2017 – Page 26 – SLA Profiles (2017)

Le Vignoble de Bordeaux, Le Château de Montaigne, et La Ville de Saint-Émilien

In every French class I’ve ever taken, no matter the professor or subject, we have discussed cultural stereotypes. My classes at Tours have been no exception. The professors here often contest the stereotypes that students hold about French culture, but there is one stereotype that invariably elicits a verbal sign of agreement (“ça, c’est vrai, ça”) from the professors: the notion that the French love their food, leur nourriture, in particular their bread, their cheese, and their wine. It is in this French spirit that I voyaged last weekend to the vineyards of Bordeaux to discover a different part of France, the famous home of arguably the best wine in the world.

The trip to the vineyards was in truth a happy accident. Some friends and I were first motivated to visit the Château of Michel de Montaigne, the estate of the sixteenth-century man-of-letters who was one of the progenitors of the Enlightenment. The best book on Montaigne, to my knowledge, has fittingly been written by a Frenchman, the political philosopher Pierre Manent. In “La Vie Sans Loi” (Life Without Law), Manent has gone farther than anyone in establishing the political significance of Montaigne’s thought. As students of political philosophy, we were therefore excited to discover the place where Montaigne had been born, worked, and died. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that the Château was located in the heart of France’s wine country and that Montaigne’s estate had contributed to establishing the region’s reputation in the first place.

Le Chateau de Montaigne (reconstructed in the 19th-century)

Upon arriving at the estate, I was pleased to discover that I could carry a conversation with the charming French girls working the register, only to discover just as quickly that my confidence was misplaced. I first paid for myself. One of my friends had lost his wallet, and I then asked if I could pay for him next. One of the girls said something to the effect of: “Oui, si vous-avez assez bien de monnaie?” I heard the phrase “de monnaie,” and must have smirked a little bit when I responded, “Oui, j’ai de monnaie,” because the girl spoke English a few moments later to clarify that she was not asking if I had enough money to pay, but if I had exact change. She was worried that my poor comprehension had left the impresion that she was rudely asking if I could afford the second ticket. We all shared a laugh, as I became the one who was left embarassed and apologizing.

This episode illustrates well the difficulty of transferring knowledge of a language from the classroom to life. At some point I had learned this phrase in one class or another, but this knowledge escaped me when I encountered it in the world. And yet this painful lesson also illustrates the benefits of studying a language abroad, mistakes and all, as I can promise you that I will never forget the meaning of the phrase “de monnaie” as long as I live.

The ancient tower of the Château of Montaigne.

The château itself was impressive, even if less grand than I had imagined. After departing from the estate, we journeyed to the small town of Saint Émilien to have dinner and spend the night. When deciding upon Saint Émilien, we had no idea that it was one of the most renowned small wine towns in France. This second happy accident allowed us to sample wine in an underground wine cave and learn a little bit about the strict labeling procedure that accompanies all wines in Bordeaux. Only vineyards growing certain grapes of a certain quality are allowed to label their wines with the local branding. For example, not all wines made of grapes from St. Émilien can be labeled as a vintage of St. Émilien. If you are fortunate enough to drink a bottle with the St. Émilien label, you know you’re experiencing the real deal.

The young worker who explained this procedure to us himself represented an important cultural insight. One of my friends asked him what he studied, and he said simply, “le vin.” The production of wine is a serious field of study in France. I have since learned, thanks to a professor at the institute, that this study even has a proper name: L’œnologie. The first line of the French Wikipedia page informs us that “L’œnologie est la science qui a pour objet l’étude et la connaissance du vin,” or in other words, that it is the science of the study and knowledge of wine. It encompasses everything from how to grow the best grapes, to the best methods of fermentation, to the best food with which to serve a specific vintage. The extent to which this study is a competitive and highly esteemed profession has no analogue in the United States. For while I am certain that there are serious people in California studying the production of wine, I am equally certain that no one looks upon them as cultural heroes.

My Birthday in Bosnia

My first two weeks in Sarajevo, Bosnia have been nothing short of amazing. In addition to attending classing, and making a non-trivial amount of progress with the language, I have also had a few cultural experiences that have been deeply gratifying.

