After living in Siena for about 3 months now, I have started to notice some interesting characteristics about Italians. Some of them are funny, some of them are just weird but all of them have taken some getting used to. So if you want to come to Italy and pretend to be an Italian, follow these few simple tips. I promise that you will seem so Italian that tourists will start coming up to you asking if you speak English so they can ask you directions.
Be terrified of the rain:
Siena has a regular rainy season. You would think that by now people would have accepted the fact that they will get wet every once in a while. FALSE. Sienese people seem to walk around in a perpetual state of worrying whether or not it will rain. An umbrella is a daily accessory, even if the sky is clear blue. My advice, if you are in Italy and it starts raining, duck into the nearest shop and try your best to impersonate the faces of Italians around you who are clearly startled by the sudden inconvenience.
Make sure to take seconds... and thirds at dinner:
When you travel to a country that is famous for it's cuisine, you have to expect that eating is going to be a major part of your trip. Above all, pasta is really the crowing glory of Tuscan food and you much expect to eat it often. You must also expect to eat more than you usually would. If you are being served dinner by an Italian woman you must always eat enough to please her but not so much that you can't try every single thing that she has offered you. This is tricky because she will probably hide the food in the kitchen and bring each dish out one at a time. My advice, forget about trying to eat in moderation, eat what she serves you and never slack on the compliments. Chances are, what you are eating is probably the most delicious thing ever so you probably want to eat the whole plate anyways.
Never leave the house with wet hair:
I have not quite figured out the reasoning behind this one yet. As far as I can tell, Italians think that if you have wet hair you will get a cold. More than that though I think it is just not socially acceptable to be in public with wet hair. My advice, don't ask why, and just dry your hair if you want to avoid the weird looks.
Don'e be afraid to show some love in public:
Italy is known as a romantic country. I am convinced this is because no one holds back when it comes to expressing their love in public. No joke, I have been walking down the street and a couple in front of me just suddenly decided to get all up on each other right in front of me. Anything that is considered inappropriate in the United States is probably totally acceptable here. After telling some High School students here that people are not so open in the United States, they responded by asking "Well, how do you meet someone to marry??" So my advice, if you are in Italy don't hold back. After all, that random guy you decided to make out with in the piazza is totally going to become your husband. Right?
Pretend to fight with everyone you talk to:
To a random passer-by it may seem like all Italians hate each other because they yell at each other a lot. In fact, I believe that most normal conversations are held at volumes much higher than any American is used to. Don't be alarmed, their voices are just louder because they have important things to say! If you have to ask where someone is going, you might as well yell it right? Also, your hands are another way to express your thoughts that we Americans do not use nearly as much as we could. My advice, when holding a conversation, start interpretive dancing and you will probably look just like the Italian next to you.
When you go to live in a new country, there will always be times when you wonder "why do they do everything differently?" and "why can't they act the way I am used to?" These questions will inevitably come into your mind even if you are someone who is extremely open to experiencing new cultures. After the initial confusion and possible frustration, you will eventually realize that you are a guest in this country. No matter what you think about the way they do things, you have to accept that nothing is better or worse, just different. When you get to the point of acceptance, you can sit back, relax and have a quiet laugh every so often when Italians act so utterly "Italian."
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Hej igen Sverige!
Well, it sure has been a while since I put something new on
this blog. Mostly because I have felt that the things I have been up to are
sufficiently explained on Facebook, through pictures and what-not. However,
last week I went back to Sweden and even though I took plenty of pictures, I
know that they do not fully tell the story of my trip and what it meant to me. Get
ready, because this is going to be a long post! (It was a week-long trip after
all…)
I have wanted to go back to Sweden for a long time, but this
has been my first opportunity since I returned to New Mexico about 3 1/2 years
ago. Ever since coming back from Sweden, my experience has always felt more
like a dream than reality. When I think about my year there, it seems
completely insane that I just dropped everything to go live in a country that I
knew nothing about and where I didn’t know one person, but I did. I spent one
year of my life doing amazing things and creating fantastic relationships with
people that I will never forget. That year turned me into the person I am today
and I don’t know who I would be if I never took that trip.
As soon as I knew that I would be studying abroad in Italy I
knew that I wanted to take a trip back to Sweden. It was a necessity for me to
go back and revisit the place that is so significant in my life. I got in touch
with some old friends and started planning my trip.
