![\"Recipient-Profile-Graphic1\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.nd.edu\/sla2014\/files\/2014\/04\/Recipient-Profile-Graphic1.jpg\")
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Name:<\/strong> Maria McMullen A brief personal bio:<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m a Pre-Med\/Italian major from Rochester, New York. I grew up listening to my mother and grandmother speaking Italian, and when I came to ND I decided to enroll in the Beginning Italian course so I could finally understand what they\u2019d been saying all those years! While my main goal is pharmacy school, I also want to improve my Italian so I can speak it fluently in years to come.<\/p>\n Why this summer language abroad opportunity is important to me:<\/strong><\/p>\n Communication will play a big part in my future career in pharmacy, and I believe that knowing as many languages as possible is a huge asset in that field. My Spanish is still at a decent level, and my Italian continues to improve. What I hope to achieve as a result of this summer study abroad experience:<\/strong><\/p>\n I hope to get not only a significantly-improved set of Italian language speaking\/writing\/reading skills, but also an all-around unforgettable experience of living in an entirely foreign place, armed with only the language knowledge I have right now. I hope to meet as many people as possible and see as many places as possible<\/p>\n My specific learning goals for language and intercultural learning this summer:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. At the end of the summer I will be able to communicate with native Italian speakers fluently, at a level significantly above the one I was at before this summer. My plan for maximizing my international language learning experience:<\/strong><\/p>\n The language course itself has ample room for Italian practice and study\u2014classes are five days a week for several hours a day. Students in the institution may not necessarily be from an English-speaking country, so Italian may very well be the only language I could have in common with somebody else! There are also several other opportunities for language improvement: because I will be living in an apartment and not with a host family, I will be responsible for getting my own food, doing laundry, getting transportation, and buying day-to-day items in Siena\u2014all of these will require me to rely on Italian to get what I need. Activities are also planned by the institution, such as tours of the city and surrounding countryside, visits to museums and churches, attending lectures, and more. I am certain that I will be speaking Italian a vast majority of the time, if not the entire time!<\/p>\n Reflective Journal Entry 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"sla\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.nd.edu\/sla2014\/files\/2014\/04\/sla.png\")
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\nE-mail: <\/strong>mmcmull2@nd.edu
\nLocation of Study:<\/strong> Siena, Italy
\nProgram of Study:<\/strong> Dante Abroad – Summer Intensive Program
\nSponsors:<\/strong> Nanovic<\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nBecause I didn\u2019t study abroad in my junior year, I really wanted an opportunity to leave the U.S. and experience a different country before graduating. The opportunity the SLA has given me is twofold: it\u2019s allowing me to travel, and it\u2019s allowing me to study a language, which is one of my most favorite things to do.<\/p>\n
\n2. At the end of the summer, I will be able to show willingness\u2014and initiative\u2014in situations or interactions that I\u2019m not familiar with, particularly in the area of language.
\n3. At the end of the summer, I will be able to speak about higher-level topics in Italian, such as politics, religion, and current issues, as well as expanding my vocabulary to go along with these advanced topics.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been in Italy for less than 24 hours and in Siena for even less than that, but I\u2019m so off-the-wall with excitement that I figured now is as good a time as any to make a post.
