I finally have a moment to sit down and catch up with myself! Sundays in Italy are very slow and calm, and from what I have heard, many businesses don't open at all. Therefore, I am lounging around my house without a plan for the day. I will fill you in on my experience in Florence so far...
When I first arrived last wednesday, I was completely overwhelmed by the unknown streets and language. In only a few days, I have started to ease into my surroundings, and I don't feel so lost anymore. Everyday since I have arrived has been spent walking around the city with my roommate Stephanie, and my trusty SLU travel companions, Sheila and Riley. The first two days we would have to stop on just about every street corner to consult our map, and we would still get lost constantly. Eventually we decided that it was okay to get lost. Instead of reaching for the map, we now reach street corners and someone randomly chooses sinestra(left) or destra (right). The city is starting to feel smaller and more manageable to navigate.
I have also made several breakthroughs with the two boys I live with in my host family. They were very shy at first, because they've never hosted girls before. Another challenge is that the boys do not speak English, so at first I didn't know what to say to them. How can you bond with children without words? My answer to that was origami and swordfights (battaglia con spade). After a little play-session yesterday morning the boys had made up a song about me. Well....they were mostly just chanting my name, which is adorable with their accento of course.
Another breakthrough for me happened a couple days ago. I was shy about using Italian at first, because I didn't want to make mistakes and sound like an idiot. Well, firstly, this is inevitable. Secondly, I realized I know way more italian than most of the other American students here. My breakthrough occurred when I was at a bar Friday night. An italian guy named Tony began talking to me, and I realized...I actually could have a conversation in Italian with little difficulty. The key here was that he spoke very little english, so I had no choice but to squeeze my brain (As Marcella would say). Maybe it was easier to speak after I had a drink or two, but either way, I gained some confidence. Since then I have been speaking much more easily, especially with my kids (Niccolò e Luca).
Along with becoming more comfortable with everything, I have begun to appreciate a lot of more subtle things about Italian culture. For one thing, they know how to conserve their resources. At our house we have about 5 different trash-cans, which allows for proper recycling. Also, water is much more precious here, so my 15-20 minute showers have turned into 3 minute showers. Everything is small and compact. The refrigerator is pretty tiny, as well as the oven-which looks like a microwave to me. It really makes me think about the way I am used to living, and how wasteful Americans can be. It just makes sense to only use the space you really need. I hope to adopt some of these conservation methods when I return home.
Another observation I have made- there are no rules in Italy. This especially applies to traffic. There are virtually no lines on the roads, no traffic lights or signs. It's basically a big free for all out there. It can be kind of scary, because nobody uses turn signals, and I have had some treacherous street-crossing moments.
There are also no rules when it comes to eating. Up until last night I had only eaten dinner with my host family. It is so nice to come home and know you will have dinner waiting for you at 8/8:30 pm. The best part is, everything is a mystery, but always a delicious one. I don't know why I was so concerned with gaining weight here, because everything is so healthy. Once again, Italians show me how not to be wasteful. They don't cook more than all of us will eat, and the portions are perfect. I don't think I have actually felt full while eating since I have been here. I spend a lot of my time being hungry, but when I do eat, it is glorious. This is why Italians are all skinny-they eat high quality food only when they are hungry and they walk constantly. Perfetto!
Last night I went to dinner with my friends, and it was a truly wonderful experience. We drank a bottle of wine, and tried some wonderful food. Riley ordered bruschetta, which was perhaps the best thing I have ever tasted. I got pizza, because the restaurant is famous for it, and it was an excellent choice. We also struck up conversation with a few guys at the table next to us. Joseph owns a hair salon, and fussed over all of our hair. He also gave us some tips on where to eat and how to avoid the tourist traps. One tip-watch out for the lemoncello. It consists of pure alcohol and lemon-pretty startling!
Overall, I am really starting to fall in love with this city. Everything seems so genuine and beautiful. It seems that everywhere I go I encounter wonderful people that are eager to lend advice and insider tips. I don't think I could ever get bored just walking around the city. There have been a few moments while walking around that I'm just so overwhelmed with the fact that I am here, and it has only just begun. True, maybe I am just in the honeymoon phase, but I don't think I will ever stop appreciating the things this city has to offer. My classes begin tomorrow, so I will start having more of a routine soon. Also, I am going on my first trip next weekend! To the French Riviera! The excitement never ends!
Arrivederci!
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