My Trip to Italy Essay - 1028 Words

My Trip to Italy I stood in the town square of the small village. Like any other normal day, people were going about their day-to-day business. Old men sat on a wooden bench beneath a large tree and predicted this year’s crop. Women shared town gossip as they shopped for groceries, and children sucked on lollipops while they played along the cobblestone streets. However, unlike any other day, the whole crowd had stopped in unison and darted their eyes in my direction, their full attention on me. I heard hushed whispers as I passed by the crowd, â€Å"Americano!† â€Å"Oh mio Dio, guarda com’à ¨ alto!† I lowered my head as I thought to myself, â€Å"What the hell am I doing here? I’m in a country where I don’t know the language or the culture, and I†¦show more content†¦Living in a town of 1,800 Italians was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. The first months were extremely trying; I didn’t speak any Italian, and everyday thi ngs that I took for granted back home suddenly became a struggle. The most obvious of the differences between the two cultures was the language. I quickly picked up a few key-words like â€Å"My name is,† and â€Å"I like,† and I had all the cuss words mastered within the first few weeks. However, I had the vocabulary of a 5-year-old and the mind of a 17-year-old and I was going insane! My host family was very hospitable but also very serious and meticulous. They liked things put in their place and wanted them to stay that way. I had to put all my clothes away neatly in my closet, make my bed every morning, and turn the computer and lights off after I used them. It wasn’t all bad, and perhaps the best part about living in a small town is the close, community atmosphere. Many of the townspeople were related, and their families had grown up together, passing on stories and traditions. It also wasn’t uncommon for people to acknowledge each other when they walked through the streets. It was a shock for me, coming from Wilmington, Delaware, where you don’t look someone in the eye, let alone mutter a â€Å"Hello.† Everyone went out of their way to make me feel at home. I became a â€Å"celebrity† in the town where I lived and in the otherShow MoreRelatedItalian Cuisine and the City of Venice698 Words   |  3 Pagesand more details on collegiate affiliation, etc. Abstract Italy is a country rich with history and life. Italian food is revered and recreated all over the world. The Japanese love to make Italian food. Italian food is a staple of American cuisine. The paper will include a brief description of a trip to Venice, Italy. Venetian food, Veneto, is a completely different variety of cuisine within Italian food as a whole. 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