I left Italy on a Sunday and arrived in Gothenburg that
afternoon. I was so excited all morning thinking about the trip because I knew
that when I got to the airport, my old host family and Lisa would be waiting
for me. After three years, I still feel just as much a part of the Asen family
as I did back then. They welcomed me with open arms and immediately we started
getting caught up with each other on what has been going on in the last few
years. That first day I was so exhausted, partly because of excitement and
partly because I had woken up at 5 in the morning (and everybody knows that I
am not a morning person). So we all went to an early dinner and then Lisa and I
returned to her apartment for some very sorely needed rest.
The next day I got to spend with the Asens, mostly catching
up and walking around the rainy city. It was nice to see how all of our lives
have changed since I was there. That night, we went to an incredible restaurant
that had delicious seafood and served their appetizers in an interesting way
(Facebook pictures!!). After dinner we said goodbye until next time because
they were leaving in the morning. Even though our visit was short it really
meant a lot to me that they took the time to come to Gothenburg to see me and I
am excited for the next time that we get to see each other. J
The next few days I spent just wondering around the city,
there are so many beautiful buildings in the older part of the city that I just
could not get enough of. Of course I also took this opportunity to do some
shopping, Swedish H+Ms are the best! Lisa and I experienced our first “Abstract”
play. Really one of the most interesting/awkward things I have ever seen, including
nudity and all kinds of things that made the audience all make a WTF face in
sync. Though it was an interesting experience I think one abstract play is enough
for my lifetime! All in all I decided that Gothenburg is a pretty awesome city
full of beautiful things and friendly people. I would love to go back some day
in the future.
On Thursday Lisa and I took a bus to Tranas, the little town
that I lived in. Even though the town is tiny and there wasn't much for me to do
while I was there it was still fantastic to be able to walk through the city
and remember things that I haven’t thought about in years. As I walked past
certain places, I could just see myself at 16 in the exact same spot. It was a
wonderful time to reflect on who I have become in the last few years and how
much three or four years can make a difference in your life. When I was in
Sweden, I was a teenager that knew nothing about what I wanted to do with my
life and I was learning how to fit in in a strange city that I didn't know. Now,
I was sitting in the same spot but I am definitely not the same person I was.
Now I know what I want to do with my life, even if I am not totally sure how I
am going to get there and I know who I am as a person. It was a very exciting
thing for me, to reflect on all of this and I am grateful that I got that
chance because it made me appreciate even more my time here in Europe and the
opportunities that I have to grow as a person here.
So that was my trip, the big picture at least. I could bore
you with all the little details but I will spare you in the interest of writing
a blog and not a novel. Side note though, my Swedish was nearly as good as it
was when I lived there and I understood nearly everything that was said to me
even if it was difficult to respond in Swedish and not Italian. It is amazing
how much information the brain can retain! So that was exciting, I was just as
surprised as anyone when I discovered that I still understood.
Vi ses!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Sometimes having no plans creates the best adventures
This past weekend I went on a trip to Romania, Transylvania specifically. I know what most of you are thinking, "Why Romania?" Well I can answer that with two simple words, "Why not?" I got that question a lot in the few weeks before my trip. So many people couldn't understand why I would choose to go to a place with a struggling economy and a bad reputation over all the other beautiful places I could go for the weekend. Italians have a prejudice against Romania, calling it unsafe and a waste of a trip. After having visited I can say for certain that that is absolutely false!
Our Agenda for the Trip: (Pictures on Facebook)
Day 1:Arrive in Tirgu Mures (rainy day), find our hotel and roam around the city for a little while.
Day 2: LONG DAY! Wake up and take the 3 hour bus ride to Brasov. Get lost in Brasov looking for the bus that would take us to Bran to see Dracula's castle. Finally find the ONE bus station that would take us there and ride for another hour. Wandered around Bran and saw the castle but couldn't go inside because it was closed :( Beautiful city though. Then ride back to Brasov and wait seemingly forever for the bus to take us back to Tirgu Mures. Get home super late!
Day 3: Wake up and go to Sighisoara. Adorable little Medieval town about an hour away, do lots of exploring and get back to the hotel in time to walk around the lake near our hotel while watching the sun set.
Day 4: Try to shop in Tirgu Mures, but everything is closed on a Sunday :/ Give up and go to the Airport early before flying all the way home to Italy!
It is definitely true that Romania is currently struggling. I could see it everywhere, people are mostly poor and work on farmland. I would say that from what I saw, most of the country is agriculture based. However, it was also obvious that Romania is a country going through drastic change. In between the tiny farming towns, there were expanses of land that are being transformed into industrial economies. We were not quite sure what kind of industry is being developed but it was very apparent that Romania is trying to change. Taking a bus ride through the country was extremely interesting because of the stark contrast between agriculture and industry.