\nAfter the most fun\/terrifying bus ride of my life from Rome (the 70-something year-old driver was on his phone the entire time and probably ran a few people off the road due to his speed), my parents and I were dropped off at Piazza Gramsci. [As a disclaimer, no, my parents are not here the entire time–they’re only in Siena until tomorrow–but they saw my trip as an opportunity for them to take an Italian vacation of their own.] Since the building in which I\u2019m staying wasn\u2019t open at that time, we stayed at a bed and breakfast only a few hundred meters from the piazza. As we were rolling our luggage away an Australian woman, who\u2019d been on the same bus, was asking the bus driver for directions to her lodgings. He clearly spoke no English and she didn\u2019t seem to speak Italian, so he coupled his instructions with hand gestures. However when I heard him say \u201cgo under the arch\u201d in Italian, which the woman interpreted as \u201cgo over the bridge\u201d, I stopped and translated for her so she wouldn\u2019t get lost. Call it vanity or whatever you\u2019d like, but I felt a bit proud that I\u2019d already managed to use my Italian knowledge somehow.<\/p>\n
Not having slept on the plane, I went to bed early, around 9 p.m. Sometime after midnight I was woken up by massive shouting and cheering; I immediately remembered that Italy was playing England in the World Cup that night. Given the number of times I heard said shouting and cheering, I figured that they\u2019d won 2-1. When they play Costa Rica on the 20th, I won\u2019t be asleep indoors, that\u2019s for sure.<\/p>\n
The owner of the B&B, Fabrizio, is one of the nicest people you\u2019ll ever meet. I haven\u2019t met anyone else here yet, but he\u2019s still one of the nicest people you\u2019ll ever meet, anyway. During breakfast\u2013which he made\u2013Fabrizio hung around and talked to my mom and I as we ate. We found out that he taught Italian in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for three years. Since we have relatives there and have been there several times, it was fun to find that common ground. My mom speaks Italian, Spanish, and French fluently, and she and Fabrizio switched back and forth between the first two for the entire conversation. I know I\u2019m currently pretty good with Italian as well as Spanish, but I was still surprised to find that I understood everything he was saying, and I wasn\u2019t translating everything he said into English\u2013it just flowed evenly through my head. I didn\u2019t speak as much as my mom did, but I did translate a lot for my dad, who doesn\u2019t speak a lick of Italian or Spanish. If Fabrizio told a joke, my mom and I would laugh and then there would be a delay as one of us explained in English for Dad.<\/p>\n
The Palio was a major topic of conversation. I\u2019ve already learned a considerable amount about it, but my mom has not, so we got the full lecture. \u201cI fantini sono mercenari\u201d Fabrizio said; \u201cThe jockeys are mercenaries\u201d. According to him, the Palio takes precedence over everything. On the day of the race, tourists are apparently out of luck if they want to do anything besides watch it\u2013everything else is closed. I felt sad leaving the B&B, even after being there for only one night. But there are still five weeks left, and class starts tomorrow\u2013everything is just getting started!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Reflective <\/strong>Journal Entry 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Week 1 of class is done! I really enjoy it. Just walking from one side of the city to the other to get to class is enjoyable in and of itself; at one point you can see a gorgeous valley, with old buildings stacked along the hills on either side. I love Notre Dame, and it\u2019s beautiful, but Siena has it beat when it comes to scenery.<\/p>\n
After a brief \u201ccolloquio\u201d with one of the teachers at the school, I was put into the second-highest level. So far we\u2019ve done mostly grammar review, which I\u2019ve found extremely helpful; they put me right where I should be. Class is fun; there are a few of us from America, but there are two Australians, three Swiss students, one from China and one from Japan. At times our teacher, Enzo, will have us talk about what it\u2019s like in our respective countries. I love hearing about what it\u2019s like to live elsewhere.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m definitely starting to get the layout of the city ingrained in my head. I don\u2019t bring my map with me when I go out, and when I do look at it, it\u2019s only to see where I haven\u2019t been yet. I must admit that living practically alone in an unfamiliar city, halfway around the world and six hours ahead time-wise, is a difficult thing. Most of the students have been here for several weeks already, as they are doing different programs, and so they all know each other. I obviously don\u2019t know anyone in the city itself. I consider it practice for the real world, when I\u2019m living on my own back in the U.S. once I\u2019m done with school. If I can do it here, I can do it anywhere! I have found a cute caf\u00e9 along Via Roma, a street close by where I live, and have been there a few times so far. Victoria, one of the staff at the school, told us that a great thing to do is find your own \u201cplace\u201d, a caf\u00e9 or bar that you particularly like, and make yourself somewhat of a regular. I guess that\u2019s what I\u2019m going to try to do now! I must admit that so far I haven\u2019t actively gone searching for opportunities to spit out as much Italian as possible, but rest assured I never speak in English with the natives here.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve gotten a few compliments on my speaking already. When a few of us who live in the same building went to ask a question regarding the kitchen, the secretary at the school nudged her friend. \u201cLei parla italiano\u201d she said, giving me a nod. When I spoke with another lady who worked in the building, she told me I spoke very well. That\u2019s really what this is all about, and I\u2019m so happy when I think about what people have said.<\/p>\n
And finally, as luck would have it, we\u2019re here during the World Cup. Though Italy\u2019s loss to Costa Rica today was pretty much the worst thing ever\u2014we were yelling angrily at the TV along with the locals\u2014it\u2019s still something special to be here when the Azzurri are playing. But while they are down, they\u2019re not out\u2014hopefully when they play Uruguay next week, things will turn out better. And by that time we hope to have the Italian national anthem memorized.<\/p>\n
Reflective <\/strong>Journal Entry 3:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Week 2 of classes done, and three more weeks remain. We\u2019ve been reviewing verb tenses that we all have probably learned already, but we still need a lot of fine-tuning. Knowing it on paper is one thing, but using it in conversation is another thing entirely. Practice, practice, practice!
