While writing an e-mail today about my experience in Rome so far, I came to the realization that I have neglected to blog about the reason I am here: to study abroad.
I am currently enrolled in Italian I and Roman History. This may not seem like the most intense course load to the untrained eye, however, we have to bear in mind several factors. Let's crunch the numbers:
1. The maximum number of credits you can during a summer session is 8-- I'm taking 7.
2. We are squeezing a course that normally takes 18 weeks to complete into a period one-third of the time. (That's 6 weeks for those, like me, who refrain from doing math unless forcibly made to at gunpoint... if then.)
On Monday through Thursday from 1 to 3 pm, I attend Italian 1. My professor, Cristiano, is a hysterical Roman that gets as much of a kick out of his students (a class of 9 American girls-- IMAGINE!) as we get out of him. He does a fantastic job at keeping us engaged in a lesson with his key teaching techniques which include but are not limited to:
-Winding up to punch us
-Pretending to shoot those that get a wrong answer
-Hiding behind the white board when he is feeling overwhelmed by our silliness.
-Kicking our desks.
-Mouthing curse words. Silently. In Italian.
-Feigning anger when we insult his "Holy Language". (Pronounced "Olee language")
Mind you, he has no problem praising us when we do well with shouts of BRAVA! and BELLISIMA! accompanied with the occasional wink or I love you if your answer includes a compliment directed toward him.
Along with each lesson, he reserves the last 30 minutes of the class to teach us any phrase we may need to know for daily life in Rome. Such phrases range from how to ask for aloe vera at the pharmacy (drawbacks of the Mediterranean sun) to how to tell off crazy, old Italian women that hassle us on the way to school.
Everything we learn has a measure of practicality and, unlike taking a language in the States, grasping the language is necessary for daily life. Being immersed in it is a nice perk as well.
My first sentence was no more impressive than it would have been uttered in a classroom in Philadelphia:
Il professore ha una cornetto.
Directly translated to say: "The professor has a croissant". Pure gold, right?
Well, in a few short weeks, I have been able to hold my own in line at the grocery store and speaking to the cashier is no longer an issue. That is a lot mor ethan I can say for my slightly less successful attempts at French and Spanish. I'm not saying I'm ready to just up and move to Italy BUT I am proud to say that I am not completely desecrating Cristiano's holy language...
I am also enrolled in Roman History with Professor Gadeyne. He is quite the character as well. He is from Belgium and seems to speak every language know to mankind (and I'm sure a few that aren't) and expects nothing less from his students. This class meets on Monday in the classroom from 3:00 to 5:00 and on-site on Wednesday from 3:30 to 6:30 (or until everyone in the class dies as he likes to say). For our on-site classes, we have explored the Forum Romano, the Field of Mars and both the Capitoline and Palantine Hill. While on our excursions, he loves to remind us of several facts during class:
-He is not on vacation, therefore, neither are we.
-That we are "a bunch of tourists". He hates tourists.
-That we only need water 3 times a day: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
-That his dead Grandmother walks faster than we do.
-That his 4-year old knows more about Roman History. Geography. Life in general-- than we do or could ever hope to.
-And that by taking his class we are getting a deal-- Five classes for the price of one: History, Geography, Foreign Languages, English and Physical Education.
He also pretends to try to commit suicide at least once every class by leaning over a ledge and then deciding against it because "the fall is not high enough to kill him".
He may sound like a nightmare (and in many ways he is) but that's what I like about him. I have learned more from him about all the subjects listed above than I have from any teacher in my lifetime. He is very entertaining and I am actually retaining a lot of what he has taught us!
Well, I suppose I should try to sleep. Buona Notte!
P.S. Oh and I think this everyday on the walk to school but how lucky am I that I get to cross the Tiber River everyday to get to class! How many people can say that?
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