As for the accusation that Romania is unsafe for travelers, I would say that it is no less safe than traveling in any other country. Wherever you travel, you have to be careful and pay attention to your surroundings. That is just common sense! This rule applies to Romania as well, as long as you are aware and pay attention to the people around you then you won't encounter any issues. Throughout the course of the trip I did not feel unsafe at all. However, the smaller cities are definitely better than the larger cities. In the small cities we visited, the people were very willing to help. In fact, many people even went out of their way to help us. For example, when we landed at the Transylvania airport we quickly saw that we were in the middle of no where. Before we had a chance to start thinking about how to get into town we were approached by a mother and daughter who immediately offered to give us a ride into town. They were so nice and did not even accept our offer to pitch in for gas money, they just wanted to help us. On the way into town, they gave us advice on what cities to go to and what the best mode of transportation to use is.
One of the amazing things about the trip was the complete lack of tourists. We quickly realized that Romania is not a tourist attraction and is therefore not accommodating towards foreigners. Instead of making our trip less successful, it added another element of adventure. We had to rely on random people to get information about transportation and directions. This also enriched our experience because it allowed us to really observe the culture of Romania, nothing was sugar-coated. We saw everything as it is. we saw the poor people working in the fields, we say the gypsies on the street. Because of this, we had a cultural experience instead of a tourist experience and I am very grateful for that.
This trip made me realize why I love traveling. We met so many people that were eager to talk to us and learn more about us as well as share their lives with us. Even though there was a language barrier that made it difficult to communicate, people still wanted to communicate with us any way they possibly could. We were the only Americans and instead of avoiding us like the plague, they welcomed us into their country. I could tell that many people wanted to change the bad reputation that Romania has. They no longer want to be known as an inhospitable country where everyone is out to get you. I can say that I would not hesitate to suggest a trip to Romania for the adventurous traveler.
I realized that we all get comfortable in the cities we live in. We all forget that there are amazing, unique places out there. On this trip I realized that it is good for you to get thrown into a place that you know nothing about and where you are totally lost because it gives you a chance to be amazed at the variety in the world. The variety of people, landscapes, cultures... everything. When you travel to places like this, you see that we are all people and we all have things in common no matter where you are from. Traveling is about making connections to the world, not just taking a picture and moving on.
Our Agenda for the Trip: (Pictures on Facebook)
Day 1:Arrive in Tirgu Mures (rainy day), find our hotel and roam around the city for a little while.
Day 2: LONG DAY! Wake up and take the 3 hour bus ride to Brasov. Get lost in Brasov looking for the bus that would take us to Bran to see Dracula's castle. Finally find the ONE bus station that would take us there and ride for another hour. Wandered around Bran and saw the castle but couldn't go inside because it was closed :( Beautiful city though. Then ride back to Brasov and wait seemingly forever for the bus to take us back to Tirgu Mures. Get home super late!
Day 3: Wake up and go to Sighisoara. Adorable little Medieval town about an hour away, do lots of exploring and get back to the hotel in time to walk around the lake near our hotel while watching the sun set.
Day 4: Try to shop in Tirgu Mures, but everything is closed on a Sunday :/ Give up and go to the Airport early before flying all the way home to Italy!
It is definitely true that Romania is currently struggling. I could see it everywhere, people are mostly poor and work on farmland. I would say that from what I saw, most of the country is agriculture based. However, it was also obvious that Romania is a country going through drastic change. In between the tiny farming towns, there were expanses of land that are being transformed into industrial economies. We were not quite sure what kind of industry is being developed but it was very apparent that Romania is trying to change. Taking a bus ride through the country was extremely interesting because of the stark contrast between agriculture and industry.
As for the accusation that Romania is unsafe for travelers, I would say that it is no less safe than traveling in any other country. Wherever you travel, you have to be careful and pay attention to your surroundings. That is just common sense! This rule applies to Romania as well, as long as you are aware and pay attention to the people around you then you won't encounter any issues. Throughout the course of the trip I did not feel unsafe at all. However, the smaller cities are definitely better than the larger cities. In the small cities we visited, the people were very willing to help. In fact, many people even went out of their way to help us. For example, when we landed at the Transylvania airport we quickly saw that we were in the middle of no where. Before we had a chance to start thinking about how to get into town we were approached by a mother and daughter who immediately offered to give us a ride into town. They were so nice and did not even accept our offer to pitch in for gas money, they just wanted to help us. On the way into town, they gave us advice on what cities to go to and what the best mode of transportation to use is.
