Rome via Brooklyn

One of the things I am most excited about Italy is the weather as this would be the first time I’m experiencing Europe. Some of the things that surprised me in the readings was how Italians interact with each other in daily life. It surprised me because I didn’t realize how important social etiquette and greetings are in Italy. I also found it interesting how much Italians value family and taking their time during meals instead of always being in a rush. Reading about the different regions also made me realize that Italy has many different traditions and cultures depending on where you are. I unfortunately did not have any conversations at the airport, whilst coming from a large family bundled with talkative personalities I got plenty of advice from making sure to apply sunscreen, drink lots of water and to mainly enjoy myself and take one of a lifetime opportunities like traveling never for granted. Coming from an Italian neighborhood also allowed me some insights, such as learning some easy greetings which then leads to my favorite Italian word “Grazie mille”, meaning “Thank you so much”. I enjoy this word a lot as it reminds me of an arabic saying “شكراً ألف مرة” (shukran alf marra). I thought it was really interesting that both expressions use the idea of “a thousand” to show extra gratitude and emphasize how thankful someone is. The funniest quote in the reading Italy!- Culture Smart was from Chapter 2, where it says, “After a while, other countries begin to seem eerily quiet, even dull.” I thought this quote was funny because growing up in an Arab family, I always thought we were the loud ones. Reading that made me laugh because maybe Italians are just as loud and expressive as we are and now I’m excited to experience that for myself. In order to get an idea about the basics most of my learning has taken place through personal experience after I have arrived in Italy. Mainly from people watching, ordering food and listening to the conversation of other people, I have been trying to learn new words every day. In my previous experience of studying abroad in Jordan I have found that immersing oneself into the country is the best method to learn the language and its culture. Although various kinds of online support can be useful, to me I learned that nothing can match the real thing.