Che cos'è? What is it?
I had my first one-on-one Italian lesson with my new tutor today. I've been learning Italian for, gosh, about 5 years now. I just stunned myself by having to compute that number. Up until today, I had been using the Pimsleur series and "Learn In Your Car" and every other CD and cassette I could get my hands on. Plus, trips to Italy to practice in battle ... the markets, the stores, the cafes. I can't believe I didn't do this sooner ... but I digress.
My tutor asked me, in Italian, what it was that I liked the best about Italy. I had to think hard, really hard, to come up with both the answer, and then the answer in Italian. I sort of failed. No, let me restate that. I failed. I had to break role and use some English to get the point across. My response was simply that I liked the way Italians, everywhere, never do rushed small talk. There is never just a casual, quick conversation where neither party is really engaged or listening. Here in the US, because we're all moving so fast all the time, we do this all the time. And, I confess, I am the worst at it. Or, maybe the best at it, depending on how you look at it. I do it all the time. Disengaged, casual, quick, not really listening. Going through the motions.
But, when in Italy, I fall into the glorious trap of trying to be Italian. It happens, in one way, shape, or form, to everyone who goes there from a foreign country. Everyone, and I mean everyone, takes a little bit of Italy and makes it theirs. Maybe it's fashion, maybe it's music, maybe it's food ... but everyone does it. If you've been there, think about what I've just said and figure out how it's happened to you, because you know it has.
But, I digress ... again.
So, I fall into the trap of becoming part Italian, and part of that part is really being engaged in every conversation. Maybe it's the language - my having to concentrate oh so hard - or maybe it's simply the way that every Italian makes you feel like they're sitting there, on the edge of their seat, waiting for your next statement ... like it was going to be some gem they could take away and put in their jewlery box. And it's no act ... it's sincere. They care, and they listen, and they feed back ... they emote ... they comment ... they critique ... they have a real, honest-to-goodness discussion. It's never small talk. Even talk about the smallest matter is deep, considered, and important.
Simply? That's my favorite thing.
My tutor asked me, in Italian, what it was that I liked the best about Italy. I had to think hard, really hard, to come up with both the answer, and then the answer in Italian. I sort of failed. No, let me restate that. I failed. I had to break role and use some English to get the point across. My response was simply that I liked the way Italians, everywhere, never do rushed small talk. There is never just a casual, quick conversation where neither party is really engaged or listening. Here in the US, because we're all moving so fast all the time, we do this all the time. And, I confess, I am the worst at it. Or, maybe the best at it, depending on how you look at it. I do it all the time. Disengaged, casual, quick, not really listening. Going through the motions.
But, when in Italy, I fall into the glorious trap of trying to be Italian. It happens, in one way, shape, or form, to everyone who goes there from a foreign country. Everyone, and I mean everyone, takes a little bit of Italy and makes it theirs. Maybe it's fashion, maybe it's music, maybe it's food ... but everyone does it. If you've been there, think about what I've just said and figure out how it's happened to you, because you know it has.
But, I digress ... again.
So, I fall into the trap of becoming part Italian, and part of that part is really being engaged in every conversation. Maybe it's the language - my having to concentrate oh so hard - or maybe it's simply the way that every Italian makes you feel like they're sitting there, on the edge of their seat, waiting for your next statement ... like it was going to be some gem they could take away and put in their jewlery box. And it's no act ... it's sincere. They care, and they listen, and they feed back ... they emote ... they comment ... they critique ... they have a real, honest-to-goodness discussion. It's never small talk. Even talk about the smallest matter is deep, considered, and important.
Simply? That's my favorite thing.
posted by Mark Pukita | 10:46 PM
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