Gilman and Fulbright Scholars and Legacy



My Cultural Communication classmates

In October, as a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship recipient, I was lucky and honored to be invited to the orientation program for the Fulbright Scholars just kicking off their research/teaching programs in Italy. I spent a great day listening and learning and soaking up the positive vibes from this group of exciting, industrious, hard-working, amazing group of young professionals and graduate students. And I also got to meet the two other Italy Gilman recipients -  Ashley and Aaron, You rock!

By this time, my 3 months in Italy had already given me a head start on the transition and experience process, but I was jealous they would be spending at least 12 months in Italy while doing their research projects. Four months is not enough time to really immerse yourself in the culture of your host country. I thought a previous Fulbright Scholar offered some very wise advice to the incoming recipients: "Be gentle with yourself." Your body goes through so many physical and emotional changes when you study abroad. My guess is month 5 is when most people start hitting their stride: communication is easier, friendships with natives are being formed, routines are being established, and a certain comfort zone is being found with your new life in a foreign country.

I have been blessed to learn some critical global and life-long communication lessons while being immersed in the Italian culture: General Cucchi, a retired NATO General and diplomat, taught us many impressive concepts during his lectures: to be humble and "realize, I am not the only owner of truth in the world," "Find a mentor," "Be flexible," and "Take chances." He believes you must know another country's history to truly understand the structure of their world and the way they communicate and negotiate. Another professor and former EU employee, Angela advises us "In your professional life, always challenge yourself by doubting and asking "Why?"  Her lectures were also excellent:  Be mindful listeners and flexible communicators.  Listen to what isn't being said. And you must understand cultural norms to have successful cultural relationships and good communication. One's intercultural journey is a life-long process.

While studying in Italy, I have learned that flexibility is different than adaptability. I have been reminded that we are all unofficial diplomats and that every moment can be a joyful adventure. I have thought about legacy and what we as individuals and as a global comunity wish to leave for our children and those around us. What fears can bind us and what little steps can we do on a day to day basis to eliminate them? To speak strongly and courageously against stereotypes and prejudices.  How a win/win philosophy sends ripples far and wide. And how lessons and relationships can come from the most unexpected moments, people and places.  Indeed, "Showing up" is a great adventure.

Carpe diem!

Crazy side of Hostels, and oh, Public Toilets, too!

The Crazy Side of Hostels and Public Toilets!

The only sure thing about staying in a hostel is the budget price! I have had a complete metamorphasis in my attitude about staying in one. Initially, I was apprehensive, especially about staying in a coed dorm room; but, now I enjoy it all - from great conversations to interesting people to go-with-the-flow attitudes! The first hostel I stayed at in Slovenia was nice and clean and had two incredibly helpful managers. I did walk in on a 20-something Dutch couple in a slightly compromising situation and I took showers at 6am to avoid meeting anyone in the community showers!  Other hostels I have stayed in have been very minimalist...and no evidence of bedbugs or dirty linens or any of the horror stories you sometimes hear about in the States.

My last two hostel stays have been in Florence at the Eurostudent Home, just off Piazza Republica. The facilities are a little run down, but Mike Tyson ! and staff more than make up for that.  The $13 euro a night can't be beat either.

When my friend and I checked in, they were hesitant to let me stay - I was over the 35 year old age limit (common in most hostels). But my three 21 yr-old friends vouched for me and I promised not not have any issues with ages, partyers, showers, or surprises! And we had a blast! We saw a great band at BePops and stayed up late with some fun Canadians! Hi to Mike, Carson, Brook, Chris and Mike Tyson! Thanks for the fun, crazy antics.  And to my new Chinese friends, thanks for enlightening me and teaching me about Chinese culture. 

As for public toilets all over Europe...almost all bathrooms cost .40 to 1.00 euro just to enter.  It is hard to get used to toilets with no seats, the lack of toilet paper, co-ed, bathrooms, etc.  But roughin it, just gives you more of an appreciation for all the great things we have in the U.S..  Yes, we definetely are spoiled!

Buying a train ticket at an older machine

 

A nicer, cleaner bathroom - About 1.50 USD

Canadian friends, Mike T, MK and Veronika

My Chinese friends - Xu Xin and Sheng Jiankun



Funny, funny story - too hard to explain!

