un fine settimana pazzo

One Crazy Weekend (Sorry, this post will be long)

I have been looking forward to this weekend my entire trip, the weekend I would go and meet up with my friend from Bologna then meet family members for the first time. What an experience. I learned so much.

Food.

Of course I'm going to talk about the food. I might as well do it now and get it over with.

I learned so much about food while I was gone: how to make ragu`, a traditional Bolognese sauce, with carrots, celery, and onions diced real small with tomato sauce, pork and beef. I learned that anytime someone says cupcake here, they really mean a more corn starchy muffin. I learned that even the thin bread sticks and salami that are put out to munch on are made fresh. There is a difference between tortolini and tortoloni, tortolini being smaller with meat inside and tortoloni being bigger and stuffed with cheese. I learned about their favorite restaurant which serves these fried bread squares that have air pockets that you break open and fill with gorgonzola and prosciutto and other meats. Also there are thin bread rounds that and opened and filled with the fat from a cow and parmegiano reggiano. The ravioli and gnocchi were freshly made. I can't describe the meal as anything but impeccable. I honestly do not remember what the dessert was called (that might have been because of the wine), but it was a hazelnut creamy, pudding-like texture. Amazing.

My friend that I was visiting lived in New Jersey for a year, which is how I met here. She said that she missed Italian food when she was in America. Its funny because you would think that there is Italian food everywhere, but Italian food and Italian American food are two very different things. The food here is all fresh, not Shoprite fresh but driving through the vineyards to get to the restaurant fresh. She said she missed pink lemonade, pop tarts and some other snacks though. We're planning on sending each other care packages from our hometowns.

I could go on about the food, but I think thats enough of that.

Childhood.

One thing I've realized about being here is how different people's childhoods are. I mean I always knew we grew up different, but studying abroad throws that lesson in your face over and over again. "You will meet a lot of different people in your life," as my mom said.

I have a friend from Alaska who grew up running through his neighbor's tall grass fields to get to his friend's house. To ease the disruption, he offered homemade cookies. I have another friend who lived in a house of siblings way out of town. They found some fun ways to stay entertained. My friend from Italy told me about her childhood, living on the outskirts of a city, getting the best of both worlds. I thought about my hometown and how I had the luxury of having a best friend who I could reach by running barefoot across the street. Also, there was a beach about 10 minutes away.

I talked with my friend from Bologna about some of the differences we had growing up. Both of us have experienced both places, but she was in Freehold for a year, while I was only visiting Bologna. She said that it seems like Freehold is fun, but Bologna there is more to do. Clubs are open until 6am, which is usually the time kids come home after being out. When we went to a dinner with her friends, we came back at 2am, another regularity.

Its funny because kids can drink at 14 here. They can get a tattoo at 16. They get their license at 18. In America, we can drive, carry firearms and fight for our country, but never have a legal glass of wine.

Also, we talked about maturity. Kids here seem a lot more mature. I think this is because families are more close-knit, and the values are enforced. She said that the money aspect is different though. In Italy, kids do not have part time jobs. They get, essentially, an allowance from their parents. Kids here though always clean, cook, and do their laundry. Its just a very different world over here. I like this aspect a lot (and the food of course). If you could take Italian culture, architecture, and food and ship it to America, the world would be a happier place.

We also talked about Europeans in general and how more of them travel than Americans. A lot more students study abroad from country to country than Americans. I think this also leads to more open minded people. (Plus, in Europe entirely different cultures are so close. European countries are a lot closer together. In America, we are a melting pot, but when you simmer a bunch of vegetables, they all blend together and a bit of the original flavor of that carrot or whatever is lost. We all hold our nationalities close and are proud, but unless first generation, it is hard to ever really understand, unless you visit the places your ancestors come from.) If you live in one place and never experience another, or at least people who travel or read about traveling, there is no way to open your eyes to their ways of life. Things can be done so differently. It is one thing to hear about it, but its another to experience it and really immerse yourself in another culture. Any one who is lucky enough, or works hard enough, for such an opportunity, should do it. I couldn't imagine not having this experience.