One of the amazing things about the trip was the complete lack of tourists. We quickly realized that Romania is not a tourist attraction and is therefore not accommodating towards foreigners. Instead of making our trip less successful, it added another element of adventure. We had to rely on random people to get information about transportation and directions. This also enriched our experience because it allowed us to really observe the culture of Romania, nothing was sugar-coated. We saw everything as it is. we saw the poor people working in the fields, we say the gypsies on the street. Because of this, we had a cultural experience instead of a tourist experience and I am very grateful for that.
This trip made me realize why I love traveling. We met so many people that were eager to talk to us and learn more about us as well as share their lives with us. Even though there was a language barrier that made it difficult to communicate, people still wanted to communicate with us any way they possibly could. We were the only Americans and instead of avoiding us like the plague, they welcomed us into their country. I could tell that many people wanted to change the bad reputation that Romania has. They no longer want to be known as an inhospitable country where everyone is out to get you. I can say that I would not hesitate to suggest a trip to Romania for the adventurous traveler.
I realized that we all get comfortable in the cities we live in. We all forget that there are amazing, unique places out there. On this trip I realized that it is good for you to get thrown into a place that you know nothing about and where you are totally lost because it gives you a chance to be amazed at the variety in the world. The variety of people, landscapes, cultures... everything. When you travel to places like this, you see that we are all people and we all have things in common no matter where you are from. Traveling is about making connections to the world, not just taking a picture and moving on.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
New month, new schedule...
Hello again! I know I haven't posted in a while but that was mostly because the 3 week intensive Italian course became quite monotonous and nothing really exciting was happening. What I can say is during my leave of absence I started 4 new service projects!
My first project is with horses, which I'm sure most of you could guess makes me really really happy :) I am working with an organization that works with children with disabilities and uses horses for therapy. It is a really great program and I am so excited to help in any way possible. I don't know much what I am doing but I think largely I will help take care of the horses and also work on desensitizing them so they learn how to behave around young kids. My second project is with a cat shelter and basically my job is to pet cats for 2 hours. Not a bad deal for me. Third project is serving people at a soup kitchen run by a sassy nun (yes actually). Last but not least I am working on an English language conversation class with young adults about my age and a bit older. I am so excited to get more involved in all of these projects so I will update you as I better learn what my role will be.
Last week we ended our intensive Italian course with a trip to the south! It was such a great time and a fantastic opportunity to relax after all of the work we have all been doing. We started on Thursday and we went to a place called Tivoli where one of the Roman emperors built his gigantic vacation villa. The place used to be extravagant and outfitted with only the best of everything. Unfortunately though, most of the artwork and anything valuable was stolen about a hundred years ago so only the collapsed stone structures remain. It was very interesting to walk around a place where an emperor spent most of his time. Not many people were invited to the villa unless they had business with the emperor, you could just sense the history that happened right where you stood. Really, that is how I feel in most Italian places. People lived here centuries ago, and now I get to walk the exact same streets.
The next day we went to a Buffalo mozzarella factory and literally ate balls of mozzarella for lunch... it was delicious. then we ended the day by getting to the island of Ischia. Ischia is near Capri, where i have been before but it is so much more interesting! There are beautiful beaches and mountains all within about 40 square miles (give or take). I loved this island because I was able to go to the beach and swim in the crystal clear water. Great way to end the month of September. We ended the trip on Sunday in Pompeii and then drove all the way back to Siena where we got the unpleasant surprise of pouring rain on our 30 minute walk home!
This week, we started our regular schedules. I only have three classes but I will be completing about 15 hours of service each week. I have Italian for 2 hours every day except Wednesday, Reflective writing every Friday and Institutions in Society every Tuesday and Thursday. I am excited to get settled in a regular weekly routine that does NOT include 5 hours of Italian during the day. I think now it feels more like real life and not so much like a very long vacation here in Siena.
Today was a fun day because I actually got to see my Aunt Renee and Grandma! They have been in Florence since last week and they have finally gotten a chance to get into Siena. Today we only got a chance to visit for a couple hours and have some lunch but I will get to see them again this weekend when I go to Rome!
More updates to come after this weekend! Also, there are tons of pictures of my 4 day trip on Facebook so check them out!
