Slowly becoming more immersed!

As soon as I arrived and saw Sorrento, in a way it was everything I expected it to be meanwhile being a sight my eyes had never seen before. A coastal city nearing southern Italy with the most beautiful scenery. My apartment is literally facing toward the water. Because of this, my roommates and I are able to watch the sunset every evening. 

In terms of the locals, they are so friendly. One of the things that surprised me the most was the way most people speak english which in a way isn’t as convenient because they default to speaking to me in English despite me speaking to them in Italian first. Most of the time I try explaining to them that I would appreciate it if they spoke to me in Italian and explaining how I am currently in the process of learning so they don’t expect too much of my speaking skills. Overall, it has definitely been such an adjustment for me as this is my first time in Europe. 

Slang is encountered in all places and some of the words/phrases I have found to be interesting so far included “boh” which refers to “I don’t know.” I have found that people who tend to be younger are more inclined to such phrases. Prior to coming, I had never seen or heard this phrase before. Based on what I have noticed, this phrase seems to be used more commonly between friends and in a more informal way. I don’t know if I see myself using this phrase unless I were speaking to another young person who understood Italian to the extent of the slang. 

Another phrase/slang that I have found to be interesting is “tranqui” which in other words means “don’t worry.” The reason why I have found this to be so interesting is because in Spanish this exact phrase is used. While learning Italian at Notre Dame, I never became aware of such abbreviations. The only difference is the pronunciation. This phrase is commonly used among most age groups across all scenarios. I have found myself using this slang quite frequently to anyone I am speaking with, if the scenario is appropriate. For example, this morning I used this phrase with the maid who comes and tidies up our apartment when she said she was sorry for forgetting to add a trash bag to one of the trash bins. 

I look forward to continuing to encounter more colloquialisms throughout my stay here!