\nI\u2019ve also been visiting the B&B where my parents and I stayed for one night; Fabrizio, the owner, is more than willing to just sit and talk (all in Italian, of course) about anything under the sun. We went to an osteria the other evening to get some food, and I got to meet a couple of his friends who work there. Even when they were all speaking at a rapid-fire pace, I could still make out what the gist of the conversation was without too much trouble. They\u2019re big fans of Siena\u2019s basketball team; apparently they\u2019re about to win a sort of tourney against Milan, which is a very big deal.
\nI\u2019m not very good at recounting everything in a poetic, flowing way, so now I\u2019ll finish up by making a list of a few particular things that have gone on this week.<\/p>\n
1. Watched the Uruguay\/Italy match. That was extremely depressing. During World Cup season, I am always a supporter of Italy; the USA becomes relevant only if Italy is knocked out. I\u2019m still angry about the Suarez-biting-Chiellini incident\u2026<\/p>\n
2. After the aforementioned defeat of Italy, I defaulted to the USA, and then watched the USA\/Germany match yesterday evening. There are a ton of German people in Siena right now, and I don\u2019t know why. But at the bar where we were watching, the Germans far outnumbered us Americans; there were a dozen of them and only three or four of us. But, being Americans, we had to represent, so we were spouting patriotic phrases and singing the national anthem the entire time (quietly). And we somehow made it through to the Round of 16, despite Germany beating us and obviously being far superior! Miracles do happen, I guess!<\/p>\n
3. I have consumed a decent amount of gelato this week. I occasionally replace a meal with a small cone of Stracciatella or \u201cCookies\u201d, the Italian (and far superior version of) \u201cCookies and Cream\u201d.<\/p>\n
4. I\u2019ve gone out a couple of times after dark, just to go to the Piazza del Campo and sit down. Even at night there\u2019s still a low buzz of voices coming from the restaurants and bars lining the periphery of the Piazza. There are usually half a dozen or so kids throwing glow sticks up into the air. They always look like they\u2019re having the time of their lives, and I\u2019ve wanted to walk over and start running around, too.<\/p>\n
5. Had a cooking lesson at school. We made bruschetta (two types), pasta entirely from scratch, rolled-up veal, and a chocolate-almond desert from Naples (the chef-in-charge, being from Naples himself, ensured that we knew this!). It was all ridiculously good. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be able to go back to eating the food in the USA\u2026<\/p>\n
6. Went to a restaurant specializing in Arab cuisine. One of the students in our class is from Israel, and he insisted that everyone go out for lunch to try the food. It was great. I tried hummus for the first time, and wow, I can\u2019t believe I\u2019ve missed out on it for so long!
\nThe Palio is coming up this week, on Wednesday, so it\u2019s bound to be a crazy few days! Here\u2019s to a good time!<\/p>\n
Reflective <\/strong>Journal Entry 4:<\/strong><\/p>\n
This entry should be considered the Palio entry, because that\u2019s the biggest thing that\u2019s happened over the past week. Three days ago, on July 2, we staked out our spots in the piazza at 2 p.m. even though the contrade procession wasn\u2019t due to start until 5:30. We were bent on having a good view, and we did indeed get one. Overall, though, it wasn\u2019t as crowded as I\u2019d imagined it would be; it wasn\u2019t shoulder-to-shoulder packed, like a tin of sardines. Not nearly as bad as other crowds I\u2019ve been in.
\nAs mentioned before, the procession began at 5:30 p.m. and lasted for two hours. First came the 10 contrade that were actually running, with their flagbearers and horses in tow. Right at the end, the Palio itself entered the piazza. Though I haven\u2019t seen past Palios, this one was absolutely gorgeous; it was painted in a sort of modern, angular way, with tans and reds throughout. At almost exactly 7:30, the jockeys entered the piazza on their respective horses. After a few minutes, the starting lineup was announced. The piazza went dead silent for this, except for the low collective murmurs from a contrada when its position was announced. Tartuca was last in line; therefore, it could technically take all the time it needed to wait for the opportune moment to enter the starting area. However, Tartuca\u2019s rival contrada, Chiocciola, was next-to-last and was therefore on the outside of the track. Basically, there was nothing Tartuca could do about it, as Chiocciola was well-positioned no matter what, so the race itself began after only two false starts. Then the cannon went off and everyone started yelling their heads off as the horses streaked around the track. Thankfully, no riders were thrown and no horses wiped out. For two out of the three laps, it looked as though Aquila had it in the bag, but during the last lap Drago broke away and finished first. It was insane when Drago won; instantly, a human ladder formed in order to get the Palio down. Members of Drago were jumping over the barriers, hugging each other and crying in the middle of the track. Every other sporting event can step aside; this was definitely the most intense one I\u2019ve ever seen, and obviously the best. It\u2019s sort of difficult to explain just how great of an experience it was; to understand, you\u2019ve really got to go see it for yourself!