Last Thursday my fellow students and I were taken to a football match by one of the in-country American Councils staff members. She took us to see a local club— Željezničar— play a Montenegrin team. The club with the most point after two games advances to the league tournament. I don’t pretend to know all that much about European football, but the match was fun from the beginning. As hundreds of fans streamed into the stadium, they all started singing, banging chairs, and yelling at the opposing team’s players. During warmups we were seated behind the goal of the opposite team, and every time their goalie failed to stop a shot, or a player missed the net they would sarcastically applaud. The first half was largely uneventful, at least to my untrained eye. And because our team successfully kept the ball at the opposite end of the field for the vast majority of the half, I couldn’t really figure out what was happening. The second half, however, was electric. The first 10 minuets our team had at least three shots on goal. In the 12^th minutes a corner kick was perfectly delivered and GOAL!!!! One of our strikers had headed it past an off-kilter goalie. The score was 1-0. But never once did the fans let up. There were at least three times in the second half when a thousand coaches from the stands thought that their players weren’t being aggressive enough. Inevitably, every single time they would yell, whistle, curse, and ultimately boo their own players. In minute 88 one of the Montenegrin players went over the back of our players while attempting to head a ball. Our player immediately crumpled, and was carted off the field after having a a bandage wrapped around his head. The fans spent a full two minutes whistling at the referees for not presenting the offender with a yellow card. The the final whistle drew the match to a close a joyous round of the team song rose up from the fans. As we streamed out of the stadium a guy took out his teeth and hoisted them in the air to celebrate. On Thursday, July 6^th the team will head to Montenegro to play the final game regular season game, but with a win at home they are in a good position to make it to the playoffs. The following photos were taken by a friend, and show American Councils students at the match holding the flag of the local team:

On June 30^th I turned twenty-nine in Sarajevo, Bosnia. It was one of the best birthdays I have ever had. I spent the first part of the day in classes, and the wonderful staff at American Councils brought me cake! In the afternoon a friend and I met for coffee, then took a taxi to the old Olympic bobsled and luge track in Trebević. We spent a good two hours walking down the abandoned track, looking at the graffiti painted on it. The following photos were taken by me as we walked:

Touching Down in Beijing

First Experiences… (6.14.2017)

As thoughts of excitement, apprehension, and awe fought for attention in my head, I found it very difficult to sleep on the plane ride to Beijing. When I finally landed, I felt disoriented as I made my way through customs hoping no one would try to engage me in conversation so that I could focus on making sense of my surroundings. After I exited customs I was immediately greeted by one of my best friends, who happens to be a local Beijinger. For my first two days in Beijing her family took care of me until it was time to head to Beijing University.

Having a Beijinger take you around makes for a whole different experience. Rather than following a typical tour group, I was introduced to my friend’s childhood as she exposed me to some of Beijing’shidden jems. One of my first insights into the beautiful culture of Beijing came with a visit to Taoranting park — a locally famous park. Taoranting, known as Joyful park, is an urban garden spanning roughly 146 acres. With garden design extending back as far as 3,000 years ago three prominent garden types emerged: palace gardens, temple gardens, and scholar gardens.

Built during the Qing Dynasty this park is named after its Taoran pavilion, and was a popular destination for scholars to compose different works, relax, and admire nature. Since construction, Taoranting has been maintained as a tourist site of historical significance and beauty. According to my friend, we went on a less crowded day. I, on the other hand, still observed quite a few people; moreover, I noticed that everyone there was either upbeat and full of energy or at peace. The park is literally meant for everyone from children to grandparents. We passed several different groups of dancers who would welcome anyone to join. Additionally, I saw individuals practicing tai chi, exercising, or reciting poetry. When we ascended a little mountain, we stumbled upon elderly individuals singing and playing instruments. Although everyone was following their own melody I enjoyed the dissonant chorus of music.

We subsequently rented a small boat to go around the grand lake. As we went around a few people smiled at us and spoke to us from the shore. The entire experience was a wonderful and memorable insight into one of China’s many microcosm communities.

I also had the pleasure of meeting some of my friend’s family members. Their hospitality overwhelmed me as her family members all greeted me at the door and set down a tableful of various dishes. Her amiable grandfather, who I learned is an extremely free spirit, even took the initiative to buy me a subway card before I had arrived. Coming from a small family I have always been curious to experience a big family gathering. Although the language barrier hindered my ability to communicate, once my Chinese improves I intend to return later to thank them all properly.

Looking back, I could not have had a better start to my journey here in Beijing. If my auspicious beginning is any indication of the two months to come, I cannot wait to begin learning, witnessing, and experiencing life in Beijing.