Haley
My first project is with horses, which I'm sure most of you could guess makes me really really happy :) I am working with an organization that works with children with disabilities and uses horses for therapy. It is a really great program and I am so excited to help in any way possible. I don't know much what I am doing but I think largely I will help take care of the horses and also work on desensitizing them so they learn how to behave around young kids. My second project is with a cat shelter and basically my job is to pet cats for 2 hours. Not a bad deal for me. Third project is serving people at a soup kitchen run by a sassy nun (yes actually). Last but not least I am working on an English language conversation class with young adults about my age and a bit older. I am so excited to get more involved in all of these projects so I will update you as I better learn what my role will be.
Last week we ended our intensive Italian course with a trip to the south! It was such a great time and a fantastic opportunity to relax after all of the work we have all been doing. We started on Thursday and we went to a place called Tivoli where one of the Roman emperors built his gigantic vacation villa. The place used to be extravagant and outfitted with only the best of everything. Unfortunately though, most of the artwork and anything valuable was stolen about a hundred years ago so only the collapsed stone structures remain. It was very interesting to walk around a place where an emperor spent most of his time. Not many people were invited to the villa unless they had business with the emperor, you could just sense the history that happened right where you stood. Really, that is how I feel in most Italian places. People lived here centuries ago, and now I get to walk the exact same streets.
The next day we went to a Buffalo mozzarella factory and literally ate balls of mozzarella for lunch... it was delicious. then we ended the day by getting to the island of Ischia. Ischia is near Capri, where i have been before but it is so much more interesting! There are beautiful beaches and mountains all within about 40 square miles (give or take). I loved this island because I was able to go to the beach and swim in the crystal clear water. Great way to end the month of September. We ended the trip on Sunday in Pompeii and then drove all the way back to Siena where we got the unpleasant surprise of pouring rain on our 30 minute walk home!
This week, we started our regular schedules. I only have three classes but I will be completing about 15 hours of service each week. I have Italian for 2 hours every day except Wednesday, Reflective writing every Friday and Institutions in Society every Tuesday and Thursday. I am excited to get settled in a regular weekly routine that does NOT include 5 hours of Italian during the day. I think now it feels more like real life and not so much like a very long vacation here in Siena.
Today was a fun day because I actually got to see my Aunt Renee and Grandma! They have been in Florence since last week and they have finally gotten a chance to get into Siena. Today we only got a chance to visit for a couple hours and have some lunch but I will get to see them again this weekend when I go to Rome!
More updates to come after this weekend! Also, there are tons of pictures of my 4 day trip on Facebook so check them out!
Haley
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Even a place as relaxing as Italy can exhaust you
I have now been going through my intensive Italian Course for about 2 weeks now and I have to say, I am TIRED. I knew this would happen though. I have been through the exhaustion of constantly immersing yourself in a new language. It is difficult, frustrating and you usually feel like you are gaining absolutely no ground. Here in Italy, the transition may not be as extreme when I went to Sweden not knowing any Swedish. However, it is exhausting just the same.
Let me explain how I can be exhausted even though I live in a vacation destination.
1) Because Italian is not my native language (Obviously), I constantly have to translate every word I say from English into Italian before I actually speak it. Even when I am having simple conversations it is just natural for me to think it in English and then say what I need to say in Italian. This means that my brain is never fully resting when I am out and about or even just hanging out at home. As any college student can agree to, thinking is hard! The good news is that when my Italian gets better, this will soon go away. Eventually, I will not be translating anymore. A cat will simply be un gatto, my mind will learn to function in Italian. To make it easier on myself though, I have been walking to a place in the city that has fig trees and reading. For me, spending a few hours alone with a good (English!) book gives my mind the respite it desires.
2) Living with a host mom. I absolutely love my host mom, she is so sweet and helps me with Italian as well as makes sure that I am fed and happy. She does a fantastic job of doing anything she needs to do in order to make me feel comfortable here. That being said, I am still living in a stranger's house. It is only natural to feel less at ease in a house that is not your own with a mother that you met 2 weeks ago. I am constantly making sure that I am polite and respectful of her home. Of course, this is what is expected of me and if I welcomed a college student into my home I would expect no less. Sometimes though, you just need to be in your own bed in comfortable surroundings for your mind to be completely at ease.
3) Constantly being around new people. Anyone that knows me will immediately understand why this would exhaust me. Being around so many people wears out my energy and I often find that I need a little alone time to recover. This does not mean that I hate people or I am anti-social. I am simply an introvert and even though I love the people in my program, it does use a lot of energy for me to always be around 20 people that I hardly know. I am usually at home in a group of only a few people that I know extremely well but I am getting along fantastically with everyone and I feel that as time goes on it will become a bit less difficult for me to be around everyone all at once.