\nAnd although it\u2019s been three days since their victory, Drago is not going to stop celebrating any time soon. They\u2019ve been parading through the city, drumming away and blowing whistles, and even handing out copies of a poem written in honor of their victory. So I can say, overall, that the long wait and the seven hours of standing up were entirely worth it.<\/p>\n
Reflective <\/strong>Journal Entry 5:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Week 5 is just about to start and I\u2019m beginning to get nervous because once this week is up, I have to leave Siena. It\u2019s probably going to be the most difficult thing I\u2019ll ever have to do. For the past two days or so a few of us have been in Florence, which is a gorgeous city, but it was even a little hard to leave Siena for only 48 hours. Siena has Florence beat by a long shot. There\u2019s something particular about this city, and it\u2019s as if you can\u2019t understand it unless you\u2019ve been here and then left it. It\u2019s the drums that are always beating in some contrada or another, the spontaneous bursts of singing you\u2019ll hear in the dead of night, the constant sound of swallows wheeling overhead. And it\u2019s not just sounds; it\u2019s sights, too. The flags, the buildings, the endless green shutters, the always-uneven stones on the streets, storefront after storefront of food that you have to try at least once. Siena isn\u2019t just a city, it\u2019s a feeling, and I can\u2019t shake it.<\/p>\n
Reflective <\/strong>Journal Entry 6:<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Reentry-Profile-Graphic\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.nd.edu\/sla2014\/files\/2014\/04\/Reentry-Profile-Graphic.jpg\")
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I don\u2019t usually quote South Park, in fact I have never quoted South Park, but right now I need to quote South Park:
\n\u201c\u2026I\u2019m sad, but at the same time I\u2019m really happy that something could make me feel that sad. It\u2019s like, it makes me feel alive, you know? It makes me feel human. And the only way I could feel this sad now is if I felt somethin\u2019 really good before. So I have to take the bad with the good, so I guess what I\u2019m feelin\u2019 is like a, beautiful sadness.\u201d
\nLeaving Siena was literally the most difficult thing I\u2019ve ever had to do. I was holding back tears during the taxi ride to the train station, on the train to Florence, and on the train to Milan, and even though I\u2019m still in Italy for another dozen days or so (visiting family), I\u2019m still currently fighting back tears at times. Yes, it sounds very weak of me, but Siena changed my mindset and it changed what I want out of life. I know that tons of people always say \u201cOh, I want to live in Italy! I\u2019m going to move there, wait and see!\u201d, and then it never happens, but I am truly going to live in Siena someday, as soon as possible. There\u2019s a part of me that\u2019s still there, and I know I won\u2019t get it back until I\u2019m there for good.
\nBriefly switching to business speak, my Italian has improved on all grounds thanks to my time here. I speak much more quickly, with much less hesitation and much more confidence, than before. Writing was never an issue, really, but my reading has also improved; it doesn\u2019t take as much time for me to work through an article, or try to determine where I am when no English translations exist. The Dante Alighieri school in Siena is really a great place with great teachers, and I recommend it highly to anyone who\u2019s considering studying in Italy. I guarantee you\u2019ll instantly fall in love with everyone and everything in Siena.
\nTo sum it all up, I had the time of my life in Siena. It was very different from what I expected, but in a good way. I\u2019m going to go back as soon as I possibly can. To quote one of the teachers at the school, \u201cRome is Rome but Siena is home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflection on my language learning and intercultural gains:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Reflection on my summer language abroad experience overall:<\/strong><\/p>\n
How I plan to use my language and intercultural competences in the future:<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Name: Maria McMullen E-mail: mmcmull2@nd.edu Location of Study: Siena, Italy Program of Study: Dante Abroad – Summer Intensive Program Sponsors: Nanovic A brief personal bio: I\u2019m a Pre-Med\/Italian major from Rochester, New York. I grew up listening to my mother … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1750,"featured_media":0,"parent":63,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-205","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/sla2014\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/sla2014\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/sla2014\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/sla2014\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1750"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/sla2014\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/sla2014\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":975,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/sla2014\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/205\/revisions\/975"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/sla2014\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/63"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/sla2014\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}