Pompeii

It is difficult to express the emotions I felt when visiting the city of Pompeii. just south of Naples.  Here was a history lesson from my youth, one that had fascinated me as a teenager, and had never lost its luster for me as an adult.  I continually pinched myself as I strolled through the fascinating ruins, cityscape, amphitheater, dwellings and structures.  There is some evidence of recent crumbling, but the site is in remarkably good condition.  Many of the artifacts are in the Archeological Museum in Naples, which I also visited.  But to see the plaster bodies with vivid facial expressions, colors, mosaics, columns, statues, inscriptions, frescoes and baths from the typical middle class Roman city gave me shivers of amazement.  Mt. Vesuvius can be seen from every point within the city and one can sense the power and terror that must have exploded that day in 79A.D.  Twenty thousand residents lived in Pompeii, a city that had existed since 600 B.C.

large amounts of artifacts and a plaster body cast

Baths of the Forum

House of the Faun

Pompeii had a 100 mile long aqua delivery system

colors are still amazing

corridor down to the Amphitheater

authentic display of winery and city  layout

Just look at that face!

The Forum - typical Roman cityscape

Forum

stone bed in brothel

Pompeii's streets were were cleaned daily with gushing water -
these are stepping stones

Marina/original gate entrance

Spur of the Moment Adventure in Siena

I have been trying to get to Siena since October...a friend and I had a great spur- of- the moment adventure and we had tons of fun in Siena and Florence.  Just when you think you have seen every gorgeous basilica and cathedral...the Duomo and Baptistry took my breath away.  Built in 1215, the Duomo is ornate, but strikingly beautiful.  Even the floor is covered in frescoes and marble inlaid designs!  Many are covered except in the month of October, but it is still amazing to see the stories told through every artistic form within the church.  The Piccolomini Library displays a vivid, colorful selection of frescoes with huge, rare, oversized manuscripts under glass.

In the Church of San Domenico, the head of St. Catherine is preserved and the Museo dell'Opera a Panorama has an extensive and interesting collection of art, artifacts and statues.  The original 20 foot wide, rose shaped, stained glass window from the Duomo is on display and it, too, is brilliant in color and 3D dimension.

I look forward to returning to Siena one day...maybe in July or August when they hold the world famous horse race, the Palio di Siena!  That must be amazing to  watch as the horses race through the quaint, cobblestone shopping district in a display that has been going on since medieval times.

MK in front of the Duomo in Siena

Duomo interior - the marble is striking!

The Piccolomini Library - Breathtaking!

The ceiling in the library

Tuscany view

Inlaid marble floors

 

Random Thoughts - Filling in the Blanks

I would love to address some random thoughts about studying abroad in Italy!

* I initially chose Viterbo, Italy for the language immersion program. I was interested in many other countries, but I liked that the USAC program had a beginnning and intermediate level language program, a good fit for courses that would help my degree requirements, and that Viterbo was a small medieval walled city.

* I have definetly underestimated my ability to keep up with my intensive language course and 3 other upper level courses, and travel, and write my blog. My blog is part of my outreach project for a Benjamin A Gilman Scholarship I received from the U.S. State Department. It is harder to stay focused when there is extra stimuli, language and concept differences, a major change in your studying environment, and frankly, a huge difference in daily structure due to pausa pranza and the slower pace of life here.

* The 54 students in the USAC program are from all over the United States. Most did not know each other before they came to Italy. A few are here only for fun, but most have pretty strong goals. It is amazing to see and experience the life-long bonds that have formed while living here. I have truly made several life-long friends. Age is not much of a factor here. I have been included in many activities and gatherings and did not have much difficulty transitioning. Italians are really the only ones who have been surprised about my age and tend to, at first, not believe I am really a student.

* We have 4 USAC staff personnel who offer a fantastic support system to all of us. The program runs very smoothly and the curriculum and teachers are outstanding. Study abroad is not a cake walk! Everyone transitions to a foreign country differently and the staff offers help and advice to all the students. USAC has arranged all our housing, several group field trips, group phone discounts, visa assistance, etc.

* Technology here is different and can be stressful. My laptop has not been functioning for 10 days. There is no Best Buy or Geek Squad and so there is a frusterating delay in getting things fixed. You buy internet minutes per month. There is a wide disparity in internet cafes and free WiFi throughout Europe. There is only one store inside our small walled town where I can access a computer and I pay about a euro per hour. And my US flash drive doesn't work. Yikes!

* Fashion. Well! Shoes and boots are gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! 5 inch stilletos...no problem! Tights, lingerie and ladies clothing stores abound.

* Travel by train is affordable and easy and can get you vitually anywhere you want. European trains run on a pretty consistent system. The language barrier can pose some problems and there is a pretty steep learning curve. You have alot of down/wait time. I do not have Friday classes which allows me longer weekends to travel.

* Safety - I have had only 2 situations where I felt uncomfortable traveling solo. Crime rates are lower than the U.S.  There is a strange stereotype image of American females in Europe, so you do have to be smart (not necessarily cautious) when in a social setting.

