Wednesday September 9, 2015 8:55 PM
Ciao amici Hello friends!
I have the urge to keep writing in italian but I must stop because not everyone is blessed with the beauty that is the italian language. What a wonderful problem to have! Il mio professore My professor would be so proud!
I have so much to say, I hope I remember it all!
I arrived yesterday morning at around 11. My flight was pretty annoying, mainly because I wanted to be in Italy @now, but also because I was delayed at a layover in Chicago and the flight was super long/the food on the plane sucked. I did get an empty seat in between me and another gentleman so that was great but it wasn't enough! There were so many babies on the plane! They were definitely adorable but they cried like crazy during the entire flight, so not so adorable. I made it safely to Rome which is all that matters. The airlines always lose my baggage but they didn't this time! Awesome, so I made it out of the airport and my next task was to not get pick pocketed. I succeeded, I think. The taxi tried to trick me at the last minute by covering the meter with the sunglass department but I didn't let him (go me!)
My italian mother (who I'm living with) is so amazing! She is an amazing cook and has such a sweet soul! She reminds me so much of my grandma that lives in mexico city, same haircut and everything. The view from my room is to die for. I can see La Basilica Papale di San Pietro, which is so amazing since I am a catholic, woman of God and I am reminded of it in such a beautiful way every morning that I wake up and look out my window.
I believe I'm still in shock! There's not so much city shock because as I was riding in the taxi and as I walked the streets of Rome I was reminded of Mexico City (where I was born, lived during my early childhood, and visit every year), but there is a lot of culture shock, yessir. When I thought of Italy I thought of men and women who wore elegant clothing and drank wine 24/7. I was wrong. Although there are some who probably look elegant 24/7 and some alcoholics who drink wine all day, everyday, it is not so for everyone (just like anywhere else in the world). The majority of these people like to be comfortable like the rest of us and you will see people wearing comfortable clothing that might not be so much on the elegant side and people that don't drink wine at all (not even during meals) like my mamma italiana. So get rid of those stereotypes. Side note: there are so many motorcycles here and everyone rides them, from teenagers, grandmas, businessmen, you name it, they're probably riding a motorcycle. I also saw a tiny little smartcar/tricyle thing with three tiny wheels in which a grown man barely fit. I found it absolutely hilarious but no one else in the bus did because when I laughed no one laughed with me. Ok, mi dispiace I'm sorry. I'm gonna add, "don't laugh out loud at a grown man in a little green car" to my Don't Do/Say list.
There are so many little things like that that I saw today that are making me write this, because I want to remember every little detail of this experience that I might otherwise forget forever. Sta mattina This morning, as I was taking the bus to meet my Dartmouth group, a young father stepped onto the bus with her daughter in a stroller. I looked down at the bambina little girl, and saw something that surprised me but that shouldn't have surprised me and that I was ashamed of afterwards. I looked down and saw the little girl sleepily holding on to a black baby doll. I was surprised because the little girl was not black. So what! I am so ashamed for being surprised, but I do know why I was initially surprised. Because I never see it. Back in the states, and in many other countries, people of darker skin color are seen as less than, or not worthy of. Which is an absolute disgust. We are taught that you should stick with what you know/are, that includes buying dolls for your daughters (Which is another issue, because gender roles, and more specifically, society tell us that girls should get dolls and boys should get cars. Why are women brought up to be caregivers but men are brought up to be intellectuals, independent, and with a set of skills that women are not brought up with? Girls are given toys such as mirrors/dolls and are clothed in dresses that are not at all practical, while boys are given toys such as cars, things to do with labour, doctor kits, and are dressed in pants/practical clothing that prepares them with the foundation for skills they will need to be successful in life. Ok, done with rant. There will be more to come most likely.) Point is, I learned from that little girl, and her father or mother since they were the ones who most likely purchased the doll for her and implemented a wonderful foundation of morals (be blind to skin color and despise racism). We should all learn from them. Parents, learn from them. Implement love into your children, not hatred.
On that note, un bacio da me a voi A kiss from me to you.
Alla prossima Until next time!
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