Me showing off being a psyc major: Something I think that helps to understand a little of what we abroaders have been going through (and for anyone I have talked to who will be going abroad in the next year or two) is the fact that we live in a world of temporaries. For the past semester, my mind at least, has seemed to put ideas into the “temporary” or “unreachable” category. We’ve lived here just long enough to see something we want and to see it within reach, only to realize it is really unreachable, because we return in 3 months. We are only here temporarily. Example: the girl can’t get into a relationship with that guy in the program (or back home) that she REALLY likes because he truly goes to college across the country. He’s unreachable. We only temporarily have to learn the language to survive in the most basic level. --My mind has temporarily put everything of significance on hold, plans wise, because I know whatever I do here doesn’t really matter because I return to my “full time” life in several months. Some things that are unreachable are back home though. I have seen what could be, only to have other people move on with their lives while I’m off in Never Never Land. My life is truly on hold back in the states. Everything and everyone (hopefully not EVERYONE) in my life now is only temporary. In my life for a semester, then out of it forever. Italian culture is in my life for a semester, then (possibly) out of it forever. Our minds have had to adapt to that thought process for everything we have in our life here. EVERYTHING. As I analyze how I have been thinking for the past few months, it’s no wonder I have been over mentally stimulated. I’ve adapted to living this way and now have to adapt to the old way of thinking, the only problem is I’m not that same person anymore. No one can go abroad and not be different. I’m definitely the same person in many ways fundamentally, but different in fundamental ways as well. That’s exciting though. I have so much more experience and am not as innocent as when I left. Yeah, yeah, people still seem to want to protect me (I think that’s just my personality and won’t go away), but I‘m different in ways I ‘can‘t put my finger on‘. J Mi piace!
Over the past couple months, I’ve been around people with Italian, Californian and northern accents. Basically no one with a southern accent. Due to this cultural change I am not used to a “southern drawl” anymore. I picked up the southern accent immediately when I first met the one person I am friends with from Georgia because I had not heard it in forever. It’s so weird to think I actually have to get used to my home regions accents. After I first meet someone from the states here and have been talking with them for several minutes, they can usually tell I am from the south. Sometimes a “ya’ll” comes out without thinking. My slight accent it apparently cute. Back home, people say I don’t have any accent because it’s so little compared to other southerners. That shows the difference between the north and south, something I haven’t experienced much until this semester. -I’m in Italy but learning about the northern states of America….
Wednesday was a wonderful day off of school for a Catholic holiday. I say wonderful because it was so Christmas and family oriented, and low key for us students. It really was an added bonus day off in the middle of the week….and we still get our full 3 day weekend. So for this holiday, my Italian family had their whole family come over, their daughters, and their boyfriends along with their grandson and granddaughter. Julio, their grandson who is 3, was so loud and cute. It was very evident, even from my room, that he was having major fun annoying the adults and playing with his aunt. He was giggling and singing (in Italian, but all 3 year olds act pretty much the same). I’m pretty sure there is nothing more joyous in the world than a happy child. He was screaming at the top of his lungs sometimes. It was adorable and put a smile on my face.
So, their family came over and they decorated the Christmas tree, put stockings and Santa’s on the door handles. (I opened the door at one point only to be pleasantly surprised by the giant stocking). They had pizza for lunch (I think that’s the norm on this day every year for them). After all the family festivities, they went to the duomo to watch the giant Christmas tree being lit for the first time this season. They even ate gelato!! They never eat gelato! I was proud….coming from the girl who tries to eat one at least every week. At dinner, they were so full from everything that day they barely ate anything. --major bonus that made my night and possibly my semester: I didn’t tell them about the art show I will be in tomorrow night. (It’s a show for all the studio arts classes and I’m in photography). Some how Maria Luisa and Bruno found out about it and asked me, out of the blue, what time it was because they wanted to see my stuff. I WAS SO HAPPY!!! It shows they truly care. I know without a doubt my parents would have come but can’t of course, so my other family coming means so much to me.
For me Wednesday, I went with two friends to a Christmas market in Santa Croce. As I was walking there, I saw another Christmas market, then Christmas stuff on other streets as well. It was so exciting! There were so many people out and it was evident they were Christmas shopping. I think each stores goal is to get all their Christmas decorations up by today because the Christmas feel was on full blast! As I walked home, all the trees that I have seen up for a while now were finally lit proving that Christmas is on its way.
The market was a cultural mix of items. The food was mostly German but Ireland had a booth as well as British people selling china and such. I ate a Weiner schnitzel. I of course had to have a beer with that because that’s what you do. The booths had so much Christmas represented all over them. Ornaments, gifts ideas, homemade wreaths, freshly pressed olive oil, wine, jewelry and so much more. The ornaments were my favorite. I love Christmas. “It’s my favorite!” (love Buddy the elf!) It was raining and kinda nasty out but there were so many people probably because it’s kind of like their thanksgiving. A day off work, Christmas trees go up, family day, all the stores are ready for shoppers and have extended hours. (including open on Sunday!!! Shocker!) It was a wonderful day.
I had a wonderful conversation with my host mom Wednesday night, while I made white hot chocolate (thanks mom and dad!). As I walked into the kitchen, Maria Luisa was cleaning out “iRobot” . This thing is a wonderful invention. He polishes the floor all by himself, just type in the dimensions of the room(s) and turn him on….he moves around from room to room polishing and vacuuming. -back to the subject: so we were talking about my parents sending me hot chocolate and she asked if my parents think she doesn’t feed me enough. I of course put that out of her mind quickly adding in a “they know I’m addicted to your pasta. I talk about it all the time!” we then got into a discussion about how mothers in southern Italy wouldn’t think Claire and I eat enough, but women in northern Italy wouldn’t think that. She is apparently spared from that thinking because her mother is from Switzerland but married and lived in the south. Also, when looking for an Italian husband, I shouldn’t go south because the mother-in-laws are horrible in general, but usually only with their sons and their wives. (when she said horrible the made the funniest face with the funniest tone I have ever seen from her. It sent me into a laughing fit). One woman, I couldn’t understand who, had her mother-in-law tell her son to buy presents for her (the mother) and not his wife. I can only imagine how the wife would react! She emphasized several times how horrible they are. Very entertaining! I noted to look farther north when looking for my Italian man.
Exams are next week and I’m feeling pretty good about them. The thing that still makes me ask “why!?” is the fact that we have our Italian exams on Friday from 3-5. We leave Saturday morning. Really? My prof even said they know at that point were are going to be so checked out mentally. That’s kinda crazy considering a lot of us have gotten worse at the language the past month or so. The good news: I’m done with my photography class! I think I’ve learned the most applicable stuff from that class more than any other. When I think about not even being able to use my camera manually until about a week into this semester when we were forced to…it’s so natural now. It’s weird to bring my point and shoot camera anywhere now. It feels so weird to use it.
No comments:
Post a Comment