* Italy is more diverse than I expected. There is an incredible amount of things to see and do. I will continue to blog about some of them even after I return to the States.  And I WILL be returning to Italy.

*They love American music in Europe.

* What I miss: my kids, fall weather and firepits, clothes dryers, normal showers, drugstores, red meat.

*I have loved every second here. I am tempted to stay, but I need complete my degree back home! I am already considering plans to come back to Europe to work, teach English or do independent research through another scolarship program. La Dolce Vita!

An American Student Thanksgiving in Italy

writing assignment...I know it is long, but the events in the ending are good!

     I awoke before my alarm buzzer went off.  The turquoise blue sky beamed through the solitary square window in my Italian apartment.  The anticipation of the day ahead made me feel like a kid again.   It felt extra special to know the pilgrims, the Mayflower, all-day football and pumpkin pie belonged completely and unequivocally to us.  My emotions were prickly as I wondered what kind of day my fellow study abroad students and I would have as we celebrated Thanksgiving in Viterbo, the medieval Italian city that most of us had grown to love.

     From talking to students over the previous few days, I could tell there was a mix of emotions swirling through the close-knit group.  For many, this was their first holiday away from family and friends.  The reality of the three months spent away from our home country was like a sucker punch as we longed for an All-American Thanksgiving in a country that spoke little of our native tongue, had rarely heard of pumpkin pie, and where finding any type of international food was as rare as winning the lottery.  Frankly, there was a mixture of melancholy, anxiety, happiness, curiosity and anticipation.  Subconsciously, I think we also knew this day was a marker.  In America, Thanksgiving traditionally ushers in the holiday season.  Conversations were now hesitantly turning to our departure plans.  Our study abroad experience would be over in just four short weeks. This One Day was bringing a monumental strange surreal culture shock back to us on a silver platter. 

      Of course, in Italy, we still had classes on Thanksgiving.   That made most of us somewhat disagreeable.  Knowing I couldn’t skip, I hurried to get dressed.  I was looking forward to meeting friends for a pumpkin pie breakfast at our favorite local café, San Sisto.  I had implored Ricardo, the owner, and his Mamma to bake some pumpkin pies for the Americanos.   They had laughed in surprise when they heard we wanted zucca (pumpkin) “in a what?”  But bless the cook, for she figured out how to make a perfectly baked, sweet crust filled with a mouth-watering smooth zucca filling.  Every ingredient tasted like home and warmed our hearts and stomachs.  I heard later that her five pumpkin pies were sold by noon.

     Soon, our morning buongiornos turned to talk of the day ahead.  Two of my friends were welcoming all 54 students to a celebration at their 3 room apartment.  Since finding a whole traditional turkey is impossible in our little part of the world, they had sought advice and a recipe from the Italian Cuisine teacher.  They had purchased 8 kilograms of turkey breast and were marinating them in a bucket back at their apartment.    The four of us had never realized the red piston on a Butterball turkey was ever something we would lust after.  We headed to our Italian language class feeling like children on Christmas Eve. 

       While my two friends experienced their first hostess celebration anxiety over turkey cooking times, the miniature size of their typical Italian oven, the number of people that would fit into their apartment and the amount of food being prepared, I reassured them everything was going to be “perfetto.” Our life was feeling a little like a sitcom drama:  Minute by minute, we were furiously reading and responding to the growing list of RSVPs and comments on Facebook.

     I was surprised by the excitement and tradition-bartering visible in black and white on my computer screen each day.  As the menu list grew, I was struck by what food writer Molly Wizenberg says:  “We bring fathers and mothers and kitchen tables and every other meal we have ever eaten” to the kitchen. “Food is never just about food.  It’s a way of getting at something else: who we are, who we have been, and who we want to be.” Unfolding before my eyes, was a tidal wave of emotions, tradition, love, and hope that each American student was bringing with their green beans, sweet potato casserole and mashed potatoes.  This evening was more than just a meal.

     When I arrived at the Thanksgiving party, the festivities were well under way.  Laughter and welcome shouts greeted my arrival.  The homemade, hand-colored turkey centerpiece cheerfully wished Happy Thanksgiving!   The corner buffet table was filled with a surprising American smorgasbord.  And the feast did not disappoint.  I didn’t feel the least bit guilty for eating three helpings of delectable sweet potatoes topped with real marshmallows or my two servings of perfect cinnamon- topped pumpkin pie and turkey.  Everyone chipped in a few euros to help pay for food, and picture-taking, hugs, non-stop laughter and full stomachs filled the rooms for the next 3 hours.