4) 5 hours of anything every day is tiring. This one is self-explanatory, I have 5 hours of Italian every day and that would make anyone tired.
5) Last but not least, being away from Aaron is really difficult. I am not quite sure how to explain it but being away from him sort of makes me feel like I am never fully energized. He is the one person that understands me the best and being around him does not drain my energy because I don't have to try to be anything special around him. I am doing so many amazing things here and Aaron is always in the back of my mind because I wish I could share this adventure with him.
So even though my facebook may make it seem like my life is one never ending party, I wanted to make this blog to show everyone the reality of living abroad. It is difficult. There are things that drain the energy from you and may make you really wish sometimes that maybe one thing could be familiar and then maybe everything would be easier. For example, every day I wish that there was a shower curtain for my shower. But there isn't and that is just something that you have to adjust to, I have learned to just deal with the fact that there is a mirror right in from of me and yeah, its totally awkward.
Despite the difficult things though, there are amazing things that happen everyday that make you so happy that nothing is familiar. Because if everything was familiar, would you still be amazed? Doubt it.
Let me explain how I can be exhausted even though I live in a vacation destination.
1) Because Italian is not my native language (Obviously), I constantly have to translate every word I say from English into Italian before I actually speak it. Even when I am having simple conversations it is just natural for me to think it in English and then say what I need to say in Italian. This means that my brain is never fully resting when I am out and about or even just hanging out at home. As any college student can agree to, thinking is hard! The good news is that when my Italian gets better, this will soon go away. Eventually, I will not be translating anymore. A cat will simply be un gatto, my mind will learn to function in Italian. To make it easier on myself though, I have been walking to a place in the city that has fig trees and reading. For me, spending a few hours alone with a good (English!) book gives my mind the respite it desires.
2) Living with a host mom. I absolutely love my host mom, she is so sweet and helps me with Italian as well as makes sure that I am fed and happy. She does a fantastic job of doing anything she needs to do in order to make me feel comfortable here. That being said, I am still living in a stranger's house. It is only natural to feel less at ease in a house that is not your own with a mother that you met 2 weeks ago. I am constantly making sure that I am polite and respectful of her home. Of course, this is what is expected of me and if I welcomed a college student into my home I would expect no less. Sometimes though, you just need to be in your own bed in comfortable surroundings for your mind to be completely at ease.
3) Constantly being around new people. Anyone that knows me will immediately understand why this would exhaust me. Being around so many people wears out my energy and I often find that I need a little alone time to recover. This does not mean that I hate people or I am anti-social. I am simply an introvert and even though I love the people in my program, it does use a lot of energy for me to always be around 20 people that I hardly know. I am usually at home in a group of only a few people that I know extremely well but I am getting along fantastically with everyone and I feel that as time goes on it will become a bit less difficult for me to be around everyone all at once.
4) 5 hours of anything every day is tiring. This one is self-explanatory, I have 5 hours of Italian every day and that would make anyone tired.
5) Last but not least, being away from Aaron is really difficult. I am not quite sure how to explain it but being away from him sort of makes me feel like I am never fully energized. He is the one person that understands me the best and being around him does not drain my energy because I don't have to try to be anything special around him. I am doing so many amazing things here and Aaron is always in the back of my mind because I wish I could share this adventure with him.
So even though my facebook may make it seem like my life is one never ending party, I wanted to make this blog to show everyone the reality of living abroad. It is difficult. There are things that drain the energy from you and may make you really wish sometimes that maybe one thing could be familiar and then maybe everything would be easier. For example, every day I wish that there was a shower curtain for my shower. But there isn't and that is just something that you have to adjust to, I have learned to just deal with the fact that there is a mirror right in from of me and yeah, its totally awkward.
Despite the difficult things though, there are amazing things that happen everyday that make you so happy that nothing is familiar. Because if everything was familiar, would you still be amazed? Doubt it.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
What is it like to be thrown into a new culture?
It has been a week since I arrived in Italy and I am slowly finding my footing in Siena. I can find my way around if I am trying to get to the school or the main Piazza. Anywhere else is really a guessing game though, the good thing is that Siena is so small that if you are lost you will most likely find something you recognize in less than 10 minutes. My program made us do several activities that aimed to teach us how to find out way around and they were so helpful!
