mercoledì 16 settembre 2009

"Non capisco!"

AH so Im in Italy! (This post will contain no apostrophes because I dont know where it is on the keyboard yet). I love it here! So far everyone has been so nice and Im really happy with everything! My host sister is at school right now (I start on Friday?) so I have a chance to use the computer... normally I am tagging along with her around Salice S.no or Lecce.

Okay so the orientations in NY and Rome were pretty cool! Mindnumbingly boring, but we all got to meet each other! We had an 8 hour flight to Zurich, another 1 hour flight to Rome, a 2 hour busride, and a five and a half hour train ride. So lots of traveling. Italy is gorgeous though, and Id put up pictures but the internet is really slow! And Im skipping a lot of details because I dont want to be on the computer too much. Okay, also, the train ride to Lecce was nice because I got to talk to the other people in my chapter but I was also so nervous to meet my family! I was actually shaking because I had no idea what to expect. When I got off I found them on the station almost right away and we were all hugging and kissing after like months of waiting!

My host family is so great. My parents dont speak English... at all. Except I taught them "grape" today. My host sister knows a little, but for the most part, its really hard to communicate! They are so understanding though when I make mistakes and I feel really, really welcome here. The actual highlight of this whole experience so far is when my host dad introduced me as his daughter. Not "that weird exchange student who lives with us" or "Susanna" but daughter! I guess that wouldnt have seemed like a big deal to me a few weeks ago, but now every little thing counts. Like, I get really excited when I understand what someones saying.

My Italian is getting kind of better. I definitely know a lot more than I did before I came but thats not saying much! I can understand what people are saying when theyre talking to me... very slowly... and I know the context. It takes forever to explain something though, and we usually need two dictionaries and a few minutes to really get the point across. Im not really frustrated with it (yet) but there have been a lot of misunderstandings that lead to really awkward moments. BUT a breakthrough: Im not so awkward anymore, especially in these situations! At home I definitely was but here Ive already gotten used to it. Since I cant really carry a conversation anymore, I have to prove I have a personality in like fifteen words or less. So Ill teach them English swear words... Im pretty sure half of my Italian vocabulary is inappropriate. :D My host sisters friends (who I follow around everywhere) are really helpful and either try to speak English with me, or teach me Italian.

But the language barrier does suck a little sometimes. For example: The food here is AMAZING, right? That is no stereotype. It it awesome. But, they eat so ridiculously much! On one of my first nights it was like pasta soup, followed by two pieces of meat and french fries, then chocolate crepes with Nutella, then my host dads peaches. I cant keep up! (Daniella, if you are reading this, I totally think of you every time Im at a meal here. My host sister could give you a run for your money in eating.) So the first few meals I could not even finish the first course. I would get halfway through then just feel like I was going to throw up. This is probably because I didnt eat much on the way here, but oh well. I didnt know it was possible to be full for an entire week but it is. Anyway, I eat like a fifth of what my family does. This of course went noticed so they thought I was annorexic and when I figured this out I had to explain in butchered Italian that Im not.

I really do appreciate them, though, even though we dont understand what each other are saying most of the time. Well be sitting at dinner and my host dad will break out the wine and ask if I want some. Ill say "No, no, grazie!" (because Im about to explode) and he replies "Sì, sì!" and proceeds to pour me some anyway. (It tastes amazing, by the way!)

Okay and here are some cultural differences which have contributed to my intense culture shock of the past week (and I mean Salento or my town, because I think its different here than the north):
- In the U.S., if its a schoolnight, the latest I am EVER out is maybe nine, and thats not often at all. In my Italian family, my host sister and I are walking out the door at ten, like every night.
- They dress up for EVERYTHING except for school. I am always underdressed but its okay. I actually went out in heels my first night here (yeah) when my sister took me out to Lecce (which was one of the funnest nights Ive ever had!)
- Italian teenagers here have so much more freedom!
- French fries on pizza. Yup.
- When you first meet someone, you shake hands and introduce yourself. Then when you know them well enough (I think) you do the cheek kissing thing when you say hello or goodbye. Which is like 3 people for me so far.
- The driving is INSANE. I dont want to concern any adults at home but ohmygod.
- Their bathrooms are really nice and they have bidets, but no actual showers? Just a bathtub. Still gotta figure that out.
- You dont go barefoot. It just doesnt happen, even in the house.

I think Ive been on the computer for way too long now though but to sum it all up: I never understand whats going on, and almost every single thing is at least slightly different. I pretty much just go with whats going on and hope that Ill agree with it. Its not unusual to be woken up at 9am by my host sisters friend in our room all dressed up and rambling to me in Italian, or to wear the same shirt three days in a row, or to get applause for finishing one course of the meal. But overall, I love it here so so much and I cant imagine what I would be doing right now besides this.

I miss everyone at home a whole lot!

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