Things that are different...
Right now I'm in school, but I obviously don't understand anything. English class is my favorite because I actually get it. My class is in German class right now, so I went with one of the english proffessers to a different english class because it is more interesting for me. He let me use the computer though because even though I understand, it is still pretty boring to listen to! I can't wait to learn italian, I have a lesson today I think. The english teachers are teaching me italian.
It's funny because most people say it took them about 3 months or so to feel completely at home but I already feel at home! I have pretty much adjusted at home. School is a little different, I have made friends but I am still closer with my host family. Today I'm going to my friends house to lunch and then we are going shopping after. Tomorrow I have school...yes italians go to school on Sautrday. But tomorrow night we are going to a rugby party for my host brother, and then Sunday I am cooking my family an American breakfast!
On Feburary 9th there is a welcome party for me, and I'm kind of nervous because I have to get up in front of everyone and introduce myself and say where I'm from and such...in italian. I know how to say it but my pronounciation is so bad! Whenever I talk everyone laughs at me! I know it is out of kindness, but still its embaressing! Anyways this post is primarly to talk about differences.
1) Prom. I know I mentioned this in the last post, but I want to talk a little more about it. As you know Italians do not have a prom, but they loooove the idea of it. They think it's so romantic! And they are fascinated with the idea of a boy getting a girl a corsage, and boys wearing tux's and girls wearing long dresses. I'm supposed to put together a powerpoint about prom to show everyone. hahahaha.
2) Food. Here in Italy, meals are a top priority. For breakfast my host dad prepares coffee and milk, but it doesn't taste like coffee...it tastes kind of like chocolate. Anyways its super yummy. And I also eat yogurt and biscoties with the coffee. Small breakfasts. The yogurt here is 10X better than in America and I'm not just saying that! In America it's verrrry sweet, and not as thick. Here the yogurt is still sweet, but less. It's more like greek yogurt but still better. We eat lunch after school, there is no cafiteria or gym in school. Lunch is about 1 to 2 hours and is usually very big! Multiple courses, most of the time it includes pasta. Pretty much every day. But it never gets boring because it's always cooked different, I didn't know there were so many different ways to cook it! For dinner it is a little bit smaller but pretty big compared to in America. Dinner is the last part of the day for Italians, it begins at around 8 and goes until 10:30 or so. We eat for like an hour and then all just hang out together. I really enjoy this time with my family, they teach me Italian and sometimes I tell them about America, or try to. But we've gotten pretty good at communicating, I can understand more phrases now.
3) Appearance. Going out of the house with wet hair is NOT acceptable!!! I didn't realize how serious they would be about this! But you blowdry your hair after you wash it, every time, no exceptions. Also they don't wash their hair everyday. Seriously. Like washing your hair everyday = totally not normal, you will get weird looks because you CAN tell when someone washes their hair all the time. Slippers in the house, also totally necessarry. You HAVE to wear slippers in the house. And as for open toe shoes, that is not okay either. I'm not positive but I think it gives you some kind of bad image...I don't exactly understand what though.
4) Judgement. It is very different than in America, for an example, Italians are very blunt. In America, or at least in my expierence - if you don't want to do something you don't just tell everyone you don't want to do it. Americans tend to try to find their way out of something, not in a bad way but they don't want to offend anyone by saying they don't like something, or they don't want to do it. Here it is expected that you speak out when you don't like something, when you notice something, or when you don't want to do something. I didn't think I'd be able to do that comfortably but now it is second nature. If I want something, I say so. If I don't like something or don't want to do something, I say so. Italians do not take offense to this.. I mean unless it's clearly rude. But I guess my point is that it is okay, common, and encouraged to speak out about what your thinking or how you are feeling about something.
5) Lifestyle. This goes along with everything I have said so far, but Italians are much more relaxed with everything such as time. In America we are always worried about being on time, what will happen if we are late, what if, what if, what if. Here there is not what if. It's totally a "don't worry, be happy" lifetsyle. I prefer the way it is here, Italians don't sweat the little things!
6) School. While Italy has it's advantages over America, we are also very lucky to live in the U.S. We can drive at a young age, students in my school think its so cool that I have a drivers license. Our school system is very good compared to here. Here the schools do not get much funding or resources. As I previously said there is not cafieteria or gym, and only one computer per classroom. There are not nearly as many books as we have in classes in America. I didn't realize how lucky we are. There are more options in America. Here Italians have to choose their 'specialty' or what direction they want to go at age 13. They go to a highschool specific to that, such as a science school or a launguage school. Once you pick, that is the direction you have to go. I am so appreciative of the options I have in America, many students I have talked to here want to travel to America to study because they will have way more choices for a career that way, but as you know that is very difficult to do as a foriegner. We are so lucky.
7) Sports. As I said in the last post, sports are clubs. They also do multiple sports at a time, such as on Monday you will swim, Tuesday atletica (track), Wednesday dance, Thursday volleyball, Friday rugby...and so on. Whereas in America we have seasons. Fall is volleyball season, winter is basketball/swim/indoor track and spring is baseball and such. We generally do one sport at a time for a certain amount of weeks. Here, they do all these sports year round. You also have to pay to do the sport. Like we pay for a gym membership, they pay for memberships to a cerrtain sport club. It is very interesting.
