It’s been two weeks now and I finally feel like I’ve taken Milan by the horns; Longhorn horns, specifically. I’ve traveled throughout Milan and felt what it’s like to wander home on the bus without someone there that speaks Italian. It’s been a scary and flustering ride, but also a fun one. I’ve been able to see so many sites in such a short time and really dive into the culture and feel of the city as seen by a native Italian as well as my own eyes of being a native born Texan.
One interesting part of the culture I seem to have picked on fast is how to ask for gelato. I know that I want a coppa and that I want a size piccolo. I also know the main flavors I will be asking for are cioccolato and vaniglia. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m constantly asking for gelato of if it’s because ordering gelato seems to happen in the same way as opposed to a restaurant, which may be different.
I’m also glad for the two classes of Italian we did manage to take. I’ve been able to pick up words and phrases that many Italians say and not feel out of place. One that always seems to stand out is the allora. Every Italian does seem to say this and it’s very apparent that the teacher that taught Italian would always say it as well. This phrase confuses and interests me. Everyone says that it’s meant as a filler of speech, but to be honest, it makes very little sense. Does it mean okay? Does it mean the same as how in English we say, “umm” or “well”? I’m not quite sure and each time I hear it, I feel the need to listen closely to those speaking and figure out where the context is. Context is a very important aspect of understanding a language a person doesn’t know and getting around a country that speaks the language said person doesn’t know.
As I was riding the tren, train in Italian, I managed to overhear the loud speaker through my headphones and listen to them explain that there would be a delay and that we wouldn’t begin departure again until 13:15. I then waited and went back to listening to my headphones when again, minutes later, I heard over the loud speaker “tredieci treinta” and realized that they had extended our delay for another fifteen minutes. After hearing this fact, the Italians around me all made a very loud and exhausted sigh. It was great being a part of the joke and knowing that our tren wouldn’t be leaving soon, and I was even happy that we all shared in this exhaustion together.
Overall, it’s been an interesting stay so far and I’m excited to learn more Italian and really embrace the culture in a way I’ve never experienced before.