Everything

So, I finally have some time to actually sit down and write. I've been so busy with getting to know my family and meeting new people that I haven't had any time to myself. But now, it's Sunday and Sunday's here are very laid back and free.

I'll start of with my travels. I left Wednesday, September 8 to fly to New York City for a one day orientation. The flight went well, no complications at all. The orientation was held at a hotel and we were not allowed to leave the hotel at all during our stay. There were 59 students leaving for Italy from the US, which was the most students from one country to Italy. We all left September 9 at around 8pm for Zurich Switzerland - a 7 hour flight. We then had about a 1.5 hour flight to Rome, where we had another orientation, this time for 2 days. Then everyone left on their separate ways to go to their host family's. I left on a bus with four other girls and we had a six hour bus ride to Cerignola. Our host families met us at the bus stop and everyone was so excited, not to mention extremely exhausted.

There is another American girl, Camden, who is living by me, and is staying with my host mother's sister. I think we get along well, but are not talking as much as we are making our own friends in Italy and are not spending as much time together. This is probably a good thing because we really need to learn Italian and when we are together we only speak English.

School has been extremely different. I don't think I like it. First of all, nobody in my class speaks English so nobody has really talked to me or shown any interest in me, so it's been hard to make friends in school. My Italian is getting better day, but I still don't know enough to carry on a conversation. So hopefully later I will be able to talk to my classmates more. A lot of the work is done by the students. The teachers are the ones who change rooms, not the students. So I am with the same group of people all day. School starts at 8 and ends at 2 and everyone comes home for lunch. The teachers all wear jeans and much more informal than in America. The students all stand up when the teacher enters the room.

However, I've made some friends outside of school. We have been hanging out together a lot and I really enjoy being around them. Everyone I talk to is so fascinated by America and it's everyone's dream to go America. The girls I am with speak a little English so when I am with them, I am learning Italian better and they are learning a little more English.

I really like my host family a lot. There are so many things that are different though from my family and this one, and just America and Italy in general. I think I am adjusting well though. The only thing that I really miss from home is solitude. There is absolutely no privacy here, or quiet. It's hard to get used to. I think I am going to have a constant head ache for a month, haha. Everyone is very nice though, and understanding.

Italian television is horrible! They only get maybe 10-15 channels and the acting and quality is just so bad. I don't know how to describe it. It's a good thing I'm not a big TV watcher, haha.

The food is good. It's not as wonderful as I though it would be though. Everything is either super salty or super sweet. And they eat a lot! breakfast is something small and sweet: coffee, cookies and/or a sweet cereal. The refrigeration here is not good. Well, let me rephrase that. The refrigeration here is basically non-existent. The milk is lukewarm, so I don't use the milk, it makes me feel sick. I am dying for a glass of cold water. The water here is all bottled and a lot of it is carbonated. And since the refrigerators aren't very cold, the water is also lukewarm. They don't drink a lot here. Just when eating and very little at that. I haven't had any wine yet - arg! I really want to try it here. I ate horse. It wasn't very good. It didn't taste like anything I'd ever had before and I don't think I ever want it again. Lunch is at around 2, and is the biggest meal of the day. It starts out with a dish of a sort of pasta then there is meat, then fruit last. It's a lot of food. But then dinner isn't until 10-11 at night. And it is usually a type of meat and bread and cheese or something. And fruit. Always fruit, haha. The coffee is super yummy. It's extremely dark which I love! The TV is on all the time. During meals and after too. I don't like that.

I think this is everything. This is so much to take in at one time. I am tired all the time because my brain is trying to take in all this new information all the time and the language barrier is hard. I have to concentrate very hard to try to understand what people are saying, but it's coming along.

The Differences

So, here are some of the differences between Italians and America:

1. Do not shower often. But I can if I want to. They say I am "libero" in their home, free. They say their home is my home.

2. Coffee very strong (mmmmm!)

3. Make wierd noises. Like, they imitate car horns and just are making strange noises all the time. Its funny.

4. Every single person wears skinny jeans or pants. Literally, I have seen only 3 or 4 people not wearing skinny pants whether they look good or not. Im going to have to get some of those.

5. Breakfast is something sweet like chocolate filled croissant or berry filled.

6. Dinner is at like 9 or 10 at night.

7. Fruit is after dinner and lunch every time.

8. They eat A LOT!!!

9. No time is spent in the bedroom except to sleep.

10. They drive like crazy people! Its NYC multiplied by 5.

11. All the shoes are flats (converse) or wedge sandals. NO FLIP FLOPS

12. Shoes are worn in the house all the time. Its weird not to

13. The water is all bottled

14. They are all LOUD!

15. When on the computer, everyone watches what you are doing. And with everything else. Not a lot of privacy.

16. Do not walk around with wet hair. 

17. Talk all the time.

18. Toilets flush by button or pull a string thing.

19. They do not wear seat belts.

20. They wear clothes repeatedly. They have all worn the same thing for 3 days in a row - wow!

21. No driers. Air dry everything. 

22. There is a TV in every room and is always on. Watch during dinner and before bed. Everyone is watching Miss Italia right now. Its really lame. Even worse than Miss America if you can imagine. But its funny.

23. Always wear a jacket when going outside. 

24. There is no garbage in the bathroom or rooms. That I can see anyway. There is only one in the kitchen.

25. Plan something then never do it. 

26. Go for a walk around the city at night a lot. Big part of life for teenagers since they cant drive till 18. But they can drive a moped and many do.

27. Girls hold hands or link arms when walking. 

28. No clocks in the rooms. Only the Kitchen.

29. The ice cream is soooo much better.

There is probably more but I can think of them right now.