With four weeks left in my European adventure I can truly say that it has been a wild ride thus far. The past couple of weeks have flown by. I feel as though I am on the verge of getting acquainted with the city of Florence but there is something holding me back. It has taken much longer to become comfortable in my skin here than it did in London and I truly think the only thing preventing me from loving Florence as much as London is the language barrier.
It is extremely hard for me to love the city when I cannot hold meaningful conversations with any of its inhabitants. I don't feel like I have tapped the roots of the city as deeply as I did in London because when I am out in the city trying to assimilate all I can make are visual judgments of things. I can look at things and ponder them as much as I want but without adequate time, or admittedly the energy or desire, to learn the language I will never understand what makes Florence tick to the same extent as I did in London. London was so great. I was able to go to Speaker's Corner and hold political discussions with people. I could go out at night to pubs and other places and meet people and learn from them. Because I was able to hold these conversations and establish these relationships I felt like I truly belonged in London while I was there. Meanwhile, in Florence, I am living with a family who is able to speak only very broken English. They feed me two meals a day and we have had many discussions in the month or so I have been living with them but they have been nothing deep or of consequence because the language barrier will not allow it. As a result the only things I have learned about Florence has been from what I have read and what I have seen, which are shallow at best.
I would love to be able to report back that I love the city and I don't ever want to leave or return to the United States but it is just not the case. I realize that the experiences I am having will last a lifetime. I also realize that I probably won't ever be able to do anything like this again, especially to this extent. For these reasons I am taking advantage of everything I can while I can and trust me the time I have remaining will not be going to waste. I just can't help but get excited about the prospect of returning to the comfort of my own culture. Unfamiliarity really starts to wear on you when the line between discomfort and comfort becomes blurred. It really hits home when you realize that you are getting used to discomfort. It is easy to become bitter about it. They call it culture shock and I think a lot of people in my group are suffering from it. But my feelings about it are different. In the end, I truly believe that the fact that my tolerance for discomfort has risen dramatically may be the greatest gift that this trip gives me. I consider it a positive when you get lost in a major metropolis and your heart doesn’t even skip a beat. The ability to remain calm under pressure or in uncomfortable situations is what traveling abroad is truly good for. Yeah, I can say I have seen the changing of the guards in London and eaten Gelato on the Arno in Florence but thousands of tourists do these things everyday. What I crave from Florence is what I got in London. The added bonus of, not just becoming comfortable with its discomfort because that’s a given in any abroad experience, but to see it from all angles and to become comfortable with its unique intricacies. We will see what the remaining 4 weeks bring. Stay posted!
Coming Soon:
My beach vacation in Sardinia!
Wine tasting in the Chianti Vineyards...
Florentine Opera Adventures
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Bella Figura: Beauty vs. Efficiency
So, one of our classes is designed to disect the Italian way of life and analyze every aspect of it. As a result, I find myself judging every encounter I have through the lens that class has provided me. At first it seems a little bit shallow but I then I remember; they are doing the same thing to me. It is a part of the Italian way to make a judgement about a person in even as short of an encounter as passing someone on the street. It is hard to believe (and scary) that every Italian that I have passed walking around Florence thus far has come to some sort of conclusion about who I must be. What makes it even more difficult is that none of us have the language to provide a good first impression (which is particularily difficult for a group of nerds like us who consistently use language to our advantage).
Another reason we don't fit in here (as well as in London) is that Italians are so damn stylish! After travelling around Europe for 10 weeks and washing our clothes somewhat sparingly you can imagine what kind of state we must be in. I realize, through my class, that Italians are not all about Gucci and Versace but the fact that nobody wheres jeans or tennis shoes does not bode well for us at this point in our European endevor. It is a struggle...
The class we are taking is called Bella Figura (translated literally it means: to make a good figure). It has to do with a philosophy that permeates all of Italian culture. It is the idea that one must make good first impressions, be nonchalant, and not be superficial. The idea about not being superficial is one that we encounter a lot. Italian salespeople are very very different from American. American salespeople are taught very early on in their careers to put a smile on their face and that "the customer is always right"; this is not the case for Italians. They will talk on their cell phone, straight up ignore you and they are not afraid to act irritated if you are being a tedious customer (for example if you do not speak Italian they are particularily prone to becoming irritated in most instances).
From my perspective the way Italians act could possibly be contributing the their lacking in economic terms. It may seem like a quick judgement but the fact that they are more concerned about beauty than efficiency can only work against them. Making a good impression is important but it takes more than that in the long run. An example that I heard of was an Italian flight attendent being one of the most attractive women anyone has ever seen but she never once stopped to see if the customers needed help. Some of the customers were even afraid to interupt her as she walked down the aisle because it looked like she was on a catwalk modeling her uniform. This is exactly what we are learning about. The fact that the airline hired that flight attendent over all of the other applicants is an Italian signature. They are more concerned about the beauty of their flight attendents, than in how effective they will be at their job. This is a philosophy that seems to be very pervasive in Italian culture and I have been very aware of it since my arrival.
I am enjoying myself very much here and, possibly lucky for me, my family does not fit into the mold of the stereotypical Italian. My initial observation is that it may be better to vacation in Italia than live in it. That way you are here just long enough before the good firsts impression wears off and Bella Figura becomes utterly obvious.
