Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Wow, here I am writing again after a month... oops. Things here have been up and down lately. I just hit the 3 month mark yesterday of leaving home. They say around 3 months and around the holidays that things can get a little bit lonesome and it is true. Don't get me wrong, Italy is wonderful, there is just still so much that I'm getting used to, and I've been a little homesick. 
So in the past month what has happened... I think I'll start with my biggest learning experience/culture shock so far. My Italian lessons were givin to me a lot later than the rest of my fellow AFSers, it just happened that way. Between late Italian lessons and learning two languages, my Italian has been coming a little slower (it is getting so much better now that I'm taking lessons with a friend's mom) which was causing some rifts with some of the teachers. OK, on to the story. One Monday in art history class we went to a museum that I had previously visited on a Sunday in town. The previous time I had not payed, which I later found out is because museums are free on Sundays. When we arrived at the museum, my teacher informed me that I had to pay because I am not a permanent resident of Florence. This was a little embarrassing since I had left my wallet at school, and having no money with me, the teacher begrudgingly lent me the money to get in. When we arrived back at school she rushed off to her next class and my classmates and I to ours. The next time I had her class was on a Saturday. She came in the morning and began to talk, so I thought it would be a good idea to give her the money at the end of class. Boy, was I wrong. I was trying to pay attention to the lecture that we were being given, but was not understanding a lot (some teachers speak very quickly) and I noticed that she was getting angry. I asked one of the students if there was a problem and she told me that the teacher was angry that one student still had her money. She said something along the lines of "there is a student that has four euros of mine, and I want it back now. I'm going to speak only in Italian. I want my money back and she wont give it back because she wants to keep it for herself." and these points she repeated over and over again. As soon as I was informed I went up to the desk and gave her some money, which also made her angry because I had a 10 instead of 4, and she didn't have change. Some students lent me the money and I sat down at my desk again. She than began to speak of how my Italian was awful, that I didn't understand anything, that I was a burden on the class, and that my family, who speaks French at home was useless. This did not make me happy. Not only was I personally attacked in front of a whole classroom of kids whom I want to fit in with so badly, but she attacked my host family. The Gbikpi family has graciously taken me in, and accepted me like real family, I feel like a part of the family, and everyday at least one of them makes me smile and laugh. I then said to her in the best Italian I could muster "If you have a problem with me, you can talk to me" (I said that all in Italian in the class!) This was supposed to imply that instead of humiliating me in front of the class that she could simply tell me if she had a problem. This didn't help the situation at all. But some good came out of it. The entire class came to my aid. They did their best to stand up for me against the furious teacher. They spoke some of the words that were pounding against the inside of my head, wanting to come out, but unable to translate. The teacher showed some very unproffessional behavior (yelling at an exchange student for a period of 50 minutes) but instead of me being embarrassed, I think it was just her. About twenty to one, we stood against her. I've had some time to reflect on this, and many have suggested that it was her own problems mixed with a little bit of racism and fear that brought her act out like that. It was a very difficult experience (I don't recall ever being treated just like that by a proffessional adult) but I learned some good things about friendship and about inner strength. I was so tempted to walk out of the class, but I kept thinking of the reason that I am here: to be a representative for my country and to bridge to countries together. In thinking about how my country would like to be represented it gave me the strength to sit through the rest of the class.  
On to other news, I have started Italian lessons! I go from 2-4 after school on Mondays and Thursdays. I go to those classes with other foreign students. In my class are four other girls from 4 different countries: Serbia, Albania, China, and I believe India. It getting a little easier to answer questions and to hold little conversations, and of course charades and laughter are universal. I've been given Italian worksheets to complete and little by little I'm learning. On Fridays I take a train from Florence to Prato with my friend from class, Niki. Prato is about a 20 minute trip, but I don't mind, I actually love being on the trains here. Niki's mom is a private English teacher in Prato. She is from Trinidad and English is her native language. When she was done with school she moved to Italy to dance, and when she first came she didn't know any Italian, so she understands what it is like to live here and learn the language. She has graciously offered to teach me in an hour between students on Fridays. It has been very beneficial and each time our conversations in Italian get longer and more complex. 
Another form of Italian lessons has come from the television. The days I eat at home alone I sometimes turn on the afternoon television to listen to the Italian. On a rare day when I come home quickly I sometimes catch the Simpsons. Those are good days. But mostly I have to be content with "Paso Adelante," a Spanish soap opera centered around a dance school/company. Sometimes if I've finished homework before dinner I sit in the kitchen and watch a little TV and chat with my host mom. The only recognizable program, unfortunately, is "Walker Texas Ranger." Despite my most desperate hopes, Italian does nothing to improve the sad performance by Chuck Norris. But after dinner is when it gets more interesting. I have now watched "Shrek 2", "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", "Madagascar", "Mission Impossible", and an old fashioned Italian movie.... all in Italian! It is has helped a lot. 
And now, on to another completely random train of thought. Christmas time is usually when the program says that things get the most difficult. I do agree that the holidays aren't so easy to be away from family and tradition. I have been listening to some Christmas music that I downloaded before I left home. The city has done a very lovely thing here by decorating the city center with lights that hang above the streets. It is fun to walk in the city at night because the lights are overhead like a canopy and it gives the normally dark and cold streets a kind of welcoming feel. 
Besides for all of that I guess life has been pretty standard, or as standard as it can be in another country. I'm discovering that it is a big challenge living in another country. But I really am so lucky to have all the support I have here with my host family and friends, and then all the support I have back home too. I really want to give a big thank you to the people that help me through the tough times! That is really all I have to say for now... that and I'll try to be better about posting more often. Ciao! and buone feste! (happy holidays)