The first day, our host families showed us the way to get to school from our homes. I walk about 30 minutes to get to class but I could take the bus if I felt like being lazy. I really love the walk because I get to take 30 minutes to watch and listen to Italian people. That may make me a creeper but It's a great way to observe the Italian way of life. After getting to class, we took a tour of Siena and then came back and took our Italian placement tests. I got placed in the advanced class with 3 other students, I was so surprised! Not much happened this day really but it was exciting to start talking to the other american students and getting to know my future friends.
The next day we began our Italian lessons (which we have 5 hours a day for 3 weeks). These are exhausting and go very slowly with only 4 people. I can definitely tell that they are making my Italian so much better and every day I come home with the ability to say more things to my host mom. I can now have a real conversation about my stance on American politics with my host mom when she asks. This is fantastic because all this Syria business is very important and I was very interested to know what opinion an Italian might have on the matter. Turns out, my host mom is just as Liberal as I am and completely opposes American intervention in Syria. Who knew that Italians disagree with nearly ever political move America makes? (oh, wait, everyone knows that!). It is also interesting to note that American politics makes up a large portion of the news programs here, it was also like this in Sweden. People in the U.S. sometimes don't realize that the actions of our government really are scrutinized by everyone in the world and that it is extremely important for everyone in the U.S. to be informed about what our government is doing because it affects so many people.
This past weekend wasn't too tiring but I was still getting used to the time change so I seemed to be endlessly exhausted. Thankfully I am now fully recovered from JetLag. Sunday, I got a new addition to my host family! A new student from New York is staying my my host mom and I until December so now we have a full house. This is great because there is always someone to talk to and I don't ever have to be bored. This is also a bit difficult for me because anyone who knows me well knows that I need my alone time, which doesn't really happen. Maybe when I have a more steady schedule I will be able to sneak away a few times a week and find a nice spot in the city to read for a while.
On Monday, we started our intensive Italian course and so far I am still working hard at it even though 5 hours of Italian language in a row kinda makes me want to slink under a rock somewhere. I will Talk more about this week when I post another blog post this weekend.
Ciao! (P.S. I gave up looking for spelling errors so do me a favor and ignore any that you may find!)
The first day, our host families showed us the way to get to school from our homes. I walk about 30 minutes to get to class but I could take the bus if I felt like being lazy. I really love the walk because I get to take 30 minutes to watch and listen to Italian people. That may make me a creeper but It's a great way to observe the Italian way of life. After getting to class, we took a tour of Siena and then came back and took our Italian placement tests. I got placed in the advanced class with 3 other students, I was so surprised! Not much happened this day really but it was exciting to start talking to the other american students and getting to know my future friends.
The next day we began our Italian lessons (which we have 5 hours a day for 3 weeks). These are exhausting and go very slowly with only 4 people. I can definitely tell that they are making my Italian so much better and every day I come home with the ability to say more things to my host mom. I can now have a real conversation about my stance on American politics with my host mom when she asks. This is fantastic because all this Syria business is very important and I was very interested to know what opinion an Italian might have on the matter. Turns out, my host mom is just as Liberal as I am and completely opposes American intervention in Syria. Who knew that Italians disagree with nearly ever political move America makes? (oh, wait, everyone knows that!). It is also interesting to note that American politics makes up a large portion of the news programs here, it was also like this in Sweden. People in the U.S. sometimes don't realize that the actions of our government really are scrutinized by everyone in the world and that it is extremely important for everyone in the U.S. to be informed about what our government is doing because it affects so many people.
This past weekend wasn't too tiring but I was still getting used to the time change so I seemed to be endlessly exhausted. Thankfully I am now fully recovered from JetLag. Sunday, I got a new addition to my host family! A new student from New York is staying my my host mom and I until December so now we have a full house. This is great because there is always someone to talk to and I don't ever have to be bored. This is also a bit difficult for me because anyone who knows me well knows that I need my alone time, which doesn't really happen. Maybe when I have a more steady schedule I will be able to sneak away a few times a week and find a nice spot in the city to read for a while.
On Monday, we started our intensive Italian course and so far I am still working hard at it even though 5 hours of Italian language in a row kinda makes me want to slink under a rock somewhere. I will Talk more about this week when I post another blog post this weekend.
Ciao! (P.S. I gave up looking for spelling errors so do me a favor and ignore any that you may find!)
Saturday, September 7, 2013
This is just the beginning...
Ciao a Tutti!
I have now been here in Siena, Italy for 4 days and I have to say that I am extremely impressed! I came here not really knowing what to expect. I knew it was Tuscany and it was beautiful, great, fun and all those generic descriptive words but WOW, just WOW. Siena is beyond any place I have ever been to before. It has been preserved to look nearly exactly like it did in 1500. It is filled with interesting people and many places to explore. I am so excited to get 4 months here but somehow I feel like that will not be quite enough.
