During the brief two weeks that I have been in this country, I have had time to observe the locals and discover what it really takes to be an Italian. Though no Italian is alike, one common characteristic can be seen in every one of them: passion. They are passionate, even about the littlest things. Whether they are upset or happy, they display it in an outspoken way. It is quite different than Americans who may hide their feelings. In the states, it is polite to stay quiet about certain things or maybe ask someone in a nice way to do something. We do not always choose to engage in conversation because what if that person is different from us? There is no point of wasting time talking to random people who we will forget by tomorrow. We try not to offend others unless absolutely necessary. This may even result in an extreme case of passive aggressiveness. Of course, I often fail at this common courtesy but I'm definitely working on it.
In Italy, if someone does not like something, they let you know in a very loud and confrontational way. For example, yesterday we expressed our apartment complains to our housing coordinator. Our apartment is slowly deteriorated and our stove even caught fire the other day! (Well, it was small flame that ended up putting itself out but it was still scary). Our housing and program coordinators decided to come and take a look at the place. The head of the program was furious about the state that the apartment was left in. After discovering a large amount of mold on our shower curtain, she ripped it down and began to raise her voice. "This is unacceptable, I'm having a talk with the cleaning people right now!" she yelled. She waved her hands vigorously as she talked and assured us that all of this would be fixed. It was definitely an intimidating experience. I'm just glad she was on our side.
The locals not only express their concerns, but they also invite you to explore their culture. Their passion and pride for their home is astonishing. I recently met my neighbor, Nico, who had just returned from his two month long holiday (apparently they do this in the summer to avoid the tourists). Without even hesitating, he ambushed me with a deep conversation about the city. He told me the good things (like the art, history and local businesses) and the bad things (like the gypsies that practice incest to keep the Florentine culture alive). Next thing I knew, my quick trip to the bank turned into an hour long walk with Nico as he showed me around the city. He even tried to buy me a coffee but I politely declined. No matter how nice, I wasn't about to grab a coffee with a middle-aged man that I just met (In reference to a previous blog post: Head on a swivel).
Even people who we will probably never see again are willing to take time out of their day give us their life advice. We visited a genuine Italian leather shop the other day. The woman who worked there was young and willing to help us with anything that we needed. She was not just trying to make a sale; she was trying to teach us about her trade. "There are many leather impostors", she said, "but let me show you how to tell the difference from the fake and genuine Italian leather". We just met the lady and she was already giving us shopping advice and tips on how to not get pick pocketed. It seemed like she actually cared about our safety and choices. She wanted us to get a real Florentine experience because, for her, that's the most important thing about visiting the city.
There have been many times during my stay that I have been homesick. I yearned for abundant electricity and WiFi. I miss hugging my parents, teasing my brother and sister, holding my nieces and nephew, and literally everything about my fiance. It's hard going to a foreign land alone and trying to fit in. Fortunately, the people that I have met along the way give me reassurance that Florence is a city that is worth the risk. Their passion draws me in and distracts me from the seemingly solitary life that I experience in the confides of my apartment. Now, I do not wake up every morning wanting to come home. I wake up wondering how can I make the most out of today?