How to Blend in in Italy

      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."

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!