Temple of Heaven (and Other Adventures)

My first week in Beijing was a whirlwind, to say the least! Between adapting to the challenging class load, figuring out how to order the food I wanted in the Peking University cafeterias (and figuring out what the food was in the first place!), and supplementing my still-developing Chinese language skills with a plethora of hand motions and head nods, I felt exhausted by the time the weekend rolled around. However, every Saturday the Notre Dame in Beijing program directors and professors plan an excursion for us – and I was not about to miss out on my first opportunity to explore this city!

China has an extraordinary, storied history that spans more than five thousand years. While people first settled in what is now Beijing nearly half a million years ago, it wasn’t until 1279 A.D. that it was first made China’s capital by Mongolian invaders. After turbulence in China and the eventual rise of the Ming Dynasty, Beijing became China’s permanent capital city in 1421 – it was at that time that the city’s grid system and many landmarks were created. Since then, the city has seen many major events – including the Boxer Rebellion, Mao Zedong’s revolution, and recently, an incredible modernization, population, and catapult to the world stage aided by the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

We got to learn more about some of this history by visiting the Beijing Capital Museum, 北京首都博物馆 (beijing shoudu bowuguan). The museum has extensive exhibits of porcelain ware, paintings, jade, bronze vessels, seals, needleworks, Buddhist statues, calligraphy, and coins from different times in China’s history – some pieces date as far back as the New Stone Age! My favorite part of the museum was the Exhibition on History. In the huge exhibit hall, the wall was lined with a timeline of major world events dating back hundreds of years (i.e. Hundred Years’ War, French Revolution, etc.), and the center of the hall across from the corresponding timeline dates were diagrams, pictures, and relics detailing life in China during that time. So, for example, I saw some traditional clothing and house wares, as well as read about what was happening in Chinese culture and economy, at the time when the American Revolutionary War was happening half a world away. It was a fantastic introduction to the history and beauty of China.

Notre Dame in Beijing program at the Beijing Capital Museum

After leaving the museum, we took the subway to 天坛 (tiantan) – The Temple of Heaven. It is one of the few surviving ancient temples in the Beijing area, originally constructed in 1420 during the Ming dynasty and maintained very well ever since. The area consists not only of the iconic Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and surrounding temples originally used for sacrifice and prayer, but also beautifully landscaped paths and gardens. The various temples, altars, and other architecture symbolize the relationship between heaven and the people on earth, and are masterpieces of ancient Chinese culture. It was fantastic to visit this beautiful, historic oasis in the middle of the huge, bustling city.

In addition to these trips, I learned a couple of other things this weekend – most notably, I had my first taste of 讨价还价 (taojiahuanjia) – bargaining at Chinese markets! I’m still a little put off by the aggressive shopkeepers and back-and-forth haggling process, but with a little more practice, I’ll be ready to get some of the cool and (very realistic) knock-off items offered at the various markets in Beijing! I also learned how to maneuver through Beijing’s extensive subway system – it is surprisingly clean, cool, and easy for an English speaker to navigate.

The Chinese have a saying that essentially means “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”: 入乡随俗 (ruxiangsuisu). This will be my motto as I continue to experience this new culture and make it my second home.

再见，朋友！

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is certainly the most popular and most celebrated holiday in Chinese culture. Although the people of China celebrate the new year turning on January 1st with the rest of the world (since 1912), they also celebrate the new year in accords of the Chinese lunar calendar. Chinese New Year is a time to honor households, ancestors, and heavenly deities as well as feast with family. Now more commonly called the Spring Festival, the holiday starts on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month. The festival lasts for 23 days and ends on the 15th day of the first lunar month.

Traditionally, many acts were carried out during the Chinese New Year to bring good luck and longevity. Households cleaned to appease gods, sacrifices were offered to ancestors, firecrackers were used to ward off evil spirits, and lucky messages were posted around the home. Most importantly, there was plenty of feasting. Classic dishes included fish, noodles, and dumplings were also eaten as they symbolized abundance, longevity, and unity. Growing up in a Chinese household, I have been able to experience the some of these symbolic traditions. I’ve enjoyed many delicious feasts, seen tradition Chinese dragon dances, and have enjoyed the tradition of receiving money from elders (“hongbao”).

Since 1996, Chinese citizens have enjoyed a weeklong vacation during the holiday allowing them to travel home and celebrate the new year. However, this has caused many people of younger generations to appreciate the holiday more so as a break from work and time to relax rather than a family celebration. There are now also many televised Spring Festival Gala’s (annual variety shows featuring traditional and contemporary singers, dancers and magic demonstrations) which many people, including my parents, enjoy to watch each year.