     But the real jewel shimmered brightly that night and left a poignant and wonderful memory.   We were experiencing what the Italians feel so deeply in their cultural souls that they even have a special name for it – bella figura.  It’s the reason Italian cuisine is a subculture of its very own.  I have now found a new understanding of what a new Italian friend had once shared with me over an evening meal:  ”If you do not prepare a meal with love, you cannot enjoy what comes after.”

    On Thanksgiving night, we 35 Americans in that apartment were blessed and lucky to enjoy our own ”bella figura.”  We were sharing a unique and wonderful bond that not only crossed state cultures and age demographics, but had crossed the thousands of miles from North America to Italy as well.  With wisdom beyond their years, our two hostesses had asked each of us to write on a slip of paper what we were thankful for.  As the gold- glittered bag was passed around to each student sitting on couches and chairs, on each other’s laps, and spilling comfortably onto the floor, we each drew out one slip of paper and read aloud what was written on the red and yellow post-it-notes:  “I am thankful for my new family in Italy,”” I am thankful for good friends, my wonderful family and cheap Italian wine,” “ I am thankful for a year of cultural diversity,” “Holidays are made better by the people you share them with and damn y’all can cook!” “Hey, America, you’re so fine…you blow my mind!” and “Thank you for my crazy, fun USAC family, the opportunity to be in Italia, and LifeJ.”

     Wow…Thanksgiving in Italy…Even better than I hoped… La dolce Vita.

Uniquely Europe Part I

     I have to admit, I have been much like a kid in a candy store for the last 8 months.  Once the wheels were set in motion for my study abroad experience that began in September, it became an adventure that amazed and surprised me at almost every turn.  Scholarships I determinedly and painstakingly applied for were granted, my college schedule and study abroad curriculum smoothly melded together, and my independent travel itinerary exploded with possibilities and curiosity.                                      .

     My 3 months in Italy have been amazing.  I have done extensive, primarily solo travel, and have had many unique adventures. I have seen amazing towns and monuments, historical sights, magnificent mountains and gorgeous one-of-a kind cathedrals.  I’ve met great people from all over the globe.  I enjoyed Croatia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic so much, I can’t wait to return.  I visited Dachau Concentration Camp in Munich and a cemetery honoring WWII soldiers.

I have put together a fun video that shows some video highlights from my first 2 months.  I plan on adding a Part II when my adventure is over in January.  Carpe Diem!

Update on Cinque Terre Disaster

As some of you may know, Vernazza, Italy in the Cinque Terre was flooded and quite nearly destroyed just a few short weeks ago.  My friend, Cheryl, and I stayed there for 3 days in August.  I have to tell you, the town, the people, and the raw beauty of the villages,  made a life-long profound effect on me. To see it destroyed is completely heart-wrenching.  Please connect to the link below to see the devastation, and use Rick
Steve's guide as a source for information and donations.  Please, Please, keep these people in your prayers and if you can donate, that will be a wonderful thing.
I have tried to email the owner of the pension where we stayed.  I know he is alive, but I believe, after seeing some of the pictures from the hillside above the train station, that his home was completely washed away.  The home and heart that he loved and was so incredibly proud of, is the building that is partially standing...the one with the green shutters in the middle of the wasteland.

Surprising enough, I just finished a midterm writing assignment about the Cinque Terre when I heard of the disaster.   I may post that in the near future.  If any of you have plans to travel to Italy next year or are looking for an unbelievable place to visit in a year or so, please consider Vernazza. The people of this town are amazing.   Everyone hopes they can rebuild and they will need support.  With the status of the Italian government, I do not know what funds will be available to this area.  America is truly, a lucky country when it comes to Disaster Relief.  Among many  other things.  I will keep everyone posted on this blog as best I can.
http://www.ricksteves.com/news/travelnews/cinque-terre-floods.htm


  Pace e Bene, MK

http://www.ricksteves.com/news/travelnews/cinque-terre-floods.htm

Brugge and Holland



New Belgium friends at a tasting festival!

Two weeks ago, I visited Brugge and Holland, and what a fun weekend I had!  Brugge is truly, a beautiful and refined city...and very relaxed.  The food was unbelievable!  And the desserts were even more amazing!  The architecture and canals are serene.  I only spent a day in Holland, but it gave me a chance tosee the land of my ancestors and look forward to another trip in the future.  I also learned wooden clogs were originally made to be totally functional.  The tips are pointed and used to have a little metal point because they were used like a lever to dig and lift and work in the dike areas.  Others were hand-carved and painted and were given to the bride-to-be or to celebrate many other special occasions.



Eating mussels! Yum!



The main square

They even have famous chocolate chefs in Brugge!

                                           

MK at the Unesco World Heritage Site