venerdì 9 settembre 2016

September 9, 2016

Today is my fifth day in Syracuse, Sicily! In the past five days I have Already done and seen so many things, things most people could not even begin to imagine. On my first evening here, I went to see the ICF conoe Polo Championships right near my house. I have never seen anything like it, so many prideful Italians watching energetically, and when to Italy won ... it was crazy. The next day, I Began an Italian class, taught by a teacher named Guilia, the class taught basic Italian, and Syracuse / Sicilian history. The first 2 hours were in a classroom lessons on grammar and such, and the second 2 taught about the history, while walking around the city. We saw La Piazza Duomo, Arethusa, Ortigia, and The Catacombs. It was an amazing opportunity to get to know about Italy as well as getting to know the other exchange students! Today was the last day of classes Because We all start real school next week. After class, myself my friend Claire from Michigan US, Nina from Taiwan, and Pedro from Brazil went to the beach! The water was so blue and the sea glass was amazing !!
I have, as expected, tried some amazing food since I have been here. From pasta with homemade sauce to Swordfish, and I can honestly say That I have loved everything That I have had, Also expected.
My Italian is coming along as well. I can understand a lot of what is said to me, permitting That is spoken slowly and to me, otherwise I get very lost in the conversation and do not really know what is happening. Forms sentences That have bad grammar I'm sure, but they are understandable for the most part(I hope). I study for hours everyday as well as communicate with my host family. When school starts, I hope to become proficient in my Italian.
I have to say, the thing That is taking me the longest to adjust to and figure out, Is that words mean what they are. This sounds like a difficult complex, but allow me to explain. When people are learning a language, they are Constantly trying to take the word of non-native Their language, and turn it into Their native language (for me, to Italian to Inglese) So that they can understand the meaning behind the word. However, a word is its own word. For example, we will take the Italian word, "thank you". "Thanks" is TRANSLATED to "thank you", but "thank you" does not MEAN "thank you". Thanks means thank you. A word is its own word. Thanks is a word, a word That gives different feeling than the phrase and meaning thank you. It is a hard concept to understand, and thanks / thank you probably was not the best example, but the theory is still Practiced. I am coming to realize That every word / phrase has locked emotion. To unlock this emotion, you can not use Google Translate or something of the like, you have to understand the word and its implications, you have to experience the emotions in which that word brings you, and by doing so, you now have unlocked the words true meaning!

Michela













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