Class is ending soon so I must go, thanks for reading!! I hope its interesting to you all, haha. ciao!!
It's funny because most people say it took them about 3 months or so to feel completely at home but I already feel at home! I have pretty much adjusted at home. School is a little different, I have made friends but I am still closer with my host family. Today I'm going to my friends house to lunch and then we are going shopping after. Tomorrow I have school...yes italians go to school on Sautrday. But tomorrow night we are going to a rugby party for my host brother, and then Sunday I am cooking my family an American breakfast!
On Feburary 9th there is a welcome party for me, and I'm kind of nervous because I have to get up in front of everyone and introduce myself and say where I'm from and such...in italian. I know how to say it but my pronounciation is so bad! Whenever I talk everyone laughs at me! I know it is out of kindness, but still its embaressing! Anyways this post is primarly to talk about differences.
1) Prom. I know I mentioned this in the last post, but I want to talk a little more about it. As you know Italians do not have a prom, but they loooove the idea of it. They think it's so romantic! And they are fascinated with the idea of a boy getting a girl a corsage, and boys wearing tux's and girls wearing long dresses. I'm supposed to put together a powerpoint about prom to show everyone. hahahaha.
2) Food. Here in Italy, meals are a top priority. For breakfast my host dad prepares coffee and milk, but it doesn't taste like coffee...it tastes kind of like chocolate. Anyways its super yummy. And I also eat yogurt and biscoties with the coffee. Small breakfasts. The yogurt here is 10X better than in America and I'm not just saying that! In America it's verrrry sweet, and not as thick. Here the yogurt is still sweet, but less. It's more like greek yogurt but still better. We eat lunch after school, there is no cafiteria or gym in school. Lunch is about 1 to 2 hours and is usually very big! Multiple courses, most of the time it includes pasta. Pretty much every day. But it never gets boring because it's always cooked different, I didn't know there were so many different ways to cook it! For dinner it is a little bit smaller but pretty big compared to in America. Dinner is the last part of the day for Italians, it begins at around 8 and goes until 10:30 or so. We eat for like an hour and then all just hang out together. I really enjoy this time with my family, they teach me Italian and sometimes I tell them about America, or try to. But we've gotten pretty good at communicating, I can understand more phrases now.
3) Appearance. Going out of the house with wet hair is NOT acceptable!!! I didn't realize how serious they would be about this! But you blowdry your hair after you wash it, every time, no exceptions. Also they don't wash their hair everyday. Seriously. Like washing your hair everyday = totally not normal, you will get weird looks because you CAN tell when someone washes their hair all the time. Slippers in the house, also totally necessarry. You HAVE to wear slippers in the house. And as for open toe shoes, that is not okay either. I'm not positive but I think it gives you some kind of bad image...I don't exactly understand what though.
4) Judgement. It is very different than in America, for an example, Italians are very blunt. In America, or at least in my expierence - if you don't want to do something you don't just tell everyone you don't want to do it. Americans tend to try to find their way out of something, not in a bad way but they don't want to offend anyone by saying they don't like something, or they don't want to do it. Here it is expected that you speak out when you don't like something, when you notice something, or when you don't want to do something. I didn't think I'd be able to do that comfortably but now it is second nature. If I want something, I say so. If I don't like something or don't want to do something, I say so. Italians do not take offense to this.. I mean unless it's clearly rude. But I guess my point is that it is okay, common, and encouraged to speak out about what your thinking or how you are feeling about something.
5) Lifestyle. This goes along with everything I have said so far, but Italians are much more relaxed with everything such as time. In America we are always worried about being on time, what will happen if we are late, what if, what if, what if. Here there is not what if. It's totally a "don't worry, be happy" lifetsyle. I prefer the way it is here, Italians don't sweat the little things!
6) School. While Italy has it's advantages over America, we are also very lucky to live in the U.S. We can drive at a young age, students in my school think its so cool that I have a drivers license. Our school system is very good compared to here. Here the schools do not get much funding or resources. As I previously said there is not cafieteria or gym, and only one computer per classroom. There are not nearly as many books as we have in classes in America. I didn't realize how lucky we are. There are more options in America. Here Italians have to choose their 'specialty' or what direction they want to go at age 13. They go to a highschool specific to that, such as a science school or a launguage school. Once you pick, that is the direction you have to go. I am so appreciative of the options I have in America, many students I have talked to here want to travel to America to study because they will have way more choices for a career that way, but as you know that is very difficult to do as a foriegner. We are so lucky.
7) Sports. As I said in the last post, sports are clubs. They also do multiple sports at a time, such as on Monday you will swim, Tuesday atletica (track), Wednesday dance, Thursday volleyball, Friday rugby...and so on. Whereas in America we have seasons. Fall is volleyball season, winter is basketball/swim/indoor track and spring is baseball and such. We generally do one sport at a time for a certain amount of weeks. Here, they do all these sports year round. You also have to pay to do the sport. Like we pay for a gym membership, they pay for memberships to a cerrtain sport club. It is very interesting.
Class is ending soon so I must go, thanks for reading!! I hope its interesting to you all, haha. ciao!!
I love your blog and the way you write. I hope you don't mind that I'm following you as well as Nellie, I'm her grandmother, but following you both gives such a complete picture of your experiences. Have a great time and keep the posts coming. Now to read your post, I commented first.
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