The Summer Palace

During our first weekend in Beijing, we decided to explore one of Beijing’s most famous tourist destinations: The Summer Palace (颐和园). The Summer Palace is in the northwest corner of Beijing which is very close to Peking University. The Summer Palace includes a very large piece of land which include hills, lakes, and many different buildings. The origins of the palace date back to the pre-Qing dynasty. The buildings in the hills of the park were built for various reasons throughout the years, and many different Chinese leaders lived at the Palace. The Palace has a rich history which includes destruction, looting, and rebuilding.

Thousands of people visit the park every day since it was converted into a tourist destination. From the top of the hills, you can get an incredible view of Beijing. You can see the modern buildings and construction surrounding ancient pagodas. At the bottom of the hills, there is a vast lake called Kunming lake, where you can rent boats and explore the park from the water.

Our trip to the Summer Palace was one of my favorite things thus far because of how beautiful the architecture and views were. Also, it was humbling to be in such a historical place of one of the world’s most historical cities.

Beijing Roast Duck: The Epitome of Cultural Dining

One of the precious aspects of the Notre Dame in Beijing Summer Language Intensive Program (NDiB) is the opportunity to partake in a Chinese language table with students and professors. Every Friday, the students are rewarded for a hard week’s worth of studying and are taken to Beijing’s most popular restaurants.

The first Friday (June 23rd), we were taken to a restaurant known for its perfection of Beijing Roast Duck. To understand the “craze” for Beijing’s famous specialty, one first has to know it’s history. “北京烤鸭” has a royal lineage beginning in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) in which the dish was only served to imperial courts. Notable mentions of the dish can be seen in classical literature and poetry. The lengthy preparation of the dish begins from raising the duck for exactly 65 days. After, air is pumped under the skin to separate it from the fat and then coated with maltose syrup (yumm) to make the skin nice and crispy. The last step consists of the actual roasting. Although there are two different methods; a traditional closed oven, or a “hung oven technique”, in which the duck is hung on the oven’s ceiling and roasts over burning wood.

Finally, thin crisps of tender, roasted duck and its skin is served. It is customary to wrap the duck in a thin crepe, accompanied by thin slices of cucumber, spring onions, and sweet bean sauce. Such a glorious experience. Peking duck is a timeless dish and will continue to impact the experience of both locals and foreigners alike.

Safe to say, the highlight of my experience thus far in Beijing has been the culinary aspect. As a self-proclaimed “foodie” my taste buds (and stomach!) are ready for anything, even fried scorpion! Part of cultural immersion hinges on venturing past culinary comfort and I think I am on the right track to fulfilling this aspect. Join me next time for more Beijing insights and FOOD!

Anna Fett Blog 2: Hummus for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Many Americans are familiar with Israeli ‘Sabra’ hummus–a brand almost ubiquitous with hummus as we know it in the states. Hummus is one of the staples of the Israeli diet, but of course, it has been consumed for generations throughout the Middle East. It is hard to capture how much better the hummus here is than what is available back home. The major difference is that hummus in Israel and the Palestinian territories is made fresh, daily and is preservative-free. Thus, it must be eaten on the first serving, and it does not store well for more than a few hours (explaining why I am ‘forced’ to lick my plate clean at each meal).

Traditional plate of hummus and falafel served with local mint lemonade in the Old City of Jerusalem

Hummus can be prepared a variety of different ways from country to country and even from town to neighborhood. Hummus is made from cooked, mashed chickpeas and blended with some combination of lemon juice, salt, garlic, olive oil, and tahini (a condiment made from sesame seeds). The ratio of ingredients differs slightly (or dramatically) from place to place as does how thickly the hummus is blended. For me, the thicker the better. My favorite traditional hummus, which I have tasted so far, I have found in Nablus, a city in the West Bank which Israelis refer to as the land of Samaria. This Palestinian hummus is very thick and served with a generous amount of locally made olive oil–so good that I had to purchase a bottle to go!

22 salads (the largest one is hummus) served with pita bread, falafel, and fried cauliflower in the port city of Jaffa

Just as the taste and texture of hummus changes from place to place so does the pita bread served with it. In the Mediterranean port city of Jaffa, thin small round slices of pita are served with hummus, along side 21 other side ‘salads’. All are served on small plates. They include plates of tahini sauce, pickled vegetables, yogurts both spicy and sweet, and many others. In a Druze neighborhood (a unique religious and ethnic minority) of the Golan Heights, I have eaten traditional hummus with ginormous pieces of thick doughy pita large enough for one to feed multiple people.

