I have now been posing as a ‘studentessa Italiana’ for almost two weeks and have to admit my Italian seems to be going down quite nicely. However, in the panic to pack my life in to a suitcase, swallow the Italian dictionary and attempt to creep past the security with my oversized hand luggage, I had forgotten that it is not just the language and your wardrobe that you need to settle down in a foreign country.
Forli is a quaint (nice word for small) town just outside the city of Bologna. It is here I will be attempting to study Psychology through Italian for the next five months. Having been here for almost two weeks I would like to say I am now a connoisseur of all things Italian and that I now sit competently outside an Italian bar drinking exactly what I ordered, greeting every Italian stallion who walks by with the traditional kiss on each cheek. Unfortunately I’m not quite there yet.
The Italian culture I am rapidly learning is undeniably unique and here in Forli the Italian way of life seems to be somewhat exaggerated. Much like the Spanish, Italians also take a nap in the middle of the day. Everything closes and the already quiet town of Forli becomes ghost like. There is no leeway on this either, even if you arrive 5 minutes late, having walked for two a half hours in the blistering sunshine in search a second hand bike shop, comforted only by the thought that you will be cycling home on your new bike with your hair flowing in the wind resembling something of an Italian goddess… Clearly that daydream quickly evaporated. In the beginning I questioned how places made money with this huge lull in the middle of the day but as I trudged home sweaty and empty handed I realized that there was no one on the streets, it was deserted. The shops don’t need to be open because everyone is asleep or gorging themselves on a three course traditional Italian lunch.
TOP TIP: Instead of getting frustrated that nothing is open just plan your day around it, make sure you have stuff for your lunch, go for a walk or maybe just maybe slip into the Italian way of life and have a little nap yourself.
Time also has a different meaning in this country. It is not impolite to turn up to an appointment 30 minutes later that previously arranged. What’s more you will probably find the person you are about to meet has also yet to arrive. I discovered this somewhat irritating fact on numerous occasions whilst waiting on my landlord. Never once has she been on time, she arrives hours late with no word of an apology and no mention of the lateness. Twice now she hasn’t shown up at all.
TOP TIP: Take a deep breath; remember to slow down, you are in Italy what’s the rush? It will work out in the end it just may take longer than you anticipated.
A few other tips I learnt the hard way:
If you are in a coffee shop and order a ‘Latte’ you will receive a large glass of milk accompanied with very curious stares. You have to order ‘ un caffe latte’. The same goes for ordering an ‘Americano’ if you just say an Americano it looks like you are trying to order an American person… However ‘un caffe Americano’ is perfectly reasonable!
Pedestrian crossings do not mean the same thing in Italy; so do not expect cars, mopeds or cyclists to stop for you. If you are brave enough I have found the best way is just to take the plunge and start walking slowly across the road. This gives the drivers ample time to gauge your speed and ‘generally’ they will swerve around you. Expect some beeping of the horns and outrageous hand gestures.
Once you accept the fact that life in a new country is going to be different and stop spending all your time trying (mostly in vain) to recreate your home or Uni environment then you can actually start to sit back, relax and enjoy it.
Phot Credits: www.geolocation.ws, www.christinacabel.com, www.bigkitchen.com,