are ya?

To which I used to pause, collect my thoughts, and formulate a response. 

- Hello, thanks for asking. I just got her-

But by the time I turned, people were walking away. Every single time.

Fun fact: 

At some point, I even thought that maybe I wasn’t being loud enough.

Imagine? An idiot screaming “GOOD THANKS, AND YOU?” in the middle of a hallway? 

But people kept jumping at my loud replies, so I realized that the norm is to ask a question back:

Stranger: “Hey how are you”
Mattia: “How are you”

So none of the two actually replies. 

It’s a simple and kind acknowledgment, to which I am now used. 

And I don’t mind it at all. It’s actually weirdly nice. 

But then again…

I can imagine others when first dealing with Italians. 

“Wait… Why do people here kiss each other on the cheeks twice, and twice ONLY?!”

“Why won’t that guy’s hands stop moving when he talks?!”

In all of this self-irony, I am curious:

What are other “weird” things Italians/Americans do? 

Let me know.