Bro, what a shock! I was peacefully watching some old fencing matches, 'cause that's how I roll, and I stumbled upon a piece of news that left me stunned. Aldo Montano, the sword guy, Olympic champion in 2004, was this close to kicking the bucket Friday night after eating a plate of pasta in a restaurant in Rome. No joke, bro. And no, it wasn't pasta with sea buckthorn or other craziness, it was about casein, a milk protein. And he's severely allergic.
Listen to what the man told me, 'cause I sat down and read it cold-blooded. He said: 'Not only did I tell the waiter, but I also went into the kitchen to warn them. «We never put cheese in this dish,» they told me.' And just like that, bro, he was screwed. He ate, and within 7-8 minutes he started feeling bad. Lucky for him he had a friend with a scooter who rushed him to Santo Spirito hospital. Otherwise, he wouldn't have seen the next day. He got to the ER, they took him straight in, no paperwork, with adrenaline and cortisone. In 10 minutes he would've been gone, bro, if he had delayed any longer.
When I heard, I remembered that time I ate a pizza on a terrace in Drumul Taberei and had hives all night. But I got off with a pill and a curse at the waiter. These folks with serious allergies, bro, live on a knife's edge. Montano described exactly how it feels: 'You can't breathe, you feel like you're suffocating, blood oxygenation drops.' I crossed myself, bro, when I read that. And I thought allergy was just sneezing in spring.
Now Montano is sounding the alarm. He says restaurant staff need training courses to understand the risks. He's right, bro. Look, he was cautious, went into the kitchen, said 'hey, no cheese!', and still got hit. In Romania, if you say you're allergic to something, they look at you like a cat at a calendar. 'Aha, sir, no cheese,' and they add even more, thinking you won't notice. That's our folks, smart as a whip.
Good thing he's back home in Livorno, with his kids, 9-year-old Olimpia and 5-year-old Mario. Poor things, if they'd lost their dad over some pasta... So, bro, next time you go out to eat, don't rely on the waiter. Ask twice, go into the kitchen, make a scene, 'cause your life is on the line. And if you're not sure, better eat at home, 'cause Mioara makes some sarmale that are to die for and you know exactly what she puts in them. Or text Brian, 'cause he knows all the delivery apps, but even there you're not safe. Cheers, health!