For breakfast each morning, I am served a traditional breakfast of sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, pita bread, Greek yogurt and hummus (it’s a bit soupier than I prefer but hey-it’s still fresh hummus!) For many a lunch and dinner, I order some combination of hummus and falafel with a lamb kebab or chicken schwarma (meat placed on a spit and grilled all day long). I also order my hummus with falafel whenever I can find it. Falafel is a deep-fried ball of ground chickpeas and/or fava beans and usually drizzled with tahini sauce or lemon juice. All of these tastes compliment each other of course. Falafel can be served as small doughnut balls or as large patties.

A modern twist on falafel and hummus including: cheese and fried onion falafel and a pink sweet pomegranate hummus!

It is easy to find simple traditional versions of hummus and falafel across this country and the greater region. Yet there are those in modern cities willing to experiment with a few twists as well. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, I was lucky enough to try a sweet pink pomegranate hummus with three kinds of falafel including one stuffed with cheese and another with fried onions, all served with a light crispy version of pita.

This diversity of ways to prepare hummus delectably demonstrates the diversity of cultures of this region and the importance of both maintaining traditional cuisines while also honoring them through experimentation that exists across Israel and Palestine.

Points de Vue (Troisième Post)

After another week in Tours, I have noticed further improvements in my vocabulary, fluidity of speech, and utilisation of more advanced concepts. At the same time, however, the difficulties of learning a language have been reinforced. For exemple, this past Wednesday, I went to the outdoor farmers’ market which is held outside of the indoor market named Les Halles which I mention in other posts, and when I went to purchase raspberries, the man at the stall asked me English, “which one do you want?” Something similar happened to me a few days later at a café. While it is likely that he was just trying to assist someone learning the language, such events do from time to time make me second guess my confidence and ability to speak French, this experience demonstrated an occasional dilemma of learning French. Despite this , the weekend I spent in the country side, near Chinon, was incredible helpful for my acquisition of vocabulary and provided a truly immersive and demanding language experience. My host parents’ children, Antoinette and Matthieu, came to the family’s house in the country side for a weekend as well. Nonetheless, the weekend provided a chance to stop and reflect on words and phrases which I would have otherwise been forced to forego in a typical daily interaction. (I was also able to help Matthieu with his English.)

In Tours, I took time this week to explore some areas which I previously had not been to. Such adventures were rewarding because they allowed me to see the “Hôtel de Ville,” a small but not the less beautiful church, and two separate public parcs where locals go to read, chat, or simply enjoy the beautiful spaces which their city provides for them.

On another note, considering the current political climate in the United States, it was not long before my host family, professors at the institute, and my friends from other countries whom I have met asked me my opinion of the US government. Of course, these conversations were useful for me because I was able to turn the questions around in order to learn more about foreign perceptions of the United States.

Talking to my host family about politics is consistently interesting because France itself is in a unique place politically. Emmanuel Macron, the month-old president of the republic, took French politics by storm by avoiding the traditional left and right in order to find himself president. As my host family has expressed to me, however, it is difficult to truly know what Macron will do because he is part of neither the traditional left or right, a sentiment which has been echoed by them concerning President Trump. Aside from politics, a lot of conversation at dinner has concerned the differences in education and the french workplace. My host family admires the economic system in the United States because, although it is more demanding, it permits for greater mobility which does not exist in France and has been the cause of high unemployment since the financial crisis of 2008. In terms of education, the great competition the exists for entrance into the so-called “grandes-écoles” is something I never appreciated. French students sometimes undergo two years of preparation just to prepare themselves for entrance exams. Interestingly enough, my host family travelled to the United States in 2000 with their children in order to visit relatives, one of whom was actually a French instructor at Notre Dame. On a cultural level, the Laumonnier’s very much enjoyed the natural beauty which the United States has to offer and commented on the country’s geographic immensity.

At the Institut de Touraine, one of my professors, Alain Maydat, took a strong political position concerning the United States. For example, he was very surprised to learn the fact the the refusal of service to homosexual customers in stores was such a large point of contention in the United States. Similarly, he expressed concern to me and the class over issues of women’s rights and police brutality, both of which are problems facing the United States and France alike. Professor Maydat, being consistently concerned with the social problems the United States faces, drew a parallel between education in France and the United States, particularly business school, because his own son had gone through the process of acquiring loans to be able to attend such an institution. In this instance he recognized the common problem of student debt between the two countries. Also on the theme of education, Alain affirmed his support of laïcité, or secularism, which the French Republic upholds. I gathered that while the separation of church and state exists in the United States, it is a value held far more dearly in France. To conclude, Alain once asked us the differences we had noticed during our time in Tours between our respective cultures and France’s. I took this opportunity to say that I found the French to be far more quiet and reserved than Americans, a comment with which Alain agreed.

