Watching Jamie Oliver's Great Italian Escape.
Basically, this hot-shot young UK chef, majorly feted in his hometown and in the US, goes off to Italy, speaking very little of the language and knowing nothing of the cooking styles, to learn what he can learn.
and he does it, not by coming in and taking over, but by eating street food, and working in small, highly-regarded kitchens as an assistant cook, and taking his lumps from diners who aren't impressed by this cheeky UK chap who thinks he knows how to cook. And, y'know, learning. And having a lot of fun.
Go, Jamie. Methinks the boy has learned the meaning of life.
This is also having the side effect of making me very very wistful for Italy. Although I'm not sure I'd be willing to try a proscutto of octopus. In the meanhile, I have garlic-lemon-ginger lamb chops in the oven. It will have to do.
ETA: The chops were good, but not quite there yet. Back to the mixing board...