Judgementally Yours (my class made me act this way!),
Lee
Another reason we don't fit in here (as well as in London) is that Italians are so damn stylish! After travelling around Europe for 10 weeks and washing our clothes somewhat sparingly you can imagine what kind of state we must be in. I realize, through my class, that Italians are not all about Gucci and Versace but the fact that nobody wheres jeans or tennis shoes does not bode well for us at this point in our European endevor. It is a struggle...
The class we are taking is called Bella Figura (translated literally it means: to make a good figure). It has to do with a philosophy that permeates all of Italian culture. It is the idea that one must make good first impressions, be nonchalant, and not be superficial. The idea about not being superficial is one that we encounter a lot. Italian salespeople are very very different from American. American salespeople are taught very early on in their careers to put a smile on their face and that "the customer is always right"; this is not the case for Italians. They will talk on their cell phone, straight up ignore you and they are not afraid to act irritated if you are being a tedious customer (for example if you do not speak Italian they are particularily prone to becoming irritated in most instances).
From my perspective the way Italians act could possibly be contributing the their lacking in economic terms. It may seem like a quick judgement but the fact that they are more concerned about beauty than efficiency can only work against them. Making a good impression is important but it takes more than that in the long run. An example that I heard of was an Italian flight attendent being one of the most attractive women anyone has ever seen but she never once stopped to see if the customers needed help. Some of the customers were even afraid to interupt her as she walked down the aisle because it looked like she was on a catwalk modeling her uniform. This is exactly what we are learning about. The fact that the airline hired that flight attendent over all of the other applicants is an Italian signature. They are more concerned about the beauty of their flight attendents, than in how effective they will be at their job. This is a philosophy that seems to be very pervasive in Italian culture and I have been very aware of it since my arrival.
I am enjoying myself very much here and, possibly lucky for me, my family does not fit into the mold of the stereotypical Italian. My initial observation is that it may be better to vacation in Italia than live in it. That way you are here just long enough before the good firsts impression wears off and Bella Figura becomes utterly obvious.
Judgementally Yours (my class made me act this way!),
Lee
Friday, April 4, 2008
Buona Sera Florence
Hello Fans...
Well, I am officially moved into my new residence in Florence. I live with the lovely Mercuri family in a 3 bedroom apartment on the 6th and top floor of an apartment building on the outskirts of the city. I live with my friend from Ripon, Ben Yust, in a decent sized bedroom with a balcony that overlooks the city of Florence and the mountians in the background. We have Breakfast and Dinner prepared for us by Nadie Mercuri everyday. Food is a central component to family life in Florence and as result they are very particular about what they eat. Breakfast is always bread with jam, shortbread cookies, and Caffe con Latte (espresso with hot milk). Dinner is a spectacular event. It is always 3 courses. The first is a pasta dish. We have had home made pesto on penne, a spaghetti dish, and another more fresh tomato and cilantro dish; all were were very delicious. The second course is a vegetable (peas with ham in them, salad etc...) and some sort of protein (chicken with a basil and olive oil marinade, Chicken Parmesian, and Eggplant Parmesian). All of it is prepared from scratch and is served with a bottle of wine. In short...I can't believe I am going to be living here for the next 8 weeks. It is like realising you are going to live in a 4-star hotel for two months...amazing!
Florence is a beautiful city. There is so much culture and history that they don't know what to do with it all in such small area. It seems like they have as much history and culture as all of London and they are about a 10th the size. It should be an interesting time here...
Sorry for the short post but there is a 10 person line behind me to use the computer (probably for more important things) and I would use my computer but I am pretty sure that is has given up at life.
Much Love!
Lee
Well, I am officially moved into my new residence in Florence. I live with the lovely Mercuri family in a 3 bedroom apartment on the 6th and top floor of an apartment building on the outskirts of the city. I live with my friend from Ripon, Ben Yust, in a decent sized bedroom with a balcony that overlooks the city of Florence and the mountians in the background. We have Breakfast and Dinner prepared for us by Nadie Mercuri everyday. Food is a central component to family life in Florence and as result they are very particular about what they eat. Breakfast is always bread with jam, shortbread cookies, and Caffe con Latte (espresso with hot milk). Dinner is a spectacular event. It is always 3 courses. The first is a pasta dish. We have had home made pesto on penne, a spaghetti dish, and another more fresh tomato and cilantro dish; all were were very delicious. The second course is a vegetable (peas with ham in them, salad etc...) and some sort of protein (chicken with a basil and olive oil marinade, Chicken Parmesian, and Eggplant Parmesian). All of it is prepared from scratch and is served with a bottle of wine. In short...I can't believe I am going to be living here for the next 8 weeks. It is like realising you are going to live in a 4-star hotel for two months...amazing!
Florence is a beautiful city. There is so much culture and history that they don't know what to do with it all in such small area. It seems like they have as much history and culture as all of London and they are about a 10th the size. It should be an interesting time here...
Sorry for the short post but there is a 10 person line behind me to use the computer (probably for more important things) and I would use my computer but I am pretty sure that is has given up at life.
Much Love!
Lee
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