One of my favorite parts of being at the institute has been getting to meet students from not only around the United States but around the world and communicating with them in French. I thought that my friend Jennifer, who is from Taiwan but attends Tufts University in Boston, would be a perfect candidate to gather opinions about the United States because, although she is not a native speaker of French, she went through the first year of college as I did but from a completely different perspective. To best summarize her description of American culture, she used the word “diversity.” In Taiwan and in France, the culture is fairly to very homogenous and the parts that do not conform are often confined. While this can be true in the United States, Jennifer found that Americans embrace trying different things and encountering new people. While Americans would love to meet French university students, the inverse is not necessarily true. Moreover, she commented on the pride which Americans have in being American and the individualism which accompanies that. Lastly, she stated that Americans are very friendly and willing to help. I think this is definitely true but I also would like to add that the stereotype that French people are rude is not. Sure, people in Paris can be difficult but one finds elements of that in any large city where everyone is in a rush…

Hôtel de Ville

Jardin de Prébendes d’Oé

Jardin Botanique

Arriving in Siena

The Journey out to Italy

On Saturday morning, June 17th, my father and I got in the car and began the drive out to Chicago. Even though this was technically the beginning of my trip out to Italy, boarding the first of my two flights was my crossing of the Rubicon; once the plane began to move, I knew I would not be resting until I arrived in another continent. After transferring to another flight in Berlin, I arrived at the airport in Milan. With my passport stamped, I began assessing my options as I grabbed my bag from the baggage-claim. My train would be leaving for Florence in 45 minutes, yet driving to the train station would take at least twenty minutes. Consequently, I had to find a way to get to my train quickly. It was at this point that I had what I consider to be my first “Italian Experience.”

While exiting the station, I was approached by multiple companies providing taxi services to arriving travelers. I picked one, and the driver and I walked to the car. The person who had arranged my taxi for me had spoken with me in English, and consequently the driver assumed that I spoke no Italian. Therefore, when he asked where I was from and I responded in Italian, he was initially surprised and, almost immediately afterwords, excited. During the ride to the train station, we discussed my relationship with Italy and my previous exposure to the language. I told him that my great-grandparents were born in Sicily and that my grandparents on my father’s side still speak the language. He told me that his daughters were my age, and we concluded that he was roughly the same age as the prior generation in my family. As we arrived at Milano Centrale, I received one of the best compliments I have ever heard: “Cristoforo,” he said to me in Italian, “you have Italian in your blood.” Taking my bags from the trunk, I said goodbye and departed to find my train with plenty of time to spare.

On the train to Florence, I similarly spoke with the individual sitting across from me. He was slightly older than myself, around thirty years old, and was a policeman from Rome on vacation. He asked me where I was from (as many other Italians have). I told him I was from the United States. Again, he was impressed that I spoke any Italian at all. As the son of the owner of my B&B would later tell me, it is rare for Americans to come to Italy with any understanding of the language; I would soon find that my friends and I were without question an exception to the rule rather than the norm. After switching trains in Florence, I arrived approximately an hour later in Siena, Italy.

Since then, I have spent the majority of my time taking language classes and culture classes. Over the first couple of days, I made sure to acquaint myself with the city; as someone who loves maps, climbing the tower in the Piazza del Campo was a wonderful way to orient myself and familiarize myself with the surrounding area. As a consequence of my culture class, I have also been able to tour the Duomo of Siena, the Palazzo Publico, the Crypta below the Duomo, and one of the seventeen different Sienese Contradas (a very unique element of Sienese culture which I will explain in my next blog post). At the moment, I find that I can usually express myself relatively well in Italian but when others speak quickly to me, it can be easy for me to miss important phrases. My language class has been extremely helpful in terms of learning new grammatical structures; however, during the day I mainly focus on picking out new words I hear and memorizing them or recognizing words which I commonly use in English and searching for the equivalent in Italian. One of my favorite elements of my language class is our tendency to describe new words in Italian in place of translating directly into English. Doing so has already made me think more easily on my feet while speaking, and is likely part of the reason as to why expressing myself is easier than understanding others. During this next weekend, the Siena Palio will take place. Next week, I will describe what it’s like to live in Siena during its most important week of the year and explain in what ways I have been involved with those cultural events. A presto!

-Cristoforo