Homes.

This weekend, I got to see a house in Bologna, an apartment in Bologna, and an apartment in Venice. My friend said that houses are not typical of Italians. If a family has a house, their whole family lives there, that being grandparents etc. Her house was beautiful. There staircases are closed and rooms are set up as if in an apartment building, which is different than American homes. It was very well decorated. They also had a huge porch and terrace which seemed like such a chill spot to relax, looking out onto the trees and mountains.

I also got to see an apartment in Bologna. It was all one floor, but very big and spacious. It was very well decorated, modern with some traditional Italian touches. For instance, the kitchen had low grey countertops, white everywhere, stainless steel everything, and an old Italian set of doors to open into the pantry. It was so cute.

The third home I saw was my mom's aunt and uncle's. They had a three room plus bathroom apartment, decorated old school Italian with frescos and chandeliers and Italian mementos. Again, gorgeous.

Music.

Italians my age listen to American rap and hip-hop mostly, at least the ones that I met did. My friend who was in America for a year also listened to other American music, but she said she did before the trip.

Its funny because at one point, I was listening to Empire State of Mind which is about New York City, a place that half of the people in the car have never been, but everyone seemed to relate to it. All of our music, I listened to from their point of view. It blew my mind.

I was also introduced to some Italian rap. I now have a new obsession with Fabri Fibra.

Timetable of the weekend.

Friday, I trained to Bologna and after exploring a bit, I met up with my friend. We went to her house, and she showed me around. After settling in, we went to her friends' apartment for a dinner with some of her friends from high school. It was an amazing experience being able to drink, eat, and talk to Italians my age. Their English was probably better than my Italian, but it did not come out too often, but I could understand a lot of their Italian. Them making fun of their english professor was hilarious: "paper or plastic," "did you justify yourself?" "I am getting a bit hostile..."

Saturday, my friend and I trained to Venice where I met my mother's uncle whom I have never met. He asked, "wana go for a walk?" (His english was very good). My friend and I expected a short passagiata, but he walked all over Venice with us, showing us his hometown. He and my aunt have lived in Rome, Naples, Salerno, Long Island, and New Jersey, so they speak both English and Italian. After the tour, he brought us to his apartment, where I met my aunt (the blood relative). She was so funny, "I have always gotten along with the younger generations. I get you guys, he doesn't..." pointing at her old-fashioned husband. She invited me to sleep over one weekend before I leave which I think I will take her up on. When else will I be able to visit this family? Plus, being at their apartment reminded me of sleeping over my grandparents' house in New Jersey, which I do every so often to get away from my hometown and my school. It is very relaxing and always nice to be around family.

That night, my friend and I met up with some of her friends and went to a big dinner. The restaurant was about 45 minutes away, so I really experienced how Italians drive. It is crazy. On the way home my friend from Bologna let her friend drive home. He hit 145 kph at least on a winding road (thats 90mph). Crazy.

The guys were so funny, running through typical topics. We talked about Jersey Shore and other American trash television, food, and partying mostly. They were really funny and flirty, just as expected.

Sunday, my friend and I woke up late which felt nice. We had a big lunch with her mom and cousin of flat spaghetti (I forget the name) and her mother's ragu` which was amazing. We had zuppa inglese for dessert which is very similar to our ice box cake. After, we talked for quite a while about the different between America and Italy. I showed my friend and her cousin some of my pictures from my trip.

We realized we never toured Bologna, but I knew that just talking with them, I learned more and had a more valuable experience than looking at churches and museums all day. The Bolognese Italian is a bit different, which was nice to listen to. Before going to the train station, my friend did take me around a bit, showing me the city center, a church that is really seven churches in one, her old high school, and the one of the best gelato places in Bologna. The gelato was delicious, and the guy that was working the shop...

I remember being in Bologna thinking:

I wish I could spend a week here.
I wish I could spend a month here.
I wish I could spend my life here.