I arrived here Wednesday morning after a 9 hour flight with a belligerent drunk woman by by side, no sleep to be had. She thought she made a new best friend while I thought otherwise. As soon as we arrived in Rome, my friend (who randomly ended up on the same flight as me) and I made our way towards customs and then exited the terminal to find the designated meeting place for our group. We eventually found a group of about 35 students who looked just as lost and excited as us and decided that we must belong together. Indeed we did and about 1 hour later we all found ourselves together on our bus to Siena. In just a short 3 hours we found ourselves quite suddenly given to the complete strangers that would live with for the duration of our stay.
Another girl and I were put into the capable hands of two older women who promptly kissed us on both cheeks and brought us to their car. Turns out, neither of them spoke one word of English! I immediately had a small internal freak-out but as soon as they said something about dinner I pretty much got over any anxiety. It doesn't matter if I don't understand what you are saying as long as you fill my stomach right?
Anyways, my host mother has turned out to be extremely welcoming and just plain fantastic. As many Italian women do, especially older ones, Laura makes sure that my every need is fulfilled and keeps offering even after you say no several times. This is just how they are here, to serve someone in your home is the best way of making them feel welcome. I definitely feel comfortable here, and I am being fed fantastically! One thing that has come as a surprise to me is that I have been able to communicate fairly easily with my host mother. Who knew that 4 years of Italian actually do stick in your brain? They just hide until they are forced to come into use. However, I still need a lot of work but being able to speak Italian makes it much easier to communicate with Laura. She has also hosted several students from the U.S. and she really knows what she is doing so hopefully things will continue to go smoothly.
This post isn't very comprehensive but all of my orientation activities these few days have drained my energy and I will wait until tomorrow to tell you everything that I have had the chance to do in just these few days. I just thought this would be a good time to tell all of you that I am alive, I do NOT live with a crazy person and that I can actually speak Italian. If you want to know anything specific just make a comment and I will definitely make sure to answer!
A domani,
Haley
I have now been here in Siena, Italy for 4 days and I have to say that I am extremely impressed! I came here not really knowing what to expect. I knew it was Tuscany and it was beautiful, great, fun and all those generic descriptive words but WOW, just WOW. Siena is beyond any place I have ever been to before. It has been preserved to look nearly exactly like it did in 1500. It is filled with interesting people and many places to explore. I am so excited to get 4 months here but somehow I feel like that will not be quite enough.
I arrived here Wednesday morning after a 9 hour flight with a belligerent drunk woman by by side, no sleep to be had. She thought she made a new best friend while I thought otherwise. As soon as we arrived in Rome, my friend (who randomly ended up on the same flight as me) and I made our way towards customs and then exited the terminal to find the designated meeting place for our group. We eventually found a group of about 35 students who looked just as lost and excited as us and decided that we must belong together. Indeed we did and about 1 hour later we all found ourselves together on our bus to Siena. In just a short 3 hours we found ourselves quite suddenly given to the complete strangers that would live with for the duration of our stay.
Another girl and I were put into the capable hands of two older women who promptly kissed us on both cheeks and brought us to their car. Turns out, neither of them spoke one word of English! I immediately had a small internal freak-out but as soon as they said something about dinner I pretty much got over any anxiety. It doesn't matter if I don't understand what you are saying as long as you fill my stomach right?
Anyways, my host mother has turned out to be extremely welcoming and just plain fantastic. As many Italian women do, especially older ones, Laura makes sure that my every need is fulfilled and keeps offering even after you say no several times. This is just how they are here, to serve someone in your home is the best way of making them feel welcome. I definitely feel comfortable here, and I am being fed fantastically! One thing that has come as a surprise to me is that I have been able to communicate fairly easily with my host mother. Who knew that 4 years of Italian actually do stick in your brain? They just hide until they are forced to come into use. However, I still need a lot of work but being able to speak Italian makes it much easier to communicate with Laura. She has also hosted several students from the U.S. and she really knows what she is doing so hopefully things will continue to go smoothly.
This post isn't very comprehensive but all of my orientation activities these few days have drained my energy and I will wait until tomorrow to tell you everything that I have had the chance to do in just these few days. I just thought this would be a good time to tell all of you that I am alive, I do NOT live with a crazy person and that I can actually speak Italian. If you want to know anything specific just make a comment and I will definitely make sure to answer!
A domani,
Haley
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